Digested soybean protein and taurine influence bile acid level,lipase activity,lipid digestibility,and growth performance of pompano (Trachinotus blochii)

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - This study aimed to examine the effects of dietary digested soybean protein (DSP) and taurine on bile acid (BA) level, lipase activity, lipid apparent...     

Expression of neurotrophic factors in injured spinal cord after transplantation of human-umbilical cord blood stem cells in rats

We induced percutaneous spinal cord injuries (SCI) using a balloon catheter in 45 rats and transplanted human umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) at the injury site. Locomotor function was significantly improved in hUCB-MSCs transplanted groups. Quantitative ELISA of extract from entire injured spinal cord showed increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). Our results show that treatment of SCI with hUCB-MSCs can improve locomotor functions, and suggest that increased levels of BDNF, NGF and NT-3 in the injured spinal cord were the main therapeutic effect.     

Isolation and antifungal activity of lignans from Myristica fragrans against various plant pathogenic fungi

BACKGROUND: In a search for plant extracts with potent in vivo antifungal activity against various plant diseases, we found that treatment with a methanol extract of Myristica fragrans Houttyn (nutmeg) seeds reduced the development of various plant diseases. The objectives of the present study were to isolate and determine antifungal substances from My. fragrans and to evaluate their antifungal activities. RESULTS: Three antifungal lignans were isolated from the methanol extract of My. fragrans seeds and identified as erythro-austrobailignan-6 (EA6), meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDA) and nectandrin-B (NB). In vitro antimicrobial activity of the three lignans varied according to compound and target species. Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum coccodes, C. gloeosporioides, Magnaporthe grisea, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Acidovorax konjaci and Burkholderia glumae were relatively sensitive to the three lignans. In vivo, all three compounds effectively suppressed the development of rice blast and wheat leaf rust. In addition, EA6 and NB were highly active against the development of barley powdery mildew and tomato late blight, respectively. Both MDA and NB also moderately inhibited the development of rice sheath blight. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the three lignans from My. fragrans against plant pathogenic fungi.     

PI(3,4,5)P3 and PI(4,5)P2 lipids target proteins with polybasic clusters to the plasma membrane

Many signaling, cytoskeletal, and transport proteins have to be localized to the plasma membrane (PM) in order to carry out their function. We surveyed PM-targeting mechanisms by imaging the subcellular localization of 125 fluorescent protein-conjugated Ras, Rab, Arf, and Rho proteins. Out of 48 proteins that were PM-localized, 37 contained clusters of positively charged amino acids. To test whether these polybasic clusters bind negatively charged phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] lipids, we developed a chemical phosphatase activation method to deplete PM PI(4,5)P2. Unexpectedly, proteins with polybasic clusters dissociated from the PM only when both PI(4,5)P2 and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] were depleted, arguing that both lipid second messengers jointly regulate PM targeting.     

Evolution and functional impact of rare coding variation from deep sequencing of human exomes

As a first step toward understanding how rare variants contribute to risk for complex diseases, we sequenced 15,585 human protein-coding genes to an average median depth of 111× in 2440 individuals of European (n = 1351) and African (n = 1088) ancestry. We identified over 500,000 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), the majority of which were rare (86% with a minor allele frequency less than 0.5%), previously unknown (82%), and population-specific (82%). On average, 2.3% of the 13,595 SNVs each person carried were predicted to affect protein function of ~313 genes per genome, and ~95.7% of SNVs predicted to be functionally important were rare. This excess of rare functional variants is due to the combined effects of explosive, recent accelerated population growth and weak purifying selection. Furthermore, we show that large sample sizes will be required to associate rare variants with complex traits.     

