Molecular Relationships in Biofilm Formation and the Biosynthesis of Exoproducts in Pseudoalteromonas spp

Most members of the Pseudoalteromonas genus have been isolated from living surfaces as members of epiphytic and epizooic microbiomes on marine macroorganisms. Commonly Pseudoalteromonas isolates are reported as a source of bioactive exoproducts, i.e., secondary metabolites, such as exopolymeric substances and extracellular enzymes. The experimental conditions for the production of these agents are commonly associated with sessile metabolic states such as biofilms or liquid cultures in the stationary growth phase. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms that connect biofilm formation and the biosynthesis of exoproducts in Pseudoalteromonas isolates have rarely been mentioned in the literature. This review compiles empirical evidence about exoproduct biosynthesis conditions and molecular mechanisms that regulate sessile metabolic states in Pseudoalteromonas species, to provide a comprehensive perspective on the regulatory convergences that generate the recurrent coexistence of both phenomena in this bacterial genus. This synthesis aims to provide perspectives on the extent of this phenomenon for the optimization of bioprospection studies and biotechnology processes based on these bacteria.

Labeled oxytocin administered via the intranasal route reaches the brain in rhesus macaques

Oxytocin may have promise as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders. Its therapeutic effect may depend on its ability to enter the brain and bind to the oxytocin receptor. To date, the brain tissue penetrance of intranasal oxytocin has not been demonstrated. In this nonhuman primate study, we administer deuterated oxytocin intranasally and intravenously to rhesus macaques and measure, with mass spectrometry, concentrations of labeled (exogenously administered) and endogenous oxytocin in 12 brain regions two hours after oxytocin administration. Labeled oxytocin is quantified after intranasal (not intravenous) administration in brain regions (orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, brainstem, and thalamus) that lie in the trajectories of the olfactory and trigeminal nerves. These results suggest that intranasal administration bypasses the blood-brain barrier, delivering oxytocin to specific brain regions, such as the striatum, where oxytocin acts to impact motivated behaviors. Further, high concentrations of endogenous oxytocin are in regions that overlap with projection fields of oxytocinergic neurons.

Ultrasonic drilling for the characterisation of building stones and salt induced decay

Historic stone buildings can experience severe decay through salt induced weathering. Decay can be easily seen with the eye but can also occur below the surface. Characterising the changes in the material's structural properties induced by weathering is essential for the evaluation of durability of the stone and for the decision on the best conservation strategy to maintain built heritage. Minimally invasive, in situ tools are needed to establish the location and state of decay at the site. Here an ultrasonic drilling tool is introduced with a specially manufactured tip to monitor subsurface properties of sandstones. Different types of sandstones with varying compressive strength are tested and an artificially weathered sample is investigated. The tool tip wear and exerted force on the drilled samples are evaluated and compared to conventional drilling. Ultrasonic drilling shows promising results for the use in conservation science to assess stone properties and decay.

Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): the journey of the sweet root from Mesopotamia to England

Liquorice is a very ancient plant widely used in the East for millennia. It has often been employed in sweets and confectionery and also for minor ailments including cough, constipation and dyspepsia. It was probably carried to Europe by the Cluniac order of monks. Then, almost by accident, it became established in West Yorkshire at Pontefract after the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s. Abuse of liquorice is not uncommon. It can occur in the anorexia/bulimia syndrome and also in the dangerous condition of pseudoaldosteronism, which is characterised by severe hypertension and hypokalaemia and can lead to death. Liquorice remains a useful sweetener for all sorts of confectionery, including sweets and cakes (together with beer and liqueurs).

