In Campylobacter jejuni, a new type of chaperone receives heme from ferrochelatase

Funding Information: JZ is a recipient of the MSCA-IF-2019 Individual Fellowship H2020-WF-02-2019, 101003441. FS acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program (grant agreement 803768). This work was also financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) through PTDC/BIA-BQM/28642/2017 grant (LS), the MOSTMICRO-ITQB R&D Unit (UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020), and the LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Zamarreño Beas, Videira, Karavaeva, Lourenço, Almeida, Sousa and Saraiva.Intracellular heme formation and trafficking are fundamental processes in living organisms. Bacteria and archaea utilize three biogenesis pathways to produce iron protoporphyrin IX (heme b) that diverge after the formation of the common intermediate uroporphyrinogen III (uro’gen III). In this study, we identify and provide a detailed characterization of the enzymes involved in the transformation of uro’gen III into heme in Campylobacter jejuni, demonstrating that this bacterium utilizes the protoporphyrin-dependent (PPD) pathway. In general, limited knowledge exists regarding the mechanisms by which heme b reaches its target proteins after this final step. Specifically, the chaperones necessary for trafficking heme to prevent the cytotoxic effects associated with free heme remain largely unidentified. In C. jejuni, we identified a protein named CgdH2 that binds heme with a dissociation constant of 4.9 ± 1.0 µM, and this binding is impaired upon mutation of residues histidine 45 and 133. We demonstrate that C. jejuni CgdH2 establishes protein–protein interactions with ferrochelatase, suggesting its role in facilitating heme transfer from ferrochelatase to CgdH2. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis reveals that C. jejuni CgdH2 is evolutionarily distinct from the currently known chaperones. Therefore, CgdH2 is the first protein identified as an acceptor of intracellularly formed heme, expanding our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying heme trafficking within bacterial cells.publishersversionpublishe

Urological anomalies in OHVIRA syndrome (Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome)

We provide a systematic review of articles related to OHVIRA syndrome (Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome), found in PubMed/MedLine, Web of Science, Scopus, Scirus, The Cochrane Library and eLIBRARy to show how the urological component of this congenital malformation, previously considered as a concomitant anomaly, has become an important diagnostic marker. Several attempts were made to classify this condition, and they got more complex to include these variants of abnormalities of the kidney and ureter that were found due to advances in imaging technology. As a result, the understanding of the medical community about the OHVIRA syndrome has gradually changed over the past hundred years, and the growing interest of pediatric urologists and surgeons, in turn, has contributed to the early diagnosis of the syndrome and the improvement of examination methods

Superior strength of carbon steel with an ultrafine-grained microstructure and its enhanced thermal stability

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York. The paper presents the results of a study on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a medium-carbon steel (0.45 % C) processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD) via high-pressure torsion (HPT). Martensite quenching was first applied to the material, and then HPT processing was conducted at a temperature of 350 °C. As a result, a nanocomposite type microstructure is formed: an ultrafine-grained (UFG) ferrite matrix with fine cementite particles located predominantly at the boundaries of ferrite grains. The processed steel is characterized by a high-strength state, with an ultimate tensile strength over 2500 MPa. Special attention is given to analysis of the thermal stability of the microstructure and properties of the steel after HPT processing in comparison with quenching. It is shown that the thermal stability of the UFG structure produced by HPT is visibly higher than that of quenching-induced martensite. The origin of the enhanced strength and thermal stability of the UFG steel is discussed

INFLUENCE OF SPD AND THERMAL PROCESSING ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF BEARING STEEL 110Cr18Mo

The effect of severe plastic deformation (SPD) and subsequent thermal treatment on the microstructure and functional properties of 110Cr18Mo bearing steel was investigated. An increase in the number of cycles of the SPD before the standard heat treatment leads to a reduction in the coefficient of friction while maintaining the hardness at the same level as after heat treatment.В работе исследовано влияние интенсивной пластической деформации (ИПД) и последующей термической обработки на микроструктуру и функциональные свойства подшипниковой стали 110Х18М. Увеличение числа циклов ИПД перед стандартной термической обработкой приводит к снижению коэффициента трения при сохранении твердости на том же уровне, что и после термической обработки.Работа выполнена при финансовой поддержке РФФИ№ 17-48-020253

