Characterization of Strains of Acitnoplanes SPP. That are Potential Biolooical Control Agents

Actinoplanes spp. are members of the aggregate group actinoplanetes in the family Micromonosporaceae of the order Actinomycetales. Actinoplanes spp. produce well-developed, nonfragmenting, branched and septate hyphae that are 0.2-1.6 ~ in diameter (Couch, 1974; Vobis, 1989). Aerial mycelium is generally not formed. The mycelium is typically Gram-positive, non-acidfast and produces diffusable pigments of many colors. Colonies are generally brightly colored. Various shades of orange are most frequent, although some strains have black, brown, red, purple, green or blue colored mycelia. Actinoplanes spp. typically produce spherical to subspherical shaped sporangia (3-20 x 630 j..lm) borne on sporangiophores (Goodfellow and Cross, 1984; Palleroni, 1989). Spherical, subspherical or rod-shaped spores are formed inside sporangia and become motile when hydrated. Zoospores (motile spores) have a few to many polar flagella (Vobis, 1989). Other genera of the actinoplanetes include Ampullariella, Pilimelia, and Dactylosporangium (Goodfellow et at.., 1990). Species of the actinoplanetes are economically important for their abilities to produce antibiotics, enzymes, immuno-suppressive drugs, steroids, and other industrial and pharmaceutical compounds (Goodfellow et al., 1984; Piret, 1988). Other members of Actinomycetales, e.g. Streptomyces spp. have provided greater commercial benefit and have been studied to a greater extent than the actinoplanetes. However, Actinoplanes spp. have been reported to be hyperp,arasitic of oospores of Phytophthora megasperma glycinea (Filonow and Lockwood. 1985) and similar fungi (Sneh et al., 1977; Sutherland and Lockwood, 1984; Khan et al., 1993). Identification of microbial species is based on their morphology, physiology, biochemical and nucleic acid composition. Studies of the latter two characteristics have evolved into the fields of chemical and genetic taxonomy. Chemical taxonomy typically involves the determination of biochemical constituents of the cell such as fatty acids profiles, or amino acids in ceil walls and sugars in whole cell hydrolysates (GoodfeUow and Cross, 1984; Lechevalier, 1970 and Pulleroni, 1989). Chemical taxonomy often leads to a reclassification of genus and species. Recently, Goodfellow et al. (1990) used chemical and numerical taxonomic procedures to clarify the taxonomy of Actinoplanes and related taxa. Based on their study, five novel species of Actinoplanes were identified and the genus Ampullariella was suggested to be a synonym of Aetinoplanes based on their chemical relatedness. The characterization of nucleic acid bas greatly improved taxonomic study of bacteria and other microbes, especially in non-fI.1amentaneous bacteria. Numerous techniques are available for the characterization of chromosomal or plasmid DNA and of ribosomalRNA (Farina and Bradley, 1970; Hopwood et al., 1983 and Wilson et al., 1990). The use of restriction endonuclease digestion of genomic DNA followed by band separation by agarose or SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis (DNA fingerprinting) has evolved into a powerful yet relatively simple tool for characterizing bacterial strains and other microorganisms (Owen, 1989). DNA fingerprinting has been used for characterizing strains of Streptomyces (Crameri et al., 1983; Hintermann, 1981), Nocardia (Crameri et al., 1983) and Streptococcus (Skjold et al., 1987). Moreover, DNA fingerprinting has been applied for identification of closely related species in the genera Bacteroids, Brucella, Mycobacterium, and Lactobacillus (Stahl et al., 1990). Thus, DNA finger-printing is a useful tool for taxonomy. However, there is. no report of DNA fingerprinting of any member of the Actinoplanaceae, although DNA base composition (Palleroni, 1989) and DNA-DNA reassociation (Farina and Bradley, 1970) studies have been done. Moreover, p[asmids. have been identified in Streptomyces spp. and other actinomycetes (Hopwood and Brodsky, 1986; Hutter and Eckhandt, 1988; Kieser, 1984), yet little is known about the occurrence of plasmids in Actinoplanes spp. or the role they may play in the life cycle of Actinoplanes. Development of nucleic acid methods for the characterization of Actinoplanes spp. is needed to fill this void of knowledge. The objectives of my research are: (1) to detennine the frequency of occurrence of plasmids in several strains of known and unknown species of Actinoplanes that are potential biological agents; (2) to develop a protocol for the DNA figerprinting of genomic DNA from these species and strains; and (3) to compare DNA figerprinting to the analysis of cell wall amino acids and whole cell sugars as methods for the characterization of strains

Examination of interannual variability of sea surface temperature in the Indian Ocean using the physical decomposition dethod