Amanita muscaria (fly agaric): from a shamanistic hallucinogen to the search for acetylcholine

The mushroom Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) is widely distributed throughout continental Europe and the UK. Its common name suggests that it had been used to kill flies, until superseded by arsenic. The bioactive compounds occurring in the mushroom remained a mystery for long periods of time, but eventually four hallucinogens were isolated from the fungus: muscarine, muscimol, muscazone and ibotenic acid. The shamans of Eastern Siberia used the mushroom as an inebriant and a hallucinogen. In 1912, Henry Dale suggested that muscarine (or a closely related substance) was the transmitter at the parasympathetic nerve endings, where it would produce lacrimation, salivation, sweating, bronchoconstriction and increased intestinal motility. He and Otto Loewi eventually isolated the transmitter and showed that it was not muscarine but acetylcholine. The receptor is now known variously as cholinergic or muscarinic. From this basic knowledge, drugs such as pilocarpine (cholinergic) and ipratropium (anticholinergic) have been shown to be of value in glaucoma and diseases of the lungs, respectively.

Boom boom pow: Shock-facilitated aqueous alteration and evidence for two shock events in the Martian nakhlite meteorites

Nakhlite meteorites are ~1.4 to 1.3 Ga old igneous rocks, aqueously altered on Mars ~630 Ma ago. We test the theory that water-rock interaction was impact driven. Electron backscatter diffraction demonstrates that the meteorites Miller Range 03346 and Lafayette were heterogeneously deformed, leading to localized regions of brecciation, plastic deformation, and mechanical twinning of augite. Numerical modeling shows that the pattern of deformation is consistent with shock-generated compressive and tensile stresses. Mesostasis within shocked areas was aqueously altered to phyllosilicates, carbonates, and oxides, suggesting a genetic link between the two processes. We propose that an impact ~630 Ma ago simultaneously deformed the nakhlite parent rocks and generated liquid water by melting of permafrost. Ensuing water-rock interaction focused on shocked mesostasis with a high density of reactive sites. The nakhlite source location must have two spatially correlated craters, one ~630 Ma old and another, ejecting the meteorites, ~11 Ma ago.

Oxytocin receptor mRNA expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in major psychiatric disorders: A human post-mortem study

There is growing interest in oxytocin as a putative treatment for various psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. However, potential alterations in the endogenous brain oxytocin system in these disorders are poorly characterized. Brain expression of oxytocin and its receptor genes in patients with these psychiatric disorders has not been well studied outside the hypothalamus. We measured expression of mRNA for oxytocin and its receptor in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of postmortem brains using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in a total of 581 individuals. These individuals either were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (n = 135), bipolar disorder (n = 57), schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 169), or were control subjects, defined as individuals with no lifetime history of any of these disorders (n = 220). Diagnoses of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder were associated with significantly increased oxytocin receptor mRNA levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This finding is discussed in light of the extant literature on the dysregulation of oxytocin signaling in individuals with major psychiatric disorders.

Genetic inhibition of neurotransmission reveals role of glutamatergic input to dopamine neurons in high-effort behavior

Midbrain dopamine neurons are crucial for many behavioral and cognitive functions. As the major excitatory input, glutamatergic afferents are important for control of the activity and plasticity of dopamine neurons. However, the role of glutamatergic input as a whole onto dopamine neurons remains unclear. Here we developed a mouse line in which glutamatergic inputs onto dopamine neurons are specifically impaired, and utilized this genetic model to directly test the role of glutamatergic inputs in dopamine-related functions. We found that while motor coordination and reward learning were largely unchanged, these animals showed prominent deficits in effort-related behavioral tasks. These results provide genetic evidence that glutamatergic transmission onto dopaminergic neurons underlies incentive motivation, a willingness to exert high levels of effort to obtain reinforcers, and have important implications for understanding the normal function of the midbrain dopamine system.

Rhubarb (Rheum species): the role of Edinburgh in its cultivation and development

Rhubarb was grown and used throughout China for thousands of years. It then found its way to St Petersburg where the Romanovs developed a flourishing trade in the plant to the rest of Europe. James Mounsey, a physician to the Tsar, brought back seeds from Russia to Scotland at considerable risk to himself. He passed some of the seeds to Alexander Dick and John Hope. Both these physicians then grew rhubarb at Prestonfield and the Botanic Garden (both in Edinburgh), respectively. Eventually rhubarb, in the form of Gregory's powder, became a common and popular medicine throughout the UK.

