Regulation of the \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e Tryptophan Operon by Early Reactions in the Aromatic Pathway

7-Methyltryptophan (7MT) or compounds which can be metabolized to 7MT, 3-methylanthranilic acid (3MA) and 7-methylindole, cause derepression of the trp operon through feedback inhibition of anthranilate synthetase. Tyrosine reverses 3MA or 7-methylindole derepression, apparently by increasing the amount of chorismic acid available to the tryptophan pathway. A mutant isolated on the basis of 3MA resistance (MAR 13) was found to excrete small amounts of chorismic acid and to have a feedback-resistant phenylalanine 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonic acid-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase. Genetic evidence indicates that the mutation conferring 3MA resistance and feedback resistance is very closely linked to aroG, the structural gene for the DAHP synthetase (phe). Since feedback inhibition of anthranilate synthetase by l-tryptophan (or 7MT) is competitive with chorismic acid, alterations in growth conditions (added tyrosine) or in a mutant (MAR 13) which increase the amount of chorismic acid available to the tryptophan pathway result in resistance to 7MT derepression. Owing to this competitive nature of tryptophan feedback inhibition of anthranilate synthetase by chorismic acid, the early pathway apparently serves to exert a regulatory influence on tryptophan biosynthesis

Mechanism of 3-Methylanthranilic Acid Derepression of the Tryptophan Operon in \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e

3-Methylanthranilic acid (3MA) inhibits growth and causes derepression of the tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes in wild-type strains of Escherichia coli. Previous reports attributed this effect to an inhibition of the conversion of 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5-phosphate to indole-3-glycerol phosphate and a consequent reduction in the concentration of endogenous tryptophan. Our studies have shown that 3MA-resistant mutants linked to the tryptophan operon have a feedback-resistant anthranilate synthetase; mutants with an altered indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthetase were not found. 3MA or 7-methylindole can be metabolized to 7-methyltryptophan, and 3MA, 7-methylindole, and 7-methyltryptophan lead to derepression of the tryptophan operon. Furthermore, 3MA-resistant mutants are also resistant to 7-methylindole derepression. These results strongly suggest that the primary cause of derepression by 3MA is through its conversion to 7-methyltryptophan, which can inhibit anthranilate synthetase, thereby decreasing the concentration of endogenous tryptophan. Unlike 5- or 6-methyltryptophan, 7-methyltryptophan does not appear to function as an active corepressor

SubfamUies of the mouse major urinary protein (MUP) multi-gene family: sequence analysis of cDNA clones and differential regulation in the liver

ABSTRACT Th

The Third wave in globalization theory

This essay examines a proposition made in the literature that there are three waves in globalization theory—the globalist, skeptical, and postskeptical or transformational waves—and argues that this division requires a new look. The essay is a critique of the third of these waves and its relationship with the second wave. Contributors to the third wave not only defend the idea of globalization from criticism by the skeptics but also try to construct a more complex and qualified theory of globalization than provided by first-wave accounts. The argument made here is that third-wave authors come to conclusions that try to defend globalization yet include qualifications that in practice reaffirm skeptical claims. This feature of the literature has been overlooked in debates and the aim of this essay is to revisit the literature and identify as well as discuss this problem. Such a presentation has political implications. Third wavers propose globalist cosmopolitan democracy when the substance of their arguments does more in practice to bolster the skeptical view of politics based on inequality and conflict, nation-states and regional blocs, and alliances of common interest or ideology rather than cosmopolitan global structures

Restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) spot identification by second generation virtual RLGS in multiple genomes with multiple enzyme combinations.

BackgroundRestriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) is one of the most successfully applied methods for the identification of aberrant CpG island hypermethylation in cancer, as well as the identification of tissue specific methylation of CpG islands. However, a limitation to the utility of this method has been the ability to assign specific genomic sequences to RLGS spots, a process commonly referred to as "RLGS spot cloning."ResultsWe report the development of a virtual RLGS method (vRLGS) that allows for RLGS spot identification in any sequenced genome and with any enzyme combination. We report significant improvements in predicting DNA fragment migration patterns by incorporating sequence information into the migration models, and demonstrate a median Euclidian distance between actual and predicted spot migration of 0.18 centimeters for the most complex human RLGS pattern. We report the confirmed identification of 795 human and 530 mouse RLGS spots for the most commonly used enzyme combinations. We also developed a method to filter the virtual spots to reduce the number of extra spots seen on a virtual profile for both the mouse and human genomes. We demonstrate use of this filter to simplify spot cloning and to assist in the identification of spots exhibiting tissue-specific methylation.ConclusionThe new vRLGS system reported here is highly robust for the identification of novel RLGS spots. The migration models developed are not specific to the genome being studied or the enzyme combination being used, making this tool broadly applicable. The identification of hundreds of mouse and human RLGS spot loci confirms the strong bias of RLGS studies to focus on CpG islands and provides a valuable resource to rapidly study their methylation

Malic enzyme 1 absence in synovial sarcoma shifts antioxidant system dependence and increases sensitivity to ferroptosis induction with ACXT-3102

