Plant defence peptides

Eight families of antimicrobial peptides, ranging in size from 2 to 9 kD, have been identified in plants. These are thionins, defcnsins, so-called lipid iransfer proteins, hevein- and knottin-Iike peptides, MBPJ, lb AMP, and the recently reported snakins. All of them have compact structures that are stabilized by 2-6 disulfide bridges. They are part of both permanent and inducible defense barriers. Transgenic overe.xpression of the corresponding genes leads to enhanced tolerance to pathogens, and peptide-sensitive pathogen mutants have reduced virulence

Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body

<div><p>Reported values in the literature on the number of cells in the body differ by orders of magnitude and are very seldom supported by any measurements or calculations. Here, we integrate the most up-to-date information on the number of human and bacterial cells in the body. We estimate the total number of bacteria in the 70 kg "reference man" to be 3.8·10¹³. For human cells, we identify the dominant role of the hematopoietic lineage to the total count (≈90%) and revise past estimates to 3.0·10¹³ human cells. Our analysis also updates the widely-cited 10:1 ratio, showing that the number of bacteria in the body is actually of the same order as the number of human cells, and their total mass is about 0.2 kg.</p></div

B/H ratio for different population.

<p>See Table B in <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533#pbio.1002533.s001" target="_blank">S1 Appendix</a> for full references.</p

Bounds for bacteria number in different organs, derived from bacterial concentrations and volume.

<p>Bounds for bacteria number in different organs, derived from bacterial concentrations and volume.</p

Values of bacteria density in stool as reported in several past articles.

<p>Values of bacteria density in stool as reported in several past articles.</p

Distribution of cell number and mass for different cell types in the human body (for a 70 kg adult man).

<p>The upper bar displays the number of cells, while the lower bar displays the contribution from each of the main cell types comprising the overall cellular body mass (not including extracellular mass that adds another ≈24 kg). For comparison, the contribution of bacteria is shown on the right, amounting to only 0.2 kg, which is about 0.3% of the body weight.</p

The distribution of the number of human cells by cell type.

<p>Representation as a Voronoi tree map where polygon area is proportional to the number of cells. Visualization performed using the online tool at <a href="http://bionic-vis.biologie.uni-greifswald.de/" target="_blank">http://bionic-vis.biologie.uni-greifswald.de/</a>.</p

Back of the envelope estimate of the number of cells in an adult human body based on a characteristic volume and mass.

<p>Back of the envelope estimate of the number of cells in an adult human body based on a characteristic volume and mass.</p

An unrecognized function for COPII components in recruiting the viral replication protein BMV 1a to the perinuclear ER

Positive-strand RNAviruses invariably assemble their viral replication complexes (VRCs) by remodeling host intracellular membranes. How viral replication proteins are targeted to specific organelle membranes to initiate VRC assembly remains elusive. Brome mosaic virus (BMV), whose replication can be recapitulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, assembles its VRCs by invaginating the outer perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Remarkably, BMV replication protein 1a (BMV 1a) is the only viral protein required for such membrane remodeling. We show that ER-vesicle protein of 14 kD (Erv14), a cargo receptor of coat protein complex II (COPII), interacts with BMV 1a. Moreover, the perinuclear ER localization of BMV 1a is disrupted in cells lacking ERV14 or expressing dysfunctional COPII coat components (Sec13, Sec24 or Sec31). The requirement of Erv14 for the localization of BMV 1a is bypassed by addition of a Sec24-recognizable sorting signal to BMV 1a or by overexpressing Sec24, suggesting a coordinated effort by both Erv14 and Sec24 for the proper localization of BMV 1a. The COPII pathway is well known for being involved in protein secretion; our data suggest that a subset of COPII coat proteins have an unrecognized role in targeting proteins to the perinuclear ER membrane.US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) [2013101]; Virginia Tech Startup; National Science Foundation (NSF) [1265260]Published online October 1, 2016; 12 month embargoThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on myocardial function in post-COVID-19 syndrome patients: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Post-COVID-19 condition refers to a range of persisting physical, neurocognitive, and neuropsychological symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recent evidence revealed that post-COVID-19 syndrome patients may suffer from cardiac dysfunction and are at increased risk for a broad range of cardiovascular disorders. This randomized, sham-control, double-blind trial evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the cardiac function of post-COVID-19 patients with ongoing symptoms for at least three months after confirmed infection. Sixty patients were randomized to receive 40 daily HBOT or sham sessions. They underwent echocardiography at baseline and 1–3 weeks after the last protocol session. Twenty-nine (48.3%) patients had reduced global longitudinal strain (GLS) at baseline. Of them, 13 (43.3%) and 16 (53.3%) were allocated to the sham and HBOT groups, respectively. Compared to the sham group, GLS significantly increased following HBOT (− 17.8 ± 1.1 to − 20.2 ± 1.0, p = 0.0001), with a significant group-by-time interaction (p = 0.041). In conclusion, post-COVID-19 syndrome patients despite normal EF often have subclinical left ventricular dysfunction that is characterized by mildly reduced GLS. HBOT promotes left ventricular systolic function recovery in patients suffering from post COVID-19 condition. Further studies are needed to optimize patient selection and evaluate long-term outcomes. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04647656 on 01/12/2020