Een inheems-Romeinse nederzetting in het zandlemige deel van de civitas Menapiorum (midden 1ste eeuw-eind 3de eeuw na Chr.). Archeologisch onderzoek op de site Menen-Kortewaagstraat

Van april 2006 tot en met juni 2007 voerde het VIOE (nu Onroerend Erfgoed) een preventief archeologisch onderzoek uit op het bedrijventerrein Menen-Oost-Uitbreiding. De opgravingen leverden vooral structuren en vondsten op van een kleine inheems-Romeinse nederzetting bestaande uit meerdere grachtensystemen, een aantal erven en een grafveld. Het betreft een meerfasige nederzetting die bewoond was van het midden van de 1ste eeuw tot het einde van de 3de eeuw na Chr. Het belang van de opgraving en de uitwerking van de site Menen-Kortewaagstraat ligt in het volledige beeld dat de site ophangt van een kleine inheems-Romeinse nederzetting in het zandlemige deel van het Menapische gebied. Omdat de site zowel een bewoningszone als een grafveld omvat, kon er informatie over heel wat facetten van het leven in de nederzetting worden ingewonnen, zoals de inrichting van de nederzetting, de aard van de bewoning, de economische activiteiten, rituele handelingen en de zorg voor de doden

The EnvZ-OmpR Two-Component Signaling System Is Inactivated in a Mutant Devoid of Osmoregulated Periplasmic Glucans in Dickeya dadantii

Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) are general constituents of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Proteobacteria. This polymer of glucose is required for full virulence of many pathogens including Dickeya dadantii (D. dadantii). The phytopathogenic enterobacterium D. dadantii causes soft-rot disease in a wide range of plants. An OPG-defective mutant is impaired in environment sensing. We previously demonstrated that (i) fluctuation of OPG concentration controlled the activation level of the RcsCDB system, and (ii) RcsCDB along with EnvZ/OmpR controlled the mechanism of OPG succinylation. These previous data lead us to explore whether OPGs are required for other two-component systems. In this study, we demonstrate that inactivation of the EnvZ/OmpR system in an OPG-defective mutant restores full synthesis of pectinase but only partial virulence. Unlike for the RcsCDB system, the EnvZ-OmpR system is not controlled by OPG concentration but requires OPGs for proper activation

Concentration of osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) modulates the activation level of the RcsCD RcsB phosphorelay in the phytopathogen bacteria Dickeya dadantii

International audienceOsmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) are general constituents of many Proteobacteria. Synthesis of these oligosaccharides is repressed by increased osmolarity of the medium. OPGs are important factors required for full virulence in many zoo-or phytopathogens including Dickeya dadantii. The phytopathogen enterobacterium D. dadantii causes soft-rot disease on a wide range of plant species. The total loss of virulence of opg-negative strains of D. dadantii is linked to the constitutive activation of the RcsCD RcsB phosphorelay highlighting relationship between this phosphorelay and OPGs. Here we show that OPGs control the RcsCD RcsB activation in a concentration-dependent manner, are required for proper activation of this phosphorelay by medium osmolarity, and a high concentration of OPGs in planta is maintained to achieve the low level of activation of the RcsCD RcsB phosphorelay required for full virulence in D. dadantii

Finger creases lend a hand in Kabuki syndrome.

International audienceKabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare syndrome associating malformations with intellectual deficiency and numerous visceral, orthopedic, endocrinological, immune and autoimmune complications. The early establishment of a diagnostic of KS leads to better care of the patients and therefore prevents complications such as perception deafness, severe complications of auto-immune diseases or obesity. However, the diagnosis of KS remains difficult because based on the appreciation of facial features combined with other highly variable features. We describe a novel sign, namely the attenuation and/or congenital absence of the IPD crease of the third and fourth fingers associated with limitation of flexion of the corresponding joints, which seems to be specific of KS and could help the clinician to diagnose KS

