Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University : origin, mode of functioning and relevance for the concept of research University

Artykuł opisuje w przyczyny, które spowodowały powstanie Małopolskiego Centrum Biotechnologii (MCB), przedstawia historię budowy oraz dostarcza informacji o jego strukturze i sposobie działania. Podkreślono elementy stanowiące o odmienności w sposobie funkcjonowania MCB w stosunku do wydziałów uczelni. Do elementów tych należy między innymi ustanowienie Międzynarodowego Komitetu Doradczego, ocena aktywności naukowej wszystkich grup badawczych działających w MCB przez ciało zewnętrzne, nacisk na rozwój i umacnianie współpracy międzynarodowej oraz współpraca z przemysłem poprzez rozwijanie innowacyjności, tworzenie nowych technologii oraz nawiązywanie współpracy z przedsiębiorstwami. Podane zostały także przykłady osiągnięć MCB zarówno w zakresie dorobku publikacyjnego jak i skuteczności w pozyskiwaniu projektów badawczych i aplikacyjnych.The article describes the reasons for creation of Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, presents the history of its construction, informs about structure and mode of its functionig. Differences in operation of MCB in comparison with the faculties have been highlighted. Among these differences are creation of an International Advisory Board, evaluation of scientifi c activity of all MCB-affi liated research groups by an external body, focus on development and strenghtening of international collaboration and cooperation with industry through development of innovativeness, creation of new technologies and collaboration with companies. Examples of MCB achievements, both in terms of published papers as well as in terms of obtained projects both for basic and applied research are provided

Recent achievements and trends in experimental plant biology

Abstract Between 21 and 25 September 2009, Krakow hosted the 4th Conference of the Polish Society of Experimental Plant Biology, co-organized with the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, and supported by the Biochemical Society. The aim of the conference was to present and discuss the most important topics in different disciplines of plant experimental science as well as to facilitate the interaction and co-operation between scientists. To achieve this goal, about 30 top specialists in various areas of plant biology were invited to give plenary lectures in the following sessions: Plant structure and development; Plant-microbial interactions; Mitochondria and chloroplasts in cell metabolism; Stress tolerance in plants; Structural and functional organization of plant genomes; Mutants in developmental and metabolic studies; Secondary metabolites as pharmaceutics and nutraceutics; Plant membranes; and Integrating plant functions via signalling molecules: molecular mechanisms. Some of the main problems highlighted in the plenary lectures are briefly summarized in the present paper. Two poster sessions enabled a discussion of over 200 posters presented. The conference had an international character, its official language was English, and among the more than 350 participants, about 60 were from abroad. Several plenary lectures were prepared as short review papers and they are published in this issue of Biochemical Society Transactions

Comparison of the results of laparoscopic appendectomies with application of different techniques for closure of the appendicular stump

BACKGROUND: Nowadays laparoscopy is used frequently not only in elective surgery but also in abdominal emergencies, including acute appendicitis. There are several techniques used to close the appendicular stump during laparoscopic appendectomy. The aim of the study was to present and compare the results of minimally invasive appendectomies performed with the use of endoscopic staplers (group A), titanium endoclips (group B) and invaginating sutures (group C). METHODS: Three hundred seven patients (mean age = 35.6; SD = 15.9; 178 males,129 females) operated on laparoscopically for acute appendicitis from January 2010 to December 2014 at our department were included in the study. We reviewed retrospectively patients’ data including: age, sex, duration of the surgical procedure and hospital stay, mortality, intraoperative and postoperative complication rates in all analyzed groups. RESULTS: There were 102 patients in group A (mean age = 35.8;SD = 15.4; 57 males, 45 females). The average hospital stay in this group was 4.3 days (SD = 1.7), average operation time was 62.0 min (SD = 15), postoperative complication rate was 5.9 %. There were 160 patients in group B (mean age = 35.0; SD = 16.3; 96 males, 64 females). The average hospital stay in this group was 3.6 days (SD = 1.4), average operation time was 62.9 min (SD = 13.5), postoperative complication rate was 5.6 %. There were 45 patients in group C (mean age =37.3; SD = 15.8; 25 males, 20 females). The average hospital stay in this group was 4.6 days (SD = 2.0), average operation time was 73.9 min (SD = 20.8), postoperative complication rate was 6.7 %. There were no intraoperative complications and no mortality in all compared groups of patients operated on laparoscopically for acute appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic appendectomies with application of different techniques for closure of the appendicular stump are useful and safe. In our study the shortest hospital stay and lowest complication rate were observed in patients operated with the use of titanium endoclips. The longest hospital stay and operation time and the highest complication rate was associated with the use of invaginating sutures

The effect of water accessible paramagnetic ions on subcellular structures formed in developing wheat photosynthetic membranes as observed by NMR and by sorption isotherm