EFFECT OF PRE-TEMPERING TEMPERATURE ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF HIGH-CARBON BEARING STEEL AFTER ECAP

В работе исследована возможность деформирования закаленного состояния высокоуглеродистой подшипниковой стали после отпуска при различных температурах. Деформацию осуществляли методом равноканального углового прессования. Показано, что в результате повышения температуры предварительного отпуска наблюдается снижение прочностных характеристик: предела прочности и предела текучести, твердости стали.The possibility of deformation of the quenched state of high-carbon bearing steel after tempering at different temperatures has been investigated. The deformation was carried out by equal-channel angular pressing. It is shown the increasing of the temperature of the preliminary tempering results in a decrease in the strength characteristics: the tensile strength and yield strength, and the hardness of the steel.Работа выполнена при финансовой поддержке РФФИ № 17-48-020253

Socio-Cultural Impact of Church Building in Russia (the Case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg)

In recent years, Russia has been going through a boom of church building. In 2009, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) had 29,263 parishes and by 2019 this figure had risen to 38,649. In the last decade, the growth in the number of Orthodox religious organizations and places of worship has by far exceeded that of other assets of social infrastructure. While the number of churches is growing, however, the number of schools, kindergartens and hospitals is steadily falling. Unlike other elements of social infrastructure, church building is funded not from the state budget but is financed by donors, sponsors and by the ROC itself, with some of the funds coming from payments for religious rites (baptism, weddings etc). This article analyzes the historical significance and socio-economic impact of church building by focusing on the case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg. The right choice of the construction site for the cathedral-the choice that would be agreeable to the metropolitan bishop, municipal government, businesses and sponsors, local community and opinion leaders-will ensure not only that the project will be duly completed but also underline the fact that local communities are able to establish consensus and recognize each other's interests in local decision-making. One of the possible locations considered for building St.Catherine's Cathedral in Ekaterinburg was a former industrial site in the centre of the city. Eventually, it was chosen as the most suitable place for this large-scale project. Redevelopment of an underused or abandoned industrial site, resulting in the improvement in the quality of urban environment, can be seen as an effective instrument of project realization, contributing to the building's social and economic significance. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Lower pole obstructive megaureter of duplex kidney: an exception to the Weigert-Meyer rule

Introduction. Anatomical features of the urinary tract in patients with duplicate kidneys are described using the Weigert-Meyer rule, since the orifice of the upper ureter has an ectopic location (inferomedial) and the orifice of the lower ureter has an orthotopic location (superolateral). However, there are rare cases of violation of this rule, complicated by obstructive megaureter, ectopic ureteral orifice, the presence of ureterocele.Objective. To report the rare clinical case of a lower pole obstructive megaureter as a violation of the Meyer-Weigert rule in the patient with complete ureteral duplication and to describe the use of ureteroureterostomy as an effective and safe method of surgical correction of the presented anomaly.Clinical case. We present a case of the infant (5 months old) with a lower pole obstructive megaureter. This pathology was identified through intravenous urography and voiding cystourethrography. Laparoscopic proximal end-to-side ureteroureteroanastomosis was chosen as a surgical treatment. Postoperative control intravenous urography showed the effectiveness (a reduction in the lower pole collecting system of the duplex kidney was revealed) and the safety of this method of correction.Conclusion.  There are only several clinical cases about exceptions to the Weigert-Meyer rule reported in literature, and most of them are about adult patients. The main surgical method of treatment in such cases is heminephrectomy. To our knowledge, this is the only reported case of using ureteroureterostomy in the patient with a lower pole obstructive megaureter. This technique has shown its effectiveness and safety for restoring the patency of the urinary tract, confirmed during the control postoperative examination