Cloning, functional expression and characterization of a phytocystatin gene from jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes

A cDNA clone encoding a phytocystatin was isolated and identified from about 300 expressed sequence tag (EST) clones in maturing jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes. This clone, named FaCYS, consists of 582 bp encoding 114 amino acids with a putative signal peptide. The predicted mature protein contains no cysteine and has a molecular mass of 10.8 kDa with an isoelectric point (pI) of 9.7. FaCYS constructed in nonfusion and fusion vectors were overexpressed in Escherichia coli as nonfusion and his-tagged recombinants, respectively. Both recombinants were found in the soluble fractions of the cell extracts. The purified nonfusion and his-tagged FaCYS exhibited papain inhibitory activity with similar Ki values of 2.7 x 10(-7) M and 2.4 x 10(-7) M, respectively. In addition, his-tagged recombinant proteins showed inhibitory activity toward human cathepsin B, cathepsin L and ficin with Ki values of 5.6 x 10(-7) M, 3.0 x 10(-8) M and 2.0 x 10(-7) M, but no inhibitory activity against stem bromelain. It was tolerant at a wide range of pH values and thermally stable up to 50 degrees C for 30 min. Furthermore, his-tagged FaCYS could arrest the fungal growth of Glomerella cingulata and Sclerotium rofsii

STRATEGY FOR THE TREATMENT OF PUERPERAL METRITIS AND IMPROVEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY IN COWS WITH RETAINED PLACENTA

The objective of this study was to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy cows with puerperal metritis (PM) subsequent to retained placenta (RP) using a two-step treatment strategy. A total of 188 postpartum cows, aged from 2 to 8 years, were utilised for 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, cows affected with RP/PM were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. Cows in Group A (n = 17) were treated with 600 mg of ceftiofur intramuscularly for 3 days followed by intrauterine lavage with 0.1% chlorhexidine and infusion with 0.5% povidone-iodine, while cows in Group B (n = 16) received two intrauterine infusions, first with 5 g of oxytetracycline and then with 0.5% povidone-iodine. Cows with normal postpartum findings were regarded as the healthy control group (n = 26). Ultrasonographic examination revealed that the ovarian activities including the appearance of a dominant follicle and days to first ovulation of the cows in Group A during the early postpartum period differed from those of Group B (P < 0.05), which coincided with the results of uterine swabbing for bacteriology. In Experiment 2, cows with normal postpartum findings were allocated to Group D (n = 78), which received an ovulation protocol (GnRH - 7 d PGF(2 alpha) - 48 h hCG - 24 h AI) on day 50 +/- 2 postpartum. Cows affected with PM were randomly divided into two groups, Group E (n = 25) combined the treatments applied in Groups A and D, while Group F (n = 26) repeated the treatment administered in Group E except for uterine lavage. The results indicated that the pregnancy rate within 150 days postpartum and the mean days open in Group E (76.0% and 106.3 +/- 4.6 days, respectively) were significantly different from those in Group F (38.5% and 137.9 +/- 10.9 days, respectively) (P < 0.05). This study suggests that reproductive efficiency could be improved by using the two-step treatment to regulate uterine involution and an early resumption of ovarian function in cows with RP/PM

Ceramide and Toll-Like Receptor 4 Are Mobilized into Membrane Rafts in Response to Helicobacter pylori Infection in Gastric Epithelial Cells

Helicobacter pylori infection is thought to be involved in the development of several gastric diseases. Two H. pylori virulence factors (vacuolating cytotoxin A and cytotoxin-associated gene A) reportedly interact with lipid rafts in gastric epithelial cells. The role of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signaling in response to H. pylori infection has been investigated extensively in host cells. However, the receptor molecules in lipid rafts that are involved in H. pylori-induced innate sensing have not been well characterized. This study investigated whether lipid rafts play a role in H. pylori-induced ceramide secretion and TLR4 expression and thereby contribute to inflammation in gastric epithelial cells. We observed that both TLR4 and MD-2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in H. pylori-infected AGS cells than in mock-infected cells. Moreover, significantly more TLR4 protein was detected in detergent-resistant membranes extracted from H. pylori-infected AGS cells than in those extracted from mock-infected cells. However, this effect was attenuated by the treatment of cells with cholesterol-usurping agents, suggesting that H. pylori-induced TLR4 signaling is dependent on cholesterol-rich microdomains. Similarly, the level of cellular ceramide was elevated and ceramide was translocated into lipid rafts after H. pylori infection, leading to interleukin-8 (IL-8) production. Using the sphingomyelinase inhibitor imipramine, we observed that H. pylori-induced TLR4 expression was ceramide dependent. These results indicate th