Bioavailability and effects of non-ionic organic pesticides in soil

In soil contamination studies the extent of contamination is usually described in terms of the content of the chemical on a dry soil mass basis. However, it has been found that a particular content of a chemical in soil exhibits divergent bio-availability, and thus toxicity, in different soils. Measuring the chemical concentration in the soil pore water is a better method. For evaluating the biological risk of pesticides in soil, concentrations measured in pore water should be compared with soil quality criteria based on the saline-water effect concentrations for soil organisms derived in the laboratory

Biophysical and enzymatic properties of aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase AadA6 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

AbstractThe gene coding for the aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase (aadA6) from a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3)pLysS. The overexpressed enzyme (AadA6, 281 amino-acid residues) and a carboxy-terminal truncated variant molecule ([1-264]AadA6) were purified to near homogeneity and characterized. Light scattering experiments conducted under low ionic strength supported equilibrium between monomeric and homodimeric arrangements of the enzyme subunits. Circular Dichroism spectropolarimetry indicated a close structural relation to adenylate kinases. Both forms modified covalently the aminoglycosides streptomycin and spectinomycin. The enzyme required at least 5mM MgCl2 for normal Michaelis–Menten kinetics. Streptomycin exhibited a strong substrate inhibition effect at 1mM MgCl2. The truncated 17 residues at the C-terminus have little influence on protein folding, whereas they have a positive effect on the enzymic activity and stabilize dimers at high protein concentrations (>100μM). Homology modelling and docking based on known crystal structures yielded models of the central ternary complex of monomeric AadA6 with ATP and streptomycin or spectinomycin

Granzyme B Cleaves Decorin, Biglycan and Soluble Betaglycan, Releasing Active Transforming Growth Factor-β1

Objective: Granzyme B (GrB) is a pro-apoptotic serine protease that contributes to immune-mediated target cell apoptosis. However, during inflammation, GrB accumulates in the extracellular space, retains its activity, and is capable of cleaving extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Recent studies have implicated a pathogenic extracellular role for GrB in cardiovascular disease, yet the pathophysiological consequences of extracellular GrB activity remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to identify proteoglycan (PG) substrates of GrB and examine the ability of GrB to release PG-sequestered TGF-b1 into the extracellular milieu. Methods/Results: Three extracellular GrB PG substrates were identified; decorin, biglycan and betaglycan. As all of these PGs sequester active TGF-b1, cytokine release assays were conducted to establish if GrB-mediated PG cleavage induced TGF-b1 release. Our data confirmed that GrB liberated TGF-b1 from all three substrates as well as from endogenous ECM and this process was inhibited by the GrB inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin. The released TGF-b1 retained its activity as indicated by the induction of SMAD-3 phosphorylation in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Conclusion: In addition to contributing to ECM degradation and the loss of tissue structural integrity in vivo, increase

Demographic, clinical and antibody characteristics of patients with digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: data from the DUO Registry

OBJECTIVES: The Digital Ulcers Outcome (DUO) Registry was designed to describe the clinical and antibody characteristics, disease course and outcomes of patients with digital ulcers associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The DUO Registry is a European, prospective, multicentre, observational, registry of SSc patients with ongoing digital ulcer disease, irrespective of treatment regimen. Data collected included demographics, SSc duration, SSc subset, internal organ manifestations, autoantibodies, previous and ongoing interventions and complications related to digital ulcers. RESULTS: Up to 19 November 2010 a total of 2439 patients had enrolled into the registry. Most were classified as either limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc; 52.2%) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc; 36.9%). Digital ulcers developed earlier in patients with dcSSc compared with lcSSc. Almost all patients (95.7%) tested positive for antinuclear antibodies, 45.2% for anti-scleroderma-70 and 43.6% for anticentromere antibodies (ACA). The first digital ulcer in the anti-scleroderma-70-positive patient cohort occurred approximately 5 years earlier than the ACA-positive patient group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data from a large cohort of SSc patients with a history of digital ulcers. The early occurrence and high frequency of digital ulcer complications are especially seen in patients with dcSSc and/or anti-scleroderma-70 antibodies

Hoeveel last hebben bodemdieren van verontreinigde grond?

Het niveau waarin verontreinigingen voorkomen in de bodem, wordt meeestal weergegeven als het gehalte van die stoffen. Vaak kan slechts een deel daarvan worden opgenomen door bodemorganismen. Deze biologische beschikbaarheid verschilt per bodemtype endaardoor veroorzaakt eenzelfde gehalte van een stof uiteenlopende giftigheid. Ook voor bestrijdingsmiddelen zijn gehalten niet maatgevend voor ongewenste neveneffecten. Om de biologische risico's van bestrijdingsmiddelen in de bodem beter te beoordelenmoet men de concentraties in het bodemporiewater kennen en vergelijken met blootstelling-effectrelaties bepaald in laboratoriumtoxiciteitstoetsen. Voor diverse bodemorganismen kunnen deze toetsen in water worden uitgevoerd

Suitability of seven species of soil-inhabiting invertebrates for testing toxicity of pesticides in soil pore water

This study assessed the suitability of seven species of soil invertebrates for toxicologically testing pesticides in water. Requirements were that the organisms must survive in water, be easy to handle, be easy to breed, be sensitive to pesticides, and show unambiguous toxicological effects. The organisms tested were the nematodes Plectus parietinus and Globodera rostochiensis, the white pot-worms Enchytraeus buchholzi and Enchytraeus albidus, the manure worm Eisenia fetida, the mite Caloglyphus mycophagus, and the springtail Folsomia candida. The springtail met all the requirements and proved to be the most suitable of the organisms tested for soil quality assessment with soil pore water