Taxonomic Characterization of Three Marine Peritrichous Ciliates from China: Zoothamnium alrasheidi spec. nov., Z. marinum Kahl, 1933 and Z. vermicola Precht, 1935 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia)

Three marine peritrichous ciliates, Zoothamnium alrasheidi spec. nov., Z. marinum Kahl, 1933 and Z. vermicola Precht, 1935, were isolated from littoral areas near Qingdao, China. The living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system were studied in living and silver-impregnated specimens. Zoothamnium alrasheidi is distinguished from its congeners by the giant, leaf-shaped colony, the differentiation of zooids, the structure of the infundibular polykineties and in having 57–75 silverlines between the oral area and the trochal band and 24–42 between the trochal band and the scopula. Zoothamnium marinum and Z. vermicola are reported for the first time in over 70 years. Each was identified by its zooid shape and size, colony shape, the branching pattern of its stalk and its marine habitat. As a result of the present study, additional features for characterizing these species now include the structure of infundibular polykinety 3 and the number of silverlines between the aboral trochal band and (a) the scopula, and (b) the peristomial lip. Redescriptions and improved diagnoses of both species are supplied based on the Chinese populations

Phylogeny and Genetic/Morphological Variation of Strombidinopsis minima-like Species (Ciliophora: Choreotrichia).

Six isolates of mineral-enveloped Strombidinopsis minima-like species were collected from the coastal waters across several regions in Korea. Morphological observations and molecular analyses were performed. The ribosomal DNA sequences (including small subunit ribosomal DNA, internal transcriber spacer 1-5.8S ribosomal DNA-internal transcriber spacer 2; and part of large subunit ribosomal DNA) of these six isolates were compared. Their morphological characteristics were also compared with those of S. minima populations reported. The marked genetic differences (with a similarity range of 96.85-98.48%) in SSU rDNA among these S. minima-like entities suggest the existence of multiple species. This finding is also supported by morphological variations detected in this study and reported in the literature (e.g. 15-32 collar membranelles in different populations). In addition, S. minima-like species are clustered with S. batos and S. sinicum, and therefore, our SSU rDNA results support previous results suggesting that the genus Strombidinopsis is not monophyletic in origin. Further collection of morphological and molecular data may facilitate the determination of a new genus carrying mineral-enveloped Strombidinopsis species

Anti-inflammatory effect of essential oil extracted from Pinus densiflora (Sieb. et Zucc.) wood on RBL-2H3 cells

The aim of this study is to identify the active compounds of the essential oil extracted from the Pinus densiflora (Sieb. et Zucc.) wood using the hydrodistillation method and evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity. The chemical composition of the oil was identified by GC–MS analysis, and its anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by investigating its effect on the expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-13 (IL-13), and β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment of the LPS-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells with the oil and its fractions downregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13 and further attenuated the secretion of β-hexosaminidase out of the cells to a significant level. Among the five obtained fractions, fraction E exhibited the best anti-inflammatory activity, and its main constituent, longifolene, was considered as the active compound. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of longifolene on the expression levels of IL-4 and IL-13 and the β-hexosaminidase secretion was similar to that of the P. densiflora wood oil, indicating longifolene as the active constituent of the P. densiflora wood oil with immunosuppressive effects on inflammation

Oral intake of Lactobacillus rhamnosus M21 enhances the survival rate of mice lethally infected with influenza virus

BackgroundInfluenza viruses cause acute respiratory disease. Because of the high genetic variability of viruses, effective vaccines and antiviral agents are limited. Considering the fact that the site of influenza virus entry is the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, probiotics that can enhance mucosal immunity as well as systemic immunity could be an important source of treatment against influenza infection.MethodsMice were fed with Lactobacillus rhamnosus M21 or skim milk and were challenged with influenza virus. The resulting survival rate, lung inflammation, and changes in the cytokine and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels were examined.ResultsBecause of infection (influenza virus), all the mice in the control group and 60% of the mice in the L. rhamnosus M21 group died; however, the remaining 40% of the mice fed with L. rhamnosus M21 survived the infection. Pneumonia was severe in the control group but moderate in the group treated with L. rhamnosus M21. Although there were no significant changes in the proinflammatory cytokines in the lung lysates of mice collected from both groups, levels of interferon-γ and interleukin-2, which are representative cytokines of type I helper T cells, were significantly increased in the L. rhamnosus M21-treated group. An increase in sIgA as well as the diminution of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was also observed in the L. rhamnosus M21-treated group.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that orally administered L. rhamnosus M21 activates humoral as well as cellular immune responses, conferring increased resistance to the host against influenza virus infection

