Defining motility in the Staphylococci

The ability of bacteria to move is critical for their survival in diverse environments and multiple ways have evolved to achieve this. Two forms of motility have recently been described for Staphylococcus aureus, an organism previously considered to be non-motile. One form is called spreading, which is a type of sliding motility and the second form involves comet formation, which has many observable characteristics associated with gliding motility. Darting motility has also been observed in Staphylococcus epidermidis. This review describes how motility is defined and how we distinguish between passive and active motility. We discuss the characteristics of the various forms of Staphylococci motility, the molecular mechanisms involved and the potential future research directions

Affinity for self antigen selects T_reg cells with distinct functional properties

The manner in which regulatory T cells (Treg cells) control lymphocyte homeostasis is not fully understood. We identified two Treg cell populations with differing degrees of self-reactivity and distinct regulatory functions. We found that GITR(hi)PD-1(hi)CD25(hi) (Triple(hi)) Treg cells were highly self-reactive and controlled lympho-proliferation in peripheral lymph nodes. GITR(lo)PD-1(lo)CD25(lo) (Triple(lo)) Treg cells were less self-reactive and limited the development of colitis by promoting the conversion of CD4(+) Tconv cells into induced Treg cells (iTreg cells). Although Foxp3-deficient (Scurfy) mice lacked Treg cells, they contained Triple(hi)-like and Triple(lo)-like CD4(+) T cells zsuper< T cells infiltrated the skin, whereas Scurfy Triple(lo)CD4(+) T cells induced colitis and wasting disease. These findings indicate that the affinity of the T cell antigen receptor for self antigen drives the differentiation of Treg cells into distinct subsets with non-overlapping regulatory activities

populations of rainbow trout in the Santa Ynez River, California. A synopsis and supplemental evaluation of:

mtDNA analyses. Final report submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Population Genetic Structure of Santa Ynez Rainbow Trout – 2001 Based on Microsatellite and mtDNA Analyses By

Microsatellite allelic and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype diversity are analyzed in eight rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collections: two from tributaries flowing into the upper Santa Ynez River watershed at Gibraltar Reservoir (Camuesa and Gidney creeks); three from tributaries between Gibraltar and Jameson reservoirs (Fox, Blue Canyon, and Alder creeks); one from a tributary above Jameson Reservoir (Juncal Creek); Jameson Reservoir; and one from the mainstem Santa Ynez River above the Jameson Reservoir. Both analyses reveal a high degree of population structure. Thirteen microsatellite loci are amplified from 376 fish. Population pairwise comparisons show significant differences in allelic frequency among all populations with the exception of Juncal Creek and Jameson Reservoir (p = 0.4). Pairwise Fst values range from 0.001 (Juncal Creek and Jameson Reservoir) to 0.17 (Camuesa and Juncal creeks) with an overall value of 0.021. Regression analyses (Slatkin 1993) supports an isolation-bydistance model in the five populations below Jameson Reservoir (intercept = 1.187, slope =-0.41, r 2 = 0.67). A neighbor-joining bootstrap value of 100 % (based on 2000 replicate trees) separates the populations sampled above and below Juncal Dam

Alterations in Osteopontin Modify Muscle Size in Females in Both Humans and Mice

PURPOSE: An osteopontin (OPN; SPP1) gene promoter polymorphism modifies disease severity in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and we hypothesized that it might also modify muscle phenotypes in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Gene association studies were carried out for OPN (rs28357094) in the FAMuSS cohort (n=752; age 23.7±5.7 yrs). Phenotypes studied included muscle size (MRI), strength, and response to supervised resistance training. We also studied 147 young adults that had carried out a bout of eccentric elbow exercise (age 24.0 ± 5.2 yrs). Phenotypes analyzed included strength, soreness, and serum muscle enzymes. RESULTS: In the FAMuSS cohort, the G allele was associated with 17% increase in baseline upper arm muscle volume only in women (F=26.32; p=5.32 × 10(−7)), explaining 5% of population variance. In the eccentric damage cohort, weak associations of the G allele were seen in women with both baseline myoglobin, and elevated CK. Sexually dimorphic effects of OPN on muscle were also seen in OPN null mice. Five of seven muscle groups examined showed smaller size in OPN null female mice, whereas two were smaller in males. Query of OPN gene transcription after experimental muscle damage in mice showed rapid induction within 12 hrs (100-fold increase from baseline), followed by sustained high level expression through 16 days of regeneration before falling to back to baseline. CONCLUSION: OPN is a sexually dimorphic modifier of muscle size in normal humans and mice, and responds to muscle damage. The OPN gene is known to be estrogen responsive, and this may explain the female-specific genotype effects in adult volunteers