Correction: Genetic inhibition of neurotransmission reveals role of glutamatergic input to dopamine neurons in high-effort behavior

In Figure 1e and f, "F4 control" should be "Cre/tdTomato" and "F4Cre KO" should be "F4Cre/tdTomato". In addition, in the Figure1f legend, the first sentence should end with "(Cre/tdTomato: n = 10, F4Cre/tdTomato: n = 14)".In the 'Materials and Methods' section, under 'Electrophysiology,' the n values for evoked action potential recordings were omitted. The sentence 'For high-frequency stimulus-induced action potentials, the stimulus electrode was placed in the rostral part of VTA and a train of 100 Hz stimuli (1 s) was applied' should end with '(Cre/tdTomato: n=10, F4Cre/tdTomato: n=14).'Later in the same paragraph, in 'For recording evoked EPSCs (Cre/tdTomato, n=13, F4Cre/tdTomato, n=15; AMPA EPSCs were recorded at -70  mV and NMDA EPSCs were recorded at +40 mV)', the phrase 'Cre/tdTomato, n=13, F4Cre/tdTomato, n=15' should be deleted; those n values should have appeared at the end of the later sentence beginning 'Miniature ESPCs...'. The complete, corrected sentence is 'Miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) were acquired in the presence of 0.5-1 μM TTX and 100 μM picrotoxin and semiautomatically detected by offline analysis using in-house software in Igor Pro (Wavemetrics, Portland, OR, USA) (Cre/tdTomato, n=13, F4Cre/tdTomato, n=15).'Finally, in the 'Materials and Methods' section, third sentence under 'Immunohistochemistry,' information for one TH antibody was omitted. The list of antibodies should end with 'or Millipore MAB5280, 1:1000-1:2000.'

Oxytocin by intranasal and intravenous routes reaches the cerebrospinal fluid in rhesus macaques: determination using a novel oxytocin assay

Oxytocin (OT) is a potential treatment for multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. As OT is a peptide, delivery by the intranasal (IN) route is the preferred method in clinical studies. Although studies have shown increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) OT levels following IN administration, this does not unequivocably demonstrate that the peripherally administered OT is entering the CSF. For example, it has been suggested that peripheral delivery of OT could lead to central release of endogenous OT. It is also unknown whether the IN route provides for more efficient entry of the peptide into the CSF compared to the intravenous (IV) route, which requires blood-brain barrier penetration. To address these questions, we developed a sensitive and specific quantitative mass spectrometry assay that distinguishes labeled (d5-deuterated) from endogenous (d0) OT. We administered d5 OT (80 IU) to six nonhuman primates via IN and IV routes as well as IN saline as a control condition. We measured plasma and CSF concentrations of administered and endogenous OT before (t=0) and after (t=10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 min) d5 OT dosing. We demonstrate CSF penetrance of d5, exogenous OT delivered by IN and IV administration. Peripheral administration of d5 OT did not lead to increased d0, endogenous OT in the CSF. This suggests that peripheral administration of OT does not lead to central release of endogenous OT. We also did not find that IN administration offered an advantage compared to IV administration with respect to achieving greater CSF concentrations of OT.

MicroRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a) regulates cell motility and EMT by directly targeting oncogenic TM4SF1 in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, and many oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are involved in CRC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that can negatively regulate gene expression. Previous studies have revealed that miRNAs regulate the development and progression of many cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a) in CRC and its unknown mechanisms.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was used to detect miR-30a and TM4SF1 mRNA expression in CRC specimens and cell lines. CRC cell migration and invasion were assessed after transfection with miR-30a or TM4SF1 using wound healing and trans-well migration and invasion assays. Transmembrane-4-L-six-family protein (TM4SF1) was validated as a target of miR-30a in CRC through luciferase reporter assay and bioinformatics algorithms. Moreover, two EMT regulators, E-cadherin and VEGF, were also identified using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

