Molecular characterisation of membrane glycoprotein and 5b protein of nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus

Background: Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) affects the upper respiratory tract and the reproductive tract, and some strainscan cause nephritis. Large number of serotypes and genotypes of the virus have been identified and for the most part do notcross-protect. Identifying the genotype or serotype of IBV field strains is empirical for selecting an appropriate candidate toserve as vaccine strain for prevention of infectious bronchitis (IB) disease in chickens. The variant strains of IBV could becirculating among chickens in India and recently nephropathogenic IB was reported. Hence, the present work was aimed tocarry out molecular characterization of nephropathogenic IBV isolates obtained from two different geographical locations ofsouth India, involving relatively conserved regions.Materials and Methods: MIBVPCR and NIBVPCR primers were used to amplify partial M and N gene after synthesizingcDNA. Isolates Ind/KA/07/1 and Ind/TN/07/2 were subjected to direct sequencing as these two isolates are two differentgeographical regions and scored better in induction of lesions during pathotyping.Results: Amino acids of membrane glycoprotein varied on five occasions for the isolate Ind/KA/07/1 when aligned with thatof M 41 strain and isolate Ind/TN/07/2. Eight amino acids of both isolates in 5b protein were different from that of M41 strain.Few point mutations, short deletions and insertions were noticed in the amplified genome, based on the membrane proteinnucleotide sequence comparison.Conclusion: Prevalence of IBV strains with few modifications in conserved regions indicated that there was presence ofvariant IBVin south India

Attrition-enhanced total resolution leads to homochiral families of amino acid derivatives

The total resolution of five structurally similar racemizable amino acid derivatives, three of which have racemic crystal structures, was performed simultaneously. By enantioselective incorporation in an amino acid derivative that forms a conglomerate the other four were deracemized on attrition-induced grinding. The outcome of the resolution was random (R) or (S), but all compounds had the same absolute configuration and high enantiomeric purities.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 internalization: modulation by ligand interaction with TGF-beta receptors types I and II and a mechanism that is distinct from clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) internalization was studied by monitoring the uptake of125I-TGF-β1 in Mv1Lu cells, which endogenously express TGF-β receptors types I (RI), II (RII), and III (RIII), and 293 cells transfected with RI and RII. At 37 °C internalization occurred rapidly, within 10 min of ligand addition. Internalization was optimal in 293 cells expressing both RI and RII. Internalization was prevented by phenylarsine oxide, a nonspecific inhibitor of receptor internalization, but was not affected by reagents that interfere with clathrin-mediated endocytosis such as monodansylcadaverine, K44A dynamin, and inhibitors of endosomal acidification. Electron microscopic examination of Mv1Lu cells treated with 125I- TGF-β1 at 37 °C indicated that internalization occurred via a noncoated vesicular mechanism. Internalization was prevented by prebinding cells with TGF-β1 at 4 °C for 2 h prior to switching the cells to 37 °C. This was attributed to a loss of receptor binding, as indicated by a rapid decrease in the amount of TGF-β1 bound to the cell surface at 37 °C and by a reduction in the labeling intensities of RI and RII in125I-TGF-β1-cross-linking experiments. Mv1Lu or 293 (RI+RII) cells, prebound with TGF-β1 at 4 °C and subsequently stripped of ligand by an acid wash, nevertheless initiated a signaling response upon transfer to 37 °C, suggesting that prebinding promotes formation of stable RI·RII complexes that can signal independently of ligand

Agriculture Beyond Food: Experiences from Indonesia

The ABF programme addresses one of today’s major societal challenges, how to achieve a sustainable and inclusive biobased economy, with high-level scientific research on the thin lines between food and non-food, commodities and waste products, livelihood opportunities and risks, and local and global economy. This book provides insights into the main issues and key questions relating to the biobased economy, reflects on the objectives of the ABF programme, and offers policy recommendations. It summarises the projects conducted within the three major clusters at the heart of the programme: migration and forest transformation, breakthroughs in biofuel production technology, and the commoditisation of an alternative biofuel crop. The book ends with a number of lessons learned from the ABF programme on interdisciplinary programming

Adapting the Scar-in-a-Jar to Skin Fibrosis and Screening Traditional and Contemporary Anti-Fibrotic Therapies

Skin fibrosis still constitutes an unmet clinical need. Although pharmacological strategies are at the forefront of scientific and technological research and innovation, their clinical translation is hindered by the poor predictive capacity of the currently available in vitro fibrosis models. Indeed, customarily utilised in vitro scarring models are conducted in a low extracellular matrix milieu, which constitutes an oxymoron for the in-hand pathophysiology. Herein, we coupled macromolecular crowding (enhances and accelerates extracellular matrix deposition) with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1; induces trans-differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts) in human dermal fibroblast cultures to develop a skin fibrosis in vitro model and to screen a range of anti-fibrotic families (corticosteroids, inhibitors of histone deacetylases, inhibitors of collagen crosslinking, inhibitors of TGF beta 1 and pleiotropic inhibitors of fibrotic activation). Data obtained demonstrated that macromolecular crowding combined with TGF beta 1 significantly enhanced collagen deposition and myofibroblast transformation. Among the anti-fibrotic compounds assessed, trichostatin A (inhibitors of histone deacetylases); serelaxin and pirfenidone (pleiotropic inhibitors of fibrotic activation); and soluble TGF beta receptor trap (inhibitor of TGF beta signalling) resulted in the highest decrease of collagen type I deposition (even higher than triamcinolone acetonide, the gold standard in clinical practice). This study further advocates the potential of macromolecular crowding in the development of in vitro pathophysiology models.Peer reviewe

2-(3-Morpholino­prop­yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo­[3,4-b]quinolin-1-one monohydrate

In the title compound, C18H21N3O2·H2O, the fused-ring system is approximately planar [maximum atomic deviation = 0.028 (3) Å]; the morpholine ring displays a chair conformation. The crystal packing is stabilized by classical inter­molecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the organic mol­ecules and the water mol­ecules