Brain cells in culture: morphological transformation by a protein

One type of elmbryonic rat brain cell having an epithelioid morphology in the monolayer culture can be transformed by brain extract into cells having extensive processes resembling mature astrocytes. The transforming factor is a protein with a molecular weight of 350,000. A partially purified sample showed that it is active at a concentration as low as 1 x 10(-8)M. The transforming actvity is high in adult brains but low in embryonic brains and tumors of the nervous systems.     

Unexpected modes of PDZ domain scaffolding revealed by structure of nNOS-syntrophin complex

The PDZ protein interaction domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) can heterodimerize with the PDZ domains of postsynaptic density protein 95 and syntrophin through interactions that are not mediated by recognition of a typical carboxyl-terminal motif. The nNOS-syntrophin PDZ complex structure revealed that the domains interact in an unusual linear head-to-tail arrangement. The nNOS PDZ domain has two opposite interaction surfaces-one face has the canonical peptide binding groove, whereas the other has a beta-hairpin "finger." This nNOS beta finger docks in the syntrophin peptide binding groove, mimicking a peptide ligand, except that a sharp beta turn replaces the normally required carboxyl terminus. This structure explains how PDZ domains can participate in diverse interaction modes to assemble protein networks.     

Conversion of a peroxiredoxin into a disulfide reductase by a triplet repeat expansion

Pathways for the reduction of protein disulfide bonds are found in all organisms and are required for the reductive recycling of certain enzymes including the essential protein ribonucleotide reductase. An Escherichia coli strain that lacks both thioredoxin reductase and glutathione reductase grows extremely poorly. Here, we show that a mutation occurring at high frequencies in the gene ahpC, encoding a peroxiredoxin, restores normal growth to this strain. This mutation is the result of a reversible expansion of a triplet nucleotide repeat sequence, leading to the addition of one amino acid that converts the AhpC protein from a peroxidase to a disulfide reductase. The ready mutational interconversion between the two activities could provide an evolutionary advantage to E. coli.     

A Silicon Single-Electron Transistor Memory Operating at Room Temperature

A single-electron memory, in which a bit of information is stored by one electron, is demonstrated at room temperature. The memory is a floating gate metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor in silicon with a channel width ( approximately 10 nanometers) smaller than the Debye screening length of a single electron and a nanoscale polysilicon dot ( approximately 7 nanometers by 7 nanometers) as the floating gate embedded between the channel and the control gate. Storing one electron on the floating gate screens the entire channel from the potential on the control gate and leads to (i) a discrete shift in the threshold voltage, (ii) a staircase relation between the charging voltage and the shift, and (iii) a self-limiting charging process. The structure and fabrication of the memory should be compatible with future ultralarge-scale integrated circuits.     

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis in humans with inborn errors of interleukin-17 immunity

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis disease (CMCD) is characterized by recurrent or persistent infections of the skin, nails, and oral and genital mucosae caused by Candida albicans and, to a lesser extent, Staphylococcus aureus, in patients with no other infectious or autoimmune manifestations. We report two genetic etiologies of CMCD: autosomal recessive deficiency in the cytokine receptor, interleukin-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), and autosomal dominant deficiency of the cytokine interleukin-17F (IL-17F). IL-17RA deficiency is complete, abolishing cellular responses to IL-17A and IL-17F homo- and heterodimers. By contrast, IL-17F deficiency is partial, with mutant IL-17F-containing homo- and heterodimers displaying impaired, but not abolished, activity. These experiments of nature indicate that human IL-17A and IL-17F are essential for mucocutaneous immunity against C. albicans, but otherwise largely redundant.     

A poliovirus neutralization epitope expressed on hybrid hepatitis B surface antigen particles

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope protein carrying the surface antigen (HBsAg) is assembled with cellular lipids in mammalian cells into empty viral envelopes. In a study to evaluate the capacity of such particles to present foreign peptide sequences in a biologically active form, in-phase insertions were created in the S gene encoding the major envelope protein. One of the sequences inserted was a synthetic DNA fragment encoding a poliovirus neutralization epitope. Mammalian cells expressing the modified gene secreted hybrid particles closely resembling authentic 22-nanometer HBsAg particles. These particles reacted with a poliovirus-specific monoclonal antibody and induced neutralizing antibodies against poliovirus. The results indicate that empty viral envelopes of HBV may provide a means for the presentation of peptide sequences and for their export from mammalian cells.     

Use of refined potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gogu valley) protein as an alternative to antibiotics in weanling pigs

This study investigates the use of refined potato protein (RPP) obtained from the potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers of “Gogu valley” for their antimicrobial properties and its effects on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and microbial populations in feces and large intestine of weanling pigs. Pigs (n = 280; Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; average initial body weight of 5.96 ± 0.66 kg; 23 ± 3 d of age) were allotted on the basis of their body weight and sex to five dietary treatments (each treatment comprised of 4 replicate pens with 14 pigs in each) in a randomized complete block design. The dietary treatments were: PC (positive control; basal diet + 150 ppm apramycin sulfate and 10 ppm colistin sulfate), and RPP (basal diet added with 0, 200, 400 and 600 ppm RPP). The RPP showed in vitro antimicrobial activity and at the concentration of 150 ppm inhibited the growth of tested microbes (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis, Salmonella gallinarum and Escherichia coli). Pigs fed with antibiotic diet showed better growth performance and had lower populations of total bacteria, coliforms and Staphylococcus spp. in the feces and large intestine when compared with pigs fed RPP diets. Increasing the levels of RPP in diets linearly improved performance and reduced the populations of total bacteria, coliforms and Staphylococcus spp. in feces and contents of colon and rectum. The apparent fecal digestibility of DM, CP and apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids did not differ among pigs fed antibiotic and RPP diets. These results suggest that antibiotics were more effective in improving the performance of pigs, while feeding of RPP also improved the performance and reduced the harmful microbes being more effective at higher levels. Thus at higher levels RPP obtained from the potato tubers of Gogu valley can be a potential replacement of antibiotics in the feed of weanling pigs.     

Application of sex reversal technology in ornamental fish culture

Many species of ornamental fish, includingboth egg-layers and livebearers, exhibit a marked sexualdimorphism due to the more pigmented bodies and larger finsusually observed in males. This results in male fish commandingup to four times the price of females. Because of this pricediscrepancy, the culture of monosex (all-male) stocks ofornamental fish could be of a significant economic advantage.This paper outlines the current sex reversal technology alreadydeveloped for several fish species important for aquaculture andexamines its potential applicability to ornamental fish culture.The methods to obtain all-male stocks include direct androgentreatment and the production of YY males. The direct approach iseasy to implement and straightforward. However, in somelivebearers such as the guppy, treatment of newly born fry iscomplicated because they already have sexually differentiatinggonads and the masculinization may be temporary. In this regard,the paper stresses the importance of correctly timing treatmentin relation to gonadal development to achieve permanentmasculinization