We found that miR-30a was down-regulated in CRC tumor tissues and cell lines, and miR-30a was inversely associated with advanced stage and lymph node metastatic status compared with normal tissues. miR-30a decreased migration and invasion in CRC cell lines, and miR-30a overexpression not only down-regulated TM4SF1 mRNA and protein expression, but also inhibited the expression of VEGF and enhanced expression of E-cadherin. We also showed that TM4SF1 was up-regulated in CRC tumor specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues, and TM4SF1 expression was significantly associated with advanced stage and lymph node status compared with adjacent normal tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that miR-30a is an important regulator of TM4SF1, VEGF, and E-cadherin for CRC lymph node metastasis, a potential new therapeutic target in CRC.

COMT Val(158) Met genotype is associated with reward learning: a replication study and meta-analysis

Identifying mechanisms through which individual differences in reward learning emerge offers an opportunity to understand both a fundamental form of adaptive responding as well as etiological pathways through which aberrant reward learning may contribute to maladaptive behaviors and psychopathology. One candidate mechanism through which individual differences in reward learning may emerge is variability in dopaminergic reinforcement signaling. A common functional polymorphism within the catechol-O-methyl transferase gene (COMT; rs4680, Val(158) Met) has been linked to reward learning, where homozygosity for the Met allele (linked to heightened prefrontal dopamine function and decreased dopamine synthesis in the midbrain) has been associated with relatively increased reward learning. Here, we used a probabilistic reward learning task to asses response bias, a behavioral form of reward learning, across three separate samples that were combined for analyses (age: 21.80 ± 3.95; n = 392; 268 female; European-American: n = 208). We replicate prior reports that COMT rs4680 Met allele homozygosity is associated with increased reward learning in European-American participants (β = 0.20, t = 2.75, P < 0.01; ΔR(2) = 0.04). Moreover, a meta-analysis of 4 studies, including the current one, confirmed the association between COMT rs4680 genotype and reward learning (95% CI -0.11 to -0.03; z = 3.2; P < 0.01). These results suggest that variability in dopamine signaling associated with COMT rs4680 influences individual differences in reward which may potentially contribute to psychopathology characterized by reward dysfunction.

A preliminary study suggests that nicotine and prefrontal dopamine affect cortico-striatal areas in smokers with performance feedback

Nicotine and tonic dopamine (DA) levels [as inferred by catechol-O-methyl tranferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype] interact to affect prefrontal processing. Prefrontal cortical areas are involved in response to performance feedback, which is impaired in smokers. We investigated whether there is a nicotine × COMT genotype interaction in brain circuitry during performance feedback of a reward task. We scanned 23 healthy smokers (10 Val/Val homozygotes, 13 Met allele carriers) during two fMRI sessions while subjects were wearing a nicotine or placebo patch. A significant nicotine × COMT genotype interaction for BOLD signal during performance feedback in cortico-striatal areas was seen. Activation in these areas during the nicotine patch condition was greater in Val/Val homozygotes and reduced in Met allele carriers. During negative performance feedback, the change in activation in error detection areas such as anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/superior frontal gyrus on nicotine compared to placebo was greater in Val/Val homozygotes compared to Met allele carriers. With transdermal nicotine administration, Val/Val homozygotes showed greater activation with performance feedback in the dorsal striatum, area associated with habitual responding. In response to negative feedback, Val/Val homozygotes had greater activation in error detection areas, including the ACC, suggesting increased sensitivity to loss with nicotine exposure. Although these results are preliminary due to small sample size, they suggest a possible neurobiological mechanism underlying the clinical observation that Val/Val homozygotes, presumably with elevated COMT activity compared to Met allele carriers and therefore reduced prefrontal DA levels, have poorer outcomes with nicotine replacement therapy.

