Characterization and Attempted Isolation of Bacteria from the Marine Myxobacterial Clade

Antibiotic resistant infections are caused by antibiotic resistant microorganisms. According to World Health Organization (WHO) antibiotic resistance is one of the major threats to global health, food and development. The increasing rate of mortalities caused by antibiotic resistant infections has highlighted the need to find a way to tackle these resistant microbes. One of the ways to solve this problem is to introduce novel antibiotics, the likes of which bacteria have not encountered before. Most of the antibiotics are natural products derived from bacteria. Among these natural product producers, myxobacteria have proven themselves as one of the main sources of antibiotics. These bacteria carry large numbers of gene clusters that can express different secondary metabolites for various purposes. Most of these gene clusters can encode secondary metabolites that not only help the bacteria to survive but also can be biologically active. Marine myxobacteria, in particular, produce biologically active natural products that are different from the ones terrestrial myxobacteria make. Therefore in this study we looked into an environment with unique conditions from terrestrial or marine, Gulf of Saint-Lawrence, to find novel strains from the marine myxobacterial clade. Sediment samples were extracted from six stations in Gulf of SaintLawrence. Based on the studies conducted on the DNA content of the sediments we learned that the primers that were previously designed to specifically target MMC were also detecting other strains of bacteria closely related to MMC. Furthermore, we isolated the RNA content of the sediment samples to get an insight into their metabolic activity. For this purpose we employed qPCR techniques to measure their abundance and ribosome content. Furthermore, in an attempt to cultivate marine myxobacterial clade (MMC) we isolated the bacteria present in the sediment samples to use them as prey for marine myxobacterial clade. Based on qPCR studies we were able to conclude that the MMC were growing actively under estuary conditions. However, the attempt to cultivate the MMC on the bait plates led to emergence of vancomycin resistant Bacillus strains along with other saprophytes on the plates. These findings suggest that members of the MMC are active under the Estuary condition and can be cultivated if subjected to the same condition as present in the Estuary of St-Lawrence

A case report of a rare Shwachman-Diamond syndrome with liver involvement

زمینه و هدف: سندرم شواخمن (SDS) یک بیماری نادر ارثی است که در سنین کودکی با علایم گرفتاری چند ارگان از جمله پانکراس اگزوکرین و مغز استخوان و نیز با علایم اختلال رشد تظاهر می کند. درگیری کبدی از تظاهرات کمتر شایع در این بیماران بوده و کمتر به آن توجه می شود. در این مقاله یک مورد شیرخوار مبتلا به سندرم شواخمن با گرفتاری کبد معرفی می گردد. معرفی بیمار: بیمار شیرخوار پسر 11 ماهه با اسهال حاد، دهیدراتاسیون، اختلال وزن گیری پس از 4 ماهگی و گزارش دفع مدفوع چرب مراجعه و به علت بزرگی کبد و افزایش آنزیم های کبدی مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. با توجه به چرب بودن مدفوع، استئوپنی، قیافه خاص در بیمار، مشاهده نوتروپنی و منتفی شدن تشخیص بیماری سیستیک فیبروزیس (CF) منجر به تشخیص نهایی سندرم شواخمن گردید. نتیجه گیری: معرفی بیمار حاضر ضمن یادآوری تشخیص این بیماری نادر در موارد اختلالات رشد کودکان توجه به درگیری کبد را یادآور می شود که ممکن است در بعضی مواقع به صورت تظاهر اولیه بیمار با اختلاف رشد باشد

Coumarin derivatives bearing benzoheterocycle moiety: synthesis, cholinesterase inhibitory, and docking simulation study

Objective(s): To investigate the efficiency of a novel series of coumarin derivatives bearing benzoheterocycle moiety as novel cholinesterase inhibitors. Materials and Methods: Different 7-hydroxycoumarin derivatives were synthesized via Pechmann or Knoevenagel condensation and conjugated to different benzoheterocycle (8-hydroxyquinoline, 2-mercaptobenzoxazole or 2-mercaptobenzimidazole) using dibromoalkanes 3a-m. Final compounds were evaluated against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) by Ellman's method. Kinetic study of AChE inhibition and ligand-protein docking simulation were also carried out for the most potent compound 3b. Results: Some of the compounds revealed potent and selective activity against AChE. Compound 3b containing the quinoline group showed the best activity with an IC50 value of 8.80 µM against AChE. Kinetic study of AChE inhibition revealed the mixed-type inhibition of the enzyme by compound 3b. Ligand-protein docking simulation also showed that the flexibility of the hydrophobic five carbons linker allows the quinoline ring to form π-π interaction with Trp279 in the PAS. Conclusion: We suggest these synthesized compounds could become potential leads for AChE inhibition and prevention of AD symptoms

A Case of Lipoid Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Presenting with Cholestasis

Background:Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia, is the rarest and usually the most severe form of adrenal steroidogenic defect,which may presents as infantile cholestasis. Case Presentation: Here we present a 45 days old infant who came to our attention with cholestasis and severe intractable vomiting and electrolyte disturbances. Evaluation resulted in diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Hydrocortisone and flodrocortisone improved the symptoms including jaundice and vomiting. Hyponatremia and hyperkalemia also resolved with above mentioned treatment. Conclusion: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia as one of the causes of neonatal cholestasis should be kept in mind, whenever there are also electrolytes abnormalities

Comparison of Classic Sweat Test and Crystallization Test in Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis

Objective: Sweat chloride measurement is considered a standard diagnostic tool for cystic fibrosis (CF). This study was performed to compare sweat chloride values obtained by quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis (classic test) with sweat crystallization detected by direct observation of a drop of perspiration under light microscopy in patients with and without CF. Methods: The tests using both techniques were performed simultaneously in patients with and without CF. Cutoff values of ≥60 mmol/L of chloride concentration for the classic sweat test was considered for diagnosis of CF. In crystallization method, observation of typical dendritic forms of salt crystals under light microscopy was interpreted positive. Findings: Sixty patients suspected to CF (31 males and 29 females) with age range of 9 months to 2 years underwent the sweat test using both techniques. Median sweat chloride values was 26.13+10.85 in group with negative and 72.76+12.78 mmol/L in group with positive sweat test, respectively. All the patients who had positive sweat test in classic method showed typical dendritic forms of salt crystal in sweat crystallization test, which provided the test with 100% sensitivity (95%CI: 93.1-100). Only one of the 31 subjects with negative results for classic sweat test had positive result for crystallization sweat test, which provided the test with 96.7% specificity (95%CI: 92.9-100). Time spent to perform the crystallization test was significantly shorter than the classic method whereas its cost was also lower than the second method. Conclusion: There was a good correspondence between two studied methods of sweat test. These results suggested the sweat crystallization test as an alternative test for detecting CF disease with high sensitivity and specificity