153 research outputs found
Bio-inspired COβ conversion by iron sulfide catalysts under sustainable conditions
The mineral greigite presents similar surface structures to the active sites found in many modern-day enzymes. We show that particles of greigite can reduce CO2 under ambient conditions into chemicals such as methanol, formic, acetic and pyruvic acid. Our results also lend support to the Origin of Life theory on alkaline hydrothermal vents
IRES-Mediated Translation of Utrophin A Is Enhanced by Glucocorticoid Treatment in Skeletal Muscle Cells
Glucocorticoids are currently the only drug treatment recognized to benefit Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. The nature of the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects remains incompletely understood but may involve an increase in the expression of utrophin. Here, we show that treatment of myotubes with 6Ξ±βmethylprednisolone-21 sodium succinate (PDN) results in enhanced expression of utrophin A without concomitant increases in mRNA levels thereby suggesting that translational regulation contributes to the increase. In agreement with this, we show that PDN treatment of cells transfected with monocistronic reporter constructs harbouring the utrophin A 5β²UTR, causes an increase in reporter protein expression while leaving levels of reporter mRNAs unchanged. Using bicistronic reporter assays, we further demonstrate that PDN enhances activity of an Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) located within the utrophin A 5β²UTR. Analysis of polysomes demonstrate that PDN causes an overall reduction in polysome-associated mRNAs indicating that global translation rates are depressed under these conditions. Importantly, PDN causes an increase in the polysome association of endogenous utrophin A mRNAs and reporter mRNAs harbouring the utrophin A 5β²UTR. Additional experiments identified a distinct region within the utrophin A 5β²UTR that contains the inducible IRES activity. Together, these studies demonstrate that a translational regulatory mechanism involving increased IRES activation mediates, at least partially, the enhanced expression of utrophin A in muscle cells treated with glucocorticoids. Targeting the utrophin A IRES may thus offer an important and novel therapeutic avenue for developing drugs appropriate for DMD patients
Metagenomic Comparison of Two Thiomicrospira Lineages Inhabiting Contrasting Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Environments
Background: The most widespread bacteria in oxic zones of carbonate chimneys at the serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, belong to the Thiomicrospira group of sulfur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs. It is unclear why Thiomicrospira-like organisms thrive in these chimneys considering that Lost City hydrothermal fluids are notably lacking in hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we describe metagenomic sequences obtained from a Lost City carbonate chimney that are highly similar to the genome of Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2, an isolate from a basalt-hosted hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. Even though T. crunogena and Lost City Thiomicrospira inhabit different types of hydrothermal systems in different oceans, their genomic contents are highly similar. For example, sequences encoding the sulfur oxidation and carbon fixation pathways (including a carbon concentration mechanism) of T. crunogena are also present in the Lost City metagenome. Comparative genomic analyses also revealed substantial genomic changes that must have occurred since the divergence of the two lineages, including large genomic rearrangements, gene fusion events, a prophage insertion, and transposase activity. Conclusions/Significance: Our results show significant genomic similarity between Thiomicrospira organisms inhabiting different kinds of hydrothermal systems in different oceans, suggesting that these organisms are widespread and highl
Long-Term Blocking of Calcium Channels in mdx Mice Results in Differential Effects on Heart and Skeletal Muscle
The disease mechanisms underlying dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy are complex, involving not only muscle membrane fragility, but also dysregulated calcium homeostasis. Specifically, it has been proposed that calcium channels directly initiate a cascade of pathological events by allowing calcium ions to enter the cell. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chronically blocking calcium channels with the aminoglycoside antibiotic streptomycin from onset of disease in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
Drilling constraints on lithospheric accretion and evolution at Atlantis Massif, Mid-Atlantic Ridge 30Β°N