DISPROPORTIONATING ENZYME DEFINES A NOVEL STEP REQUIRED FOR NORMAL STARCH GRANULE BIOSYNTHESIS

International audienceRecently, debranching enzymes were shown to be required during starch biosynthesis either for shaping amylopectin structure or for preventing synthesis of abnormal soluble polysaccharides in the plasmid stroma. We now describe a novel mutation in Clamydomonas which results in significantly reduced granular starch deposition displaying major modifications in structure. This defect simultaneously leads to the accumulation of linear malto-oligosaccharides. The mutation co-segregates with the absence of an -1,4 glucanotransferase , known as disproportionating enzyme (D-enzyme). We have cloned the gDNA and cDNA sequences corresponding to the Clamydomonas Reinhardtii -1,4 glucanotransferase.We demonstrate co-segregation between allele specific variations evidenced through Southern blots using the -1,4 glucanotransferase gDNA as a probe and the corresponding genotype at the STA11 locus. These results establish STA11 as the locus encoding D-enzyme.While the D-enzyme was known to transfer -1,4 linked chain segments between small-size acceptor and donor malto-oligosaccharides, we show that the missing enzyme readily catalyses the incorporation of oligosaccharides into amylopectin external chains in vitro.We therefore propose that D-enzyme plays a key role in starch biosynthesis by efficiently clearing those malto-oligosaccharides released by debranching enzyme. Oligosaccharide clearance can proceed by either reinserting spliced glucans into external chains of the putative maturing preamylopectin molecule or by facilitating their hydrolytic or phospholytic degradation

The 88 KD DEBRANCHING ENZYME MISSING IN GLYCOGEN ACCUMULATING MUTANTS OF CLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII DISPLAYS AN ISOAMYLASE-TYPE SPECIFICITY

International audienceTo investigate the functions of debranching enzymes in starch biosynthesis, we have partially purified and characterized these activities from wild-type and mutant sta7 Clamydomonas Reinhardtii. Two distinct debranching enzymes of 95 and 88 kD were detected. The 88 kD enzyme behaved as a part of a very large homo and heteromultimeric complex containing a minimum of 4 subunits. The 95 kD debranching enzyme cleaved -1,6 linkages separated by as few as 3 glucose residues while the multimeric complex containing the 88 kD hydrolase was unable to do so. Both enzymes were able to debranch amylopectin efficiently while the -1,6 linkages of glycogen were completely debranched by the 88 kD hydrolase only. Therefore the 95 and 88 kD debranching enzymes display respectively the limit-dextrinase (pullulanase) and isoamylase-type specificities. Various mutations in the STA7 locus caused the loss of the 88 kD isoamylase. At variance with the results obtained from maize and rice, however, the isoamylase deficiency did not result in any qualitative or quantitative difference in pullulanase activity. Morever, because the isoamylase activity accounted for over 95% of the total debranching enzyme activity we believe that the relative abundance of both types of debranching enzymes differs markedly from that found in vascular plants. The consequences of these findings with respect to the recently proposed mechanism for plant amylopectin synthesis are discussed

The 88 KD DEBRANCHING ENZYME MISSING IN GLYCOGEN ACCUMULATING MUTANTS OF CLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII DISPLAYS AN ISOAMYLASE-TYPE SPECIFICITY

International audienceTo investigate the functions of debranching enzymes in starch biosynthesis, we have partially purified and characterized these activities from wild-type and mutant sta7 Clamydomonas Reinhardtii. Two distinct debranching enzymes of 95 and 88 kD were detected. The 88 kD enzyme behaved as a part of a very large homo and heteromultimeric complex containing a minimum of 4 subunits. The 95 kD debranching enzyme cleaved -1,6 linkages separated by as few as 3 glucose residues while the multimeric complex containing the 88 kD hydrolase was unable to do so. Both enzymes were able to debranch amylopectin efficiently while the -1,6 linkages of glycogen were completely debranched by the 88 kD hydrolase only. Therefore the 95 and 88 kD debranching enzymes display respectively the limit-dextrinase (pullulanase) and isoamylase-type specificities. Various mutations in the STA7 locus caused the loss of the 88 kD isoamylase. At variance with the results obtained from maize and rice, however, the isoamylase deficiency did not result in any qualitative or quantitative difference in pullulanase activity. Morever, because the isoamylase activity accounted for over 95% of the total debranching enzyme activity we believe that the relative abundance of both types of debranching enzymes differs markedly from that found in vascular plants. The consequences of these findings with respect to the recently proposed mechanism for plant amylopectin synthesis are discussed