The history of Ephedra (ma-huang)

Ephedra is a Chinese shrub which has been used in China for medicinal purposes for several thousand years. The pure alkaloid ephedrine was first isolated and characterised by Nagai in 1885. It was then forgotten until it was rediscovered by Chen and Schmidt in the early 1920s. Its actions on the adrenoceptors could be classified into separate alpha and beta effects--a defining moment in the history of autonomic pharmacology. Ephedrine became a highly popular and effective treatment for asthma, particularly because, unlike adrenaline (until then the standard therapy), it can be given by mouth. Ephedrine as a treatment for asthma reached its zenith in the late 1950s, since when there has been a gradual and inevitable decline in its therapeutic use. From mainstream medicine, ephedrine moved into the twilight zone of street drugs and nutritional supplements. Ephedra and ephedrine products are now banned in many countries, as they are a major source for the production of the addictive compound methamphetamine (crystal meth).

46 THREE STAGES ESTABLISHMENT OF IN VITRO MATURATION OF PORCINE OOCYTES USED AS RECIPIENT CYTOPLASTS FOR SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

Oocytes at either anaphase/telophase of the first meiotic division (AI/TI) or metaphase of the second meiotic division (MII) are potential candidates used as recipient cytoplasts for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) because they contain active maturation-promoting factor (MPF), which causes nuclear membrane breakdown (NEBD) and premature chromosome condensation (PCC) in the transferred nucleus and may be essential for nuclear reprogramming (Campbell and Alberio 2003 Reprod. Suppl. 61, 477–494). In vitro maturation of porcine oocytes spends longer times (44 to 48 h), progresses asynchronously from immature stage and presents insufficient MPF for NEBD and PCC at AI/TI or MII. Here we have developed 3 stages establishment of in vitro oocyte maturation to select good quality of porcine oocytes used as recipient cytoplasts for SCNT. First, porcine oocytes were assessed by the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) before in vitro oocyte maturation. These oocytes with loss of expression of G6PD failed to enzymatically break down the dye, brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) and thus stain positively (Roca et al. 1998 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 10, 479–485). Positively BCB stained oocytes reached to MII (67.0% v. 58.4%) and produced more parthenogenetic blastocysts (50.2% v. 29.6%) in comparison with negatively BCB stained oocytes (P < 0.05). Second, positively BCB stained oocytes were treated with 5 μg mL–1 cycloheximide (CHXM, a nonspecific protein-synthesis inhibitor) to block meiotic progression for synchronizing the cell cycle of oocytes for 16 h. All of the oocytes (130/130) were efficiently synchronized at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage by treatment with CHXM, whereas control oocytes (w/o CHXM) were passed through GV stage (80/176). Retrieval from treatment of CHXM could reversibly induce meiotic resumption and progresses synchronously in porcine oocytes. Following incubation with gonadotropin hormones [epidermal growth factor (EGF) 10 ng mL–1, LH 5μg mL–1, FSH 1 μg mL–1], treatment with 5 mM caffeine (a phosphatase inhibitor) for 12 h significantly increased the activity of MPF in porcine oocytes (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference between CHXM treated and nontreated group (21.9% v. 22.3%) in the developmental rate to the blastocyst stage of parthenogenetic embryos. At least 3 replicates were performed. These data may contribute to an improved nuclear reprogramming in SCNT.