Author Posting. Β© American Geophysical Union, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 116 (2011): B07103, doi:10.1029/2010JB007931.Expeditions 304 and 305 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program cored and logged a 1.4 km section of the domal core of Atlantis Massif. Postdrilling research results summarized here constrain the structure and lithology of the Central Dome of this oceanic core complex. The dominantly gabbroic sequence recovered contrasts with predrilling predictions; application of the ground truth in subsequent geophysical processing has produced self-consistent models for the Central Dome. The presence of many thin interfingered petrologic units indicates that the intrusions forming the domal core were emplaced over a minimum of 100β220 kyr, and not as a single magma pulse. Isotopic and mineralogical alteration is intense in the upper 100 m but decreases in intensity with depth. Below 800 m, alteration is restricted to narrow zones surrounding faults, veins, igneous contacts, and to an interval of locally intense serpentinization in olivine-rich troctolite. Hydration of the lithosphere occurred over the complete range of temperature conditions from granulite to zeolite facies, but was predominantly in the amphibolite and greenschist range. Deformation of the sequence was remarkably localized, despite paleomagnetic indications that the dome has undergone at least 45Β° rotation, presumably during unroofing via detachment faulting. Both the deformation pattern and the lithology contrast with what is known from seafloor studies on the adjacent Southern Ridge of the massif. There, the detachment capping the domal core deformed a 100 m thick zone and serpentinized peridotite comprises βΌ70% of recovered samples. We develop a working model of the evolution of Atlantis Massif over the past 2 Myr, outlining several stages that could explain the observed similarities and differences between the Central Dome and the Southern Ridge
Π‘Π΅ΡΠ΅Π²Π°Ρ ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ° ΠΊΠΎΠ½ΡΡΠΎΠ»Ρ ΡΠ΅Ρ Π½ΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠ³ΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΊΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ° Π²ΡΡΠ°ΡΠΈΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΏΠΎΠ»ΡΠΏΡΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠ΄Π½ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ²ΡΡ ΠΊΡΠΈΡΡΠ°Π»Π»ΠΎΠ² ΠΈ ΡΠΎΠ½ΠΊΠΈΡ ΠΏΠ»Π΅Π½ΠΎΠΊ
ΠΠΊΡΠΏΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΌΠ΅Π½ΡΠ°Π»ΡΠ½ΠΎΠ΅ ΠΌΠΎΠ΄Π΅Π»ΠΈΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π°ΠΏΠΏΠ°ΡΠ°ΡΠ½ΠΎ-ΠΏΡΠΎΠ³ΡΠ°ΠΌΠΌΠ½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΎΠ±Π΅ΡΠΏΠ΅ΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΏΠΎΠΊΠ°Π·Π°Π»ΠΎ Π΄ΠΎΡΡΠ°ΡΠΎΡΠ½ΡΡ Π½Π°Π΄Π΅ΠΆΠ½ΠΎΡΡΡ ΡΠ°Π±ΠΎΡΡ ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΡ ΠΈ Π·Π½Π°ΡΠΈΡΠ΅Π»ΡΠ½ΠΎΠ΅ ΡΠΌΠ΅Π½ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΡΡΡΠ΄ΠΎΠ΅ΠΌΠΊΠΎΡΡΠΈ ΠΊΠΎΠ½ΡΡΠΎΠ»Ρ ΠΈ ΡΠΏΡΠ°Π²Π»Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΏΠ°ΡΠ°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΡΠ°ΠΌΠΈ ΡΠ΅Ρ
Π½ΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠ³ΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΊΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ°
Varicellovirus UL49.5 Proteins Differentially Affect the Function of the Transporter Associated with Antigen Processing, TAP
Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes play an important role in the protection against viral infections, which they detect through the recognition of virus-derived peptides, presented in the context of MHC class I molecules at the surface of the infected cell. The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) plays an essential role in MHC class Iβrestricted antigen presentation, as TAP imports peptides into the ER, where peptide loading of MHC class I molecules takes place. In this study, the UL49.5 proteins of the varicelloviruses bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), pseudorabies virus (PRV), and equine herpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) are characterized as members of a novel class of viral immune evasion proteins. These UL49.5 proteins interfere with MHC class I antigen presentation by blocking the supply of antigenic peptides through inhibition of TAP. BHV-1, PRV, and EHV-1 recombinant viruses lacking UL49.5 no longer interfere with peptide transport. Combined with the observation that the individually expressed UL49.5 proteins block TAP as well, these data indicate that UL49.5 is the viral factor that is both necessary and sufficient to abolish TAP function during productive infection by these viruses. The mechanisms through which the UL49.5 proteins of BHV-1, PRV, EHV-1, and EHV-4 block TAP exhibit surprising diversity. BHV-1 UL49.5 targets TAP for proteasomal degradation, whereas EHV-1 and EHV-4 UL49.5 interfere with the binding of ATP to TAP. In contrast, TAP stability and ATP recruitment are not affected by PRV UL49.5, although it has the capacity to arrest the peptide transporter in a translocation-incompetent state, a property shared with the BHV-1 and EHV-1 UL49.5. Taken together, these results classify the UL49.5 gene products of BHV-1, PRV, EHV-1, and EHV-4 as members of a novel family of viral immune evasion proteins, inhibiting TAP through a variety of mechanisms
