Equinatoxin II increases intracellular Ca2+ in NG 108–15 cells

Equinatoxin II (EqT II) is a basic 20 kD protein isolated from the sea anemone Actinia equina. Intravenous injection of 3 LD of EqT II causes cardiorespiratory arrest. The aim of our study was to check the effects of EqT II on neuronal cells to assess the role of neuronal mechanisms in respiratory arrest after intravenous injection of the toxin. Effects of EqT II on mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma NG108-15 cell were studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy and by Fura-2 fluorescence measurements. The results show that EqT II applied in nanomolar range increases intracellular Ca activity significantly, which is possibly responsible for the morphological changes of NG108-15 cells after the exposure to 10 nM EqT II. Intracellular increase in Ca activity can not be prevented by use of the various pharmacological substances (e.g. Ca channels blocker Verapamil and Bekanamycin). Swelling of the NG108-15 cells after the exposure to the EqT II also can not be blocked with the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin. Increase in the intracellular Ca activity is probably a result of Ca entry through pores produced by the toxin, which has been shown by other authors on other cells and on phospholipid bilayer. Respiratory arrest after intravenous injection of the toxin can be caused by the action of the toxin on neuronal cells in medulla oblongata provided that EqT II can damage blood brain barrier thus enabling access to the neuronal cells. The results allow the conclusion that EqT II can affect normal calcium homeostasis and cell morphology of neuronal cells that can disturb cell physiology and its function thus affecting normal respiratory pattern

CCDC 234593: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures

CCDC 234592: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures

CCDC 234594: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures

Alkylation of manganese(ii) tetraphenylporphyrin by a synthetic antimalarial trioxane

International audienceThe synthesis and the antimalarial activity of a new kind of polycyclic 1,2,4-trioxanes are reported. The alkylation of the heme model Mn II TPP by the biologically active (IC 50 = 320 nmolL-1) hemiperketal 2 is presented

There and back again: Multiple and return exchange of humpback whales between breeding habitats separated by an ocean basin

In species that aggregate for reproduction, the social and fitness costs of movement between groups frequently lead to restricted exchange between breeding areas. We report on four individual humpback whales identified in both the Cape Verde Islands and Guadeloupe; locations separated by an ocean basin and >4000 km. This rate of exchange is rarely encountered between such geographically discrete breeding areas. Two individuals returned to the area where they were originally identified. In contrast, no individuals from the Cape Verde Islands were resighted to the much larger sample from the Dominican Republic, though the migratory distances from the feeding areas are comparable between these areas. The social factors driving the stark difference between groups that is observed here are not clear. Effective conservation requires an understanding of the extent and pattern of movement between population units. The findings presented here suggest that there may well be more than one behaviourally distinct group within the West Indies. More broadly, they argue that considerable caution is warranted in assumptions made regarding the number, boundaries and status of population units based solely on spatial separation or proximity