The magnetism responsive gene Ntan1 in mouse brain

Enhancement of the denitrification performance of an activated sludge using an electromagnetic field in batch mode

The influence of electromagnetic fields on bacterial denitrification has been tested on synthetic media with sludges from wastewater treatment stations, in batch mode. The effects of the intensity of the magnetic induction ratio B (mT), reaction volume and initial biomass concentration on the kinetics of the denitrification process were studied. Magnetic field had both an optimal stimulating effect on the activity of the denitrifying flora for B (mT)/mgx values of the order of 0.212, and an inhibitory effect for the values beyond the latter.Sludges underwent multiple exposure cycles to magnetic fields. It was shown that, after three exposure cycles, denitrification kinetics went from 6.5 to 12.7 mg N-NO^-₃.L^-1.h^-1 which corresponds to a 2.7 fold improvement. The improved performance persists even after the cessation of the magnetic field. Observation of the sludge by the environmentalelectron microscope shows that the microbial population forming the starting sludge; changed following exposure to the magnetic field. The action of the; electromagnetic field on the microbial populations in denitrification resulted in the modification of the diversity of the flora that is initially present, favoring the development of Proteo bacteria, particularly the Betaproteo bacteria subclass, which results in improved denitrification.

An in vitro study of the impact of 4mT static magnetic field to modify the differentiation rate of rat bone marrow stem cells into primordial germ cells

This investigation was performed to evaluate the differentiation capacity and alteration in genes expression patterns during in vitro differentiation of bone marrow stem cells into primordial germ cells using static magnetic field (4mT) and BMP-4 (25ng/ml). The rate of differentiation was investigated using the Real Time-PCR method for tracing expression of differentiation markers (Oct-4, Nanog, C-Myc, Fragilis, Mvh and Stella). Then, immunocytochemical reaction was carried out for detection of marker proteins (Oct4 and Mvh). Increasing of the exposure time of the 4mT SMF (24 and 48h) and treatment time with 25ng/ml BMP4 (48 and 96h) indicated a marked decrease in expression of pluripotency genes (Oct-4, Nanog and C-Myc) and Oct4 protein and increase in primordial germ cell-specific genes (Fragilis, Mvh and Stella) and Mvh protein compared with the control group. Final results showed that in a synergistic manner, the combination of SMF with BMP4 exaggerates the differentiation potential of BMSCs to PGCs by activating the MAPK pathway and altering the Ca(2+) concentration.

The N-end rule pathway

The N-end rule pathway is a proteolytic system in which N-terminal residues of short-lived proteins are recognized by recognition components (N-recognins) as essential components of degrons, called N-degrons. Known N-recognins in eukaryotes mediate protein ubiquitylation and selective proteolysis by the 26S proteasome. Substrates of N-recognins can be generated when normally embedded destabilizing residues are exposed at the N terminus by proteolytic cleavage. N-degrons can also be generated through modifications of posttranslationally exposed pro-N-degrons of otherwise stable proteins; such modifications include oxidation, arginylation, leucylation, phenylalanylation, and acetylation. Although there are variations in components, degrons, and hierarchical structures, the proteolytic systems based on generation and recognition of N-degrons have been observed in all eukaryotes and prokaryotes examined thus far. The N-end rule pathway regulates homeostasis of various physiological processes, in part, through interaction with small molecules. Here, we review the biochemical mechanisms, structures, physiological functions, and small-molecule-mediated regulation of the N-end rule pathway.

Effect of 60 Hz electromagnetic fields on the activity of hsp70 promoter: an in vivo study

Exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic fields) results in a number of important biological changes, including modification of genetic expression. We have investigated the effect of 60 Hz sinusoidal EMFs at a magnetic flux density of 80 μT on the expression of the luciferase gene contained in a plasmid labelled as pEMF (EMF plasmid). This gene construct contains the specific sequences for the induction of hsp70 (heat-shock protein 70) expression by EMFs, as well as the reporter for the luciferase gene. The pEMF vector was electrotransferred into quadriceps muscles of BALB/c mice that were later exposed to EMFs. Increased luciferase expression was observed in mice exposed to EMFs 2 h daily for 7 days compared with controls (P<0.05). These data along with other reports in the literature suggest that EMFs can have far-reaching effects on the genome.

Exposure to high static or pulsed magnetic fields does not affect cellular processes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We report results of a study of the effects of strong static (up to 16 T for 8 h) and pulsed (up to 55 T single-shot and 4 x 20 T repeated shots) magnetic fields on Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures in the exponential phase of growth. In contrast to previous reports restricted to only a limited number of cellular parameters, we have examined a wide variety of cellular processes: genome-scale gene expression, proteome profile, cell viability, morphology, and growth, metabolic and fermentation activity after magnetic field exposure. None of these cellular activities were impaired in response to static or pulsed magnetic field exposure. Our results confirm and extend previous reports on the absence of magnetic field effects on yeast and support the hypothesis that magnetic fields have no impact on the transcriptional machinery and on the integrity of unicellular biological systems.