HSV-2 Infection of Dendritic Cells Amplifies a Highly Susceptible HIV-1 Cell Target
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) increases the risk of HIV-1 infection and, although several reports describe the interaction between these two viruses, the exact mechanism for this increased susceptibility remains unclear. Dendritic cells (DCs) at the site of entry of HSV-2 and HIV-1 contribute to viral spread in the mucosa. Specialized DCs present in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues produce retinoic acid (RA), an important immunomodulator, able to influence HIV-1 replication and a key mediator of integrin Ξ±4Ξ²7 on lymphocytes. Ξ±4Ξ²7 can be engaged by HIV-1 on the cell-surface and CD4+ T cells expressing high levels of this integrin (Ξ±4Ξ²7high) are particularly susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Herein we provide in-vivo data in macaques showing an increased percentage of Ξ±4Ξ²7high CD4+ T cells in rectal mucosa, iliac lymph nodes and blood within 6 days of rectal exposure to live (nβ=β11), but not UV-treated (nβ=β8), HSV-2. We found that CD11c+ DCs are a major target of HSV-2 infection in in-vitro exposed PBMCs. We determined that immature monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) express aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH1A1, an enzyme essential for RA production, which increases upon HSV-2 infection. Moreover, HSV-2-infected moDCs significantly increase Ξ±4Ξ²7 expression on CD4+ T lymphocytes and HIV-1 infection in DC-T cell mixtures in a RA-dependent manner. Thus, we propose that HSV-2 modulates its microenviroment, influencing DC function, increasing RA production capability and amplifying a Ξ±4Ξ²7highCD4+ T cells. These factors may play a role in increasing the susceptibility to HIV-1
Hyper-IgG4 disease: report and characterisation of a new disease
BACKGROUND: We highlight a chronic inflammatory disease we call 'hyper-IgG4 disease', which has many synonyms depending on the organ involved, the country of origin and the year of the report. It is characterized histologically by a lymphoplasmacytic inflammation with IgG4-positive cells and exuberant fibrosis, which leaves dense fibrosis on resolution. A typical example is idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, but the initial report in 2001 was of sclerosing pancreatitis. METHODS: We report an index case with fever and severe systemic disease. We have also reviewed the histology of 11 further patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis for evidence of IgG4-expressing plasma cells, and examined a wide range of other inflammatory conditions and fibrotic diseases as organ-specific controls. We have reviewed the published literature for disease associations with idiopathic, systemic fibrosing conditions and the synonyms: pseudotumour, myofibroblastic tumour, plasma cell granuloma, systemic fibrosis, xanthofibrogranulomatosis, and multifocal fibrosclerosis. RESULTS: Histology from all 12 patients showed, to varying degrees, fibrosis, intense inflammatory cell infiltration with lymphocytes, plasma cells, scattered neutrophils, and sometimes eosinophilic aggregates, with venulitis and obliterative arteritis. The majority of lymphocytes were T cells that expressed CD8 and CD4, with scattered B-cell-rich small lymphoid follicles. In all cases, there was a significant increase in IgG4-positive plasma cells compared with controls. In two cases, biopsies before and after steroid treatment were available, and only scattered plasma cells were seen after treatment, none of them expressing IgG4. Review of the literature shows that although pathology commonly appears confined to one organ, patients can have systemic symptoms and fever. In the active period, there is an acute phase response with a high serum concentration of IgG, and during this phase, there is a rapid clinical response to glucocorticoid steroid treatment. CONCLUSION: We believe that hyper-IgG4 disease is an important condition to recognise, as the diagnosis can be readily verified and the outcome with treatment is very good
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