PURPOSE: To investigate the metabolism of synovial sarcoma (SS) and elucidate the effect of malic enzyme 1 absence on SS redox homeostasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: ME1 expression was measured in SS clinical samples, SS cell lines, and tumors from an SS mouse model. The effect of ME1 absence on glucose metabolism was evaluated utilizing Seahorse assays, metabolomics, and C13 tracings. The impact of ME1 absence on SS redox homeostasis was evaluated by metabolomics, cell death assays with inhibitors of antioxidant systems, and measurements of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The susceptibility of ME1-null SS to ferroptosis induction was interrogated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: ME1 absence in SS was confirmed in clinical samples, SS cell lines, and an SS tumor model. Investigation of SS glucose metabolism revealed that ME1-null cells exhibit higher rates of glycolysis and higher flux of glucose into the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), which is necessary to produce NADPH. Evaluation of cellular redox homeostasis demonstrated that ME1 absence shifts dependence from the glutathione system to the thioredoxin system. Concomitantly, ME1 absence drives the accumulation of ROS and labile iron. ROS and iron accumulation enhances the susceptibility of ME1-null cells to ferroptosis induction with inhibitors of xCT (erastin and ACXT-3102). In vivo xenograft models of ME1-null SS demonstrate significantly increased tumor response to ACXT-3102 compared with ME1-expressing controls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the translational potential of targeting redox homeostasis in ME1-null cancers and establish the preclinical rationale for a phase I trial of ACXT-3102 in SS patients. See related commentary by Subbiah and Gan, p. 3408

Differential roles of CCL2 and CCR2 in host defense to coronavirus infection.

The CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) is important in coordinating the immune response following microbial infection by regulating T cell polarization as well as leukocyte migration and accumulation within infected tissues. The present study examines the consequences of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection in mice lacking CCL2 (CCL2(-/-)) in order to determine if signaling by this chemokine is relevant in host defense. Intracerebral infection of CCL2(-/-) mice with MHV did not result in increased morbidity or mortality as compared to either wild type or CCR2(-/-) mice and CCL2(-/-) mice cleared replicating virus from the brain. In contrast, CCR2(-/-) mice displayed an impaired ability to clear virus from the brain that was accompanied by a reduction in the numbers of antigen-specific T cells as compared to both CCL2(-/-) and wild-type mice. The paucity in T cell accumulation within the central nervous system (CNS) of MHV-infected CCR2(-/-) mice was not the result of either a deficiency in antigen-presenting cell (APC) accumulation within draining cervical lymph nodes (CLN) or the generation of virus-specific T cells within this compartment. A similar reduction in macrophage infiltration into the CNS was observed in both CCL2(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice when compared to wild-type mice, indicating that both CCL2 and CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) contribute to macrophage migration and accumulation within the CNS following MHV infection. Together, these data demonstrate that CCR2, but not CCL2, is important in host defense following viral infection of the CNS, and CCR2 ligand(s), other than CCL2, participates in generating a protective response

‘Dominant ethnicity’ and the ‘ethnic-civic’ dichotomy in the work of A. D. Smith

This article considers the way in which the work of Anthony Smith has helped to structure debates surrounding the role of ethnicity in present-day nations. Two major lines of enquiry are evident here. First, the contemporary role of dominant ethnic groups within 'their' nations and second, the interplay between ethnic and civic elements in nationalist argument. The two processes are related, but maintain elements of distinctiveness. Smith's major contribution to the dominant ethnicity debate has been to disembed ethnicity from the ideologically-charged and/or anglo-centric discourse of ethnic relations and to place it in historical context, thereby opening up space for dominant group ethnicity to be considered as a distinct phenomenon. This said, Smith's work does not adequately account for the vicissitudes of dominant ethnicity in the contemporary West. Building on the classical works of Hans Kohn and Friedrich Meinecke, Anthony Smith has also made a seminal contribution to the debate on civic and ethnic forms of national identity and nationalist ideology. As well as freeing this debate from the strong normative overtones which it has often carried, he has continued to insist that the terms civic and ethnic should be treated as an ideal-typical distinction rather than a scheme of classification

Fracture healing in patients with human immunodeficiency virus in South Africa

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reduces bone mineral density, mineralisation and turnover, and may impair fracture healing. Setting: This prospective cohort study in South Africa investigated whether HIV infection was associated with impaired fracture healing following trauma. Methods: All adults with acute tibia and femur fractures who underwent intermedullary nailing (IM) for fracture fixation between September 2017 and December 2018, at two tertiary hospitals, were followed for a minimum of 12 months post-operatively. The primary outcome was delayed bone union at 6 months (defined by the radiological union scoring system for the tibia [RUST] score <9), and the secondary outcome was non-union (defined as RUST score <9) at 9 months. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to investigate associations between HIV status and impaired fracture healing. Results: In total, 358 participants, who underwent 395 IM nailings, were enrolled in the study and followed up for 12 months. Seventy-one participants (71/358, 19·8%) were HIV positive (83 IM nailings [83/395], 21.0%). HIV was not associated with delayed fracture healing after IM nailing of the tibia or femur (multivariable odds ratio [OR]: 1·06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0·50–2·22). Participants with HIV had a statistically significant lower odds of non-union compared to HIV-negative participants (multivariable OR: 0·17; 95% CI: 0·01–0·92). Conclusions: Fractures sustained in HIV-positive individuals can undergo surgical fixation as effectively as those in individuals who are HIV negative, with no increased risk of delayed union or non-union