The rehydration from the gaseous phase of the developing native or EDTA-washed from unbound and loosely bound paramagnetic ions wheat thylakoid membrane lyophilizate was investigated using hydration kinetics, sorption isotherm, and high power proton relaxometry. Hydration time courses are single exponential for all target humidities. The sorption isotherm is well fitted by the Dent model, with the mass of water saturating primary binding sites equal toΔ M/m$\text{}_{ }$0=0.024 and 0.017 for native and EDTA-washed membranes, respectively. Proton free induction decays distinguish: (i) a Gaussian component, S$\text{}_{0}$, coming from protons of solid matrix of lyophilizate; (ii) a Gaussian component, S$\text{}_{1}$, from water bound to the primary water binding sites in proximity of water accessible paramagnetic ions; (iii) an exponentially decaying contribution, $L$\text{}_{1}$$, from water tightly bound to lyophilizate surface; and (iv) exponentially decaying loosely bound water pool, L$\text{}_{2}$. Sorption isotherm fitted to NMR data shows a significant contribution of water "sealed" in membrane structures (Δ M$\text{}_{s}$/m$\text{}_{0}$=0.052 for native and 0.061 for EDTA-washed developing membranes, respectively)

Photoactive protochlorophyllide-enzyme complexes reconstituted with PORA, PORB and PORC proteins of A. thaliana : fluorescence and catalytic properties

Photoactive Pchlide-POR-NADPH complexes were reconstituted using protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) and recombinant light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) proteins, His₆-PORA, His₆-PORB and His₆-PORC, from Arabidopsis thaliana. We did not observe any differences in the kinetics of the protochlorophyllide photoreduction at room temperature among the PORA, PORB and PORC proteins. In contrast, the PORC protein showed lower yield of Chlide formation than PORA and PORB when preincubated in the dark for 30 min and then illuminated for a short time. The most significant observation was that reconstituted Pchlide-POR-NADPH complexes showed fluorescence maxima at 77 K similar to those observed for highly aggregated Pchlide-POR-NADPH complexes in prolamellar bodies (PLBs) in vivo. Homology models of PORA, PORB and PORC of Arabidopsis thaliana were developed to compare predicted structures of POR isoforms. There were only slight structural differences, mainly in the organisation of helices and loops, but not in the shape of whole molecules. This is the first comparative analysis of all POR isoforms functioning at different stages of A. thaliana development

Violaxanthin and diadinoxanthin de-epoxidation in various model lipid systems

The xanthophyll cycle is an important photoprotective process functioning in plants. One of its forms, the violaxanthin (Vx) cycle, involves interconversion between: Vx, antheraxanthin (Ax) and zeaxanthin (Zx). Another kind of the xanthophyll cycle is the diadinoxanthin (Ddx) cycle in which interconversion between Ddx and diatoxanthin (Dtx) occurs. In this study an information on molecular mechanism and regulation of these two types of the xanthophyll cycle is presented. The influence of lipids on the de-epoxidation of the xanthophyll cycle pigments was investigated, with special focus put on the significance of physical properties of the aggregates formed by inverted lipid micelles, which are necessary for activity of the xanthophyll cycle enzymes. In particular, thickness of the hydrophobic fraction of the aggregates, size of the inverted micelles, suggested by mathematical description of the structures and solubility of Vx and Ddx in various kind of lipids were studied. Obtained results show that the rate of de-epoxidation is strongly dependent on the physicochemical properties of the lipids used. The key role for enzyme activation play non-bilayer lipids and the parameters of inverted micelles such as thickness, fluidity of hydrophobic core and their diameter. The presented results show that MGDG and other non-lamellar lipids like different forms of phosphatidylethanolamine are necessary for the Vx and Ddx de-epoxidation because they provide the three-dimensional structures, which are needed for the binding of de-epoxidases and for the accessibility of Vx and Ddx to these enzymes

Expression of three diadinoxanthin de-epoxidase genes of Phaeodacylum tricornutum in Escherichia coli Origami b and BL 21 strain

In the diadinoxanthin cycle the epoxy group is removed from diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin is created. This conversion takes place e.g. in diatoms with the involvement of the enzyme diadinoxanthin de-epoxidase. In one of the diatom species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum (CCAP 1055/1 strain with genome sequenced) three de-epoxidase genes (PtVDE, PtVDL1, PtVDL2) have been identified, but only one of them (PtVDE) corresponds to violaxanthin de-epoxidase, an enzyme which is commonly found in higher plants. In these studies, the expression of two de-epoxidase genes of another Phaeodactylum tricornutum strain (UTEX 646), which is commonly used in diatom studies, were obtained in Origami b and BL21 E. coli strains. The molecular masses of the mature proteins are about 49 kDa and 60 kDa, respectively, for VDE and VDL2. Both enzymes are active with violaxanthin as a substrate