The physical decomposition method suggested by Qian (2012) is used to examine the interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) and anomaly (SSTA) in the Indian Ocean (IO) for the period 1945.2003. The monthly mean SSTs taken from the global ocean reanalysis produced by the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) are decomposed into four terms. The first term is the zonally averaged monthly climatological SST ([Tt(ϕ)]), which features relatively warm surface waters in the tropical IO and relatively colder surface waters over the southern IO. This term also has a relatively low SST pool between the Equator and 20°N. The SST at the center of the pool in summer is about 1-2°C lower than in spring and autumn. The second term is the spatially-varying monthly climatological SSTA (Tt*(λ,ϕ)), due mainly to the topographic effect and seasonal variation in wind forcing. The values of Tt*(λ,ϕ) are negative over the western coastal waters and positive over the eastern coastal and shelf waters in the tropical and northern IO. The third term is the zonally-averaged transient SSTA([T(ϕ,t)']Y). The largest values of [T(ϕ,t)']Y occur over the subtropical and mid-latitudes of the IO, which differs from the SSTA in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. Time series of zonally and meridionally averaged T(ϕ,t)'Y in the tropical-subtropical IO is strongly correlated with the Indian Ocean basin-wide (IOBW) mode. The fourth term is the spatially-varying transient SSTA (T(λ,ϕ,t)*Y']. The REOF analysis of the fourth term demonstrates that the first REOF is correlated strongly with the South Indian Ocean Dipole (SIOD) mode. The second REOF is correlated strongly with the equatorial Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) mode. The third REOF is highly correlated with the tropical IOBW mode

Elastic Fiber Supercapacitors for Wearable Energy Storage

The development of wearable devices such as smart watches, intelligent garments, and wearable health-monitoring devices calls for suitable energy storage devices which have matching mechanical properties and can provide sufficient power for a reasonable duration. Stretchable fiber-based supercapacitors are emerging as a promising candidates for this purpose because they are lightweight, flexible, have high energy and power density, and the potential for easy integration into traditional textile processes. An important characteristic that is oftentimes ignored is stretchability-fiber supercapacitors should be able to accommodate large elongation during use, endure a range of bending motions, and then revert to its original form without compromising electrical and electrochemical performance. This article summarizes the current research progress on stretchable fiber-based supercapacitors and discusses the existing challenges on material preparation and fiber-based device fabrication. This article aims to help researchers in the field to better understand the challenges related to material design and fabrication approaches of fiber-based supercapacitors, and to provide insights and guidelines toward their wearability

Behavioral training rescues motor deficits in Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency mouse model of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Deletions in the 15q11.2 region of the human genome are associated with neurobehavioral deficits, and motor development delay, as well as in some cases, symptoms of autism or schizophrenia. The cytoplasmic FMRP-interacting protein 1 (CYFIP1) is one of the four genes contained within this locus and has been associated with other genetic forms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In mice, Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency leads to alteration of dendritic spine morphology and defects in synaptic plasticity, two pathophysiological hallmarks of mouse models of ASD. At the behavioral level, however, Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency leads to minor phenotypes, not directly relevant for 15q11.2 deletion syndrome or ASD. A fundamental question is whether neuronal phenotypes caused by the mutation of Cyfip1 are relevant for the human condition. Here, we describe a synaptic cluster of ASD-associated proteins centered on CYFIP1 and the adhesion protein Neuroligin-3. Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency in mice led to decreased dendritic spine density and stability associated with social behavior and motor learning phenotypes. Behavioral training early in development resulted in alleviating the motor learning deficits caused by Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency. Altogether, these data provide new insight into the neuronal and behavioral phenotypes caused by Cyfip1 mutation and proof-of-concept for the development of a behavioral therapy to treat phenotypes associated with 15q11.2 syndromes and ASD

Mast Cells Modulate Acute Toxoplasmosis in Murine Models

The role of mast cells (MCs) in Toxoplasma gondii infection is poorly known. Kunming outbred mice were infected intraperitoneally with RH strain T. gondii, either treated with compound 48/80 (C48/80, MC activator) or disodium cromoglycate (DSCG, MC inhibitor). Compared with infected controls, infected mice treated with C48/80 exhibited significantly increased inflammation in the liver (P \u3c 0.01), spleen (P \u3c 0.05), and mesentery (P \u3c 0.05) tissues, higher parasite burden in the peritoneal lavage fluids (P \u3c 0.01), and increased levels of mRNA transcripts of T. gondii tachyzoite surface antigen 1 (SAG1) gene in the spleen and liver tissues (P \u3c 0.01), accompanied with significantly increased Th1 cytokine (IFN-γ, IL-12p40, and TNF-α) (P \u3c 0.01) and decreased IL-10 (P \u3c 0.01) mRNA expressions in the liver, and increased IFN-γ (P \u3c 0.01) and IL-12p40 (P \u3c 0.01) but decreased TNF-α (P \u3c 0.01) and IL-4 (P \u3c 0.01) in the spleens of infected mice treated with C48/80 at day 9-10 p.i. Whereas mice treated with DSCG had significantly decreased tissue lesions (P \u3c 0.01), lower parasite burden in the peritoneal lavage fluids (P \u3c 0.01) and decreased SAG1 expressions in the spleen and liver tissues (P \u3c 0.01), accompanied with significantly increased IFN-γ (P \u3c 0.01) and IL-12p40 (P \u3c 0.05) in the liver, and decreased IFN-γ (P \u3c 0.05) and TNF-α (P \u3c 0.01) in the spleens; IL-4 and IL-10 expressions in both the spleen and liver were significantly increased (P \u3c 0.01) in the infected mice treated with DSCG. These findings suggest that mediators associated with the MC activation may play an important role in modulating acute inflammatory pathogenesis and parasite clearance during T. gondii infection in this strain of mice. Thus, MC activation/inhibition mechanisms are potential novel targets for the prevention and control of T. gondii infection