Silk fibroin hydrolysate exerts an anti-diabetic effect by increasing pancreatic β cell mass in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice

Components of silk including silk fibroin have long been used as anti-diabetic remedies in oriental medicine. However, detailed mechanisms underlying these anti-diabetic effects remain unclear. In this study, we examined the anti-diabetic activity of silk fibroin hydrolysate (SFH) in C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice, a well-known animal model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. When the db/db mice were administered SFH in drinking water for 6 weeks, hyperglycemia in the animals gradually disappeared and the level of glycosylated hemoglobin decreased, indicating that SFH plays important role in reducing the symptoms of diabetes. In addition, SFH-treated db/db mice exhibited improved glucose tolerance with increased plasma insulin levels. Immunohistochemical and morphological analyses showed that SFH up-regulated insulin production by increasing pancreatic β cell mass in the mice. In summary, our results suggest that SFH exerts anti-diabetic effects by increasing pancreatic β cell mass in a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus mouse model.     

Using new egg parasitoids (Trichogramma spp.) to improve integrated management against Tuta absoluta

This study is the first step of the TutaPI program (2011–13) to decrease the costs of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies against Tuta absoluta in France by investigating new beneficial insects. Currently, the association of predator/egg parasitoid (Macrolophus pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae, respectively) in IPM strategies are quite effective, but expensive. Sixty‐four new potential strains from 19 Trichogramma species originating from different regions of the world (from the collection of Trichogramma at INRA Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur (PACA), France) were studied in this work. A screening study was performed on T. absoluta eggs on isolated tomato leaves (for 24 h at 25 ± 1°C, RH 75 ± 5% and 16 h light : 8 h dark). The proportion of parasitized T. absoluta eggs varied greatly (between 0 and 73%) depending on the different strains used. Levels of parasitism by females, equal to or higher than that of T. achaeae, were observed in 14 of the strains tested among eight species (four from France, four from elsewhere in Europe). The proportion of females that parasitized T. absoluta eggs was significantly different between strains (from 0 to 100%). Experimental results allowed about half of the 64 initial strains to be eliminated before the next steps: tests on a larger scale (mesocosm, and then in the greenhouse and field).     

Sedative and anticonvulsant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Equisetum arvense

The hydroalcoholic extract of Equisetum arvense (HAE) tested at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg showed a significant activity on the open-field, enhanced the number of falls in the rota-rod reducing the time of permanence in the bar and increased the sleeping time (46% and 74%) in the barbiturate-induced sleeping time. In the pentylenetetrazole-seizure, it increased the first convulsion latency, diminished the severity of convulsions, reduced the percentage of animals which developed convulsion (50% and 25%) and protected animals from death. On the contrary, in the elevated plus maze, the doses 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg did not affect the evaluated parameters. Thus, HAE presented anticonvulsant and sedative effects. Phytochemical analysis detected the presence of tannins, saponins, sterols and flavonoids.     

Membrane partitioning of organophosphorus and organochlorine insecticides and its implications for mechanisms of toxicity

Partition coefficients of organophosphorus and organochlorine insecticides were determined in several types of membrane. Insecticide partitioning varied among the membranes under study, depending on temperature, cholesterol content and on the physico-chemical profiles of membrane components and the insecticides themselves. The maximal partitions for DDT, lindane, parathion and malathion in egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers over the temperature range from 10 to 37°C (at which the lipid is in the liquid-crystalline state) were about 260000, 2000, 1000 and 120, respectively. Incorporation of 50 mol% cholesterol in egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers dramatically decreased the partition and almost abolished the temperature effect. First-order phase transitions of dimyristoyl-, dipalmitoyl- and distearoylphosphatidylcholines (DMPC, DPPC and DSPC) were accompanied by a sharp increase in insecticide partition. Furthermore, the insecticides under study were more easily accommodated in bilayers of short-aliphatic-chain lipids, since higher values of partition were obtained in DMPC bilayers. Partition values in native membranes depended considerably on the membrane type and composition and were higher in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria than in brain microsomes, myelin and erythrocytes. Identical results were obtained in related liposomes of total extracted lipids, although the absolute partitions showed decreased values. In general, the incorporation of insecticides correlated reasonably with the cholesterol content of the membranes. The order of partitioning of the above insecticides did not run parallel with their toxicity to mammals and, both in model and in native membranes, followed the sequence: DDT ? lindane > parathion > malathion.