The Membrane QmoABC Complex Interacts Directly with the Dissimilatory Adenosine 5′-Phosphosulfate Reductase in Sulfate Reducing Bacteria

The adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase (AprAB) is the enzyme responsible for the reduction of adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) to sulfite in the biological process of dissimilatory sulfate reduction, which is carried out by a ubiquitous group of sulfate reducing prokaryotes. The electron donor for AprAB has not been clearly identified, but was proposed to be the QmoABC membrane complex, since an aprBA–qmoABC gene cluster is found in many sulfate reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The QmoABC complex is essential for sulfate reduction, but electron transfer between QmoABC and AprAB has not been reported. In this work we provide the first direct evidence that QmoABC and AprAB interact in Desulfovibrio spp., using co-immunoprecipitation, cross-linking Far-Western blot, tag-affinity purification, and surface plasmon resonance studies. This showed that the QmoABC–AprAB complex has a strong steady-state affinity (KD = 90 ± 3 nM), but has a transient character due to a fast dissociation rate. Far-Western blot identified QmoA as the Qmo subunit most involved in the interaction. Nevertheless, electron transfer from menaquinol analogs to APS through anaerobically purified QmoABC and AprAB could not be detected. We propose that this reaction requires the involvement of a third partner to allow electron flow driven by a reverse electron bifurcation process, i.e., electron confurcation. This process is deemed essential to allow coupling of APS reduction to chemiosmotic energy conservation

Septic thrombophlebitis with acute osteomyelitis in adolescent children: a report of two cases and review of the literature

The triad of acute osteomyelitis, deep venous thrombophlebitis, and septic pulmonary embolism is a rare, but life-threatening syndrome in children that requires prompt recognition and treatment. We report two cases of acute osteomyelitis complicated by septic thrombophlebitis and pulmonary emboli. Both patients required operative drainage to remove the septic focus. Recognition of any one component of the triad should prompt a search for the other associated disorders. Aggressive management with early antibiotic administration, anticoagulation, and surgical debridement can be life saving

Factors Associated with Lifetime HIV Testing in Texas by Race/Ethnicity

Introduction: In United States, roughly 1/5 of all HIV infected persons remain undiagnosed. Because HIV testing is critical to improve prevention efforts, more research is needed to understand the characteristics of individuals who get tested for HIV. Methods: This secondary analysis of the 2010 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System used data from 9,744 respondents between 18-64 years of age to evaluate the relationship between demographic characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, age, area of residence, education, marital status, employment status, and income), healthcare characteristics (insurance status, having a primary provider, and access to healthcare), and HIV risk behaviors with ever having received an HIV test. Results: Significant associations between gender, age, area of residence, marital and employment status, and HIV risk behaviors and HIV testing in a Texas population by race/ethnicity were observed. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for future research into racial/ethnic disparities between lifetime HIV testing, and can help guide practitioners who work with populations at risk for HIV/AIDS in Texas

Global functioning of COPD patients with and without functional balance impairment: an exploratory analysis based on the ICF framework

Balance impairment is a common manifestation in older people with COPD and may contribute to overall functional decline; however, the relationship between balance and global functioning has not been studied. This study aimed to explore the global functioning of COPD patients with and without functional balance impairment. Functional balance was assessed with the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test and global functioning with the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases. Participants (n = 134) were divided in 2 groups according to their performance in TUG (with and without balance impairment) and the ICF Core Set results were compared between groups. Fifty-four (40.3%) participants had functional balance impairment. The groups presented a similar extent of problems in several categories of the ICF components. However, participants with balance impairment were more severely affected (p < 0.05) in energy, pain, respiratory system, weight maintenance, exercise tolerance, neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions, and structure of head and neck. They also presented a significantly worse performance in handling psychological demands and activities related to mobility, self-care, domestic, community and social life, and a more negative perception of Environmental factors related to products and technology of buildings for private use and social support services (p < 0.05). Patients with functional balance impairment have more functional problems and are more severely restricted in daily life than patients without compromised balance. Understanding the relationship between balance control and global functioning will contribute to guide interventions aimed at maintaining functioning and minimizing disability

Progesterone reduces erectile dysfunction in sleep-deprived spontaneously hypertensive rats

BACKGROUND: Paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) associated with cocaine has been shown to enhance genital reflexes (penile erection-PE and ejaculation-EJ) in Wistar rats. Since hypertension predisposes males to erectile dysfunction, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PSD on genital reflexes in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) compared to the Wistar strain. We also extended our study to examine how PSD affect steroid hormone concentrations involved in genital events in both experimental models. METHODS: The first experiment investigated the effects of PSD on genital reflexes of Wistar and SHR rats challenged by saline and cocaine (n = 10/group). To further examine the impact of the PSD on concentrations of sexual hormones, we performed a hormonal analysis of testosterone and progesterone in the Wistar and in SHR strains. Since after PSD progesterone concentrations decreased in the SHR compared to the Wistar PSD group we extended our study by investigating whether progesterone (25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) or testosterone (0.5 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg) administration during PSD would have a facilitator effect on the occurrence of genital reflexes in this hypertensive strain. RESULTS: A 4-day period of PSD induced PE in 50% of the Wistar rats against 10% for the SHR. These genital reflexes was potentiated by cocaine in Wistar rats whereas this scenario did not promote significant enhancement in PE and EJ in hypertensive rats, and the percentage of SHR displaying genital reflexes still figured significantly lower than that of the Wistar strain. As for hormone concentrations, both sleep-deprived Wistar and SHR showed lower testosterone concentrations than their respective controls. Sleep deprivation promoted an increase in concentrations of progesterone in Wistar rats, whereas no significant alterations were found after PSD in the SHR strain, which did not present enhancement in erectile responses. In order to explore the role of progesterone in the occurrence of genital reflexes, SHR were treated daily during the sleep deprivation period with progesterone; after the administration of this hormone and challenge with cocaine, we observed a significant increase in erectile events compared with the vehicle PSD SHR+cocaine group. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that the low frequency of genital reflexes found in SHR sleep deprived rats may be attributed to the lower concentrations of progesterone in these rats, based on the observation that progesterone replacement increased genital reflexes in this strain

Population genomics of the Wolbachia endosymbiont in Drosophila melanogaster

Wolbachia are maternally-inherited symbiotic bacteria commonly found in arthropods, which are able to manipulate the reproduction of their host in order to maximise their transmission. Here we use whole genome resequencing data from 290 lines of Drosophila melanogaster from North America, Europe and Africa to predict Wolbachia infection status, estimate cytoplasmic genome copy number, and reconstruct Wolbachia and mtDNA genome sequences. Complete Wolbachia and mitochondrial genomes show congruent phylogenies, consistent with strict vertical transmission through the maternal cytoplasm and imperfect transmission of Wolbachia. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis reveals that the most recent common ancestor of all Wolbachia and mitochondrial genomes in D. melanogaster dates to around 8,000 years ago. We find evidence for a recent incomplete global replacement of ancestral Wolbachia and mtDNA lineages, which is likely to be one of several similar incomplete replacement events that have occurred since the out-of-Africa migration that allowed D. melanogaster to colonize worldwide habitats.Comment: 41 pages, 5 figure

Shared genetic risk between eating disorder- and substance-use-related phenotypes:Evidence from genome-wide association studies

First published: 16 February 202