The influence of UV light on the course of fluorescent enzyme assays

Experiments were carried out to illustrate the effect of UV light on the course of the enzymatic reaction of the coumarin derivative. Only the pulsating light of the UV diode gives the correct results for the determination of the kinetic constants of the enzymatic reaction. The enzyme concentration limit was found where the description of the M-M model breaks. It was shown that the system determines the kinetic parameters of enzymatic reactions: V_max-the maximum rate of reaction and K_M-the Michaelis constant. This method produces kinetic constants calculated from the changes in enzyme product concentration using the Michaelis-Menten model. To verify the results, we used a statistical analysis that checks the correctness of the model used.

SCAT3 assessment of non-head injured and head injured athletes competing in a large international youth soccer tournament

To our knowledge, no study has evaluated Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool -3rd Edition (SCAT3) scores during competition in athletes who have not had a head injury. The purpose of our pilot study was to compare SCAT3 scores in non-injured (NI), injured (but not head injured) (I), and head injured (HI) youth soccer players during competition and to establish preliminary baseline data for non-head injured athletes in a competitive setting. The HI group demonstrated significantly more symptoms (M = 9.7, SE = 0.8) than the I and NI (3.3, SE = 1.2, and 3.2, SE = 0.7, respectively) groups. The HI group also demonstrated a significantly higher symptom severity score (25.3, SE = 2.8) than the I and NI groups (7.7, SE = 4.1, and 5.9, SE = 2.5, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in mean total Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) scores and mean subsection SAC scores between the groups. Clinicians should also be aware that non-injured in-competition athletes may report more symptoms on the SCAT3 than those evaluated in a non-competition setting.

118 DEEP SEQUENCING OF THE PORCINE ENDOMETRIAL TRANSCRIPTOME ON DAYS 12 AND 14 OF PREGNANCY

Establishment of pregnancy in mammals requires prolongation of luteal life span for sustained progesterone (P4) production. P4 stimulates secretory functions of the endometrium required for conceptus growth and development and is essential for endometrial receptivity. The porcine conceptus undergoes rapid differentiation and expansion of its trophoblastic membranes between Day 11 and Day 12 of gestation. With trophoblast elongation production of estrogen, the porcine embryonic pregnancy recognition signal, by the conceptus increases. A complex interplay of estrogen signaling and prostaglandin (PG) metabolism in the endometrium finally results in prevention of luteolysis. Conceptus attachment to the uterine surface epithelium starts around Day 14 of pregnancy, preceded by a pronounced vascularization at the implantation zones, initiating the epitheliochorial placentation. To characterize the complex transcriptome changes in the endometrium in the course of maternal recognition of pregnancy and initial placentation, deep sequencing of endometrial RNA samples of pregnant animals (n = 4) and corresponding non-pregnant controls (n = 4) was performed on Day 12 and Day 14 after ovulation using Illumina RNA-Seq (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Between 21 and 36 million 76-bp single-end reads were produced per sample. Reads were mapped with TopHat to the porcine genome assembly Sscrofa10.2 and relative expression values were calculated based on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s gene annotation for the analysis of differential gene expression. Statistical analysis revealed more than 3500 differentially expressed genes (DEG) for Day 12 and almost 2500 DEG for Day 14 of pregnancy (DESeq, FDR 1%). Differential expression of selected genes was validated by the use of quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Comparison of the RNA-Seq data from Day 12 and Day 14 of pregnancy based on a comparison of the DEGs and of overrepresented functional categories revealed distinct differences in gene regulation, reflecting the different functions of the endometrium during these stages; that is, recognition of pregnancy on Day 12 and preparation for conceptus implantation on Day 14. The data from Day 14 was also compared to the published microarray data set from Day 14 of pregnancy (Østrup et al. 2010 Biol. Reprod.) and other sets of DEG by the use of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Overall, a very good agreement with the results of the previous microarray study was found. Furthermore, a significant overlap with genes upregulated in bovine endometrium on Day 18 of pregnancy was found for the genes upregulated in porcine endometrium on Day 14. More than half of these genes were known interferon-regulated genes. In conclusion, RNA-Seq revealed distinct transcriptome changes on Day 12 and Day 14 of pregnancy in porcine endometrium associated with MRP and initiation of implantation.

119 QUANTITATIVE PROTEOME ANALYSIS OF ENDOMETRIUM FROM PREGNANT AND NONPREGNANT PIGS

In mammals, an efficient exchange of molecular signals between the embryo and the maternal environment plays a crucial role for the implantation and development of early embryos as well as for recognition and maintenance of pregnancy. So far, only a few molecular signals involved in this process have been identified. To address the underlying biochemical processes in pigs at the protein level, we performed a quantitative proteome study with endometrial tissue samples from non-pregnant and pregnant (Day 14) sows. Endometrium samples (lamina epithelialis, lamina propria and tela submucosa; n = 4 per group) were taken from sites of embryonic attachment and from comparable locations in nonpregnant animals. Proteome data were generated by iTRAQ labelling and nano-LC-MS/MS measurements of tryptic endometrium peptides on a high-resolution Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer. To further address and visualize protein isoforms, LC-MS/MS experiments were complemented by 2D gel-based analyses. To enhance the accuracy of protein quantification, the 2D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) technique was used, including internal pooled standards for inter-gel matching and normalization. The statistical and bioinformatics analysis of 2D-DIGE and iTRAQ data revealed 14 proteins being significantly altered in abundance (fold-change values >1.5, maximum fold-change 13; P < 0.05) between the endometrium proteomes of pregnant and non-pregnant animals. Several of the affected proteins are already known to play an important role in embryo-maternal communication in other species; for example, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), a protein mediating the cellular response of cells to interferons (IFN) or aldose reductase (AKR1B1), for which a key role in the synthesis of endometrial prostaglandin F is supposed. Several other proteins showing alterations in abundance between pregnant and nonpregnant endometrial tissues were not described previously and represent new and interesting targets for further functional studies addressing their role during early pregnancy.