Outer Membrane Vesicles as a Candidate Vaccine against Edwardsiellosis

Infection with Edwardsiella tarda, a Gram-negative bacterium, causes high morbidity and mortality in both marine and freshwater fish. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) released from Gram-negative bacteria are known to play important roles in bacterial pathogenesis and host immune responses, but no such roles for E. tarda OMVs have yet been described. In the present study, we investigated the proteomic composition of OMVs and the immunostimulatory effect of OMVs in a natural host, as well as the efficacy of OMVs when used as a vaccine against E. tarda infection. A total of 74 proteins, from diverse subcellular fractions, were identified in OMVs. These included a variety of important virulence factors, such as hemolysin, OmpA, porin, GAPDH, EseB, EseC, EseD, EvpC, EvpP, lipoprotein, flagellin, and fimbrial protein. When OMVs were administrated to olive flounder, significant induction of mRNAs encoding IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, and IFNγ was observed, compared with the levels seen in fish injected with formalin-killed E. tarda. In a vaccine trial, olive flounder given OMVs were more effectively protected (p<0.0001) than were control fish. Investigation of OMVs may be useful not only for understanding the pathogenesis of E. tarda but also in development of an effective vaccine against edwardsiellosis

Structure of a highly conserved domain of rock1 required for shroom-mediated regulation of cell morphology

Rho-associated coiled coil containing protein kinase (Rho-kinase or Rock) is a well-defined determinant of actin organization and dynamics in most animal cells characterized to date. One of the primary effectors of Rock is non-muscle myosin II. Activation of Rock results in increased contractility of myosin II and subsequent changes in actin architecture and cell morphology. The regulation of Rock is thought to occur via autoinhibition of the kinase domain via intramolecular interactions between the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the kinase. This autoinhibited state can be relieved via proteolytic cleavage, binding of lipids to a Pleckstrin Homology domain near the C-terminus, or binding of GTP-bound RhoA to the central coiled-coil region of Rock. Recent work has identified the Shroom family of proteins as an additional regulator of Rock either at the level of cellular distribution or catalytic activity or both. The Shroom-Rock complex is conserved in most animals and is essential for the formation of the neural tube, eye, and gut in vertebrates. To address the mechanism by which Shroom and Rock interact, we have solved the structure of the coiled-coil region of Rock that binds to Shroom proteins. Consistent with other observations, the Shroom binding domain is a parallel coiled-coil dimer. Using biochemical approaches, we have identified a large patch of residues that contribute to Shrm binding. Their orientation suggests that there may be two independent Shrm binding sites on opposing faces of the coiled-coil region of Rock. Finally, we show that the binding surface is essential for Rock colocalization with Shroom and for Shroom-mediated changes in cell morphology. © 2013 Mohan et al

Phantom and animal imaging studies using PLS synchrotron X-rays

Ultra-high resolution radiographs can be obtained using synchrotron X-rays. A collaboration team consisting of K-JIST, POSTECH, and YUMC has recently commissioned a new beamline (5C1) at Pohang Light Source (PLS) in Korea for medical applications using phase contrast radiology. Relatively simple image acquisition systems were set up on 5C1 beamline, and imaging studies were performed for resolution test patterns, mammographic phantom, and animals. Resolution test patterns and mammographic phantom images showed much better image resolution and quality with the 5C1 imaging system than the mammography system. Both fish and mouse images with 5C1 imaging system also showed much better image resolution with great details of organs and anatomy compared to those obtained with a conventional mammography system. A simple and inexpensive ultra-high resolution imaging system on 5C1 beamline was successfully implemented. We were able to acquire ultra-high resolution images for, resolution test patterns, mammographic phantom, fishes, and mice. The results showed that the 5C1 imaging system could be used for ultra-high resolution imaging studies in medical applications.X116sciescopu

Height and sex is strongly associated with radial augmentation index in Korean patients with never-treated hypertension

Kye Taek Ahn, Kwang-In Park, Mi Joo Kim, Jin Kyung Oh, Ji Hye Han, Hee Jin Kwon, Seon-Ah Jin, Jun-Hyung Kim, Jae-Hyeong Park, Jae-Hwan Lee, Si Wan Choi, In-Whan Seong, Jin-Ok Jeong Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School&nbsp;of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic&nbsp;of Korea Objectives: Central hemodynamics may better represent the load imposed on the coronary and cerebral arteries and thereby bear a stronger relationship to cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Patients who had confirmed hypertension as assessed by daytime 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (&ge;135/85 mmHg) were enrolled. Central blood pressure and radial augmentation index (AIx) corrected for a heart rate of 75 bpm (radial AIx 75) were measured for all patients. We evaluated the association of age, height, and sex with central hemodynamics in patients with never-treated hypertension. Results: A total of 203 patients were enrolled, of whom men numbered 101 (49.7%). The median height of all patients was 162 cm, and mean age was 53.2 years. In the Pearson correlation analysis, regardless of sex difference (R=-0.627 for height, R=0.035 for age, P-value =0.005), a stronger relationship was observed between height and radial AIx 75 than between age and radial AIx 75. In the multiple regression analysis, the sex difference and height were strongly associated with elevated radial AIx 75 in all patients (adjusted R2=0.428, &beta;=6.237, 95% confidence interval [CI] for women 1.480&ndash;10.995, P-value =0.011 and &beta;=-0.632, 95% CI for height -0.929 to -0.335, P-value =0.009, respectively). Conclusion: In patients with never-treated hypertension, female sex and shorter height are the important risk factors of elevated radial AIx 75. Keywords: hypertension, augmentation index, height, se

Micrometer resolution imaging using unmonochromatized synchrotron x rays: phantom, human breast tissue, and live animal imaging studies

A new 5C1 beam line was recently built on Pohang Light Source (PLS) in Korea for possible medical applications. An imaging system on the beam line consisted of silicon wafer attenuators, tungsten slit, CdWO4 scintillator, CCD camera, and personal computer. Both spatial resolution test pattern and glass capillary filled with air bubbles were imaged to evaluate resolution and phase-contrast effects for synchrotron imaging system, respectively. Mammographic accreditation phantom, cancerous human breast specimens, and fish and nude mouse were also imaged. Both spatial resolution and image quality of the synchrotron imaging system were compared with those of conventional mammography system. The images of resolution test pattern showed a few tens of micrometer spatial resolution on synchrotron imaging system. The images of capillary filled with air bubbles revealed phase contrast effect. Mammographic accreditation phantom, human breast specimen, and animal images with synchrotron imaging system showed much higher resolution with great details of object and higher enhanced contrast compared to those with conventional mammography system. We successfully implemented and tested a micrometer resolution imaging system on PLS 5C1 beam line. Using a simple and inexpensive synchrotron imaging system on PLS 5C1 beam line, micrometer resolution images for resolution test pattern, mammographic accreditation phantom, human breast specimens, and Eve animals were acquired and visually evaluated.N