Propamidine decreas mitochondrial complex III activity of Botrytis cinerea

Propamidine, an aromatic diamidine compound, is widely used as an antimicrobial agent. To uncover its mechanism on pathogenetic fungi, Botrytis cinerea as an object was used to investigate effects of propamidine in this paper. The transmission electron microscope results showed that the mitochondrial membranes were collapsed after propamidine treatment, followed that mitochondria were disrupted. Inhibition of whole-cell and mitochondrial respiration by propamidine suggested that Propamidine is most likely an inhibitor of electron transport within Botrytis cinerea mitochondria. Furthermore, the mitochondrial complex III activity were inhibited by propamidine. [BMB reports 2010; 43(9): 614-621

Top-down suppression of sensory cortex in an NMDAR hypofunction model of psychosis

Conceptual and computational models have been advanced that propose that perceptual disturbances in psychosis, such as hallucinations, may arise due to a disruption in the balance between bottom-up (ie sensory) and top-down (ie from higher brain areas) information streams in sensory cortex. However, the neural activity underlying this hypothesized alteration remains largely unexplored. Pharmacological N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism presents an attractive model to examine potential changes as it acutely recapitulates many of the symptoms of schizophrenia including hallucinations, and NMDAR hypofunction is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia as evidenced by large-scale genetic studies. Here we use in vivo 2-photon imaging to measure frontal top-down signals from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and their influence on activity of the primary visual cortex (V1) in mice during pharmacologically induced NMDAR hypofunction. We find that global NMDAR hypofunction causes a significant increase in activation of top-down ACC axons, and that surprisingly this is associated with an ACC-dependent net suppression of spontaneous activity in V1 as well as a reduction in V1 sensory-evoked activity. These findings are consistent with a model in which perceptual disturbances in psychosis are caused in part by aberrant top-down frontal cortex activity that suppresses the transmission of sensory signals through early sensory areas

Determination of an initial stage of the bone tissue ingrowth into titanium matrix by cell adhesion model

For achieving early intervention treatment to help patients delay or avoid joint replacement surgery, a personalized scaffold should be designed coupling the effects of mechanical, fluid mechanical, chemical, and biological factors on tissue regeneration, which results in time- and cost-consuming trial-and-error analyses to investigate the in vivo test and related experimental tests. To optimize the fluid mechanical and material properties to predict osteogenesis and cartilage regeneration for the in vivo and clinical trial, a simulation approach is developed for scaffold design, which is composed of a volume of a fluid model for simulating the bone marrow filling process of the bone marrow and air, as well as a discrete phase model and a cell impingement model for tracking cell movement during bone marrow fillings. The bone marrow is treated as a non-Newtonian fluid, rather than a Newtonian fluid, because of its viscoelastic property. The simulation results indicated that the biofunctional bionic scaffold with a dense layer to prevent the bone marrow flow to the cartilage layer and synovia to flow into the trabecular bone area guarantee good osteogenesis and cartilage regeneration, which leads to high-accuracy in vivo tests in sheep . This approach not only predicts the final bioperformance of the scaffold but also could optimize the scaffold structure and materials by their biochemical, biological, and biomechanical properties

CHIP promotes Runx2 degradation and negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation

Runx2, an essential transactivator for osteoblast differentiation, is tightly regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. In this paper, we report that CHIP (C terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein)/STUB1 regulates Runx2 protein stability via a ubiquitination-degradation mechanism. CHIP interacts with Runx2 in vitro and in vivo. In the presence of increased Runx2 protein levels, CHIP expression decreases, whereas the expression of other E3 ligases involved in Runx2 degradation, such as Smurf1 or WWP1, remains constant or increases during osteoblast differentiation. Depletion of CHIP results in the stabilization of Runx2, enhances Runx2-mediated transcriptional activation, and promotes osteoblast differentiation in primary calvarial cells. In contrast, CHIP overexpression in preosteoblasts causes Runx2 degradation, inhibits osteoblast differentiation, and instead enhances adipogenesis. Our data suggest that negative regulation of the Runx2 protein by CHIP is critical in the commitment of precursor cells to differentiate into the osteoblast lineage