299 EPIGENETIC REPROGRAMMING OF PORCINE FIBROBLAST CELLS INDUCED BY STURGEON'S OOCYTE EXTRACT

The direct conversion of differentiated cells into undifferentiated or pluripotent cells would present scientific and medical benefits because of the potential for customized transplantation therapy. Although somatic cell nuclear transfer is one powerful way to fully reprogram somatic cells into a pluripotent state with the aid of oocyte or egg cytoplasm, the therapeutic applications of this approach have been hindered by technical complications as well as ethical objections. An alternative strategy for epigenetic reprogramming of differentiated cells into pluripotent status is desperately required. We have developed a reversible permeabilization protocol with digitonin to deliver sturgeon oocyte extract to porcine fibroblast cells ex ovo. Porcine fibroblasts were permeabilized by 4 μg mL–1 of digitonin for 2 min at 4°C and then incubated in sturgeon’s oocyte extract for 5 h at 15 to 18°C followed by resealing of the cell membrane. We found that the sturgeon’s oocyte extract induced the reduction of overall levels of tri-methylation at lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9Me3), which might be related to preservation of DNA methylation in fully differentiated cells, of porcine fibroblast cells. However, permeabilized porcine fibroblasts after treatment with the extract were increasingly acetylated at lysine 9 on histone 3 (H3K9Ac), which might be associated with expression of pluripotency genes. In addition, the cells treated with the extract showed up-regulation of Oct3/4, Sox2, and Nanog gene expression. When somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos reconstructed by using the treated donor cells were transferred into surrogates, the pregnancy rate was slightly high. These results showed that sturgeon’s oocyte extract can reprogram porcine somatic cells into undifferentiated status. Further work needs to exploit the epigenetic reprogramming of differentiated cells into the undifferentiated state using different species oocyte extract.

Mycophenolate mofetil in pyoderma gangrenosum

Recently, the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has expanded in dermatological practice. Three patients with PG received MMF in conjunction with prednisone and a fourth patient received MMF monotherapy daily. MMF in combination with prednisone in three of our patients and alone in our fourth patient induced healing of their ulcers. The first patient tolerated MMF apart from gastrointestinal upset, while treatment in our second patient was complicated by staphylococcal and pseudomonal sepsis. The third patient complained of palpitations and headaches.

The history of ergot of rye (Claviceps purpurea) I: from antiquity to 1900

This article outlines the history of ergot of rye up to 1900. Ergot is a fungal disease that affects many grasses but is particularly damaging to rye. It occurs as the result of an infection by the parasitic organism Claviceps purpurea, which produces characteristic black spurs on the grass. When incorporated into grain, the ergot fungus can cause severe outbreaks of poisoning in humans called ergotism. There are two main clinical forms of toxicity, gangrenous and convulsive, where coma and death often supervene: the death rate for ergotism has been reported to be between 10 and 20 per cent in major outbreaks. Historical accounts note that ergot could accelerate labour, stop postpartum haemorrhage and inhibit lactation. At the end of the nineteenth century ergot was still regarded as a 'glorious chemical mess', but help would arrive in the early 1900s and the complex jigsaw would be solved.

Effects of alendronate on a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs expression in the developing epiphyseal cartilage in rats

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) have been reported to play a role in the degradation of aggrecan, a major component of cartilage. This study was performed to examine the effects of alendronate on the expression of ADAMTS in developing femoral epiphyseal cartilage. Primary cultured chondrocytes from this cartilage were treated with alendronate in vitro and postnatal day 1 rats were injected subcutaneously with alendronate (1 mg/kg) every second day in vivo. The number of cultured chondrocytes and their aggrecan mRNA levels were unaffected by the alendronate treatment at 10(-6) to 10(-4) M concentrations. The mRNA levels of ADAMTS-1, -2 and -9 in chondrocytes were also unaffected. However, the levels of ADAMTS-5 and -4 were reduced significantly by the same treatment. The thickness of the proliferating chondrocyte layers and the aggrecan mRNA levels in the epiphysis were unaffected by the alendronate treatment in vivo. However, the hypertrophied chondrocyte layers became significantly thicker, and the size of the secondary ossification centre was reduced significantly by the same treatment (P < 0.05). Both ADAMTS-4 and -5 mRNA expressions were also reduced significantly in vivo. The immunoreactivity against ADAMTS-4 was seen in hypertrophied chondrocytes and reduced significantly by the alendronate treatment. These results suggested that alendronate can inhibit the degradation of aggrecan in the articular cartilage by downregulating the expression of matrix enzymes such as ADAMTS-4 and -5.