Fatal systemic disorder caused by biallelic variants in FARSA

Background : Aminoacyl tRNA transferases play an essential role in protein biosynthesis, and variants of these enzymes result in various human diseases. FARSA, which encodes the α subunit of cytosolic phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase, was recently reported as a suspected causal gene for multiorgan disorder. This study aimed to validate the pathogenicity of variants in the FARSA gene. Results : Exome sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous variants in FARSA, P347L and R475Q, from a patient who initially presented neonatal-onset failure to thrive, liver dysfunction, and frequent respiratory infections. His developmental milestones were nearly arrested, and the patient died at 28 months of age as a result of progressive hepatic and respiratory failure. The P347L variant was predicted to disrupt heterodimer interaction and failed to form a functional heterotetramer by structural and biochemical analyses. R475 is located at a highly conserved site and is reported to be involved in phenylalanine activation and transfer to tRNA. The R475Q mutant FARSA were co-purified with FARSB, but the mutant enzyme showed an approximately 36% reduction in activity in our assay relative to the wild-type protein. Additional functional analyses on variants from previous reports (N410K, F256L, R404C, E418D, and F277V) were conducted. The R404C variant from a patient waiting for organ transplantation also failed to form tetramers but the E418D, N410K, F256L, and F277V variants did not affect tetramer formation. In the functional assay, the N410K located at the phenylalanine-binding site exhibited no catalytic activity, whereas other variants (E418D, F256L and F277V) exhibited lower ATPase activity than wild-type FARSA at low phenylalanine concentrations. Conclusions : Our data demonstrated the pathogenicity of biallelic variants in FARSA and suggested the implication of hypomorphic variants in severe phenotypes.This study was supported by a research program funded by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (Grant Nos. 2021-ER0701-00 and 2020-ER6902-00)

Different contribution of extent of myocardial injury to left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in early reperfused acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the influence of the extent of myocardial injury on left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function in patients after reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Thirty-eight reperfused AMI patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging after percutaneous coronary revascularization. The extent of myocardial edema and scarring were assessed by T2 weighted imaging and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging, respectively. Within a day of CMR, echocardiography was done. Using 2D speckle tracking analysis, LV longitudinal, circumferential strain, and twist were measured. RESULTS: Extent of LGE were significantly correlated with LV systolic functional indices such as ejection fraction (r��=��-0.57, p��<��0.001), regional wall motion score index (r��=��0.52, p��=��0.001), and global longitudinal strain (r��=��0.56, p��<��0.001). The diastolic functional indices significantly correlated with age (r��=��-0.64, p��<��0.001), LV twist (r��=��-0.39, p��=��0.02), average non-infarcted myocardial circumferential strain (r��=��-0.52, p��=��0.001), and LV end-diastolic wall stress index (r��=��-0.47, p��=��0.003 with e') but not or weakly with extent of LGE. In multivariate analysis, age and non-infarcted myocardial circumferential strain independently correlated with diastolic functional indices rather than extent of injury. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with timely reperfused AMI, not only extent of myocardial injury but also age and non-infarcted myocardial function were more significantly related to LV chamber diastolic function.ope

Spontaneous Closure of Iatrogenic Coronary Artery Fistula to Left Ventricle After Septal Myectomy for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

Cases of iatrogenic coronary artery fistulas draining into the left ventricle after surgical myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy have been published as sporadic reports. However, its management scheme and prognosis are not clear because of the low incidence. A 46-yr-old woman was hospitalized for evaluation of chest pain and shortness of breath for 3 months. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination showed typical hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with a peak pressure gradient of 71 mmHg across the left ventricular outflow tract. The patient underwent surgical septal myectomy. Postoperative color Doppler imaging revealed a diastolic blood flow from the interventricular septal myocardium to the left ventricular cavity, i.e. iatrogenic coronary artery fistula to the left ventricle. Ten days later, the fistula closed spontaneously which was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and confirmed by coronary angiography

Whole-exome sequencing in 168 Korean patients with inherited retinal degeneration

Background To date, no genetic analysis of inherited retinal disease (IRD) using whole-exome sequencing (WES) has been conducted in a large-scale Korean cohort. The aim of this study was to characterise the genetic profile of IRD patients in Korea using WES. Methods We performed comprehensive molecular testing in 168 unrelated Korean IRD patients using WES. The potential pathogenicity of candidate variants was assessed using the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology variant interpretation guidelines, in silico prediction tools, published literature, and compatibility with known phenotypes or inheritance patterns. Results Causative variants were detected in 86/168 (51.2%) IRD patients, including 58/107 (54.2%) with retinitis pigmentosa, 7/15 (46.7%) with cone and cone-rod dystrophy, 2/3 (66.6%) with Usher syndrome, 1/2 (50.0%) with congenital stationary night blindness, 2/2 (100.0%) with Leber congenital amaurosis, 1/1 (100.0%) with Bietti crystalline dystrophy, 1/1 (100.0%) with Joubert syndrome, 9/10 (90.0%) with Stargardt macular dystrophy, 1/10 (10.0%) with vitelliform macular dystrophy, 1/11 (9.1%) with other forms of macular dystrophy, and 3/4 (75.0%) with choroideraemia. USH2A, ABCA4, and EYS were the most common causative genes associated with IRD. For retinitis pigmentosa, variants of USH2A and EYS were the most common causative gene mutations. Conclusions This study demonstrated the distribution of causative genetic mutations in Korean IRD patients. The data will serve as a reference for future genetic screening and development of treatment modalities for Korean IRD patients.This study was supported by the Korean Association of Retinal Degenera‑tion, by a Grant Number 2620170060 from the SNUH Research Fund, and by a grant of the Korea Research-Driven Hospital (Grant Number: HI14C1277) through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW), Republic of Korea. The funding bodies played no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript