Sample records for acid substitutions affecting

  1. 40 CFR 721.10126 - Alkyl amino substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo substituted phenyl azo... substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo... substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo...

  2. 40 CFR 721.10126 - Alkyl amino substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo substituted phenyl azo... substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo... substituted triazine amino substituted benezenesulfonic acid reaction product with naphthalenesulfonato azo...

  3. Synthesis and Hydrolytic Degradation of Substituted Poly(DL-Lactic Acid)s

    PubMed Central

    Tsuji, Hideto; Eto, Takehiko; Sakamoto, Yuzuru

    2011-01-01

    Non-substituted racemic poly(DL-lactic acid) (PLA) and substituted racemic poly(DL-lactic acid)s or poly(DL-2-hydroxyalkanoic acid)s with different side-chain lengths, i.e., poly(DL-2-hydroxybutanoic acid) (PBA), poly(DL-2-hydroxyhexanoic acid) (PHA), and poly(DL-2-hydroxydecanoic acid) (PDA) were synthesized by acid-catalyzed polycondensation of DL-lactic acid (LA), DL-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (BA), DL-2-hydroxyhexanoic acid (HA), and DL-2-hydroxydecanoic acid (DA), respectively. The hydrolytic degradation behavior was investigated in phosphate-buffered solution at 80 and 37 °C by gravimetry and gel permeation chromatography. It was found that the reactivity of monomers during polycondensation as monitored by the degree of polymerization (DP) decreased in the following order: LA > DA > BA > HA. The hydrolytic degradation rate traced by DP and weight loss at 80 °C decreased in the following order: PLA > PDA > PHA > PBA and that monitored by DP at 37 °C decreased in the following order: PLA > PDA > PBA > PHA. LA and PLA had the highest reactivity during polymerization and hydrolytic degradation rate, respectively, and were followed by DA and PDA. BA, HA, PBA, and PHA had the lowest reactivity during polymerization and hydrolytic degradation rate. The findings of the present study strongly suggest that inter-chain interactions play a major role in the reactivity of non-substituted and substituted LA monomers and degradation rate of the non-substituted and substituted PLA, along with steric hindrance of the side chains as can be expected. PMID:28824149

  4. 40 CFR 721.1680 - Substituted benzoic acid (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Substituted benzoic acid (generic... Substances § 721.1680 Substituted benzoic acid (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as substituted benzoic acid (PMN P...

  5. 40 CFR 721.6560 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6560 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene. (a) Chemical... as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene (PMN P-91-521) is subject to reporting under this...

  6. 40 CFR 721.6560 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6560 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene. (a) Chemical... as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene (PMN P-91-521) is subject to reporting under this...

  7. 40 CFR 721.6560 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6560 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene. (a) Chemical... as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene (PMN P-91-521) is subject to reporting under this...

  8. 40 CFR 721.6560 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6560 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene. (a) Chemical... as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene (PMN P-91-521) is subject to reporting under this...

  9. 40 CFR 721.6560 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6560 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene. (a) Chemical... as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted ethene (PMN P-91-521) is subject to reporting under this...

  10. Amino acid "little Big Bang": representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors.

    PubMed

    Zimmermann, Karel; Gibrat, Jean-François

    2010-01-04

    Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

  11. 40 CFR 721.1643 - Benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo-.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Benzenesulfonic acid, amino... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1643 Benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo-. (a) Chemical... as a benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo- (PMN P-95-86) is subject to reporting under...

  12. 40 CFR 721.1643 - Benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo-.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Benzenesulfonic acid, amino... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1643 Benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo-. (a) Chemical... as a benzenesulfonic acid, amino substituted phenylazo- (PMN P-95-86) is subject to reporting under...

  13. Computational Design of Thermostabilizing d-Amino Acid Substitutions

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Annavarapu, Srinivas; Zhang, Lei; Koder, Ronald L.; Nanda, Vikas

    2012-01-01

    Judicious incorporation of d-amino acids in engineered proteins confer many advantages such as preventing degradation by endogenous proteases, and designing novel structures and functions not accessible to homochiral polypeptides. Glycine to d-alanine substitutions at the carboxy-termini can stabilize α-helices by reducing conformational entropy. Beyond alanine, we propose additional side chain effects on the degree of stabilization conferred by d-amino acid substitutions. A detailed, molecular understanding of backbone and side chain interactions is important for developing rational, broadly applicable strategies in using d-amino acids to increase protein thermostability. Insight from structural bioinformatics combined with computational protein design can successfully guide the selection of stabilizing d-amino acid mutations. Substituting a key glycine in the Trp-Cage mini-protein with d-Gln dramatically stabilizes the fold without altering the protein backbone. Stabilities of individual substitutions can be understood in terms of the balance of intramolecular forces at both the α-helix C-terminus and throughout the protein. PMID:21978298

  14. Protein substitution affects glass transition temperature and thermal stability.

    PubMed

    Budhavaram, Naresh K; Miller, Jonathan A; Shen, Ying; Barone, Justin R

    2010-09-08

    When proteins are removed from their native state they suffer from two deficiencies: (1) glassy behavior with glass transition temperatures (Tg) well above room temperature and (2) thermal instability. The glassy behavior originates in multiple hydrogen bonds between amino acids on adjacent protein molecules. Proteins, like most biopolymers, are thermally unstable. Substituting ovalbumin with linear and cyclic substituents using a facile nucleophilic addition reaction can affect Tg and thermal stability. More hydrophobic linear substituents lowered Tg by interrupting intermolecular interactions and increasing free volume. More hydrophilic and cyclic substituents increased thermal stability by increasing intermolecular interactions. In some cases, substituents instituted cross-linking between protein chains that enhanced thermal stability. Internal plasticization using covalent substitution and external plasticization using low molecular weight polar liquids show the same protein structural changes and a signature of plasticization is identified.

  15. 40 CFR 721.2900 - Substituted aminobenzoic acid ester (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Substituted aminobenzoic acid ester... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.2900 Substituted aminobenzoic acid ester (generic name). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance substituted aminobenzoic...

  16. 40 CFR 721.10032 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10032 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic). (a... generically as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (PMN P-02-269) is subject to reporting under...

  17. 40 CFR 721.10032 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10032 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic). (a... generically as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (PMN P-02-269) is subject to reporting under...

  18. 40 CFR 721.10032 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10032 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic). (a... generically as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (PMN P-02-269) is subject to reporting under...

  19. 40 CFR 721.10032 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10032 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic). (a... generically as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (PMN P-02-269) is subject to reporting under...

  20. 40 CFR 721.10032 - Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10032 Acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (generic). (a... generically as acrylic acid, polymer with substituted acrylamides (PMN P-02-269) is subject to reporting under...

  1. Amino Acid Substitutions in PB1 of Avian Influenza Viruses Influence Pathogenicity and Transmissibility in Chickens

    PubMed Central

    Suzuki, Yasushi; Uchida, Yuko; Tanikawa, Taichiro; Maeda, Naohiro; Takemae, Nobuhiro

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Amino acid substitutions were introduced into avian influenza virus PB1 in order to characterize the interaction between polymerase activity and pathogenicity. Previously, we used recombinant viruses containing the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes from the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 strain and other internal genes from two low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses isolated from chicken and wild-bird hosts (LP and WB, respectively) to demonstrate that the pathogenicity of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of subtype H5N1 in chickens is regulated by the PB1 gene (Y. Uchida et al., J. Virol. 86:2686–2695, 2012, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.06374-11). In the present study, we introduced a C38Y substitution into WB PB1 and demonstrated that this substitution increased both polymerase activity in DF-1 cells in vitro and the pathogenicity of the recombinant viruses in chickens. The V14A substitution in LP PB1 reduced polymerase activity but did not affect pathogenicity in chickens. Interestingly, the V14A substitution reduced viral shedding and transmissibility. These studies demonstrate that increased polymerase activity correlates directly with enhanced pathogenicity, while decreased polymerase activity does not always correlate with pathogenicity and requires further analysis. IMPORTANCE We identified 2 novel amino acid substitutions in the avian influenza virus PB1 gene that affect the characteristics of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of the H5N1 subtype, such as viral replication and polymerase activity in vitro and pathogenicity and transmissibly in chickens. An amino acid substitution at residue 38 in PB1 directly affected pathogenicity in chickens and was associated with changes in polymerase activity in vitro. A substitution at residue 14 reduced polymerase activity in vitro, while its effects on pathogenicity and transmissibility depended on the constellation of

  2. 40 CFR 721.430 - Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.430 Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative. (a) Chemical... as oxo-substituted amino al-kan-oic acid derivative (PMN No. P-92-692) is subject to reporting under...

  3. 40 CFR 721.430 - Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.430 Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative. (a) Chemical... as oxo-substituted amino al-kan-oic acid derivative (PMN No. P-92-692) is subject to reporting under...

  4. 40 CFR 721.430 - Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.430 Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative. (a) Chemical... as oxo-substituted amino al-kan-oic acid derivative (PMN No. P-92-692) is subject to reporting under...

  5. 40 CFR 721.430 - Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.430 Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative. (a) Chemical... as oxo-substituted amino al-kan-oic acid derivative (PMN No. P-92-692) is subject to reporting under...

  6. 40 CFR 721.430 - Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.430 Oxo-substituted amino-al-kanoic acid derivative. (a) Chemical... as oxo-substituted amino al-kan-oic acid derivative (PMN No. P-92-692) is subject to reporting under...

  7. Amino acid substitutions in random mutagenesis libraries: lessons from analyzing 3000 mutations.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jing; Frauenkron-Machedjou, Victorine Josiane; Kardashliev, Tsvetan; Ruff, Anna Joëlle; Zhu, Leilei; Bocola, Marco; Schwaneberg, Ulrich

    2017-04-01

    The quality of amino acid substitution patterns in random mutagenesis libraries is decisive for the success in directed evolution campaigns. In this manuscript, we provide a detailed analysis of the amino acid substitutions by analyzing 3000 mutations of three random mutagenesis libraries (1000 mutations each; epPCR with a low-mutation and a high-mutation frequency and SeSaM-Tv P/P) employing lipase A from Bacillus subtilis (bsla). A comparison of the obtained numbers of beneficial variants in the mentioned three random mutagenesis libraries with a site saturation mutagenesis (SSM) (covering the natural diversity at each amino acid position of BSLA) concludes the diversity analysis. Seventy-six percent of the SeSaM-Tv P/P-generated substitutions yield chemically different amino acid substitutions compared to 64% (epPCR-low) and 69% (epPCR-high). Unique substitutions from one amino acid to others are termed distinct amino acid substitutions. In the SeSaM-Tv P/P library, 35% of all theoretical distinct amino acid substitutions were found in the 1000 mutation library compared to 25% (epPCR-low) and 26% (epPCR-high). Thirty-six percent of distinct amino acid substitutions found in SeSaM-Tv P/P were unobtainable by epPCR-low. Comparison with the SSM library showed that epPCR-low covers 15%, epPCR-high 18%, and SeSaM-Tv P/P 21% of obtainable beneficial amino acid positions. In essence, this study provides first insights on the quality of epPCR and SeSaM-Tv P/P libraries in terms of amino acid substitutions, their chemical differences, and the number of obtainable beneficial amino acid positions.

  8. 40 CFR 721.530 - Substituted aliphatic acid halide (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Substituted aliphatic acid halide... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.530 Substituted aliphatic acid halide (generic name). (a) Chemical... acid halide (PMN P-84-491) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

  9. 40 CFR 721.530 - Substituted aliphatic acid halide (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Substituted aliphatic acid halide... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.530 Substituted aliphatic acid halide (generic name). (a) Chemical... acid halide (PMN P-84-491) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant new uses...

  10. Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes via Electrophilic Substitution Reaction in Polyphosphoric Acid

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-07-26

    1 Title of proposed research: Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes via Electrophilic Substitution Reaction in Polyphosphoric Acid Proposer: Jong...Choi, J.-Y.; Tan, L.-S.; Baek, J.-B. “Functionalization of carbon nanotubes via electrophilic substitution reaction in polyphosphoric acid” AFOSR...2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Functionalization of carbon nanotubes via electrophilic substitution reaction in polyphosphoric acid 5a. CONTRACT

  11. Sucrose substitutes affect the cariogenic potential of Streptococcus mutans biofilms.

    PubMed

    Durso, S C; Vieira, L M; Cruz, J N S; Azevedo, C S; Rodrigues, P H; Simionato, M R L

    2014-01-01

    Streptococcus mutans is considered the primary etiologic agent of dental caries and contributes significantly to the virulence of dental plaque, especially in the presence of sucrose. To avoid the role of sucrose on the virulence factors of S. mutans, sugar substitutes are commonly consumed because they lead to lower or no production of acids and interfere with biofilm formation. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of sugar substitutes in the cariogenic potential of S. mutans biofilms. Thus, in the presence of sucrose, glucose, sucralose and sorbitol, the biofilm mass was quantified up to 96 h, the pH of the spent culture media was measured, the expression of biofilm-related genes was determined, and demineralization challenge experiments were conduct in enamel fragments. The presence of sugars or sugar substitutes profoundly affected the expression of spaP, gtfB, gtfC, gbpB, ftf, vicR and vicX in either biofilm or planktonic cells. The substitution of sucrose induced a down-regulation of most genes involved in sucrose-dependent colonization in biofilm cells. When the ratio between the expression of biofilm and planktonic cells was considered, most of those genes were down-regulated in biofilm cells in the presence of sugars and up-regulated in the presence of sugar substitutes. However, sucralose but not sorbitol fulfilled the purpose of reducing the cariogenic potential of the diet since it induced the biofilm formation with the lowest biomass, did not change the pH of the medium and led to the lowest lesion depth in the cariogenic challenge.

  12. 40 CFR 721.1875 - Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Boric acid, alkyl and substituted... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1875 Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl... chemical substance boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (PMN P-86-1252) is subject to reporting...

  13. 40 CFR 721.1875 - Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Boric acid, alkyl and substituted... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1875 Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl... chemical substance boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (PMN P-86-1252) is subject to reporting...

  14. 40 CFR 721.1875 - Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Boric acid, alkyl and substituted... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1875 Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl... chemical substance boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (PMN P-86-1252) is subject to reporting...

  15. 40 CFR 721.1875 - Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Boric acid, alkyl and substituted... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1875 Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl... chemical substance boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (PMN P-86-1252) is subject to reporting...

  16. 40 CFR 721.1875 - Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (generic name).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Boric acid, alkyl and substituted... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1875 Boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl... chemical substance boric acid, alkyl and substituted alkyl esters (PMN P-86-1252) is subject to reporting...

  17. Effect of substitution of low linolenic acid soybean oil for hydrogenated soybean oil on fatty acid intake.

    PubMed

    DiRienzo, Maureen A; Astwood, James D; Petersen, Barbara J; Smith, Kim M

    2006-02-01

    Low linolenic acid soybean oil (LLSO) has been developed as a substitute for hydrogenated soybean oil to reduce intake of trans FA while improving stability and functionality in processed foods. We assessed the dietary impact of substitution of LLSO for hydrogenated soybean oil (HSBO) used in several food categories. All substitutions were done using an assumption of 100% market penetration. The impact of this substitution on the intake of five FA and trans FA was assessed. Substitution of LLSO for current versions of HSBO resulted in a 45% decrease in intake of trans FA. Impacts on other FA intakes were within the realm of typical dietary intakes. No decrease in intake of alpha-linolenic acid was associated with the use of LLSO in place of HSBO because LLSO substitutes for HSBO that are already low in alpha-linolenic acid.

  18. Contribution of single amino acid and codon substitutions to the production and secretion of a lipase by Bacillus subtilis.

    PubMed

    Skoczinski, Pia; Volkenborn, Kristina; Fulton, Alexander; Bhadauriya, Anuseema; Nutschel, Christina; Gohlke, Holger; Knapp, Andreas; Jaeger, Karl-Erich

    2017-09-25

    Bacillus subtilis produces and secretes proteins in amounts of up to 20 g/l under optimal conditions. However, protein production can be challenging if transcription and cotranslational secretion are negatively affected, or the target protein is degraded by extracellular proteases. This study aims at elucidating the influence of a target protein on its own production by a systematic mutational analysis of the homologous B. subtilis model protein lipase A (LipA). We have covered the full natural diversity of single amino acid substitutions at 155 positions of LipA by site saturation mutagenesis excluding only highly conserved residues and qualitatively and quantitatively screened about 30,000 clones for extracellular LipA production. Identified variants with beneficial effects on production were sequenced and analyzed regarding B. subtilis growth behavior, extracellular lipase activity and amount as well as changes in lipase transcript levels. In total, 26 LipA variants were identified showing an up to twofold increase in either amount or activity of extracellular lipase. These variants harbor single amino acid or codon substitutions that did not substantially affect B. subtilis growth. Subsequent exemplary combination of beneficial single amino acid substitutions revealed an additive effect solely at the level of extracellular lipase amount; however, lipase amount and activity could not be increased simultaneously. Single amino acid and codon substitutions can affect LipA secretion and production by B. subtilis. Several codon-related effects were observed that either enhance lipA transcription or promote a more efficient folding of LipA. Single amino acid substitutions could improve LipA production by increasing its secretion or stability in the culture supernatant. Our findings indicate that optimization of the expression system is not sufficient for efficient protein production in B. subtilis. The sequence of the target protein should also be considered as an

  19. Amino acid-substituted gemini surfactant-based nanoparticles as safe and versatile gene delivery agents.

    PubMed

    Singh, Jagbir; Yang, Peng; Michel, Deborah; Verrall, Ronald E; Foldvari, Marianna; Badea, Ildiko

    2011-05-01

    Gene based therapy represents an important advance in the treatment of diseases that heretofore have had either no treatment or cure. To capitalize on the true potential of gene therapy, there is a need to develop better delivery systems that can protect these therapeutic biomolecules and deliver them safely to the target sites. Recently, we have designed and developed a series of novel amino acid-substituted gemini surfactants with the general chemical formula C(12)H(25) (CH(3))(2)N(+)-(CH(2))(3)-N(AA)-(CH(2))(3)-N(+) (CH(3))(2)-C(12)H(25) (AA= glycine, lysine, glycyl-lysine and, lysyl-lysine). These compounds were synthesized and tested in rabbit epithelial cells using a model plasmid and a helper lipid. Plasmid/gemini/lipid (P/G/L) nanoparticles formulated using these novel compounds achieved higher gene expression than the nanoparticles containing the parent unsubstituted compound. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of P/G/L nanoparticles and explored the relationship between transfection efficiency/toxicity and their physicochemical characteristics (such as size, binding properties, etc.). An overall low toxicity is observed for all complexes with no significant difference among substituted and unsubstituted compounds. An interesting result revealed by the dye exclusion assay suggests a more balanced protection of the DNA by the glycine and glycyl-lysine substituted compounds. Thus, the higher transfection efficiency is attributed to the greater biocompatibility and flexibility of the amino acid/peptide-substituted gemini surfactants and demonstrates the feasibility of using amino acid-substituted gemini surfactants as gene carriers for the treatment of diseases affecting epithelial tissue.

  20. Elongated and substituted triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers for MOFs.

    PubMed

    Klinkebiel, Arne; Beyer, Ole; Malawko, Barbara; Lüning, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    New triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers were prepared as elongated relatives of triazinetribenzoic acid (TATB). Additionally, functional groups (NO 2 , NH 2 , OMe, OH) were introduced for potential post-synthetic modification (PSM) of MOFs. Functionalized tris(4-bromoaryl)triazine "cores" ( 3a , 3b ) were obtained by unsymmetric trimerization mixing one equivalent of an acid chloride (OMe or NO 2 substituted) with two equivalents of an unsubstituted nitrile. Triple Suzuki coupling of the cores 3 with suitable phenyl- and biphenylboronic acid derivatives provided elongated tricarboxylic acid linkers as carboxylic acids 17 and 20 or their esters 16 and 19 . Reduction of the nitro group and cleavage of the methoxy group gave the respective amino and hydroxy-substituted triazine linkers.

  1. Elongated and substituted triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers for MOFs

    PubMed Central

    Klinkebiel, Arne; Beyer, Ole; Malawko, Barbara

    2016-01-01

    New triazine-based tricarboxylic acid linkers were prepared as elongated relatives of triazinetribenzoic acid (TATB). Additionally, functional groups (NO2, NH2, OMe, OH) were introduced for potential post-synthetic modification (PSM) of MOFs. Functionalized tris(4-bromoaryl)triazine “cores” (3a,3b) were obtained by unsymmetric trimerization mixing one equivalent of an acid chloride (OMe or NO2 substituted) with two equivalents of an unsubstituted nitrile. Triple Suzuki coupling of the cores 3 with suitable phenyl- and biphenylboronic acid derivatives provided elongated tricarboxylic acid linkers as carboxylic acids 17 and 20 or their esters 16 and 19. Reduction of the nitro group and cleavage of the methoxy group gave the respective amino and hydroxy-substituted triazine linkers. PMID:28144293

  2. Natural derivatives of diphenolic acid as substitutes for bisphenol-A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ertl, Johanna; Cerri, Elisa; Rizzuto, Matteo; Caretti, Daniele

    2014-05-01

    Diphenolic acid had been originally used in the first epoxy resins and was later on forgotten as it was substituted by the cheaper bisphenol A. But in the recent years major health concerns have been raised as bisphenol A has a pseudo-hormonal effect on the body, playing the role of estrogen it can cause a severe impact on the organism, especially in males. Moreover it is produced from acetone and phenol, both from fossil, and thus limited resources. On the contrary, diphenolic acid is synthesized from levulinic acid and phenol. Levulinic acid being directly produced by hydrolysis of biomass. By substituting the fossil phenol with natural phenols from lignin or plant extraction we are able to synthesize a fully renewable substitute for bisphenol A. The reactions to yield an epoxy resin have been examined and the reactivity with epichlorohydrin is satisfying. Moreover, some of the derivatives of diphenolic acid have interesting curing properties and preliminary results show excellent properties of the cured resin, including thermal stability and pencil hardness.

  3. Identification of Amino Acid Substitutions Supporting Antigenic Change of Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Koel, Björn F.; Mögling, Ramona; Chutinimitkul, Salin; Fraaij, Pieter L.; Burke, David F.; van der Vliet, Stefan; de Wit, Emmie; Bestebroer, Theo M.; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F.; Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E.; Smith, Derek J.; Fouchier, Ron A. M.

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT The majority of currently circulating influenza A(H1N1) viruses are antigenically similar to the virus that caused the 2009 influenza pandemic. However, antigenic variants are expected to emerge as population immunity increases. Amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin protein can result in escape from neutralizing antibodies, affect viral fitness, and change receptor preference. In this study, we constructed mutants with substitutions in the hemagglutinin of A/Netherlands/602/09 in an attenuated backbone to explore amino acid changes that may contribute to emergence of antigenic variants in the human population. Our analysis revealed that single substitutions affecting the loop that consists of amino acid positions 151 to 159 located adjacent to the receptor binding site caused escape from ferret and human antibodies elicited after primary A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection. The majority of these substitutions resulted in similar or increased replication efficiency in vitro compared to that of the virus carrying the wild-type hemagglutinin and did not result in a change of receptor preference. However, none of the substitutions was sufficient for escape from the antibodies in sera from individuals that experienced both seasonal and pandemic A(H1N1) virus infections. These results suggest that antibodies directed against epitopes on seasonal A(H1N1) viruses contribute to neutralization of A(H1N1)pdm09 antigenic variants, thereby limiting the number of possible substitutions that could lead to escape from population immunity. IMPORTANCE Influenza A viruses can cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans. Amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin protein can result in escape from antibody-mediated neutralization. This allows the virus to reinfect individuals that have acquired immunity to previously circulating strains through infection or vaccination. To date, the vast majority of A(H1N1)pdm09 strains remain antigenically similar to the virus

  4. 40 CFR 721.10690 - Benzenedicarboxylic acid, polymer with substituted alkanediol, dodecanedioic acid, 1,2-ethanediol...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ..., alkanediol,.alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxypoly[oxyalkanediyl], 1,3-isobenzofurandione, methylene diphenyl...-ethanediol, alkanedioic acid, alkanediol,.alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxypoly[oxyalkanediyl], 1,3... substituted alkanediol, dodecanedioic acid, 1,2-ethanediol, alkanedioic acid, alkanediol,.alpha.-hydro-.omega...

  5. 40 CFR 721.9798 - Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2′-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2â²-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-, sodium salt (generic). 721.9798... Substances § 721.9798 Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2′-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5...

  6. 40 CFR 721.9798 - Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2′-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2â²-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-, sodium salt (generic). 721.9798... Substances § 721.9798 Benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2′-(1,2-ethenediyl)bis[5-[[4-substituted-6-substituted-1,3,5...

  7. 40 CFR 721.10107 - Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo-naphthaleneyl]azo]-hydroxy...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10107 Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo... naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo-naphthaleneyl]azo]-hydroxy-[(methoxy-sulfophenyl)azo...

  8. 40 CFR 721.10107 - Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo-naphthaleneyl]azo]-hydroxy...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10107 Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo... naphthalenedisulfonic acid, [amino-hydroxy-[(substituted)azo-sulfo-naphthaleneyl]azo]-hydroxy-[(methoxy-sulfophenyl)azo...

  9. Effects of tempering (annealing), acid hydrolysis, low-citric acid substitution on chemical and physicochemical properties of starches of four yam (Dioscorea spp.) cultivars.

    PubMed

    Falade, Kolawole O; Ayetigbo, Oluwatoyin E

    2017-05-01

    The effects of tempering (annealing), acid hydrolysis and low-citric acid substitution on chemical and physicochemical properties of starches of four Nigerian yam cultivars were investigated. Crude fat and protein contents of the native starches decreased significantly after the modifications, while nitrogen-free extract increased significantly with acid hydrolysis and citric acid substitution. Acid hydrolysis and low-citric acid substitution reduced the least concentration for gel formation of the starches from 4 to 2% w/v, but tempering had no effect. Swelling power of the starches reduced significantly, and water solubility increased significantly at 75 and 85 °C, especially with acid hydrolysis and low-citric acid substitution. However, tempering significantly reduced starch solubility in the four cultivars. Paste clarity of starches of white (29.17%), water (18.90%), yellow (30.90%) and bitter (10.57%) yams reduced significantly with tempering to 14.43, 11.83, 16.93 and 7.27%, but increased significantly with acid hydrolysis to 41.40, 35.37, 28.77 and 32.33%, and low-citric acid substitution to 36.60, 44.17, 50.67 and 14.33%, respectively. Pasting properties such as peak, trough, breakdown, final, and setback viscosities and peak time of native starches reduced significantly with acid hydrolysis and low-citric acid substitution, however, tempering significantly increased their pasting temperature, peak time, setback and final viscosities.

  10. An injectable oxidated hyaluronic acid/adipic acid dihydrazide hydrogel as a vitreous substitute.

    PubMed

    Su, Wen-Yu; Chen, Ko-Hua; Chen, Yu-Chun; Lee, Yen-Hsien; Tseng, Ching-Li; Lin, Feng-Huei

    2011-01-01

    Vitrectomy is a common procedure for treating ocular-related diseases. The surgery involves removing the vitreous humor from the center of the eye, and vitreous substitutes are needed to replace the vitreous humor after vitrectomy. In the present study, we developed a colorless, transparent and injectable hydrogel with appropriate refractive index as a vitreous substitute. The hydrogel is formed by oxidated hyaluronic acid (oxi-HA) cross-linked with adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH). Hyaluronic acid (HA) was oxidized by sodium periodate to create aldehyde functional groups, which could be cross-linked by ADH. The refractive index of this hydrogel ranged between 1.3420 and 1.3442, which is quite similar to human vitreous humor (1.3345). The degradation tests demonstrated that the hydrogel could maintain the gel matrix over 35 days, depending on the ADH concentration. In addition, the cytotoxicity was evaluated on retina pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells cultivated following the ISO standard (tests for in vitro cytotoxicity), and the hydrogel was found to be non-toxic. In a preliminary animal study, the oxi-HA/ADH hydrogel was injected into the vitreous cavity of rabbit eyes. The evaluations of slit-lamp observation, intraocular pressure, cornea thickness and histological examination showed no significant abnormal biological reactions for 3 weeks. This study suggests that the injectable oxi-HA/ADH hydrogel should be a potential vitreous substitute. Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011

  11. 40 CFR 721.1680 - Substituted benzoic acid (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...). 721.1680 Section 721.1680 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1680 Substituted benzoic acid (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses...

  12. Amino acid substitution equivalent to human chorea-acanthocytosis I2771R in yeast Vps13 protein affects its binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate

    PubMed Central

    Rzepnikowska, Weronika; Flis, Krzysztof; Kaminska, Joanna; Grynberg, Marcin; Urbanek, Agnieszka; Ayscough, Kathryn R.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The rare human disorder chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is caused by mutations in hVPS13A gene. The hVps13A protein interacts with actin and regulates the level of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) in the membranes of neuronal cells. Yeast Vps13 is involved in vacuolar protein transport and, like hVps13A, participates in PI4P metabolism. Vps13 proteins are conserved in eukaryotes, but their molecular function remains unknown. One of the mutations found in ChAc patients causes amino acids substitution I2771R which affects the localization of hVps13A in skeletal muscles. To dissect the mechanism of pathogenesis of I2771R, we created and analyzed a yeast strain carrying the equivalent mutation. Here we show that in yeast, substitution I2749R causes dysfunction of Vps13 protein in endocytosis and vacuolar transport, although the level of the protein is not affected, suggesting loss of function. We also show that Vps13, like hVps13A, influences actin cytoskeleton organization and binds actin in immunoprecipitation experiments. Vps13-I2749R binds actin, but does not function in the actin cytoskeleton organization. Moreover, we show that Vps13 binds phospholipids, especially phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P), via its SHR_BD and APT1 domains. Substitution I2749R attenuates this ability. Finally, the localization of Vps13-GFP is altered when cellular levels of PI3P are decreased indicating its trafficking within the endosomal membrane system. These results suggest that PI3P regulates the functioning of Vps13, both in protein trafficking and actin cytoskeleton organization. Attenuation of PI3P-binding ability in the mutant hVps13A protein may be one of the reasons for its mislocalization and disrupted function in cells of patients suffering from ChAc. PMID:28334785

  13. The effect of amino acid deletions and substitutions in the longest loop of GFP

    PubMed Central

    Flores-Ramírez, Gabriela; Rivera, Manuel; Morales-Pablos, Alfredo; Osuna, Joel; Soberón, Xavier; Gaytán, Paul

    2007-01-01

    Background The effect of single and multiple amino acid substitutions in the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria has been extensively explored, yielding several proteins of diverse spectral properties. However, the role of amino acid deletions in this protein -as with most proteins- is still unknown, due to the technical difficulties involved in generating combinatorial in-phase amino acid deletions on a target region. Results In this study, the region I129-L142 of superglo GFP (sgGFP), corresponding to the longest loop of the protein and located far away from the central chromophore, was subjected to a random amino acid deletion approach, employing an in-house recently developed mutagenesis method termed Codon-Based Random Deletion (COBARDE). Only two mutants out of 16384 possible variant proteins retained fluorescence: sgGFP-Δ I129 and sgGFP-Δ D130. Interestingly, both mutants were thermosensitive and at 30°C sgGFP-Δ D130 was more fluorescent than the parent protein. In contrast with deletions, substitutions of single amino acids from residues F131 to L142 were well tolerated. The substitution analysis revealed a particular importance of residues F131, G135, I137, L138, H140 and L142 for the stability of the protein. Conclusion The behavior of GFP variants with both amino acid deletions and substitutions demonstrate that this loop is playing an important structural role in GFP folding. Some of the amino acids which tolerated any substitution but no deletion are simply acting as "spacers" to localize important residues in the protein structure. PMID:17594481

  14. 40 CFR 721.6181 - Fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde-phenol polymer glycidyl ether...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fatty acid, reaction product with... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6181 Fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde... as fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde-phenol polymer glycidyl ether...

  15. 40 CFR 721.6181 - Fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde-phenol polymer glycidyl ether...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fatty acid, reaction product with... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6181 Fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde... as fatty acid, reaction product with substituted oxirane, formaldehyde-phenol polymer glycidyl ether...

  16. Quinolone resistance-associated amino acid substitutions affect enzymatic activity of Mycobacterium leprae DNA gyrase.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki; Yokoyama, Kazumasa; Nakajima, Chie; Suzuki, Yasuhiko

    2017-07-01

    Quinolones are important antimicrobials for treatment of leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Although it is well known that mutations in DNA gyrase are responsible for quinolone resistance, the effect of those mutations on the enzymatic activity is yet to be studied in depth. Hence, we conducted in vitro assays to observe supercoiling reactions of wild type and mutated M. leprae DNA gyrases. DNA gyrase with amino acid substitution Ala91Val possessed the highest activity among the mutants. DNA gyrase with Gly89Cys showed the lowest level of activity despite being found in clinical strains, but it supercoiled DNA like the wild type does if applied at a sufficient concentration. In addition, patterns of time-dependent conversion from relaxed circular DNA into supercoiled DNA by DNA gyrases with clinically unreported Asp95Gly and Asp95Asn were observed to be distinct from those by the other DNA gyrases.

  17. PON-Sol: prediction of effects of amino acid substitutions on protein solubility.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yang; Niroula, Abhishek; Shen, Bairong; Vihinen, Mauno

    2016-07-01

    Solubility is one of the fundamental protein properties. It is of great interest because of its relevance to protein expression. Reduced solubility and protein aggregation are also associated with many diseases. We collected from literature the largest experimentally verified solubility affecting amino acid substitution (AAS) dataset and used it to train a predictor called PON-Sol. The predictor can distinguish both solubility decreasing and increasing variants from those not affecting solubility. PON-Sol has normalized correct prediction ratio of 0.491 on cross-validation and 0.432 for independent test set. The performance of the method was compared both to solubility and aggregation predictors and found to be superior. PON-Sol can be used for the prediction of effects of disease-related substitutions, effects on heterologous recombinant protein expression and enhanced crystallizability. One application is to investigate effects of all possible AASs in a protein to aid protein engineering. PON-Sol is freely available at http://structure.bmc.lu.se/PON-Sol The training and test data are available at http://structure.bmc.lu.se/VariBench/ponsol.php mauno.vihinen@med.lu.se Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Wide Tolerance to Amino Acids Substitutions In The OCTN1 Ergothioneine Transporter

    PubMed Central

    Frigeni, Marta; Iacobazzi, Francesco; Yin, Xue; Longo, Nicola

    2016-01-01

    Background Organic cation transporters transfer solutes with a positive charge across the plasma membrane. The novel organic cation transporter 1 (OCTN1) and 2 (OCTN2) transport ergothioneine and carnitine, respectively. Mutations in the SLC22A5 gene encoding OCTN2 cause primary carnitine deficiency, a recessive disorders resulting in low carnitine levels and defective fatty acid oxidation. Variations in the SLC22A4 gene encoding OCTN1 are associated with rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn disease. Methods Here we evaluate the functional properties of the OCTN1 transporter using chimeric transporters constructed by fusing different portion of the OCTN1 and OCTN2 cDNAs. Their relative abundance and subcellular distribution was evaluated through western blot analysis and confocal microscopy. Results Substitutions of the C-terminal portion of OCTN1 with the correspondent residues of OCTN2 generated chimeric OCTN transporters more active than wild-type OCTN1 in transporting ergothioneine. Additional single amino acid substitutions introduced in chimeric OCTN transporters further increased ergothioneine transport activity. Kinetic analysis indicated that increased transport activity was due to an increased Vmax, with modest changes in Km toward ergothioneine. Conclusions Our results indicate that the OCTN1 transporter is tolerant to extensive amino acid substitutions. This is in sharp contrast to the OCTN2 carnitine transporter that has been selected for high functional activity through evolution, with almost all substitutions reducing carnitine transport activity. General significance The widespread tolerance of OCTN1 to amino acid substitutions suggests that the corresponding SLC22A4 gene may have derived from a recent duplication of the SLC22A5 gene and might not yet have a defined physiological role. PMID:26994919

  19. Synthesis, characterization, and subcellular localization studies of amino acid-substituted porphyrinic pigments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Diggelen, Lisa; Khin, Hnin; Conner, Kip; Shao, Jenny; Sweezy, Margaretta; Jung, Anna H.; Isaac, Meden; Simonis, Ursula

    2009-06-01

    Stopping cancer in its path occurs when photosensitizers (PSs) induce apoptotic cell death after their exposure to light and the subsequent formation of reactive oxygen species. In pursuit of our hypothesis that mitochondrial localizing PSs will enhance the efficacy of the photosensitizing process in photodynamic therapy, since they provoke cell death by inducing apoptosis, we synthesized and characterized tetraphenylporphyrins (TPPs) that are substituted at the paraphenyl positions by two amino acids and two fluoro or hydroxyl groups, respectively. They were prepared according to the Lindsey-modified Adler-Longo methodology using trifluoromethanesulfonylchloride (CF3SO2Cl) as a catalyst instead of trifluoroacetic acid. The use of CF3SO2Cl yielded cleaner products in significantly higher yields. During the synthesis, not only the yields and work-up procedure of the TPPs were improved by using CF3SO2Cl as a catalyst, but also a better means of synthesizing the precursor dipyrromethanes was tested by using indium(III) chloride. Column chromatography, HPLC, and NMR spectroscopy were used to separate and characterize the di-amino acid-dihydroxy, or difluoro-substituted porphyrins and to ascertain their purity before subcellular localization studies were carried out. Studies using androgen-sensitive human prostate adenocarcinoma cells LNCaP revealed that certain amino acid substituted porphyrins that are positively charged in the slightly acidic medium of cancer cells are very useful in shedding light on the targets of TPPs in subcellular organelles of cancer cells. Although some of these compounds have properties of promising photosensitizers by revealing increased water solubility, acidic properties, and innate ability to provoke cell death by apoptosis, the cell killing efficacy of these TPPs is low. This correlates with their subcellular localization. The di-amino acid, di-hydroxy substituted TPPs localize mainly to the lysosomes, whereas the di-fluoro-substituted

  20. 40 CFR 721.1648 - Substituted benzenesulfonic acid salt (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.1648 Substituted benzenesulfonic acid salt (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically...

  1. Anaerobic biotransformation of roxarsone and related N-substituted phenylarsonic acids

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cortinas, I.; Field, J.A.; Kopplin, M.; Garbarino, J.R.; Gandolfi, A.J.; Sierra-Alvarez, R.

    2006-01-01

    Large quantities of arsenic are introduced into the environment through land application of poultry litter containing the organoarsenical feed additive roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid). The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioconversion of roxarsone and related N-substituted phenylarsonic acid derivatives under anaerobic conditions. The results demonstrate that roxarsone is rapidly transformed in the absence of oxygen to the corresponding aromatic amine, 4-hydroxy-3-aminophenylarsonic acid (HAPA). The formation of HAPA is attributable to the facile reduction of the nitro group. Electron-donating substrates, such as hydrogen gas, glucose, and lactate, stimulated the rate of nitro group reduction, indicating a microbial role. During long-term incubations, HAPA and the closely related 4-aminophenylarsonic acid (4-APA) were slowly biologically eliminated by up to 99% under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions, whereas little or no removal occurred in heat-killed inoculum controls. Arsenite and, to a lesser extent, arsenate were observed as products of the degradation. Freely soluble forms of the inorganic arsenical species accounted for 19-28% of the amino-substituted phenylarsonic acids removed. This constitutes the first report of a biologically catalyzed rupture of the phenylarsonic group under anaerobic conditions. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

  2. Feature-based classification of amino acid substitutions outside conserved functional protein domains.

    PubMed

    Gemovic, Branislava; Perovic, Vladimir; Glisic, Sanja; Veljkovic, Nevena

    2013-01-01

    There are more than 500 amino acid substitutions in each human genome, and bioinformatics tools irreplaceably contribute to determination of their functional effects. We have developed feature-based algorithm for the detection of mutations outside conserved functional domains (CFDs) and compared its classification efficacy with the most commonly used phylogeny-based tools, PolyPhen-2 and SIFT. The new algorithm is based on the informational spectrum method (ISM), a feature-based technique, and statistical analysis. Our dataset contained neutral polymorphisms and mutations associated with myeloid malignancies from epigenetic regulators ASXL1, DNMT3A, EZH2, and TET2. PolyPhen-2 and SIFT had significantly lower accuracies in predicting the effects of amino acid substitutions outside CFDs than expected, with especially low sensitivity. On the other hand, only ISM algorithm showed statistically significant classification of these sequences. It outperformed PolyPhen-2 and SIFT by 15% and 13%, respectively. These results suggest that feature-based methods, like ISM, are more suitable for the classification of amino acid substitutions outside CFDs than phylogeny-based tools.

  3. 40 CFR 721.5278 - Substituted naphthalenesulfonic acid, alkali salt.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Substituted naphthalenesulfonic acid, alkali salt. 721.5278 Section 721.5278 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.5278...

  4. Antimicrobial activity and stability of protonectin with D-amino acid substitutions.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Shuai; Zhu, Ranran; Zhao, Yanyan; An, Xiaoping; Jia, Fengjing; Peng, Jinxiu; Ma, Zelin; Zhu, Yuanyuan; Wang, Jiayi; Su, Jinhuan; Wang, Qingjun; Wang, Hailin; Li, Yuan; Wang, Kairong; Yan, Wenjin; Wang, Rui

    2017-05-01

    The misuse and overuse of antibiotics result in the emergence of resistant bacteria and fungi, which make an urgent need of the new antimicrobial agents. Nowadays, antimicrobial peptides have attracted great attention of researchers. However, the low physiological stability in biological system limits the application of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides as novel therapeutics. In the present study, we synthesized derivatives of protonectin by substituting all the amino acid residues or the cationic lysine residue with the corresponding D-amino acids. Both the D-enantiomer of protonectin (D-prt) and D-Lys-protonectin (D-Lys-prt) exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Moreover, D-prt showed strong stability against trypsin, chymotrypsin and the human serum, while D-Lys-prt only showed strong stability against trypsin. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that D-Lys-prt still kept typical α-helical structure in the membrane mimicking environment, while D-prt showed left hand α-helical structure. In addition, propidium iodide uptake assay and bacteria and fungi killing experiments indicated that all D-amino acid substitution or partially D-amino acid substitution analogs could disrupt the integrity of membrane and lead the cell death. In summary, these findings suggested that D-prt and D-Lys-prt might be promising candidate antibiotic agents for therapeutic application against resistant bacteria and fungi infection. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. From N-triisopropylsilylpyrrole to an optically active C-4 substituted pyroglutamic acid: total synthesis of penmacric acid.

    PubMed

    Berini, Christophe; Pelloux-Léon, Nadia; Minassian, Frédéric; Denis, Jean-Noël

    2009-11-07

    The stereoselective synthesis of penmacric acid, an optically active C-4 substituted pyroglutamic acid, has been efficiently achieved through an unusual 11-step sequence starting from simple N-triisopropylsilylpyrrole. The key-steps are the initial addition of the pyrrole nucleus onto a chiral nitrone and the obtention of the pyroglutamic acid moiety by reductive hydrogenation of the pyrrole followed by oxidation of the corresponding pyrrolidine into pyrrolidinone.

  6. 40 CFR 721.9220 - Reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted benzenesulfonic acid and sulfuric...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reaction products of secondary alkyl... Reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted benzenesulfonic acid and sulfuric acid... substances identified generically as reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted...

  7. 40 CFR 721.9220 - Reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted benzenesulfonic acid and sulfuric...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reaction products of secondary alkyl... Reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted benzenesulfonic acid and sulfuric acid... substances identified generically as reaction products of secondary alkyl amines with a substituted...

  8. A unique amino acid substitution, T126I, in human genotype C of hepatitis B virus S gene and its possible influence on antigenic structural change.

    PubMed

    Ren, Fengrong; Tsubota, Asahito; Hirokawa, Takatsugu; Kumada, Hiromitsu; Yang, Ziheng; Tanaka, Hiroshi

    2006-11-15

    Amino acid substitutions in the S gene of hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially in the 'a' determinant region, have been suggested to affect the antigenicity of the virus and the clinical outcome of the infected patient. However, no convincing evidence has been presented for this hypothesis, partly because the 3D structure of the S protein has not been determined. Comparative analysis of viral genes offers an approach to testing this hypothesis, as it may reveal signals of natural selection and provide insights into the functional significance of the observed amino acid substitutions. In this study, we analyze HBV S gene sequences obtained from 24 patients infected with HBV genotypes B or C, together with 16 representative viral strains of HBV genotypes A-F retrieved from GenBank. We use phylogenetic methods to infer evolutionary changes among HBV genotypes and to identify amino acid residues potentially under positive selective pressure. Furthermore, we employ the fragment assembly method to predict structural changes in the S protein. The results showed that an amino acid substitution within the 'a' determinant, T126I, was unique to genotype C, may affect the antigenicity of the HBsAg, and may result in poorer clinical outcomes of patients infected with genotype C viral strains. We suggest that an integrated approach of evolutionary comparison and structural prediction is useful in generating hypotheses for further laboratory validation.

  9. Role of a single amino acid substitution of VP3 H142D for increased acid resistance of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype A.

    PubMed

    Biswal, Jitendra K; Das, Biswajit; Sharma, Gaurav K; Khulape, Sagar A; Pattnaik, Bramhadev

    2016-04-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) particles lose infectivity due to their dissociation into pentamers at pH value below 6.5. After the uptake of FMDV by receptor-mediated endocytosis, the acid-dependent dissociation process is required for the release of FMDV genome inside endosomes. Nevertheless, dissociation of FMDV particles in mildly acidic conditions renders the inactivated FMD vaccine less effective. To improve the acid stability of inactivated FMD vaccine during the manufacturing process, a serotype A IND 40/2000 (in-use vaccine strain) mutant with increased resistance to acid inactivation was generated through reverse genetics approach. Based upon the earlier reports, the crucial amino acid residue, H142 of VP3 capsid protein was substituted separately to various amino acid residues Arg (R), Phe (F), Ala (A), and Asp (D) on the full-genome length cDNA clone. While the H142 → R or H142 → F or H142 → A substitutions resulted in non-infectious FMDV, H142 → D mutation on VP3 protein (H3142D) resulted in the generation of mutant virus with enhanced resistance to acid-induced inactivation. In addition, H3142D substitution did not alter the replication ability and antigenicity of mutant as compared to the parental virus. However, the virus competition experiments revealed that the H3142D substitution conferred a loss of fitness for the mutant virus. Results from this study demonstrate that the H3142D substitution is the molecular determinant of acid-resistant phenotype in FMDV serotype A.

  10. Fabrication of calcium phosphate–calcium sulfate injectable bone substitute using hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose and citric acid

    PubMed Central

    Thai, Van Viet

    2010-01-01

    In this study, an injectable bone substitute (IBS) consisting of citric acid, chitosan, and hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as the liquid phase and tetra calcium phosphate (TTCP), dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) and calcium sulfate dehydrate (CSD, CaSO4·2H2O) powders as the solid phase, were fabricated. Two groups were classified based on the percent of citric acid in the liquid phase (20, 40 wt%). In each groups, the HPMC percentage was 0, 2, and 4 wt%. An increase in compressive strength due to changes in morphology was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy images. A good conversion rate of HAp at 20% citric acid was observed in the XRD profiles. In addition, HPMC was not obviously affected by apatite formation. However, both HPMC and citric acid increased the compressive strength of IBS. The maximum compressive strength for IBS was with 40% citric acid and 4% HPMC after 14 days of incubation in 100% humidity at 37°C. PMID:20333539

  11. FTIRI Parameters describing Acid Phosphate Substitution in Biologic Hydroxyapatite

    PubMed Central

    Spevak, Lyudmila; Flach, Carol R.; Hunter, Tracey; Mendelsohn, Richard; Boskey, Adele

    2013-01-01

    Acid phosphate substitution into mineralized tissue is an important determinant of their mechanical properties and their response to treatment. This study identifies and validates Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging (FTIRI) spectral parameters that provide information on the acid phosphate (HPO4) substitution into hydroxyapatite in developing mineralized tissues. Curve fitting and Fourier self-deconvolution were used to identify subband positions in model compounds (with and without HPO4). The intensity of subbands at 1127 cm−1 and 1110 cm−1 correlated with the acid phosphate content in these models. Peak height ratios of these subbands to the ν3 vibration at 1096 cm−1 found in stoichiometric apatite, were evaluated in the model compounds and mixtures thereof. FTIRI spectra of bones and teeth at different developmental ages were analyzed using these spectral parameters. Factor analysis (a chemometric technique) was also conducted on the tissue samples and resulted in factor loadings with spectral features corresponding to the HPO4 vibrations described above. Images of both factor correlation coefficients and the peak height ratios 1127cm−1/1096cm−1 and 1112cm−1/1096cm−1 demonstrated higher acid phosphate content in younger vs. more mature regions in the same specimen. Maps of the distribution of acid phosphate content will be useful for characterizing the extent of new bone formation, areas of potential decreased strength, and the effects of therapies such as those used in metabolic bone diseases (osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease) on mineral composition. Because of the wider range of values obtained with the 1127 cm−1/1096 cm−1 parameter compared to the 1110 cm−1/1096 cm−1 parameter, and the smaller scatter in the slope, it is suggested that this ratio should be the parameter of choice. PMID:23380987

  12. 40 CFR 721.321 - Substituted acrylamides and acrylic acid copolymer (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.321 Substituted acrylamides and acrylic acid copolymer (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance...

  13. N-Substituted carbazolyloxyacetic acids modulate Alzheimer associated gamma-secretase.

    PubMed

    Narlawar, Rajeshwar; Pérez Revuelta, Blanca I; Baumann, Karlheinz; Schubenel, Robert; Haass, Christian; Steiner, Harald; Schmidt, Boris

    2007-01-01

    N-Sulfonylated and N-alkylated carbazolyloxyacetic acids were investigated for the inhibition and modulation of the Alzheimer's disease associated gamma-secretase. The introduction of a lipophilic substituent, which may vary from arylsulfone to alkyl, turned 2-carbazolyloxyacetic acids into potent gamma-secretase modulators. This resulted in the selective reduction of Abeta(42) and an increase of the less aggregatory Abeta(38) fragment by several compounds (e.g., 7d and 8c). Introduction of an electron donating group at position 6 and 8 of N-substituted carbazolyloxyacetic acids either decreased the activity or inversed modulation. The most active compounds displayed activity on amyloid precursor protein (APP) overexpressing cell lines in the low micromolar range and little or no effect on the gamma-secretase cleavage at the epsilon-site.

  14. Inhibition kinetics and molecular simulation of p-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives on tyrosinase.

    PubMed

    Cui, Yi; Hu, Yong-Hua; Yu, Feng; Zheng, Jing; Chen, Lin-Shan; Chen, Qing-Xi; Wang, Qin

    2017-02-01

    This study was to investigate the inhibition effects of para-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives (4-chlorocinnamic acid, 4-ethoxycinnamic acid and 4-nitrocinnamic acid) on tyrosinase catalyzing the substrates, with the purpose of elucidating the inhibition mechanism of the tested derivatives on tyrosinase by the UV-vis spectrum, fluorescence spectroscopy, copper interacting and molecular docking, respectively. The native-PAGE results showed that 4-chlorocinnamic acid (4-CCA), 4-ethoxycinnamic acid (4-ECA) and 4-nitrocinnamic acid (4-NCA) had inhibitory effects on tyrosinase. Spectrophotometric analysis used to determine the inhibition capabilities of these compounds on tyrosinase catalyzing L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) and L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) as well. The IC 50 values and inhibition constants were further determined. Moreover, quenching mechanisms of tested compounds to tyrosinase belonged to static type and a red shift on fluorescence emission peak occurred when 4-NCA added. Copper interacting and molecular docking demonstrated that 4-CCA could not bind directly to the copper, but it could interact with residues in the active center of tyrosinase. Meanwhile, 4-ECA and 4-NCA could chelate a copper ion of tyrosinase. Anti-tyrosinase activities of para-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives would lay scientific foundation for their utilization in designing of novel tyrosinase inhibitors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Gene-Specific Substitution Profiles Describe the Types and Frequencies of Amino Acid Changes during Antibody Somatic Hypermutation.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Zizhang; Schramm, Chaim A; Kong, Rui; Mullikin, James C; Mascola, John R; Kwong, Peter D; Shapiro, Lawrence

    2017-01-01

    Somatic hypermutation (SHM) plays a critical role in the maturation of antibodies, optimizing recognition initiated by recombination of V(D)J genes. Previous studies have shown that the propensity to mutate is modulated by the context of surrounding nucleotides and that SHM machinery generates biased substitutions. To investigate the intrinsic mutation frequency and substitution bias of SHMs at the amino acid level, we analyzed functional human antibody repertoires and developed mGSSP (method for gene-specific substitution profile), a method to construct amino acid substitution profiles from next-generation sequencing-determined B cell transcripts. We demonstrated that these gene-specific substitution profiles (GSSPs) are unique to each V gene and highly consistent between donors. We also showed that the GSSPs constructed from functional antibody repertoires are highly similar to those constructed from antibody sequences amplified from non-productively rearranged passenger alleles, which do not undergo functional selection. This suggests the types and frequencies, or mutational space, of a majority of amino acid changes sampled by the SHM machinery to be well captured by GSSPs. We further observed the rates of mutational exchange between some amino acids to be both asymmetric and context dependent and to correlate weakly with their biochemical properties. GSSPs provide an improved, position-dependent alternative to standard substitution matrices, and can be utilized to developing software for accurately modeling the SHM process. GSSPs can also be used for predicting the amino acid mutational space available for antigen-driven selection and for understanding factors modulating the maturation pathways of antibody lineages in a gene-specific context. The mGSSP method can be used to build, compare, and plot GSSPs; we report the GSSPs constructed for 69 common human V genes (DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.3511083) and provide high-resolution logo plots for each (DOI: 10

  16. Thermodynamics of axial substitution and kinetics of reactions with amino acids for the paddlewheel complex tetrakis(acetato)chloridodiruthenium(II,III).

    PubMed

    Santos, Rodrigo L S R; van Eldik, Rudi; de Oliveira Silva, Denise

    2012-06-18

    The known paddlewheel, tetrakis(acetato)chloridodiruthenium(II,III), offers a versatile synthetic route to a novel class of antitumor diruthenium(II,III) metallo drugs, where the equatorial ligands are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory carboxylates. This complex was studied here as a soluble starting prototype model for antitumor analogues to elucidate the reactivity of the [Ru(2)(CH(3)COO)(4)](+) framework. Thermodynamic studies on equilibration reactions for axial substitution of water by chloride and kinetic studies on reactions of the diaqua complexes with the amino acids glycine, cysteine, histidine, and tryptophan were performed. The standard thermodynamic reaction parameters ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔV° were determined and showed that both of the sequential axial substitution reactions are enthalpy driven. Kinetic rate laws and rate constants were determined for the axial substitution reactions of coordinated water by the amino acids that gave the corresponding aqua(amino acid)-Ru(2) substituted species. The results revealed that the [Ru(2)(CH(3)COO)(4)](+) paddlewheel framework remained stable during the axial ligand substitution reactions and was also mostly preserved in the presence of the amino acids.

  17. Pervasive adaptive protein evolution apparent in diversity patterns around amino acid substitutions in Drosophila simulans.

    PubMed

    Sattath, Shmuel; Elyashiv, Eyal; Kolodny, Oren; Rinott, Yosef; Sella, Guy

    2011-02-10

    In Drosophila, multiple lines of evidence converge in suggesting that beneficial substitutions to the genome may be common. All suffer from confounding factors, however, such that the interpretation of the evidence-in particular, conclusions about the rate and strength of beneficial substitutions-remains tentative. Here, we use genome-wide polymorphism data in D. simulans and sequenced genomes of its close relatives to construct a readily interpretable characterization of the effects of positive selection: the shape of average neutral diversity around amino acid substitutions. As expected under recurrent selective sweeps, we find a trough in diversity levels around amino acid but not around synonymous substitutions, a distinctive pattern that is not expected under alternative models. This characterization is richer than previous approaches, which relied on limited summaries of the data (e.g., the slope of a scatter plot), and relates to underlying selection parameters in a straightforward way, allowing us to make more reliable inferences about the prevalence and strength of adaptation. Specifically, we develop a coalescent-based model for the shape of the entire curve and use it to infer adaptive parameters by maximum likelihood. Our inference suggests that ∼13% of amino acid substitutions cause selective sweeps. Interestingly, it reveals two classes of beneficial fixations: a minority (approximately 3%) that appears to have had large selective effects and accounts for most of the reduction in diversity, and the remaining 10%, which seem to have had very weak selective effects. These estimates therefore help to reconcile the apparent conflict among previously published estimates of the strength of selection. More generally, our findings provide unequivocal evidence for strongly beneficial substitutions in Drosophila and illustrate how the rapidly accumulating genome-wide data can be leveraged to address enduring questions about the genetic basis of adaptation.

  18. Molecular interaction between lipoteichoic acids and Lactobacillus delbrueckii phages depends on D-alanyl and alpha-glucose substitution of poly(glycerophosphate) backbones.

    PubMed

    Räisänen, Liisa; Draing, Christian; Pfitzenmaier, Markus; Schubert, Karin; Jaakonsaari, Tiina; von Aulock, Sonja; Hartung, Thomas; Alatossava, Tapani

    2007-06-01

    Lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) have been shown to act as bacterial counterparts to the receptor binding proteins of LL-H, LL-H host range mutant LL-H-a21, and JCL1032. Here we have used LTAs purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography from different phage-resistant and -sensitive strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed variation in the degree of alpha-glucosyl and D-alanyl substitution of the 1,3-linked poly(glycerophosphate) LTAs between the phage-sensitive and phage-resistant strains. Inactivation of phages was less effective if there was a high level of D-alanine residues in the LTA backbones. Prior incubation of the LTAs with alpha-glucose-specific lectin inhibited the LL-H phage inactivation. The overall level of decoration or the specific spatial combination of alpha-glucosyl-substituted, D-alanyl-substituted, and nonsubstituted glycerol residues may also affect phage adsorption.

  19. Molecular Interaction between Lipoteichoic Acids and Lactobacillus delbrueckii Phages Depends on d-Alanyl and α-Glucose Substitution of Poly(Glycerophosphate) Backbones▿

    PubMed Central

    Räisänen, Liisa; Draing, Christian; Pfitzenmaier, Markus; Schubert, Karin; Jaakonsaari, Tiina; von Aulock, Sonja; Hartung, Thomas; Alatossava, Tapani

    2007-01-01

    Lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) have been shown to act as bacterial counterparts to the receptor binding proteins of LL-H, LL-H host range mutant LL-H-a21, and JCL1032. Here we have used LTAs purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography from different phage-resistant and -sensitive strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed variation in the degree of α-glucosyl and d-alanyl substitution of the 1,3-linked poly(glycerophosphate) LTAs between the phage-sensitive and phage-resistant strains. Inactivation of phages was less effective if there was a high level of d-alanine residues in the LTA backbones. Prior incubation of the LTAs with α-glucose-specific lectin inhibited the LL-H phage inactivation. The overall level of decoration or the specific spatial combination of α-glucosyl-substituted, d-alanyl-substituted, and nonsubstituted glycerol residues may also affect phage adsorption. PMID:17416656

  20. Natural variation in a single amino acid substitution underlies physiological responses to topoisomerase II poisons.

    PubMed

    Zdraljevic, Stefan; Strand, Christine; Seidel, Hannah S; Cook, Daniel E; Doench, John G; Andersen, Erik C

    2017-07-01

    Many chemotherapeutic drugs are differentially effective from one patient to the next. Understanding the causes of this variability is a critical step towards the development of personalized treatments and improvements to existing medications. Here, we investigate sensitivity to a group of anti-neoplastic drugs that target topoisomerase II using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that wild strains of C. elegans vary in their sensitivity to these drugs, and we use an unbiased genetic approach to demonstrate that this natural variation is explained by a methionine-to-glutamine substitution in topoisomerase II (TOP-2). The presence of a non-polar methionine at this residue increases hydrophobic interactions between TOP-2 and its poison etoposide, as compared to a polar glutamine. We hypothesize that this stabilizing interaction results in increased genomic instability in strains that contain a methionine residue. The residue affected by this substitution is conserved from yeast to humans and is one of the few differences between the two human topoisomerase II isoforms (methionine in hTOPIIα and glutamine in hTOPIIβ). We go on to show that this amino acid difference between the two human topoisomerase isoforms influences cytotoxicity of topoisomerase II poisons in human cell lines. These results explain why hTOPIIα and hTOPIIβ are differentially affected by various poisons and demonstrate the utility of C. elegans in understanding the genetics of drug responses.

  1. 40 CFR 747.195 - Triethanolamine salt of a substituted organic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... subject to this section: P-84-310, triethanolamine salt of a substituted organic acid. (b) Definitions... used in or as a metalworking fluid, which includes as one of its components P-84-310, is prohibited... metalworking fluid a product containing P-84-310 is prohibited from adding any nitrosating agent to the product...

  2. D-amino acid substitution enhances the stability of antimicrobial peptide polybia-CP.

    PubMed

    Jia, Fengjing; Wang, Jiayi; Peng, Jinxiu; Zhao, Ping; Kong, Ziqing; Wang, Kairong; Yan, Wenjin; Wang, Rui

    2017-10-01

    With the increasing emergence of resistant microbes toward conventional antimicrobial agents, there is an urgent need for the development of antimicrobial agents with novel action mode. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are believed to be one kind of ideal alternatives. However, AMPs can be easily degraded by protease, which limited their therapeutic use. In the present study, D-amino acid substitution strategy was employed to enhance the stability of polybia-CP. We investigated the stability of peptides against the degradation of trypsin and chymotrypsin by determining the antimicrobial activity or determining the HPLC profile of peptides after incubation with proteases. Our results showed that both the all D-amino acid derivative (D-CP) and partial D-lysine substitution derivative (D-lys-CP) have an improved stability against trypsin and chymotrypsin. Although D-CP takes left-hand α-helical conformation and D-lys-CP loses some α-helical content, both of the D-amino acid-substituted derivatives maintain their parental peptides' membrane active action mode. In addition, D-lys-CP showed a slight weaker antimicrobial activity than polybia-CP, but the hemolytic activity decreased greatly. These results suggest that D-CP and D-lys-CP can offer strategy to improve the property of AMPs and may be leading compounds for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Amino acid substitutions affecting aspartic acid 605 and valine 606 decrease the interaction strength between the influenza virus RNA polymerase PB2 '627' domain and the viral nucleoprotein.

    PubMed

    Hsia, Ho-Pan; Yang, Yin-Hua; Szeto, Wun-Chung; Nilsson, Benjamin E; Lo, Chun-Yeung; Ng, Andy Ka-Leung; Fodor, Ervin; Shaw, Pang-Chui

    2018-01-01

    The influenza virus RNA genome is transcribed and replicated in the context of the viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complex by the viral RNA polymerase. The nucleoprotein (NP) is the structural component of the vRNP providing a scaffold for the viral RNA. In the vRNP as well as during transcription and replication the viral polymerase interacts with NP but it is unclear which parts of the polymerase and NP mediate these interactions. Previously the C-terminal '627' domain (amino acids 538-693) of PB2 was shown to interact with NP. Here we report that a fragment encompassing amino acids 146-185 of NP is sufficient to mediate this interaction. Using NMR chemical shift perturbation assays we show that amino acid region 601 to 607 of the PB2 '627' domain interacts with this fragment of NP. Substitutions of these PB2 amino acids resulted in diminished RNP activity and surface plasmon resonance assays showed that amino acids D605 was essential for the interaction with NP and V606 may also play a partial role in the interaction. Collectively these results reveal a possible interaction surface between NP and the PB2 subunit of the RNA polymerase complex.

  4. Amino acid substitutions of conserved residues in the carboxyl-terminal domain of the [alpha]I(X) chain of type X collagen occur in two unrelated families with metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wallis, G.A.; Rash, B.; Sweetman, W.A.

    1994-02-01

    Type X collagen is a homotrimeric, short-chain, nonfibrillar extracellular-matrix component that is specifically and transiently synthesized by hypertrophic chondrocytes at the site of endochondral ossification. The precise function of type X collagen is not known, but its specific pattern of expression suggests that mutations within the encoding gene (COL10A1) that alter the structure or synthesis of the protein may cause heritable forms of chondrodysplasia. The authors used the PCR and the SSCP techniques to analyze the coding and upstream promoter regions of the COL10A1 gene in a number of individuals with forms of chondrodysplasia. Using this approach, they identified twomore » individuals with metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid (MCDS) with SSCP changes in the region of the gene encoding the carboxyl-terminal domain. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the individuals were heterozygous for two unique single-base-pair transitions that led to the substitution of the highly conserved amino acid residue tyrosine at position 598 by aspartic acid in one person and of leucine at position 614 by proline in the other. The substitution at residue 598 segregated with the phenotype in a family of eight (five affected and three unaffected) related persons. The substitutions at residue 614 occurred in a sporadically affected individual but not in her unaffected mother and brother. Additional members of this family were not available for further study. These results suggest that certain amino acid substitutions within the carboxyl-terminal domain of the chains of the type X collagen molecule cause MCDS. These amino acid substitutions are likely to alter either chain recognition or assembly of the type X collagen molecule, thereby depleting the amount of normal type X collagen deposited in the extracellular matrix, with consequent aberrations in bone growth and development. 36 refs., 5 figs.« less

  5. Classification of group B streptococci with reduced β-lactam susceptibility (GBS-RBS) based on the amino acid substitutions in PBPs.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Kouji; Nagano, Noriyuki; Arakawa, Yoshichika

    2015-01-01

    All clinical isolates of group B Streptococcus (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) are considered uniformly susceptible to β-lactams, including penicillins. However, GBS with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS) were first identified by our group in Japan and have also been reported from North America. PRGBS are non-susceptible to penicillin because of acquisition of amino acid substitutions near the conserved active-site motifs in PBP2X. In particular, V405A and Q557E are considered the key amino acid substitutions responsible for penicillin non-susceptibility. We revealed that in addition to the substitutions in PBP2X, an amino acid substitution in PBP1A confers high-level cephalosporin resistance in GBS. As the number of publications on GBS with reduced β-lactam susceptibility (GBS-RBS), especially PRGBS, and concomitantly the need for a systematic classification of GBS-RBS is increasing, we propose here a classification of GBS-RBS based on the amino acid substitutions in their PBPs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Docosahexaenoic acid affects arachidonic acid uptake in megakaryocytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schick, P.K.; Webster, P.

    1987-05-01

    Dietary omega 3 fatty acids are thought to prevent atherosclerosis, possibly by modifying platelet (PT) function and arachidonic acid (20:4) metabolism. The study was designed to determine whether omega 3 fatty acids primarily affect 20:4 metabolism in megakaryocytes (MK), bone marrow precursors of PT, rather than in circulating PT. MK and PT were isolated from guinea pigs and incubated with (/sup 14/C)-20:4 (0.13uM). Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) is a major omega 3 fatty acid in marine oils. The incubation of MK with 22:6 (0.1, 1.0 uM) resulted in the decrease of incorporation of (/sup 14/C)-20:4 into total MK phospholipids, 16% andmore » 41% respectively. Alpha-linolenic acid (18:3), a major omega 3 fatty acid present in American diets, had no effect on 20:4 uptake in MK. 22:6 primarily affected the uptake of (/sup 14/C)-20:4 into phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) in MK. In MK, 22:6 (0.1, 1.0 uM) caused a decrease of incorporation of (/sup 14/C)-20:4 into PE, 21% and 55% respectively; a decrease into PS, 16% and 48% respectively; but only a decrease of 4% and 18%, respectively, into phosphatidylcholine; and a decrease of 3% and 21% into phosphatidylinositol 22:6 (3.0 uM) had no effect on the uptake of AA into PT phospholipids. The study shows that 22:6 has a selective effect on AA uptake in MK and that the acylation or transacylation of PE and PS are primarily affected. 22:6 and other marine omega 3 fatty acids appear to primarily affect megakaryocytes which may result in the production of platelets with abnormal content and compartmentalization of AA.« less

  7. Development of calcium phosphate cement using chitosan and citric acid for bone substitute materials.

    PubMed

    Yokoyama, Atsuro; Yamamoto, Satoru; Kawasaki, Takao; Kohgo, Takao; Nakasu, Masanori

    2002-02-01

    We developed a calcium phosphate cement that could be molded into any desired shape due to its chewing-gum-like consistency after mixing. The powder component of the cement consists of alpha-tricalcium phosphate and tetracalcium phosphate, which were made by decomposition of hydroxyapatite ceramic blocks. The liquid component consists of citric acid, chitosan and glucose solution. In this study, we used 20% citric acid (group 20) and 45% citric acid (group 45). The mechanical properties and biocompatibility of this new cement were investigated. The setting times of cements were 5.5 min, in group 20 and 6.4 min, in group 45. When incubated in physiological saline, the cements were transformed to hydroxyapatite at 3, and 6 weeks, the compressive strengths were 15.6 and 20.7 MPa, in group 45 and group 20, respectively. The inflammatory response around the cement implanted on the bone and in the subcutaneous tissue in rats was more prominent in group 45 than in group 20 at 1 week after surgery. After 4 weeks, the inflammation disappeared and the cement had bound to bone in both groups. These results indicate that this new calcium phosphate cement is a suitable bone substitute material and that the concentration of citric acid in the liquid component affects its mechanical properties and biocompatibility.

  8. ArrayPitope: Automated Analysis of Amino Acid Substitutions for Peptide Microarray-Based Antibody Epitope Mapping.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Christian Skjødt; Østerbye, Thomas; Marcatili, Paolo; Lund, Ole; Buus, Søren; Nielsen, Morten

    2017-01-01

    Identification of epitopes targeted by antibodies (B cell epitopes) is of critical importance for the development of many diagnostic and therapeutic tools. For clinical usage, such epitopes must be extensively characterized in order to validate specificity and to document potential cross-reactivity. B cell epitopes are typically classified as either linear epitopes, i.e. short consecutive segments from the protein sequence or conformational epitopes adapted through native protein folding. Recent advances in high-density peptide microarrays enable high-throughput, high-resolution identification and characterization of linear B cell epitopes. Using exhaustive amino acid substitution analysis of peptides originating from target antigens, these microarrays can be used to address the specificity of polyclonal antibodies raised against such antigens containing hundreds of epitopes. However, the interpretation of the data provided in such large-scale screenings is far from trivial and in most cases it requires advanced computational and statistical skills. Here, we present an online application for automated identification of linear B cell epitopes, allowing the non-expert user to analyse peptide microarray data. The application takes as input quantitative peptide data of fully or partially substituted overlapping peptides from a given antigen sequence and identifies epitope residues (residues that are significantly affected by substitutions) and visualize the selectivity towards each residue by sequence logo plots. Demonstrating utility, the application was used to identify and address the antibody specificity of 18 linear epitope regions in Human Serum Albumin (HSA), using peptide microarray data consisting of fully substituted peptides spanning the entire sequence of HSA and incubated with polyclonal rabbit anti-HSA (and mouse anti-rabbit-Cy3). The application is made available at: www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/ArrayPitope.

  9. Effect of specific amino acid substitutions in the putative fusion peptide of structural glycoprotein E2 on Classical Swine Fever Virus replication

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fernández-Sainz, I.J.; Largo, E.; Gladue, D.P.

    E2, along with E{sup rns} and E1, is an envelope glycoprotein of Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV). E2 is involved in several virus functions: cell attachment, host range susceptibility and virulence in natural hosts. Here we evaluate the role of a specific E2 region, {sup 818}CPIGWTGVIEC{sup 828}, containing a putative fusion peptide (FP) sequence. Reverse genetics utilizing a full-length infectious clone of the highly virulent CSFV strain Brescia (BICv) was used to evaluate how individual amino acid substitutions within this region of E2 may affect replication of BICv. A synthetic peptide representing the complete E2 FP amino acid sequence adoptedmore » a β-type extended conformation in membrane mimetics, penetrated into model membranes, and perturbed lipid bilayer integrity in vitro. Similar peptides harboring amino acid substitutions adopted comparable conformations but exhibited different membrane activities. Therefore, a preliminary characterization of the putative FP {sup 818}CPIGWTGVIEC{sup 828} indicates a membrane fusion activity and a critical role in virus replication. - Highlights: • A putative fusion peptide (FP) region in CSFV E2 protein was shown to be critical for virus growth. • Synthetic FPs were shown to efficiently penetrate into lipid membranes using an in vitro model. • Individual residues in the FP affecting virus replication were identified by reverse genetics. • The same FP residues are also responsible for mediating membrane fusion.« less

  10. Evaluating EDTA as a substitute for phosphoric acid-etching of enamel and dentin.

    PubMed

    Imbery, Terence A; Kennedy, Matthew; Janus, Charles; Moon, Peter C

    2012-01-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes released when dentin is acid-etched. The enzymes are capable of destroying unprotected collagen fibrils that are not encapsulated by the dentin adhesive. Chlorhexidine applied after etching inhibits the activation of released MMPs, whereas neutral ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) prevents the release of MMPs. The purpose of this study was to determine if conditioning enamel and dentin with EDTA can be a substitute for treating acid-etching enamel and dentin with chlorhexidine. A column of composite resin was bonded to enamel and dentin after conditioning. Shear bond strengths were evaluated after 48 hours and after accelerated aging for three hours in 12% sodium hypochlorite. Shear bond strengths ranged from 15.6 MP a for accelerated aged EDTA enamel specimens to 26.8 MPa for dentin conditioned with EDTA and tested after 48 hours. A three-way ANOVA and a Tukey HSD test found statistically significant differences among the eight groups and the three independent variables (P < 0.05). EDTA was successfully substituted for phosphoric acid-etched enamel and dentin treated with chlorhexidine. Interactions of conditioning agent and aging were significant for dentin but not for enamel. In an effort to reduce the detrimental effects of MMPs, conditioning enamel and dentin with EDTA is an alternative to treating acid-etched dentin and enamel with chlorhexidine.

  11. ArrayPitope: Automated Analysis of Amino Acid Substitutions for Peptide Microarray-Based Antibody Epitope Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, Christian Skjødt; Østerbye, Thomas; Marcatili, Paolo; Lund, Ole; Buus, Søren

    2017-01-01

    Identification of epitopes targeted by antibodies (B cell epitopes) is of critical importance for the development of many diagnostic and therapeutic tools. For clinical usage, such epitopes must be extensively characterized in order to validate specificity and to document potential cross-reactivity. B cell epitopes are typically classified as either linear epitopes, i.e. short consecutive segments from the protein sequence or conformational epitopes adapted through native protein folding. Recent advances in high-density peptide microarrays enable high-throughput, high-resolution identification and characterization of linear B cell epitopes. Using exhaustive amino acid substitution analysis of peptides originating from target antigens, these microarrays can be used to address the specificity of polyclonal antibodies raised against such antigens containing hundreds of epitopes. However, the interpretation of the data provided in such large-scale screenings is far from trivial and in most cases it requires advanced computational and statistical skills. Here, we present an online application for automated identification of linear B cell epitopes, allowing the non-expert user to analyse peptide microarray data. The application takes as input quantitative peptide data of fully or partially substituted overlapping peptides from a given antigen sequence and identifies epitope residues (residues that are significantly affected by substitutions) and visualize the selectivity towards each residue by sequence logo plots. Demonstrating utility, the application was used to identify and address the antibody specificity of 18 linear epitope regions in Human Serum Albumin (HSA), using peptide microarray data consisting of fully substituted peptides spanning the entire sequence of HSA and incubated with polyclonal rabbit anti-HSA (and mouse anti-rabbit-Cy3). The application is made available at: www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/ArrayPitope. PMID:28095436

  12. Efficient synthesis of hydroxystyrenes via biocatalytic decarboxylation/deacetylation of substituted cinnamic acids by newly isolated Pantoea agglomerans strains.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Upendra K; Sharma, Nandini; Salwan, Richa; Kumar, Rakesh; Kasana, Ramesh C; Sinha, Arun K

    2012-02-01

    Decarboxylation of substituted cinnamic acids is a predominantly followed pathway for obtaining hydroxystyrenes-one of the most extensively explored bioactive compounds in the food and flavor industry (e.g. FEMA GRAS approved 4-vinylguaiacol). For this, mild and green strategies providing good yields with high product selectivity are needed. Two newly isolated bacterial strains, i.e. Pantoea agglomerans KJLPB4 and P. agglomerans KJPB2, are reported for mild and effective decarboxylation of substituted cinnamic acids into corresponding hydroxystyrenes. Key operational parameters for the process, such as incubation temperature, incubation time, substrate concentration and effect of co-solvent, were optimized using ferulic acid as a model substrate. With strain KJLPB4, 1.51 g L⁻¹ 4-vinyl guaiacol (98% yield) was selectively obtained from 2 g L⁻¹ ferulic acid at 28 °C after 48 h incubation. However, KJPB2 provided vanillic acid in 85% yield after 72 h following the oxidative decarboxylation pathway. In addition, KJLPB4 was effectively exploited for the deacetylation of acetylated α-phenylcinnamic acids, providing corresponding compounds in 65-95% yields. Two newly isolated microbial strains are reported for the mild and selective decarboxylation of substituted cinnamic acids into hydroxystyrenes. Preparative-scale synthesis of vinyl guaiacol and utilization of renewable feedstock (ferulic acid extracted from maize bran) have been demonstrated to enhance the practical utility of the process. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Synthesis and stereochemical analysis of β-nitromethane substituted γ-amino acids and peptides.

    PubMed

    Ganesh Kumar, Mothukuri; Mali, Sachitanand M; Gopi, Hosahudya N

    2013-02-07

    The high diastereoselectivity in the Michael addition of nitromethane to α,β-unsaturated γ-amino esters, crystal conformations of β-nitromethane substituted γ-amino acids and peptides are studied. Results suggest that the N-Boc protected amide NH, conformations of α,β-unsaturated γ-amino esters and alkyl side chains play a crucial role in dictating the high diastereoselectivity of nitromethane addition to E-vinylogous amino esters. Investigation of the crystal conformations of both α,β-unsaturated γ-amino esters and the Michael addition products suggests that an H-C(γ)-C(β)=C(α) eclipsed conformer of the unsaturated amino ester leads to the major (anti) product compared to that of an N-C(γ)-C(β)=C(α) eclipsed conformer. The major diastereomers were separated and subjected to the peptide synthesis. The single crystal analysis of the dipeptide containing β-nitromethane substituted γ-amino acids reveals a helical type of folded conformation with an isolated H-bond involving a nine-atom pseudocycle.

  14. Synthesis of ω-Oxo Amino Acids and trans-5-Substituted Proline Derivatives Using Cross-Metathesis of Unsaturated Amino Acids.

    PubMed

    Salih, Nabaz; Adams, Harry; Jackson, Richard F W

    2016-09-16

    A range of 7-oxo, 8-oxo, and 9-oxo amino acids, analogues of 8-oxo-2-aminodecanoic acid, one of the key components of the cyclic tetrapeptide apicidin, have been prepared by a three-step process involving copper-catalyzed allylation of serine-, aspartic acid-, and glutamic acid-derived organozinc reagents, followed by cross-metathesis of the resulting terminal alkenes with unsaturated ketones and hydrogenation. The intermediate 7-oxo-5-enones underwent a highly diastereoselective (dr ≥96:4) acid-catalyzed aza-Michael reaction to give trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines, 5-substituted proline derivatives. The aza-Michael reaction was first observed when the starting enones were allowed to stand in solution in deuterochloroform but can be efficiently promoted by catalytic amounts of dry HCl.

  15. Evaluating the efficacy of a structure-derived amino acid substitution matrix in detecting protein homologs by BLAST and PSI-BLAST.

    PubMed

    Goonesekere, Nalin Cw

    2009-01-01

    The large numbers of protein sequences generated by whole genome sequencing projects require rapid and accurate methods of annotation. The detection of homology through computational sequence analysis is a powerful tool in determining the complex evolutionary and functional relationships that exist between proteins. Homology search algorithms employ amino acid substitution matrices to detect similarity between proteins sequences. The substitution matrices in common use today are constructed using sequences aligned without reference to protein structure. Here we present amino acid substitution matrices constructed from the alignment of a large number of protein domain structures from the structural classification of proteins (SCOP) database. We show that when incorporated into the homology search algorithms BLAST and PSI-blast, the structure-based substitution matrices enhance the efficacy of detecting remote homologs.

  16. Generic substitution of antihypertensive drugs: does it affect adherence?

    PubMed

    Van Wijk, Boris L G; Klungel, Olaf H; Heerdink, Eibert R; de Boer, Anthonius

    2006-01-01

    Generic substitution is an important opportunity to reduce the costs of pharmaceutical care. However, pharmacists and physicians often find that patients and brand-name manufacturers have doubt about the equivalence of the substituted drug. This may be reflected by decreased adherence to therapy. To assess the association between generic substitution and nonadherence to antihypertensive drugs. We conducted a matched cohort study between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2002. Data were obtained from PHARMO, a record linkage system containing drug-dispensing records from community pharmacies and linked hospital discharge records of approximately 950,000 people in The Netherlands. Residents of 30 medium-sized cities who initiated antihypertensive drug therapy were potential subjects. Refill adherence with antihypertensive drugs after substitution was determined; those with refill adherence below 80% were considered nonadherent. Four hundred sixty-three patients with a substitution in therapy and 565 controls, matched on age, gender, therapy start date, duration of use, and generic product code, were identified. Of the patients who switched from brand-name to generic formulations ("substituted"), 13.6% were nonadherent, and of the non-substituted patients (those who did not switch to generic), 18.7% were nonadherent (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.96). The association was absent in males. None of the patients discontinued the medication. No differences in hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease in the 6 months after the substitution were observed. Generic substitution of antihypertensive drugs does not lead to lower adherence or more discontinuation and cardiovascular disease-related hospitalizations compared with brand-name therapy. When a less-expensive antihypertensive generic equivalent becomes available, generic substitution should be considered to achieve economic benefits.

  17. Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avila, Walter B.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Described is a microscale organic chemistry experiment which demonstrates one feasible route in preparing ortho-substituted benzoic acids and provides an example of nucleophilic aromatic substitution chemistry. Experimental procedures and instructor notes for this activity are provided. (CW)

  18. Many amino acid substitution variants identified in DNA repair genes during human population screenings are predicted to impact protein function

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xi, T; Jones, I M; Mohrenweiser, H W

    2003-11-03

    Over 520 different amino acid substitution variants have been previously identified in the systematic screening of 91 human DNA repair genes for sequence variation. Two algorithms were employed to predict the impact of these amino acid substitutions on protein activity. Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT) classified 226 of 508 variants (44%) as ''Intolerant''. Polymorphism Phenotyping (PolyPhen) classed 165 of 489 amino acid substitutions (34%) as ''Probably or Possibly Damaging''. Another 9-15% of the variants were classed as ''Potentially Intolerant or Damaging''. The results from the two algorithms are highly associated, with concordance in predicted impact observed for {approx}62% of themore » variants. Twenty one to thirty one percent of the variant proteins are predicted to exhibit reduced activity by both algorithms. These variants occur at slightly lower individual allele frequency than do the variants classified as ''Tolerant'' or ''Benign''. Both algorithms correctly predicted the impact of 26 functionally characterized amino acid substitutions in the APE1 protein on biochemical activity, with one exception. It is concluded that a substantial fraction of the missense variants observed in the general human population are functionally relevant. These variants are expected to be the molecular genetic and biochemical basis for the associations of reduced DNA repair capacity phenotypes with elevated cancer risk.« less

  19. 40 CFR 721.5262 - 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-4...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... identified generically as 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-4-hydroxy-3-[(1-sulfo-2-naphthalenyl)azo...

  20. 40 CFR 721.5262 - 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-4...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... identified generically as 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 5-[[4-chloro-6-[substituted] amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-4-hydroxy-3-[(1-sulfo-2-naphthalenyl)azo...

  1. Identification by random forest method of HLA class I amino acid substitutions associated with lower survival at day 100 in unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation.

    PubMed

    Marino, S R; Lin, S; Maiers, M; Haagenson, M; Spellman, S; Klein, J P; Binkowski, T A; Lee, S J; van Besien, K

    2012-02-01

    The identification of important amino acid substitutions associated with low survival in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is hampered by the large number of observed substitutions compared with the small number of patients available for analysis. Random forest analysis is designed to address these limitations. We studied 2107 HCT recipients with good or intermediate risk hematological malignancies to identify HLA class I amino acid substitutions associated with reduced survival at day 100 post transplant. Random forest analysis and traditional univariate and multivariate analyses were used. Random forest analysis identified amino acid substitutions in 33 positions that were associated with reduced 100 day survival, including HLA-A 9, 43, 62, 63, 76, 77, 95, 97, 114, 116, 152, 156, 166 and 167; HLA-B 97, 109, 116 and 156; and HLA-C 6, 9, 11, 14, 21, 66, 77, 80, 95, 97, 99, 116, 156, 163 and 173. In all 13 had been previously reported by other investigators using classical biostatistical approaches. Using the same data set, traditional multivariate logistic regression identified only five amino acid substitutions associated with lower day 100 survival. Random forest analysis is a novel statistical methodology for analysis of HLA mismatching and outcome studies, capable of identifying important amino acid substitutions missed by other methods.

  2. Amino Acid Substitution in Trichophyton rubrum Squalene Epoxidase Associated with Resistance to Terbinafine

    PubMed Central

    Osborne, Colin S.; Leitner, Ingrid; Favre, Bertrand; Ryder, Neil S.

    2005-01-01

    There has only been one clinically confirmed case of terbinafine resistance in dermatophytes, where six sequential Trichophyton rubrum isolates from the same patient were found to be resistant to terbinafine and cross-resistant to other squalene epoxidase (SE) inhibitors. Microsomal SE activity from these resistant isolates was insensitive to terbinafine, suggesting a target-based mechanism of resistance (B. Favre, M. Ghannoum, and N. S. Ryder, Med. Mycol. 42:525-529, 2004). In this study, we have characterized at the molecular level the cause of the resistant phenotype of these clinical isolates. Cloning and sequencing of the SE gene and cDNA from T. rubrum revealed the presence of an intron in the gene and an open reading frame encoding a protein of 489 residues, with an equivalent similarity (57%) to both yeast and mammalian SEs. The nucleotide sequences of SE from two terbinafine-susceptible strains were identical whereas those of terbinafine-resistant strains, serially isolated from the same patient, each contained the same single missense introducing the amino acid substitution L393F. Introduction of the corresponding substitution in the Candida albicans SE gene (L398F) and expression of this gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae conferred a resistant phenotype to the transformants when compared to those expressing the wild-type sequence. Terbinafine resistance in these T. rubrum clinical isolates appears to be due to a single amino acid substitution in SE. PMID:15980358

  3. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging parameters describing acid phosphate substitution in biologic hydroxyapatite.

    PubMed

    Spevak, Lyudmila; Flach, Carol R; Hunter, Tracey; Mendelsohn, Richard; Boskey, Adele

    2013-05-01

    Acid phosphate substitution into mineralized tissues is an important determinant of their mechanical properties and their response to treatment. This study identifies and validates Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging (FTIRI) spectral parameters that provide information on the acid phosphate (HPO4) substitution into hydroxyapatite in developing mineralized tissues. Curve fitting and Fourier self-deconvolution were used to identify subband positions in model compounds (with and without HPO4). The intensity of subbands at 1127 and 1110 cm(-1) correlated with the acid phosphate content in these models. Peak height ratios of these subbands to the ν3 vibration at 1096 cm(-1) found in stoichiometric apatite were evaluated in the model compounds and mixtures thereof. FTIRI spectra of bones and teeth at different developmental ages were analyzed using these spectral parameters. Factor analysis (a chemometric technique) was also conducted on the tissue samples and resulted in factor loadings with spectral features corresponding to the HPO4 vibrations described above. Images of both factor correlation coefficients and the peak height ratios 1127/1096 and 1112/1096 cm(-1) demonstrated higher acid phosphate content in younger vs. more mature regions in the same specimen. Maps of the distribution of acid phosphate content will be useful for characterizing the extent of new bone formation, the areas of potential decreased strength, and the effects of therapies such as those used in metabolic bone diseases (osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease) on mineral composition. Because of the wider range of values obtained with the 1127/1096 cm(-1) parameter compared to the 1110/1096 cm(-1) parameter and the smaller scatter in the slope, it is suggested that this ratio should be the parameter of choice.

  4. Lewis acid tuned facial stereodivergent HDA reactions using beta-substituted N-vinyloxazolidinones.

    PubMed

    Gohier, Frédéric; Bouhadjera, Keltoum; Faye, Djibril; Gaulon, Catherine; Maisonneuve, Vincent; Dujardin, Gilles; Dhal, Robert

    2007-01-18

    The [4 + 2] acido-catalyzed heterocycloaddition between new beta-substituted N-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones (with R' = Me, Ar, CH2 Ar) and beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-ketoesters (R = Ar) afforded heteroadducts with high levels of endo and facial selectivities. A complete reversal of facial differentiation was achieved by varying the Lewis acid, leading to the stereoselective formation of either endo-alpha or endo-beta adducts. [reaction: see text].

  5. Improved Synthesis of 5-Substituted 1H-Tetrazoles via the [3+2] Cycloaddition of Nitriles and Sodium Azide Catalyzed by Silica Sulfuric Acid

    PubMed Central

    Du, Zhenting; Si, Changmei; Li, Youqiang; Wang, Yin; Lu, Jing

    2012-01-01

    A silica supported sulfuric acid catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of nitriles and sodium azide to form 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles is described. The protocol can provide a series of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles using silica sulfuric acid from nitriles and sodium azide in DMF in 72%–95% yield. PMID:22606004

  6. Electronic Effects of 11β Substituted 17β-Estradiol Derivatives and Instrumental Effects on the Relative Gas Phase Acidity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bourgoin-Voillard, Sandrine; Fournier, Françoise; Afonso, Carlos; Zins, Emilie-Laure; Jacquot, Yves; Pèpe, Claude; Leclercq, Guy; Tabet, Jean-Claude

    2012-12-01

    Numerous studies have highlighted the role of the proton donor characteristics of the phenol group of 17β-estradiol (E2) in its association with the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). Since the substitutions at position C(11) have been reported to modulate this association, we hypothesized that such substitutions may modify the phenol acidity. Hence, phenol gas-phase acidity of nine C(11)-substituted E2-derivatives were evaluated using the extended Cooks' kinetic method, which is a method widely used to determine thermochemical properties by mass spectrometry. To enhance accuracy in data collection we recorded data from several instruments, including quadrupole ion trap, triple quadrupole, and hybrid QqTOF. Indeed, we report for the first time the use of the QqTOF instrument to provide a novel means to improve data accuracy by giving access to an intermediate effective temperature range. All experimental gas-phase acidity values were supported by theoretical calculations. Our results confirmed the ability of distant substituents at C(11) to modulate the phenol acidity through electrostatic interactions, electron withdrawing inductive effects, and mesomeric effects. However, no relationship was found between the phenol gas-phase acidity of investigated steroids and their binding affinity for ERα assessed in solution. Thus, our results highlight that the intrinsic properties of the hormone do not influence sufficiently the stabilization of the hormone/ERα complex. It is more likely that such stabilization would be more related to factors depending on the environment within the binding pocket such as hydrophobic, steric as well as direct intermolecular electrostatic effects between ERα residues and the substituted steroidal estrogens.

  7. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Formulations in Cardiovascular Disease: Dietary Supplements are Not Substitutes for Prescription Products.

    PubMed

    Fialkow, Jonathan

    2016-08-01

    Omega-3 fatty acid products are available as prescription formulations (icosapent ethyl, omega-3-acid ethyl esters, omega-3-acid ethyl esters A, omega-3-carboxylic acids) and dietary supplements (predominantly fish oils). Most dietary supplements and all but one prescription formulation contain mixtures of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Products containing both EPA and DHA may raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In clinical trials, the EPA-only prescription product, icosapent ethyl, did not raise LDL-C compared with placebo. To correct a common misconception, it is important to note that omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements are not US FDA-approved over-the-counter drugs and are not required to demonstrate safety and efficacy prior to marketing. Conversely, prescription products are supported by extensive clinical safety and efficacy investigations required for FDA approval and have active and ongoing safety monitoring programs. While omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements may have a place in the supplementation of diet, they generally contain lower levels of EPA and DHA than prescription products and are not approved or intended to treat disease. Perhaps due to the lack of regulation of dietary supplements, EPA and DHA levels may vary widely within and between brands, and products may also contain unwanted cholesterol or fats or potentially harmful components, including toxins and oxidized fatty acids. Accordingly, omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements should not be substituted for prescription products. Similarly, prescription products containing DHA and EPA should not be substituted for the EPA-only prescription product, as DHA may raise LDL-C and thereby complicate the management of patients with dyslipidemia.

  8. Kinetic resolution and stereoselective synthesis of 3-substituted aspartic acids by using engineered methylaspartate ammonia lyases.

    PubMed

    Raj, Hans; Szymanski, Wiktor; de Villiers, Jandré; Puthan Veetil, Vinod; Quax, Wim J; Shimamoto, Keiko; Janssen, Dick B; Feringa, Ben L; Poelarends, Gerrit J

    2013-08-19

    Enzymatic amino acid synthesis: Kinetic resolution and asymmetric synthesis of various valuable 3-substituted aspartic acids, which were obtained in fair to good yields with diastereomeric ratio values of up to >98:2 and enantiomeric excess values of up to >99 %, by using engineered methylaspartate ammonia lyases are described. These biocatalytic methodologies for the selective preparation of aspartic acid derivatives appear to be attractive alternatives for existing chemical methods. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Amino acid substitutions in low pathogenic avian influenza virus strains isolated from wild birds in Korea.

    PubMed

    Oh, Kwang-Hyun; Mo, Jong-Suk; Bae, Yeon-Ji; Lee, Seung-Baek; Lai, Van Dam; Wang, Seung-Jun; Mo, In-Pil

    2018-06-01

    Wild birds are natural hosts and reservoirs for influenza A viruses. However, many species, such as many waterfowl, are asymptomatic when infected and so facilitate the generation of viral genetic diversity. Mutations of key genes affect the replicability, pathogenicity, transmissibility, and antiviral resistance of influenza A viruses. In this study, we isolated avian influenza (AI) viruses from wild bird fecal samples and analyzed changes in amino acids over time and geographic region to monitor the biological change of the AI virus. Between 2014 and 2016, we collected 38,921 fresh fecal samples from major wild bird habitats located throughout Korea and isolated 123 AI viruses. We subsequently selected 22 amino acid sites to analyze for changes. These sites included ten sites associated with replication, ten sites associated with pathogenicity, three sites associated with transmission, and seven sites associated with antiviral resistance. We found substitution rates of 71.7% at the C38Y amino acid site within the polymerase basic protein 1 (PB1) gene, 66.7% at the D222G site within the hemagglutinin (HA) 1 gene, and 75.6% at the A184 site within the nucleoprotein (NP) gene. Alterations of the PB1, HA1, and NP genes are closely associated with increased pathogenicity in chickens and mammals. The remaining sites of interest exhibited few modifications. In this study, we confirmed that AI viruses circulating among wild birds in Korea consistently exhibit modifications at amino acid sites linked with replication and pathogenicity.

  10. Substituent and solvent effects on electronic spectra of some substituted phenoxyacetic acids.

    PubMed

    Shanthi, M; Kabilan, S

    2007-06-01

    The effects of substituents and solvents have been studied through the absorption spectra of nearly 19 para- and ortho-substituted phenoxyacetic acids in the range of 200-400 nm. The effects of substituent on the absorption spectra of compounds under present investigation are interpreted by correlation of absorption frequencies with simple and extended Hammett equations. Effect of solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding on the absorption spectra are interpreted by means of Kamlet equation and the results are discussed.

  11. Substituent and solvent effects on electronic spectra of some substituted phenoxyacetic acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shanthi, M.; Kabilan, S.

    2007-06-01

    The effects of substituents and solvents have been studied through the absorption spectra of nearly 19 para- and ortho-substituted phenoxyacetic acids in the range of 200-400 nm. The effects of substituent on the absorption spectra of compounds under present investigation are interpreted by correlation of absorption frequencies with simple and extended Hammett equations. Effect of solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding on the absorption spectra are interpreted by means of Kamlet equation and the results are discussed.

  12. Identification of ortho-Substituted Benzoic Acid/Ester Derivatives via the Gas-Phase Neighboring Group Participation Effect in (+)-ESI High Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Blincoe, William D; Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Saurí, Josep; Pierson, Nicholas A; Joyce, Leo A; Mangion, Ian; Sheng, Huaming

    2018-04-01

    Benzoic acid/ester/amide derivatives are common moieties in pharmaceutical compounds and present a challenge in positional isomer identification by traditional tandem mass spectrometric analysis. A method is presented for exploiting the gas-phase neighboring group participation (NGP) effect to differentiate ortho-substituted benzoic acid/ester derivatives with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS 1 ). Significant water/alcohol loss (>30% abundance in MS 1 spectra) was observed for ortho-substituted nucleophilic groups; these fragment peaks are not observable for the corresponding para and meta-substituted analogs. Experiments were also extended to the analysis of two intermediates in the synthesis of suvorexant (Belsomra) with additional analysis conducted with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), density functional theory (DFT), and ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) studies. Significant water/alcohol loss was also observed for 1-substituted 1, 2, 3-triazoles but not for the isomeric 2-substituted 1, 2, 3-triazole analogs. IMS-MS, NMR, and DFT studies were conducted to show that the preferred orientation of the 2-substituted triazole rotamer was away from the electrophilic center of the reaction, whereas the 1-subtituted triazole was oriented in close proximity to the center. Abundance of NGP product was determined to be a product of three factors: (1) proton affinity of the nucleophilic group; (2) steric impact of the nucleophile; and (3) proximity of the nucleophile to carboxylic acid/ester functional groups. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  13. Identification of ortho-Substituted Benzoic Acid/Ester Derivatives via the Gas-Phase Neighboring Group Participation Effect in (+)-ESI High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blincoe, William D.; Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Saurí, Josep; Pierson, Nicholas A.; Joyce, Leo A.; Mangion, Ian; Sheng, Huaming

    2018-02-01

    Benzoic acid/ester/amide derivatives are common moieties in pharmaceutical compounds and present a challenge in positional isomer identification by traditional tandem mass spectrometric analysis. A method is presented for exploiting the gas-phase neighboring group participation (NGP) effect to differentiate ortho-substituted benzoic acid/ester derivatives with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS1). Significant water/alcohol loss (>30% abundance in MS1 spectra) was observed for ortho-substituted nucleophilic groups; these fragment peaks are not observable for the corresponding para and meta-substituted analogs. Experiments were also extended to the analysis of two intermediates in the synthesis of suvorexant (Belsomra) with additional analysis conducted with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), density functional theory (DFT), and ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) studies. Significant water/alcohol loss was also observed for 1-substituted 1, 2, 3-triazoles but not for the isomeric 2-substituted 1, 2, 3-triazole analogs. IMS-MS, NMR, and DFT studies were conducted to show that the preferred orientation of the 2-substituted triazole rotamer was away from the electrophilic center of the reaction, whereas the 1-subtituted triazole was oriented in close proximity to the center. Abundance of NGP product was determined to be a product of three factors: (1) proton affinity of the nucleophilic group; (2) steric impact of the nucleophile; and (3) proximity of the nucleophile to carboxylic acid/ester functional groups. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. Substitution and addition reactions of •OH with p-substituted-phenols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albarrán, Guadalupe; Galicia-Jiménez, Eduardo; Mendoza, Edith; Schuler, Robert H.

    2017-04-01

    The directing effect of a hydroxyl group on the substitution and addition reactions of •OH to the substituted and free positions in aromatic rings of p-substituted-phenols were studied in aqueous solutions containing either K3Fe(CN)6 as an oxidant of the substituted hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical initially formed or using ascorbic acid. The results showed that the attack of the •OH to the substituted position (ipso position) was followed by elimination of the substituent producing hydroquinone. The addition reaction of the •OH to the free position on the ring produced 4-substituent-catechol and 4-substituent-resorcinol derivatives. Identification and quantification of the radiolytic products were carried out using high performance liquid chromatography. The results of the yields are given for the p-halogen-phenols (p-X-Ph) p-F-Ph, p-Cl-Ph, p-Br-Ph and p-I-Ph. Other compounds, p-nitro-Ph, p-OH-benzoic acid, p-OH-benzonitrile, p-OH-benzaldehyde, p-OH-anisole and p-OH-benzyl alcohol (represented as p-Z-Ph), were only studied using K3Fe(CN)6 as the oxidant. The results show that the p-X-Ph are attacked by the •OH at the ipso position to the halogen in the proportion 1:0.53:0.46:0.11 for F>Cl>Br>I. The •OH attacked at the ipso position to the p-Z-Phs through a substitution reaction, which depended on the substituent group. Thus, the strongly deactivating groups produced less hydroquinone, indicating less substitution reaction than the strongly activating groups.

  15. 40 CFR 72.41 - Phase I substitution plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.41 Phase I substitution... section 410 of the Act. (b)(1) The designated representative may include, in the Acid Rain permit... an Acid Rain permit containing the plan, except that if the substitution plan is conditionally...

  16. 40 CFR 72.41 - Phase I substitution plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.41 Phase I substitution... section 410 of the Act. (b)(1) The designated representative may include, in the Acid Rain permit... an Acid Rain permit containing the plan, except that if the substitution plan is conditionally...

  17. 40 CFR 72.41 - Phase I substitution plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.41 Phase I substitution... section 410 of the Act. (b)(1) The designated representative may include, in the Acid Rain permit... an Acid Rain permit containing the plan, except that if the substitution plan is conditionally...

  18. 40 CFR 72.41 - Phase I substitution plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.41 Phase I substitution... section 410 of the Act. (b)(1) The designated representative may include, in the Acid Rain permit... an Acid Rain permit containing the plan, except that if the substitution plan is conditionally...

  19. 40 CFR 72.41 - Phase I substitution plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) PERMITS REGULATION Acid Rain Compliance Plan and Compliance Options § 72.41 Phase I substitution... section 410 of the Act. (b)(1) The designated representative may include, in the Acid Rain permit... an Acid Rain permit containing the plan, except that if the substitution plan is conditionally...

  20. A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the NS2A Protein of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Affects Virus Propagation In Vitro but Not In Vivo.

    PubMed

    Takamatsu, Yuki; Morita, Kouichi; Hayasaka, Daisuke

    2015-06-01

    We identified a unique amino acid of NS2A113, phenylalanine, that affects the efficient propagation of two Japanese encephalitis virus strains, JaTH160 and JaOArS982, in neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells but not in cell lines of extraneural origin. This amino acid did not affect viral loads in the brain or survival curves in mice. These findings suggest that virus propagation in vitro may not reflect the level of virus neuroinvasiveness in vivo. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  1. High temperature dissolution of chromium substituted nickel ferrite in nitrilotriacetic acid medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sathyaseelan, V. S.; Chandramohan, P.; Velmurugan, S.

    2016-12-01

    High temperature (HT) dissolution of chromium substituted nickel ferrite was carried out with relevance to the decontamination of nuclear reactors by way of chemical dissolution of contaminated corrosion product oxides present on stainless steel coolant circuit surfaces. Chromium substituted nickel ferrites of composition, NiFe(2-x)CrxO4 (x ≤ 1), was synthetically prepared and characterized. HT dissolution of these oxides was carried out in nitrilotriacetic acid medium at 160 °C. Dissolution was remarkably increased at 160 °C when compared to at 85 °C in a reducing decontamination formulation. Complete dissolution could be achieved for the oxides with chromium content 0 and 0.2. Increasing the chromium content brought about a marked reduction in the dissolution rate. About 40 fold decrease in rate of dissolution was observed when chromium was increased from 0 to 1. The rate of dissolution was not very significantly reduced in the presence of N2H4. Dissolution of oxide was found to be stoichiometric.

  2. Equilibrium Acidities and Homolytic Bond Dissociation Enthalpies of the Acidic C-H Bonds in P-(Para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium Cations and Related Cations.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xian-Man; Fry, Albert J.; Bordwell, Frederick G.

    1996-06-14

    Equilibrium acidities (pK(HA)) of six P-(para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium (p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+)) cations, P-allyltriphenylphosphonium cation, P-cinnamyltriphenylphosphonium cation, and As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation, together with the oxidation potentials [E(ox)(A(-))] of their conjugate anions (ylides) have been measured in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution. The acidifying effects of the alpha-triphenylphosphonium groups on the acidic C-H bonds in toluene and propene were found to be ca 25 pK(HA) units (34 kcal/mol). Introduction of an electron-withdrawing group such as 4-NO(2), 4-CN, or 4-Br into the para position of the benzyl ring in p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+) cations resulted in an additional acidity increase, but introduction of the 4-OEt electron-donating group decreases the acidity. The equilibrium acidities of p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+) cations were nicely linearly correlated with the Hammett sigma(-) constants of the substituents (G) with a slope of 4.78 pK(HA) units (R(2) = 0.992) (Figure 1). Reversible oxidation potentials of the P-(para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium ylides were obtained by fast scan cyclic voltammetry. The homolytic bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of the acidic C-H bonds in these cations, estimated by combining their equilibrium acidities with the oxidation potentials of their corresponding conjugate anions, showed that the alpha-Ph(3)P(+) groups have negligible stabilizing or destabilizing effects on the adjacent radicals. The equilibrium acidity of As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation is 4 pK(HA) units weaker than that of P-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylphosphonium cation, but the BDE of the acidic C-H bond in As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation is ca 2 kcal/mol higher than that in P-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylphosphonium cation.

  3. Dipole moment and solvatochromism of benzoic acid liquid crystals: Tuning the dipole moment and molecular orbital energies by substituted Au under external electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sıdır, Yadigar Gülseven; Sıdır, İsa; Demiray, Ferhat

    2017-06-01

    The optical absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectra of 4-heptyloxybenzoic acid (4hoba), 4-octyloxybenzoic acid (4ooba) and 4-nonyloxybenzoic acid (4noba) liquid crystals have been measured in a series of different polarity organic solvents. The ground state (μg) and excited state (μe) dipole moments of the monomeric and dimeric 4-alkyloxybenzoic acid liquid crystals have been obtained by means of different solvatochromic shift methods. HOMO-LUMO gaps (HLG) and dipole moments have been tuned by applying external electric (EF) field on monomer, dimer and Au substituted monomer and dimer liquid crystal structures. By applying external electric field, Au substituted monomer liquid crystals display semiconductor character, while Au substituted dimer liquid crystals gain metallic character under E = 0.04 V/Å. Eventuated specific and non-specific interactions between solvent and solute in solvent medium have been expounded by using LSER (Linear Solvation Energy Relationships).

  4. Generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs.

    PubMed

    Sander, Josemir W; Ryvlin, Philippe; Stefan, Hermann; Booth, Daniel R; Bauer, Jürgen

    2010-12-01

    Substitution of antiepileptic drugs with generic formulations may affect individual people, as well as healthcare systems. Analyses of large medical claims databases suggest that generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs is associated with increased morbidity and greater use of healthcare resources. While a single brand-to-generic switch may be associated with a slight increase in overall medical costs, multiple switches may be associated with higher costs, perhaps because different generic agents are not required to be bioequivalent to each other. Generic substitution also affects the individual: along with the possible increased risk of seizures or adverse events, inconsistency of supply may make the medication appear unfamiliar, thus discouraging adherence. Importantly, substitution is often carried out at the dispensing level, without the knowledge or consent of physicians and affected individuals. Therefore, regulatory and professional bodies advocate that substitution should not be carried out without specific counseling of the individual by healthcare professionals on the details and implications of the change.

  5. Conformational properties of a pyridyl-substituted cinnamic acid studied by NMR measurements and computations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Csankó, K.; Forgo, P.; Boros, K.; Hohmann, J.; Sipos, P.; Pálinkó, I.

    2013-07-01

    Following a preliminary exploration of the conformational space by the PM3 and HF/6-31 G*ab initio methods the conformational characteristics of the scarcely available Z isomer of an α-pyridyl-substituted cinnamic acid dimer [Z-2(3‧-pyridyl)-3-phenylpropanoic acid] was studied by NMR spectroscopy (NOESY measurements) in DMSO(d6), methanol(d4) and chloroform(d1). Calculations predicted that full conjugation was overruled by steric interactions and the rotation of the pyridyl ring was not restricted. NOESY measurements verified indeed that in all three solvents the pyridyl group was virtually freely rotating, while some restriction applied for that of the phenyl group.

  6. The computational analysis and modelling of substitution effects on hydrolysis of formanilides in acidic aqueous solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lukeš, Vladimír; Škorňa, Peter; Michalík, Martin; Klein, Erik

    2017-11-01

    Various para, meta and ortho substituted formanilides have been theoretically studied. For trans and cis-isomers of non-substituted formanilide, the calculated B3LYP vibration normal modes were analyzed. Substituent effect on the selected normal modes was described and the comparison with the available experimental data is presented. The calculated B3LYP proton affinities were correlated with Hammett constants, Fujita-Nishioka equation and the rate constants of the hydrolysis in 1 M HCl. Found linear dependences allow predictions of dissociation constants (pKBH+) and hydrolysis rate constants. Obtained results indicate that protonation of amide group may represent the rate determining step of acid catalyzed hydrolysis.

  7. Development of amino acid substituted gemini surfactant-based mucoadhesive gene delivery systems for potential use as noninvasive vaginal genetic vaccination.

    PubMed

    Singh, Jagbir; Michel, Deborah; Getson, Heather M; Chitanda, Jackson M; Verrall, Ronald E; Badea, Ildiko

    2015-02-01

    Recently, we synthesized amino acid- and peptide-substituted gemini surfactants, 'biolipids' that exhibited high transfection efficiency in vitro. In this study, we developed these plasmid DNA and gemini surfactant lipid particles for noninvasive administration in vaginal cavity. Novel formulations of these gene delivery systems were prepared with poloxamer 407 to induce in situ gelling of the formulation and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether to improve their penetration across mucosal tissue. Poloxamer at 16% w/v concentration in diethylene glycol monoethyl ether aqueous solution produced dispersions that gelled near body temperature and had a high yield value, preventing leakage of the formulation from the vaginal cavity. Intravaginal administration in rabbits showed that the glycyl-lysine-substituted gemini surfactant led to a higher gene expression compared with the parent unsubstituted gemini surfactant. This provides a proof-of-concept that amino acid substituted gemini surfactants can be used as noninvasive mucosal (vaginal) gene delivery systems to treat diseases associated with mucosal epithelia.

  8. Amino acid substitutions in the thymidine kinase gene of induced acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussin, Ainulkhir; Nor, Norefrina Shafinaz Md; Ibrahim, Nazlina

    2013-11-01

    Acyclovir (ACV) is an antiviral drug of choice in healthcare setting to treat infections caused by herpes viruses, including, but not limited to genital herpes, cold sores, shingles and chicken pox. Acyclovir resistance has emerged significantly due to extensive use and misuse of this antiviral in human, especially in immunocompromised patients. However, it remains unclear about the amino acid substitutions in thymidine (TK) gene, which specifically confer the resistance-associated mutation in herpes simplex virus. Hence, acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 was selected at high concentration (2.0 - 4.5 μg/mL), and the TK-gene was subjected to sequencing and genotypic characterization. Genotypic sequences comparison was done using HSV-1 17 (GenBank Accesion no. X14112) for resistance-associated mutation determination whereas HSV-1 KOS, HSV-1 473/08 and HSV clinical isolates sequences were used for polymorphism-associated mutation. The result showed that amino acid substitutions at the non-conserved region (UKM-1: Gln34Lys, UKM-2: Arg32Ser & UKM-5: Arg32Cys) and ATP-binding site (UKM-3: Tyr53End & UKM-4: Ile54Leu) of the TK-gene. These discoveries play an important role to extend another dimension to the evolution of acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 and suggest that selection at high ACV concentration induced ACV-resistant HSV-1 evolution. These findings also expand the knowledge on the type of mutations among acyclovir-resistant HSV-1. In conclusion, HSV-1 showed multiple strategies to exhibit acyclovir resistance, including amino acid substitutions in the TK gene.

  9. The neurobiology of retinoic acid in affective disorders.

    PubMed

    Bremner, J Douglas; McCaffery, Peter

    2008-02-15

    Current models of affective disorders implicate alterations in norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and CRF/cortisol; however treatments targeted at these neurotransmitters or hormones have led to imperfect resolution of symptoms, suggesting that the neurobiology of affective disorders is incompletely understood. Until now retinoids have not been considered as possible contributors to affective disorders. Retinoids represent a family of compounds derived from vitamin A that perform a large number of functions, many via the vitamin A product, retinoic acid. This signaling molecule binds to specific retinoic acid receptors in the brain which, like the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone receptors, are part of the nuclear receptor superfamily and regulate gene transcription. Research in the field of retinoic acid in the CNS has focused on the developing brain, in part stimulated by the observation that isotretinoin (13-cis retinoic acid), an isomer of retinoic acid used in the treatment of acne, is highly teratogenic for the CNS. More recent work has suggested that retinoic acid may influence the adult brain; animal studies indicated that the administration of isotretinoin is associated with alterations in behavior as well as inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Clinical evidence for an association between retinoids and depression includes case reports in the literature, studies of health care databases, and other sources. A preliminary PET study in human subjects showed that isotretinoin was associated with a decrease in orbitofrontal metabolism. Several studies have shown that the molecular components required for retinoic acid signaling are expressed in the adult brain; the overlap of brain areas implicated in retinoic acid function and stress and depression suggest that retinoids could play a role in affective disorders. This report reviews the evidence in this area and describes several systems that may be targets of retinoic acid and which contribute to

  10. The Neurobiology of Retinoic Acid in Affective Disorders

    PubMed Central

    Bremner, J Douglas; McCaffery, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Current models of affective disorders implicate alterations in norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and CRF/cortisol; however treatments targeted at these neurotransmitters or hormones have led to imperfect resolution of symptoms, suggesting that the neurobiology of affective disorders is incompletely understood. Until now retinoids have not been considered as possible contributors to affective disorders. Retinoids represent a family of compounds derived from Vitamin A that perform a large number of functions, many via the vitamin A product, retinoic acid. This signaling molecule binds to specific retinoic acid receptors in the brain which, like the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone receptors, are part of the nuclear receptor superfamily and regulate gene transcription. Research in the field of retinoic acid in the CNS has focused on the developing brain, in part stimulated by the observation that isotretinoin (13-cis retinoic acid), an isomer of retinoic acid used in the treatment of acne, is highly teratogenic for the CNS. More recent work has suggested that retinoic acid may influence the adult brain; animal studies indicated that the administration of isotretinoin is associated with alterations in behavior as well as inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Clinical evidence for an association between retinoids and depression includes case reports in the literature, studies of health care databases, and other sources. A preliminary PET study in human subjects showed that isotretinoin was associated with a decrease in orbitofrontal metabolism. Several studies have shown that the molecular components required for retinoic acid signaling are expressed in the adult brain ; the overlap of brain areas implicated in retinoic acid function and stress and depression suggest that retinoids could play a role in affective disorders. This report reviews the evidence in this area and describes several systems that may be targets of retinoic acid and which contribute

  11. Enhanced osteoconductivity of sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite by system instability.

    PubMed

    Sang Cho, Jung; Um, Seung-Hoon; Su Yoo, Dong; Chung, Yong-Chae; Hye Chung, Shin; Lee, Jeong-Cheol; Rhee, Sang-Hoon

    2014-07-01

    The effect of substituting sodium for calcium on enhanced osteoconductivity of hydroxyapatite was newly investigated. Sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite was synthesized by reacting calcium hydroxide and phosphoric acid with sodium nitrate followed by sintering. As a control, pure hydroxyapatite was prepared under identical conditions, but without the addition of sodium nitrate. Substitution of calcium with sodium in hydroxyapatite produced the structural vacancies for carbonate ion from phosphate site and hydrogen ion from hydroxide site of hydroxyapatite after sintering. The total system energy of sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite with structural defects calculated by ab initio methods based on quantum mechanics was much higher than that of hydroxyapatite, suggesting that the sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite was energetically less stable compared with hydroxyapatite. Indeed, sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite exhibited higher dissolution behavior of constituent elements of hydroxyapatite in simulated body fluid (SBF) and Tris-buffered deionized water compared with hydroxyapatite, which directly affected low-crystalline hydroxyl-carbonate apatite forming capacity by increasing the degree of apatite supersaturation in SBF. Actually, sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite exhibited markedly improved low-crystalline hydroxyl-carbonate apatite forming capacity in SBF and noticeably higher osteoconductivity 4 weeks after implantation in calvarial defects of New Zealand white rabbits compared with hydroxyapatite. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between hydroxyapatite and sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite on cytotoxicity as determined by BCA assay. Taken together, these results indicate that sodium-substituted hydroxyapatite with structural defects has promising potential for use as a bone grafting material due to its enhanced osteoconductivity compared with hydroxyapatite. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Identification of Low- and High-Impact Hemagglutinin Amino Acid Substitutions That Drive Antigenic Drift of Influenza A(H1N1) Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Harvey, William T.; Benton, Donald J.; Gregory, Victoria; Hall, James P. J.; Daniels, Rodney S.; Bedford, Trevor; Haydon, Daniel T.; Hay, Alan J.; McCauley, John W.; Reeve, Richard

    2016-01-01

    Determining phenotype from genetic data is a fundamental challenge. Identification of emerging antigenic variants among circulating influenza viruses is critical to the vaccine virus selection process, with vaccine effectiveness maximized when constituents are antigenically similar to circulating viruses. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay data are commonly used to assess influenza antigenicity. Here, sequence and 3-D structural information of hemagglutinin (HA) glycoproteins were analyzed together with corresponding HI assay data for former seasonal influenza A(H1N1) virus isolates (1997–2009) and reference viruses. The models developed identify and quantify the impact of eighteen amino acid substitutions on the antigenicity of HA, two of which were responsible for major transitions in antigenic phenotype. We used reverse genetics to demonstrate the causal effect on antigenicity for a subset of these substitutions. Information on the impact of substitutions allowed us to predict antigenic phenotypes of emerging viruses directly from HA gene sequence data and accuracy was doubled by including all substitutions causing antigenic changes over a model incorporating only the substitutions with the largest impact. The ability to quantify the phenotypic impact of specific amino acid substitutions should help refine emerging techniques that predict the evolution of virus populations from one year to the next, leading to stronger theoretical foundations for selection of candidate vaccine viruses. These techniques have great potential to be extended to other antigenically variable pathogens. PMID:27057693

  13. Stabilization of Angiotensin-(1-7) by key substitution with a cyclic non-natural amino acid.

    PubMed

    Wester, Anita; Devocelle, Marc; Tallant, E Ann; Chappell, Mark C; Gallagher, Patricia E; Paradisi, Francesca

    2017-10-01

    Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], a heptapeptide hormone of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, is a promising candidate as a treatment for cancer that reflects its anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties. However, the peptide's therapeutic potential is limited by the short half-life and low bioavailability resulting from rapid enzymatic metabolism by peptidases including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP 3). We report the facile assembly of three novel Ang-(1-7) analogues by solid-phase peptide synthesis which incorporates the cyclic non-natural δ-amino acid ACCA. The analogues containing the ACCA substitution at the site of ACE cleavage exhibit complete resistance to human ACE, while substitution at the DDP 3 cleavage site provided stability against DPP 3 hydrolysis. Furthermore, the analogues retain the anti-proliferative properties of Ang-(1-7) against the 4T1 and HT-1080 cancer cell lines. These results suggest that ACCA-substituted Ang-(1-7) analogues which show resistance against proteolytic degradation by peptidases known to hydrolyze the native heptapeptide may be novel therapeutics in the treatment of cancer.

  14. Exploiting genes and functional diversity of chlorogenic acid and luteolin biosyntheses in Lonicera japonica and their substitutes.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Yuan; Wang, Zhouyong; Jiang, Chao; Wang, Xumin; Huang, Luqi

    2014-01-25

    Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and luteolin are active compounds in Lonicera japonica, a plant of high medicinal value in traditional Chinese medicine. This study provides a comprehensive overview of gene families involved in chlorogenic acid and luteolin biosynthesis in L. japonica, as well as its substitutes Lonicera hypoglauca and Lonicera macranthoides. The gene sequence feature and gene expression patterns in various tissues and buds of the species were characterized. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 14 chlorogenic acid and luteolin biosynthesis-related genes were identified from the L. japonica transcriptome assembly. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the function of individual gene could be differentiation and induce active compound diversity. Their orthologous genes were also recognized in L. hypoglauca and L. macranthoides genomic datasets, except for LHCHS1 and LMC4H2. The expression patterns of these genes are different in the tissues of L. japonica, L. hypoglauca and L. macranthoides. Results also showed that CGAs were controlled in the first step of biosynthesis, whereas both steps controlled luteolin in the bud of L. japonica. The expression of LJFNS2 exhibited positive correlation with luteolin levels in L. japonica. This study provides significant information for understanding the functional diversity of gene families involved in chlorogenic acid and the luteolin biosynthesis, active compound diversity of L. japonica and its substitutes, and the different usages of the three species. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Analogs Substituted on the Nicotinic Acid and Adenine Ribosides. Effects on Receptor-Mediated Ca2+ release

    PubMed Central

    Trabbic, Christopher J.; Zhang, Fan; Walseth, Timothy F.; Slama, James T.

    2015-01-01

    Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is a Ca2+ releasing intracellular second messenger in both mammals and echinoderms. We report that large functionalized substituents introduced at the nicotinic acid 5-position are recognized by the sea urchin receptor, albeit with a 20–500 fold loss in agonist potency. 5-(3-Azidopropyl)-NAADP was shown to release Ca2+ with an EC50 of 31 µM and to compete with NAADP for receptor binding with an IC50 of 56 nM. Attachment of charged groups to the nicotinic acid of NAADP is associated with loss of activity, suggesting that the nicotinate riboside moiety is recognized as a neutral zwitterion. Substituents (Br- and N3-) can be introduced at the 8-adenosyl position of NAADP while preserving high potency and agonist efficacy and an NAADP derivative substituted at both the 5-position of the nicotinic acid and at the 8-adenosyl position was also recognized although the agonist potency was significantly reduced. PMID:25826221

  16. The association of substituting carbohydrates with total fat and different types of fatty acids with mortality and weight change among diabetes patients.

    PubMed

    Campmans-Kuijpers, Marjo J; Sluijs, Ivonne; Nöthlings, Ute; Freisling, Heinz; Overvad, Kim; Boeing, Heiner; Masala, Giovanna; Panico, Salvatore; Tumino, Rosario; Sieri, Sabina; Johansson, Ingegerd; Winkvist, Anna; Katzke, Verena A; Kuehn, Tilman; Nilsson, Peter M; Halkjær, Jytte; Tjønneland, Anne; Spijkerman, Annemieke M; Arriola, Larraitz; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Barricarte, Aurelio; May, Anne M; Beulens, Joline W

    2016-10-01

    Substitution of carbohydrates with fat in a diet for type 2 diabetes patients is still debated. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary carbohydrate intake and isocaloric substitution with (i) total fat, (ii) saturated fatty acids (SFA), (iii) mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and (iv) poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with all-cause and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality risk and 5-year weight change in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study included 6192 patients with type 2 diabetes from 15 cohorts of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Dietary intake was assessed at recruitment with country-specific food-frequency questionnaires. Cox and linear regression were used to estimate the associations with (CVD) mortality and weight change, adjusting for confounders and using different methods to adjust for energy intake. After a mean follow-up of 9.2 y ± SD 2.3 y, 791 (13%) participants had died, of which 268 (4%) due to CVD. Substituting 10 g or 5 energy% of carbohydrates by total fat was associated with a higher all-cause mortality risk (HR 1.07 [1.02-1.13]), or SFAs (HR 1.25 [1.11-1.40]) and a lower risk when replaced by MUFAs (HR 0.89 [0.77-1.02]). When carbohydrates were substituted with SFAs (HR 1.22 [1.00-1.49]) or PUFAs (HR 1.29 [1.02-1.63]) CVD mortality risk increased. The 5-year weight was lower when carbohydrates were substituted with total fat or MUFAs. These results were consistent over different energy adjustment methods. In diabetes patients, substitution of carbohydrates with SFAs was associated with a higher (CVD) mortality risk and substitution by total fat was associated with a higher all-cause mortality risk. Substitution of carbohydrates with MUFAs may be associated with lower mortality risk and weight reduction. Instead of promoting replacement of carbohydrates by total fat, dietary guideline should continue focusing on replacement by fat-subtypes; especially SFAs by MUFAs

  17. Amino acid residue Y196E substitution and C-terminal peptide synergistically alleviate the toxicity of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin.

    PubMed

    Yao, Wenwu; Kang, Lin; Gao, Shan; Zhuang, Xiangjin; Zhang, Tao; Yang, Hao; Ji, Bin; Xin, Wenwen; Wang, Jinglin

    2015-06-15

    Epsilon toxin (ETX) is produced by Clostridium perfringens type B and D strains, and is the causative agent of a lethal enterotoxemia in livestock animals and possibly in humans. However, many details of ETX structure and activity are not known. Therefore, it is important to clarify the relationship between ETX structure and activity. To explore the effect and mechanism of ETX amino acid residue Y196E substitution and C-terminal peptide on toxicity, four recombinant proteins, rETX (without 13 N-terminal peptides and 23 C-terminal peptides), rETX-C (rETX with 23 C-terminal peptides), rETX(Y196E) (rETX with an amino acid residue substitution at Y196) and rETX(Y196E)-C (rETX-C with a Y196E mutation), were constructed in this study. Both the amino acid residue Y196E substitution and the C-terminal peptide reduce ETX toxicity to a similar extent, and the two factors synergistically alleviate ETX toxicity. In addition, we demonstrated that the C-terminal peptides and Y196E amino acid mutation reduce the toxin toxicity in two different pathways: the C-terminal peptides inhibit the binding activity of toxins to target cells, and the Y196E amino acid mutation slightly inhibits the pore-forming or heptamer-forming process. Interaction between the two factors was not observed in pore-forming or binding assays but toxicity assays, which demonstrated that the relationship between domains of the toxin is more complicated than previously appreciated. However, the exact mechanism of synergistic action is not yet clarified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Effect of hyperthermia on the repair of sublethal radiation damage in normal and membrane fatty acid substituted fibroblasts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wolters, H.; Kelholt, D.; Konings, A.W.

    1987-02-01

    The interaction of heat and X irradiation was studied in normal and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) substituted mouse fibroblast LM cells. As a result of the substitution the membranes of the PUFA cells were more fluid than the membranes of the normal cells. Three different heat doses were applied (60 min 42 degrees C, 20 min 43 degrees C, and 10 min 44 degrees C) in combination with single or split doses of X rays. Heat radiosensitization was the largest for the 60 min 42 degrees C treatment. Heat radiosensitization and the heat-induced inhibition of the rate of sublethal damagemore » repair were the same for the normal and the PUFA cells. It is concluded from the experiments reported that the processes of hyperthermic inhibition of SLD repair and hyperthermic radiosensitization are independent of membrane fluidity and membrane fatty acid composition.« less

  19. Multiple Genetic Pathways Involving Amino Acid Position 143 of HIV-1 Integrase Are Preferentially Associated with Specific Secondary Amino Acid Substitutions and Confer Resistance to Raltegravir and Cross-Resistance to Elvitegravir

    PubMed Central

    Frantzell, Arne; Fransen, Signe; Petropoulos, Christos J.

    2013-01-01

    Y143C,R substitutions in HIV-1 integrase define one of three primary raltegravir (RAL) resistance pathways. Here we describe clinical isolates with alternative substitutions at position 143 (Y143A, Y143G, Y143H, and Y143S [Y143A,G,H,S]) that emerge less frequently, and we compare the genotypic and phenotypic profiles of these viruses to Y143C,R viruses to reconcile the preferential selection of Y143C,R variants during RAL treatment. Integrase amino acid sequences and RAL susceptibility were characterized in 117 patient isolates submitted for drug resistance testing and contained Y143 amino acid changes. The influence of specific Y143 substitutions on RAL susceptibility and their preferential association with particular secondary substitutions were further defined by evaluating the composition of patient virus populations along with a large panel of site-directed mutants. Our observations demonstrate that the RAL resistance profiles of Y143A,G,H,S viruses and their association with specific secondary substitutions are similar to the well-established Y143C profile but distinct from the Y143R profile. Y143R viruses differ from Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses in that Y143R confers a greater reduction in RAL susceptibility as a single substitution, consistent with a lower resistance barrier. Among Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses, the higher prevalence of Y143C viruses is the result of a lower genetic barrier than that of the Y143A,G,S viruses and a lower resistance barrier than that of the Y143H viruses. In addition, Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses require multiple secondary substitutions to develop large reductions in RAL susceptibility. Patient-derived viruses containing Y143 substitutions exhibit cross-resistance to elvitegravir. PMID:23733474

  20. Frequency of Interferon-Resistance Conferring Substitutions in Amino Acid Positions 70 and 91 of Core Protein of the Russian HCV 1b Isolates Analyzed in the T-Cell Epitopic Context

    PubMed Central

    Soboleva, N. V.; Karlsen, A. A.; Isaeva, O. V.; Isaguliants, M. G.; Mikhailov, M. I.

    2018-01-01

    Amino acid substitutions R70Q/H and L91M in HCV subtype 1b core protein can affect the response to interferon and are associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. We found that the rate of R70Q/H in HCV 1b from Russia was 31.2%, similar to that in HCV strains from Asia (34.0%), higher than that in the European (18.0%, p = 0.0010), but lower than that in the US HCV 1b strains (62.8%, p < 0.0001). Substitution L91M was found in 80.4% of the Russian HCV 1b isolates, higher than in Asian isolates (43.8%, p < 0.0001). Thus, a significant proportion of Russian HCV 1b isolates carry the unfavorable R70Q/H and/or L91M substitution. In silico analysis of the epitopic structure of the regions of substitutions revealed that both harbor clusters of T-cell epitopes. Peptides encompassing these regions were predicted to bind to a panel of HLA class I molecules, with substitutions impairing peptide recognition by HLA I molecules of the alleles prevalent in Russia. This indicates that HCV 1b with R70Q/H and L91M substitutions may have evolved as the immune escape variants. Impairment of T-cell recognition may play a part in the negative effect of these substitutions on the response to IFN treatment. PMID:29577052

  1. Binding of ring-substituted indole-3-acetic acids to human serum albumin.

    PubMed

    Soskić, Milan; Magnus, Volker

    2007-07-01

    The plant hormone, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and its ring-substituted derivatives have recently attracted attention as promising pro-drugs in cancer therapy. Here we present relative binding constants to human serum albumin for IAA and 34 of its derivatives, as obtained using the immobilized protein bound to a support suitable for high-performance liquid chromatography. We also report their octanol-water partition coefficients (logK(ow)) computed from retention data on a C(18) coated silica gel column. A four-parameter QSPR (quantitative structure-property relationships) model, based on physico-chemical properties, is put forward, which accounts for more than 96% of the variations in the binding affinities of these compounds. The model confirms the importance of lipophilicity as a global parameter governing interaction with serum albumin, but also assigns significant roles to parameters specifically related to the molecular topology of ring-substituted IAAs. Bulky substituents at ring-position 6 increase affinity, those at position 2 obstruct binding, while no steric effects were noted at other ring-positions. Electron-withdrawing substituents at position 5 enhance binding, but have no obvious effect at other ring positions.

  2. Substitution of Linoleic Acid for Other Macronutrients and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke.

    PubMed

    Venø, Stine K; Schmidt, Erik B; Jakobsen, Marianne U; Lundbye-Christensen, Søren; Bach, Flemming W; Overvad, Kim

    2017-12-01

    Ischemic stroke is a major health problem worldwide, but the influence of dietary factors on stroke risk is not well known. This study aimed to investigate the risk of ischemic stroke and its subtypes with a higher intake from linoleic acid and a concomitant lower intake from saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, or glycemic carbohydrates. In the Danish prospective Diet, Cancer, and Health Study of 57 053 participants aged 50 to 64 years at baseline, information on diet was collected using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Information on ischemic stroke was obtained from the Danish National Patient Register, and cases were all validated and subclassified according to the TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification. Substitution of linoleic acid for saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, or glycemic carbohydrates was investigated in relation to the risk of ischemic stroke and subtypes. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the associations with ischemic stroke adjusting for appropriate confounders. During 13.5 years of follow-up 1879 participants developed ischemic stroke. A slightly lower risk of ischemic stroke was found with a 5% higher intake of linoleic acid and a concomitant lower intake of saturated fatty acid (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.16), monounsaturated fatty acid (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.02), and glycemic carbohydrates (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.09), although not statistically significant. Similar patterns of association were found for large-artery atherosclerosis and small-vessel occlusions. This study suggests that replacing saturated fatty acid, glycemic carbohydrate, or monounsaturated fatty acid with linoleic acid may be associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  3. A Diastereoselective Multicomponent Reaction for Construction of Alkynylamide-Substituted α,β-Diamino Acid Derivatives To Hunt Hits.

    PubMed

    Lei, Ruirui; Wu, Yong; Dong, Suzhen; Jia, Kaili; Liu, Shunying; Hu, Wenhao

    2017-03-17

    A highly diasetereoselective Mannich-type multicomponent reaction was developed to rapidly construct alkynylamide-substituted α,β-diamino acid derivatives from simple starting materials under mild conditions in moderate to good yields for hit hunting. Most of the resulting products 4 exhibited good anticancer activity in HCT116, BEL7402, and SMMC7721 cells.

  4. Rapid acquisition adaptive amino acid substitutions involved in the virulence enhancement of an H1N2 avian influenza virus in mice.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zhijun; Sun, Weiyang; Zhang, Xinghai; Cheng, Kaihui; Zhao, Chuqi; Xia, Xianzhu; Gao, Yuwei

    2017-08-01

    Although H1N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) only infect birds, documented cases of swine infection with H1N2 influenza viruses suggest this subtype AIV may pose a potential threat to mammals. Here, we generated mouse-adapted variants of a H1N2 AIV to identify adaptive changes that increased virulence in mammals. MLD 50 of the variants were reduced >1000-fold compared to the parental virus. Variants displayed enhanced replication in vitro and in vivo, and replicate in extrapulmonary organs. These data show that enhanced replication capacity and expanded tissue tropism may increase the virulence of H1N2 AIV in mice. Sequence analysis revealed multiple amino acid substitutions in the PB2 (L134H, I647L, and D701N), HA (G228S), and M1 (D231N) proteins. These results indicate that H1N2 AIV can rapidly acquire adaptive amino acid substitutions in mammalian hosts, and these amino acid substitutions collaboratively enhance the ability of H1N2 AIV to replicate and cause severe disease in mammals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Substitution of Asp-309 by Asn in the Arg-Asp-Pro (RDP) motif of Acetobacter diazotrophicus levansucrase affects sucrose hydrolysis, but not enzyme specificity.

    PubMed Central

    Batista, F R; Hernández, L; Fernández, J R; Arrieta, J; Menéndez, C; Gómez, R; Támbara, Y; Pons, T

    1999-01-01

    beta-Fructofuranosidases share a conserved aspartic acid-containing motif (Arg-Asp-Pro; RDP) which is absent from alpha-glucopyranosidases. The role of Asp-309 located in the RDP motif of levansucrase (EC 2.4.1.10) from Acetobacter diazotrophicus SRT4 was studied by site-directed mutagenesis. Substitution of Asp-309 by Asn did not affect enzyme secretion. The kcat of the mutant levansucrase was reduced 75-fold, but its Km was similar to that of the wild-type enzyme, indicating that Asp-309 plays a major role in catalysis. The two levansucrases showed optimal activity at pH 5.0 and yielded similar product profiles. Thus the mutation D309N affected the efficiency of sucrose hydrolysis, but not the enzyme specificity. Since the RDP motif is present in a conserved position in fructosyltransferases, invertases, levanases, inulinases and sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolases, it is likely to have a common functional role in beta-fructofuranosidases. PMID:9895294

  6. Human triose-phosphate isomerase deficiency: a single amino acid substitution results in a thermolabile enzyme.

    PubMed

    Daar, I O; Artymiuk, P J; Phillips, D C; Maquat, L E

    1986-10-01

    Triose-phosphate isomerase (TPI; D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.1) deficiency is a recessive disorder that results in hemolytic anemia and neuromuscular dysfunction. To determine the molecular basis of this disorder, a TPI allele from two unrelated patients homozygous for TPI deficiency was compared with an allele from a normal individual. Each disease-associated sequence harbors a G X C----C X G transversion in the codon for amino acid-104 and specifies a structurally altered protein in which a glutamate residue is replaced by an aspartate residue. The importance of glutamate-104 to enzyme structure and function is implicated by its conservation in the TPI protein of all species that have been characterized to date. The glutamate-to-aspartate substitution results in a thermolabile enzyme as demonstrated by assays of TPI activity in cultured fibroblasts of each patient and cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that were stably transformed with the mutant alleles. Although this substitution conserves the overall charge of amino acid-104, the x-ray crystal structure of chicken TPI indicates that the loss of a side-chain methylene group (-CH2CH2COO- ---- -CH2COO-) is sufficient to disrupt the counterbalancing of charges that normally exists within a hydrophobic pocket of the native enzyme.

  7. Crystal Structure of a Novel N-Substituted L-Amino Acid Dioxygenase from Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD

    PubMed Central

    Qin, Hui-Min; Miyakawa, Takuya; Jia, Min Ze; Nakamura, Akira; Ohtsuka, Jun; Xue, You-Lin; Kawashima, Takashi; Kasahara, Takuya; Hibi, Makoto; Ogawa, Jun; Tanokura, Masaru

    2013-01-01

    A novel dioxygenase from Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD (SadA) stereoselectively catalyzes the C3-hydroxylation of N-substituted branched-chain or aromatic L-amino acids, especially N-succinyl-L-leucine, coupled with the conversion of α-ketoglutarate to succinate and CO2. To elucidate the structural basis of the substrate specificity and stereoselective hydroxylation, we determined the crystal structures of the SadA.Zn(II) and SadA.Zn(II).α-KG complexes at 1.77 Å and 1.98 Å resolutions, respectively. SadA adopted a double-stranded β-helix fold at the core of the structure. In addition, an HXD/EXnH motif in the active site coordinated a Zn(II) as a substitute for Fe(II). The α-KG molecule also coordinated Zn(II) in a bidentate manner via its 1-carboxylate and 2-oxo groups. Based on the SadA.Zn(II).α-KG structure and mutation analyses, we constructed substrate-binding models with N-succinyl-L-leucine and N-succinyl-L-phenylalanine, which provided new insight into the substrate specificity. The results will be useful for the rational design of SadA variants aimed at the recognition of various N-succinyl L-amino acids. PMID:23724013

  8. Functional Compensation of a Detrimental Amino Acid Substitution in a Cytotoxic-T-Lymphocyte Epitope of Influenza A Viruses by Comutations

    PubMed Central

    Rimmelzwaan, G. F.; Berkhoff, E. G. M.; Nieuwkoop, N. J.; Fouchier, R. A. M.; Osterhaus, A. D. M. E.

    2004-01-01

    Influenza A viruses accumulate amino acid substitutions in cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, allowing these viruses to escape from CTL immunity. The arginine-to-glycine substitution at position 384 of the viral nucleoprotein is associated with escape from CTLs. Introduction of the R384G substitution in the nucleoprotein gene segment of influenza virus A/Hong Kong/2/68 by site-directed mutagenesis was detrimental to viral fitness. Introduction of one of the comutations associated with R384G, E375G, partially restored viral fitness and nucleoprotein functionality. We hypothesized that influenza A viruses need to overcome functional constraints to accumulate mutations in CTL epitopes and escape from CTLs. PMID:15280506

  9. Structure-activity relationship of daptomycin analogues with substitution at (2S, 3R) 3-methyl glutamic acid position.

    PubMed

    Lin, Du'an; Lam, Hiu Yung; Han, Wenbo; Cotroneo, Nicole; Pandya, Bhaumik A; Li, Xuechen

    2017-02-01

    Daptomycin is a highly effective lipopeptide antibiotic against Gram-positive pathogens. The presence of (2S, 3R) 3-methyl glutamic acid (mGlu) in daptomycin has been found to be important to the antibacterial activity. However the role of (2S, 3R) mGlu is yet to be revealed. Herein, we reported the syntheses of three daptomycin analogues with (2S, 3R) mGlu substituted by (2S, 3R) methyl glutamine (mGln), dimethyl glutamic acid and (2S, 3R) ethyl glutamic acid (eGlu), respectively, and their antibacterial activities. The detailed synthesis of dimethyl glutamic acid was also reported. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Propionibacterium acnes caused by amino acid substitutions of DNA gyrase but not DNA topoisomerase IV.

    PubMed

    Nakase, Keisuke; Sakuma, Yui; Nakaminami, Hidemasa; Noguchi, Norihisa

    2016-12-01

    With the aim of elucidating the mechanisms of fluoroquinolones resistance in Propionibacterium acnes, we determined the susceptibility of fluoroquinolones in 211 isolates from patients with acne vulgaris. We identified five isolates (2.4%) with reduced susceptibility to nadifloxacin (minimum inhibitory concentration ≥ 4 μg/ml). Determination of the sequences of the DNA gyrase (gyrA and gyrB) and DNA topoisomerase (parC and parE) genes showed the amino acid substitutions Ser101Leu and Asp105Gly of GyrA in four and one of the isolates, respectively. In vitro mutation experiments showed that low-level fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants with the Ser101Leu or Asp105Gly substitution in GyrA could be obtained from selection with ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. The pattern of substitution (Ser101Trp in GyrA) caused by nadifloxacin selection was different from that induced by the other fluoroquinolones. In the isolation of further high-level resistant mutants, acquisition of another amino acid substitution of GyrB in addition to those of GyrA was detected, but there were no substitutions of ParC and ParE. In addition, the mutant prevention concentration and mutation frequency of nadifloxacin were lowest among the tested fluoroquinolones. The growth of the Ser101Trp mutant was lower than that of the other mutants. Our findings suggest that the Ser101Trp mutant of P. acnes emerges rarely and disappears immediately, and the risk for the prevalence of fluoroquinolones-resistant P. acnes differs according to the GyrA mutation type. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones in P. acnes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. What makes lithium substituted polyacrylic acid a better binder than polyacrylic acid for silicon-graphite composite anodes?

    DOE PAGES

    Hays, Kevin A.; Ruther, Rose E.; Kukay, Alexander J.; ...

    2018-03-04

    Lithium substituted polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) has previously been demonstrated as a superior binder over polyacrylic acid (PAA) for Si anodes, but from where does this enhanced performance arise? In this paper, full cells are assembled with PAA and LiPAA based Si-graphite composite anodes that dried at temperatures from 100 °C to 200 °C. The performance of full cells containing PAA based Si-graphite anodes largely depend on the secondary drying temperature, as decomposition of the binder is correlated to increased electrode moisture and a rise in cell impedance. Full cells containing LiPAA based Si-graphite composite electrodes display better Coulombic efficiency thanmore » those with PAA, because of the electrochemical reduction of the PAA binder. This is identified by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and observed gassing during the electrochemical reaction. Finally, Coulombic losses from the PAA and Si SEI, along with depletion of the Si capacity in the anode results in progressive underutilization of the cathode and full cell capacity loss.« less

  12. What makes lithium substituted polyacrylic acid a better binder than polyacrylic acid for silicon-graphite composite anodes?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hays, Kevin A.; Ruther, Rose E.; Kukay, Alexander J.

    Lithium substituted polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) has previously been demonstrated as a superior binder over polyacrylic acid (PAA) for Si anodes, but from where does this enhanced performance arise? In this paper, full cells are assembled with PAA and LiPAA based Si-graphite composite anodes that dried at temperatures from 100 °C to 200 °C. The performance of full cells containing PAA based Si-graphite anodes largely depend on the secondary drying temperature, as decomposition of the binder is correlated to increased electrode moisture and a rise in cell impedance. Full cells containing LiPAA based Si-graphite composite electrodes display better Coulombic efficiency thanmore » those with PAA, because of the electrochemical reduction of the PAA binder. This is identified by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and observed gassing during the electrochemical reaction. Finally, Coulombic losses from the PAA and Si SEI, along with depletion of the Si capacity in the anode results in progressive underutilization of the cathode and full cell capacity loss.« less

  13. What makes lithium substituted polyacrylic acid a better binder than polyacrylic acid for silicon-graphite composite anodes?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hays, Kevin A.; Ruther, Rose E.; Kukay, Alexander J.; Cao, Pengfei; Saito, Tomonori; Wood, David L.; Li, Jianlin

    2018-04-01

    Lithium substituted polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) has previously been demonstrated as a superior binder over polyacrylic acid (PAA) for Si anodes, but from where does this enhanced performance arise? In this study, full cells are assembled with PAA and LiPAA based Si-graphite composite anodes that dried at temperatures from 100 °C to 200 °C. The performance of full cells containing PAA based Si-graphite anodes largely depend on the secondary drying temperature, as decomposition of the binder is correlated to increased electrode moisture and a rise in cell impedance. Full cells containing LiPAA based Si-graphite composite electrodes display better Coulombic efficiency than those with PAA, because of the electrochemical reduction of the PAA binder. This is identified by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and observed gassing during the electrochemical reaction. Coulombic losses from the PAA and Si SEI, along with depletion of the Si capacity in the anode results in progressive underutilization of the cathode and full cell capacity loss.

  14. Waste-free synthesis of condensed heterocyclic compounds by rhodium-catalyzed oxidative coupling of substituted arene or heteroarene carboxylic acids with alkynes.

    PubMed

    Shimizu, Masaki; Hirano, Koji; Satoh, Tetsuya; Miura, Masahiro

    2009-05-01

    The direct oxidative coupling of 2-amino- and 2-hydroxybenzoic acids with internal alkynes proceeds efficiently in the presence of a rhodium/copper catalyst system under air to afford the corresponding 8-substituted isocoumarin derivatives, some of which exhibit solid-state fluorescence. Depending on conditions, 4-ethenylcarbazoles can be synthesized selectively from 2-(arylamino)benzoic acids. The oxidative coupling reactions of heteroarene carboxylic acids as well as aromatic diacids with an alkyne are also described.

  15. Structural and catalytic effects of an invariant purine substitution in the hammerhead ribozyme: implications for the mechanism of acid-base catalysis.

    PubMed

    Schultz, Eric P; Vasquez, Ernesto E; Scott, William G

    2014-09-01

    The hammerhead ribozyme catalyzes RNA cleavage via acid-base catalysis. Whether it does so by general acid-base catalysis, in which the RNA itself donates and abstracts protons in the transition state, as is typically assumed, or by specific acid-base catalysis, in which the RNA plays a structural role and proton transfer is mediated by active-site water molecules, is unknown. Previous biochemical and crystallographic experiments implicate an invariant purine in the active site, G12, as the general base. However, G12 may play a structural role consistent with specific base catalysis. To better understand the role of G12 in the mechanism of hammerhead catalysis, a 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of a hammerhead ribozyme from Schistosoma mansoni with a purine substituted for G12 in the active site of the ribozyme was obtained. Comparison of this structure (PDB entry 3zd4), in which A12 is substituted for G, with three previously determined structures that now serve as important experimental controls, allows the identification of structural perturbations that are owing to the purine substitution itself. Kinetic measurements for G12 purine-substituted schistosomal hammerheads confirm a previously observed dependence of rate on the pK(a) of the substituted purine; in both cases inosine, which is similar to G in pK(a) and hydrogen-bonding properties, is unexpectedly inactive. Structural comparisons indicate that this may primarily be owing to the lack of the exocyclic 2-amino group in the G12A and G12I substitutions and its structural effect upon both the nucleotide base and phosphate of A9. The latter involves the perturbation of a previously identified and well characterized metal ion-binding site known to be catalytically important in both minimal and full-length hammerhead ribozyme sequences. The results permit it to be suggested that G12 plays an important role in stabilizing the active-site structure. This result, although not inconsistent with the potential

  16. 40 CFR 721.5286 - Benzenediazonium, [[[[(substituted) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized..., [[[[(substituted) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized..., [[[[(substituted)azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized...

  17. 40 CFR 721.5286 - Benzenediazonium, [[[[(substituted) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized..., [[[[(substituted) azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized..., [[[[(substituted)azo]phenyl]sulfonyl]amino]-, coupled with aminophenol, diazotized aminobenzoic acid, diazotized...

  18. Background of the Hammett equation as observed for isolated molecules: meta- and para-substituted benzoic acids.

    PubMed

    Exner, Otto; Böhm, Stanislav

    2002-09-06

    Fundamental model compounds for the Hammett equation, meta- and para-substituted benzoic acids, were investigated by the density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. Energies of 25 acids and of their anions were calculated in all possible conformations and from them the energies of the assumed mixture of conformers. Relative acidities correlated with the experimental gas-phase acidities almost within the experimental uncertainty, much more precisely than in the case of previous calculations at lower levels. Dissection of the substituent effects into those operating in the acid molecule and in the anion was carried out by means of isodesmic reactions starting from monosubstituted benzenes. Both effects are cooperating in the resulting effect on the acidity; those in the acid molecule are smaller but not negligible. They are also responsible for some deviations from the Hammett equation (through-resonance of para donor substituents) and for the weaker resonance in the acid molecule in meta derivatives; in the anions the inductive and resonance effects are almost equal. On the other hand, the cooperation of effects in the acid and in the anion makes the relative acidity more sensitive to electron withdrawing and is probably one of the reasons why the Hammett equation is so generally valid.

  19. Do fatty acids affect fetal programming?

    PubMed

    Kabaran, Seray; Besler, H Tanju

    2015-08-13

    In this study discussed the primary and regulatory roles of fatty acids, and investigated the affects of fatty acids on metabolic programming. Review of the literature was carried out on three electronic databases to assess the roles of fatty acids in metabolic programming. All abstracts and full-text articles were examined, and the most relevant articles were selected for screening and inclusion in this review. The mother's nutritional environment during fetal period has important effects on long term health. Fatty acids play a primary role in growth and development. Alterations in fatty acid intake in the fetal period may increase the risk of obesity and metabolic disorders in later life. Maternal fatty acid intakes during pregnancy and lactation are passed to the fetus and the newborn via the placenta and breast milk, respectively. Imbalances in fatty acid intake during the fetal period change the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids, which can cause structural and functional problems in cells. Additionally, the metabolic and neuroendocrine environments of the fetus and the newborn play key roles in the regulation of energy balance. Imbalances in fatty acid intake during pregnancy and lactation may result in permanent changes in appetite control, neuroendocrine function and energy metabolism in the fetus, leading to metabolic programming. Further studies are needed to determine the role of fatty acid intake in metabolic programming.

  20. Contribution of Golden Apple Snail Flour to Enhance Omega- 3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids Contents in Weaning Food

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marsyha, D. D.; Wijayanti, H. S.; Nuryanto; Anjani, G.

    2018-02-01

    The case of undernourished children in Grobogan District (15.3%) is caused by children nutrients intake less than the Recommendation Dietary Allowance (RDA). To enhance children nutrients intake, be required formulation of weaning food using high-nutrient local food such as golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata). Golden apple snail flour contains high contents of zinc, iron, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This study aims to analyze the effect of golden apple snail flour substitution on nutrients content and organoleptic properties of weaning food (baby porridge). This is an experimental research by substitution of golden apple snail flour in the making of weaning food with four treatments of substitution (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%). Substitution of golden apple snails flour could affect the nutrient content levels of fat, zinc, iron (p=0.0001), carbohydrate (p=0.011), water (p=0.003), ash (p=0.001), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Whereas, it could not affect the content of energy (p=0.678), protein (p=0.129) and fiber (p=0.482). Furthermore, the substitution could affect the organoleptic properties include color, texture and taste (p=0.0001) while not for the aroma (p=0.798). Based on nutrient content analysis, substitution of golden apple snail flour could enhance the zinc, iron, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids contents of weaning food.

  1. A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Core Protein of West Nile Virus Increases Resistance to Acidotropic Compounds

    PubMed Central

    Martín-Acebes, Miguel A.; Blázquez, Ana-Belén; de Oya, Nereida Jiménez; Escribano-Romero, Estela; Shi, Pei-Yong; Saiz, Juan-Carlos

    2013-01-01

    West Nile virus (WNV) is a worldwide distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus that naturally cycles between birds and mosquitoes, although it can infect multiple vertebrate hosts including horses and humans. This virus is responsible for recurrent epidemics of febrile illness and encephalitis, and has recently become a global concern. WNV requires to transit through intracellular acidic compartments at two different steps to complete its infectious cycle. These include fusion between the viral envelope and the membrane of endosomes during viral entry, and virus maturation in the trans-Golgi network. In this study, we followed a genetic approach to study the connections between viral components and acidic pH. A WNV mutant with increased resistance to the acidotropic compound NH4Cl, which blocks organelle acidification and inhibits WNV infection, was selected. Nucleotide sequencing revealed that this mutant displayed a single amino acid substitution (Lys 3 to Glu) on the highly basic internal capsid or core (C) protein. The functional role of this replacement was confirmed by its introduction into a WNV infectious clone. This single amino acid substitution also increased resistance to other acidification inhibitor (concanamycin A) and induced a reduction of the neurovirulence in mice. Interestingly, a naturally occurring accompanying mutation found on prM protein abolished the resistant phenotype, supporting the idea of a genetic crosstalk between the internal C protein and the external glycoproteins of the virion. The findings here reported unveil a non-previously assessed connection between the C viral protein and the acidic pH necessary for entry and proper exit of flaviviruses. PMID:23874963

  2. Inhibition of free radical-induced erythrocyte hemolysis by 2-O-substituted ascorbic acid derivatives.

    PubMed

    Takebayashi, Jun; Kaji, Hiroaki; Ichiyama, Kenji; Makino, Kazutaka; Gohda, Eiichi; Yamamoto, Itaru; Tai, Akihiro

    2007-10-15

    Inhibitory effects of 2-O-substituted ascorbic acid derivatives, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA-2G), ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA-2P), and ascorbic acid 2-sulfate (AA-2S), on 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced oxidative hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes were studied and were compared with those of ascorbic acid (AA) and other antioxidants. The order of the inhibition efficiency was AA-2S> or =Trolox=uric acid> or =AA-2P> or =AA-2G=AA>glutathione. Although the reactivity of the AA derivatives against AAPH-derived peroxyl radical (ROO(*)) was much lower than that of AA, the derivatives exerted equal or more potent protective effects on AAPH-induced hemolysis and membrane protein oxidation. In addition, the AA derivatives were found to react per se with ROO(*), not via AA as an intermediate. These findings suggest that secondary reactions between the AA derivative radical and ROO(*) play a part in hemolysis inhibition. Delayed addition of the AA derivatives after AAPH-induced oxidation of erythrocytes had already proceeded showed weaker inhibition of hemolysis compared to that of AA. These results suggest that the AA derivatives per se act as biologically effective antioxidants under moderate oxidative stress and that AA-2G and AA-2P may be able to act under severe oxidative stress after enzymatic conversion to AA in vivo.

  3. The functional consequences of mis-sense mutations affecting an intra-molecular salt bridge in arylsulphatase A.

    PubMed Central

    Schestag, Frank; Yaghootfam, Afshin; Habetha, Matthias; Poeppel, Peter; Dietz, Frank; Klein, Roger A; Zlotogora, Joel; Gieselmann, Volkmar

    2002-01-01

    Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of arylsulphatase A. We describe the functional consequences of three mis-sense mutations in the arylsulphatase A gene (Asp-335-Val, Arg-370-Trp and Arg-370-Gln), affecting an apparent intramolecular Asp-335 to Arg-370 salt bridge, and interpret the effects and clinical consequences on the basis of the three-dimensional structure of arylsulphatase A. Asp-335-Val and Arg-370-Trp substitutions each cause a complete loss of enzyme activity and are associated with the most severe form of the human disease, whereas the Arg-370-Gln-substituted enzyme retains some residual activity, being found in a patient suffering from the milder juvenile form of the disease. Detailed analysis reveals that formation of the apparent salt bridge depends critically on the presence of aspartic acid and arginine residues at positions 335 and 370, respectively. Substitution by various other amino acids, including glutamic acid and lysine, affects enzyme function severely. Biosynthesis and immunoprecipitation studies indicate that the Asp-335-Val substitution affects folding of arylsulphatase A more severely than either the Arg-370-Trp or Arg-370-Gln substitutions. In vitro mutagenesis data show that clinical severity correlates with the space occupied by residue 370. The combination with structural data suggests that the bulky tryptophan residue broadens the cleft held together by the apparent salt bridge, whereas the smaller glutamine residue still allows the cleft to close, yielding a less severely affected enzyme. The position of residue 370 in the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme provides a plausible explanation for the differing severities in loss of enzyme function caused by the mutations and thus the clinical phenotype. PMID:12086582

  4. Decoding the Effect of Isobaric Substitutions on Identifying Missing Proteins and Variant Peptides in Human Proteome.

    PubMed

    Choong, Wai-Kok; Lih, Tung-Shing Mamie; Chen, Yu-Ju; Sung, Ting-Yi

    2017-12-01

    To confirm the existence of missing proteins, we need to identify at least two unique peptides with length of 9-40 amino acids of a missing protein in bottom-up mass-spectrometry-based proteomic experiments. However, an identified unique peptide of the missing protein, even identified with high level of confidence, could possibly coincide with a peptide of a commonly observed protein due to isobaric substitutions, mass modifications, alternative splice isoforms, or single amino acid variants (SAAVs). Besides unique peptides of missing proteins, identified variant peptides (SAAV-containing peptides) could also alternatively map to peptides of other proteins due to the aforementioned issues. Therefore, we conducted a thorough comparative analysis on data sets in PeptideAtlas Tiered Human Integrated Search Proteome (THISP, 2017-03 release), including neXtProt (2017-01 release), to systematically investigate the possibility of unique peptides in missing proteins (PE2-4), unique peptides in dubious proteins, and variant peptides affected by isobaric substitutions, causing doubtful identification results. In this study, we considered 11 isobaric substitutions. From our analysis, we found <5% of the unique peptides of missing proteins and >6% of variant peptides became shared with peptides of PE1 proteins after isobaric substitutions.

  5. The Effect of Two Amino acid Residue Substitutions via RNA Editing on Dark-operative Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase in the Black Pine Chloroplasts.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Haruki; Kusumi, Junko; Yamakawa, Hisanori; Fujita, Yuichi

    2017-05-24

    Dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR) is a key enzyme to produce chlorophyll in the dark. Among photosynthetic eukaryotes, all three subunits chlL, chlN, and chlB are encoded by plastid genomes. In some gymnosperms, two codons of chlB mRNA are changed by RNA editing to codons encoding evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues. However, the effect of these substitutions on DPOR activity remains unknown. We first prepared cyanobacterial ChlB variants with amino acid substitution(s) to mimic ChlB translated from pre-edited mRNA. Their activities were evaluated by measuring chlorophyll content of dark-grown transformants of a chlB-lacking mutant of the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya boryana that was complemented with pre-edited mimic chlB variants. The chlorophyll content of the transformant cells expressing the ChlB variant from the fully pre-edited mRNA was only one-fourth of the control cells. Co-purification experiments of ChlB with Strep-ChlN suggested that a stable complex with ChlN is greatly impaired in the substituted ChlB variant. We then confirmed that RNA editing efficiency was markedly greater in the dark than in the light in cotyledons of the black pine Pinus thunbergii. These results indicate that RNA editing on chlB mRNA is important to maintain appropriate DPOR activity in black pine chloroplasts.

  6. A Single-Amino-Acid Substitution in a Polymerase Protein of an H5N1 Influenza Virus Is Associated with Systemic Infection and Impaired T-Cell Activation in Mice▿ †

    PubMed Central

    Fornek, Jamie L.; Gillim-Ross, Laura; Santos, Celia; Carter, Victoria; Ward, Jerrold M.; Cheng, Lily I.; Proll, Sean; Katze, Michael G.; Subbarao, Kanta

    2009-01-01

    The transmission of H5N1 influenza viruses from birds to humans poses a significant public health threat. A substitution of glutamic acid for lysine at position 627 of the PB2 protein of H5N1 viruses has been identified as a virulence determinant. We utilized the BALB/c mouse model of H5N1 infection to examine how this substitution affects virus-host interactions and leads to systemic infection. Mice infected with H5N1 viruses containing lysine at amino acid 627 in the PB2 protein exhibited an increased severity of lesions in the lung parenchyma and the spleen, increased apoptosis in the lungs, and a decrease in oxygen saturation. Gene expression profiling revealed that T-cell receptor activation was impaired at 2 days postinfection (dpi) in the lungs of mice infected with these viruses. The inflammatory response was highly activated in the lungs of mice infected with these viruses and was sustained at 4 dpi. In the spleen, immune-related processes including NK cell cytotoxicity and antigen presentation were highly activated by 2 dpi. These differences are not attributable solely to differences in viral replication in the lungs but to an inefficient immune response early in infection as well. The timing and magnitude of the immune response to highly pathogenic influenza viruses is critical in determining the outcome of infection. The disruption of these factors by a single-amino-acid substitution in a polymerase protein of an influenza virus is associated with severe disease and correlates with the spread of the virus to extrapulmonary sites. PMID:19692471

  7. Human triose-phosphate isomerase deficiency: a single amino acid substitution results in a thermolabile enzyme.

    PubMed Central

    Daar, I O; Artymiuk, P J; Phillips, D C; Maquat, L E

    1986-01-01

    Triose-phosphate isomerase (TPI; D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.1) deficiency is a recessive disorder that results in hemolytic anemia and neuromuscular dysfunction. To determine the molecular basis of this disorder, a TPI allele from two unrelated patients homozygous for TPI deficiency was compared with an allele from a normal individual. Each disease-associated sequence harbors a G X C----C X G transversion in the codon for amino acid-104 and specifies a structurally altered protein in which a glutamate residue is replaced by an aspartate residue. The importance of glutamate-104 to enzyme structure and function is implicated by its conservation in the TPI protein of all species that have been characterized to date. The glutamate-to-aspartate substitution results in a thermolabile enzyme as demonstrated by assays of TPI activity in cultured fibroblasts of each patient and cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that were stably transformed with the mutant alleles. Although this substitution conserves the overall charge of amino acid-104, the x-ray crystal structure of chicken TPI indicates that the loss of a side-chain methylene group (-CH2CH2COO- ---- -CH2COO-) is sufficient to disrupt the counterbalancing of charges that normally exists within a hydrophobic pocket of the native enzyme. Images PMID:2876430

  8. Triazine-Substituted and Acyl Hydrazones: Experiment and Computation Reveal a Stability Inversion at Low pH.

    PubMed

    Ji, Kun; Lee, Changsuk; Janesko, Benjamin G; Simanek, Eric E

    2015-08-03

    Condensation of a hydrazine-substituted s-triazine with an aldehyde or ketone yields an equivalent to the widely used, acid-labile acyl hydrazone. Hydrolysis of these hydrazones using a formaldehyde trap as monitored using HPLC reveals that triazine-substituted hydrazones are more labile than acetyl hydrazones at pH>5. The reactivity trends mirror that of the corresponding acetyl hydrazones, with hydrolysis rates increasing along the series (aromatic aldehydeacid-catalyzed hydrolysis of triazinyl hydrazones in comparison to acetyl hydrazone analogues. This behavior supports mechanistic interpretations suggesting that resistance to protonation of the hydrazone N1 is the critical factor in affecting the reaction rate.

  9. Antiproliferative activity and SARs of caffeic acid esters with mono-substituted phenylethanols moiety.

    PubMed

    Xie, Jin; Yang, Fengzhi; Zhang, Man; Lam, Celine; Qiao, Yixue; Xiao, Jia; Zhang, Dongdong; Ge, Yuxuan; Fu, Lei; Xie, Dongsheng

    2017-01-15

    A series of CAPE derivatives with mono-substituted phenylethanols moiety were synthesized and evaluated by MTT assay on growth of 4 human cancer cell lines (Hela, DU-145, MCF-7 and ECA-109). The substituent effects on the antiproliferative activity were systematically investigated for the first time. It was found that electron-donating and hydrophobic substituents at 2'-position of phenylethanol moiety could significantly enhance CAPE's antiproliferative activity. 2'-Propoxyl derivative, as a novel caffeic acid ester, exhibited exquisite potency (IC 50 =0.4±0.02 & 0.6±0.03μM against Hela and DU-145 respectively). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Detection of naphthenic acids in fish exposed to commercial naphthenic acids and oil sands process-affected water.

    PubMed

    Young, R F; Orr, E A; Goss, G G; Fedorak, P M

    2007-06-01

    Naphthenic acids are a complex mixture of carboxylic acids that occur naturally in petroleum. During the extraction of bitumen from the oil sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada, naphthenic acids are released into the aqueous phase and these acids become the most toxic components in the process-affected water. Although previous studies have exposed fish to naphthenic acids or oil sands process-affected waters, there has been no analytical method to specifically detect naphthenic acids in fish. Here, we describe a qualitative method to specifically detect these acids. In 96-h static renewal tests, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings were exposed to three different treatments: (1) fed pellets that contained commercial naphthenic acids (1.5mg g(-1) of food), (2) kept in tap water that contained commercial naphthenic acids (3mg l(-1)) and (3) kept in an oil sands process-affected water that contained 15mg naphthenic acids l(-1). Five-gram samples of fish were homogenized and extracted, then the mixture of free fatty acids and naphthenic acids was isolated from the extract using strong anion exchange chromatography. The mixture was derivatized and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Reconstructed ion chromatograms (m/z=267) selectively detected naphthenic acids. These acids were present in each fish that was exposed to naphthenic acids, but absent in fish that were not exposed to naphthenic acids. The minimum detectable concentration was about 1microg naphthenic acids g(-1) of fish.

  11. Active-Site Residues of Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase Required in Coupling ATP Hydrolysis to DNA Supercoiling and Amino Acid Substitutions Leading to Novobiocin Resistance

    PubMed Central

    Gross, Christian H.; Parsons, Jonathan D.; Grossman, Trudy H.; Charifson, Paul S.; Bellon, Steven; Jernee, James; Dwyer, Maureen; Chambers, Stephen P.; Markland, William; Botfield, Martyn; Raybuck, Scott A.

    2003-01-01

    DNA gyrase is a bacterial type II topoisomerase which couples the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to the introduction of negative supercoils into DNA. Amino acids in proximity to bound nonhydrolyzable ATP analog (AMP · PNP) or novobiocin in the gyrase B (GyrB) subunit crystal structures were examined for their roles in enzyme function and novobiocin resistance by site-directed mutagenesis. Purified Escherichia coli GyrB mutant proteins were complexed with the gyrase A subunit to form the functional A2B2 gyrase enzyme. Mutant proteins with alanine substitutions at residues E42, N46, E50, D73, R76, G77, and I78 had reduced or no detectable ATPase activity, indicating a role for these residues in ATP hydrolysis. Interestingly, GyrB proteins with P79A and K103A substitutions retained significant levels of ATPase activity yet demonstrated no DNA supercoiling activity, even with 40-fold more enzyme than the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that these amino acid side chains have a role in the coupling of the two activities. All enzymes relaxed supercoiled DNA to the same extent as the wild-type enzyme did, implying that only ATP-dependent reactions were affected. Mutant genes were examined in vivo for their abilities to complement a temperature-sensitive E. coli gyrB mutant, and the activities correlated well with the in vitro activities. We show that the known R136 novobiocin resistance mutations bestow a significant loss of inhibitor potency in the ATPase assay. Four new residues (D73, G77, I78, and T165) that, when changed to the appropriate amino acid, result in both significant levels of novobiocin resistance and maintain in vivo function were identified in E. coli. PMID:12604539

  12. How Does Target Duration Affect Object Substitution Masking?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gellatly, Angus; Pilling, Michael; Carter, Wakefield; Guest, Duncan

    2010-01-01

    Object substitution masking (OSM) is typically studied using a brief search display. The target item may be indicated by a cue/mask surrounding but not overlapping it. Report of the target is reduced when mask offset trails target offset rather than being simultaneous with it. We report 5 experiments investigating whether OSM can be obtained if…

  13. A Facile Semi-Synthetic Approach towards Halogen-Substituted Aminobenzoic Acid Analogues of Platensimycin.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Lin; Tian, Kai; Pan, Jian; Jiang, Lin; Yang, Hu; Zhu, Xiangcheng; Shen, Ben; Duan, Yanwen; Huang, Yong

    2017-02-09

    Platensimycin (PTM), produced by several strains of Streptomyces platensis, is a promising drug lead for infectious diseases and diabetes. The recent pilot-scale production of PTM from S. platensis SB12026 has set the stage for the facile semi-synthesis of a focused library of PTM analogues. In this study, gram-quantity of platensic acid (PTMA) was prepared by the sulfuric acid-catalyzed ethanolysis of PTM, followed by a mild hydrolysis in aqueous lithium hydroxide. Three PTMA esters were also obtained in near quantitative yields in a single step, suggesting a facile route to make PTMA aliphatic esters. 1-[Bis(dimethylamino)methylene]-1H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]pyridinium 3-oxid hexafluorophosphate (HATU)-catalyzed coupling of PTMA and 33 aminobenzoates resulted in the synthesis of 28 substituted aminobenzoate analogues of PTM, among which 26 of them were reported for the first time. Several of the PTM analogues showed weak antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Our study supported the potential utility to integrate natural product biosynthetic and semi-synthetic approaches for structure diversification.

  14. Overdispersion of the Molecular Clock: Temporal Variation of Gene-Specific Substitution Rates in Drosophila

    PubMed Central

    Hartl, Daniel L.

    2008-01-01

    Simple models of molecular evolution assume that sequences evolve by a Poisson process in which nucleotide or amino acid substitutions occur as rare independent events. In these models, the expected ratio of the variance to the mean of substitution counts equals 1, and substitution processes with a ratio greater than 1 are called overdispersed. Comparing the genomes of 10 closely related species of Drosophila, we extend earlier evidence for overdispersion in amino acid replacements as well as in four-fold synonymous substitutions. The observed deviation from the Poisson expectation can be described as a linear function of the rate at which substitutions occur on a phylogeny, which implies that deviations from the Poisson expectation arise from gene-specific temporal variation in substitution rates. Amino acid sequences show greater temporal variation in substitution rates than do four-fold synonymous sequences. Our findings provide a general phenomenological framework for understanding overdispersion in the molecular clock. Also, the presence of substantial variation in gene-specific substitution rates has broad implications for work in phylogeny reconstruction and evolutionary rate estimation. PMID:18480070

  15. Substitution determination of Fmoc‐substituted resins at different wavelengths

    PubMed Central

    Kley, Markus; Bächle, Dirk; Loidl, Günther; Meier, Thomas; Samson, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    In solid‐phase peptide synthesis, the nominal batch size is calculated using the starting resin substitution and the mass of the starting resin. The starting resin substitution constitutes the basis for the calculation of a whole set of important process parameters, such as the number of amino acid derivative equivalents. For Fmoc‐substituted resins, substitution determination is often performed by suspending the Fmoc‐protected starting resin in 20% (v/v) piperidine in DMF to generate the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct that is quantified by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The spectrometric measurement is performed at the maximum absorption wavelength of the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct, that is, at 301.0 nm. The recorded absorption value, the resin weight and the volume are entered into an equation derived from Lambert–Beer's law, together with the substance‐specific molar absorption coefficient at 301.0 nm, in order to calculate the nominal substitution. To our knowledge, molar absorption coefficients between 7100 l mol−1 cm−1 and 8100 l mol−1 cm−1 have been reported for the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct at 301.0 nm. Depending on the applied value, the nominal batch size may differ up to 14%. In this publication, a determination of the molar absorption coefficients at 301.0 and 289.8 nm is reported. Furthermore, proof is given that by measuring the absorption at 289.8 nm the impact of wavelength accuracy is reduced. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:28635051

  16. Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of 4-Substituted Isoxazolidin-5-ones: Straightforward Access to β2,2 -Amino Acids.

    PubMed

    Nascimento de Oliveira, Marllon; Arseniyadis, Stellios; Cossy, Janine

    2018-04-03

    We report here an unprecedented and highly enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation applied to 4-substituted isoxazolidin-5-ones. Ultimately, the process provides a straightforward access to β 2,2 -amino acids bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center in great yields and a high degree of enantioselectivity. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Intake of dietary saturated fatty acids and risk of type 2 diabetes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands cohort: associations by types, sources of fatty acids and substitution by macronutrients.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shengxin; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Soedamah-Muthu, Sabita S; Spijkerman, Annemieke M W; Sluijs, Ivonne

    2018-03-09

    The association between dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA) intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains unclear. This study aimed at investigating the association between SFA intake and T2D risk based on (1) individual SFA (differing in carbon chain length), (2) food sources of SFA and (3) the substituting macronutrients. 37,421 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) cohort were included in this study. Baseline dietary intake was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. T2D risks were estimated by Cox regression models adjusted for non-dietary and dietary covariates. 893 incident T2D cases were documented during 10.1-year follow-up. We observed no association between total SFA and T2D risk. Marginally inverse associations were found for lauric acid (HR per 1 SD of energy%, 95% CI 0.92, 0.85-0.99), myristic acid (0.89, 0.79-0.99), margaric acid (0.84, 0.73-0.97), odd-chain SFA (pentadecylic plus margaric acids; 0.88, 0.79-0.99), and cheese derived SFA (0.90, 0.83-0.98). Soft and liquid fats derived SFA was found related to higher T2D risk (1.08, 1.01-1.17). When substituting SFA by proteins, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids, significantly higher risks of T2D were observed (HRs per 1 energy% ranging from 1.05 to 1.15). In this Dutch population, total SFA does not relate to T2D risk. Rather, the association may depend on the types and food sources of SFA. Cheese-derived SFA and individual SFA that are commonly found in cheese, were significantly related to lower T2D risks. We cannot exclude the higher T2D risks found for soft and liquid fats derived SFA and for substituting SFA with other macronutrients are influenced by residual confounding by trans fatty acids or limited intake variation in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vegetable protein.

  18. Amino acid substitution converts WEREWOLF function from an activator to a repressor of Arabidopsis non-hair cell development.

    PubMed

    Tominaga-Wada, Rumi; Nukumizu, Yuka; Wada, Takuji

    2012-02-01

    Root hair cell or non-hair cell fate determination in Arabidopsis thaliana root epidermis is model system for plant cell development. Two types of MYB transcription factors, the R2R3-type MYB, WEREWOLF (WER), and an R3-type MYB, CAPRICE (CPC), are involved in this cell fate determination process. To study the molecular basis of this process, we analyzed the functional relationship of WER and CPC. WER-CPC chimeric constructs were made from WER where all or parts of the MYB R3 region were replaced with the corresponding regions from CPC R3, and the constructs were introduced into the cpc-2 mutant. Although, the WER gene did not rescue the cpc-2 mutant 'small number of root hairs' phenotype, the WER-CPC chimera with two amino acids substitution (WC6) completely rescued the cpc-2 mutant phenotype. Furthermore, the WER-CPC chimera with 37 amino acids substitution (WC5) excessively rescued the cpc-2 mutant and induced 2.5 times more root hairs than wild-type. Consistent with this phenotype, GL2 gene expression was strongly reduced in WC5 in a cpc-2 background. Our results suggest that swapping at least two amino acids is sufficient to convert WER to CPC function. Therefore, these key residues may have strongly contributed to the selection of these important functions over evolution. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of amino acid substitutions in hepatitis B virus surface protein on virion secretion, antigenicity, HBsAg and viral DNA.

    PubMed

    Xiang, Kuan-Hui; Michailidis, Eleftherios; Ding, Hai; Peng, Ya-Qin; Su, Ming-Ze; Li, Yao; Liu, Xue-En; Dao Thi, Viet Loan; Wu, Xian-Fang; Schneider, William M; Rice, Charles M; Zhuang, Hui; Li, Tong

    2017-02-01

    As important virological markers, serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels show large fluctuations among chronic hepatitis B patients. The aim of this study was to reveal the potential impact and mechanisms of amino acid substitutions in small hepatitis B surface proteins (SHBs) on serum HBsAg and HBV DNA levels. Serum samples from 230 untreated chronic hepatitis B patients with genotype C HBV were analyzed in terms of HBV DNA levels, serological markers of HBV infection and SHBs sequences. In vitro functional analysis of the identified SHBs mutants was performed. Among 230 SHBs sequences, there were 39 (16.96%) sequences with no mutation detected (wild-type) and 191 (83.04%) with single or multiple mutations. SHBs consist of 226 amino acids, of which 104 (46.02%) had mutations in our study. Some mutations (e.g., sE2G, sL21S, sR24K, sT47A/K, sC69stop (sC69∗), sL95W, sL98V, and sG145R) negatively correlated with serum HBsAg levels. HBsAg and HBV DNA levels from this group of patients had a positive correlation (r=0.61, p<0.001). In vitro analysis showed that these mutations reduced extracellular HBsAg and HBV DNA levels by restricting virion secretion and antibody binding capacity. Virion secretion could be rescued for sE2G, sC69∗, and sG145R by co-expression of wild-type HBsAg. The serum HBsAg levels were lower in untreated CHB patients with novel SHBs mutations outside the major antigenic region than those without mutations. Underlying mechanisms include impairment of virion secretion and lower binding affinity to antibodies used for HBsAg measurements. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is a major viral protein of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) secreted into patient blood serum and its quantification value serves as an important marker for the evaluation of chronic HBV infection and antiviral response. We found a few new amino acid substitutions in HBsAg associated with lower serum HBsAg and HBV DNA levels. These

  20. Identification of single amino acid substitutions (SAAS) in neuraminidase from influenza a virus (H1N1) via mass spectrometry analysis coupled with de novo peptide sequencing.

    PubMed

    Peng, Qisheng; Wang, Zijian; Wu, Donglin; Li, Xiaoou; Liu, Xiaofeng; Sun, Wanchun; Liu, Ning

    2016-08-01

    Amino acid substitutions in the neuraminidase of the influenza virus are the main cause of the emergence of resistance to zanamivir or oseltamivir during seasonal influenza treatment; they are the result of non-synonymous mutations in the viral genome that can be successfully detected by polymer chain reaction (PCR)-based approaches. There is always an urgent need to detect variation in amino acid sequences directly at the protein level. Mass spectrometry coupled with de novo sequencing has been explored as an alternative and straightforward strategy for detecting amino acid substitutions, as well - this approach is the primary focus of the present study. Influenza virus (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1) propagated in embryonated chicken eggs was purified by ultracentrifugation, followed by PNGase F treatment. The deglycosylated virion was lysed and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The gel band corresponding to neuraminidase was picked up and subjected to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. LC-MS/MS analyses, coupled with manual de novo sequencing, allowed the determination of three amino acid substitutions: R346K, S349 N, and S370I/L, in the neuraminidase from the influenza virus (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1), which were located in three mutated peptides of the neuraminidase: YGNGVWIGK, TKNHSSR, and PNGWTETDI/LK, respectively. We found that the amino acid substitutions in the proteins of RNA viruses (including influenza A virus) resulting from non-synonymous gene mutations can indeed be directly analyzed via mass spectrometry, and that manual interpretation of the MS/MS data may be beneficial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Kinetics of the substitution of dehydroacetic acid in tris (dehydroacetato) Fe(III) complex by 8-hydroxyquinoline, di- and tetra-hydroxyquinone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fouad, D. M.; Ismail, N. M.; El-Gahami, M. A.; Ibrahim, S. A.

    2007-06-01

    The ligand substitution reactions of dehydroacetic acid (Hdha) in [Fe(dha) 3] with second ligand such as 8-hydroxyquinoline (Hquin), 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (H 2dhaq) and 1,4,5,8-tetra-hydroxyanthraquinone (H 4thaq) were investigated spectrophotometrically by in low polarity solvents like benzene, chloroform and dichloromethane. It is deduced that the substitution reaction takes place through one successive step. The reaction was performed at four different temperatures (5-25) °C, and it exhibits a first order dependence on the concentration of the starting complex. The observed rate constant depends on the concentration of both leaving and entering ligands. The evaluation of the kinetic data gives activation parameters which support an associative mechanism in the transition states and the higher rate of substitution of the dha in Fe(dha) 3 complex is due to entropy effect. The solid complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV-vis spectral techniques.

  2. Substitution determination of Fmoc-substituted resins at different wavelengths.

    PubMed

    Eissler, Stefan; Kley, Markus; Bächle, Dirk; Loidl, Günther; Meier, Thomas; Samson, Daniel

    2017-10-01

    In solid-phase peptide synthesis, the nominal batch size is calculated using the starting resin substitution and the mass of the starting resin. The starting resin substitution constitutes the basis for the calculation of a whole set of important process parameters, such as the number of amino acid derivative equivalents. For Fmoc-substituted resins, substitution determination is often performed by suspending the Fmoc-protected starting resin in 20% (v/v) piperidine in DMF to generate the dibenzofulvene-piperidine adduct that is quantified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The spectrometric measurement is performed at the maximum absorption wavelength of the dibenzofulvene-piperidine adduct, that is, at 301.0 nm. The recorded absorption value, the resin weight and the volume are entered into an equation derived from Lambert-Beer's law, together with the substance-specific molar absorption coefficient at 301.0 nm, in order to calculate the nominal substitution. To our knowledge, molar absorption coefficients between 7100 l mol -1  cm -1 and 8100 l mol -1  cm -1 have been reported for the dibenzofulvene-piperidine adduct at 301.0 nm. Depending on the applied value, the nominal batch size may differ up to 14%. In this publication, a determination of the molar absorption coefficients at 301.0 and 289.8 nm is reported. Furthermore, proof is given that by measuring the absorption at 289.8 nm the impact of wavelength accuracy is reduced. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Blocking of proteolytic processing and deletion of glycosaminoglycan side chain of mouse DMP1 by substituting critical amino acid residues.

    PubMed

    Peng, Tao; Huang, Bingzhen; Sun, Yao; Lu, Yongbo; Bonewald, Lynda; Chen, Shuo; Butler, William T; Feng, Jerry Q; D'Souza, Rena N; Qin, Chunlin

    2009-01-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of dentin and bone as processed NH(2)- and COOH-terminal fragments, resulting from proteolytic cleavage at the NH(2) termini of 4 aspartic acid residues during rat DMP1 processing. One cleavage site residue, Asp(181) (corresponding to Asp(197) of mouse DMP1), and its flanking region are highly conserved across species. We speculate that cleavage at the NH(2) terminus of Asp(197) of mouse DMP1 represents an initial, first-step scission in the whole cascade of proteolytic processing. To test if Asp(197) is critical for initiating the proteolytic processing of mouse DMP1, we substituted Asp(197) with Ala(197) by mutating the corresponding nucleotides of mouse cDNA that encode this amino acid residue. This mutant DMP1 cDNA was cloned into a pcDNA3.1 vector. Data from transfection experiments indicated that this single substitution blocked the proteolytic processing of mouse DMP1 in HEK-293 cells, indicating that cleavage at the NH(2) terminus of Asp(197) is essential for exposing other cleavage sites for the conversion of DMP1 to its fragments. The NH(2)-terminal fragment of DMP1 occurs as a proteoglycan form (DMP1-PG) that contains a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain. Previously, we showed that a GAG chain is linked to Ser(74) in rat DMP1 (Ser(89) in mouse DMP1). To confirm that mouse DMP1-PG possesses a single GAG chain attached to Ser(89), we substituted Ser(89) by Gly(89). Data from transfection analysis indicated that this substitution completely prevented formation of the GAG-containing form, confirming that DMP1-PG contains a single GAG chain attached to Ser(89) in mouse DMP1. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Effects of Hypoxanthine Substitution in Peptide Nucleic Acids Targeting KRAS2 Oncogenic mRNA Molecules: Theory and Experiment

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, Jeffrey M.; Wampole, Matthew E.; Chen, Chang-Po; Sethi, Dalip; Singh, Amrita; Dupradeau, François-Yves; Wang, Fan; Gray, Brian D.; Thakur, Mathew L.; Wickstrom, Eric

    2013-01-01

    Genetic disorders can arise from single base substitutions in a single gene. A single base substitution for wild type guanine in the twelfth codon of KRAS2 mRNA occurs frequently to initiate lung, pancreatic, and colon cancer. We have observed single base mismatch specificity in radioimaging of mutant KRAS2 mRNA in tumors in mice by in vivo hybridization with radiolabeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) dodecamers. We hypothesized that multi-mutant specificity could be achieved with a PNA dodecamer incorporating hypoxanthine, which can form Watson-Crick basepairs with adenine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil. Using molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations, we show that hypoxanthine substitutions in PNAs are tolerated in KRAS2 RNA-PNA duplexes where wild type guanine is replaced by mutant uracil or adenine in RNA. To validate our predictions, we synthesized PNA dodecamers with hypoxanthine, and then measured the thermal stability of RNA-PNA duplexes. Circular dichroism thermal melting results showed that hypoxanthine-containing PNAs are more stable in duplexes where hypoxanthine-adenine and hypoxanthine-uracil base pairs are formed than single mismatch duplexes or duplexes containing hypoxanthine-guanine opposition. PMID:23972113

  5. Molecular characterization of amino acid deletion in VP1 (1D) protein and novel amino acid substitutions in 3D polymerase protein of foot and mouth disease virus subtype A/Iran87.

    PubMed

    Esmaelizad, Majid; Jelokhani-Niaraki, Saber; Hashemnejad, Khadije; Kamalzadeh, Morteza; Lotfi, Mohsen

    2011-12-01

    The nucleotide sequence of the VP1 (1D) and partial 3D polymerase (3D(pol)) coding regions of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccine strain A/Iran87, a highly passaged isolate (~150 passages), was determined and aligned with previously published FMDV serotype A sequences. Overall analysis of the amino acid substitutions revealed that the partial 3D(pol) coding region contained four amino acid alterations. Amino acid sequence comparison of the VP1 coding region of the field isolates revealed deletions in the highly passaged Iranian isolate (A/Iran87). The prominent G-H loop of the FMDV VP1 protein contains the conserved arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) tripeptide, which is a well-known ligand for a specific cell surface integrin. Despite losing the RGD sequence of the VP1 protein and an Asp(26)→Glu substitution in a beta sheet located within a small groove of the 3D(pol) protein, the virus grew in BHK 21 suspension cell cultures. Since this strain has been used as a vaccine strain, it may be inferred that the RGD deletion has no critical role in virus attachment to the cell during the initiation of infection. It is probable that this FMDV subtype can utilize other pathways for cell attachment.

  6. Antibacterial and anticancer activity of a series of novel peptides incorporating cyclic tetra-substituted C(α) amino acids.

    PubMed

    Hicks, Rickey P

    2016-09-15

    Eleven antimicrobial peptides (AMP) based on the incorporation of cyclic tetra substituted C(α) amino acids, as well as other unnatural amino acids were designed, synthesized and screened for in vitro activity against 18 strains of bacteria as well as 12 cancer cell lines. The AMPs discussed herein are derived from the following peptide sequence: Ac-GF(X)G(X)B(X)G(X)F(X)G(X)GB(X)BBBB-amide, X=any one of the following residues, A5c, A6c, Tic or Oic and B=any one of the following residues, Arg, Lys, Orn, Dpr or Dab. A diversity of in vitro inhibitory activity was observed for these AMPs. Several analogs exhibited single digit μM activity against drug resistant bacteria including; multiple drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, extremely drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and MRSA. The physicochemical properties of the basic amino acid residues incorporated into these AMPs seem to play a major role in defining antibacterial activity. Overall hydrophobicity seems to play a limited role in defining antibacterial activity. The ESKAPE pathogens were used to compare the activity of these AMPs to another family of synthetic AMPs incorporating the unnatural amino acids Tic and Oic. In most cases similarly substituted members of both families exhibited similar inhibitory activity against the ESKAPE pathogens. In specific cases differences in activity as high as 15 fold were observed between analogs. In addition four of these AMPs exhibited promising IC50 (<7.5μM) values against 12 different and diverse cancer cell lines. Five other AMPs exhibited promising IC50 (<7.5μM) values against selected cancer cell lines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Temperature Affects Fatty Acids In Methylococcus Capsulatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jahnke, Linda L.

    1993-01-01

    According to report, temperature of growth of thermotolerant, methane-oxidizing bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) affects both proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and cis/trans ratio of these acids in cell membrane. Because suboptimum growth temperature is potential stress factor, it may be possible to use such cis/trans ratios as indices of stresses upon methane-oxidizing microbial communities. Research in microbiology of methanotrophs increasing because of possible commercial exploitation of these organisms as biocatalysts or as sources of useful polymers; knowledge of effect of temperature on ability of methanotrophs to utilize methane useful in optimization of conditions of growth.

  8. Halogeno-substituted 2-aminobenzoic acid derivatives for negative ion fragmentation studies of N-linked carbohydrates.

    PubMed

    Harvey, David J

    2005-01-01

    Negative ion electrospray mass spectra of high-mannose N-linked glycans derivatised with 2-aminobenzoic acids and ionised from solutions containing ammonium hydroxide gave prominent [M-H](-) ions accompanied by weaker [M-2H](2-) ions. Fragmentation of both types of ions gave prominent singly charged glycosidic cleavage ions containing the derivatised reducing terminus and ions from the non-reducing terminus that appeared to be products of cross-ring cleavages. Differentiation of these two groups of ions was conveniently achieved in a single spectrum by use of chloro- or bromo-substituted benzoic acids in order to label ions containing the derivative with an atom with a distinctive isotope pattern. Fragmentation of the doubly charged ions gave more abundant fragments, both singly and doubly charged, than did fragmentation of the singly charged ions, but information of chain branching was masked by the appearance of prominent ions produced by internal cleavages. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Guanidinoacetic acid loading affects plasma γ-aminobutyric acid in healthy men.

    PubMed

    Ostojic, Sergej M; Stojanovic, Marko

    2015-08-01

    Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), a precursor of creatine and an innovative dietary agent, activates γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) receptors yet clinical effects of dietary GAA on GABA metabolism are currently unknown. The main aim of this pilot research was to investigate whether GAA loading affected peripheral GABA homeostasis in healthy humans. Eight healthy male volunteers aged 22-25 years were randomized in a double-blind design to receive either GAA (three grams daily) or placebo by oral administration for 3 weeks. At baseline and after 3 weeks participants provided fasting blood samples for free plasma levels of GABA, GAA, creatine and glutamine. Following 3 weeks of intervention, plasma GABA level dropped significantly in participants receiving 3 g of GAA per day as compared to the placebo (P = 0.03). GAA loading significantly decreased plasma GABA by 88.8 nmol/L (95% confidence interval; 5.4-172.1) after 3 weeks of intervention as compared to the baseline (P = 0.03). GAA intervention positively affected both plasma GAA and creatine (P < 0.05), while no effects of intervention were reported for plasma glutamine. Results indicate that supplemental GAA affects peripheral GABA metabolism, and potentially down-regulates GABA synthesis in peripheral tissues. Possible GABAergic action of dietary GAA adds to the safety profile of this novel dietary supplement.

  10. Virulence-Affecting Amino Acid Changes in the PA Protein of H7N9 Influenza A Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Yamayoshi, Seiya; Yamada, Shinya; Fukuyama, Satoshi; Murakami, Shin; Zhao, Dongming; Uraki, Ryuta; Watanabe, Tokiko; Tomita, Yuriko; Macken, Catherine; Neumann, Gabriele

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) viruses were first reported to infect humans in March 2013. To date, 143 human cases, including 45 deaths, have been recorded. By using sequence comparisons and phylogenetic and ancestral inference analyses, we identified several distinct amino acids in the A(H7N9) polymerase PA protein, some of which may be mammalian adapting. Mutant viruses possessing some of these amino acid changes, singly or in combination, were assessed for their polymerase activities and growth kinetics in mammalian and avian cells and for their virulence in mice. We identified several mutants that were slightly more virulent in mice than the wild-type A(H7N9) virus, A/Anhui/1/2013. These mutants also exhibited increased polymerase activity in human cells but not in avian cells. Our findings indicate that the PA protein of A(H7N9) viruses has several amino acid substitutions that are attenuating in mammals. IMPORTANCE Novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) viruses emerged in the spring of 2013. By using computational analyses of A(H7N9) viral sequences, we identified several amino acid changes in the polymerase PA protein, which we then assessed for their effects on viral replication in cultured cells and mice. We found that the PA proteins of A(H7N9) viruses possess several amino acid substitutions that cause attenuation in mammals. PMID:24371069

  11. Whole-Gene Positive Selection, Elevated Synonymous Substitution Rates, Duplication, and Indel Evolution of the Chloroplast clpP1 Gene

    PubMed Central

    Erixon, Per; Oxelman, Bengt

    2008-01-01

    of whether negative or positive selection is to be expected after gene duplications by providing evidence for the latter alternative. The observed increase in synonymous substitution rates in some of the lineages indicates that the detection of positive selection may be obscured under such circumstances. Future studies are required to explore the functional significance of the large inserted repeated amino acid motifs, as well as the possibility that synonymous substitution rates may be affected by positive selection. PMID:18167545

  12. White Whole-Wheat Flour Can Be Partially Substituted for Refined-Wheat Flour in Pizza Crust in School Meals without Affecting Consumption

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Hing Wan; Burgess Champoux, Teri; Reicks, Marla; Vickers, Zata; Marquart, Len

    2008-01-01

    Objectives: Recent dietary guidance recommends that children consume at least three servings of whole-grains daily. This study examined whether white whole-wheat (WWW) flour can be partially substituted for refined-wheat (RW) flour in pizza crust without affecting consumption by children in a school cafeteria. Methods: Subjects included first to…

  13. New gene cluster from the thermophile Bacillus fordii MH602 in the conversion of DL-5-substituted hydantoins to L-amino acids.

    PubMed

    Mei, Yan-Zhen; Wan, Yong-Min; He, Bing-Fang; Ying, Han-Jie; Ouyang, Ping-Kai

    2009-12-01

    The thermophile Bacillus fordii MH602 was screened for stereospecifically hydrolyzing DL-5-substituted hydantoins to L-alpha-amino acids. Since the reaction at higher temperature, the advantageous for enhancement of substrate solubility and for racemization of DL-5-substituted hydantoins during the conversion were achieved. The hydantoin metabolism gene cluster from thermophile was firstly reported in this paper. The genes involved in hydantoin utilization (hyu) were isolated on an 8.2 kb DNA fragment by Restriction Site-dependent PCR, and six ORFs were identified by DNA sequence analysis. The hyu gene cluster contained four genes with novel cluster organization characteristics: the hydantoinase gene hyuH, putative transport protein hyuP, hyperprotein hyuHP, and L-carbamoylase gene hyuC. The hyuH and hyuC genes were heterogeneously expressed in E. coli. The results indicated that hyuH and hyuC are involved in the conversion of DL-5-substituted hydantoins to an N-carbamyl intermediate that is subsequently converted to L-alpha-amino acids. Hydantoinase and carbamoylase from B. fordii MH602 comparing respectively with reported hydantoinase and carbamoylase showed the highest identities of 71% and 39%. The novel cluster organization characteristics and the difference of the key enzymes between thermopile B. fordii MH602 and other mesophiles were presumed to be related to the evolutionary origins of concerned metabolism.

  14. Radiation chemistry of salicylic and methyl substituted salicylic acids: Models for the radiation chemistry of pharmaceutical compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayatollahi, Shakiba; Kalnina, Daina; Song, Weihua; Turks, Maris; Cooper, William J.

    2013-11-01

    Salicylic acid and its derivatives are components of many medications and moieties found in numerous pharmaceutical compounds. They have been used as models for various pharmaceutical compounds in pharmacological studies, for the treatment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and, reactions with natural organic matter (NOM). In this study, the radiation chemistry of benzoic acid, salicylic acid and four methyl substituted salicylic acids (MSA) is reported. The absolute bimolecular reaction rate constants for hydroxyl radical reaction with benzoic and salicylic acids as well as 3-methyl-, 4-methyl-, 5-methyl-, and 6-methyl-salicylic acid were determined (5.86±0.54)×109, (1.07±0.07)×1010, (7.48±0.17)×109, (7.31±0.29)×109, (5.47±0.25)×109, (6.94±0.10)×109 (M-1 s-1), respectively. The hydrated electron reaction rate constants were measured (3.02±0.10)×109, (8.98±0.27)×109, (5.39±0.21)×109, (4.33±0.17)×109, (4.72±0.15)×109, (1.42±0.02)×109 (M-1 s-1), respectively. The transient absorption spectra for the six model compounds were examined and their role as model compounds for the radiation chemistry of pharmaceuticals investigated.

  15. A single beta-amino acid substitution to angiotensin II confers AT2 receptor selectivity and vascular function.

    PubMed

    Jones, Emma S; Del Borgo, Mark P; Kirsch, Julian F; Clayton, Daniel; Bosnyak, Sanja; Welungoda, Iresha; Hausler, Nicholas; Unabia, Sharon; Perlmutter, Patrick; Thomas, Walter G; Aguilar, Marie-Isabel; Widdop, Robert E

    2011-03-01

    Novel AT(2)R ligands were designed by substituting individual β-amino acid in the sequence of the native ligand angiotensin II (Ang II). Relative ATR selectivity and functional vascular assays (in vitro AT(2)R-mediated vasorelaxation and in vivo vasodepressor action) were determined. In competition binding experiments using either AT(1)R- or AT(2)R- transfected HEK-293 cells, only β-Asp(1)-Ang II and Ang II fully displaced [(125)I]-Ang II from AT(1)R. In contrast, β-substitutions at each position of Ang II exhibited AT(2)R affinity, with β-Tyr(4)-Ang II and β-Ile(5)-Ang II exhibiting ≈ 1000-fold AT(2)R selectivity. In mouse aortic rings, β-Tyr(4)-Ang II and β-Ile(5)-Ang II evoked vasorelaxation that was sensitive to blockade by the AT(2)R antagonist PD123319 and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME. When tested with a low level of AT(1)R blockade, β-Ile(5)-Ang II (15 pmol/kg per minute IV for 4 hours) reduced blood pressure (BP) in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (β-Ile(5)-Ang II plus candesartan, -24 ± 4 mm Hg) to a greater extent than candesartan alone (-11 ± 3 mm Hg, n=7, P<0.05), an effect that was abolished by concomitant PD123319 infusion. However, in an identical experimental protocol, β-Tyr(4)-Ang II had no influence on BP (n=10), and it was less stable than β-Ile(5)-Ang II in plasma stability assays. Thus, this study demonstrated that a single β-amino acid substitution resulted in a compound that demonstrated both in vitro vasorelaxation and in vivo depressor activity via AT(2)R. This approach to the design and synthesis of novel AT(2)R-selective peptidomimetics shows great potential to provide insight into AT(2)R function.

  16. Rheology, fatty acid profile and storage characteristics of cookies as influenced by flax seed (Linum usitatissimum).

    PubMed

    Rajiv, Jyotsna; Indrani, Dasappa; Prabhasankar, Pichan; Rao, G Venkateswara

    2012-10-01

    Flaxseed is a versatile functional ingredient owing to its unique nutrient profile. Studies on the effect of substitution of roasted and ground flaxseed (RGF) at 5, 10, 15 and 20% level on the wheat flour dough properties showed that amylograph peak viscosity, farinograph dough stability, extensograph resistance to extension and extensibility values decreased with the increase in the substitution of RGF from 0-20%. The cookie baking test showed a marginal decrease in spread ratio but beyond substitution of 15% RGF the texture and flavour of the cookies was adversely affected. The data on storage characteristics of control and cookies with 15% RGF showed no significant change with respect to acidity of extracted fat and peroxide values due to storage of cookies upto 90 days in metallised polyester pouches at ambient conditions. The gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid profile indicated that the control cookies contained negligible linolenic acid and the flaxseed cookies contained 4.75 to 5.31% of linolenic acid which showed a marginal decrease over storage. Hence flaxseed could be used as a source of omega-3-fatty acid.

  17. Accelerated hydrolysis of substituted cellulose for potential biofuel production: kinetic study and modeling.

    PubMed

    Mu, Bingnan; Xu, Helan; Yang, Yiqi

    2015-11-01

    In this work, kinetics of substitution accelerated cellulose hydrolysis with multiple reaction stages was investigated to lay foundation for mechanism study and molecular design of substituting compounds. High-efficiency hydrolysis of cellulose is critical for cellulose-based bioethanol production. It is known that, substitution could substantially decrease activation energy and increase reaction rate of acidic hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in cellulose. However, reaction kinetics and mechanism of the accelerated hydrolysis were not fully revealed. In this research, it was proved that substitution therefore accelerated hydrolysis only occurred in amorphous regions of cellulose fibers, and was a process with multiple reaction stages. With molar ratio of substitution less than 1%, the overall hydrolysis rate could be increased for around 10 times. We also quantified the relationship between the hydrolysis rate of individual reaction stage and its major influences, including molar ratio of substitution, activation energy of acidic hydrolysis, pH and temperature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. 40 CFR 721.981 - Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. 721.981 Section 721.981 Protection of Environment...-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. (a) Chemical substance and significant new... naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex (PMN P-93-1631) is subject to...

  19. 40 CFR 721.981 - Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. 721.981 Section 721.981 Protection of Environment...-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. (a) Chemical substance and significant new... naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex (PMN P-93-1631) is subject to...

  20. 40 CFR 721.981 - Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. 721.981 Section 721.981 Protection of Environment...-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. (a) Chemical substance and significant new... naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex (PMN P-93-1631) is subject to...

  1. 40 CFR 721.981 - Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. 721.981 Section 721.981 Protection of Environment...-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. (a) Chemical substance and significant new... naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex (PMN P-93-1631) is subject to...

  2. Effect of chemical substitutions on photo-switching properties of 3-hydroxy-picolinic acid studied by ab initio methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rode, Michał F.; Sobolewski, Andrzej L.

    2014-02-01

    Effect of chemical substitutions to the molecular structure of 3-hydroxy-picolinic acid on photo-switching properties of the system operating on excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer (d-ESIPT) process [M. F. Rode and A. L. Sobolewski, Chem. Phys. 409, 41 (2012)] was studied with the aid of electronic structure theory methods. It was shown that simultaneous application of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substitutions at certain positions of the molecular frame increases the height of the S0-state tautomerization barrier (ensuring thermal stability of isomers) and facilitates a barrierless access to the S1/S0 conical intersection from the Franck-Condon region of the S1 potential-energy surface. Results of study point to the conclusion that the most challenging issue for practical design of a fast molecular photoswitch based on d-ESIPT phenomenon are to ensure a selectivity of optical excitation of a given tautomeric form of the system.

  3. Establishment of an evaluation model for human milk fat substitutes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yong-Hua; Mai, Qing-Yun; Qin, Xiao-Li; Yang, Bo; Wang, Zi-Lian; Chen, Hai-Tian

    2010-01-13

    Fatty acid composition and distribution of human milk fat (HMF), from mothers over different lactating periods in Guangzhou, China, were analyzed. The universal characteristics were consistent with previously reported results although the fatty acid content was within a different range and dependent on the local population (low saturated fatty acid and high oleic acid for Guangdong mothers' milk fat). Based on the composition of the total and sn-2 fatty acids of mature milk fat, an efficient evaluation model was innovatively established by adopting the "deducting score" principle. The model showed good agreement between the scores and the degree of similarity by assessing 15 samples from different sources including four samples of HMF, eight samples of human milk fat substitutes (HMFSs) and infant formulas, and three samples of fats and oils. This study would allow for the devolvement of individual human milk fat substitutes with different and specific fatty acid compositions for local infants.

  4. A broad survey reveals substitution tolerance of residues ligating FeS clusters in [NiFe] hydrogenase

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background In order to understand the effects of FeS cluster attachment in [NiFe] hydrogenase, we undertook a study to substitute all 12 amino acid positions normally ligating the three FeS clusters in the hydrogenase small subunit. Using the hydrogenase from Alteromonas macleodii “deep ecotype” as a model, we substituted one of four amino acids (Asp, His, Asn, Gln) at each of the 12 ligating positions because these amino acids are alternative coordinating residues in otherwise conserved-cysteine positions found in a broad survey of NiFe hydrogenase sequences. We also hoped to discover an enzyme with elevated hydrogen evolution activity relative to a previously reported “G1” (H230C/P285C) improved enzyme in which the medial FeS cluster Pro and the distal FeS cluster His were each substituted for Cys. Results Among all the substitutions screened, aspartic acid substitutions were generally well-tolerated, and examination suggests that the observed deficiency in enzyme activity may be largely due to misprocessing of the small subunit of the enzyme. Alignment of hydrogenase sequences from sequence databases revealed many rare substitutions; the five substitutions present in databases that we tested all exhibited measurable hydrogen evolution activity. Select substitutions were purified and tested, supporting the results of the screening assay. Analysis of these results confirms the importance of small subunit processing. Normalizing activity to quantity of mature small subunit, indicative of total enzyme maturation, weakly suggests an improvement over the “G1” enzyme. Conclusions We have comprehensively screened 48 amino acid substitutions of the hydrogenase from A. macleodii “deep ecotype”, to understand non-canonical ligations of amino acids to FeS clusters and to improve hydrogen evolution activity of this class of hydrogenase. Our studies show that non-canonical ligations can be functional and also suggests a new limiting factor in the production of

  5. Large differences in proportions of harmful and benign amino acid substitutions between proteins and diseases.

    PubMed

    Schaafsma, Gerard C P; Vihinen, Mauno

    2017-07-01

    Genes and proteins are known to have differences in their sensitivity to alterations. Despite numerous sequencing studies, proportions of harmful and harmless substitutions are not known for proteins and groups of proteins. To address this question, we predicted the outcome for all possible single amino acid substitutions (AASs) in nine representative protein groups by using the PON-P2 method. The effects on 996 proteins were studied and vast differences were noticed. Proteins in the cancer group harbor the largest proportion of harmful variants (42.1%), whereas the non-disease group of proteins not known to have a disease association and not involved in the housekeeping functions had the lowest number of harmful variants (4.2%). Differences in the proportions of the harmful and benign variants are wide within each group, but they still show clear differences between the groups. Frequently appearing protein domains show a wide spectrum of variant frequencies, whereas no major protein structural class-specific differences were noticed. AAS types in the original and variant residues showed distinctive patterns, which are shared by all the protein groups. The observations are relevant for understanding genetic bases of diseases, variation interpretation, and for the development of methods for that purpose. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Cytotoxicity measurement of Bisphenol A (BPA) and its substitutes using human keratinocytes.

    PubMed

    Son, Seogho; Nam, KeeSoo; Kim, Hyungjoo; Gye, Myung Chan; Shin, Incheol

    2018-07-01

    Bisphenol-A (BPA) was first synthesized in the 1890s and has been used in many plastic products. However, BPA is known to act as an endocrine disruptor and has been found to be toxic to human health. Many alternative substances have been developed to replace BPA, but it is still widely used worldwide. In this study, we identified the potential cytotoxicity of BPA by evaluating toxicity using human keratinocytes. Also, we evaluated cytotoxicity of BPA substitutes to determine their suitability as an alternative to BPA. The proliferation assay using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry and western blot analysis showed that BPA significantly affect cell viability, induction of apoptotic fraction and increased activation of DNA-damage marker protein. In addition, through the same experiments, the substitutes of BPA were shown to be significantly less toxic than BPA, and the least toxicity was observed with 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and terephthalic acid (TPA). In conclusion, this study suggests that cytotoxicity of BPA induces apoptosis of human keratinocytes, and that CHDM and TPA are the most suitable substitutes for BPA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Arsenic scavenging by aluminum-substituted ferrihydrites in a circumneutral pH river impacted by acid mine drainage.

    PubMed

    Adra, Areej; Morin, Guillaume; Ona-Nguema, Georges; Menguy, Nicolas; Maillot, Fabien; Casiot, Corinne; Bruneel, Odile; Lebrun, Sophie; Juillot, Farid; Brest, Jessica

    2013-11-19

    Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a nanocrystalline ferric oxyhydroxide involved in the retention of pollutants in natural systems and in water-treatment processes. The status and properties of major chemical impurities in natural Fh is however still scarcely documented. Here we investigated the structure of aluminum-rich Fh, and their role in arsenic scavenging in river-bed sediments from a circumneutral river (pH 6-7) impacted by an arsenic-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy at the Fe K-edge shows that Fh is the predominant mineral phase forming after neutralization of the AMD, in association with minor amount of schwertmannite transported from the AMD. TEM-EDXS elemental mapping and SEM-EDXS analyses combined with EXAFS analysis indicates that Al(3+) substitutes for Fe(3+) ions into the Fh structure in the natural sediment samples, with local aluminum concentration within the 25-30 ± 10 mol %Al range. Synthetic aluminous Fh prepared in the present study are found to be less Al-substituted (14-20 ± 5 mol %Al). Finally, EXAFS analysis at the arsenic K-edge indicates that As(V) form similar inner-sphere surface complexes on the natural and synthetic Al-substituted Fh studied. Our results provide direct evidence for the scavenging of arsenic by natural Al-Fh, which emphasize the possible implication of such material for scavenging pollutants in natural or engineered systems.

  8. Cytoplasmic genome substitution in wheat affects the nuclear-cytoplasmic cross-talk leading to transcript and metabolite alterations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Alloplasmic lines provide a unique tool to study nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions. Three alloplasmic lines, with nuclear genomes from Triticum aestivum and harboring cytoplasm from Aegilops uniaristata, Aegilops tauschii and Hordeum chilense, were investigated by transcript and metabolite profiling to identify the effects of cytoplasmic substitution on nuclear-cytoplasmic signaling mechanisms. Results In combining the wheat nuclear genome with a cytoplasm of H. chilense, 540 genes were significantly altered, whereas 11 and 28 genes were significantly changed in the alloplasmic lines carrying the cytoplasm of Ae. uniaristata or Ae. tauschii, respectively. We identified the RNA maturation-related process as one of the most sensitive to a perturbation of the nuclear-cytoplasmic interaction. Several key components of the ROS chloroplast retrograde signaling, together with the up-regulation of the ROS scavenging system, showed that changes in the chloroplast genome have a direct impact on nuclear-cytoplasmic cross-talk. Remarkably, the H. chilense alloplasmic line down-regulated some genes involved in the determination of cytoplasmic male sterility without expressing the male sterility phenotype. Metabolic profiling showed a comparable response of the central metabolism of the alloplasmic and euplasmic lines to light, while exposing larger metabolite alterations in the H. chilense alloplasmic line as compared with the Aegilops lines, in agreement with the transcriptomic data. Several stress-related metabolites, remarkably raffinose, were altered in content in the H. chilense alloplasmic line when exposed to high light, while amino acids, as well as organic acids were significantly decreased. Alterations in the levels of transcript, related to raffinose, and the photorespiration-related metabolisms were associated with changes in the level of related metabolites. Conclusion The replacement of a wheat cytoplasm with the cytoplasm of a related species affects

  9. Study of the peptide length and amino acid specific substitution in the antigenic activity of the chimeric synthetic peptides, containing the p19 core and gp46 envelope proteins of the HTLV-I virus.

    PubMed

    Marin, Milenen Hernández; Rodríguez-Tanty, Chryslaine; Higginson-Clarke, David; Bocalandro, Yadaris Márquez; Peña, Lilliam Pozo

    2005-10-28

    Four chimeric synthetic peptides (Q5, Q6, Q7(multiply sign in circle), and Q8(multiply sign in circle)), incorporating immunodominant epitopes of the core p19 (105-124 a.a.) and envelope gp46 proteins (175-205 a.a.), of HTLV-I were obtained. Also, two gp46 monomeric peptides M4 and M5(multiply sign in circle) (Ser at position 192) were synthesized. The analysis of the influence of the peptide lengths and the proline to serine substitution on the chimeric and monomeric peptides' antigenicity, with regard to the chimeric peptides Q1, Q2, Q3(multiply sign in circle), and Q4(multiply sign in circle), reported previously, for HTLV-I was carried out. The peptides' antigenicity was evaluated in an ultramicroenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (UMELISA) using sera of HTLV-I/II. The peptides' antigenicity was affected appreciably by the change of the peptide length and amino acid substitutions into the immunodominant sequence of gp46 peptide.

  10. Trans fatty acid intake is related to emotional affect in the Adventist Health Study-2.

    PubMed

    Ford, Patricia A; Jaceldo-Siegl, Karen; Lee, Jerry W; Tonstad, Serena

    2016-06-01

    Trans fatty acids in Western diets increase health risks, and have been associated with the risk of depression. We hypothesized that intakes of trans fatty acids (primarily from margarines and baked goods) were inversely associated with positive affect and positively associated with negative affect in a longitudinal study. Church attendees residing in North America completed a food frequency questionnaire in 2002-6 as part of the Adventist Health Study-2. A subset in which we excluded participants with established cardiovascular disease (n=8,771) completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) in 2006-7. The associations between dietary intakes of fatty acids to positive and negative affect were tested with linear regression analysis controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, education, body mass index, exercise, sleep, sleep squared, Mediterranean diet, total energy intake and alcohol. Intakes of trans fatty acids were inversely associated with positive affect (β=-0.06, B=-0.27 [95% CI -0.37, -0.17], p<.001) and positively associated with negative affect (β=0.05, B=0.21 [95% CI 0.11, 0.31], p<.001). In comparison, we found no association between n-3 polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFA) intakes with affect. The n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio was inversely associated with positive affect (β=-0.03, B=-0.34 [95% CI -0.58, -0.10], p=0.006). The findings suggest that a lower dietary trans fatty acid intake has beneficial effects on emotional affect while the n-6: n-3 ratio is detrimental to positive affect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Amino acid substitutions in the hormone-binding domain of the human androgen receptor alter the stability of the hormone receptor complex.

    PubMed Central

    Marcelli, M; Zoppi, S; Wilson, C M; Griffin, J E; McPhaul, M J

    1994-01-01

    We have investigated the basis of androgen resistance in seven unrelated individuals with complete testicular feminization or Reifenstein syndrome caused by single amino acid substitutions in the hormone-binding domain of the androgen receptor. Monolayer-binding assays of cultured genital skin fibroblasts demonstrated absent ligand binding, qualitative abnormalities of androgen binding, or a decreased amount of qualitatively normal receptor. The consequences of these mutations were examined by introducing the mutations by site-directed mutagenesis into the androgen receptor cDNA sequence and expressing the mutant cDNAs in mammalian cells. The effects of the amino acid substitutions on the binding of different androgens and on the capacity of the ligand-bound receptors to activate a reporter gene were investigated. Substantial differences were found in the responses of the mutant androgen receptors to incubation with testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and mibolerone. In several instances, increased doses of hormone or increased frequency of hormone addition to the incubation medium resulted in normal or near normal activation of a reporter gene by cells expressing the mutant androgen receptors. These studies suggest that the stability of the hormone receptor complex is a major determinant of receptor function in vivo. Images PMID:7929841

  12. Substitution scanning identifies a novel, catalytically active ibrutinib-resistant BTK cysteine 481 to threonine (C481T) variant

    PubMed Central

    Hamasy, A; Wang, Q; Blomberg, K E M; Mohammad, D K; Yu, L; Vihinen, M; Berglöf, A; Smith, C I E

    2017-01-01

    Irreversible Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, ibrutinib and acalabrutinib have demonstrated remarkable clinical responses in multiple B-cell malignancies. Acquired resistance has been identified in a sub-population of patients in which mutations affecting BTK predominantly substitute cysteine 481 in the kinase domain for catalytically active serine, thereby ablating covalent binding of inhibitors. Activating substitutions in the BTK substrate phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2) instead confers resistance independent of BTK. Herein, we generated all six possible amino acid substitutions due to single nucleotide alterations for the cysteine 481 codon, in addition to threonine, requiring two nucleotide substitutions, and performed functional analysis. Replacement by arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan or tyrosine completely inactivated the catalytic activity, whereas substitution with glycine caused severe impairment. BTK with threonine replacement was catalytically active, similar to substitution with serine. We identify three potential ibrutinib resistance scenarios for cysteine 481 replacement: (1) Serine, being catalytically active and therefore predominating among patients. (2) Threonine, also being catalytically active, but predicted to be scarce, because two nucleotide changes are needed. (3) As BTK variants replaced with other residues are catalytically inactive, they presumably need compensatory mutations, therefore being very scarce. Glycine and tryptophan variants were not yet reported but likely also provide resistance. PMID:27282255

  13. Computer-assisted automatic synthesis II. Development of a fully automated apparatus for preparing substituted N–(carboxyalkyl)amino acids

    PubMed Central

    Hayashi, Nobuyoshi; Sugawara, Tohru; Shintani, Motoaki; Kato, Shinji

    1989-01-01

    A versatile automated apparatus, equipped with an artificial intelligence has been developed which may be used to prepare and isolate a wide variety of compounds. The prediction of the optimum reaction conditions and the reaction control in real time, are accomplished using novel kinetic equations and substituent effects in an artificial intelligence software which has already reported [1]. This paper deals with the design and construction of the fully automated system, and its application to the synthesis of a substituted N-(carboxyalkyl)amino acid. The apparatus is composed of units for perfoming various tasks, e.g. reagent supply, reaction, purification and separation, each linked to a control system. All synthetic processes including washing and drying of the apparatus after each synthetic run were automatically performed from the mixing of the reactants to the isolation of the products as powders with purities of greater than 98%. The automated apparatus has been able to run for 24 hours per day, and the average rate of synthesis of substituted N-(carboxyalkyl)amino acids has been three compounds daily. The apparatus is extremely valuable for synthesizing many derivatives of one particular compound structure. Even if the chemical yields are low under the optimum conditions, it is still possible to obtain a sufficient amount of the desired product by repetition of the reaction. Moreover it was possible to greatly reduce the manual involvement of the many syntheses which are a necessary part of pharmaceutical research. PMID:18924679

  14. Association of Dietary Proportions of Macronutrients with Visceral Adiposity Index: Non-Substitution and Iso-Energetic Substitution Models in a Prospective Study.

    PubMed

    Moslehi, Nazanin; Ehsani, Behnaz; Mirmiran, Parvin; Hojjat, Parvane; Azizi, Fereidoun

    2015-10-26

    We aimed to investigate associations between dietary macronutrient proportions and prospective visceral adiposity index changes (ΔVAI). The study included 1254 adults (18-74 years), from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), who were followed for three years. Dietary intakes were assessed twice using food frequency questionnaires. Associations of dietary macronutrient with ΔVAI and risk of visceral adiposity dysfunction (VAD) after three years were investigated. The percentage of energy intake from protein in the total population, and from fat in women, were associated with higher increases in VAI. A 5% higher energy intake from protein substituted for carbohydrate, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was associated with higher ΔVAI. Higher energy intake from animal protein substituted for PUFAs was positively associated with ΔVAI. Substituting protein and PUFAs with MUFAs were related to higher ΔVAI. The associations were similar in men and women, but reached significance mostly among women. Risk of VAD was increased when 1% of energy from protein was replaced with MUFAs. Substituting protein for carbohydrate and fat, and fat for carbohydrate, resulted in increased risk of VAD in women. Higher dietary proportions of protein and animal-derived MUFA may be positively associated with ΔVAI and risk of VAD.

  15. Unraveling the effects of amino acid substitutions enhancing lipase resistance to an ionic liquid: a molecular dynamics study.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jing; Frauenkron-Machedjou, Victorine Josiane; Fulton, Alexander; Zhu, Leilei; Davari, Mehdi D; Jaeger, Karl-Erich; Schwaneberg, Ulrich; Bocola, Marco

    2018-04-04

    Understanding of the structural and dynamic properties of enzymes in non-aqueous media (e.g., ionic liquids, ILs) is highly attractive for protein engineers and synthetic biochemists. Despite a growing number of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies on the influence of different ILs on wild-type enzymes, the effects of various amino acid substitutions on the stability and activity of enzymes in ILs remain to be unraveled at the molecular level. Herein, we selected fifty previously reported Bacillus subtilis lipase A (BSLA) variants with increased resistance towards an IL (15 vol% 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate; [Bmim][TfO]), and also ten non-resistant BSLA variants for a MD simulation study to identify the underlying molecular principles. Some important properties differentiating resistant and non-resistant BSLA variants from wild-type were elucidated. Results show that, in 15 vol% [Bmim][TfO] aqueous solution, 40% and 60% of non-resistant variants have lower and equal probabilities to form a catalytically important hydrogen bond between S77 and H156 compared to wild-type, whereas 36% and 56% of resistant variants show increased and equal probabilities, respectively. Introducing positively charged amino acids close to the substrate-binding cleft for instance I12R is beneficial for the BSLA resistance towards 15 vol% [Bmim][TfO], likely due to the reduced probability of [Bmim]+ cations clustering near the cleft. In contrast, substitution with a large hydrophobic residue like I12F can block the cleft through hydrophobic interaction with a neighboring nonpolar loop 134-137 or/and an attractive π-π interaction with [Bmim]+ cations. In addition, the resistant variants having polar substitutions on the surface show higher ability to stabilize the surface water molecule network in comparison to non-resistant variants. This study can guide experimentalists to rationally design promising IL-resistant enzymes, and contribute to a deeper

  16. Ring structure amino acids affect the suppressor activity of melon aphid-borne yellows virus P0 protein.

    PubMed

    Han, Yan-Hong; Xiang, Hai-Ying; Wang, Qian; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Wu, Wen-Qi; Han, Cheng-Gui; Li, Da-Wei; Yu, Jia-Lin

    2010-10-10

    Melon aphid-borne yellows virus (MABYV) is a newly identified polerovirus occurring in China. Here, we demonstrate that the MABYV encoded P0 (P0(MA)) protein is a strong suppressor of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) with activity comparable to tobacco etch virus (TEV) HC-Pro. In addition we have shown that the LP F-box motif present at the N-terminus of P0(MA) is required for suppressor activity. Detailed mutational analyses on P0(MA) revealed that changing the conserved Trp 212 with non-ring structured amino acids altered silencing suppressor functions. Ala substitutions at positions 12 and 211 for Phe had no effect on P0 suppression-activity, whereas Arg and Glu substitutions had greatly decreased suppressor activity. Furthermore, substitutions targeting Phe at position 30 also resulted in reduced P0 suppression-activity. Altogether, these results suggest that ring structured Trp/Phe residues in P0 have important roles in suppressor activity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Effects of a naturally occurring amino acid substitution in bovine PrP: a model for inherited prion disease in a natural host species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The most common hereditary prion disease is human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) associated with a mutation in the prion gene (PRNP) resulting in a glutamic acid to lysine substitution at position 200 (E200K) in the prion protein. Models of E200K CJD in transgenic mice have proven interesting but h...

  18. Tandem SN2' nucleophilic substitution/oxidative radical cyclization of aryl substituted allylic alcohols with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhen; Li, Cheng; Wang, Shao-Hua; Zhang, Fu-Min; Han, Xue; Tu, Yong-Qiang; Zhang, Xiao-Ming

    2017-04-11

    A novel and efficient tandem S N 2' nucleophilic substitution/oxidative radical cyclization reaction of aryl substituted allylic alcohols with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds has been developed by using Mn(OAc) 3 as an oxidant, which enables the expeditious synthesis of polysubstituted dihydrofuran (DHF) derivatives in moderate to high yields. The use of weakly acidic hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) as the solvent rather than AcOH has successfully improved the yields and expanded the substrate scope of this type of radical cyclization reactions. Mechanistic studies confirmed the cascade reaction process involving a final radical cyclization.

  19. OPHIDIAN L-AMINO ACID OXIDASE. THE NATURE OF THE ENZYME-SUBSTRATE COMPLEXES.

    PubMed

    ZELLER, E A; RAMACHANDER, G; FLEISHER, G A; ISHIMARU, T; ZELLER, V

    1965-04-01

    1. To investigate the kinetics of ophidian l-amino acid oxidase, V and K(m) were determined for phenylalanines that were substituted in every ring position with groups of various size and reactivity, and for a few ring-substituted tryptophans and histidines. The venom of one representative from each of three major classes of poisonous snakes, Naja melanoleuca, Vipera russelli and Crotalus adamanteus, served as a source of the ophidian l-amino acid oxidase. Both crude and crystalline enzyme from the venom of C. adamanteus were tested. 2. The introduction of a benzene ring into glycine and alanine caused some increase of V and a very marked depression of K(m). 3. With the exception of fluorine, residues in the ortho position of phenylalanine led to a decrease of V. The rates induced by various substitutions follow the pattern: meta >/= para >/= ortho. Within the halogen series, the effects become more pronounced with increasing atomic number. 4. Ring substitution in heterocyclic amino acids also affected the V values markedly. For methyl-substituted tryptophans the pattern was: 5-methyl >/= 6-methyl >/= 4-methyl. In a few instances ring substitution accounts for a considerable elevation of V, as shown for beta-quinol-4-ylalanine and its 6-methoxy derivative. 5. The kinetic constants appear to be unaffected by relatively high concentrations of the corresponding d-amino acids. 6. A general principle that permits a uniform interpretation of a vast body of information is suggested. It is based on the assumption that most substrates form not only eutopic but also dystopic complexes with the enzyme. The latter, in contrast with the former, do not permit the formation of reaction products. K values for eutopic and dystopic complexes are computed. Similar concepts have been presented to elucidate the action of alpha-chymotrypsin (Hein & Niemann, 1962) and of monoamine oxidase.

  20. Nonsynonymous substitution rate heterogeneity in the peptide-binding region among different HLA-DRB1 lineages in humans.

    PubMed

    Yasukochi, Yoshiki; Satta, Yoko

    2014-05-02

    An extraordinary diversity of amino acid sequences in the peptide-binding region (PBR) of human leukocyte antigen [HLA; human major histocompatibility complex (MHC)] molecules has been maintained by balancing selection. The process of accumulation of amino acid diversity in the PBR for six HLA genes (HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DQB1, and DPB1) shows that the number of amino acid substitutions in the PBR among alleles does not linearly correlate with the divergence time of alleles at the six HLA loci. At these loci, some pairs of alleles show significantly less nonsynonymous substitutions at the PBR than expected from the divergence time. The same phenomenon was observed not only in the HLA but also in the rat MHC. To identify the cause for this, DRB1 sequences, a representative case of a typical nonlinear pattern of substitutions, were examined. When the amino acid substitutions in the PBR were placed with maximum parsimony on a maximum likelihood tree based on the non-PBR substitutions, heterogeneous rates of nonsynonymous substitutions in the PBR were observed on several branches. A computer simulation supported the hypothesis that allelic pairs with low PBR substitution rates were responsible for the stagnation of accumulation of PBR nonsynonymous substitutions. From these observations, we conclude that the nonsynonymous substitution rate at the PBR sites is not constant among the allelic lineages. The deceleration of the rate may be caused by the coexistence of certain pathogens for a substantially long time during HLA evolution. Copyright © 2014 Yasukochi and Satta.

  1. Active Sites of Reduced Epidermal Fluorescence1 (REF1) Isoforms Contain Amino Acid Substitutions That Are Different between Monocots and Dicots

    PubMed Central

    Missihoun, Tagnon D.; Kotchoni, Simeon O.; Bartels, Dorothea

    2016-01-01

    Plant aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play important roles in cell wall biosynthesis, growth, development, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The Reduced Epidermal Fluorescence1 is encoded by the subfamily 2C of ALDHs and was shown to oxidise coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde to ferulic acid and sinapic acid in the phenylpropanoid pathway, respectively. This knowledge has been gained from works in the dicotyledon model species Arabidopsis thaliana then used to functionally annotate ALDH2C isoforms in other species, based on the orthology principle. However, the extent to which the ALDH isoforms differ between monocotyledons and dicotyledons has rarely been accessed side-by-side. In this study, we used a phylogenetic approach to address this question. We have analysed the ALDH genes in Brachypodium distachyon, alongside those of other sequenced monocotyledon and dicotyledon species to examine traits supporting either a convergent or divergent evolution of the ALDH2C/REF1-type proteins. We found that B. distachyon, like other grasses, contains more ALDH2C/REF1 isoforms than A. thaliana and other dicotyledon species. Some amino acid residues in ALDH2C/REF1 isoforms were found as being conserved in dicotyledons but substituted by non-equivalent residues in monocotyledons. One example of those substitutions concerns a conserved phenylalanine and a conserved tyrosine in monocotyledons and dicotyledons, respectively. Protein structure modelling suggests that the presence of tyrosine would widen the substrate-binding pocket in the dicotyledons, and thereby influence substrate specificity. We discussed the importance of these findings as new hints to investigate why ferulic acid contents and cell wall digestibility differ between the dicotyledon and monocotyledon species. PMID:27798665

  2. Active Sites of Reduced Epidermal Fluorescence1 (REF1) Isoforms Contain Amino Acid Substitutions That Are Different between Monocots and Dicots.

    PubMed

    Missihoun, Tagnon D; Kotchoni, Simeon O; Bartels, Dorothea

    2016-01-01

    Plant aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play important roles in cell wall biosynthesis, growth, development, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The Reduced Epidermal Fluorescence1 is encoded by the subfamily 2C of ALDHs and was shown to oxidise coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde to ferulic acid and sinapic acid in the phenylpropanoid pathway, respectively. This knowledge has been gained from works in the dicotyledon model species Arabidopsis thaliana then used to functionally annotate ALDH2C isoforms in other species, based on the orthology principle. However, the extent to which the ALDH isoforms differ between monocotyledons and dicotyledons has rarely been accessed side-by-side. In this study, we used a phylogenetic approach to address this question. We have analysed the ALDH genes in Brachypodium distachyon, alongside those of other sequenced monocotyledon and dicotyledon species to examine traits supporting either a convergent or divergent evolution of the ALDH2C/REF1-type proteins. We found that B. distachyon, like other grasses, contains more ALDH2C/REF1 isoforms than A. thaliana and other dicotyledon species. Some amino acid residues in ALDH2C/REF1 isoforms were found as being conserved in dicotyledons but substituted by non-equivalent residues in monocotyledons. One example of those substitutions concerns a conserved phenylalanine and a conserved tyrosine in monocotyledons and dicotyledons, respectively. Protein structure modelling suggests that the presence of tyrosine would widen the substrate-binding pocket in the dicotyledons, and thereby influence substrate specificity. We discussed the importance of these findings as new hints to investigate why ferulic acid contents and cell wall digestibility differ between the dicotyledon and monocotyledon species.

  3. A novel amino acid substitution in a voltage-gated sodium channel is associated with knockdown resistance to permethrin in Aedes aegypti.

    PubMed

    Chang, Cheng; Shen, Wen-Kai; Wang, Tzu-Ting; Lin, Ying-Hsi; Hsu, Err-Lieh; Dai, Shu-Mei

    2009-04-01

    To identify pertinent mutations associated with knockdown resistance to permethrin, the entire coding sequence of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene Aa-para was sequenced and analyzed from a Per-R strain with 190-fold resistance to permethrin and two susceptible strains of Aedes aegypti. The longest transcript, a 6441bp open reading frame, encodes 2147 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular mass of 241kDa. A total of 33 exons were found in the Aa-para gene over 293kb of genomic DNA. Three previously unreported optional exons were identified. The first two exons, m and n, were located within the intracellular domain I/II, and the third, f', was found within the II/III linkers. The two mutually exclusive exons, d and l, were the only alternative exons in all the cDNA clones sequenced in this study. The most distinct finding was a novel amino acid substitution mutation, D1794Y, located within the extracellular linker between IVS5 and IVS6, which is concurrent with the known V1023G mutation in Aa-para of the Per-R strain. The high frequency and coexistence of the two mutations in the Per-R strain suggest that they might exert a synergistic effect to provide the knockdown resistance to permethrin. Furthermore, both cDNA and genomic DNA data from the same individual mosquitoes have demonstrated that RNA editing was not involved in amino acid substitutions of the Per-R strain.

  4. The nucleotide sequence of HLA-B{sup *}2704 reveals a new amino acid substitution in exon 4 which is also present in HLA-B{sup *}2706

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rudwaleit, M.; Bowness, P.; Wordsworth, P.

    1996-12-31

    The HLA-B27 subtype HLA-B{sup *}2704 is virtually absent in Caucasians but common in Orientals, where it is associated with ankylosing spondylitis. The amino acid sequence of HLA-B{sup *}2704 has been established by peptide mapping and was shown to differ by two amino acids from HLA-B{sup *}2705, HLA-B{sup *}2704 is characterized by a serine for aspartic acid substitution at position 77 and glutamic acid for valine at position 152. To date, however, no nucleotide sequence confirming these changes at the DNA level has been published. 13 refs., 2 figs.

  5. Multiple adaptive amino acid substitutions increase the virulence of a wild waterfowl-origin reassortant H5N8 avian influenza virus in mice.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zhijun; Cheng, Kaihui; Sun, Weiyang; Zhang, Xinghai; Xia, Xianzhu; Gao, Yuwei

    2018-01-15

    A novel H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) caused poultry outbreaks in the Republic of Korea in 2014. The novel H5N8 HPAIV has spread to Asia, Europe, and North America and caused great public concern from then on. Here, we generated mouse-adapted variants of a wild waterfowl-origin H5N8 HPAIV to identify adaptive mutants that confer enhanced pathogenicity in mammals. The mouse lethal doses (MLD 50 ) of the mouse-adapted variants were reduced 31623-fold compared to the wild-type (WT) virus. Mouse-adapted variants displayed enhanced replication in vitro and in vivo, and expanded tissue tropism in mice. Sequence analysis revealed four amino acid substitutions in the PB2 (E627K), PA (F35S), HA (R227H), and NA (I462V) proteins. These data suggest that multiple amino acid substitutions collaboratively increase the virulence of a wild bird-origin reassortant H5N8 HPAIV and cause severe disease in mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Emergence of Avian Influenza Viruses with Enhanced Transcription Activity by a Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Nucleoprotein during Replication in Chicken Brains ▿

    PubMed Central

    Tada, Tatsuya; Suzuki, Koutaro; Sakurai, Yu; Kubo, Masanori; Okada, Hironao; Itoh, Toshihiro; Tsukamoto, Kenji

    2011-01-01

    To explore the genetic basis of the pathogenesis and adaptation of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) to chickens, the A/duck/Yokohama/aq10/2003 (H5N1) (DkYK10) virus was passaged five times in the brains of chickens. The brain-passaged DkYK10-B5 caused quick death of chickens through rapid and efficient replication in tissues, accompanied by severe apoptosis. Genome sequence comparison of two viruses identified a single amino acid substitution at position 109 in NP from isoleucine to threonine (NP I109T). By analyzing viruses constructed by the reverse-genetic method, we established that the NP I109T substitution also contributed to increased viral replication and polymerase activity in chicken embryo fibroblasts, but not in duck embryo fibroblasts. Real-time RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the NP I109T substitution enhances mRNA synthesis quickly and then cRNA and viral RNA (vRNA) synthesis slowly. Next, to determine the mechanism underlying the appearance of the NP I109T substitution during passages, four H5N1 highly pathogenic AIVs (HPAIVs) were passaged in the lungs and brains of chicken embryos. Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis, together with a database search, suggests that the NP I109T mutation would be induced frequently during replication of HPAIVs in brains, but not in lungs. These results demonstrate that the amino acid at position 109 in NP enhances viral RNA synthesis and the pathogenicity of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in chickens and that the NP mutation emerges quickly during replication of the viruses in chicken brains. PMID:21795332

  7. Fermentation Conditions that Affect Clavulanic Acid Production in Streptomyces clavuligerus: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Ser, Hooi-Leng; Law, Jodi Woan-Fei; Chaiyakunapruk, Nathorn; Jacob, Sabrina Anne; Palanisamy, Uma Devi; Chan, Kok-Gan; Goh, Bey-Hing; Lee, Learn-Han

    2016-01-01

    The β-lactamase inhibitor, clavulanic acid is frequently used in combination with β-lactam antibiotics to treat a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. Clavulanic acid prevents drug resistance by pathogens against these β-lactam antibiotics by preventing the degradation of the β-lactam ring, thus ensuring eradication of these harmful microorganisms from the host. This systematic review provides an overview on the fermentation conditions that affect the production of clavulanic acid in the firstly described producer, Streptomyces clavuligerus. A thorough search was conducted using predefined terms in several electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, EBSCO), from database inception to June 30th 2015. Studies must involve wild-type Streptomyces clavuligerus, and full texts needed to be available. A total of 29 eligible articles were identified. Based on the literature, several factors were identified that could affect the production of clavulanic acid in S. clavuligerus. The addition of glycerol or other vegetable oils (e.g., olive oil, corn oil) could potentially affect clavulanic acid production. Furthermore, some amino acids such as arginine and ornithine, could serve as potential precursors to increase clavulanic acid yield. The comparison of different fermentation systems revealed that fed-batch fermentation yields higher amounts of clavulanic acid as compared to batch fermentation, probably due to the maintenance of substrates and constant monitoring of certain entities (such as pH, oxygen availability, etc.). Overall, these findings provide vital knowledge and insight that could assist media optimization and fermentation design for clavulanic acid production in S. clavuligerus.

  8. Mutations in Elongation Factor Ef-1α Affect the Frequency of Frameshifting and Amino Acid Misincorporation in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Sandbaken, M. G.; Culbertson, M. R.

    1988-01-01

    A mutational analysis of the eukaryotic elongation factor EF-1α indicates that this protein functions to limit the frequency of errors during genetic code translation. We found that both amino acid misincorporation and reading frame errors are controlled by EF-1α. In order to examine the function of this protein, the TEF2 gene, which encodes EF-1α in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was mutagenized in vitro with hydroxylamine. Sixteen independent TEF2 alleles were isolated by their ability to suppress frameshift mutations. DNA sequence analysis identified eight different sites in the EF-1α protein that elevate the frequency of mistranslation when mutated. These sites are located in two different regions of the protein. Amino acid substitutions located in or near the GTP-binding and hydrolysis domain of the protein cause suppression of frameshift and nonsense mutations. These mutations may effect mistranslation by altering the binding or hydrolysis of GTP. Amino acid substitutions located adjacent to a putative aminoacyl-tRNA binding region also suppress frameshift and nonsense mutations. These mutations may alter the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA by EF-1α. The identification of frameshift and nonsense suppressor mutations in EF-1α indicates a role for this protein in limiting amino acid misincorporation and reading frame errors. We suggest that these types of errors are controlled by a common mechanism or closely related mechanisms. PMID:3066688

  9. Trifluoromethyl-substituted polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    Current work sponsored by the grant at Southwest Texas State University is directed toward the synthesis and characterization of: (1) N-alkylated polyamides derived from o-fluorinated diacids; (2) highly fluorinated polyethers; (3) polyesters derived from 2-hydroxy-2-propyl substituted arenes and/or 2,5-difluoroterephthalic acid; and (4) silicon-containing fluoropolymers. Work during the period from 1 July to 31 Dec. 1993 focused primarily on items 3 and 4 and on the development of a phosphorus containing modification of '12F-PEK.'

  10. Synthetic versatility of 2-substituted-6-methyl 2,3-dihydropyridinones in the synthesis of polyfunctional piperidine-based compounds and related β amino acid derivatives.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yang; Hardman, Clayton

    2017-10-18

    Chiral 2-substituted-6-methyl 2,3-dihydropyidinones 9, which can be facilely obtained from an asymmetric vinylogous Mannich reaction (VMR) with 1,3-bis-trimethysily enol ether, were used as versatile intermediates in constructing chiral polyfunctional piperidine-based compounds. The 6-methyl group of such compounds can be conveniently functionalized via alkylation and acylation reactions to provide efficient entries to the synthesis of a variety of chiral multi-substituted piperidine-based compounds. Further elaboration of the corresponding intermediates also provided access to polyfunctional indolizidine-based compounds. These methods were showcased in an asymmetric synthesis of 2,6-di-substituted piperidine compound 13, reported as the key intermediate in the synthesis of (+)-calvine and a natural alkaloid (-)-indolizidine 209D. Furthermore, selective C5 iodination of compound 9 enabled the installation of additional functional groups at this position. Finally, we demonstrated that the oxidative cleavage of 2-substituted-6-methyl-2,3-dihydropyidinones is a practical and efficient method for the enantioselective synthesis of β-amino acids, which can undergo further intra-molecular cyclization to give the corresponding chiral four-membered β-lactam derivatives.

  11. Factors affecting conjugated linoleic acid content in milk and meat.

    PubMed

    Dhiman, Tilak R; Nam, Seung-Hee; Ure, Amy L

    2005-01-01

    Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been recently studied mainly because of its potential in protecting against cancer, atherogenesis, and diabetes. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a collective term for a series of conjugated dienoic positional and geometrical isomers of linoleic acid, which are found in relative abundance in milk and tissue fat of ruminants compared with other foods. The cis-9, trans-11 isomer is the principle dietary form of CLA found in ruminant products and is produced by partial ruminal biohydrogenation of linoleic acid or by endogenous synthesis in the tissues themselves. The CLA content in milk and meat is affected by several factors, such as animal's breed, age, diet, and management factors related to feed supplements affecting the diet. Conjugated linoleic acid in milk or meat has been shown to be a stable compound under normal cooking and storage conditions. Total CLA content in milk or dairy products ranges from 0.34 to 1.07% of total fat. Total CLA content in raw or processed beef ranges from 0.12 to 0.68% of total fat. It is currently estimated that the average adult consumes only one third to one half of the amount of CLA that has been shown to reduce cancer in animal studies. For this reason, increasing the CLA contents of milk and meat has the potential to raise the nutritive and therapeutic values of dairy products and meat.

  12. Application of ChemDraw NMR Tool: Correlation of Program-Generated 13C Chemical Shifts and pKa Values of para-Substituted Benzoic Acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hongyi

    2005-09-01

    An application of ChemDraw NMR Tool was demonstrated by correlation of program-generated 13 C NMR chemical shifts and p K a values of para-substituted benzoic acids. Experimental 13 C NMR chemical shifts were analyzed in the same way for comparison. The project can be used as an assignment at the end of the first-year organic chemistry course to review topics or explore new techniques: Hammett equation, acid base equilibrium theory, electronic nature of functional groups, inductive and resonance effects, structure reactivity relationship, NMR spectroscopy, literature search, database search, and ChemDraw software.

  13. Oxidation of Alkyl-substituted Cyclic Hydrocarbons by a Nocardia during Growth on n-Alkanes

    PubMed Central

    Davis, J. B.; Raymond, R. L.

    1961-01-01

    Nocardia 107-332, a soil isolate, oxidizes short-chain alkyl-substituted cyclic hydrocarbons to cyclic acids while growing on n-alkanes. Cyclic acids are produced also from relatively long-chain alkyl-substituted cyclics such as n-nonylbenzene or n-dodecylbenzene which alone support growth in a mineral-salts medium. ω-Oxidation of the alkyl substituents is followed by β-oxidation. It is of particular interest that cyclic acids such as cyclohexaneacetic and phenylacetic with C2 residual carboxylic acid substituents are resistant to further oxidation by the nocardia but cyclic acids with C1 or C3 substituents are readily oxidized and utilized for growth. The specificity of microbial oxidations is demonstrated by the conversion of p-isopropyltoluene (p-cymene) to p-isopropylbenzoic acid in n-alkane, growth-supported nocardia cultures. PMID:13720182

  14. Synthesis of [.sup.13C] and [.sup.2H] substituted methacrylic acid, [.sup.13C] and [.sup.2H] substituted methyl methacrylate and/or related compounds

    DOEpatents

    Alvarez, Marc A [Santa Fe, NM; Martinez, Rodolfo A [Santa Fe, NM; Unkefer, Clifford J [Los Alamos, NM

    2008-01-22

    The present invention is directed to labeled compounds of the formulae ##STR00001## wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of --S--, --S(.dbd.O)--, and --S(.dbd.O).sub.2--, Z is selected from the group consisting of 1-naphthyl, substituted 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, substituted 2-naphthyl, and phenyl groups with the structure ##STR00002## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 lower alkyl, a halogen, and an amino group selected from the group consisting of NH.sub.2, NHR and NRR' where R and R' are each independently selected from the group consisting of a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 lower alkyl, an aryl, and an alkoxy group, and X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 lower alkyl group, and a fully-deuterated C.sub.1-C.sub.4 lower alkyl group. The present invention is also directed to a process of preparing labeled compounds, e.g., process of preparing [.sup.13C]methacrylic acid by reacting a (CH.sub.3CH.sub.2O--.sup.13C(O)--.sup.13CH.sub.2)-- aryl sulfone precursor with .sup.13CHI to form a (CH.sub.3CH.sub.2O--.sup.13C(O)--.sup.13C(.sup.13CH.sub.3).sub.2)-- aryl sulfone intermediate, and, reacting the (CH.sub.3CH.sub.2O--.sup.13C(O)--.sup.13C(.sup.13CH.sub.3).sub.2)-- aryl sulfone intermediate with sodium hydroxide, followed by acid to form [.sup.13C]methacrylic acid. The present invention is further directed to a process of preparing [.sup.2H.sub.8]methyl methacrylate by reacting a (HOOC--C(C.sup.2H.sub.3).sub.2-- aryl sulfinyl intermediate with CD.sub.3I to form a (.sup.2H.sub.3COOC--C(C.sup.2H.sub.3).sub.2)-- aryl sulfinyl intermediate, and heating the(.sup.2H.sub.3COOC--C(C.sup.2H.sub.3).sub.2)-- aryl sulfinyl intermediate at temperatures and for time sufficient to form [.sup.2H.sub.8]methyl methacrylate.

  15. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid increase the degradation of amyloid-β by affecting insulin-degrading enzyme.

    PubMed

    Grimm, Marcus O W; Mett, Janine; Stahlmann, Christoph P; Haupenthal, Viola J; Blümel, Tamara; Stötzel, Hannah; Grimm, Heike S; Hartmann, Tobias

    2016-12-01

    Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been proposed to be highly beneficial in Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD pathology is closely linked to an overproduction and accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides as extracellular senile plaques in the brain. Total Aβ levels are not only dependent on its production by proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), but also on Aβ-clearance mechanisms, including Aβ-degrading enzymes. Here we show that the omega-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increase Aβ-degradation by affecting insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), the major Aβ-degrading enzyme secreted into the extracellular space of neuronal and microglial cells. The identification of the molecular mechanisms revealed that EPA directly increases IDE enzyme activity and elevates gene expression of IDE. DHA also directly stimulates IDE enzyme activity and affects IDE sorting by increasing exosome release of IDE, resulting in enhanced Aβ-degradation in the extracellular milieu. Apart from the known positive effect of DHA in reducing Aβ production, EPA and DHA might ameliorate AD pathology by increasing Aβ turnover.

  16. 40 CFR 721.981 - Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.981 Substituted naphtholoazo-substituted naphthalenyl-substituted azonaphthol chromium complex. (a) Chemical substance and significant new...

  17. The FMLA and the Changing Demand for Substitute Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyld, David C.

    1995-01-01

    Examines how the Family and Medical Leave Act's special rules affecting primary and secondary education are likely to change the way that school administrators think about and make use of substitutes. Considers the pool of people who become substitutes and the way that they are recruited and compensated. Discusses intermittent leave for teachers…

  18. Structure-activity studies of lGnRH-III through rational amino acid substitution and NMR conformational studies.

    PubMed

    Pappa, Eleni V; Zompra, Aikaterini A; Diamantopoulou, Zoi; Spyranti, Zinovia; Pairas, George; Lamari, Fotini N; Katsoris, Panagiotis; Spyroulias, George A; Cordopatis, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Lamprey gonadotropin-releasing hormone type III (lGnRH-III) is an isoform of GnRH isolated from the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) with negligible endocrine activity in mammalian systems. Data concerning the superior direct anticancer activity of lGnRH-III have been published, raising questions on the structure-activity relationship. We synthesized 21 lGnRH-III analogs with rational amino acid substitutions and studied their effect on PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell proliferation. Our results question the importance of the acidic charge of Asp⁶ for the antiproliferative activity and indicate the significance of the stereochemistry of Trp in positions 3 and 7. Furthermore, conjugation of an acetyl-group to the side chain of Lys⁸ or side chain cyclization of amino acids 1-8 increased the antiproliferative activity of lGnRH-III demonstrating that the proposed salt bridge between Asp⁶ and Lys⁸ is not crucial. Conformational studies of lGnRH-III were performed through NMR spectroscopy, and the solution structure of GnRH-I was solved. In solution, lGnRH-III adopts an extended backbone conformation in contrast to the well-defined β-turn conformation of GnRH-I. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Structural and functional interaction of fatty acids with human liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) T94A variant.

    PubMed

    Huang, Huan; McIntosh, Avery L; Martin, Gregory G; Landrock, Kerstin K; Landrock, Danilo; Gupta, Shipra; Atshaves, Barbara P; Kier, Ann B; Schroeder, Friedhelm

    2014-05-01

    The human liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) T94A variant, the most common in the FABP family, has been associated with elevated liver triglyceride levels. How this amino acid substitution elicits these effects is not known. This issue was addressed using human recombinant wild-type (WT) and T94A variant L-FABP proteins as well as cultured primary human hepatocytes expressing the respective proteins (genotyped as TT, TC and CC). The T94A substitution did not alter or only slightly altered L-FABP binding affinities for saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids, nor did it change the affinity for intermediates of triglyceride synthesis. Nevertheless, the T94A substitution markedly altered the secondary structural response of L-FABP induced by binding long chain fatty acids or intermediates of triglyceride synthesis. Finally, the T94A substitution markedly decreased the levels of induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α-regulated proteins such as L-FABP, fatty acid transport protein 5 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α itself meditated by the polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in cultured primary human hepatocytes. Thus, although the T94A substitution did not alter the affinity of human L-FABP for long chain fatty acids, it significantly altered human L-FABP structure and stability, as well as the conformational and functional response to these ligands. © 2014 FEBS.

  20. Hydration of amino acids: FTIR spectra and molecular dynamics studies.

    PubMed

    Panuszko, Aneta; Adamczak, Beata; Czub, Jacek; Gojło, Emilia; Stangret, Janusz

    2015-11-01

    The hydration of selected amino acids, alanine, glycine, proline, valine, isoleucine and phenylalanine, has been studied in aqueous solutions by means of FTIR spectra of HDO isotopically diluted in H2O. The difference spectra procedure and the chemometric method have been applied to remove the contribution of bulk water and thus to separate the spectra of solute-affected HDO. To support interpretation of obtained spectral results, molecular dynamics simulations of amino acids were performed. The structural-energetic characteristic of these solute-affected water molecules shows that, on average, water affected by amino acids forms stronger and shorter H-bonds than those in pure water. Differences in the influence of amino acids on water structure have been noticed. The effect of the hydrophobic side chain of an amino acid on the solvent interactions seems to be enhanced because of the specific cooperative coupling of water strong H-bond chain, connecting the carboxyl and amino groups, with the clathrate-like H-bond network surrounding the hydrocarbon side chain. The parameter derived from the spectral data, which corresponds to the contributions of the population of weak hydrogen bonds of water molecules which have been substituted by the stronger ones in the hydration sphere of amino acids, correlated well with the amino acid hydrophobicity indexes.

  1. Transformation products of submicron-sized aluminum-substituted magnetite: Color and reductant solubility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Golden, D. C.; Ming, D. W.; Lauer, H. V., Jr.

    1991-01-01

    Magnetite, when present as fine particles, is soluble in acid ammonium oxalate (pH equals 3). However, the commonly used extractant for free iron oxides (i.e., citrate dithionite-bicarbonate (CDB) is not very effective in dissolving magnetite in soils and geologic materials. Upon oxidation, magnetite transforms to maghemite; at elevated temperatures, maghemite inverts to hematite. This transformation causes a change in color from black to red and may affect the reductant solubility as well. The objectives here were to examine the color and reflectance spectral characteristics of products during the transformation of magnetite to maghemite to hematite and to study the effect of Al-substitution in magnetite on the above process. Reductant solubility of Al-substituted magnetite, maghemite, and hematite was also studied. In summary, the transformation of magnetite to maghemite was accompanied by a change in color from black to red because of the oxidation of Fe2(+) to Fe3(+). The phase change maghemite to hematite had a relatively minor effect on the color and the reflectance spectra.

  2. Synthesis and evaluation of dual antiplatelet activity of bispidine derivatives of N-substituted pyroglutamic acids.

    PubMed

    Misra, Ankita; Anil Kumar, K S; Jain, Manish; Bajaj, Kirti; Shandilya, Shyamali; Srivastava, Smriti; Shukla, Pankaj; Barthwal, Manoj K; Dikshit, Madhu; Dikshit, Dinesh K

    2016-03-03

    N-aralkylpyroglutamides of substituted bispidine were prepared and evaluated for their ability to inhibit collagen induced platelet aggregation, both in vivo and in vitro. Some compounds showed high anti-platelet efficacy (in vitro) of which six inhibited both collagen as well as U46619 induced platelet aggregation with concentration dependent anti-platelet efficacy through dual mechanism. In particular, the compound 4j offered significant protection against collagen epinephrine induced pulmonary thromboembolism as well as ferric chloride induced arterial thrombosis, without affecting bleeding tendency in mice. Therefore, the present study suggests that the compound 4j displays a remarkable antithrombotic efficacy much better than aspirin and clopidogrel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. LASER BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE: Application of laser fluorimetry for determining the influence of a single amino-acid substitution on the individual photophysical parameters of a fluorescent form of a fluorescent protein mRFP1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banishev, A. A.; Vrzheshch, E. P.; Shirshin, E. A.

    2009-03-01

    Individual photophysical parameters of the chromophore of a fluorescent protein mRFP1 and its two mutants (amino-acid substitution at position 66 - mRFP1/ Q66C and mRFP1/Q66S proteins) are determined. For this purpose, apart from conventional methods of fluorimetry and spectrophotometry, nonlinear laser fluorimetry is used. It is shown that the individual extinction coefficients of the chromophore of proteins correlate (correlation coefficient above 0.9) with the volume of the substituted amino-acid residue at position 66 (similar to the positions of the absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission maxima).

  4. STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION OF FATTY ACIDS WITH HUMAN LIVER FATTY ACID BINDING PROTEIN (L-FABP) T94A VARIANT

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Huan; McIntosh, Avery L.; Martin, Gregory G.; Landrock, Kerstin K.; Landrock, Danilo; Gupta, Shipra; Atshaves, Barbara P.; Kier, Ann B.; Schroeder, Friedhelm

    2014-01-01

    The human liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) T94A variant, the most common in the FABP family, has been associated with elevated liver triglyceride (TG) levels. How this amino acid substitution elicits these effects is not known. This issue was addressed with human recombinant wild-type (WT, T94T) and T94A variant L-FABP proteins as well as cultured primary human hepatocytes expressing the respective proteins (genotyped as TT, TC, and CC). T94A substitution did not or only slightly alter L-FABP binding affinities for saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids (LCFA), nor did it change the affinity for intermediates in TG synthesis. Nevertheless, T94A substitution markedly altered the secondary structural response of L-FABP induced by binding LCFA or intermediates of TG synthesis. Finally, T94A substitution markedly diminished polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) - regulated proteins such as L-FABP, fatty acid transport protein 5 (FATP5), and PPARα itself in cultured primary human hepatocytes. Thus, while T94A substitution did not alter the affinity of human L-FABP for LCFAs, it significantly altered human L-FABP structure and stability as well as conformational and functional response to these ligands. PMID:24628888

  5. How far can sodium substitute for potassium in red beet?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Subbarao, G. V.; Wheeler, R. M.; Stutte, G. W.; Levine, L. H.; Sager, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    Sodium (Na) movement between plants and humans is one of the more critical aspects of bioregenerative systems of life support, which NASA is studying for the establishment of long-term bases on the Lunar or Martian surface. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which Na can replace potassium (K) in red beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp vulgaris) without adversely affecting metabolic functions such as water relations, photosynthetic rates, and thus growth. Two cultivars, Ruby Queen and Klein Bol, were grown for 42 days at 1200 micromoles mol-1 CO2 in a growth chamber using a re-circulating nutrient film technique with 0%, 75%, 95%, and 98% Na substitution for K in a modified half-strength Hoagland solution. Total biomass of Ruby Queen was greatest at 95% Na substitution and equal at 0% and 98% Na substitution. For Klein Bol, there was a 75% reduction in total biomass at 98% Na substitution. Nearly 95% of the total plant K was replaced with Na at 98% Na substitution in both cultivars. Potassium concentrations in leaves decreased from 120 g kg-1 dwt in 0% Na substitution to 3.5 g kg-1 dwt at 98% Na substitution. Leaf chlorophyll concentration, photosynthetic rate, and osmotic potential were not affected in either cultivar by Na substitution for K. Leaf glycinebetaine levels were doubled at 75% Na substitution in Klein Bol, but decreased at higher levels of Na substitution. For Ruby Queen, glycinebetaine levels in leaf increased with the first increase of Na levels and were maintained at the higher Na levels. These results indicate that in some cultivars of red beet, 95% of the normal tissue K can be replaced by Na without a reduction in growth.

  6. Infrared Spectra of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Nitrogen Substitution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauschlicher, Charles W.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

    1998-01-01

    The B3LYP/4-31G approach is used to compute the harmonic frequencies of substituted naphthalene, anthracene, and their cations. The substitutions include cyano (CN), aminio (NH2), imino (NH), and replacement of a CH group by a nitrogen atom. All unique sites are considered, namely 1 and 2 for naphthalene and 1, 2, and 9 for an'tracene, except for the imino, where only 2-iminonaphthalene is studied. The IR spectra of these substituted species are compared with those of the unsubstituted molecules. The addition of a CN group does not significantly affect the spectra except to add the CN stretching frequency. Replacing a CH group by N has only a small effect on the IR spectra. The addition of the NH2 group dramatically affects the neutral spectra, giving it much of the character of the cation spectra. However, the neutral 2-irrinonaphthalene spectra looks more like that of naphthalene than like the 2-aminonaphthalene spectra.

  7. Imidazoline phosphonic acids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Redmore, D.

    1972-07-04

    Nitrogen-heterocyclic phosphonic acids and derivatives are characterized by aminomethyl (or substituted methyl) phosphonic acids or derivatives thereof bonded directly or indirectly, i.e., through a N-side chain to the nitrogen atom in the heterocyclic ring, for example those containing in the molecule at least one of the following units: ..pi..Equation/sup -/ where represents a heterocyclic ring having a nitrogen atom on the ring; -R'N- represents an amino- terminated side chain attached directly to the ring nitrogen (which side chain may or may not be present); and ..pi..Equation/sup -/ represents a methyl (or substituted methyl) phosphonic acid group where M is hydrogen,more » an alcohol or a salt moiety, and X and Y are hydrogen or a substituted group such as alkyl, aryl, etc., of which one or 2 units may be present depending on the available nitrogen bonded by hydrogens, and to uses for these compounds, for example, as scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, etc. (5 claims)« less

  8. Research of Energy Substitution Strategy of China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Lifeng; kai, Chen

    For a long time, China's energy endowment structure determines the production structure and consumption structure of energy are coal-based.This situation is difficult to change for quite a long time. With the rapid economic growth, industrialization and urbanization, the demand for energy, especially for oil, natural gas will continue to increase. But the oil and gas supply can not meet the needs of rapid growth. The most direct way is to import, and imports will be charged by the international energy situation, and will affect energy and economic security. In view of our country abundant coal resources, we can consider to use coal substituting oil and natural gas to reduce dependence on foreign energy, to strengthen energy and economic security. Therefore, using translog production function, the text forecasts substitution elasticity and the marginal substitution rate between the capital, coal, oil and natural gas, and puts forward substitution program.

  9. Multiple Natural Substitutions in Avian Influenza A Virus PB2 Facilitate Efficient Replication in Human Cells.

    PubMed

    Mänz, Benjamin; de Graaf, Miranda; Mögling, Ramona; Richard, Mathilde; Bestebroer, Theo M; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F; Fouchier, Ron A M

    2016-07-01

    A strong restriction of the avian influenza A virus polymerase in mammalian cells generally limits viral host-range switching. Although substitutions like E627K in the PB2 polymerase subunit can facilitate polymerase activity to allow replication in mammals, many human H5N1 and H7N9 viruses lack this adaptive substitution. Here, several previously unknown, naturally occurring, adaptive substitutions in PB2 were identified by bioinformatics, and their enhancing activity was verified using in vitro assays. Adaptive substitutions enhanced polymerase activity and virus replication in mammalian cells for avian H5N1 and H7N9 viruses but not for a partially human-adapted H5N1 virus. Adaptive substitutions toward basic amino acids were frequent and were mostly clustered in a putative RNA exit channel in a polymerase crystal structure. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated divergent dependency of influenza viruses on adaptive substitutions. The novel adaptive substitutions found in this study increase basic understanding of influenza virus host adaptation and will help in surveillance efforts. Influenza viruses from birds jump the species barrier into humans relatively frequently. Such influenza virus zoonoses may pose public health risks if the virus adapts to humans and becomes a pandemic threat. Relatively few amino acid substitutions-most notably in the receptor binding site of hemagglutinin and at positions 591 and 627 in the polymerase protein PB2-have been identified in pandemic influenza virus strains as determinants of host adaptation, to facilitate efficient virus replication and transmission in humans. Here, we show that substantial numbers of amino acid substitutions are functionally compensating for the lack of the above-mentioned mutations in PB2 and could facilitate influenza virus emergence in humans. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  10. Carcass traits and meat quality of crossbred Boer goats fed peanut cake as a substitute for soybean meal.

    PubMed

    Silva, T M; de Medeiros, A N; Oliveira, R L; Gonzaga Neto, S; Queiroga, R de C R do E; Ribeiro, R D X; Leão, A G; Bezerra, L R

    2016-07-01

    This study aimed to determine the impact of replacing soybean meal with peanut cake in the diets of crossbred Boer goats as determined by carcass characteristics and quality and by the fatty acid profile of meat. Forty vaccinated and dewormed crossbred Boer goats were used. Goats had an average age of 5 mo and an average BW of 15.6 ± 2.7 kg. Goats were fed Tifton-85 hay and a concentrate consisting of corn bran, soybean meal, and mineral premix. Peanut cake was substituted for soybean meal at levels of 0.0, 33.33, 66.67, and 100%. Biometric and carcass morphometric measurements of crossbred Boer goats were not affected by replacing soybean meal with peanut cake in the diet. There was no influence of the replacement of soybean meal with peanut cake on weight at slaughter ( = 0.28), HCW ( = 0.26), cold carcass weight ( = 0.23), noncarcass components of weight ( = 0.71), or muscularity index values ( = 0.11). However, regression equations indicated that there would be a reduction of 18 and 11% for loin eye area and muscle:bone ratio, respectively, between the treatment without peanut cake and the treatment with total soybean meal replacement. The weights and yields of the commercial cuts were not affected ( > 0.05) by replacing soybean meal with peanut cake in the diet. Replacing soybean meal with peanut cake did not affect the pH ( = 0.79), color index ( > 0.05), and chemical composition ( > 0.05) of the meat (). However, a quadratic trend for the ash content was observed with peanut cake inclusion in the diet ( = 0.09). Peanut cake inclusion in the diet did not affect the concentrations of the sum of SFA ( = 0.29), the sum of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA; = 0.29), or the sum of PUFA ( = 0.97) or the SFA:UFA ratio ( = 0.23) in goat meat. However, there was a linear decrease ( = 0.01) in the sum of odd-chain fatty acids in the meat with increasing peanut cake in the diet. Soybean meal replacement with peanut cake did not affect the n-6:n-3 ratio ( = 0.13) or the

  11. Rh(III)-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Coupling of Acrylic Acids with Unsaturated Oxime Esters: Carboxylic Acids Serve as Traceless Activators

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    α,β-Unsaturated carboxylic acids undergo Rh(III)-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling with α,β-unsaturated O-pivaloyl oximes to provide substituted pyridines in good yield. The carboxylic acid, which is removed by decarboxylation, serves as a traceless activating group, giving 5-substituted pyridines with very high levels of regioselectivity. Mechanistic studies rule out a picolinic acid intermediate, and an isolable rhodium complex sheds further light on the reaction mechanism. PMID:24512241

  12. Lipozyme RM IM-catalyzed acidolysis of Cinnamomum camphora seed oil with oleic acid to produce human milk fat substitutes enriched in medium-chain fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Zou, Xian-Guo; Hu, Jiang-Ning; Zhao, Man-Li; Zhu, Xue-Mei; Li, Hong-Yan; Liu, Xiao-Ru; Liu, Rong; Deng, Ze-Yuan

    2014-10-29

    In the present study, a human milk fat substitute (HMFS) enriched in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) was synthesized through acidolysis reaction from Cinnamomum camphora seed oil (CCSO) with oleic acid in a solvent-free system. A commercial immobilized lipase, Lipozyme RM IM, from Rhizomucor miehei, was facilitated as a biocatalyst. Effects of different reaction conditions, including substrate molar ratio, enzyme concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain the optimal oleic acid incorporation. After optimization, results showed that the maximal incorporation of oleic acid into HMFS was 59.68%. Compared with CCSO, medium-chain fatty acids at the sn-2 position of HMFS accounted for >70%, whereas oleic acid was occupied predominantly at the sn-1,3 position (78.69%). Meanwhile, triacylglycerol (TAG) components of OCO (23.93%), CCO (14.94%), LaCO (13.58%), OLaO (12.66%), and OOO (11.13%) were determined as the major TAG species in HMFS. The final optimal reaction conditions were carried out as follows: substrate molar ratio (oleic acid/CCSO), 5:1; enzyme concentration, 12.5% (w/w total reactants); reaction temperature, 60 °C; and reaction time, 28 h. The reusability of Lipozyme RM IM in the acidolysis reaction was also evaluated, and it was found that it could be reused up to 9 times without significant loss of activities. Urea inclusion method was used to separate and purify the synthetic product. As the ratio of HMFS/urea increased to 1:2, the acid value lowered to the minimum. In a scale-up experiment, the contents of TAG and total tocopherols in HMFS (modified CCSO) were 77.28% and 12.27 mg/100 g, respectively. All of the physicochemical indices of purified product were within food standards. Therefore, such a MCFA-enriched HMFS produced by using the acidolysis method might have potential application in the infant formula industry.

  13. Lower temperature curing thermoset polyimides utilizing a substituted norbornene endcap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Waters, John F.; Sukenik, Chaim N.; Kennedy, Vance O.; Livneh, Mordechai; Youngs, Wiley J.; Sutter, James K.; Meador, Mary A. B.; Burke, Luke A.; Ahn, Myong K.

    1992-01-01

    Methoxycarbonyl bridgehead substituted nadic diacid monomethyl ester, when used as an endcapping monomer, lowered the cure temperature of thermoset PMR polyimides without seriously affecting other desirable properties, such as glass transition temperature and thermal oxidative stability. The C-13 CP/MAS NMR of model compounds was used to follow the cure of resin systems using both the unmodified nadic endcap and the methoxycarbonyl-substituted endcap. Rheological analysis and differential scanning calorimetry DSC also provided evidence for the lower curing nature of the substituted endcap. Two regioisomers of the bridgehead-substituted endcap were isolated, and their chemical structures were elucidated by X-ray crystallography. The model compound and molecular modeling studies conducted ruled out the possibility of regioisomeric imide formation in the substituted endcaps.

  14. Effect of acyl donor chain length and substitutions pattern on the enzymatic acylation of flavonoids.

    PubMed

    Ardhaoui, M; Falcimaigne, A; Ognier, S; Engasser, J M; Moussou, P; Pauly, G; Ghoul, M

    2004-06-10

    Rutin and esculin were enzymatically acylated with different aliphatic acids as acyl donors (fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids and omega-substituted fatty acids) by an immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica. The effect of the water content and the acyl donors pattern on the flavonoid initial acylation rate and conversion yield were investigated. The obtained results indicated that the water content of the medium has a strong effect on the performance of these reactions. The best conversion yields were reached when the water content was kept lower than 200 ppm. At low water content of the medium, these syntheses are influenced by carbon chain length and substitution pattern of the acyl donors. Higher conversion yields of esculin and rutin (>70%) were obtained with aliphatic acids having high carbon chain length (>12). Moreover, it has been found that the amine and thiol groups on omega-substituted fatty acid chain were unfavourable to these reactions. The 1H NMR and 13C NMR analyses of some synthesized esters (esculin and rutin palmitate) show that only monoesters were produced and that the esterification takes place on the primary OH of glucose moiety of the esculin and on the secondary 4"'-OH of the rhamnose residue of rutin. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.

  15. Vibrational spectra for uric acid and its D- and 15N-substituted analogues. Assignments for its normal modes from ab initio 3-21G force field.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majoube, M.; Vergoten, G.

    1993-03-01

    FTR, Raman, FTIR spectra are obtained for polycrystalline uric acid and seven of its D-and 15N-substituted analogues. Assignments are given from a normal coordinate analysis carried out using a 3-21G ab initio force field. These are discussed by considering observed and calculated frequencies and D- and 15N-isotopic shifts.

  16. Substitution of isoleucine for threonine at position 190 of S-opsin causes S-cone-function abnormalities

    PubMed Central

    Baraas, Rigmor C.; Hagen, Lene A.; Dees, Elise W.; Neitz, Maureen

    2012-01-01

    Five mutations in the S-cone-opsin gene (OPN1SW) that give rise to different single amino-acid substitutions (L56P, G79R, S214P, P264S, R283Q) are known to be associated with tritan color-vision deficiency. Here we report a sixth OPN1SW mutation (T190I) and the associated color vision phenotype. S-opsin genotyping and clinical evaluation of color vision were performed on affected and unaffected family members and normal controls. Chromatic contrast was tested at different levels of retinal illuminance. Affected family members were heterozygous for a nucleotide change that substituted the amino acid isoleucine (I) in place of threonine (T) that is normally present at position 190 of the S-opsin. The mutation is in extracellular loop II (EII). The association between making tritan errors and having the T190I mutant S opsin was strong (p > 0.0001: Fisher's exact test). The performance of subjects with the T190I mutation was significantly different from that of normal trichromats along the tritan vector under all conditions tested (Mann-Whitney U: p < 0.05), but not along the protan or deutan vectors. Individuals with the T190I S-opsin mutation behaved as mild tritans at 12.3–92.3 Td, but as tritanopes at 1.2–9.2 Td, for both light-adapted and dark-adapted conditions. The results are consistent with the mutant opsin causing abnormal S-cone function. PMID:23022137

  17. Canine distemper virus neutralization activity is low in human serum and it is sensitive to an amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin protein

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Xinsheng, E-mail: xzhang@iavi.org; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY; Wallace, Olivia L.

    Serum was analyzed from 146 healthy adult volunteers in eastern Africa to evaluate measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb) prevalence and potency. MV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) results indicated that all sera were positive for MV nAbs. Furthermore, the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50) for the majority of sera corresponded to antibody titers induced by MV vaccination. CDV nAbs titers were low and generally were detected in sera with high MV nAb titers. A mutant CDV was generated that was less sensitive to neutralization by human serum. The mutant virus genome had 10 nucleotide substitutions,more » which coded for single amino acid substitutions in the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (H) glycoproteins and two substitutions in the large polymerase (L) protein. The H substitution occurred in a conserved region involved in receptor interactions among morbilliviruses, implying that this region is a target for cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. - Highlights: • Screened 146 serum samples for measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb). • MV nAb is prevalent in the sera. • CDV neutralizing activity is generally low or absent and when detected it is present in sera with high MV nAb titers. • A neutralization-resistant CDV mutant was isolated using human serum selection. • A mutation was identified in the receptor-binding region of CDV hemagglutinin protein that confers the neutralization resistance.« less

  18. Aspartic acid substitutions in monoamine oxidase-A reveal both catalytic-dependent and -independent influences on cell viability and proliferation.

    PubMed

    Wei, Zelan; Satram-Maharaj, Tamara; Chaharyn, Bradley; Kuski, Kelly; Pennington, Paul R; Cao, Xia; Chlan, Jennifer; Mousseau, Darrell D

    2012-11-01

    Post-translational influences could underlie the ambiguous roles of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) in pathologies such as depression, cancer and Alzheimer disease. In support of this, we recently demonstrated that the Ca²⁺-sensitive component of MAO-A catalytic activity is inhibited by a pro-survival p38 (MAPK)-dependent mechanism. We substituted three aspartic acid (D) residues in human MAO-A that reside in putative Ca²⁺-binding motifs and overexpressed the individual proteins in the human HEK293 cell line. We assayed the overexpressed proteins for catalytic activity and for their influence on cell viability (using MTT conversion and trypan blue exclusion) and proliferation/DNA synthesis [using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation]. Innate MAO-A catalytic activity (and the capacity for generating hydrogen peroxide) was unaffected by the D61A substitution, but inhibited moderately or completely by the D248A and D328G substitutions, respectively. The Ca²⁺-sensitive activities of wild-type and D248A MAO-A proteins were enhanced by treatment with the selective p38(MAPK) inhibitor, SB203580, but was completely abrogated by the D61A substitution. Monoamine oxidase-A(D61A) was toxic to cells and exerted no effect on cell proliferation, while MAO-A(D248A) was generally comparable to wild-type MAO-A. As expected, the catalytic-dead MAO-A(D328G) was not cytotoxic, but unexpectedly enhanced both MTT conversion and BrdU staining. Variant-dependent changes in Bax and Bcl-2/Bcl-XL protein expression were observed. A different pattern of effects in N2-a cells suggests cell line-dependent roles for MAO-A. A catalytic-dependent mechanism influences MAO-A-mediated cytotoxicity, whereas a catalytic-independent mechanism contributes to proliferation. Context-dependent inputs by either mechanism could underlie the ambiguous pathological contributions of MAO-A.

  19. Substituted 4-carboxymethylpyroglutamic acid diamides as potent and selective inhibitors of fibroblast activation protein.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Ting-Yueh; Yeh, Teng-Kuang; Chen, Xin; Hsu, Tsu; Jao, Yu-Chen; Huang, Chih-Hsiang; Song, Jen-Shin; Huang, Yu-Chen; Chien, Chia-Hui; Chiu, Jing-Huai; Yen, Shih-Chieh; Tang, Hung-Kuan; Chao, Yu-Sheng; Jiaang, Weir-Torn

    2010-09-23

    Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) belongs to the prolyl peptidase family. FAP inhibition is expected to become a new antitumor target. Most known FAP inhibitors often resemble the dipeptide cleavage products, with a boroproline at the P1 site; however, these inhibitors also inhibit DPP-IV, DPP-II, DPP8, and DPP9. Potent and selective FAP inhibitor is needed in evaluating that FAP as a therapeutic target. Therefore, it is important to develop selective FAP inhibitors for the use of target validation. To achieve this, optimization of the nonselective DPP-IV inhibitor 8 led to the discovery of a new class of substituted 4-carboxymethylpyroglutamic acid diamides as FAP inhibitors. SAR studies resulted in a number of FAP inhibitors having IC(50) of <100 nM with excellent selectivity over DPP-IV, DPP-II, DPP8, and DPP9 (IC(50) > 100 μM). Compounds 18a, 18b, and 19 are the only known potent and selective FAP inhibitors, which prompts us to further study the physiological role of FAP.

  20. Comparative studies on the interaction of caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid with bovine serum albumin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Shuang; Huang, Kelong; Zhong, Ming; Guo, Jun; Wang, Wei-zheng; Zhu, Ronghua

    2010-10-01

    The substitution of the hydrogen on aromatic and esterification of carboxyl group of the phenol compounds plays an important role in their bio-activities. In this paper, caffeic acid (CaA), chlorogenic acid (ChA) and ferulic acid (FA) were selected to investigate the binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA) using UV absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the methoxyl group substituting for the 3-hydroxyl group of CaA decreased the affinity for BSA and the esterification of carboxyl group of CaA with quinic acid increased the affinities. The affinities of ChA and FA with BSA were more sensitive to the temperature than that of CaA with BSA. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence indicated that the Stern-Volmer plots largely deviated from linearity at high concentrations and were caused by complete quenching of the tyrosine fluorescence of BSA.

  1. Peripheral dysgraphia characterized by the co-occurrence of case substitutions in uppercase and letter substitutions in lowercase writing.

    PubMed

    Di Pietro, M; Schnider, A; Ptak, R

    2011-10-01

    Patients with peripheral dysgraphia due to impairment at the allographic level produce writing errors that affect the letter-form and are characterized by case confusions or the failure to write in a specific case or style (e.g., cursive). We studied the writing errors of a patient with pure peripheral dysgraphia who had entirely intact oral spelling, but produced many well-formed letter errors in written spelling. The comparison of uppercase print and lowercase cursive spelling revealed an uncommon pattern: while most uppercase errors were case substitutions (e.g., A - a), almost all lowercase errors were letter substitutions (e.g., n - r). Analyses of the relationship between target letters and substitution errors showed that errors were neither influenced by consonant-vowel status nor by letter frequency, though word length affected error frequency in lowercase writing. Moreover, while graphomotor similarity did not predict either the occurrence of uppercase or lowercase errors, visuospatial similarity was a significant predictor of lowercase errors. These results suggest that lowercase representations of cursive letter-forms are based on a description of entire letters (visuospatial features) and are not - as previously found for uppercase letters - specified in terms of strokes (graphomotor features). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

  2. Development of a wheat-Aegilops searsii substitution line with positively affecting Chinese steamed bread quality

    PubMed Central

    Du, Xuye; Ma, Xin; Min, Jingzhi; Zhang, Xiaocun; Jia, Zhenzhen

    2018-01-01

    A wheat-Aegilops searsii substitution line GL1402, in which chromosome 1B was substituted with 1Ss from Ae. searsii, was developed and detected using SDS-PAGE and GISH. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the HMW-GS encoded by the Glu-B1 loci of Chinese Spring was replaced by the HMW-GS encoded by the Glu-1Ss loci of Ae. searsii. Glutenin macropolymer (GMP) investigation showed that GL1402 had a much higher GMP content than Chinese Spring did. A dough quality comparison of GL1402 and Chinese Spring indicated that GL1402 showed a significantly higher protein content and middle peak time (MPT), and a smaller right peak slope (RPS). Quality tests of Chinese steamed bread (CSB) showed that the GL1402 also produced good steamed bread quality. These results suggested that the substitution line is a valuable breeding material for improving the wheat processing quality.

  3. The Impact of Chemical Substitutions on Interfacial Properties of REE Orthophosphates (Monazite, Xenotime)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gamage McEvoy, J.; Thibault, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Mineral surface properties strongly influence liquid-solid interface behaviour in the presence of various ligands, and can significantly affect processes of natural (ex. fluids, melts) and industrial (ex. oil recovery) relevance. Many Rare Earth Element (REE)-bearing minerals display extensive solid solutions resulting in significant chemical variations which influence their crystal and surface properties and, can consequently impact the interfacial features of their interaction with substances such as organic molecules (i.e. reactivity and sorption). For example, the surface charge properties of some REE orthophosphates show an uncharacteristically wide variation in reported values, where large differences in literature are commonly attributed to compositional differences between samples. However the impact of these chemical substitutions remains largely unknown. As such, the aim of this research was to systematically investigate the influence of mineralogical variation within the compositional space of the REE orthophosphates on their surface chemistry and resulting interaction with organic molecules. To better isolate the chemical, structural, and morphological variables, the synthesis of REE orthophosphate crystals along a number of defined substitutions was conducted, and their surface chemistry characteristics benchmarked against well-characterized natural monazite and xenotime from various localities. The interaction of these crystal surfaces with model organic molecules (long chain carboxylic acids and alkyl hydroxamic acids, respectively) was then studied and characterized via surface (X-ray photoelectron) and near-surface (vibrational) spectroscopic techniques. The implications of crystal surface-organic molecule interactions to mineral processing through flotation were also experimentally investigated.

  4. Substitution and Complementarity of Alcohol and Cannabis: A Review of the Literature.

    PubMed

    Subbaraman, Meenakshi Sabina

    2016-09-18

    Whether alcohol and cannabis are used as substitutes or complements remains debated, and findings across various disciplines have not been synthesized to date. This article is a first step towards organizing the interdisciplinary literature on alcohol and cannabis substitution and complementarity. Electronic searches were performed using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge. Behavioral studies of humans with "alcohol" (or "ethanol") and "cannabis" (or "marijuana") and "complement(*)" (or "substitut(*)") in the title or as a keyword were considered. Studies were organized according to sample characteristics (youth, general population, clinical and community-based). These groups were not set a priori, but were informed by the literature review process. Of the 39 studies reviewed, 16 support substitution, ten support complementarity, 12 support neither and one supports both. Results from studies of youth suggest that youth may reduce alcohol in more liberal cannabis environments (substitute), but reduce cannabis in more stringent alcohol environments (complement). Results from the general population suggest that substitution of cannabis for alcohol may occur under more lenient cannabis policies, though cannabis-related laws may affect alcohol use differently across genders and racial groups. Alcohol and cannabis act as both substitutes and complements. Policies aimed at one substance may inadvertently affect consumption of other substances. Future studies should collect fine-grained longitudinal, prospective data from the general population and subgroups of interest, especially in locations likely to legalize cannabis.

  5. Effect of leucine-to-methionine substitutions on the diffraction quality of histone chaperone SET/TAF-Ibeta/INHAT crystals.

    PubMed

    Senda, Miki; Muto, Shinsuke; Horikoshi, Masami; Senda, Toshiya

    2008-10-01

    One of the most frequent problems in crystallization is poor quality of the crystals. In order to overcome this obstacle several methods have been utilized, including amino-acid substitutions of the target protein. Here, an example is presented of crystal-quality improvement by leucine-to-methionine substitutions. A variant protein with three amino-acid substitutions enabled improvement of the crystal quality of the histone chaperone SET/TAF-Ibeta/INHAT when combined with optimization of the cryoconditions. This procedure improved the resolution of the SET/TAF-Ibeta/INHAT crystals from around 5.5 to 2.3 A without changing the crystallization conditions.

  6. An amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acid analogs into proteins.

    PubMed

    Singh-Blom, Amrita; Hughes, Randall A; Ellington, Andrew D

    2014-05-20

    Residue-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins is usually performed in vivo using amino acid auxotrophic strains and replacing the natural amino acid with an unnatural amino acid analog. Herein, we present an efficient amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system that can be used to study residue-specific replacement of a natural amino acid by an unnatural amino acid analog. This system combines a simple methodology and high protein expression titers with a high-efficiency analog substitution into a target protein. To demonstrate the productivity and efficacy of a cell-free synthesis system for residue-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids in vitro, we use this system to show that 5-fluorotryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan substituted streptavidin retain the ability to bind biotin despite protein-wide replacement of a natural amino acid for the amino acid analog. We envisage this amino acid depleted cell-free synthesis system being an economical and convenient format for the high-throughput screening of a myriad of amino acid analogs with a variety of protein targets for the study and functional characterization of proteins substituted with unnatural amino acids when compared to the currently employed in vivo methodologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Single Amino Acid Substitutions at Specific Positions of the Heptad Repeat Sequence of Piscidin-1 Yielded Novel Analogs That Show Low Cytotoxicity and In Vitro and In Vivo Antiendotoxin Activity

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Amit; Tripathi, Amit Kumar; Kathuria, Manoj; Shree, Sonal; Tripathi, Jitendra Kumar; Purshottam, R. K.; Ramachandran, Ravishankar; Mitra, Kalyan

    2016-01-01

    Piscidin-1 possesses significant antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. To recognize the primary amino acid sequence(s) in piscidin-1 that could be important for its biological activity, a long heptad repeat sequence located in the region from amino acids 2 to 19 was identified. To comprehend the possible role of this motif, six analogs of piscidin-1 were designed by selectively replacing a single isoleucine residue at a d (5th) position or at an a (9th or 16th) position with either an alanine or a valine residue. Two more analogs, namely, I5F,F6A-piscidin-1 and V12I-piscidin-1, were designed for investigating the effect of interchanging an alanine residue at a d position with an adjacent phenylalanine residue and replacing a valine residue with an isoleucine residue at another d position of the heptad repeat of piscidin-1, respectively. Single alanine-substituted analogs exhibited significantly reduced cytotoxicity against mammalian cells compared with that of piscidin-1 but appreciably retained the antibacterial and antiendotoxin activities of piscidin-1. All the single valine-substituted piscidin-1 analogs and I5F,F6A-piscidin-1 showed cytotoxicity greater than that of the corresponding alanine-substituted analogs, antibacterial activity marginally greater than or similar to that of the corresponding alanine-substituted analogs, and also antiendotoxin activity superior to that of the corresponding alanine-substituted analogs. Interestingly, among these peptides, V12I-piscidin-1 showed the highest cytotoxicity and antibacterial and antiendotoxin activities. Lipopolysaccharide (12 mg/kg of body weight)-treated mice, further treated with I16A-piscidin-1, the piscidin-1 analog with the highest therapeutic index, at a single dose of 1 or 2 mg/kg of body weight, showed 80 and 100% survival, respectively. Structural and functional characterization of these peptides revealed the basis of their biological activity and demonstrated that nontoxic piscidin-1 analogs with

  8. Sugar Substitutes

    MedlinePlus

    ... Substitutes Share Print Sugar substitutes are chemical or plant-based substances used to sweeten or enhance the ... made with saccharin. Stevia sweeteners Stevia is a plant-based sugar substitute that has no calories. The ...

  9. Development of a wheat-Aegilops searsii substitution line with positively affecting Chinese steamed bread quality.

    PubMed

    Du, Xuye; Ma, Xin; Min, Jingzhi; Zhang, Xiaocun; Jia, Zhenzhen

    2018-03-01

    A wheat- Aegilops searsii substitution line GL1402, in which chromosome 1B was substituted with 1S s from Ae. searsii , was developed and detected using SDS-PAGE and GISH. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the HMW-GS encoded by the Glu-B1 loci of Chinese Spring was replaced by the HMW-GS encoded by the Glu-1S s loci of Ae. searsii . Glutenin macropolymer (GMP) investigation showed that GL1402 had a much higher GMP content than Chinese Spring did. A dough quality comparison of GL1402 and Chinese Spring indicated that GL1402 showed a significantly higher protein content and middle peak time (MPT), and a smaller right peak slope (RPS). Quality tests of Chinese steamed bread (CSB) showed that the GL1402 also produced good steamed bread quality. These results suggested that the substitution line is a valuable breeding material for improving the wheat processing quality.

  10. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of para-substituted benzoic acids chemisorbed to aluminum oxide thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kreil, Justin; Ellingsworth, Edward; Szulczewski, Greg

    A series of para-substituted, halogenated (F, Cl, Br, and I) benzoic acid monolayers were prepared on the native oxide of aluminum surfaces by solution self-assembly and spin-coating techniques. The monolayers were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angles. Several general trends are apparent. First, the polarity of the solvent is critical to monolayer formation. Protic polar solvents produced low coverage monolayers; in contrast, nonpolar solvents produced higher coverage monolayers. Second, solution deposition yields a higher surface coverage than spin coating. Third, the thickness of the monolayers determined from XPS suggests the plane of the aromatic ring ismore » perpendicular to the surface with the carboxylate functional group most likely binding in a bidentate chelating geometry. Fourth, the saturation coverage (∼2.7 × 10{sup 14} molecules cm{sup −2}) is independent of the para-substituent.« less

  11. Amino acid substitutions and intron polymorphism of acetylcholinesterase1 associated with mevinphos resistance in diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.).

    PubMed

    Yeh, Shih-Chia; Lin, Chia-Li; Chang, Cheng; Feng, Hai-Tung; Dai, Shu-Mei

    2014-06-01

    The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is the most destructive insect pest of Brassica crops in the world. It has developed resistance rapidly to almost every insecticide used for its control. Mevinphos, a fast degrading and slow resistance evocating organophosphorus insecticide, has been recommended for controlling P. xylostella in Taiwan for more than 40years. SHM strain of P. xylostella, with ca. 22-fold resistance to this chemical, has been established from a field SH strain by selecting with mevinphos since 1997. Three mutations, i.e., G892T, G971C, and T1156T/G leading to A298S, G324A, and F386F/V amino acid substitutions in acetylcholinesterase1 (AChE1), were identified in these two strains; along with three haplotype pairs and a polymorphic intron in AChE1 gene (ace1). Two genetically pure lines, i.e., an SHggt wild type with intron AS and an SHMTCN mutant carrying G892T, G971C, T1156T/G mutations and intron AR in ace1, were established by single pair mating and haplotype determination. The F1 of SHMTCN strain had 52-fold resistance to mevinphos in comparison with the F1 of SHggt strain. In addition, AChE1 of this SHMTCN population, which exhibited lower maximum velocity (Vmax) and affinity (Km), was less susceptible to the inhibition of mevinphos, with an I50 32-fold higher than that of the SHggt F1 population. These results imply that amino acid substitutions in AChE1 of SHMTCN strain are associated with mevinphos resistance in this insect pest, and this finding is important for insecticide resistance management of P. xylostella in the field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Immunohistochemical detection of a substituted 1,N(2)-ethenodeoxyguanosine adduct by omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides in the liver of rats fed a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet.

    PubMed

    Kawai, Yoshichika; Kato, Yoji; Nakae, Dai; Kusuoka, Osamu; Konishi, Yoichi; Uchida, Koji; Osawa, Toshihiko

    2002-03-01

    Endogenous lipid peroxidation products react with DNA and form exocyclic DNA adducts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo formation of 7-(2-oxo-heptyl)-substituted 1,N(2)-etheno-2'-deoxyguanosine adduct (Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG), one of the major products from the reaction of 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HPODE) with dG. The monoclonal antibody specific to Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG was prepared using a chemically synthesized conjugate of Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG and carrier protein as immunogen. The characterization showed that the obtained antibody (mAb6A3) is specific to the Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG moiety. Using the novel antibody, the presence of the Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG adduct in vivo was immunohistochemically revealed in the liver of rats fed a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet, an endogenous carcinogenesis model, for 3 days. In addition, the Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG formation was confirmed in DNAs treated with peroxidized linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, respectively, suggesting that the hydroperoxides of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids could be the potential sources of Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG formation in vivo. Collectively, the results in this study suggest the first evidence that the formation of Oxo-heptyl-varepsilondG, the omega-6 lipid hydroperoxide-mediated DNA adduct, may be a potential biomarker for the early phase of carcinogenesis.

  13. Environment-, drug- and stress-induced alterations in body temperature affect the neurotoxicity of substituted amphetamines in the C57BL/6J mouse.

    PubMed

    Miller, D B; O'Callaghan, J P

    1994-08-01

    In the companion paper we demonstrated that d-methamphetamine (d-METH), d-methylenedioxyamphetamine (d-MDA) and d-methylenedioxymethamephetamine (d-MDMA), but not d-fenfluramine (d-FEN), appear to damage dopaminergic projections to the striatum of the mouse. An elevation in core temperature also was associated with exposure to d-METH, d-MDA and d-MDMA, whereas exposure to d-FEN lowered core temperature. Given these findings, we examined the effects of temperature on substituted amphetamine (AMP)-induced neurotoxicity in the C57BL/6J mouse. Levels of striatal dopamine (DA) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were taken as indicators of neurotoxicity. Alterations in ambient temperature, pretreatment with drugs reported to cause hypothermia in the mouse and hypothermia induced by restraint stress were used to affect AMP-induced neurotoxicity. Mice received d-METH (10 mg/kg), d-MDA (20 mg/kg) or d-MDMA (20 mg/kg) every 2 hr for a total of four s.c. injections. All three AMPs increased core temperature and caused large (> 75%) decreases in striatal dopamine and large (> 300%) increases in striatal glial fibrillary acidic protein 72 hr after the last injection. Lowering ambient temperature from 22 degrees C to 15 degrees C blocked (d-MDA and d-MDMA) or severely attenuated (d-METH) these effects. Pretreatment with MK-801 lowered core temperature and blocked AMP-induced neurotoxicity; elevation of ambient temperature during this regimen elevated core temperature and markedly attenuated the neuroprotective effects of MK-801. Pretreatment with MK-801 also lowered core temperature in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice but did not block 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neurotoxicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  14. Transition metal-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Sanpo, Noppakun; Berndt, Christopher C; Wen, Cuie; Wang, James

    2013-03-01

    Transition metals of copper, zinc, chromium and nickel were substituted into cobalt ferrite nanoparticles via a sol-gel route using citric acid as a chelating agent. The microstructure and elemental composition were characterized using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Phase analysis of transition metal-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles was performed via X-ray diffraction. Surface wettability was measured using the water contact angle technique. The surface roughness of all nanoparticles was measured using profilometry. Moreover, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were performed to determine the temperature at which the decomposition and oxidation of the chelating agents took place. Results indicated that the substitution of transition metals influences strongly the microstructure, crystal structure and antibacterial property of the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Carbocation Rearrangement in An Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Discovery Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polito, Victoria; Hamann, Christian S.; Rhile, Ian J.

    2010-01-01

    In this discovery laboratory, students performed electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions between 1,4-dimethoxybenzene and either 2-methyl-2-butanol or 3-methyl-2-butanol with sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The carbocation from 3-methyl-2-butanol undergoes a hydride shift, and hence, both reactions afford…

  16. [Eucaloric substitution of medium chain triglycerides for dietary long chain fatty acids improves body composition and lipid profile in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus lipodystrophy].

    PubMed

    Vázquez, C; Reyes, R; Alcaraz, F; Balsa, J A; Botella-Carretero, J I

    2006-01-01

    Lipodystrophy is a frequent disorder among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, characterized by a loss of adipose tissue from the extremities, gluteal region and face, with excess fat in the neck and abdominal region. Metabolic abnormalities such as hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus frequently coexist, posing these patients to an increased cardiovascular risk. Drug therapy may improve some of these metabolic disturbances, but to date there are no treatments for lipodystrophy with proven benefit. A 42-year-old man with HIV lipodystrophy was started on a standard low caloric diet with <30% of total fat and <10% of saturated fat, together with rosiglitazone 8 mg daily. After five months of treatment, given that lipodystrophic features and dyslipidaemia were still present in our patient, we tried to further improve therapeutic results by eucaloric substitution of medium chain triglycerides for dietary long chain fatty acids. Three months later, a dramatic change in body composition was shown with an increase in lean mass and a decrease in fat mass, together with an improvement in lipid profile. Eucaloric substitution of medium chain triglycerides for dietary long chain fatty acids may produce therapeutic benefits in HIV lipodystrophy.

  17. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of di-substituted cinnamic hydroxamic acids bearing urea/thiourea unit as potent histone deacetylase inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Ning, Chengqing; Bi, Yanjing; He, Yujun; Huang, WenYuan; Liu, Lifei; Li, Yi; Zhang, Sihan; Liu, Xiaoyu; Yu, Niefang

    2013-12-01

    A novel class of di-substituted cinnamic hydroxamic acid derivatives containing urea or thiourea unit was designed, synthesized and evaluated as HDAC inhibitors. All tested compounds demonstrated significant HDAC inhibitory activities and anti-proliferative effects against diverse human tumor cell lines. Among them, 7l exhibited most potent pan-HDAC inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 130 nM. It also showed strong cellular inhibition against diverse cell lines including HCT-116, MCF-7, MDB-MB-435 and NCI-460, with GI50 values of 0.35, 0.22, 0.51 and 0.48 μM, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Kinetic and thermodynamic acidities of substituted 1-benzyl-1-methoxy-2-nitroethylenes. Strong reduction of the transition state imbalance compared to other nitroalkanes.

    PubMed

    Bernasconi, Claude F; Ali, Mahammad; Gunter, Janette C

    2003-01-08

    Acidity constants of six substituted 1-benzyl-1-methoxy-2-nitroethylenes (2-Z with Z = m-NO(2), m-CF(3), m-Cl, H, p-Me, p-MeO) and their respective nitronic acids were determined in 50% DMSO-50% water (v/v) at 20 degrees C. Kinetic data were obtained on the reversible deprotonation of all six 2-Z by OH(-) and piperidine and on the reversible deprotonation of 2-NO(2)() by piperazine, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine, and morpholine in the same solvent. These data allowed a determination of the Brønsted coefficients alpha (dependence on acidity of 2-Z) and beta (dependence on amine basicity). The fact that alpha > beta indicates the presence of a transition state imbalance which, however, is much smaller than that for the deprotonation of arylnitromethanes. The reasons for this reduction in the imbalance and their relevance to a recent study of the deprotonation of Fischer carbene complexes are discussed.

  19. Basal omega-3 fatty acid status affects fatty acid and oxylipin responses to high-dose n3-HUFA in healthy volunteers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Objective: Baseline concentrations of highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acid (n3-HUFA) may influence the ability of dietary n3-HUFA to affect changes in concentrations of esterified fatty acids and their metabolites. This study evaluates the influence of basal n3-HUFA and n3-HUFA metabolite status ...

  20. Substitution and complementarity of alcohol and cannabis: A review of the literature

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Background Whether alcohol and cannabis are used as substitutes or complements remains debated, and findings across various disciplines have not been synthesized to date. Objective This paper is a first step towards organizing the interdisciplinary literature on alcohol and cannabis substitution and complementarity. Method Electronic searches were performed using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge. Behavioral studies of humans with ‘alcohol’ (or ‘ethanol’) and ‘cannabis’ (or ‘marijuana”) and ‘complement*’ (or ‘substitut*’) in the title or as a keyword were considered. Studies were organized according to sample characteristics (youth, general population, clinical and community-based). These groups were not set a priori, but were informed by the literature review process. Results Of the 39 studies reviewed, 16 support substitution, ten support complementarity, 12 support neither and one supports both. Results from studies of youth suggest that youth may reduce alcohol in more liberal cannabis environments (substitute), but reduce cannabis in more stringent alcohol environments (complement). Results from the general population suggest that substitution of cannabis for alcohol may occur under more lenient cannabis policies, though cannabis-related laws may affect alcohol use differently across genders and racial groups. Conclusions Alcohol and cannabis act as both substitutes and complements. Policies aimed at one substance may inadvertently affect consumption of other substances. Future studies should collect fine-grained longitudinal, prospective data from the general population and subgroups of interest, especially in locations likely to legalize cannabis. PMID:27249324

  1. ANAEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF NITROGEN-SUBSTITUTED AND SULFONATED BENZENE AQUIFER CONTAMINANTS (JOURNAL)

    EPA Science Inventory

    A literature survey of ground water contaminants indicated that aquifers are repositories for hazardous wastes, including N- and 5-substituted benzene derivatives. We therefore examined the susceptibility of several anilines, benzamides, benenesulfonic acids and benenesulfonamide...

  2. WHIM syndrome caused by a single amino acid substitution in the carboxy-tail of chemokine receptor CXCR4

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Qian; Chen, Haoqian; Ojode, Teresa; Gao, Xiangxi; Anaya-O'Brien, Sandra; Turner, Nicholas A.; Ulrick, Jean; DeCastro, Rosamma; Kelly, Corin; Cardones, Adela R.; Gold, Stuart H.; Hwang, Eugene I.; Wechsler, Daniel S.; Malech, Harry L.; Murphy, Philip M.

    2012-01-01

    WHIM syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant, immunodeficiency disorder so-named because it is characterized by warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis (defective neutrophil egress from the BM). Gain-of-function mutations that truncate the C-terminus of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 by 10-19 amino acids cause WHIM syndrome. We have identified a family with autosomal dominant inheritance of WHIM syndrome that is caused by a missense mutation in CXCR4, E343K (1027G → A). This mutation is also located in the C-terminal domain, a region responsible for negative regulation of the receptor. Accordingly, like CXCR4R334X, the most common truncation mutation in WHIM syndrome, CXCR4E343K mediated approximately 2-fold increased signaling in calcium flux and chemotaxis assays relative to wild-type CXCR4; however, CXCR4E343K had a reduced effect on blocking normal receptor down-regulation from the cell surface. Therefore, in addition to truncating mutations in the C-terminal domain of CXCR4, WHIM syndrome may be caused by a single charge-changing amino acid substitution in this domain, E343K, that results in increased receptor signaling. PMID:22596258

  3. Control of exogenous factors affecting plasma homovanillic acid concentration.

    PubMed

    Davidson, M; Giordani, A B; Mohs, R C; Mykytyn, V V; Platt, S; Aryan, Z S; Davis, K L

    1987-04-01

    Measurements of plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) concentrations appear to be a valid research strategy in psychiatric disorders in which a central dopamine (DA) abnormality has been implicated. This study provides guidance about the control of some of the exogenous factors affecting pHVA concentrations. Fasting for 14 hours eliminates the dietary effects on pHVA in healthy human subjects. Changing position, walking for 30 minutes, or smoking two cigarettes has no effect on pHVA concentrations.

  4. Initial pH of medium affects organic acids production but do not affect phosphate solubilization.

    PubMed

    Marra, Leandro M; de Oliveira-Longatti, Silvia M; Soares, Cláudio R F S; de Lima, José M; Olivares, Fabio L; Moreira, Fatima M S

    2015-06-01

    The pH of the culture medium directly influences the growth of microorganisms and the chemical processes that they perform. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the initial pH of the culture medium on the production of 11 low-molecular-weight organic acids and on the solubilization of calcium phosphate by bacteria in growth medium (NBRIP). The following strains isolated from cowpea nodules were studied: UFLA03-08 (Rhizobium tropici), UFLA03-09 (Acinetobacter sp.), UFLA03-10 (Paenibacillus kribbensis), UFLA03-106 (Paenibacillus kribbensis) and UFLA03-116 (Paenibacillus sp.). The strains UFLA03-08, UFLA03-09, UFLA03-10 and UFLA03-106 solubilized Ca3(PO4)2 in liquid medium regardless of the initial pH, although without a significant difference between the treatments. The production of organic acids by these strains was assessed for all of the initial pH values investigated, and differences between the treatments were observed. Strains UFLA03-09 and UFLA03-10 produced the same acids at different initial pH values in the culture medium. There was no correlation between phosphorus solubilized from Ca3(PO4)2 in NBRIP liquid medium and the concentration of total organic acids at the different initial pH values. Therefore, the initial pH of the culture medium influences the production of organic acids by the strains UFLA03-08, UFLA03-09, UFLA03-10 and UFLA03-106 but it does not affect calcium phosphate solubilization.

  5. A cell-free stock of simian-human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS in pig-tailed macaques has a limited number of amino acid substitutions in both SIVmac and HIV-1 regions of the genome and has offered cytotropism.

    PubMed

    Stephens, E B; Mukherjee, S; Sahni, M; Zhuge, W; Raghavan, R; Singh, D K; Leung, K; Atkinson, B; Li, Z; Joag, S V; Liu, Z Q; Narayan, O

    1997-05-12

    We have examined both the sequence changes in the LTR, gag, vif, vpr, vpx, tat, rev, vpu, env, and nef genes and the cell tropism of a cell-free stock of chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a pig-tailed macaque (PNb) that developed AIDS. This virus (SHIVKU-1) is highly pathogenic when inoculated into other macaques. DNA sequence analysis of PCR-amplified products revealed a total of 5 nucleotide changes in the LTR while vif had 2 consensus amino acid changes. The gag, vif, and vpx had no consensus amino acid substitutions, whereas vpr had 1 consensus substitution. The tat and rev genes of the HXB2 region of SHIVKU-1 had 2 and 1 consensus amino acid changes, respectively. The vpu gene of the HXB2 region of SHIV, which originally had an ACG at the beginning of the gene, reverted to an initiation ATG codon and in addition contained a consensus amino acid substitution at position 69 of this protein. As expected, the majority of the nucleotide substitutions were found in the env and nef genes. Thirteen and 5 amino acid changes were predicted for the corresponding Env and Nef proteins, respectively. In addition, one-third of the env gene clones isolated from the SHIVKU-1 stock had a 5-amino-acid deletion in the V4 region. Using three independent assays, we determined that the changes in the SHIVKU-1 were associated with an increase in the efficiency of replication in macrophages. The strikingly few consensus changes in the virus suggest that conversion of this virus to one capable of causing AIDS in pig-tailed macaques was associated with relatively few changes in the viral envelope and/or accessory genes. These results will provide the basis for the development of a pathogenic, molecular clone of SHIV capable of causing AIDS in pig-tailed macaques.

  6. Free fatty acids chain length distribution affects the permeability of skin lipid model membranes.

    PubMed

    Uchiyama, Masayuki; Oguri, Masashi; Mojumdar, Enamul H; Gooris, Gert S; Bouwstra, Joke A

    2016-09-01

    The lipid matrix in the stratum corneum (SC) plays an important role in the barrier function of the skin. The main lipid classes in this lipid matrix are ceramides (CERs), cholesterol (CHOL) and free fatty acids (FFAs). The aim of this study was to determine whether a variation in CER subclass composition and chain length distribution of FFAs affect the permeability of this matrix. To examine this, we make use of lipid model membranes, referred to as stratum corneum substitute (SCS). We prepared SCS containing i) single CER subclass with either a single FFA or a mixture of FFAs and CHOL, or ii) a mixture of various CER subclasses with either a single FFA or a mixture of FFAs and CHOL. In vitro permeation studies were performed using ethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (E-PABA) as a model drug. The flux of E-PABA across the SCS containing the mixture of FFAs was higher than that across the SCS containing a single FA with a chain length of 24 C atoms (FA C24), while the E-PABA flux was not effected by the CER composition. To select the underlying factors for the changes in permeability, the SCSs were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). All lipid models demonstrated a similar phase behavior. However, when focusing on the conformational ordering of the individual FFA chains, the shorter chain FFA (with a chain length of 16, 18 or 20 C atoms forming only 11m/m% of the total FFA level) had a higher conformational disordering, while the conformational ordering of the chains of the CER and FA C24 and FA C22 hardly did not change irrespective of the composition of the SCS. In conclusion, the conformational mobility of the short chain FFAs present only at low levels in the model SC lipid membranes has a great impact on the permeability of E-PABA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A humanized version of Foxp2 does not affect ultrasonic vocalization in adult mice.

    PubMed

    Hammerschmidt, K; Schreiweis, C; Minge, C; Pääbo, S; Fischer, J; Enard, W

    2015-11-01

    The transcription factor FOXP2 has been linked to severe speech and language impairments in humans. An analysis of the evolution of the FOXP2 gene has identified two amino acid substitutions that became fixed after the split of the human and chimpanzee lineages. Studying the functional consequences of these two substitutions in the endogenous Foxp2 gene of mice showed alterations in dopamine levels, striatal synaptic plasticity, neuronal morphology and cortico-striatal-dependent learning. In addition, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of pups had a significantly lower average pitch than control littermates. To which degree adult USVs would be affected in mice carrying the 'humanized' Foxp2 variant remained unclear. In this study, we analyzed USVs of 68 adult male mice uttered during repeated courtship encounters with different females. Mice carrying the Foxp2(hum/hum) allele did not differ significantly in the number of call elements, their element structure or in their element composition from control littermates. We conclude that neither the structure nor the usage of USVs in adult mice is affected by the two amino acid substitutions that occurred in FOXP2 during human evolution. The reported effect for pup vocalization thus appears to be transient. These results are in line with accumulating evidence that mouse USVs are hardly influenced by vocal learning. Hence, the function and evolution of genes that are necessary, but not sufficient for vocal learning in humans, must be either studied at a different phenotypic level in mice or in other organisms. © 2015 The Authors. Genes, Brain and Behavior published by International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. 40 CFR 747.195 - Triethanolamine salt of a substituted organic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... solely for research and development, have the same meaning as in § 720.3 of this chapter. (2... processor or distributor may not use the substance except in small quantities solely for research and... of a substance known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The triethanolamine salt of a substituted...

  9. 40 CFR 747.195 - Triethanolamine salt of a substituted organic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... solely for research and development, have the same meaning as in § 720.3 of this chapter. (2... processor or distributor may not use the substance except in small quantities solely for research and... of a substance known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The triethanolamine salt of a substituted...

  10. 40 CFR 747.195 - Triethanolamine salt of a substituted organic acid.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... solely for research and development, have the same meaning as in § 720.3 of this chapter. (2... processor or distributor may not use the substance except in small quantities solely for research and... of a substance known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The triethanolamine salt of a substituted...

  11. Analysis of the breast milk of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the preparation of substitutes

    PubMed Central

    ZHANG, Zhihe; HOU, Rong; LAN, Jingchao; WANG, Hairui; KUROKAWA, Hiroyuki; TAKATSU, Zenta; KOBAYASHI, Toyokazu; KOIE, Hiroshi; KAMATA, Hiroshi; KANAYAMA, Kiichi; WATANABE, Toshi

    2016-01-01

    The first milk substitute for giant panda cubs was developed in 1988 based on limited data about giant panda breast milk and that of certain types of bear. Mixtures of other formulas have also been fed to cubs at some facilities. However, they are not of sufficient nutritional quality for promoting growth in panda cubs. Here, we report analysis of giant panda breast milk and propose new milk substitutes for cubs, which were developed based on the results of our analysis. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding obtained breast milk samples from three giant pandas. Up to 30 ml of breast milk were collected from each mother by hand. Then, the milk samples were frozen and sent to Nihon University. The levels of protein, fat, carbohydrates, ash, moisture, vitamins, minerals, total amino acids, fatty acids, lactose and other carbohydrates in the milk were analyzed. The breast milk samples exhibited the following nutritional values: protein: 6.6–8.5%, fat: 6.9–16.4%, carbohydrates: 2.5–9.1%, ash: 0.9–1.0% and moisture: 67–83%. We designed two kinds of milk substitutes based on the data obtained and the nutritional requirements of dogs, cats and rodents. The nutritional composition of the milk substitutes for the first and second stages was as follows: protein: 38 and 26%, fat: 40 and 40%, carbohydrates: 13 and 25%, ash: 6 and 6% and moisture: 3 and 3%, respectively. In addition, the substitutes contained vitamins, minerals, taurine, docosahexaenoic acid, lactoferrin, nucleotides and other nutrients. PMID:26781707

  12. Designing Inhibitors of Cytochrome c/Cardiolipin Peroxidase Complexes: Mitochondria-Targeted Imidazole-Substituted Fatty Acids

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Jianfei; Bakan, Ahmet; Kapralov, Alexandr A.; Silva, K. Ishara; Huang, Zhentai; Amoscato, Andrew A.; Peterson, James; Garapati, Venkata Krishna; Saxena, Sunil; Bayir, Hülya; Atkinson, Jeffrey; Bahar, Ivet; Kagan, Valerian E.

    2014-01-01

    Mitochondria have emerged as the major regulatory platform responsible for coordination of numerous metabolic reactions as well as cell death processes, whereby the execution of intrinsic apoptosis includes the production of reactive oxygen species fueling oxidation of cardiolipin (CL) catalyzed by cytochrome (cyt) c. As this oxidation occurs within the peroxidase complex of cyt c with CL, the latter represents a promising target for the discovery and design of drugs with anti-apoptotic mechanism of action. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new group of mitochondria-targeted imidazole-substituted analogues of stearic acid TPP-n-ISA with different positions of the attached imidazole group on the fatty acid (n=6, 8, 10, 13 and 14). By using a combination of absorption spectroscopy and EPR protocols (continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance, and electron spin echo envelope modulation) we demonstrated that TPP-n-ISA indeed were able to potently suppress CL induced structural re-arrangements in cyt c paving the way to its peroxidase competence. TPP-n-ISA analogues preserved the low spin hexa-coordinated heme iron state in cyt c/CL complexes whereby TPP-6-ISA displayed a significantly more effective preservation pattern than TPP-14-ISA. Elucidation of these intermolecular stabilization mechanisms of cyt c identified TPP-6-ISA as an effective inhibitor of the peroxidase function of cyt c/CL complexes with a significant anti-apoptotic potential realized in mouse embryonic cells exposed to ionizing irradiation. These experimental findings were detailed and supported by all atom molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the experimental data and computations predictions, we identified TPP-6-ISA as a candidate drug with optimized anti-apoptotic potency. PMID:24631490

  13. Designing inhibitors of cytochrome c/cardiolipin peroxidase complexes: mitochondria-targeted imidazole-substituted fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Jianfei; Bakan, Ahmet; Kapralov, Alexandr A; Silva, K Ishara; Huang, Zhentai; Amoscato, Andrew A; Peterson, James; Garapati, Venkata Krishna; Saxena, Sunil; Bayir, Hülya; Atkinson, Jeffrey; Bahar, Ivet; Kagan, Valerian E

    2014-06-01

    Mitochondria have emerged as the major regulatory platform responsible for the coordination of numerous metabolic reactions as well as cell death processes, whereby the execution of intrinsic apoptosis includes the production of reactive oxygen species fueling oxidation of cardiolipin (CL) catalyzed by cytochrome (Cyt) c. As this oxidation occurs within the peroxidase complex of Cyt c with CL, the latter represents a promising target for the discovery and design of drugs with antiapoptotic mechanisms of action. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new group of mitochondria-targeted imidazole-substituted analogs of stearic acid TPP-n-ISAs with various positions of the attached imidazole group on the fatty acid (n = 6, 8, 10, 13, and 14). By using a combination of absorption spectroscopy and EPR protocols (continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance and electron spin echo envelope modulation) we demonstrated that TPP-n-ISAs indeed were able to potently suppress CL-induced structural rearrangements in Cyt c, paving the way to its peroxidase competence. TPP-n-ISA analogs preserved the low-spin hexa-coordinated heme-iron state in Cyt c/CL complexes whereby TPP-6-ISA displayed a significantly more effective preservation pattern than TPP-14-ISA. Elucidation of these intermolecular stabilization mechanisms of Cyt c identified TPP-6-ISA as an effective inhibitor of the peroxidase function of Cyt c/CL complexes with a significant antiapoptotic potential realized in mouse embryonic cells exposed to ionizing irradiation. These experimental findings were detailed and supported by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the experimental data and computation predictions, we identified TPP-6-ISA as a candidate drug with optimized antiapoptotic potency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. BindML/BindML+: Detecting Protein-Protein Interaction Interface Propensity from Amino Acid Substitution Patterns.

    PubMed

    Wei, Qing; La, David; Kihara, Daisuke

    2017-01-01

    Prediction of protein-protein interaction sites in a protein structure provides important information for elucidating the mechanism of protein function and can also be useful in guiding a modeling or design procedures of protein complex structures. Since prediction methods essentially assess the propensity of amino acids that are likely to be part of a protein docking interface, they can help in designing protein-protein interactions. Here, we introduce BindML and BindML+ protein-protein interaction sites prediction methods. BindML predicts protein-protein interaction sites by identifying mutation patterns found in known protein-protein complexes using phylogenetic substitution models. BindML+ is an extension of BindML for distinguishing permanent and transient types of protein-protein interaction sites. We developed an interactive web-server that provides a convenient interface to assist in structural visualization of protein-protein interactions site predictions. The input data for the web-server are a tertiary structure of interest. BindML and BindML+ are available at http://kiharalab.org/bindml/ and http://kiharalab.org/bindml/plus/ .

  15. Probing structural features of Alzheimer's amyloid-β pores in bilayers using site-specific amino acid substitutions.

    PubMed

    Capone, Ricardo; Jang, Hyunbum; Kotler, Samuel A; Kagan, Bruce L; Nussinov, Ruth; Lal, Ratnesh

    2012-01-24

    A current hypothesis for the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) proposes that amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides induce uncontrolled, neurotoxic ion flux across cellular membranes. The mechanism of ion flux is not fully understood because no experiment-based Aβ channel structures at atomic resolution are currently available (only a few polymorphic states have been predicted by computational models). Structural models and experimental evidence lend support to the view that the Aβ channel is an assembly of loosely associated mobile β-sheet subunits. Here, using planar lipid bilayers and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that amino acid substitutions can be used to infer which residues are essential for channel structure. We created two Aβ(1-42) peptides with point mutations: F19P and F20C. The substitution of Phe19 with Pro inhibited channel conductance. MD simulation suggests a collapsed pore of F19P channels at the lower bilayer leaflet. The kinks at the Pro residues in the pore-lining β-strands induce blockage of the solvated pore by the N-termini of the chains. The cysteine mutant is capable of forming channels, and the conductance behavior of F20C channels is similar to that of the wild type. Overall, the mutational analysis of the channel activity performed in this work tests the proposition that the channels consist of a β-sheet rich organization, with the charged/polar central strand containing the mutation sites lining the pore, and the C-terminal strands facing the hydrophobic lipid tails. A detailed understanding of channel formation and its structure should aid studies of drug design aiming to control unregulated Aβ-dependent ion fluxes.

  16. Substitution of the methionine residues of calmodulin with the unnatural amino acid analogs ethionine and norleucine: biochemical and spectroscopic studies.

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, T.; Vogel, H. J.

    1999-01-01

    Calmodulin (CaM) is a 148-residue regulatory calcium-binding protein that activates a wide range of target proteins and enzymes. Calcium-saturated CaM has a bilobal structure, and each domain has an exposed hydrophobic surface region where target proteins are bound. These two "active sites" of calmodulin are remarkably rich in Met residues. Here we have biosynthetically substituted (up to 90% incorporation) the unnatural amino acids ethionine (Eth) and norleucine (Nle) for the nine Met residues of CaM. The substituted proteins bind in a calcium-dependent manner to hydrophobic matrices and a synthetic peptide, encompassing the CaM-binding domain of myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK). Infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopy show that there are essentially no changes in the secondary structure of these proteins compared to wild-type CaM (WT-CaM). One- and two-dimensional NMR studies of the Eth-CaM and Nle-CaM proteins reveal that, while the core of the proteins is relatively unaffected by the substitutions, the two hydrophobic interaction surfaces adjust to accommodate the Eth and Nle residues. Enzyme activation studies with MLCK show that Eth-CaM and Nle-CaM activate the enzyme to 90% of its maximal activity, with little changes in dissociation constant. For calcineurin only 50% activation was obtained, and the K(D) for Nle-CaM also increased 3.5-fold compared with WT-CaM. These data show that the "active site" Met residues of CaM play a distinct role in the activation of different target enzymes, in agreement with site-directed mutagenesis studies of the Met residues of CaM. PMID:10210190

  17. Effects of Xylan Side-Chain Substitutions on Xylan-Cellulose Interactions and Implications for Thermal Pretreatment of Cellulosic Biomass.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Caroline S; Silveira, Rodrigo L; Dupree, Paul; Skaf, Munir S

    2017-04-10

    Lignocellulosic biomass is mainly constituted by cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and represents an important resource for the sustainable production of biofuels and green chemistry materials. Xylans, a common hemicellulose, interact with cellulose and often exhibit various side chain substitutions including acetate, (4-O-methyl) glucuronic acid, and arabinose. Recent studies have shown that the distribution of xylan substitutions is not random, but follows patterns that are dependent on the plant taxonomic family and cell wall type. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the role of substitutions on xylan interactions with the hydrophilic cellulose face, using the recently discovered xylan decoration pattern of the conifer gymnosperms as a model. The results show that α-1,2-linked substitutions stabilize the binding of single xylan chains independently of the nature of the substitution and that Ca 2+ ions can mediate cross-links between glucuronic acid substitutions of two neighboring xylan chains, thus stabilizing binding. At high temperature, xylans move from the hydrophilic to the hydrophobic cellulose surface and are also stabilized by Ca 2+ cross-links. Our results help to explain the role of substitutions on xylan-cellulose interactions, and improve our understanding of the plant cell wall architecture and the fundamentals of biomass pretreatments.

  18. Biomimetic hydrogel with tunable mechanical properties for vitreous substitutes.

    PubMed

    Santhanam, Sruthi; Liang, Jue; Struckhoff, Jessica; Hamilton, Paul D; Ravi, Nathan

    2016-10-01

    The vitreous humor of the eye is a biological hydrogel principally composed of collagen fibers interspersed with hyaluronic acid. Certain pathological conditions necessitate its removal and replacement. Current substitutes, like silicone oils and perfluorocarbons, are not biomimetic and have known complications. In this study, we have developed an in situ forming two-component biomimetic hydrogel with tunable mechanical and osmotic properties. The components are gellan, an analogue of collagen, and poly(methacrylamide-co-methacrylate), an analogue of hyaluronic acid; both endowed with thiol side groups. We used response surface methodology to consider seventeen possible hydrogels to determine how each component affects the optical, mechanical, sol-gel transition temperature and swelling properties. The optical and physical properties of the hydrogels were similar to vitreous. The shear storage moduli ranged from 3 to 358Pa at 1Hz and sol-gel transition temperatures from 35.5 to 43°C. The hydrogel had the ability to remain swollen without degradation for four weeks in vitro. Three hydrogels were tested for biocompatibility on primary porcine retinal pigment epithelial cells, human retinal pigment epithelial cells, and fibroblast (3T3/NIH) cells, by electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system. The two-component hydrogels allowed for the tuning and optimizing of mechanical, swelling, and transition temperature to obtain three biocompatible hydrogels with properties similar to the vitreous. Future studies include testing of the optimized hydrogels in animal models for use as a long-term substitute, whose preliminary results are mentioned. Although hydrogels are researched as long-term vitreous substitute, none have advanced sufficiently to reach clinical application. Our work focuses on the development of a novel two component in situ forming hydrogel that bio-mimic the natural vitreous. Our thiol-containing copolymers can be injected as an aqueous solution into

  19. Convergent evolution of marine mammals is associated with distinct substitutions in common genes

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xuming; Seim, Inge; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

    2015-01-01

    Phenotypic convergence is thought to be driven by parallel substitutions coupled with natural selection at the sequence level. Multiple independent evolutionary transitions of mammals to an aquatic environment offer an opportunity to test this thesis. Here, whole genome alignment of coding sequences identified widespread parallel amino acid substitutions in marine mammals; however, the majority of these changes were not unique to these animals. Conversely, we report that candidate aquatic adaptation genes, identified by signatures of likelihood convergence and/or elevated ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitution rate, are characterized by very few parallel substitutions and exhibit distinct sequence changes in each group. Moreover, no significant positive correlation was found between likelihood convergence and positive selection in all three marine lineages. These results suggest that convergence in protein coding genes associated with aquatic lifestyle is mainly characterized by independent substitutions and relaxed negative selection. PMID:26549748

  20. α-Amino Acid Derived Benzimidazole-Linked Rhodamines: A Case of Substitution Effect at the Amino Acid Site toward Spiro Ring Opening for Selective Sensing of Al3+ Ions.

    PubMed

    Majumdar, Anupam; Mondal, Subhendu; Daniliuc, Constantin G; Sahu, Debashis; Ganguly, Bishwajit; Ghosh, Sourav; Ghosh, Utpal; Ghosh, Kumaresh

    2017-08-07

    α-Amino acid derived benzimidazole-linked rhodamines have been synthesized, and their metal ion sensing properties have been evaluated. Experimentally, l-valine- and l-phenylglycine-derived benzimidazole-based rhodamines 1 and 2 selectively recognize Al 3+ ion in aqueous CH 3 CN (CH 3 CN/H 2 O 4/1 v/v, 10 mM tris HCl buffer, pH 7.0) over the other cations by exhibiting color and "turn-on" emission changes. In contrast, glycine-derived benzimidazole 3 remains silent in the recognition event and emphasizes the role of α-substitution of amino acid undertaken in the design. The fact has been addressed on the basis of the single-crystal X-ray structures and theoretical calculations. Moreover, pink 1·Al 3+ and 2·Al 3+ ensembles selectively sensed F - ions over other halides through a discharge of color. Importantly, compounds 1 and 2 are cell permeable and have been used as imaging reagents for the detection of Al 3+ uptake in human lung carcinoma cell line A549.

  1. Constraints and consequences of the emergence of amino acid repeats in eukaryotic proteins.

    PubMed

    Chavali, Sreenivas; Chavali, Pavithra L; Chalancon, Guilhem; de Groot, Natalia Sanchez; Gemayel, Rita; Latysheva, Natasha S; Ing-Simmons, Elizabeth; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Balaji, Santhanam; Babu, M Madan

    2017-09-01

    Proteins with amino acid homorepeats have the potential to be detrimental to cells and are often associated with human diseases. Why, then, are homorepeats prevalent in eukaryotic proteomes? In yeast, homorepeats are enriched in proteins that are essential and pleiotropic and that buffer environmental insults. The presence of homorepeats increases the functional versatility of proteins by mediating protein interactions and facilitating spatial organization in a repeat-dependent manner. During evolution, homorepeats are preferentially retained in proteins with stringent proteostasis, which might minimize repeat-associated detrimental effects such as unregulated phase separation and protein aggregation. Their presence facilitates rapid protein divergence through accumulation of amino acid substitutions, which often affect linear motifs and post-translational-modification sites. These substitutions may result in rewiring protein interaction and signaling networks. Thus, homorepeats are distinct modules that are often retained in stringently regulated proteins. Their presence facilitates rapid exploration of the genotype-phenotype landscape of a population, thereby contributing to adaptation and fitness.

  2. Effects of two novel amino acid substitutions on the penicillin binding properties of the PBP5 C‑terminal from Enterococcus faecium.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Chengjiang; Niu, Haiying; Yu, Hui; Zhou, Lishe; Wang, Zhanli

    2015-10-01

    The low‑affinity penicillin‑binding protein (PBP)5 is responsible for resistance to β‑lactam antibiotics in Enterococcus faecium. (E. faecium). In order to evaluate more fully the potential of this species for the development of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, the present study aimed to examine the extent of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) variations in a collection of clinical E. faecium isolates. In the present study, the C‑terminal domain of PBP5 (PBP5‑CD) of 13 penicillin‑resistant clinical isolates of E. faecium were sequenced and the correlation between penicillin resistance and particular amino acid changes were analyzed. The present study identified for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, two novel substitutions (Tyr460Phe and Ala462Thr or Val462Thr) of E. faecium PBP5‑CD. The covalent interaction between penicillin and PBP5‑CD was also investigated using homology modeling and molecular docking methods. The theoretical calculation revealed that Phe460 and Thr462 were involved in penicillin binding, suggesting that substitutions at these positions exert effects on the affinity for penicillin, and this increased affinity translates into lower resistance in vitro.

  3. Amino acid substitutions in subunit 9 of the mitochondrial ATPase complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sequence analysis of a series of revertants of an oli1 mit- mutant carrying an amino acid substitution in the hydrophilic loop of subunit 9.

    PubMed

    Willson, T A; Nagley, P

    1987-09-01

    This work concerns a biochemical genetic study of subunit 9 of the mitochondrial ATPase complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Subunit 9, encoded by the mitochondrial oli1 gene, contains a hydrophilic loop connecting two transmembrane stems. In one particular oli1 mit- mutant 2422, the substitution of a positively charged amino acid in this loop (Arg39----Met) renders the ATPase complex non-functional. A series of 20 revertants, selected for their ability to grow on nonfermentable substrates, has been isolated from mutant 2422. The results of DNA sequence analysis of the oli1 gene in each revertant have led to the recognition of three groups of revertants. Class I revertants have undergone a same-site reversion event: the mutant Met39 is replaced either by arginine (as in wild-type) or lysine. Class II revertants maintain the mutant Met39 residue, but have undergone a second-site reversion event (Asn35----Lys). Two revertants showing an oligomycin-resistant phenotype carry this same second-site reversion in the loop region together with a further amino acid substitution in either of the two membrane-spanning segments of subunit 9 (either Gly23----Ser or Leu53----Phe). Class III revertants contain subunit 9 with the original mutant 2422 sequence, and additionally carry a recessive nuclear suppressor, demonstrated to represent a single gene. The results on the revertants in classes I and II indicate that there is a strict requirement for a positively charged residue in the hydrophilic loop close to the boundary of the lipid bilayer. The precise location of this positive charge is less stringent; in functional ATPase complexes it can be found at either residue 39 or 35. This charged residue is possibly required to interact with some other component of the mitochondrial ATPase complex. These findings, together with hydropathy plots of subunit 9 polypeptides from normal, mutant and revertant strains, led to the conclusion that the hydrophilic loop in normal subunit 9

  4. Amino acid and nucleotide recurrence in aligned sequences: synonymous substitution patterns in association with global and local base compositions.

    PubMed

    Nishizawa, M; Nishizawa, K

    2000-10-01

    The tendency for repetitiveness of nucleotides in DNA sequences has been reported for a variety of organisms. We show that the tendency for repetitive use of amino acids is widespread and is observed even for segments conserved between human and Drosophila melanogaster at the level of >50% amino acid identity. This indicates that repetitiveness influences not only the weakly constrained segments but also those sequence segments conserved among phyla. Not only glutamine (Q) but also many of the 20 amino acids show a comparable level of repetitiveness. Repetitiveness in bases at codon position 3 is stronger for human than for D.melanogaster, whereas local repetitiveness in intron sequences is similar between the two organisms. While genes for immune system-specific proteins, but not ancient human genes (i.e. human homologs of Escherichia coli genes), have repetitiveness at codon bases 1 and 2, repetitiveness at codon base 3 for these groups is similar, suggesting that the human genome has at least two mechanisms generating local repetitiveness. Neither amino acid nor nucleotide repetitiveness is observed beyond the exon boundary, denying the possibility that such repetitiveness could mainly stem from natural selection on mRNA or protein sequences. Analyses of mammalian sequence alignments show that while the 'between gene' GC content heterogeneity, which is linked to 'isochores', is a principal factor associated with the bias in substitution patterns in human, 'within gene' heterogeneity in nucleotide composition is also associated with such bias on a more local scale. The relationship amongst the various types of repetitiveness is discussed.

  5. Amino acid and nucleotide recurrence in aligned sequences: synonymous substitution patterns in association with global and local base compositions

    PubMed Central

    Nishizawa, Manami; Nishizawa, Kazuhisa

    2000-01-01

    The tendency for repetitiveness of nucleotides in DNA sequences has been reported for a variety of organisms. We show that the tendency for repetitive use of amino acids is widespread and is observed even for segments conserved between human and Drosophila melanogaster at the level of >50% amino acid identity. This indicates that repetitiveness influences not only the weakly constrained segments but also those sequence segments conserved among phyla. Not only glutamine (Q) but also many of the 20 amino acids show a comparable level of repetitiveness. Repetitiveness in bases at codon position 3 is stronger for human than for D.melanogaster, whereas local repetitiveness in intron sequences is similar between the two organisms. While genes for immune system-specific proteins, but not ancient human genes (i.e. human homologs of Escherichia coli genes), have repetitiveness at codon bases 1 and 2, repetitiveness at codon base 3 for these groups is similar, suggesting that the human genome has at least two mechanisms generating local repetitiveness. Neither amino acid nor nucleotide repetitiveness is observed beyond the exon boundary, denying the possibility that such repetitiveness could mainly stem from natural selection on mRNA or protein sequences. Analyses of mammalian sequence alignments show that while the ‘between gene’ GC content heterogeneity, which is linked to ‘isochores’, is a principal factor associated with the bias in substitution patterns in human, ‘within gene’ heterogeneity in nucleotide composition is also associated with such bias on a more local scale. The relationship amongst the various types of repetitiveness is discussed. PMID:11000273

  6. Influence of Al substitution on magnetism and adsorption properties of hematite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cao, Shanshan; Kang, Feifei; Yang, Xin

    2015-08-15

    A series of Al-substituted hematite was prepared. The structures and properties of as-prepared samples were characterized by various techniques. The magnetic property of the samples was determined and the adsorption of three dyes Acid Blue 74, Methylene Blue and Phenol Red onto the samples was investigated. The results showed that Al incorporation into the crystal structure of hematite occurs via isomorphous ionic substitution of Al for Fe. With increasing Al content, the particle size of samples decreases, the magnetization increases and the remanent magnetization remains unchanged. The coercivity of the samples increases with Al substitution up to n{sub Al}/n{sub Fe}more » 0.03, and then decreases as Al content further increases. Compared with Al-free hematite, Al-substituted samples exhibit better adsorption ability to all of the three dyes. The adsorption rates of the three dyes on the surface of Al substituted samples depend on the structure of dye, pH and Al content in hematite. - Graphical abstract: Effect of Al on the structure, magnetic properties and adsorption performance of hematite was investigated. - Highlights: • A series of Al-substituted α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was prepared. • Effect of Al content on the crystal structure and magnetic property of hematite was investigated. • Al-substituted hematite exhibits better adsorption ability than hematite.« less

  7. Adaptation of tick-borne encephalitis virus from human brain to different cell cultures induces multiple genomic substitutions.

    PubMed

    Ponomareva, Eugenia P; Ternovoi, Vladimir A; Mikryukova, Tamara P; Protopopova, Elena V; Gladysheva, Anastasia V; Shvalov, Alexander N; Konovalova, Svetlana N; Chausov, Eugene V; Loktev, Valery B

    2017-10-01

    The C11-13 strain from the Siberian subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was isolated from human brain using pig embryo kidney (PEK), 293, and Neuro-2a cells. Analysis of the complete viral genome of the C11-13 variants during six passages in these cells revealed that the cell-adapted C11-13 variants had multiple amino acid substitutions as compared to TBEV from human brain. Seven out of eight amino acids substitutions in the high-replicating C11-13(PEK) variant mapped to non-structural proteins; 13 out of 14 substitutions in the well-replicating C11-13(293) variant, and all four substitutions in the low-replicating C11-13(Neuro-2a) variant were also localized in non-structural proteins, predominantly in the NS2a (2), NS3 (6) and NS5 (3) proteins. The substitutions NS2a 1067 (Asn → Asp), NS2a 1168 (Leu → Val) in the N-terminus of NS2a and NS3 1745 (His → Gln) in the helicase domain of NS3 were found in all selected variants. We postulate that multiple substitutions in the NS2a, NS3 and NS5 genes play a key role in adaptation of TBEV to different cells.

  8. Are private physicians more likely to veto generic substitution of prescribed pharmaceuticals?

    PubMed

    Granlund, David

    2009-12-01

    Physicians' decisions whether or not to veto generic substitution were analyzed using a sample of 350,000 pharmaceutical prescriptions from the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Although generic substitution reforms have been introduced in many European countries and American states, this is to my knowledge the first study on this topic. The topic is important since physicians' decisions regarding generic substitution not only directly affect patients' and insurers' costs for pharmaceuticals, but also indirectly since more bans against substitution reduces price-competition between pharmaceutical firms. The primary purpose was to test if physicians working at private practices were more likely to oppose substitution than county-employed physicians working on salary. It was found that private physicians were 50-80% more likely to veto substitution. Also, the probability of a veto was found to increase as patients' copayments decreased. This might indicate moral hazard in insurance, though other explanations are plausible.

  9. Ultra-superovulation for the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated production of gene-knockout, single-amino-acid-substituted, and floxed mice.

    PubMed

    Nakagawa, Yoshiko; Sakuma, Tetsushi; Nishimichi, Norihisa; Yokosaki, Yasuyuki; Yanaka, Noriyuki; Takeo, Toru; Nakagata, Naomi; Yamamoto, Takashi

    2016-08-15

    Current advances in producing genetically modified mice using genome-editing technologies have indicated the need for improvement of limiting factors including zygote collection for microinjection and their cryopreservation. Recently, we developed a novel superovulation technique using inhibin antiserum and equine chorionic gonadotropin to promote follicle growth. This method enabled the increased production of fertilized oocytes via in vitro fertilization compared with the conventional superovulation method. Here, we verify that the ultra-superovulation technique can be used for the efficient generation of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated knockout mice by microinjection of plasmid vector or ribonucleoprotein into zygotes. We also investigated whether single-amino-acid-substituted mice and conditional knockout mice could be generated. Founder mice bearing base substitutions were generated more efficiently by co-microinjection of Cas9 protein, a guide RNA and single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ssODN) than by plasmid microinjection with ssODN. The conditional allele was successfully introduced by the one-step insertion of an ssODN designed to carry an exon flanked by two loxP sequences and homology arms using a double-cut CRISPR-Cas9 strategy. Our study presents a useful method for the CRISPR-Cas9-based generation of genetically modified mice from the viewpoints of animal welfare and work efficiency. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. A single amino acid substitution in the Bombyx-specific mucin-like membrane protein causes resistance to Bombyx mori densovirus.

    PubMed

    Ito, Katsuhiko; Kidokoro, Kurako; Katsuma, Susumu; Sezutsu, Hideki; Uchino, Keiro; Kobayashi, Isao; Tamura, Toshiki; Yamamoto, Kimiko; Mita, Kazuei; Shimada, Toru; Kadono-Okuda, Keiko

    2018-05-09

    Bombyx mori densovirus type 1 (BmDV) is a pathogen that causes flacherie disease in the silkworm. The absolute nonsusceptibility to BmDV among certain silkworm strains is determined independently by two genes, nsd-1 and Nid-1. However, neither of these genes has been molecularly identified to date. Here, we isolated the nsd-1 gene by positional cloning and characterized the properties of its product, NSD-1. Sequence and biochemical analyses revealed that this gene encodes a Bombyx-specific mucin-like glycoprotein with a single transmembrane domain. The NSD-1 protein was specifically expressed in the larval midgut epithelium, the known infection site of BmDV. Sequence analysis of the nsd-1 gene from 13 resistant and 12 susceptible strains suggested that a specific arginine residue in the extracellular tail of the NSD-1 protein was common among susceptible strains. Germline transformation of the susceptible-type nsd-1 (with a single nucleotide substitution) conferred partial susceptibility to resistant larvae, indicating that the +  nsd-1 gene is required for the susceptibility of B. mori larvae to BmDV and the susceptibility is solely a result of the substitution of a single amino acid with arginine. Taken together, our results provide striking evidence that a novel membrane-bound mucin-like protein functions as a cell-surface receptor for a densovirus.

  11. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of a novel series of alpha-substituted phenylpropanoic acid derivatives as human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/delta dual agonists for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kasuga, Jun-ichi; Yamasaki, Daisuke; Araya, Yoko; Nakagawa, Aya; Makishima, Makoto; Doi, Takefumi; Hashimoto, Yuichi; Miyachi, Hiroyuki

    2006-12-15

    A series of alpha-alkyl-substituted phenylpropanoic acids was prepared as dual agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and delta (PPARalpha/delta). Structure-activity relationship studies indicated that the shape of the linking group and the shape of the substituent at the distal benzene ring play key roles in determining the potency and the selectivity of PPAR subtype transactivation. Structure-activity relationships among the amide series (10) and the reversed amide series (13) are similar, but not identical, especially in the case of the compounds bearing a bulky hydrophobic substituent at the distal benzene ring, indicating that the hydrophobic tail part of the molecules in these two series binds at somewhat different positions in the large binding pocket of PPAR. alpha-Alkyl-substituted phenylpropanoic acids of (S)-configuration were identified as potent human PPARalpha/delta dual agonists. Representative compounds exhibited marked nuclear receptor selectivity for PPARalpha and PPARdelta. Subtype-selective PPAR activation was also examined by analysis of the mRNA expression of PPAR-regulated genes.

  12. Amino acid substitutions in the heptad repeat A and C regions of the F protein responsible for neurovirulence of measles virus Osaka-1 strain from a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

    PubMed

    Ayata, Minoru; Tanaka, Miyuu; Kameoka, Kazuo; Kuwamura, Mitsuru; Takeuchi, Kaoru; Takeda, Makoto; Kanou, Kazuhiko; Ogura, Hisashi

    2016-01-01

    Measles virus (MV) is the causative agent of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). We previously reported that the F gene of the SSPE Osaka-2 strain is the major determinant of MV neurovirulence. Because the sites and extents of mutations differ among SSPE strains, it is necessary to determine the mutations responsible for the SSPE-specific phenotypes of individual viral strain. In this study, recombinant viruses containing the envelope-associated genes from the SSPE Osaka-1 strain were generated in the IC323 wild-type MV background. Hamsters inoculated with MV containing the H gene of the Osaka-1 strain displayed hyperactivity and seizures, but usually recovered and survived. Hamsters inoculated with MV containing the F gene of the Osaka-1 strain displayed severe neurologic signs and died. Amino acid substitutions in the heptad repeat A and C regions of the F protein, including a methionine-to-valine substitution at amino acid 94, play major roles in neurovirulence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 resistance to the small molecule maturation inhibitor 3-O-(3',3'-dimethylsuccinyl)-betulinic acid is conferred by a variety of single amino acid substitutions at the CA-SP1 cleavage site in Gag.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Jing; Chen, Chin Ho; Aiken, Christopher

    2006-12-01

    The compound 3-O-(3',3'-dimethylsuccinyl)-betulinic acid (DSB) potently and specifically inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by delaying the cleavage of the CA-SP1 junction in Gag, leading to impaired maturation of the viral core. In this study, we investigated HIV-1 resistance to DSB by analyzing HIV-1 mutants encoding a variety of individual amino acid substitutions in the CA-SP1 cleavage site. Three of the substitutions were lethal to HIV-1 replication owing to a deleterious effect on particle assembly. The remaining mutants exhibited a range of replication efficiencies; however, each mutant was capable of replicating in the presence of concentrations of DSB that effectively inhibited wild-type HIV-1. Mutations conferring resistance to DSB also led to impaired binding of the compound to immature HIV-1 virions and loss of DSB-mediated inhibition of cleavage of Gag. Surprisingly, two of the DSB-resistant mutants retained an intermediate ability to bind the compound, suggesting that binding of DSB to immature HIV-1 particles may not be sufficient for antiviral activity. Overall, our results indicate that Gag amino acids L363 and A364 are critical for inhibition of HIV-1 replication by DSB and suggest that these residues form key contacts with the drug in the context of the assembling HIV-1 particle. These results have implications for the design of and screening for novel inhibitors of HIV-1 maturation.

  14. T135I substitution in the nonstructural protein 2C enhances foot-and-mouth disease virus replication.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Tiangang; Wang, Haiwei; Li, Chen; Yang, Decheng; Zhou, Guohui; Yu, Li

    2017-12-01

    The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) nonstructural protein 3A plays an important role in viral replication, virulence, and host range. It has been shown that deletions of 10 or 19-20 amino acids in the C-terminal half of 3A attenuate serotype O and C FMDVs, which replicate poorly in bovine cells but normally in porcine-derived cells, and the C-terminal half of 3A is not essential for serotype Asia1 FMDV replication in BHK-21 cells. In this study, we constructed a 3A deletion FMDV mutant based on a serotype O FMDV, the wild-type virus O/YS/CHA/05, with a 60-amino acid deletion in the 3A protein sequence, between residues 84 and 143. The rescued virus O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A exhibited slower growth kinetics and formed smaller plaques compared to O/YS/CHA/05 in both BHK-21 and IBRS-2 cells, indicating that the 60-amino acid deletion in the 3A protein impaired FMDV replication. After 14 passages in BHK-21 cells, the replication capacity of the passaged virus O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A-P14 returned to a level similar to the wild-type virus, suggesting that amino acid substitutions responsible for the enhanced replication capacity occurred in the genome of O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A-P14. By sequence analysis, two amino acid substitutions, P153L in VP1 and T135I in 2C, were found in the O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A-P14 genome compared to the O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A genome. Subsequently, the amino acid substitutions VP1 P153L and 2C T135I were separately introduced into O/YS/CHA/05-Δ3A to rescue mutant viruses for examining their growth kinetics. Results showed that the 2C T135I instead of the VP1 P153L enhanced the virus replication capacity. The 2C T135I substitution also improved the replication of the wild-type virus, indicating that the effect of 2C T135I substitution on FMDV replication is not associated with the 3A deletion. Furthermore, our results showed that the T135I substitution in the nonstructural protein 2C enhanced O/YS/CHA/05 replication through promoting viral RNA synthesis.

  15. 40 CFR 721.10214 - Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha... Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle (generic... identified generically as poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted...

  16. 40 CFR 721.10214 - Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha... Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle (generic... identified generically as poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted...

  17. 40 CFR 721.10214 - Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha... Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle (generic... identified generically as poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted...

  18. 40 CFR 721.10214 - Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha... Poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted carbomonocycle (generic... identified generically as poly(oxyalkylenediyl),.alpha.-substituted carbomonocycle-.omega.-substituted...

  19. Synthesis and Evolution of a Threose Nucleic Acid Aptamer Bearing 7-Deaza-7-Substituted Guanosine Residues.

    PubMed

    Mei, Hui; Liao, Jen-Yu; Jimenez, Randi M; Wang, Yajun; Bala, Saikat; McCloskey, Cailen; Switzer, Christopher; Chaput, John C

    2018-05-02

    In vitro selection experiments carried out on artificial genetic polymers require robust and faithful methods for copying genetic information back and forth between DNA and xeno-nucleic acids (XNA). Previously, we have shown that Kod-RI, an engineered polymerase developed to transcribe DNA templates into threose nucleic acid (TNA), can function with high fidelity in the absence of manganese ions. However, the transcriptional efficiency of this enzyme diminishes greatly when individual templates are replaced with libraries of DNA sequences, indicating that manganese ions are still required for in vitro selection. Unfortunately, the presence of manganese ions in the transcription mixture leads to the misincorporation of tGTP nucleotides opposite dG residues in the templating strand, which are detected as G-to-C transversions when the TNA is reverse transcribed back into DNA. Here we report the synthesis and fidelity of TNA replication using 7-deaza-7-modified guanosine base analogues in the DNA template and incoming TNA nucleoside triphosphate. Our findings reveal that tGTP misincorporation occurs via a Hoogsteen base pair in which the incoming tGTP residue adopts a syn conformation with respect to the sugar. Substitution of tGTP for 7-deaza-7-phenyl tGTP enabled the synthesis of TNA polymers with >99% overall fidelity. A TNA library containing the 7-deaza-7-phenyl guanine analogue was used to evolve a biologically stable TNA aptamer that binds to HIV reverse transcriptase with low nanomolar affinity.

  20. SubVis: an interactive R package for exploring the effects of multiple substitution matrices on pairwise sequence alignment

    PubMed Central

    Coan, Heather B.; Youker, Robert T.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding how proteins mutate is critical to solving a host of biological problems. Mutations occur when an amino acid is substituted for another in a protein sequence. The set of likelihoods for amino acid substitutions is stored in a matrix and input to alignment algorithms. The quality of the resulting alignment is used to assess the similarity of two or more sequences and can vary according to assumptions modeled by the substitution matrix. Substitution strategies with minor parameter variations are often grouped together in families. For example, the BLOSUM and PAM matrix families are commonly used because they provide a standard, predefined way of modeling substitutions. However, researchers often do not know if a given matrix family or any individual matrix within a family is the most suitable. Furthermore, predefined matrix families may inaccurately reflect a particular hypothesis that a researcher wishes to model or otherwise result in unsatisfactory alignments. In these cases, the ability to compare the effects of one or more custom matrices may be needed. This laborious process is often performed manually because the ability to simultaneously load multiple matrices and then compare their effects on alignments is not readily available in current software tools. This paper presents SubVis, an interactive R package for loading and applying multiple substitution matrices to pairwise alignments. Users can simultaneously explore alignments resulting from multiple predefined and custom substitution matrices. SubVis utilizes several of the alignment functions found in R, a common language among protein scientists. Functions are tied together with the Shiny platform which allows the modification of input parameters. Information regarding alignment quality and individual amino acid substitutions is displayed with the JavaScript language which provides interactive visualizations for revealing both high-level and low-level alignment information. PMID:28674656

  1. Coupling of hydrologic transport and chemical reactions in a stream affected by acid mine drainage

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kimball, B.A.; Broshears, R.E.; Bencala, K.E.; McKnight, Diane M.

    1994-01-01

    Experiments in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream, examined the coupling of hydrologic transport to chemical reactions affecting metal concentrations. Injection of LiCl as a conservative tracer was used to determine discharge and residence time along a 1497-m reach. Transport of metals downstream from inflows of acidic, metal-rich water was evaluated based on synoptic samples of metal concentrations and the hydrologic characteristics of the stream. Transport of SO4 and Mn was generally conservative, but in the subreaches most affected by acidic inflows, transport was reactive. Both 0.1-??m filtered and particulate Fe were reactive over most of the stream reach. Filtered Al partitioned to the particulate phase in response to high instream concentrations. Simulations that accounted for the removal of SO4, Mn, Fe, and Al with first-order reactions reproduced the steady-state profiles. The calculated rate constants for net removal used in the simulations embody several processes that occur on a stream-reach scale. The comparison between rates of hydrologie transport and chemical reactions indicates that reactions are only important over short distances in the stream near the acidic inflows, where reactions occur on a comparable time scale with hydrologic transport and thus affect metal concentrations.

  2. Effects of substitution of different levels of steam-flaked corn for finely ground corn on lactation and digestion in early lactation dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Zhong, R Z; Li, J G; Gao, Y X; Tan, Z L; Ren, G P

    2008-10-01

    Eight multiparous Holstein cows, 4 of them fitted with rumen cannulas, were used to test the effects of substitution of steam-flaked corn (SFC) for equal amounts of finely ground corn (FGC) in diets on feed intake and digestion, blood metabolites, and lactation performance in early lactation dairy cows. Cows were fed 4 diets in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. The fistulated cows formed 1 replicate. Each experimental period lasted for 3 wk. The 4 diets contained 0, 10, 20, or 40% SFC and 40, 30, 20, or 0% FGC (dry matter basis), respectively. The milk protein content and yield, milk solid nonfat content and yield, plasma glucose concentration, and dry matter intake increased as the proportion of SFC increased in diets. Apparent total tract digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and average ruminal fluid NH(3)-N concentration decreased with increasing levels of SFC. The ruminal fluid pH was not affected by the substitution of SFC for FGC. The 20% SFC substitution improved digestion of crude protein, yield of fat-corrected milk, milk lactose content, fat, and fat yield. The 40% SFC substitution increased urea concentration in both plasma and milk. It was concluded that 20% of SFC substitution for FGC appeared to be an appropriate level in diet for early lactation dairy cows.

  3. How Metal Substitution Affects the Enzymatic Activity of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase

    PubMed Central

    Sparta, Manuel; Alexandrova, Anastassia N.

    2012-01-01

    Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) degrades catecholamines, such as dopamine and epinephrine, by methylating them in the presence of a divalent metal cation (usually Mg(II)), and S-adenosyl-L-methionine. The enzymatic activity of COMT is known to be vitally dependent on the nature of the bound metal: replacement of Mg(II) with Ca(II) leads to a complete deactivation of COMT; Fe(II) is slightly less than potent Mg(II), and Fe(III) is again an inhibitor. Considering the fairly modest role that the metal plays in the catalyzed reaction, this dependence is puzzling, and to date remains an enigma. Using a quantum mechanical / molecular mechanical dynamics method for extensive sampling of protein structure, and first principle quantum mechanical calculations for the subsequent mechanistic study, we explicate the effect of metal substitution on the rate determining step in the catalytic cycle of COMT, the methyl transfer. In full accord with experimental data, Mg(II) bound to COMT is the most potent of the studied cations and it is closely followed by Fe(II), whereas Fe(III) is unable to promote catalysis. In the case of Ca(II), a repacking of the protein binding site is observed, leading to a significant increase in the activation barrier and higher energy of reaction. Importantly, the origin of the effect of metal substitution is different for different metals: for Fe(III) it is the electronic effect, whereas in the case of Ca(II) it is instead the effect of suboptimal protein structure. PMID:23056605

  4. Detecting Adaptation in Protein-Coding Genes Using a Bayesian Site-Heterogeneous Mutation-Selection Codon Substitution Model.

    PubMed

    Rodrigue, Nicolas; Lartillot, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    Codon substitution models have traditionally attempted to uncover signatures of adaptation within protein-coding genes by contrasting the rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions. Another modeling approach, known as the mutation-selection framework, attempts to explicitly account for selective patterns at the amino acid level, with some approaches allowing for heterogeneity in these patterns across codon sites. Under such a model, substitutions at a given position occur at the neutral or nearly neutral rate when they are synonymous, or when they correspond to replacements between amino acids of similar fitness; substitutions from high to low (low to high) fitness amino acids have comparatively low (high) rates. Here, we study the use of such a mutation-selection framework as a null model for the detection of adaptation. Following previous works in this direction, we include a deviation parameter that has the effect of capturing the surplus, or deficit, in non-synonymous rates, relative to what would be expected under a mutation-selection modeling framework that includes a Dirichlet process approach to account for across-codon-site variation in amino acid fitness profiles. We use simulations, along with a few real data sets, to study the behavior of the approach, and find it to have good power with a low false-positive rate. Altogether, we emphasize the potential of recent mutation-selection models in the detection of adaptation, calling for further model refinements as well as large-scale applications. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  5. Simple, heart-smart substitutions

    MedlinePlus

    Coronary artery disease - heart smart substitutions; Atherosclerosis - heart smart substitutions; Cholesterol - heart smart substitutions; Coronary heart disease - heart smart substitutions; Healthy diet - heart ...

  6. Glyphosate affects lignin content and amino acid composition in glyphosate-resistant soybean

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Farmers report that some glyphosate-resistant soybean varieties are visually injured by glyphosate. Glyphosate is the main herbicide that directly affects the synthesis of secondary compounds. In this work, we evaluated the effect of increasing rates of glyphosate on lignin and amino acid content, p...

  7. Supplemental safflower oil affects the fatty acid profile, including conjugated linoleic acid, of lamb.

    PubMed

    Boles, J A; Kott, R W; Hatfield, P G; Bergman, J W; Flynn, C R

    2005-09-01

    acids and CLA in the lean tissue, without adversely affecting growth performance, carcass characteristics, or color stability of lamb.

  8. Carbon substitution for oxygen in silicates in planetary interiors

    PubMed Central

    Sen, Sabyasachi; Widgeon, Scarlett J.; Navrotsky, Alexandra; Mera, Gabriela; Tavakoli, Amir; Ionescu, Emanuel; Riedel, Ralf

    2013-01-01

    Amorphous silicon oxycarbide polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), synthesized from organometallic precursors, contain carbon- and silica-rich nanodomains, the latter with extensive substitution of carbon for oxygen, linking Si-centered SiOxC4-x tetrahedra. Calorimetric studies demonstrated these PDCs to be thermodynamically more stable than a mixture of SiO2, C, and silicon carbide. Here, we show by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy that substitution of C for O is also attained in PDCs with depolymerized silica-rich domains containing lithium, associated with SiOxC4-x tetrahedra with nonbridging oxygen. We suggest that significant (several percent) substitution of C for O could occur in more complex geological silicate melts/glasses in contact with graphite at moderate pressure and high temperature and may be thermodynamically far more accessible than C for Si substitution. Carbon incorporation will change the local structure and may affect physical properties, such as viscosity. Analogous carbon substitution at grain boundaries, at defect sites, or as equilibrium states in nominally acarbonaceous crystalline silicates, even if present at levels at 10–100 ppm, might form an extensive and hitherto hidden reservoir of carbon in the lower crust and mantle. PMID:24043830

  9. Carbon substitution for oxygen in silicates in planetary interiors.

    PubMed

    Sen, Sabyasachi; Widgeon, Scarlett J; Navrotsky, Alexandra; Mera, Gabriela; Tavakoli, Amir; Ionescu, Emanuel; Riedel, Ralf

    2013-10-01

    Amorphous silicon oxycarbide polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), synthesized from organometallic precursors, contain carbon- and silica-rich nanodomains, the latter with extensive substitution of carbon for oxygen, linking Si-centered SiO(x)C(4-x) tetrahedra. Calorimetric studies demonstrated these PDCs to be thermodynamically more stable than a mixture of SiO2, C, and silicon carbide. Here, we show by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy that substitution of C for O is also attained in PDCs with depolymerized silica-rich domains containing lithium, associated with SiO(x)C(4-x) tetrahedra with nonbridging oxygen. We suggest that significant (several percent) substitution of C for O could occur in more complex geological silicate melts/glasses in contact with graphite at moderate pressure and high temperature and may be thermodynamically far more accessible than C for Si substitution. Carbon incorporation will change the local structure and may affect physical properties, such as viscosity. Analogous carbon substitution at grain boundaries, at defect sites, or as equilibrium states in nominally acarbonaceous crystalline silicates, even if present at levels at 10-100 ppm, might form an extensive and hitherto hidden reservoir of carbon in the lower crust and mantle.

  10. Synthesis of substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines by lithiation then electrophilic quench.

    PubMed

    Talk, Ruaa A; Duperray, Alexia; Li, Xiabing; Coldham, Iain

    2016-06-07

    Substituted N-tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines were prepared and treated with n-butyllithium in THF at -50 °C to test the scope of the metallation and electrophilic quench. The lithiation was optimised by using in situ ReactIR spectroscopy and the rate of rotation of the carbamate was determined. The 1-lithiated intermediates could be trapped with a variety of electrophiles to give good yields of 1-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline products. Treatment with acid or reduction with LiAlH4 allows conversion to the N-H or N-Me compound. The chemistry was applied to the efficient total syntheses of the alkaloids (±)-crispine A and (±)-dysoxyline.

  11. The mitochondria-targeted imidazole substituted oleic acid 'TPP-IOA' affects mitochondrial bioenergetics and its protective efficacy in cells is influenced by cellular dependence on aerobic metabolism.

    PubMed

    Maddalena, Lucas A; Ghelfi, Mikel; Atkinson, Jeffrey; Stuart, Jeffrey A

    2017-01-01

    A variety of mitochondria-targeted small molecules have been invented to manipulate mitochondrial redox activities and improve function in certain disease states. 3-Hydroxypropyl-triphenylphosphonium-conjugated imidazole-substituted oleic acid (TPP-IOA) was developed as a specific inhibitor of cytochrome c peroxidase activity that inhibits apoptosis by preventing cardiolipin oxidation and cytochrome c release to the cytosol. Here we evaluate the effects of TPP-IOA on oxidative phosphorylation in isolated mitochondria and on mitochondrial function in live cells. We demonstrate that, at concentrations similar to those required to achieve inhibition of cytochrome c peroxidase activity, TPP-IOA perturbs oxidative phosphorylation in isolated mitochondria. In live SH-SY5Y cells, TPP-IOA partially collapsed mitochondrial membrane potential, caused extensive fragmentation of the mitochondrial network, and decreased apparent mitochondrial abundance within 3h of exposure. Many cultured cell lines rely primarily on aerobic glycolysis, potentially making them less sensitive to small molecules disrupting oxidative phosphorylation. We therefore determined the anti-apoptotic efficacy of TPP-IOA in SH-SY5Y cells growing in glucose or in galactose, the latter of which increases reliance on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP supply. The anti-apoptotic activity of TPP-IOA that was observed in glucose media was not seen in galactose media. It therefore appears that, at concentrations required to inhibit cytochrome c peroxidase activity, TPP-IOA perturbs oxidative phosphorylation. In light of these data it is predicted that potential future therapeutic applications of TPP-IOA will be restricted to highly glycolytic cell types with limited reliance on oxidative phosphorylation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Molecular cloning and expression of the hyu genes from Microbacterium liquefaciens AJ 3912, responsible for the conversion of 5-substituted hydantoins to alpha-amino acids, in Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Shun'ichi; Takenaka, Yasuhiro; Onishi, Norimasa; Yokozeki, Kenzo

    2005-08-01

    A DNA fragment from Microbacterium liquefaciens AJ 3912, containing the genes responsible for the conversion of 5-substituted-hydantoins to alpha-amino acids, was cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. Seven open reading frames (hyuP, hyuA, hyuH, hyuC, ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3) were identified on the 7.5 kb fragment. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded by the hyuA gene included the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the hydantoin racemase from M. liquefaciens AJ 3912. The hyuA, hyuH, and hyuC genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli; their presence corresponded with the detection of hydantoin racemase, hydantoinase, and N-carbamoyl alpha-amino acid amido hydrolase enzymatic activities respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of hyuP were similar to those of the allantoin (5-ureido-hydantoin) permease from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that hyuP protein might function as a hydantoin transporter.

  13. Arsenic Scavenging by Al-Substituted Ferrihydrites in a Circumneutral pH River Impacted by the Acid Mine Drainage of Carnoulès, Gard, France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    ADRA, A.; Morin, G.; ona-Nguema, G.; Maillot, F.; Casiot, C.; Bruneel, O.

    2013-12-01

    Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a nanocrystalline ferric oxyhydroxide involved in the retention of pollutants in natural systems and in water-treatment processes. The status and properties of major chemical impurities in natural Fh is however still scarcely documented. Here we investigated the structure and reactivity of aluminum-rich Fh from river-bed sediments collected in a circumneutral river (pH 6-7) impacted by an arsenic-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy at the Fe K-edge shows that Fh is the predominant mineral phase forming after neutralization of the AMD, in association with minor amount of schwertmannite transported from the AMD. EXAFS analysis indicates that Al(III) substitutes for Fe(III) ions into the Fh structure in the natural sediment samples, with local aluminum concentration within the 20-37×7 mol%Al range, in agreement with bulk chemical compositions. Synthetic aluminous Fh analogues prepared in the present study are found to be less Al-substituted (14-18×4 mol%Al). Finally, EXAFS analysis at the arsenic K-edge indicates that As(V) form similar inner-sphere surface complexes on the natural and synthetic Al-substituted Fh studied. Our results provide direct evidences for the scavenging of arsenic by natural Al- Fh, with possible implications for other pollutants in natural or engineered systems.

  14. Selection for low erucic acid and genetic mapping of loci affecting the accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids in meadowfoam seed storage lipids.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, S D; Kishore, V K; Crane, J M; Slabaugh, M B; Knapp, S J

    2009-06-01

    Erucic acid (22:1(13)) has been identified as an anti-nutritional compound in meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) and other oilseeds in the Brassicales, a classification which has necessitated the development of low erucic acid cultivars for human consumption. The erucic acid concentrations of meadowfoam wild types (8%-24%) surpass industry standards for human consumption (acid lines and identify loci affecting the accumulation of 22:1(13) and other very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in meadowfoam seed storage lipids. LE76, a low erucic acid line, was developed by 3 cycles of selection in an ethyl methanesulfonate-treated wildtype population. LE76 produced 3% 22:1(13), threefold less than the M0 population. Wildtype x LE76 F2 populations produced continuous, approximately normal erucic and dienoic acid distributions. Loss-of-function mutations apparently did not segregate and individuals with low 22:1(13) concentrations (affecting VLCFA profiles in seed storage lipids by genotyping and phenotyping wildtype x low erucic acid F2 progeny. Composite interval mapping identified 3 moderately large-effect erucic acid QTL. The low erucic acid parent transmitted favorable alleles for 2 of 3 QTL, suggesting low erucic acid cultivars can be developed by combining favorable alleles transmitted by wildtype and low erucic acid parents.

  15. The Quality Improvement of Emulsion-type Pork Sausages Formulated by Substituting Pork Back fat with Rice Bran Oil

    PubMed Central

    Yum, Hyeon-Woong; Seo, Jin-Kyu; Jeong, Jin-Yeon; Kim, Gap-Don; Rahman, M. Shafiur; Yang, Han-Sul

    2018-01-01

    The effects of pork back fat (PBF) substitution with various concentrations of rice bran oil (RBO) (50%, 45%, 40% and 35%) on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of emulsion-type pork sausages were studied. The modified pork sausages were compared with control sausages produced using PBF only. The sausages with RBO had significantly lower (p<0.05) moisture content than the control sausages. Sausages made from PBF substituted with 40% RBO showed the lowest cooking loss. Substitution of PBF with RBO had no significant effect on the emulsion stability of pork sausages. All sausages with RBO showed significantly lower (p<0.05) hardness values than control sausages. Sausages with RBO also had significantly higher values (p<0.05) of unsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid contents than the controls. RBO substitution had no effect on the flavor intensity of sausages, but it improved the tenderness and produced a softer texture. PMID:29725230

  16. Can inhibitor-resistant substitutions in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-Lactamase BlaC lead to clavulanate resistance?: a biochemical rationale for the use of β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations.

    PubMed

    Kurz, Sebastian G; Wolff, Kerstin A; Hazra, Saugata; Bethel, Christopher R; Hujer, Andrea M; Smith, Kerri M; Xu, Yan; Tremblay, Lee W; Blanchard, John S; Nguyen, Liem; Bonomo, Robert A

    2013-12-01

    The current emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis calls for novel treatment strategies. Recently, BlaC, the principal β-lactamase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was recognized as a potential therapeutic target. The combination of meropenem and clavulanic acid, which inhibits BlaC, was found to be effective against even extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains when tested in vitro. Yet there is significant concern that drug resistance against this combination will also emerge. To investigate the potential of BlaC to evolve variants resistant to clavulanic acid, we introduced substitutions at important amino acid residues of M. tuberculosis BlaC (R220, A244, S130, and T237). Whereas the substitutions clearly led to in vitro clavulanic acid resistance in enzymatic assays but at the expense of catalytic activity, transformation of variant BlaCs into an M. tuberculosis H37Rv background revealed that impaired inhibition of BlaC did not affect inhibition of growth in the presence of ampicillin and clavulanate. From these data we propose that resistance to β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations will likely not arise from structural alteration of BlaC, therefore establishing confidence that this therapeutic modality can be part of a successful treatment regimen against M. tuberculosis.

  17. The Aspergillus nidulans Proline Permease as a Model for Understanding the Factors Determining Substrate Binding and Specificity of Fungal Amino Acid Transporters*

    PubMed Central

    Gournas, Christos; Evangelidis, Thomas; Athanasopoulos, Alexandros; Mikros, Emmanuel; Sophianopoulou, Vicky

    2015-01-01

    Amino acid uptake in fungi is mediated by general and specialized members of the yeast amino acid transporter (YAT) family, a branch of the amino acid polyamine organocation (APC) transporter superfamily. PrnB, a highly specific l-proline transporter, only weakly recognizes other Put4p substrates, its Saccharomyces cerevisiae orthologue. Taking advantage of the high sequence similarity between the two transporters, we combined molecular modeling, induced fit docking, genetic, and biochemical approaches to investigate the molecular basis of this difference and identify residues governing substrate binding and specificity. We demonstrate that l-proline is recognized by PrnB via interactions with residues within TMS1 (Gly56, Thr57), TMS3 (Glu138), and TMS6 (Phe248), which are evolutionary conserved in YATs, whereas specificity is achieved by subtle amino acid substitutions in variable residues. Put4p-mimicking substitutions in TMS3 (S130C), TMS6 (F252L, S253G), TMS8 (W351F), and TMS10 (T414S) broadened the specificity of PrnB, enabling it to recognize more efficiently l-alanine, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, and glycine without significantly affecting the apparent Km for l-proline. S253G and W351F could transport l-alanine, whereas T414S, despite displaying reduced proline uptake, could transport l-alanine and glycine, a phenotype suppressed by the S130C mutation. A combination of all five Put4p-ressembling substitutions resulted in a functional allele that could also transport l-alanine and glycine, displaying a specificity profile impressively similar to that of Put4p. Our results support a model where residues in these positions determine specificity by interacting with the substrates, acting as gating elements, altering the flexibility of the substrate binding core, or affecting conformational changes of the transport cycle. PMID:25572393

  18. Isotemporal Substitution Paradigm for Physical Activity Epidemiology and Weight Change

    PubMed Central

    Willett, Walter C.; Hu, Frank B.; Ding, Eric L.

    2009-01-01

    For a fixed amount of time engaged in physical activity, activity choice may affect body weight differently depending partly on other activities’ displacement. Typical models used to evaluate effects of physical activity on body weight do not directly address these substitutions. An isotemporal substitution paradigm was developed as a new analytic model to study the time-substitution effects of one activity for another. In 1991–1997, the authors longitudinally examined the associations of discretionary physical activities, with varying activity displacements, with 6-year weight loss maintenance among 4,558 healthy, premenopausal US women who had previously lost >5% of their weight. Results of isotemporal substitution models indicated widely heterogeneous relations with each physical activity type (P < 0.001) depending on the displaced activities. Notably, whereas 30 minutes/day of brisk walking substituted for 30 minutes/day of jogging/running was associated with weight increase (1.57 kg, 95% confidence interval: 0.33, 2.82), brisk walking was associated with lower weight when substituted for slow walking (−1.14 kg, 95% confidence interval: −1.75, −0.53) and with even lower weight when substituted for TV watching. Similar heterogeneous relations with weight change were found for each activity type (TV watching, slow walking, brisk walking, jogging/running) when displaced by other activities across these various models. The isotemporal substitution paradigm may offer new insights for future public health recommendations. PMID:19584129

  19. How Do Substitute Teachers Substitute? An Empirical Study of Substitute-Teacher Labor Supply

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gershenson, Seth

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines the daily labor supply of a potentially important, but often overlooked, source of instruction in U.S. public schools: substitute teachers. I estimate a sequential binary-choice model of substitute teachers' job-offer acceptance decisions using data on job offers made by a randomized automated calling system. Importantly, this…

  20. Probing Structural Features of Alzheimer’s Amyloid-β Pores in Bilayers Using Site-Specific Amino Acid Substitutions

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    A current hypothesis for the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) proposes that amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides induce uncontrolled, neurotoxic ion flux across cellular membranes. The mechanism of ion flux is not fully understood because no experiment-based Aβ channel structures at atomic resolution are currently available (only a few polymorphic states have been predicted by computational models). Structural models and experimental evidence lend support to the view that the Aβ channel is an assembly of loosely associated mobile β-sheet subunits. Here, using planar lipid bilayers and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that amino acid substitutions can be used to infer which residues are essential for channel structure. We created two Aβ1–42 peptides with point mutations: F19P and F20C. The substitution of Phe19 with Pro inhibited channel conductance. MD simulation suggests a collapsed pore of F19P channels at the lower bilayer leaflet. The kinks at the Pro residues in the pore-lining β-strands induce blockage of the solvated pore by the N-termini of the chains. The cysteine mutant is capable of forming channels, and the conductance behavior of F20C channels is similar to that of the wild type. Overall, the mutational analysis of the channel activity performed in this work tests the proposition that the channels consist of a β-sheet rich organization, with the charged/polar central strand containing the mutation sites lining the pore, and the C-terminal strands facing the hydrophobic lipid tails. A detailed understanding of channel formation and its structure should aid studies of drug design aiming to control unregulated Aβ-dependent ion fluxes. PMID:22242635

  1. Feeding of Dehulled-micronized Faba Bean (Vicia faba var. minor) as Substitute for Soybean Meal in Guinea Fowl Broilers: Effect on Productive Performance and Meat Quality

    PubMed Central

    Tufarelli, Vincenzo; Laudadio, Vito

    2015-01-01

    The present study aimed to assess the effect of dietary substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with dehulled-micronized faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor) in guinea fowl broilers on their growth traits, carcass quality, and meat fatty acids composition. In this trial, 120 day-old guinea fowl keets were randomly assigned to two treatments which were fed from hatch to 12 weeks of age. Birds were fed two wheat middlings-based diets comprising of a control treatment which contained SBM (78.3 g/kg) and a test diet containing dehulled-micronized faba bean (130 g/kg) as the main protein source. Substituting SBM with faba bean had no adverse effect on growth traits, dressing percentage, or breast and thigh muscles relative weight of the guinea fowls. Conversely, a decrease (p<0.05) of abdominal fat was found in guinea fowls fed the faba bean-diet. Breast muscle of birds fed faba bean had higher L* score (p<0.05) and water-holding capacity (p<0.05) than the SBM control diet. Meat from guinea fowls fed faba bean had less total lipids (p<0.05) and cholesterol (p<0.01), and higher concentrations of phospholipids (p<0.01). Feeding faba bean increased polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in breast meat and decreased the saturated fatty acid levels. Moreover, dietary faba bean improved the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes in guinea fowl breast meat. Results indicated that substitution of SBM with faba bean meal in guinea fowl diet can improve carcass qualitative traits, enhancing also meat lipid profile without negatively affecting growth performance. PMID:26323403

  2. Feeding of Dehulled-micronized Faba Bean (Vicia faba var. minor) as Substitute for Soybean Meal in Guinea Fowl Broilers: Effect on Productive Performance and Meat Quality.

    PubMed

    Tufarelli, Vincenzo; Laudadio, Vito

    2015-10-01

    The present study aimed to assess the effect of dietary substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with dehulled-micronized faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor) in guinea fowl broilers on their growth traits, carcass quality, and meat fatty acids composition. In this trial, 120 day-old guinea fowl keets were randomly assigned to two treatments which were fed from hatch to 12 weeks of age. Birds were fed two wheat middlings-based diets comprising of a control treatment which contained SBM (78.3 g/kg) and a test diet containing dehulled-micronized faba bean (130 g/kg) as the main protein source. Substituting SBM with faba bean had no adverse effect on growth traits, dressing percentage, or breast and thigh muscles relative weight of the guinea fowls. Conversely, a decrease (p<0.05) of abdominal fat was found in guinea fowls fed the faba bean-diet. Breast muscle of birds fed faba bean had higher L* score (p<0.05) and water-holding capacity (p<0.05) than the SBM control diet. Meat from guinea fowls fed faba bean had less total lipids (p<0.05) and cholesterol (p<0.01), and higher concentrations of phospholipids (p<0.01). Feeding faba bean increased polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in breast meat and decreased the saturated fatty acid levels. Moreover, dietary faba bean improved the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes in guinea fowl breast meat. Results indicated that substitution of SBM with faba bean meal in guinea fowl diet can improve carcass qualitative traits, enhancing also meat lipid profile without negatively affecting growth performance.

  3. Hydroxycinnamic acid bound arabinoxylans from millet brans-structural features and antioxidant activity.

    PubMed

    Bijalwan, Vandana; Ali, Usman; Kesarwani, Atul Kumar; Yadav, Kamalendra; Mazumder, Koushik

    2016-07-01

    Hydroxycinnamic acid bound arabinoxylans (HCA-AXs) were extracted from brans of five Indian millet varieties and response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction conditions. The optimal condition to obtain highest yield of millet HCA-AXs was determined as follows: time 61min, temperature 66°C, ratio of solvent to sample 12ml/g. Linkage analysis indicated that hydroxycinnamic acid bound arabinoxylan from kodo millet (KM-HCA-AX) contained comparatively low branched arabinoxylan consisting of 14.6% mono-substituted, 1.2% di-substituted and 41.2% un-substituted Xylp residues. The HPLC analysis of millet HCA-AXs showed significant variation in the content of three major bound hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acid). The antioxidant activity of millet HCA-AXs were evaluated using three in vitro assay methods (DPPH, FRAP and β-carotene linoleate emulsion assays) which suggested both phenolic acid composition and structural characteristics of arabinoxylans could be correlated to their antioxidant potential, the detailed structural analysis revealed that low substituted KM-HCA-AX exhibited relatively higher antioxidant activity compared to other medium and highly substituted HCA-AXs from finger (FM), proso (PM), barnyard (BM) and foxtail (FOXM) millet. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Dietary unsaturated fatty acids differently affect catecholamine handling by adrenal chromaffin cells.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Andreia; Correia, Gustavo; Coelho, Marisa; Araújo, João Ricardo; Pinho, Maria João; Teixeira, Ana Luisa; Medeiros, Rui; Ribeiro, Laura

    2015-05-01

    Catecholamines (CA) play an important role in cardiovascular (CDV) disease risk. Namely, noradrenaline (NA) levels positively correlate whereas adrenaline (AD) levels negatively correlate with obesity and/or CDV disease. Western diets, which are tipically rich in Ω-6 fatty acids (FAs) and deficient in Ω-3 FAs, may contribute to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes and/or coronary artery disease. Taking this into consideration and the fact that our group has already described that saturated FAs affect catecholamine handling by adrenal chromaffin cells, this work aimed to investigate the effect of unsaturated FAs upon catecholamine handling in the same model. Our results showed that chronic exposure to unsaturated FAs differently modulated CA cellular content and release, regardless of both FA series and number of carbon atoms. Namely, the Ω-6 arachidonic and linoleic acids, based on their effect on CA release and cellular content, seemed to impair NA and AD vesicular transport, whereas γ-linolenic acid selectively impaired AD synthesis and release. Within the Ω-9 FAs, oleic acid was devoid of effect, and elaidic acid behaved similarly to γ-linolenic acid. Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (Ω-3 series) impaired the synthesis and release of both NA and AD. These results deserve attention and future development, namely, in what concerns the mechanisms involved and correlative effects in vivo. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. A molecular mechanics study of the effect of substitution in position 1 on the conformational space of the oxytocin/vasopressin ring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarnowska, Monika; Liwo, Adam; Shenderovich, Mark D.; Liepiņa, Inta; Golbraikh, Alexander A.; Grzonka, Zbigniew; Tempczyk, Anna

    1993-12-01

    The effect of the substitution in position 1 on the low-energy conformations of the oxytocin/vasopressin 20-membered ring was investigated by means of molecular mechanics. Three representative substitutions were considered: β'-mercapto-β,β-dimethyl)propionic acid (Dmp), (β'-mercapto-β,β-cyclopentamethylene)propionic acid (Cpp), both forming strong antagonists, and (α,α-dimethyl-β-mercapto)propionic acid (α-Dmp), forming analogs of strongly reduced biological activity, with the β-mercaptopropionic (Mpa) residue taken as reference. Both ECEPP/2 (rigid valence geometry) and AMBER (flexible valence geometry) force fields were employed in the calculations. Three basic types of backbone conformations were taken into account which are distinguished by the type of β-turn at residues 3 and 4: β1/βIII, βII, and βI'/βIII', all types containing one or two intra-annular hydrogen bonds. The allowed (ring-closed) disulfide-bridge conformations were searched by an algorithm formulated in terms of scanning the disulfide-bridge torsional angle Cβ-S-S-Cβ. The ECEPP/2 and AMBER energies of the obtained conformations were found to be in reasonable agreement. Two of the low-energy conformers of the [Mpa1]-compound agreed very well with the cyclic part of the two conformers found in the crystal structure of [Mpa1]-oxytocin. An analysis of the effect of β-substitution on relative energies showed that the conformations with the N-C'-CH2-CH2 (ψ'1) and C'-CH2-CH2-S (ϰ'1) angles of the first residue around (-100°, 60°) and (100°, -60°) are not affected; this in most cases implies a left-handed disulfide bridge. In the case of α-substitution the allowed values of ψ'1 are close to ± 60°. This requirement, being in contradiction to the one concerning β-substitution, could explain the very low biological activity of the α-substituted analogs. The conformational preferences of substituted compounds can largely be explained by the analysis of local interactions

  6. Space-for-Time Substitution Works in Everglades Ecological Forecasting Models

    PubMed Central

    Banet, Amanda I.; Trexler, Joel C.

    2013-01-01

    Space-for-time substitution is often used in predictive models because long-term time-series data are not available. Critics of this method suggest factors other than the target driver may affect ecosystem response and could vary spatially, producing misleading results. Monitoring data from the Florida Everglades were used to test whether spatial data can be substituted for temporal data in forecasting models. Spatial models that predicted bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei) population response to a drying event performed comparably and sometimes better than temporal models. Models worked best when results were not extrapolated beyond the range of variation encompassed by the original dataset. These results were compared to other studies to determine whether ecosystem features influence whether space-for-time substitution is feasible. Taken in the context of other studies, these results suggest space-for-time substitution may work best in ecosystems with low beta-diversity, high connectivity between sites, and small lag in organismal response to the driver variable. PMID:24278368

  7. Characterization of an acidic polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Corchorus olitorius (Moroheiya).

    PubMed

    Ohtani, K; Okai, K; Yamashita, U; Yuasa, I; Misaki, A

    1995-03-01

    An acidic polysaccharide was isolated from the water-soluble mucilage extracted from dried leaves of Corchorus olitorius, known as Moroheiya in Japan (3.0 g per 100 g). This polysaccharide showed a single peak in a Sepharose CL-6B column, and the specific rotation in H2O at 25 degrees C was +250 degrees. The polysaccharide was rich in uronic acid (65%), and consisted of rhamnose, glucose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 1.0:0.2:0.2:0.9:1.7, in addition to 3.7% of the acetyl group. A methylation analysis, Smith degradation study and fragmentation analysis suggested that this polysaccharide mainly consisted of O-4 substituted galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid, and O-2 substituted rhamnose residues, and that most of the (1-->4)-linked uronic acid residues were substituted at the O-3 position with glucuronic acid residues. This polysaccharide showed proliferative activity toward the murine splenocyte.

  8. Identification of acidic and aromatic residues in the Zta activation domain essential for Epstein-Barr virus reactivation.

    PubMed

    Deng, Z; Chen, C J; Zerby, D; Delecluse, H J; Lieberman, P M

    2001-11-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic cycle transcription and DNA replication require the transcriptional activation function of the viral immediate-early protein Zta. We describe a series of alanine substitution mutations in the Zta activation domain that reveal two functional motifs based on amino acid composition. Alanine substitution of single or paired hydrophobic aromatic amino acid residues resulted in modest transcription activation defects, while combining four substitutions of aromatic residues (F22/F26/W74/F75) led to more severe transcription defects. Substitution of acidic amino acid residue E27, D35, or E54 caused severe transcription defects on most viral promoters. Promoter- and cell-specific defects were observed for some substitution mutants. Aromatic residues were required for Zta interaction with TFIIA-TFIID and the CREB-binding protein (CBP) and for stimulation of CBP histone acetyltransferase activity in vitro. In contrast, acidic amino acid substitution mutants interacted with TFIIA-TFIID and CBP indistinguishably from the wild type. The nuclear domain 10 (ND10) protein SP100 was dispersed by most Zta mutants, but acidic residue mutations led to reduced, while aromatic substitution mutants led to increased SP100 nuclear staining. Acidic residue substitution mutants had more pronounced defects in transcription activation of endogenous viral genes in latently infected cells and for viral replication, as measured by the production of infectious virus. One mutant, K12/F13, was incapable of stimulating EBV lytic replication but had only modest transcription defects. These results indicate that Zta stimulates viral reactivation through two nonredundant structural motifs, one of which interacts with general transcription factors and coactivators, and the other has an essential but as yet not understood function in lytic transcription.

  9. [Sugar of substitute stevioside in chewing gum: comparative double blind controllable study].

    PubMed

    Rumiantsev, V A; Beliaev, V V; Zubtsov, V A; Esaian, L K; Namestnikova, I V

    2011-01-01

    In double blind controllable study on 126 volunteers - students of medical academy - influence on рН the mixed saliva of 5 kinds of chewing gums with the different contents of substitute of sugar as xylitol and sorbitol, and also the chewing sweets R.O.C.S., two kinds of chewing gums containing a basis with substitute of sugar stevioside (1.25 and 2.5%) and placebo (a basis without additives) were investigated. Products chewed within 10 minutes. In one of groups surveyed such chewing was preceded with rinsing a mouth by a test solution of saccharose. рН determined within 30 minutes. At chewing gums with substitute of sugar displacement рН the mixed saliva in the alkaline side was revealed a different degree. Thus gums with stevioside did not concede and even surpassed in this action of chewing gums with other substitutes of sugar. In comparison with placebo chewing gums and sweets restored acid-alkaline balance of oral cavities faster. Hence, use of stevioside in structure of chewing gum allows at preservation of its positive actions in oral cavity essentially to reduce concentration substitute of sugar and, hence, its collateral action by an organism.

  10. Aspergillus oryzae nrtA affects kojic acid production.

    PubMed

    Sano, Motoaki

    2016-09-01

    We analyzed the role of the nitrate transporter-encoding gene (nrtA) of Aspergillus oryzae by gene disruption. Southern hybridization analysis indicated that homologous recombination occurred at the resident nrtA locus. Real-time PCR showed that the nrtA gene was strongly inducible by NaNO3. The nrtA disruptant did not exhibit normal growth when nitrate was available as the sole nitrogen source. These results indicate that NrtA is essential for nitrate uptake in A. oryzae. Kojic acid (KA) production was inhibited by the addition of a small amount of sodium nitrate. The nrtA-disrupted strain was deficient in the uptake of nitrate. As a result, KA production in this strain was not considerably affected by the presence of nitrate.

  11. The Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid by Hexacyanoferrate(III) Ion in Acidic Aqueous Media.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martins, Luis J. A.; da Costa, J. Barbosa

    1988-01-01

    Describes a kinetic and mechanistic investigation of ascorbic acid by a substitution-inert complex in acidic medium suitable for the undergraduate level. Discusses obtaining the second order rate constant for the rate determining step at a given temperature and comparison with the value predicted on the basis of the Marcus cross-relation. (CW)

  12. The potential of avocado paste (Persea americana) as fat substitute in non-dairy ice cream

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ervina; Surjawan, I.; Abdillah, E.

    2018-01-01

    Consumer preferences towards plant-based food have shifted significantly due to sustainable and healthy reasons. Dairy products consist of high Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA) and overconsumption of SFA could lead to cardiovascular diseases. Avocado contains high levels of fat dominated by Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) and phytosterol that have the potential as a plant-based fat source to substitute dairy-fat in ice cream. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical, rheological and sensorial properties of ice cream substituted with different concentrations of avocado paste ranging from 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% respectively against dairy fat to produce non-dairy fat ice cream. The psychochemical properties and total fat were determined. Sensorial quality and hedonic attributes of ice cream were investigated using 60 semi-trained panelists. There were significant differences (p<0.05) for overrun, melting rate, and viscosity of the ice cream substituted with avocado paste. The addition of avocado paste lead to the increase in viscosity and hardness of the ice cream significantly (p<0.05) while the sensorial properties for airiness and creaminess were perceived the same (p>0.05). The addition of 50% avocado paste was the most preferred among the panelists. Avocado could provide a potential substitution for dairy-fat in ice cream.

  13. Effect of reducing acid etching time on bond strength to noncarious and caries-affected primary and permanent dentin.

    PubMed

    Scheffel, Débora Lopes Salles; Ricci, Hérica Adad; de Souza Costa, Carlos Alberto; Pashley, David Henry; Hebling, Josimeri

    2013-01-01

    The purpose was to evaluate the effect of acid etching time on the bond strength of a simplified etch-and-rinse adhesive system to noncarious and caries-affected dentin of primary and permanent teeth. Twenty-four extracted primary and permanent teeth were divided into three groups, according to the acid etching time. Four teeth from each group were exposed to a microbiological caries-inducing protocol. After caries removal, noncarious and caries-affected dentin surfaces were etched with 37 percent phosphoric acid for five, 10, or 15 seconds prior to the application of Prime & Bond NT adhesive. Crowns were restored with resin composite and prepared for microtensile testing. Data were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (α=0.05). Higher bond strengths were obtained for noncarious dentin vs. caries-affected dentin for both primary and permanent teeth. Reducing the acid etching time from 15 to five seconds did not affect the bond strength to caries-affected or noncarious dentin in primary teeth. For permanent teeth, lower bond strength values were observed when the noncarious dentin was etched for five seconds, while no difference was seen between 10 and 15 seconds. For Prime & Bond NT, the etching of dentin for five seconds could be recommended for primary teeth, while 10 seconds would be the minimum time for permanent teeth.

  14. Valnoctamide, which reduces rat brain arachidonic acid turnover, is a potential non-teratogenic valproate substitute to treat bipolar disorder.

    PubMed

    Modi, Hiren R; Ma, Kaizong; Chang, Lisa; Chen, Mei; Rapoport, Stanley I

    2017-08-01

    Valproic acid (VPA), used for treating bipolar disorder (BD), is teratogenic by inhibiting histone deacetylase. In unanaesthetized rats, chronic VPA, like other mood stabilizers, reduces arachidonic acid (AA) turnover in brain phospholipids, and inhibits AA activation to AA-CoA by recombinant acyl-CoA synthetase-4 (Acsl-4) in vitro. Valnoctamide (VCD), a non-teratogenic constitutional isomer of VPA amide, reported effective in BD, also inhibits recombinant Acsl-4 in vitro. VCD like VPA will reduce brain AA turnover in unanaesthetized rats. A therapeutically relevant (50mg/kg i.p.) dose of VCD or vehicle was administered daily for 30 days to male rats. AA turnover and related parameters were determined using our kinetic model, following intravenous [1- 14 C]AA in unanaesthetized rats for 10min, and measuring labeled and unlabeled lipids in plasma and high-energy microwaved brain. VCD, compared with vehicle, increased λ, the ratio of brain AA-CoA to unesterified plasma AA specific activities; and decreased turnover of AA in individual and total brain phospholipids. VCD's ability like VPA to reduce rat brain AA turnover and inhibit recombinant Acsl-4, and its efficacy in BD, suggest that VCD be further considered as a non-teratogenic VPA substitute for treating BD. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Substitutions in position 222 of haemagglutinin of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 viruses in Spain.

    PubMed

    Ledesma, Juan; Pozo, Francisco; Pérez Ruiz, Mercedes; Navarro, Jose María; Piñeiro, Luis; Montes, Milagros; Pérez Castro, Sonia; Suárez Fernández, Jonathan; García Costa, Juan; Fernández, Mirian; Galán, Juan Carlos; Cuevas, María Teresa; Casas, Inmaculada; Pérez Breña, Pilar

    2011-05-01

    A change of aspartic acid (D) to glycine (G) at position 222 in the haemagglutinin (HA) protein of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 viruses was described in Norway on November 2009 with considerable frequency in fatal and severe cases. This change was detected in other countries and was related only with severe disease. Other substitutions to glutamic acid (E) or asparagine (N) at position 222 were detected among pandemic viruses but it is unclear what implications might have in terms of severity. To analyse the appearance of amino acid substitutions at position 222 in the HA protein of circulating viruses in Spain and to determine their relationships with the disease symptoms observed. Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 viruses detected in respiratory samples of 273 severe and 533 non-severe cases from different Spanish regions were selected for sequencing of a partial segment of HA1 subunit and studied to monitor substitutions at position 222. D222G substitution was only detected in viruses from 14 severe cases (5.12%). D222E was found in viruses from 47 severe (17.21%) and from 52 non-severe cases (9.75%). D222N occurred in viruses from 3 additional severe cases (0.37%). Appearance of D222G and D222E substitution in HA of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) viruses circulating in Spain might be related with severe respiratory disease. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Accounting for product substitution in the analysis of food taxes targeting obesity.

    PubMed

    Miao, Zhen; Beghin, John C; Jensen, Helen H

    2013-11-01

    We extend the existing literature on food taxes targeting obesity. We systematically incorporate the implicit substitution between added sugars and solid fats into a comprehensive food demand system and evaluate the effect of taxes on sugars and fats. The approach conditions how food and obesity taxes affect total calorie intake. The proposed methodology accounts for the ability of consumers to substitute leaner low-fat and low-sugar items for rich food items within the same food group. We calibrate this demand system approach using recent food intake data and existing estimates of price and income elasticities of demand. The demand system accounts for both the within-food group substitution and the substitution across these groups. Simulations of taxes on added sugars and solid fat show that the tax impact on consumption patterns is understated and the induced welfare loss is overstated when not allowing for the substitution possibilities within food groups. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Evolution and Persistence of the Resistance-Associated Substitutions of Hepatitis C Virus after Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Failures.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Yechan; Jin, Bora; Lee, Hye Won; Park, Hye Jung; Park, Jun Yong; Kim, Do Young; Han, Kwang-Hyub; Ahn, Sang Hoon; Kim, Seungtaek

    2018-05-16

    Daclatasvir plus asunaprevir (DCV+ASV) treatment is an all-oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for the genotype 1b HCV-infected patients. In this study, we investigated how resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) evolved after treatment failures and assessed the effect of those substitutions on viral fitness. Sequencing of NS5A and NS3 revealed typical RASs after treatment failures. Interestingly, the RASs of NS3 reverted to the wild-type amino acid within one year after treatment failures. However, the RASs of NS5A were stable and did not change. The effect of NS5A and NS3 RASs on viral RNA replication was assessed after mutagenic substitution in the genotype 1b HCV RNA. Among the single substitutions, the effect of D168V was more substantial than the others and the effect of the triple mutant combination (D168V+L31V+Y93H) was the most severe. The RAS at NS5A Y93 affected both viral RNA replication and virus production. Finally, the effect of trans-complementation of NS5A was demonstrated in our co-transfection experiments and these results suggest that such a trans-complementation effect of NS5A may help maintain the NS5A RASs for a long time even after cessation of the DAA treatment. In conclusion, the results from this investigation would help understand the emergence and persistence of RASs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  18. Amino acid substitutions in the VanS sensor of the VanA-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus strains result in high-level vancomycin resistance and low-level teicoplanin resistance.

    PubMed

    Hashimoto, Y; Tanimoto, K; Ozawa, Y; Murata, T; Ike, Y

    2000-04-15

    The vancomycin-resistant enterococci GV1, GV2 and GV3, which were isolated from droppings from broiler farms in Japan have been characterized as VanA-type VRE, which express high-level vancomycin resistance (256 or 512 microg ml(-1), MIC) and low-level teicoplanin resistance (1 or 2 microg ml(-1), MIC). The vancomycin resistances were encoded on plasmids. The vancomycin resistance conjugative plasmid pMG2 was isolated from the GV2 strain. The VanA determinant of pMG2 showed the same genetic organization as that of the VanA genes encoded on the representative transposon Tn1546, which comprises vanRSHAXYZ. The nucleotide sequences of all the genes, except the gene related to the vanS gene on Tn1546, were completely identical to the genes encoded on Tn1546. Three amino acid substitutions in the N-terminal region of the deduced VanS were detected in the nucleotide sequence of vanS encoded on pMG2. There were also three amino acid substitutions in the vanS gene of the GV1 and GV3 strains in the same positions as in the vanS gene of pMG2. Vancomycin induced the increased teicoplanin resistance in these strains.

  19. A single amino acid substitution modulates low-pH-triggered membrane fusion of GP64 protein in Autographa californica and Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedroviruses

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Katou, Yasuhiro; Yamada, Hayato; Ikeda, Motoko

    2010-09-01

    We have previously shown that budded viruses of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) enter the cell cytoplasm but do not migrate into the nuclei of non-permissive Sf9 cells that support a high titer of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) multiplication. Here we show, using the syncytium formation assay, that low-pH-triggered membrane fusion of BmNPV GP64 protein (Bm-GP64) is significantly lower than that of AcMNPV GP64 protein (Ac-GP64). Mutational analyses of GP64 proteins revealed that a single amino acid substitution between Ac-GP64 H155 and Bm-GP64 Y153 can have significant positive or negative effects on membrane fusion activity. Studies using bacmid-based GP64 recombinantmore » AcMNPV harboring point-mutated ac-gp64 and bm-gp64 genes showed that Ac-GP64 H155Y and Bm-GP64 Y153H substitutions decreased and increased, respectively, the multiplication and cell-to-cell spread of progeny viruses. These results indicate that Ac-GP64 H155 facilitates the low-pH-triggered membrane fusion reaction between virus envelopes and endosomal membranes.« less

  20. Gene Augmentation Therapy for a Missense Substitution in the cGMP-Binding Domain of Ovine CNGA3 Gene Restores Vision in Day-Blind Sheep

    PubMed Central

    Gootwine, Elisha; Abu-Siam, Mazen; Obolensky, Alexey; Rosov, Alex; Honig, Hen; Nitzan, Tali; Shirak, Andrey; Ezra-Elia, Raaya; Yamin, Esther; Banin, Eyal; Averbukh, Edward; Hauswirth, William W.; Ofri, Ron; Seroussi, Eyal

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Applying CNGA3 gene augmentation therapy to cure a novel causative mutation underlying achromatopsia (ACHM) in sheep. Methods Impaired vision that spontaneously appeared in newborn lambs was characterized by behavioral, electroretinographic (ERG), and histologic techniques. Deep-sequencing reads of an affected lamb and an unaffected lamb were compared within conserved genomic regions orthologous to human genes involved in similar visual impairment. Observed nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions were classified by their deleteriousness score. The putative causative mutation was assessed by producing compound CNGA3 heterozygotes and applying gene augmentation therapy using the orthologous human cDNA. Results Behavioral assessment revealed day blindness, and subsequent ERG examination showed attenuated photopic responses. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination of affected sheep eyes did not reveal degeneration, and cone photoreceptors expressing CNGA3 were present. Bioinformatics and sequencing analyses suggested a c.1618G>A, p.Gly540Ser substitution in the GMP-binding domain of CNGA3 as the causative mutation. This was confirmed by genetic concordance test and by genetic complementation experiment: All five compound CNGA3 heterozygotes, carrying both p.Arg236* and p.Gly540Ser mutations in CNGA3, were day-blind. Furthermore, subretinal delivery of the intact human CNGA3 gene using an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) restored photopic vision in two affected p.Gly540Ser homozygous rams. Conclusions The c.1618G>A, p.Gly540Ser substitution in CNGA3 was identified as the causative mutation for a novel form of ACHM in Awassi sheep. Gene augmentation therapy restored vision in the affected sheep. This novel mutation provides a large-animal model that is valid for most human CNGA3 ACHM patients; the majority of them carry missense rather than premature-termination mutations. PMID:28282490

  1. Gene Augmentation Therapy for a Missense Substitution in the cGMP-Binding Domain of Ovine CNGA3 Gene Restores Vision in Day-Blind Sheep.

    PubMed

    Gootwine, Elisha; Abu-Siam, Mazen; Obolensky, Alexey; Rosov, Alex; Honig, Hen; Nitzan, Tali; Shirak, Andrey; Ezra-Elia, Raaya; Yamin, Esther; Banin, Eyal; Averbukh, Edward; Hauswirth, William W; Ofri, Ron; Seroussi, Eyal

    2017-03-01

    Applying CNGA3 gene augmentation therapy to cure a novel causative mutation underlying achromatopsia (ACHM) in sheep. Impaired vision that spontaneously appeared in newborn lambs was characterized by behavioral, electroretinographic (ERG), and histologic techniques. Deep-sequencing reads of an affected lamb and an unaffected lamb were compared within conserved genomic regions orthologous to human genes involved in similar visual impairment. Observed nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions were classified by their deleteriousness score. The putative causative mutation was assessed by producing compound CNGA3 heterozygotes and applying gene augmentation therapy using the orthologous human cDNA. Behavioral assessment revealed day blindness, and subsequent ERG examination showed attenuated photopic responses. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination of affected sheep eyes did not reveal degeneration, and cone photoreceptors expressing CNGA3 were present. Bioinformatics and sequencing analyses suggested a c.1618G>A, p.Gly540Ser substitution in the GMP-binding domain of CNGA3 as the causative mutation. This was confirmed by genetic concordance test and by genetic complementation experiment: All five compound CNGA3 heterozygotes, carrying both p.Arg236* and p.Gly540Ser mutations in CNGA3, were day-blind. Furthermore, subretinal delivery of the intact human CNGA3 gene using an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) restored photopic vision in two affected p.Gly540Ser homozygous rams. The c.1618G>A, p.Gly540Ser substitution in CNGA3 was identified as the causative mutation for a novel form of ACHM in Awassi sheep. Gene augmentation therapy restored vision in the affected sheep. This novel mutation provides a large-animal model that is valid for most human CNGA3 ACHM patients; the majority of them carry missense rather than premature-termination mutations.

  2. [Glycosilated derivatives of substituted hydroxylamine. II. Phase transfer synthesis and investigation of glycosyl transfer reaction of glucosaminides of substituted hydroxylavine].

    PubMed

    Kur'ianov, V O; Lushchik, A A; Chupakhina, T A

    2013-01-01

    1-(2-Acetamido-3,4,6,-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzotriazole reacted in boiling dichloromethane, in the presence of Luis acids as a promotors with primary and secondary aliphatic and cycloaliphatic alcohols and diisopropilidene galactose with alkyl-O-1,2-trans-glucosaminides formation. It was shown that the other glucosaminides of substituted hydroxylamine are not participated in this reaction. Structures of glucosaminides were identify by 1H-NMR-spectroscopy and comparison with known compounds.

  3. Single substitutions to closely related amino acids contribute to the functional diversification of an insect-inducible, positively selected plant cystatin.

    PubMed

    Rasoolizadeh, Asieh; Goulet, Marie-Claire; Sainsbury, Frank; Cloutier, Conrad; Michaud, Dominique

    2016-04-01

    A causal link has been reported between positively selected amino acids in plant cystatins and the inhibitory range of these proteins against insect digestive cysteine (Cys) proteases. Here we assessed the impact of single substitutions to closely related amino acids on the contribution of positive selection to cystatin diversification. Cystatin sequence alignments, while confirming hypervariability, indicated a preference for related amino acids at positively selected sites. For example, the non-polar residues leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile) and valine (Val) were shown to predominate at positively selected site 2 in the N-terminal region, unlike selected sites 6 and 10, where polar residues are preferred. The model cystatin SlCYS8 and single variants with Leu, Ile or Val at position 2 were compared with regard to their ability to bind digestive proteases of the coleopteran pest Leptinotarsa decemlineata and to induce compensatory responses in this insect. A functional proteomics procedure to capture target Cys proteases in midgut extracts allowed confirmation of distinct binding profiles for the cystatin variants. A shotgun proteomics procedure to monitor whole Cys protease complements revealed protease family specific compensatory responses in the insect, dependent on the variant ingested. Our data confirm the contribution of closely related amino acids to the functional diversity of positively selected plant cystatins in a broader structure/function context imposing physicochemical constraints to primary structure alterations. They also underline the complexity of protease/inhibitor interactions in plant-insect systems, and the challenges still to be met in order to harness the full potential of ectopically expressed protease inhibitors in crop protection. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  4. Sugars and organic acids in plum fruit affected by Plum pox virus.

    PubMed

    Usenik, Valentina; Marn, Mojca Virscek

    2017-05-01

    Plum pox virus (PPV) causes severe economic losses in stone fruit production, but little is known about its effect on plum fruit composition. In this study, the influence of PPV on sugars and organic acids was evaluated in a susceptible plum (Prunus domestica L.) cultivar. PPV infection significantly affected the content and composition of sugars and organic acids. The composition of necrotic tissue was modified the most. A short-time infected tree yielded fruit with similar sugar composition to fruit from a healthy tree, but the decline of organic acids was faster. Prematurely ripened symptomatic fruit had reduced fruit weight and low sugar content. Infected trees of the studied cultivar produce fruit of inferior quality. Fruits are not suitable for processing, especially when most of them exhibit visual symptoms of PPV infection. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Vanillic acid from Actinidia deliciosa impedes virulence in Serratia marcescens by affecting S-layer, flagellin and fatty acid biosynthesis proteins.

    PubMed

    Sethupathy, Sivasamy; Ananthi, Sivagnanam; Selvaraj, Anthonymuthu; Shanmuganathan, Balakrishnan; Vigneshwari, Loganathan; Balamurugan, Krishnaswamy; Mahalingam, Sundarasamy; Pandian, Shunmugiah Karutha

    2017-11-27

    Serratia marcescens is one of the important nosocomial pathogens which rely on quorum sensing (QS) to regulate the production of biofilm and several virulence factors. Hence, blocking of QS has become a promising approach to quench the virulence of S. marcescens. For the first time, QS inhibitory (QSI) and antibiofilm potential of Actinidia deliciosa have been explored against S. marcescens clinical isolate (CI). A. deliciosa pulp extract significantly inhibited the virulence and biofilm production without any deleterious effect on the growth. Vanillic acid was identified as an active lead responsible for the QSI activity. Addition of vanillic acid to the growth medium significantly affected the QS regulated production of biofilm and virulence factors in a concentration dependent mode in S. marcescens CI, ATCC 14756 and MG1. Furthermore vanillic acid increased the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans upon S. marcescens infection. Proteomic analysis and mass spectrometric identification of differentially expressed proteins revealed the ability of vanillic acid to modulate the expression of proteins involved in S-layers, histidine, flagellin and fatty acid production. QSI potential of the vanillic acid observed in the current study paves the way for exploring it as a potential therapeutic candidate to treat S. marcescens infections.

  6. Infrared Spectra of Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Langhoff, Stephen R.; Hudgins, Douglas M.; Sandford, Scott A.; Allamandola, Louis J.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    Calculations are carried out using density functional theory (DFT) to determine the harmonic frequencies and intensities of 1-methylanthracene, 9-methylanthracene, 9-cyanoanthracene, 2-aminoanthracene, acridine, and their positive ions. The theoretical data are compared with matrix-isolation spectra for these species also reported in this work. The theoretical and experimental frequencies and relative intensities for the neutral species are in generally good agreement, whereas the positive ion spectra are only in qualitative agreement. Relative to anthracene, we find that substitution of amethyl or CN for a hydrogen does not significantly affect the spectrum other than to add the characteristic methyl C-H stretch and C-N stretch (near 2200/cm), respectively. However, addition of NH2 dramatically affects the spectrum of the neutral. Not only are the NH2 modes themselves strong, but this electron withdrawing group induces sufficient partial charge on the ring to give the neutral molecule characteristics of the anthracene cation spectrum. The sum of the absolute intensities is about four times larger for 2-aminoanthracene than for 9-cyanoanthracene. Substituting nitrogen in the ring at the nine position (acridine) does not greatly alter the spectrum compared with anthracene.

  7. A Model of Substitution Trajectories in Sequence Space and Long-Term Protein Evolution

    PubMed Central

    Usmanova, Dinara R.; Ferretti, Luca; Povolotskaya, Inna S.; Vlasov, Peter K.; Kondrashov, Fyodor A.

    2015-01-01

    The nature of factors governing the tempo and mode of protein evolution is a fundamental issue in evolutionary biology. Specifically, whether or not interactions between different sites, or epistasis, are important in directing the course of evolution became one of the central questions. Several recent reports have scrutinized patterns of long-term protein evolution claiming them to be compatible only with an epistatic fitness landscape. However, these claims have not yet been substantiated with a formal model of protein evolution. Here, we formulate a simple covarion-like model of protein evolution focusing on the rate at which the fitness impact of amino acids at a site changes with time. We then apply the model to the data on convergent and divergent protein evolution to test whether or not the incorporation of epistatic interactions is necessary to explain the data. We find that convergent evolution cannot be explained without the incorporation of epistasis and the rate at which an amino acid state switches from being acceptable at a site to being deleterious is faster than the rate of amino acid substitution. Specifically, for proteins that have persisted in modern prokaryotic organisms since the last universal common ancestor for one amino acid substitution approximately ten amino acid states switch from being accessible to being deleterious, or vice versa. Thus, molecular evolution can only be perceived in the context of rapid turnover of which amino acids are available for evolution. PMID:25415964

  8. Mechanical, Optical, and Barrier Properties of Soy Protein Film As Affected by Phenolic Acid Addition.

    PubMed

    Insaward, Anchana; Duangmal, Kiattisak; Mahawanich, Thanachan

    2015-11-04

    This study aimed to explore the effect of phenolic acid addition on properties of soy protein film. Ferulic (FE), caffeic (CA), and gallic (GA) acids as well as their oxidized products were used in this study. Phenolic acid addition was found to have a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on the mechanical properties of the film. GA-containing films exhibited the highest tensile strength and elongation at break, followed by those with added CA and FE, respectively. Oxidized phenolic acids were shown to produce a film with higher tensile strength and elongation at break than their unoxidized counterparts. Phenolic acid addition also affected film color and transparency. As compared to the control, phenolic-containing film samples demonstrated reduced water vapor permeability and water solubility and increased contact angle, especially at high concentrations of oxidized phenolic acid addition.

  9. 40 CFR 721.2577 - Copper complex of (substituted sulfonaphthyl azo substituted phenyl) disulfonaphthyl azo, amine...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Copper complex of (substituted... Copper complex of (substituted sulfonaphthyl azo substituted phenyl) disulfonaphthyl azo, amine salt... substances identified generically as copper complex of (substituted sulfonaphthyl azo substituted phenyl...

  10. Major hydrogeochemical processes in an acid mine drainage affected estuary.

    PubMed

    Asta, Maria P; Calleja, Maria Ll; Pérez-López, Rafael; Auqué, Luis F

    2015-02-15

    This study provides geochemical data with the aim of identifying and quantifying the main processes occurring in an Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) affected estuary. With that purpose, water samples of the Huelva estuary were collected during a tidal half-cycle and ion-ion plots and geochemical modeling were performed to obtain a general conceptual model. Modeling results indicated that the main processes responsible for the hydrochemical evolution of the waters are: (i) the mixing of acid fluvial water with alkaline ocean water; (ii) precipitation of Fe oxyhydroxysulfates (schwertmannite) and hydroxides (ferrihydrite); (iii) precipitation of Al hydroxysulfates (jurbanite) and hydroxides (amorphous Al(OH)3); (iv) dissolution of calcite; and (v) dissolution of gypsum. All these processes, thermodynamically feasible in the light of their calculated saturation states, were quantified by mass-balance calculations and validated by reaction-path calculations. In addition, sorption processes were deduced by the non-conservative behavior of some elements (e.g., Cu and Zn). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Impact Membrane Remodeling and Affect Virulence Phenotypes among Pathogenic Vibrio Species

    PubMed Central

    Moravec, Anna R.; Siv, Andrew W.; Hobby, Chelsea R.; Lindsay, Emily N.; Norbash, Layla V.; Shults, Daniel J.; Symes, Steven J. K.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The pathogenic Vibrio species (V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus) represent a constant threat to human health, causing foodborne and skin wound infections as a result of ingestion of or exposure to contaminated water and seafood. Recent studies have highlighted Vibrio's ability to acquire fatty acids from environmental sources and assimilate them into cell membranes. The possession and conservation of such machinery provokes consideration of fatty acids as important factors in the pathogenic lifestyle of Vibrio species. The findings here link exogenous fatty acid exposure to changes in bacterial membrane phospholipid structure, permeability, phenotypes associated with virulence, and consequent stress responses that may impact survival and persistence of pathogenic Vibrio species. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (ranging in carbon length and unsaturation) supplied in growth medium were assimilated into bacterial phospholipids, as determined by thin-layer chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The incorporation of fatty acids variably affected membrane permeability, as judged by uptake of the hydrophobic compound crystal violet. For each species, certain fatty acids were identified as affecting resistance to antimicrobial peptide treatment. Significant fluctuations were observed with regard to both motility and biofilm formation following growth in the presence of individual PUFAs. Our results illustrate the important and complex roles of exogenous fatty acids in the membrane physiology and virulence of a bacterial genus that inhabits aquatic and host environments containing an abundance of diverse fatty acids. IMPORTANCE Bacterial responses to fatty acids include, but are not limited to, degradation for metabolic gain, modification of membrane lipids, alteration of protein function, and regulation of gene expression. Vibrio species exhibit significant diversity with regard to the machinery known to participate in

  12. Molecular and isotopic analyses of the hydroxy acids, dicarboxylic acids, and hydroxydicarboxylic acids of the Murchison meteorite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cronin, J. R.; Pizzarello, S.; Epstein, S.; Krishnamurthy, R. V.

    1993-10-01

    The hydroxymonocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and hydroxydicarboxylic acids of the Murchison meteorite were analyzed as their tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives using combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The hydroxydicarboxylic acids have not been found previously in meteorites. Each class of compounds is numerous with carbon chains up to C8 or C9 and many, if not all, chain and substitution position isomers represented at each carbon number. The alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids and alpha-hydroxydicarboxylic acids correspond structurally to many of the known meteoritic alpha-aminocarboxylic acids and alpha-aminodicarboxylic acids, a fact that supports the proposal that a Strecker synthesis was involved in the formation of both classes of compounds. Isotopic analyses show these acids to be D-rich relative to terrestrial organic compounds, as expected; however, the hydroxy acids appear to be isotopically lighter than the amino acids with respect to both carbon and hydrogen.

  13. DFT study of the effect of substitution on the molecular structure of copper phthalocyanine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaur, Prabhjot; Sachdeva, Ritika; Singh, Sukhwinder; Saini, G. S. S.

    2016-05-01

    To study the effect of sulfonic acid group as substituent on the molecular structure of an organic compound copper Phthalocyanine, the optimized geometry, mulliken charges, energies and dipole momemts of copper phthalocyanine and copper phthalocyaninetetrasulfonic acid tetra sodium salt have been investigated using density functional theory. Also to predict the change in reactive sites after substitution, molecular electrostatic potential maps for both the molecules have been calculated.

  14. Coordination ability determined transition metal ions substitution of Tb in Tb-Asp fluorescent nanocrystals and a facile ions-detection approach.

    PubMed

    Duan, Jiazhi; Ma, Baojin; Liu, Feng; Zhang, Shan; Wang, Shicai; Kong, Ying; Du, Min; Han, Lin; Wang, Jianjun; Sang, Yuanhua; Liu, Hong

    2018-04-26

    Although the synthesis and fluorescent properties of lanthanide-amino acid complex nanostructures have been investigated extensively, limited studies have been reported on metal ions' substitution ability for the lanthanide ions in the complex and their effect on the fluorescent property. In this study, taking biocompatible Tb-aspartic acid (Tb-Asp) complex nanocrystals as a model, the substitution mechanism of metal ions, particularly transition metals, for Tb ions in Tb-Asp nanocrystals and the change in the fluorescent property of the Tb-Asp nanocrystals after substitution were systematically investigated. The experimental results illustrated that metal ions with higher electronegativity, higher valence, and smaller radius possess stronger ability for Tb ions' substitution in Tb-Asp nanocrystals. Based on the effect of substituting ions' concentration on the fluorescent property of Tb-Asp, a facile method for copper ions detection with high sensitivity was proposed by measuring the fluorescent intensity of Tb-Asp nanocrystals' suspensions containing different concentrations of copper ions. The good biocompatibility, great convenience of synthesis and sensitive detection ability make Tb-Asp nanocrystals a very low cost and effective material for metal ions detection, which also opens a new door for practical applications of metal-Asp coordinated nanocrystals.

  15. Fat high in stearic acid favorably affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in comparison with fats high in palmitic acid or high in myristic and lauric acids.

    PubMed

    Tholstrup, T; Marckmann, P; Jespersen, J; Sandström, B

    1994-02-01

    The effect of fats high in individual, prevalent saturated dietary fatty acids on lipoproteins and hemostatic variables in young healthy subjects was evaluated in a randomized strictly controlled metabolic feeding study. Three experimental diets: shea butter (S; 42% stearic acid), palm oil (P; 43% palmitic palmitic acid), and palm-kernel oil with high-oleic sunflower oil (ML; 10% myristic acid, 30% lauric acid) were served to 15 men for 3 wk each, separated by washout periods. Diet S compared with diet P resulted in significant reduction in plasma cholesterol (22%) LDL cholesterol (26%), apolipoprotein B (18%), HDL cholesterol (12%), apolipoprotein A-I (13%), and a 13% lower factor VII coagulant activity (P = 0.001). Similar differences were observed between diets S and ML. In conclusion, intake of shea butter high in stearic acid favorably affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in young men, compared with fats high in saturated fatty acids with 12-16 carbons.

  16. Site specific ligand substitution in cubane-type Mo3FeS(4)(4+) clusters: kinetics and mechanism of reaction and isolation of mixed ligand Cl/SPh complexes.

    PubMed

    Algarra, Andrés G; Basallote, Manuel G; Fernandez-Trujillo, M J; Llusar, Rosa; Pino-Chamorro, Jose A; Sorribes, Ivan; Vicent, Cristian

    2010-04-21

    The synthesis, crystal structure and solution characterization of the cubane-type [Mo(3)(FeCl)S(4)(dmpe)(3)Cl(3)] (1) (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphophane-ethane)) cluster are reported and the ligand substitution processes of chloride by thiophenolate investigated. The kinetics and the intimate mechanism of these substitutions reveal that compound 1 undergoes a number of Fe and Mo site specific ligand substitution reactions in acetonitrile solutions. In particular, PhS(-) coordination at the tetrahedral Fe site proceeds in a single resolved kinetic step whereas such substitutions at the Mo sites proceed more slowly. The effect of the presence of acids in the reaction media is also investigated and reveals that an acid excess hinders substitution reactions both at the Fe and Mo sites; however, an acid-promoted solvolysis of the Fe-Cl bonds is observed. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and tandem (ESI-MS/MS) mass spectrometry allow the identification of all the reaction intermediates proposed on the basis of stopped-flow measurements. The distinctive site specific reactivity made it possible to isolate two new clusters of the Mo(3)FeS(4)(4+) family featuring mixed chlorine/thiophenolate ligands, namely Mo(3)S(4)(FeSPh)(dmpe)(3)Cl(3) (2) and [Mo(3)S(4)(FeSPh)(dmpe)(3)(SPh)(3)] (3). A detailed computational study has also been carried out to understand the details of the mechanism of substitution at the M-Cl (M = Mo and Fe) bonds as well as the solvolysis at the Fe-Cl sites, with particular emphasis on the role of acids on the substitution process. The results of the calculations are in agreement with the experimental observations, thus justifying the non-existence of an accelerating effect of acids on the thiophenolate substitution reaction, which differs from previous proposals for the Fe(4)S(4) and MoFe(3)S(4) clusters and some related compounds.

  17. Water-stable helical structure of tertiary amides of bicyclic β-amino acid bearing 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane. Full control of amide cis-trans equilibrium by bridgehead substitution.

    PubMed

    Hosoya, Masahiro; Otani, Yuko; Kawahata, Masatoshi; Yamaguchi, Kentaro; Ohwada, Tomohiko

    2010-10-27

    Helical structures of oligomers of non-natural β-amino acids are significantly stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding between main-chain amide moieties in many cases, but the structures are generally susceptible to the environment; that is, helices may unfold in protic solvents such as water. For the generation of non-hydrogen-bonded ordered structures of amides (tertiary amides in most cases), control of cis-trans isomerization is crucial, even though there is only a small sterical difference with respect to cis and trans orientations. We have established methods for synthesis of conformationally constrained β-proline mimics, that is, bridgehead-substituted 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-endo-carboxylic acids. Our crystallographic, 1D- and 2D-NMR, and CD spectroscopic studies in solution revealed that a bridgehead methoxymethyl substituent completely biased the cis-trans equilibrium to the cis-amide structure along the main chain, and helical structures based on the cis-amide linkage were generated independently of the number of residues, from the minimalist dimer through the tetramer, hexamer, and up to the octamer, and irrespective of the solvent (e.g., water, alcohol, halogenated solvents, and cyclohexane). Generality of the control of the amide equilibrium by bridgehead substitution was also examined.

  18. Spectroscopic interaction studies of substituted and unsubstituted copper phthalocyanine with adsorbed organic vapours

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ridhi, R.; Kang, Jasmeen; Saini, G. S. S.; Tripathi, S. K.

    2018-05-01

    The present study deals with comparing the interaction mechanism of adsorbed organic vapours with Copper Phthalocyanine thin films in its substituted and unsubstituted forms. For this purpose, the variations in vibrational levels of substituted CuPc (CuPcS) functionalized with tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt and unsubstituted CuPc after exposure with methanol and benzene vapours is analyzed. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) is used to study the interaction behaviour. The bulkier group tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt added to CuPc leads to occupation of more space in the molecular arrangement as compared to unsubstituted CuPc and hence alteration of its properties. FTIR spectra of CuPc and CuPcS before and after vapours exposures highlighted the effect of these vapours on the various bonds and the role of functional group in altering the molecular structure of CuPcS during interaction with adsorbed vapours.

  19. pKa prediction from an ab initio bond length: part 3--benzoic acids and anilines.

    PubMed

    Harding, A P; Popelier, P L A

    2011-06-21

    The prediction of pK(a) from a single ab initio bond length has been extended to provide equations for benzoic acids and anilines. The HF/6-31G(d) level of theory is used for all geometry optimisations. Similarly to phenols (Part 2 of this series of publications), the meta-/para-substituted benzoic acids can be predicted from a single model constructed from one bond length. This model had an impressive RMSEP of 0.13 pK(a) units. The prediction of ortho-substituted benzoic acids required the identification of high-correlation subsets, where the compounds in the same subset have at least one of the same (e.g. halogens, hydroxy) ortho substituent. Two pK(a) equations are provided for o-halogen benzoic acids and o-hydroxybenzoic acids, where the RMSEP values are 0.19 and 0.15 pK(a) units, respectively. Interestingly, the bond length that provided the best model differed between these two high-correlation subsets. This demonstrates the importance of investigating the most predictive bond length, which is not necessarily the bond involving the acid hydrogen. Three high-correlation subsets were identified for the ortho-substituted anilines. These were o-halogen, o-nitro and o-alkyl-substituted aniline high-correlation subsets, where the RMSEP ranged from 0.23 to 0.44 pK(a) units. The RMSEP for the meta-/para-substituted aniline model was 0.54 pK(a) units. This value exceeded our threshold of 0.50 pK(a) units and was higher than both the m-/p-benzoic acids in this work and the m-/p-phenols (RMSEP = 0.43) of Part 2. Constructing two separate models for the meta- and para- substituted anilines, where RMSEP values of 0.63 and 0.33 pK(a) units were obtained respectively, revealed it was the meta-substituted anilines that caused the large RMSEP value. For unknown reasons the RMSEP value increased with the addition of a further twenty meta-substituted anilines to this model. The C-N bond always produced the best correlations with pK(a) for all the high-correlation subsets. A

  20. Dysfibrinogen Kagoshima with the amino acid substitution gammaThr-314 to Ile: analyses of molecular abnormalities and thrombophilic nature of this abnormal molecule.

    PubMed

    Niwa, Kazuki; Mimuro, Jun; Miyata, Masaaki; Sugo, Teruko; Ohmori, Tsukasa; Madoiwa, Seiji; Tei, Chuwa; Sakata, Yoichi

    2008-01-01

    Emerging lines of evidence have suggested that certain dysfibrinogens present a significant risk of thrombosis. The thrombophilic nature of a new-type of dysfibrinogen Kagoshima identified in a 36-year-old female with deep vein thrombosis during the postpartum period was studied. Based on the analyses of the patient fibrinogen and the fibrinogen genes, fibrinogen Kagoshima was shown to have the amino acid substitution of gammaThr-314 to Ile that resulted in impaired function and hypofibrinogenemia. Polymerization of fibrin monomers derived from patient fibrinogen was severely impaired with a partial correction in the presence of calcium ions, causing very low clottability and delayed cross-linking of patient fibrin catalyzed by activated factor XIII. Because of the low clottability, a large amount of soluble fibrin was formed upon thrombin treatment, resulting in an increase of thrombin in the soluble fraction. Additionally, tPA-mediated plasmin generation on fibrin was impaired and calcium-ion-dependent integrity of the gamma-chain D domain of Kagoshima fibrinogen was perturbed. The presence of many tapered-fiber ends inside the tangled fibrin networks, observed by scanning electron microscopy, suggested early termination of fibrin polymerization and the structural alteration. These data suggest that fibrinogen Kagoshima is dysfunctional, giving rise to formation of fibrinolysis-resistant soluble fibrin polymers and entrance of soluble fibrin associating with thrombin to the circulation, partly accounting for the thrombophilic nature of the affected fibrinogen and fibrin molecules.

  1. Growth performance and carcass characteristics of guinea fowl broilers fed micronized-dehulled pea (Pisum sativum L.) as a substitute for soybean meal.

    PubMed

    Laudadio, V; Nahashon, S N; Tufarelli, V

    2012-11-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with dehulled-micronized peas (Pisum sativum) in diets of guinea fowl broilers on their growth performance, carcass yields, and fatty acid composition of meat. One hundred forty 1-d-old guinea fowl keets were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments, which were fed from hatch to 12 wk. The birds were fed 2 wheat middling-based diets comprising a control diet, which contained SBM (78 g/kg) and a test diet containing dehulled-micronized peas (180 g/kg) as the main protein source. The substitution of SBM with peas had no adverse effect on growth performance, dressing percentage, or breast and thigh muscle relative weights of the guinea broilers. However, a reduction of abdominal fat content (P < 0.05) was observed in birds fed the pea diet compared with the control. Breast and thigh meat of birds fed the pea diet had higher lightness scores (P < 0.05) and water-holding capacity (P < 0.01) than the control. Meat from guinea fowls fed the pea diet had less cholesterol (P < 0.01) and lipids (P < 0.05), and higher concentrations of phospholipids (P < 0.05). Feeding peas increased polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration in breast and thigh muscles, and decreased the saturated fatty acid concentration. Feeding the pea diet also lowered the n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio of the guinea broiler muscles. Our results suggest that replacing the conventional SBM as the protein source with dehulled-micronized pea meal in diets of guinea fowls broilers can improve carcass quality and favorable lipid profile without adversely affecting growth performance traits.

  2. Synthesis of zinc-crosslinked thiolated alginic acid beads and their in vitro evaluation as potential enteric delivery system with folic acid as model drug.

    PubMed

    Taha, M O; Aiedeh, K M; Al-Hiari, Y; Al-Khatib, H

    2005-10-01

    The aim of this study is to explore the potential of synthetic modifications of alginic acid as a method to enhance the stability of its complexes with divalent cations under physiological conditions. A fraction of algin's carboxylic acid moieties was substituted with thiol groups to different substitution degrees through conjugating alginate to cysteine to produce alginate-cysteine (AC) conjugates. Infrared spectrophotometry and iodometry were used to characterize the resulting polymeric conjugates in terms of structure and degree of substitution. Moreover, zinc ions were used to crosslink the resulting AC polymers. Folic acid loaded beads were prepared from Zinc-crosslinked AC polymers (AC-Zn) of different cysteine substitution degrees. The generated beads were then investigated in vitro for their capacity to modify folic acid release. AC-Zn polymeric beads resisted drug release under acidic conditions (pH 1.0). However, upon transfer to a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) they released most of their contents almost immediately. This change in drug release behavior is most probably due to the sequestering of zinc cations by phosphate ions within the buffer solution to form insoluble chelates and, to a lesser extent, the ionization of the carboxylic acid and thiol moieties. Removal of zinc ions from the polymeric matrix seems to promote polymeric disintegration and subsequent drug release. A similar behavior is expected in vivo due to the presence of natural zinc sequestering agents in the intestinal fluids. AC-Zn polymers provided a novel approach for enteric drug delivery as drug release from these matrices complied with the USP specifications for enteric dosage forms.

  3. Physical, chemical and sensory properties of brownies substituted with sweet potato flour (Ipomoea batatas L.) with addition of black cumin oil (Nigella sativa L.)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ligarnasari, I. P.; Anam, C.; Sanjaya, A. P.

    2018-01-01

    Effect of addition black cumin oil on the physical (hardness) characteristics, chemical (water, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrate, antioxidant IC50, total phenol and active component) characteristics and sensory (flavor, taste, texture, overall) characteristics of brownies substituted sweet potato flour were investigated. Substituted brownies was added with 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25% of nigella sativa oil. The result showed that water content, ash, protein, fat, total phenol were increased and carbohydrate, antioxidant IC50 was decreased by the addition of nigella sativa oil. Due to the sensory characteristics, panelist gave the high score for substituted brownies which was added 0.05% nigella sativa oil. The result showed that the best formula of substituted brownies which was added 0.05% of nigella sativa oil had 24.89% water content, 1.19% ash content, 7.54% protein content, 37.79% fat content, 53.06% carbohydrate contain, 1043.6 ppm IC50 antioxidant and 0.22% total phenol. The active component on the brownies using GCMS identification were palmitic acid, oleic acid, lauric acid, theobromine and vitamin E.

  4. Amino acid polymorphisms in the fibronectin-binding repeats of fibronectin-binding protein A affect bond strength and fibronectin conformation

    PubMed Central

    Casillas-Ituarte, Nadia N.; Cruz, Carlos H. B.; Lins, Roberto D.; DiBartola, Alex C.; Howard, Jessica; Liang, Xiaowen; Höök, Magnus; Viana, Isabelle F. T.; Sierra-Hernández, M. Roxana; Lower, Steven K.

    2017-01-01

    The Staphylococcus aureus cell surface contains cell wall-anchored proteins such as fibronectin-binding protein A (FnBPA) that bind to host ligands (e.g. fibronectin; Fn) present in the extracellular matrix of tissue or coatings on cardiac implants. Recent clinical studies have found a correlation between cardiovascular infections caused by S. aureus and nonsynonymous SNPs in FnBPA. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and molecular simulations were used to investigate interactions between Fn and each of eight 20-mer peptide variants containing amino acids Ala, Asn, Gln, His, Ile, and Lys at positions equivalent to 782 and/or 786 in Fn-binding repeat-9 of FnBPA. Experimentally measured bond lifetimes (1/koff) and dissociation constants (Kd = koff/kon), determined by mechanically dissociating the Fn·peptide complex at loading rates relevant to the cardiovascular system, varied from the lowest-affinity H782A/K786A peptide (0.011 s, 747 μm) to the highest-affinity H782Q/K786N peptide (0.192 s, 15.7 μm). These atomic force microscopy results tracked remarkably well to metadynamics simulations in which peptide detachment was defined solely by the free-energy landscape. Simulations and SPR experiments suggested that an Fn conformational change may enhance the stability of the binding complex for peptides with K786I or H782Q/K786I (Kdapp = 0.2–0.5 μm, as determined by SPR) compared with the lowest-affinity double-alanine peptide (Kdapp = 3.8 μm). Together, these findings demonstrate that amino acid substitutions in Fn-binding repeat-9 can significantly affect bond strength and influence the conformation of Fn upon binding. They provide a mechanistic explanation for the observation of nonsynonymous SNPs in fnbA among clinical isolates of S. aureus that cause endovascular infections. PMID:28400484

  5. Specific amino acid residues in the beta sliding clamp establish a DNA polymerase usage hierarchy in Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Sutton, Mark D; Duzen, Jill M

    2006-03-07

    Escherichia coli dnaN159 strains encode a mutant form of the beta sliding clamp (beta159), causing them to display altered DNA polymerase (pol) usage. In order to better understand mechanisms of pol selection/switching in E. coli, we have further characterized pol usage in the dnaN159 strain. The dnaN159 allele contains two amino acid substitutions: G66E (glycine-66 to glutamic acid) and G174A (glycine-174 to alanine). Our results indicated that the G174A substitution impaired interaction of the beta clamp with the alpha catalytic subunit of pol III. In light of this finding, we designed two additional dnaN alleles. One of these dnaN alleles contained a G174A substitution (beta-G174A), while the other contained D173A, G174A and H175A substitutions (beta-173-175). Examination of strains bearing these different dnaN alleles indicated that each conferred a distinct UV sensitive phenotype that was dependent upon a unique combination of Delta polB (pol II), Delta dinB (pol IV) and/or Delta umuDC (pol V) alleles. Taken together, these findings indicate that mutations in the beta clamp differentially affect the functions of these three pols, and suggest that pol II, pol IV and pol V are capable of influencing each others' abilities to gain access to the replication fork. These findings are discussed in terms of a model whereby amino acid residues in the vicinity of those mutated in beta159 (G66 and G174) help to define a DNA polymerase usage hierarchy in E. coli following UV irradiation.

  6. Modulating the selectivity of affinity absorbents to multi-phosphopeptides by a competitive substitution strategy.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zheyi; Wang, Fangjun; Chen, Jin; Zhou, Ye; Zou, Hanfa

    2016-08-26

    Although many affinity adsorbents have been developed for phosphopeptides enrichment, high-specifically capturing the multi-phosphopeptides is still a big challenge. Here, we investigated the mechanism of phosphate ion coordination and substitution on affinity adsorbents surfaces and modulated the selectivity of affinity adsorbents to multi-phosphopeptides based on the different capability of mono- and multi-phosphopeptides in competitively substituting the pre-coordinated phosphate ions at strong acidic condition. We demonstrated both the species of pre-coordinated phosphate ions and the substituting conditions played crucial roles in modulating the enrichment selectivity to multi-phosphopeptides, and the pre-coordinated affinity materials with relative more surfaces positive charges exhibited better enrichment efficiency due to the cooperative effect of electrostatic interaction and competitive substitution. Finally, an enrichment selectivity of 85% to multi-phosphopeptides was feasibly achieved with 66% improvement in identification numbers for complex protein sample extracted from HepG2 cells. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004252. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Virulence of an H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza is enhanced by the amino acid substitutions PB2 E627K and HA A149V.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haibo; Peng, Xiuming; Lu, Rufeng; Xu, Lihua; Liu, Fumin; Cheng, Linfang; Lu, Xiangyun; Yao, Hangping; Wu, Nanping

    2017-10-01

    A novel reassortant H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus was recently identified in Asia, Europe, and North America. The H5N8 HPAI virus has raised serious concerns regarding the potential risk for human infection. However, the molecular changes responsible for allowing mammalian infection in H5N8 HPAI viruses are not clear. The objective of this study was to identify amino acid substitutions that are potentially associated with the adaptation of H5N8 HPAI viruses to mammals. In this study, an avian-origin H5N8 virus was adapted to mice through serial lung-to-lung passage. The virulence of mouse-adapted virus was increased and adaptive mutations, HA (A149V) and PB2 (E627K), were detected after the ninth passage in each series of mice. Reverse genetics were used to generate reassortants of the wild type and mouse-adapted viruses. Substitutions in the HA (A149V) and PB2 (E627K) proteins led to enhanced viral virulence in mice, the viruses displayed expanded tissue tropism, and increased replication kinetics in mammalian cells. Continued surveillance in poultry for amino acid changes that might indicate H5N8 HPAI viruses pose a threat to human health is required. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Nonenzymatic oligomerization reactions on templates containing inosinic acid or diaminopurine nucleotide residues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kozlov, I. A.; Orgel, L. E.; Bada, J. L. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    The template-directed oligomerization of nucleoside-5'-phosphoro-2-methyl imidazolides on standard oligonucleotide templates has been studied extensively. Here, we describe experiments with templates in which inosinic acid (I) is substituted for guanylic acid, or 2,6-diaminopurine nucleotide (D) for adenylic acid. We find that the substitution of I for G in a template is strongly inhibitory and prevents any incorporation of C into internal positions in the oligomeric products of the reaction. The substitution of D for A, on the contrary, leads to increased incorporation of U into the products. We found no evidence for the template-directed facilitation of oligomerization of A or I through A-I base pairing. The significance of these results for prebiotic chemistry is discussed.

  9. Remarkable alkaline stability of an engineered protein A as immunoglobulin affinity ligand: C domain having only one amino acid substitution

    PubMed Central

    Minakuchi, Kazunobu; Murata, Dai; Okubo, Yuji; Nakano, Yoshiyuki; Yoshida, Shinichi

    2013-01-01

    Protein A affinity chromatography is the standard purification process for the capture of therapeutic antibodies. The individual IgG-binding domains of protein A (E, D, A, B, C) have highly homologous amino acid sequences. From a previous report, it has been assumed that the C domain has superior resistance to alkaline conditions compared to the other domains. We investigated several properties of the C domain as an IgG-Fc capture ligand. Based on cleavage site analysis of a recombinant protein A using a protein sequencer, the C domain was found to be the only domain to have neither of the potential alkaline cleavage sites. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis also indicated that the C domain has good physicochemical stability. Additionally, we evaluated the amino acid substitutions at the Gly-29 position of the C domain, as the Z domain (an artificial B domain) acquired alkaline resistance through a G29A mutation. The G29A mutation proved to increase the alkaline resistance of the C domain, based on BIACORE analysis, although the improvement was significantly smaller than that observed for the B domain. Interestingly, a number of other amino acid mutations at the same position increased alkaline resistance more than did the G29A mutation. This result supports the notion that even a single mutation on the originally alkali-stable C domain would improve its alkaline stability. An engineered protein A based on this C domain is expected to show remarkable performance as an affinity ligand for immunoglobulin. PMID:23868198

  10. Changes in antioxidant activity and phenolic acid composition of tarhana with steel-cut oats.

    PubMed

    Kilci, A; Gocmen, D

    2014-02-15

    Steel-cut oats (SCO) was used to replace wheat flour in the tarhana formulation (control) at the levels of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% (w/w). Control sample included no SCO. Substitution of wheat flour in tarhana formulation with SCO affected the mineral contents positively. SCO additions also increased phenolic acid contents of tarhana samples. The most abundant phenolic acids were ferulic and vanillic acids, followed by syringic acid in the samples with SCO. Tarhana samples with SCO also showed higher antioxidant activities than the control. Compared with the control, the total phenolic content increased when the level of SCO addition was increased. SCO addition did not have a deteriorative effect on sensory properties of tarhana samples and resulted in acceptable soup properties in terms of overall acceptability. SCO addition improved the nutritional and functional properties of tarhana by causing increases in antioxidant activity, phenolic content and phenolic acids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. 40 CFR 721.6920 - Butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Butyl acrylate, polymer with... acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane. (a... butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane...

  12. 40 CFR 721.6920 - Butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Butyl acrylate, polymer with... acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane. (a... butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane...

  13. 40 CFR 721.6920 - Butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Butyl acrylate, polymer with... acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane. (a... butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane...

  14. 40 CFR 721.6920 - Butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Butyl acrylate, polymer with... acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane. (a... butyl acrylate, polymer with substituted methyl styrene, methyl methacrylate, and substituted silane...

  15. A Single-Amino-Acid Substitution at Position 225 in Hemagglutinin Alters the Transmissibility of Eurasian Avian-Like H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus in Guinea Pigs

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Zeng; Yang, Huanliang; Chen, Yan; Tao, Shiyu; Liu, Liling; Kong, Huihui; Ma, Shujie; Meng, Fei; Suzuki, Yasuo; Qiao, Chuanling

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Efficient transmission from human to human is the prerequisite for an influenza virus to cause a pandemic; however, the molecular determinants of influenza virus transmission are still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the molecular basis for transmission of Eurasian avian-like H1N1 (EAH1N1) swine influenza viruses by comparing two viruses that are genetically similar but differ in their transmissibility in guinea pigs: the A/swine/Guangxi/18/2011 virus (GX/18) is highly transmissible by respiratory droplet in guinea pigs, whereas the A/swine/Heilongjiang/27/2012 virus (HLJ/27) does not transmit in this animal model. We used reverse genetics to generate a series of reassortants and mutants in the GX/18 background and tested their transmissibility in guinea pigs. We found that a single-amino-acid substitution of glycine (G) for glutamic acid (E) at position 225 (E225G) in the HA1 protein completely abolished the respiratory droplet transmission of GX/18, whereas the substitution of E for G at the same position (G225E) in HA1 enabled HLJ/27 to transmit in guinea pigs. We investigated the underlying mechanism and found that viruses bearing 225E in HA1 replicated more rapidly than viruses bearing 225G due to differences in assembly and budding efficiencies. Our study indicates that the amino acid 225E in HA1 plays a key role in EAH1N1 swine influenza virus transmission and provides important information for evaluating the pandemic potential of field influenza virus strains. IMPORTANCE Efficient transmission among humans is a prerequisite for a novel influenza virus to cause a human pandemic. Transmissibility of influenza viruses is a polygenic trait, and understanding the genetic determinants for transmissibility will provide useful insights for evaluating the pandemic potential of influenza viruses in the field. Several amino acids in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza viruses have been shown to be important for transmissibility, usually by

  16. A comparison of chromic acid and sulfuric acid anodizing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Danford, M. D.

    1992-01-01

    Because of federal and state mandates restricting the use of hexavalent chromium, it was deemed worthwhile to compare the corrosion protection afforded 2219-T87 aluminum alloy by both Type I chromic acid and Type II sulfuric acid anodizing per MIL-A-8625. Corrosion measurements were made on large, flat 2219-T87 aluminum alloy sheet material with an area of 1 cm(exp 2) exposed to a corrosive medium of 3.5-percent sodium chloride at pH 5.5. Both ac electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the dc polarization resistance techniques were employed. The results clearly indicate that the corrosion protection obtained by Type II sulfuric acid anodizing is superior, and no problems should result by substituting Type II sulfuric acid anodizing for Type I chromic acid anodizing.

  17. Optical Sensing Properties of Pyrene-Schiff Bases toward Different Acids.

    PubMed

    Babgi, Bandar A; Alzahrani, Asma

    2016-07-01

    A set of (4-substituted-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (PMA) was prepared by the reaction of pyrene-1-carboxaldehyde and the corresponding 4-substituted aniline. The structure of the PMA compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic data (IR, (1)HNMR, (13)CNMR, ISI-MS and elemental analysis. The structure of (4-bromo-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (BrPMA) was further confirmed by the single X-ray crystallography. The absorption and emission spectroscopic behaviors were investigated in variant acids. The compounds showed dramatic spectroscopic changes upon acidifying with strong acids and negligible effects when weak acids are used in the acidifications. Hence, the PMA compounds can be used as sensors to distinguish between weak and strong acids.

  18. Effect of different pH conditions on the in vitro digestibility and physicochemical properties of citric acid-treated potato starch.

    PubMed

    Lee, Soo Yoon; Lee, Kwang Yeon; Lee, Hyeon Gyu

    2018-02-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of citric acid (CA) treatment (10, 20, and 30% of dry starch weight) under different pH conditions (3.5, 4.5, and 5.5) on the physicochemical properties, in vitro digestibility and prebiotic effects of potato starch. With the CA content increased, the degree of substitution of CA-starch treated at pH 3.5 and 4.5 wad significantly increased i.e. from 0.125 to 0.418 and from 0.078 to 0.167, respectively (p<0.05), except for starch treated at pH 5.5 (from 0.023 to 0.030). The resistant starch (RS) content of CA-starch was effectively increased compared to pH control made by changing pH from 3.5 to 5.5 with hydrochloric acid alone. The results of X-ray diffraction and swelling power were affected by pH condition, whereas they were less affected by the percentage of CA. Swelling power of treated starch also significantly decreased as the pH level decreased (p<0.05). Probiotic bacteria B. bifidum and L. acidophilus grown in medium with citrate starch showed substantial viability. These results suggest that pH conditions of CA modification substantially affect the degree of CA substitution, physicochemical properties, and nutritional value. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Individual Substitution Mutations in the AID C Terminus That Ablate IgH Class Switch Recombination

    PubMed Central

    Kadungure, Tatenda; Ucher, Anna J.; Linehan, Erin K.; Schrader, Carol E.; Stavnezer, Janet

    2015-01-01

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig genes. The C terminus of AID is required for CSR but not for SHM, but the reason for this is not entirely clear. By retroviral transduction of mutant AID proteins into aid -/- mouse splenic B cells, we show that 4 amino acids within the C terminus of mouse AID, when individually mutated to specific amino acids (R190K, A192K, L196S, F198S), reduce CSR about as much or more than deletion of the entire C terminal 10 amino acids. Similar to ΔAID, the substitutions reduce binding of UNG to Ig Sμ regions and some reduce binding of Msh2, both of which are important for introducing S region DNA breaks. Junctions between the IgH donor switch (S)μ and acceptor Sα regions from cells expressing ΔAID or the L196S mutant show increased microhomology compared to junctions in cells expressing wild-type AID, consistent with problems during CSR and the use of alternative end-joining, rather than non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Unlike deletion of the AID C terminus, 3 of the substitution mutants reduce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) detected within the Sμ region in splenic B cells undergoing CSR. Cells expressing these 3 substitution mutants also have greatly reduced mutations within unrearranged Sμ regions, and they decrease with time after activation. These results might be explained by increased error-free repair, but as the C terminus has been shown to be important for recruitment of NHEJ proteins, this appears unlikely. We hypothesize that Sμ DNA breaks in cells expressing these C terminus substitution mutants are poorly repaired, resulting in destruction of Sμ segments that are deaminated by these mutants. This could explain why these mutants cannot undergo CSR. PMID:26267846

  20. Ultrastructure of sea urchin calcified tissues after high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution.

    PubMed

    Ameye, L; Hermann, R; Dubois, P

    2000-08-01

    The improvements brought by high-pressure freezing/freeze substitution fixation methods to the ultrastructural preservation of echinoderm mineralized tissues are investigated in developing pedicellariae and teeth of the echinoid Paracentrotus lividus. Three freeze substitution (FS) protocols were tested: one in the presence of osmium tetroxide, one in the presence of uranyl acetate, and the last in the presence of gallic acid. FS in the presence of osmium tetroxide significantly improved cell ultrastructure preservation and should especially be used for ultrastructural studies involving vesicles and the Golgi apparatus. With all protocols, multivesicular bodies, suggested to contain Ca(2+), were evident for the first time in skeleton-forming cells. FS in the presence of gallic acid allowed us to confirm the structured and insoluble character of a part of the organic matrix of mineralization in the calcification sites of the tooth, an observation which modifies the current understanding of biomineralization control in echinoderms. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  1. Mitochondrial biotransformation of ω-(phenoxy)alkanoic acids, 3-(phenoxy)acrylic acids, and ω-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylthio)alkanoic acids: A prodrug strategy for targeting cytoprotective antioxidants to mitochondria

    PubMed Central

    Roser, Kurt S.; Brookes, Paul S.; Wojtovich, Andrew P.; Olson, Leif P.; Shojaie, Jalil; Parton, Richard L.; Anders, M. W.

    2010-01-01

    Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the attendant mitochondrial dysfunction are implicated in a range of disease states. The objective of the present studies was to test the hypothesis that the mitochondrial β-oxidation pathway could be exploited to deliver and biotransform the prodrugs ω-(phenoxy)alkanoic acids, 3-(phenoxy)acrylic acids, and ω-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylthio)alkanoic acids to the corresponding phenolic antioxidants or methimazole. 3 -and 5-(Phenoxy)alkanoic acids and methyl-substituted analogs were biotransformed to phenols; rates of biotransformation decreased markedly with methyl-group substitution on the phenoxy moiety. 2,6-Dimethylphenol formation from the analogs 3-([2,6-dimethylphenoxy]methylthio)propanoic acid and 3-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)acrylic acid was greater than that observed with ω-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)alkanoic acids. 3- and 5-(1-Methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylthio)alkanoic acids were rapidly biotransformed to the antioxidant methimazole and conferred significant cytoprotection against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in isolated cardiomyocytes. Both 3-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)propanoic acid and 3-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)acrylic acid also afforded cytoprotection against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in isolated cardiomyocytes. These results demonstrate that mitochondrial β-oxidation is a potentially useful delivery system for targeting antioxidants to mitochondria. PMID:20129794

  2. Thermodynamic Effects of Noncoded and Coded Methionine Substitutions in Calmodulin

    PubMed Central

    Yamniuk, Aaron P.; Ishida, Hiroaki; Lippert, Dustin; Vogel, Hans J.

    2009-01-01

    The methionine residues in the calcium (Ca2+) regulatory protein calmodulin (CaM) are structurally and functionally important. They are buried within the N- and C-domains of apo-CaM but become solvent-exposed in Ca2+-CaM, where they interact with numerous target proteins. Previous structural studies have shown that methionine substitutions to the noncoded amino acids selenomethionine, ethionine, or norleucine, or mutation to leucine do not impact the main chain structure of CaM. Here we used differential scanning calorimetry to show that these substitutions enhance the stability of both domains, with the largest increase in melting temperature (19–26°C) achieved with leucine or norleucine in the apo-C-domain. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments also revealed the loss of a slow conformational exchange process in the Leu-substituted apo-C-domain. In addition, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments revealed considerable changes in the enthalpy and entropy of target binding to apo-CaM and Ca2+-CaM, but the free energy of binding was largely unaffected due to enthalpy-entropy compensation. Collectively, these results demonstrate that noncoded and coded methionine substitutions can be accommodated in CaM because of the structural plasticity of the protein. However, adjustments in side-chain packing and dynamics lead to significant differences in protein stability and the thermodynamics of target binding. PMID:19217866

  3. Proteolysis and sensory properties of dry-cured bacon as affected by the partial substitution of sodium chloride with potassium chloride.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haizhou; Zhang, Yingyang; Long, Men; Tang, Jing; Yu, Xiang; Wang, Jiamei; Zhang, Jianhao

    2014-03-01

    Quadriceps femoris muscle samples (48) from 24 pigs were processed into dry-cured bacon. This study investigated the influence of partial substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) with potassium chloride (KCl) on proteolysis and sensory properties of dry-cured bacon. Three salt treatments were considered, namely, I (100% NaCl), II (60% NaCl, 40% KCl), and III (30% NaCl, 70% KCl). No significant differences were observed among treatments in the proteolysis, which was reflected by SDS-PAGE, proteolysis index, amino acid nitrogen, and peptide nitrogen contents. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the moisture content between control and treatment II, whereas the moisture content in treatment III was significantly higher (p<0.05) in comparison with control (treatment I). The sensory analysis indicated that it was possible to reduce NaCl by 40% without adverse effects on sensory properties, but 70% replacement of NaCl with KCl resulted in bacon with less hardness and saltiness and higher (p<0.05) juiciness and bitterness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. In vivo substitution of choline for sodium evokes a selective osmoinsensitive increase of extracellular taurine in the rat hippocampus.

    PubMed

    Lehmann, A; Sandberg, M

    1990-01-01

    Recent investigations have demonstrated that taurine and phosphoethanolamine (PEA) are the amino acids most sensitive to microdialysis-perfusion with reduced concentrations of NaCl. The aim of the present work was to assess the importance of Na+ deficiency in evoking this response. Further, the previously described selectivity of replacement of Cl- with acetate with respect to amino acid release was reinvestigated. The hippocampus of urethane-anesthetized rats was dialyzed with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, and amino acid concentrations of the perfusate were determined. Choline chloride was then stepwise substituted for NaCl, and, in some cases, mannitol (122 mM) was included in low sodium-containing media. In other experiments, NaCl was replaced with sodium acetate. The dialysate levels of taurine increased selectively in response to Na+ substitution. The elevation of taurine was linearly related to the increase in choline chloride, and maximal levels amounted to 335% of basal levels. The increase in extracellular taurine was not inhibited by perfusion with medium made hyperosmotic with mannitol. Replacement of Cl- with acetate stimulated the release of taurine to 652% of resting levels. In addition, PEA levels increased to 250% of control concentration. Other amino acids were unaffected by Cl- substitution. The results show that taurine transport is considerably more sensitive to Na+ depletion than glutamate transport, which also is known to be Na+ dependent. The taurine increase evoked by low Na+ is not caused by cellular swelling as it was unaffected by hyperosmolar medium. Finally, substitution of acetate for Cl- causes a specific elevation of extracellular taurine and PEA, possibly as a result of cytotoxic edema.

  5. Chromatographic methods for determination of S-substituted cysteine derivatives--a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Kubec, Roman; Dadáková, Eva

    2009-10-09

    A novel HPLC method for determination of a wide variety of S-substituted cysteine derivatives in Allium species has been developed and validated. This method allows simultaneous separation and quantification of S-alk(en)ylcysteine S-oxides, gamma-glutamyl-S-alk(en)ylcysteines and gamma-glutamyl-S-alk(en)ylcysteine S-oxides in a single run. The procedure is based on extraction of these amino acids and dipeptides by methanol, their derivatization by dansyl chloride and subsequent separation by reversed phase HPLC. The main advantages of the new method are simplicity, excellent stability of derivatives, high sensitivity, specificity and the ability to simultaneously analyze the whole range of S-substituted cysteine derivatives. This method was critically compared with other chromatographic procedures used for quantification of S-substituted cysteine derivatives, namely with two other HPLC methods (derivatization by o-phthaldialdehyde/tert-butylthiol and fluorenylmethyl chloroformate), and with determination by gas chromatography or capillary electrophoresis. Major advantages and drawbacks of these analytical procedures are discussed. Employing these various chromatographic methods, the content and relative proportions of individual S-substituted cysteine derivatives were determined in four most frequently consumed alliaceous vegetables (garlic, onion, shallot, and leek).

  6. Permeability of boric acid across lipid bilayers and factors affecting it.

    PubMed

    Dordas, C; Brown, P H

    2000-05-15

    Boron enters plant roots as undissociated boric acid (H(3)BO(3)). Significant differences in B uptake are frequently observed even when plants are grown under identical conditions. It has been theorized that these differences reflect species differences in permeability coefficient of H(3)BO(3) across plasma membrane. The permeability coefficient of boric acid however, has not been experimentally determined across any artificial or plant membrane. In the experiments described here the permeability coefficient of boric acid in liposomes made of phosphatidylcholine was 4.9x10(-6) cm sec(-1), which is in good agreement with the theoretical value. The permeability coefficient varied from 7x10(-6) to 9.5x10(-9) cm sec(-1) with changes in sterols (cholesterol), the type of phospholipid head group, the length of the fatty acyl chain, and the pH of the medium. In this study we also used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants which differ in lipid composition to study the effect of lipid composition on B uptake. The chs1-1 mutant which has lower proportion of sterols shows 30% higher B uptake compared with the wild type, while the act1-1 mutant which has an increased percentage of longer fatty acids, exhibited 35% lower uptake than the wild type. Lipid composition changes in each of the remaining mutants influenced B uptake to various extents. These data suggest that lipid composition of the plasma membrane can affect total B uptake.

  7. [The substitution effect of leadership substitutes for transformational leadership in nursing organization].

    PubMed

    Kim, Jeong-Hee

    2006-04-01

    This paper was conducted to examine the effects of transformational leadership behaviors, within the substitutes for leadership model (Kerr & Jermier, 1978). Data was collected from 181 staff nurses in 3 general hospitals, with self-reporting questionnaires (MLQ developed by Bass, rd-SLS developed by Podsakoff, et al., and MSQ developed by Weiss, et al.). Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha and moderated regression analysis were used. 1) The transformational leader behaviors and substitutes for leadership each had correlations with job satisfaction. 2) The total amount of variance accounted for by the substitutes for leadership was substantially greater than by the transformational leadership behaviors. 3) Few of the substitutes variables moderated the relationships between the transformational leader behaviors and job satisfaction in a manner consistent with that specified by Howell, Dorfman, and Kerr (1986). The finding of this study suggest that leaders need to have a better understanding of those contextual variables that influence job satisfaction. Thus future research should focus attention on the moderating effects of substitutes, as well as the things that leaders can do to influence them. In addition, it may be good to examine the effects of substitutes on other criterion variables.

  8. Preparation and characterization of cobalt-substituted anthrax lethal factor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saebel, Crystal E.; Carbone, Ryan; Dabous, John R.

    2011-12-09

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cobalt-substituted anthrax lethal factor (CoLF) is highly active. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CoLF can be prepared by bio-assimilation and direct exchange. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lethal factor binds cobalt tightly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The electronic spectrum of CoLF reveals penta-coordination. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Interaction of CoLF with thioglycolic acid follows a 2-step mechanism. -- Abstract: Anthrax lethal factor (LF) is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase involved in the cleavage of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases near their N-termini. The current report concerns the preparation of cobalt-substituted LF (CoLF) and its characterization by electronic spectroscopy. Two strategies to produce CoLF were explored, including (i) a bio-assimilation approach involving the cultivation of LF-expressingmore » Bacillus megaterium cells in the presence of CoCl{sub 2}, and (ii) direct exchange by treatment of zinc-LF with CoCl{sub 2}. Independent of the method employed, the protein was found to contain one Co{sup 2+} per LF molecule, and was shown to be twice as active as its native zinc counterpart. The electronic spectrum of CoLF suggests the Co{sup 2+} ion to be five-coordinate, an observation similar to that reported for other Co{sup 2+}-substituted gluzincins, but distinct from that documented for the crystal structure of native LF. Furthermore, spectroscopic studies following the exposure of CoLF to thioglycolic acid (TGA) revealed a sequential mechanism of metal removal from LF, which likely involves the formation of an enzyme: Co{sup 2+}:TGA ternary complex prior to demetallation of the active site. CoLF reported herein constitutes the first spectroscopic probe of LF's active site, which may be utilized in future studies to gain further insight into the enzyme's mechanism and inhibitor interactions.« less

  9. Toluene nitration in irradiated nitric acid and nitrite solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elias, Gracy; Mincher, Bruce J.; Mezyk, Stephen P.; Muller, Jim; Martin, Leigh R.

    2011-04-01

    The kinetics, mechanisms, and stable products produced for the nitration of aryl alkyl mild ortho-para director toluene in irradiated nitric acid and neutral nitrite solutions were investigated using γ and pulse radiolysis. Electron pulse radiolysis was used to determine the bimolecular rate constants for the reaction of toluene with different transient species produced by irradiation. HPLC with UV detection, GC-MS and LC-MS, were used to assess the stable reaction products. Free-radical based nitration reaction products were found in irradiated acidic and neutral media. In 6.0 M HNO3, ring substitution, side chain substitution, and oxidation, produced different nitrated toluene products. For ring substitution, nitrogen oxide radicals were added mainly to cyclohexadienyl radicals, whereas for side chain substitution, these radicals were added to the carbon-centered benzyl radical produced by H-atom abstraction. In neutral nitrite solutions, radiolytically-induced ring nitration products approached a statistically random distribution, suggesting a direct free-radical reaction involving addition of the rad NO2 radical.

  10. Single substitution in bacteriophage T4 RNase H alters the ratio between its exo- and endonuclease activities.

    PubMed

    Kholod, Natalia; Sivogrivov, Dmitry; Latypov, Oleg; Mayorov, Sergey; Kuznitsyn, Rafail; Kajava, Andrey V; Shlyapnikov, Mikhail; Granovsky, Igor

    2015-11-01

    The article describes substitutions in bacteriophage T4 RNase H which provide so called das-effect. Phage T4 DNA arrest suppression (das) mutations have been described to be capable of partially suppressing the phage DNA arrest phenotype caused by a dysfunction in genes 46 and/or 47 (also known as Mre11/Rad50 complex). Genetic mapping of das13 (one of the das mutations) has shown it to be in the region of the rnh gene encoding RNase H. Here we report that Das13 mutant of RNase H has substitutions of valine 43 and leucine 242 with isoleucines. To investigate the influence of these mutations on RNase H nuclease properties we have designed a novel in vitro assay that allows us to separate and quantify exo- or endonuclease activities of flap endonuclease. The nuclease assay in vitro showed that V43I substitution increased the ratio between exonuclease/endonuclease activities of RNase H whereas L242I substitution did not affect the nuclease activity of RNase H in vitro. However, both mutations were necessary for the full das effect in vivo. Molecular modelling of the nuclease structure suggests that V43I substitution may lead to disposition of H4 helix, responsible for the interaction with the first base pairs of 5'end of branched DNA. These structural changes may affect unwinding of the first base pairs of gapped or nicked DNA generating a short flap and therefore may stabilize the DNA-enzyme complex. L242I substitution did not affect the structure of RNase H and its role in providing das-effect remains unclear. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Omega-3 fatty acids in the gravid pig uterus as affected by maternal supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Brazle, A E; Johnson, B J; Webel, S K; Rathbun, T J; Davis, D L

    2009-03-01

    d 11 to 19 of pregnancy. Plasma samples indicated that PFA increased (P < 0.005) circulating concentrations of EPA and DHA. Endometrial EPA was increased (P < 0.001) for gilts fed the PFA diet. In extraembryonic tissues, PFA more than doubled (P < 0.001) the EPA (0.13 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.013 mg/g) and DHA (0.39 vs. 0.85 +/- 0.05 mg/g). In embryonic tissue on d 19, DHA was increased (P < 0.05) by PFA (0.20 vs. 0.30 +/- 0.023 mg/g). Supplementing n-3 PUFA, beginning 30 d before breeding, affected endometrial, conceptus, and fetal fatty acid composition in early pregnancy. Dynamic day effects in fatty acid composition indicate this may be a critical period for maternal fatty acid resources to affect conceptus development and survival.

  12. 40 CFR 721.1555 - Substituted phenyl azo substituted benzenediazonium salt.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Substituted phenyl azo substituted benzenediazonium salt. 721.1555 Section 721.1555 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances §...

  13. Peruvian and globally reported amino acid substitutions on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis pyrazinamidase suggest a conserved pattern of mutations associated to pyrazinamide resistance

    PubMed Central

    Zimic, Mirko; Sheen, Patricia; Quiliano, Miguel; Gutierrez, Andrés; Gilman, Robert H.

    2010-01-01

    Resistance to pyrazinamide in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is usually associated with a reduction of pyrazinamidase activity caused by mutations in pncA, the pyrazinamidase coding gene. Pyrazinamidase is a hydrolase that converts pyrazinamide, the antituberculous drug against the latent stage, to the active compound, pyrazinoic acid. To better understand the relationship between pncA mutations and pyrazinamide-resistance, it is necessary to analyze the distribution of pncA mutations from pyrazinamide resistant strains. We determined the distribution of Peruvian and globally reported pncA missense mutations from M. tuberculosis clinical isolates resistant to pyrazinamide. The distributions of the single amino acid substitutions were compared at the secondary-structure-domains level. The distribution of the Peruvian mutations followed a similar pattern as the mutations reported globally. A consensus clustering of mutations was observed in hot-spot regions located in the metal coordination site and to a lesser extent in the active site of the enzyme. The data was not able to reject the null hypothesis that both distributions are similar, suggesting that pncA mutations associated to pyrazinamide resistance in M. tuberculosis, follow a conserved pattern responsible to impair the pyrazinamidase activity. PMID:19963078

  14. Characterization of the radical-scavenging reaction of 2-O-substituted ascorbic acid derivatives, AA-2G, AA-2P, and AA-2S: a kinetic and stoichiometric study.

    PubMed

    Takebayashi, Jun; Tai, Akihiro; Gohda, Eiichi; Yamamoto, Itaru

    2006-04-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the antioxidant activity of three ascorbic acid (AA) derivatives O-substituted at the C-2 position of AA: ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA-2G), ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA-2P), and ascorbic acid 2-sulfate (AA-2S). The radical-scavenging activities of these AA derivatives and some common low molecular-weight antioxidants such as uric acid or glutathione against 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS+), or galvinoxyl radical were kinetically and stoichiometrically evaluated under pH-controlled conditions. Those AA derivatives slowly and continuously reacted with DPPH radical and ABTS+, but not with galvinoxyl radical. They effectively reacted with DPPH radical under acidic conditions and with ABTS+ under neutral conditions. In contrast, AA immediately quenched all species of radicals tested at all pH values investigated. The reactivity of Trolox, a water-soluble vitamin E analogue, was comparable to that of AA in terms of kinetics and stoichiometrics. Uric acid and glutathione exhibited long-lasting radical-scavenging activity against these radicals under certain pH conditions. The radical-scavenging profiles of AA derivatives were closer to those of uric acid and glutathione rather than to that of AA. The number of radicals scavenged by one molecule of AA derivatives, uric acid, or glutathione was equal to or greater than that by AA or Trolox under the appropriate conditions. These data suggest the potential usage of AA derivatives as radical scavengers.

  15. Association of paediatric mastocytosis with a polymorphism resulting in an amino acid substitution (M541L) in the transmembrane domain of c-KIT.

    PubMed

    Foster, R; Byrnes, E; Meldrum, C; Griffith, R; Ross, G; Upjohn, E; Braue, A; Scott, R; Varigos, G; Ferrao, P; Ashman, L K

    2008-11-01

    The receptor tyrosine kinase c-KIT plays a key role in normal mast cell development. Point mutations in c-KIT have been associated with sporadic or familial mastocytosis. Two unrelated pairs of apparently identical twins affected by cutaneous mastocytosis attending the Mastocytosis Clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, provided an opportunity to assess the possible contribution of c-KIT germline mutations or polymorphisms in this disease. Tissue biopsy, blood and/or buccal swab specimens were collected from 10 children with mastocytosis. To detect germline mutations/polymorphisms in c-KIT, we studied all coding exons by denaturing high pressure liquid chromatography. Exons showing mismatches were examined by direct sequencing. The influence of the substitution identified was further examined by expressing the variant form of c-KIT in factor-dependent FDC-P1 cells. In both pairs of twins, a heterozygous ATG to CTG transition in codon 541 was observed, resulting in the substitution of a methionine residue in the transmembrane domain by leucine (M541L). In each case, one parent was also heterozygous for this allele. Expression of M541L KIT in FDC-P1 cells enabled them to grow in human KIT ligand (stem cell factor, SCF) but did not confer factor independence. Compared with cells expressing wild-type KIT at a similar level, M541L KIT-expressing cells displayed enhanced growth at low levels of SCF, and heightened sensitivity to the KIT inhibitor, imatinib mesylate. The data suggest that the single nucleotide polymorphism resulting in the substitution M541L may predispose to paediatric mastocytosis.

  16. Methodologies in Creating Skin Substitutes

    PubMed Central

    Nicholas, Mathew N; Jeschke, Marc G; Amini-Nik, Saeid

    2016-01-01

    The creation of skin substitutes has significantly decreased morbidity and mortality of skin wounds. Although there are still a number of disadvantages of currently available skin substitutes, there has been a significant decline in research advances over the past several years in improving these skin substitutes. Clinically most skin substitutes used are acellular and do not use growth factors to assist wound healing, key areas of potential in this field of research. This article discusses the five necessary attributes of an ideal skin substitute. It comprehensively discusses the three major basic components of currently available skin substitutes: scaffold materials, growth factors, and cells, comparing and contrasting what has been used so far. It then examines a variety of techniques in how to incorporate these basic components together to act as a guide for further research in the field to create cellular skin substitutes with clinically better results. PMID:27154041

  17. Molecular evolution of bovine Toll-like receptor 2 suggests substitutions of functional relevance.

    PubMed

    Jann, Oliver C; Werling, Dirk; Chang, Jung-Su; Haig, David; Glass, Elizabeth J

    2008-10-20

    There is accumulating evidence that polymorphism in Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes might be associated with disease resistance or susceptibility traits in livestock. Polymorphic sites affecting TLR function should exhibit signatures of positive selection, identified as a high ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitutions (omega). Phylogeny based models of codon substitution based on estimates of omega for each amino acid position can therefore offer a valuable tool to predict sites of functional relevance. We have used this approach to identify such polymorphic sites within the bovine TLR2 genes from ten Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle breeds. By analysing TLR2 gene phylogeny in a set of mammalian species and a subset of ruminant species we have estimated the selective pressure on individual sites and domains and identified polymorphisms at sites of putative functional importance. The omega were highest in the mammalian TLR2 domains thought to be responsible for ligand binding and lowest in regions responsible for heterodimerisation with other TLR-related molecules. Several positively-selected sites were detected in or around ligand-binding domains. However a comparison of the ruminant subset of TLR2 sequences with the whole mammalian set of sequences revealed that there has been less selective pressure among ruminants than in mammals as a whole. This suggests that there have been functional changes during ruminant evolution. Twenty newly-discovered non-synonymous polymorphic sites were identified in cattle. Three of them were localised at positions shaped by positive selection in the ruminant dataset (Leu227Phe, His305Pro, His326Gln) and in domains involved in the recognition of ligands. His326Gln is of particular interest as it consists of an exchange of differentially-charged amino acids at a position which has previously been shown to be crucial for ligand binding in human TLR2. Within bovine TLR2, polymorphisms at amino acid positions 227

  18. Mercury photolytic transformation affected by low-molecular-weight natural organics in water.

    PubMed

    He, Feng; Zheng, Wang; Liang, Liyuan; Gu, Baohua

    2012-02-01

    Mechanisms by which dissolved organic matter (DOM) mediates the photochemical reduction of Hg(II) in aquatic ecosystems are not fully understood, owing to the heterogeneous nature and complex structural properties of DOM. In this work, naturally occurring aromatic compounds including salicylic, 4-hydrobenzoic, anthranilic, 4-aminobenzoic, and phthalic acid were systematically studied as surrogates for DOM in order to gain an improved mechanistic understanding of these compounds in the photoreduction of Hg(II) in water. We show that the photoreduction rates of Hg(II) are influenced not only by the substituent functional groups such as -OH, -NH(2) and -COOH on the benzene ring, but also the positioning of these functional groups on the ring structure. The Hg(II) photoreduction rate decreases in the order anthranilic acid>salicylic acid>phthalic acid according to the presence of the -NH(2), -OH, -COOH functional groups on benzoic acid. The substitution position of the functional groups affects reduction rates in the order anthranilic acid>4-aminobenzoic acid and salicylic acid>4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Reduction rates correlate strongly with ultraviolet (UV) absorption of these compounds and their concentrations, suggesting that the formation of organic free radicals during photolysis of these compounds is responsible for Hg(II) photoreduction. These results provide insight into the role of low-molecular-weight organic compounds and possibly DOM in Hg photoredox transformation and may thus have important implications for understanding Hg geochemical cycling in the environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. The Effects of One Amino Acid Substitutions at the C-Terminal Region of Thermostable L2 Lipase by Computational and Experimental Approach.

    PubMed

    Sani, Hartini Ahmad; Shariff, Fairolniza Mohd; Rahman, Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd; Leow, Thean Chor; Salleh, Abu Bakar

    2018-01-01

    The substitutions of the amino acid at the predetermined critical point at the C-terminal of L2 lipase may increase its thermostability and enzymatic activity, or even otherwise speed up the unfolding of the protein structure. The C-terminal of most proteins is often flexible and disordered. However, some protein functions are directly related to flexibility and play significant role in enzyme reaction. The critical point for mutation of L2 lipase structure was predicted at the position 385 of the L2 sequence, and the best three mutants were determined based on I-Mutant2.0 software. The best three mutants were S385E, S385I and S385V. The effects of the substitution of the amino acids at the critical point were analysed with molecular dynamics simulation by using Yet Another Scientific Artificial Reality Application software. The predicted mutant L2 lipases were found to have lower root mean square deviation value as compared to L2 lipase. It was indicated that all the three mutants had higher compactness in the structure, consequently enhanced the stability. Root mean square fluctuation analysis showed that the flexibility of L2 lipase was reduced by mutations. Purified S385E lipase had an optimum temperature of 80 °C in Tris-HCl pH 8. The highest enzymatic activity of purified S385E lipase was obtained at 80 °C temperature in Tris-HCl pH 8, while for L2 lipase it was at 70 °C in Glycine-NaOH pH 9. The thermal stability of S385V lipase was enhanced as compared to other protein since that the melting point (T m ) value was at 85.96 °C. S385I lipase was more thermostable compared to recombinant L2 lipase and other mutants at temperature 60 °C within 16 h preincubation.

  20. Blood substitutes.

    PubMed Central

    Kostrzewska, E.

    1976-01-01

    With the development of modern methods of surgery, anaesthesia, and pre- and postoperative care the requirement for blood substitutes is continuously increasing. We present a review of the different blood substitutes which are already in clinical use or in an advanced stage of experimental investigation for possible practical administration. Our own clinical experience with dextrans and experimental studies on stroma-free haemoglobin and hydroxyethyl starch solutions are described. PMID:57736

  1. Soil aggregate stratification of nematodes and ammonia oxidizers affects nitrification in an acid soil.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Yuji; Jin, Chen; Sun, Bo

    2014-10-01

    Nitrification plays a central role in global nitrogen cycle, which is affected by interaction between soil microfauna and microorganisms. The impact of synchronized changes in nematodes and ammonia oxidizers within aggregate fractions on nitrification was investigated in an acid soil under 10-year manure application. Nematodes, ammonia oxidizers and potential nitrification activity (PNA) were examined in three soil aggregate fractions under four fertilization regimes. Pyrosequencing data revealed that the dominant bacterial amoA operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were related to Nitrosospira species, while archaeal OTUs were affiliated with Nitrososphaera and Nitrosotalea species. PNA was more strongly correlated with ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundance than ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) abundance, although AOA were dominant in the acid soil. Plant parasites had a negative effect on AOB abundance; however, bacterivores stimulated AOB abundance and contributed more to PNA than plant parasites. Aggregate fractions exerted significant impacts on AOA abundance and AOB community composition. Total carbon content strongly affected the abundance and composition of AOA community, while soil pH primarily affected that of AOB community. Soil variables explained 62.7% and 58.1% variations, and nematode variables explained 11.7% and 19.5% variations in the AOA and AOB community composition respectively. © 2013 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Generic and therapeutic substitutions in the UK: are they a good thing?

    PubMed Central

    Duerden, Martin G; Hughes, Dyfrig A

    2010-01-01

    There is considerable interest and debate concerning the place of generic substitution (switching from a brand to generic product); and on therapeutic substitution, that is, switching to a cheaper, but apparently equivalent, product, usually within the drug class. Generic substitution by pharmacists is standard practice in UK hospital settings, and is being proposed for implementation in primary care. Although most prescriptions are already written generically (83% in the community in England in 2008), there are still cost savings that could be made if generic medicines are substituted against prescriptions written by branded name or by getting prescribers to adhere to advice to prescribe generically. Therapeutic substitution is more contentious, as direct evidence to support equivalence is normally lacking. However, the price differential between established drugs whose patents have expired and for which generics are available and newer, branded medicines within the same therapeutic class, makes therapeutic substitution an attractive application of cost-minimization analysis for the more efficient use of healthcare resources. Here we explore the tension that exists between the clinical appropriateness and safety of switching from an individual patient perspective and the consideration of value for money which is required to maximize population health from a health service perspective. Although substitution may affect individual patients (such as, for instance, reduced adherence, increased potential for medication error), it might be a price worth paying given the opportunity cost associated with the use of medicines that are clinically no better than cheaper alternatives. PMID:20716231

  3. Characterization of mutagenic activity in grain-based coffee-substitute blends and instant coffees

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johansson, M.A.E.; Knize, M.G.; Felton, J.S.

    1994-06-01

    Several grain-based coffee-substitute blends and instant coffees showed a mutagenic response in the Ames/Salmonella test using TA98, YG1024 and YG1O29 with metabolic activation. The beverage powders contained 150 to 500 TA98 and 1150 to 4050 YG1024 revertant colonies/gram, respectively. The mutagenic activity in the beverage powders was shown to be stable to heat and the products varied in resistance to acid nitrite treatment. Characterization of the mutagenic activity, using HPLC-and the Ames test of the collected fractions, showed the coffee-substitutes and instant coffees contain several mutagenic compounds, which are most likely aromatic amines.

  4. Identification of amino acid residues involved in the dRP-lyase activity of human Pol ι.

    PubMed

    Miropolskaya, Nataliya; Petushkov, Ivan; Kulbachinskiy, Andrey; Makarova, Alena V

    2017-08-31

    Besides X-family DNA polymerases (first of all, Pol β) several other human DNA polymerases from Y- and A- families were shown to possess the dRP-lyase activity and could serve as backup polymerases in base excision repair (Pol ι, Rev1, Pol γ and Pol θ). However the exact position of the active sites and the amino acid residues involved in the dRP-lyase activity in Y- and A- family DNA polymerases are not known. Here we carried out functional analysis of fifteen amino acid residues possibly involved in the dRP-lyase activity of human Pol ι. We show that substitutions of residues Q59, K60 and K207 impair the dRP-lyase activity of Pol ι while residues in the HhH motif of the thumb domain are dispensable for this activity. While both K60G and K207A substitutions decrease Schiff-base intermediate formation during dRP group cleavage, the latter substitution also strongly affects the DNA polymerase activity of Pol ι, suggesting that it may impair DNA binding. These data are consistent with an important role of the N-terminal region in the dRP-lyase activity of Pol ι, with possible involvement of residues from the finger domain in the dRP group cleavage.

  5. Cell wall teichoic acids of actinomycetes of three genera of the order actinomycetales.

    PubMed

    Streshinskaya, G M; Shashkov, A S; Usov, A I; Evtushenko, L I; Naumova, I B

    2002-07-01

    The structures of cell wall teichoic acids of the members of newly recognized genera of the order Actinomycetales were studied. Planotetraspora mira VKM Ac-2000T contains two types of teichoic acids: 2,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) substituted with alpha-D-Galp at C-1 of glycerol and 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) substituted with alpha-L-Rhap at OH-2 of glycerol (60%). Herbidospora cretacea VKM Ac-1997T contains the chains of 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) partially substituted with alpha-D-Galp and alpha-D-GalpNAc at C-2 of glycerol. The majority of alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residues are substituted at OH-3 with a sulfate. The aforementioned teichoic acids have not been found in bacteria thus far. Actinocorallia herbida VKM Ac-1994T contains poly(galactosylglycerol phosphate), with the beta-Galp-(1-->2)-Gro-P repeating units being linked via the phosphodiester bonds between the OH-3 of glycerol and OH-6 of galactose. Earlier, this structure was found in the cell wall of Actinomadura madura. The polymer structures were determined by chemical analysis and using 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The results show that teichoic acids are widespread in the order Actinomycetales.

  6. Conjugated Fatty Acid Synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Rawat, Richa; Yu, Xiao-Hong; Sweet, Marie; Shanklin, John

    2012-01-01

    Conjugated linolenic acids (CLNs), 18:3 Δ9,11,13, lack the methylene groups found between the double bonds of linolenic acid (18:3 Δ9,12,15). CLNs are produced by conjugase enzymes that are homologs of the oleate desaturases FAD2. The goal of this study was to map the domain(s) within the Momordica charantia conjugase (FADX) responsible for CLN formation. To achieve this, a series of Momordica FADX-Arabidopsis FAD2 chimeras were expressed in the Arabidopsis fad3fae1 mutant, and the transformed seeds were analyzed for the accumulation of CLN. These experiments identified helix 2 and the first histidine box as a determinant of conjugase product partitioning into punicic acid (18:3 Δ9cis,11trans,13cis) or α-eleostearic acid (18:3 Δ9cis,11trans,13trans). This was confirmed by analysis of a FADX mutant containing six substitutions in which the sequence of helix 2 and first histidine box was converted to that of FAD2. Each of the six FAD2 substitutions was individually converted back to the FADX equivalent identifying residues 111 and 115, adjacent to the first histidine box, as key determinants of conjugase product partitioning. Additionally, expression of FADX G111V and FADX G111V/D115E resulted in an approximate doubling of eleostearic acid accumulation to 20.4% and 21.2%, respectively, compared with 9.9% upon expression of the native Momordica FADX. Like the Momordica conjugase, FADX G111V and FADX D115E produced predominantly α-eleostearic acid and little punicic acid, but the FADX G111V/D115E double mutant produced approximately equal amounts of α-eleostearic acid and its isomer, punicic acid, implicating an interactive effect of residues 111 and 115 in punicic acid formation. PMID:22451660

  7. Economic aspects of drug substitution

    PubMed Central

    Salehi, Hossein; Schweitzer, Stuart O.

    1985-01-01

    One of the major directions of health policy is the attempt to contain expenditures on pharmaceuticals by encouraging substitution of generic for brand name drug products. Yet, a major marketing survey of prescribing and dispensing patterns in California in 1977 found relatively little drug substitution occurring, and in fact substitution of more expensive products occurred more frequently than did substitution of less expensive products. This article tests alternative models of pharmacy dispensing behavior to better explain substitution patterns and it estimates price functions to measure the extent to which cost savings on generic products are passed on to consumers. PMID:10311162

  8. β-Dicyanovinyl substituted porphyrinogen: synthesis, a reversible sensor for picric acid among explosives and a unique sensor for cyanide and fluoride ions by switching between various porphyrinoid states.

    PubMed

    Chahal, Mandeep K; Sankar, Muniappan

    2017-09-12

    β-Dicyanovinyl substituted porphyrinogen (OxP-MN) was synthesized and utilized as a novel multifunctional sensor for the detection of biologically and environmentally important analytes. OxP-MN (1) acts as a selective and reversible probe for rapid colorimetric detection of picric acid (PA) among other nitroaromatics by switching between two porphyrinoid states. This system displayed a higher β 2 value of 1.7 × 10 8 M -2 and was able to detect PA down to 1.12 ppm (4.99 μM). β-Dicyanovinyl substituted porphyrinogen (OxP-MN) reported here contains a porphyrinogen anion binding site and a dicyanovinyl group as a cyanide-dependent reactive subunit. OxP-MN displayed the first evidence that a β-electron acceptor through a vinyl linker in the case of porphyrinogen results in only an abated shift in the spectrum in contrast to its porphyrin analogues. Porphyrinogen OxP-MN (1) can be switched between a number of porphyrinoid states such as metalloporphodimethene, metalloporphyrin, porphyrinogen, etc. by using CN - , F - and other basic anions. In addition, OxP-MN unveils the unique property of detecting toxic cyanide ions and fluoride ions when "hidden" within a mixture of other anions. Also, OxP-MN behaves as a dual sensor for picric acid and basic anions such as F - , CN - , OAc - , and H 2 PO 4 - via the indicator displacement assay under the unrestricted queue.

  9. A New Synthetic Route to N-Benzyl Carboxamides through the Reverse Reaction of N-Substituted Formamide Deformylase

    PubMed Central

    Hashimoto, Yoshiteru; Sakashita, Toshihide; Fukatsu, Hiroshi; Sato, Hiroyoshi

    2014-01-01

    Previously, we isolated a new enzyme, N-substituted formamide deformylase, that catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-substituted formamide to the corresponding amine and formate (H. Fukatsu, Y. Hashimoto, M. Goda, H. Higashibata, and M. Kobayashi, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 101:13726–13731, 2004, doi:10.1073/pnas.0405082101). Here, we discovered that this enzyme catalyzed the reverse reaction, synthesizing N-benzylformamide (NBFA) from benzylamine and formate. The reverse reaction proceeded only in the presence of high substrate concentrations. The effects of pH and inhibitors on the reverse reaction were almost the same as those on the forward reaction, suggesting that the forward and reverse reactions are both catalyzed at the same catalytic site. Bisubstrate kinetic analysis using formate and benzylamine and dead-end inhibition studies using a benzylamine analogue, aniline, revealed that the reverse reaction of this enzyme proceeds via an ordered two-substrate, two-product (bi-bi) mechanism in which formate binds first to the enzyme active site, followed by benzylamine binding and the subsequent release of NBFA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the reverse reaction of an amine-forming deformylase. Surprisingly, analysis of the substrate specificity for acids demonstrated that not only formate, but also acetate and propionate (namely, acids with numbers of carbon atoms ranging from C1 to C3), were active as acid substrates for the reverse reaction. Through this reaction, N-substituted carboxamides, such as NBFA, N-benzylacetamide, and N-benzylpropionamide, were synthesized from benzylamine and the corresponding acid substrates. PMID:24123742

  10. Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on soil and its components. III. Influence of clay acidity, humic acid coating and herbicide structure on acetanilide herbicide adsorption on homoionic clays.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wei-ping; Fang, Zhuo; Liu, Hui-jun; Yang, Wei-chun

    2002-04-01

    Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on homoionic montmorillonite, soil humic acid, and their mixtures was studied by coupling batch equilibration and FT-IR analysis. Adsorption isotherms of acetochlor, alachlor, metolachlor and propachlor on Ca(2+)-, Mg(2+)-, Al(3+)- and Fe(3+)-saturated clays were well described by the Freundlich equation. Regardless of the type of exchange cations, Kf decreased in the order of metolachlor > acetolachlor > alachlor > propachlor on the same clay. FT-IR spectra showed that the carbonyl group of the herbicide molecule was involved in binding, probably via H-bond with water molecules in the clay interlayer. The type and position of substitutions around the carbonyl group may have affected the electronegativity of oxygen, thus influencing the relative adsorption of these herbicides. For the same herbicide, adsorption on clay increased in the order of Mg2+ < Ca2+ < Al3+ < or = Fe3+ which coincided with the increasing acidity of homoionic clays. Acidity of cations may have affected the protonation of water, and thus the strength of H-bond between the clay water and herbicide. Complexation of clay and humic acid resulted in less adsorption than that expected from independent adsorption by the individual constituents. The effect varied with herbicides, but the greatest decrease in adsorption occurred at a 60:40 clay-to-humic acid ratio for all the herbicides. Causes for the decreased adsorption need to be characterized to better understand adsorption mechanisms and predict adsorption from soil compositions.

  11. Exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid treatment affects citrate and amino acid accumulation to improve fruit quality and storage performance of postharvest citrus fruit.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Ling; Shen, Dandan; Luo, Yi; Sun, Xiaohua; Wang, Jinqiu; Luo, Tao; Zeng, Yunliu; Xu, Juan; Deng, Xiuxin; Cheng, Yunjiang

    2017-02-01

    The loss of organic acids during postharvest storage is one of the major factors that reduces the fruit quality and economic value of citrus. Citrate is the most important organic acid in citrus fruits. Molecular evidence has proved that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt plays a key role in citrate metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of exogenous GABA treatment on citrate metabolism and storage quality of postharvest citrus fruit. The content of citrate was significantly increased, which was primarily attributed to the inhibition of the expression of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). Amino acids, including glutamate, alanine, serine, aspartate and proline, were also increased. Moreover, GABA treatment decreased the fruit rot rate. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and the content of energy source ATP were affected by the treatment. Our results indicate that GABA treatment is a very effective approach for postharvest quality maintenance and improvement of storage performance in citrus production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [Does diet affect our mood? The significance of folic acid and homocysteine].

    PubMed

    Karakuła, Hanna; Opolska, Aneta; Kowal, Anna; Domański, Maciej; Płotka, Aniela; Perzyński, Janusz

    2009-02-01

    In recent years, there has been growing interest in the association between national diet and the possibility of developing various mental disorders, as well as between deficiency of such vitamins as, e.g. folic acid, vitamin B12, B6, and others (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids), elevated serum homocysteine level and the functioning of human brain as well as the occurrence of such disorders as dementia, central nervous system vascular disorders and depression. was to present the current state of knowledge about the role of folic acid and homocysteine in the human organism as well as the significance of vitamin deficiency, mainly folic acid and hyperhomocysteinemy for the occurrence of mood disorders. The authors conducted the search of the Internet database Medline (www.pubmed.com) using as key words: depression, mood, homocysteine, vitamin deficiencies: folic acid, B6 and 812 and time descriptors: 1990-2007. In depression, folate, vitamins B12 and B6, as well as unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids deficiency affects the biochemical processes in the CNS, as folic acid and vitamin B12, participate in the metabolism of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a donator of methyl groups, which play a decisive role in the functioning of the nervous system; they are, among others, active in the formation of neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin), phospholipids that are a component of neuronal myelin sheaths, and cell receptors. The deficiency of the vitamins in question results in hyperhomocysteinemia (the research shows that approximately 45-55% of patients with depression develop significantly elevated serum homocysteine), which causes a decrease in SAM, followed by impaired methylation and, consequently, impaired metabolism of neurotransmitters, phospholipids, myelin, and receptors. Hyperhomocysteinemia also leads to activation of NMDA receptors, lesions in vascular endothelium, and oxidative stress. All this effects neurotoxicity and promotes the development of various disorders, including

  13. Active food packaging based on molecularly imprinted polymers: study of the release kinetics of ferulic acid.

    PubMed

    Otero-Pazos, Pablo; Rodríguez-Bernaldo de Quirós, Ana; Sendón, Raquel; Benito-Peña, Elena; González-Vallejo, Victoria; Moreno-Bondi, M Cruz; Angulo, Immaculada; Paseiro-Losada, Perfecto

    2014-11-19

    A novel active packaging based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was developed for the controlled release of ferulic acid. The release kinetics of ferulic acid from the active system to food simulants (10, 20, and 50% ethanol (v/v), 3% acetic acid (w/v), and vegetable oil), substitutes (95% ethanol (v/v) and isooctane), and real food samples at different temperatures were studied. The key parameters of the diffusion process were calculated by using a mathematical modeling based on Fick's second law. The ferulic acid release was affected by the temperature as well as the percentage of ethanol of the simulant. The fastest release occurred in 95% ethanol (v/v) at 20 °C. The diffusion coefficients (D) obtained ranged between 1.8 × 10(-11) and 4.2 × 10(-9) cm(2)/s. A very good correlation between experimental and estimated data was obtained, and consequently the model could be used to predict the release of ferulic acid into food simulants and real food samples.

  14. Corrigendum to ;Dipole moment and solvatochromism of benzoic acid liquid crystals: Tuning the dipole moment and molecular orbital energies by substituted Au under external electric field; [J. Mol. Struct. 1137 (2017) 440-452

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sıdır, Yadigar Gülseven; Sıdır, İsa; Demiray, Ferhat

    2017-08-01

    The authors regret to inform that three references in the article titled ;Dipole moment and solvatochromism of benzoic acid liquid crystals: Tuning the dipole moment and molecular orbital energies by substituted Au under external electric field; are not given in the manuscript. This is purely an oversight mistake. The references are as shown in this correction. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

  15. A nucleotide substitution responsible for the tawny coat color mutation carried by the MSKR inbred strain of mice.

    PubMed

    Wada, A; Kunieda, T; Nishimura, M; Kakizoe-Ishida, Y; Watanabe, N; Ohkawa, K; Tsudzuki, M

    2005-01-01

    "Tawny" is an autosomal recessive coat color mutation found in a wild population of Mus musculus molossinus. The inbred strain MSKR carries the mutation. The causative gene Mc1r(taw) of the tawny phenotype is the second recessive allele at the melanocortin 1 receptor locus and is dominant to the first recessive allele, "recessive yellow" (Mc1r(e)). The Mc1r(taw) gene has six nucleotide substitutions, and its forecasted transcript has three amino acid substitutions (i.e., V101A, V216A, W252C). Though the nucleotide substitutions leading to V101A and V216A exist in various mouse strains, the nucleotide substitution leading to W252C exists in only tawny-colored mice. Thus this substitution is considered to be responsible for the expression of the tawny coat color. The frequency of the allele having this nucleotide substitution was 9.21% in the wild M. m. molossinus population inhabiting Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, where the ancestral mice of the MSKR strain were captured.

  16. Association of Amino Acid Substitutions in Penicillin-Binding Protein 3 with β-Lactam Resistance in β-Lactamase-Negative Ampicillin-Resistant Haemophilus influenzae

    PubMed Central

    Ubukata, Kimiko; Shibasaki, Yumi; Yamamoto, Kentarou; Chiba, Naoko; Hasegawa, Keiko; Takeuchi, Yasuo; Sunakawa, Keisuke; Inoue, Matsuhisa; Konno, Masatoshi

    2001-01-01

    The affinity of [3H]benzylpenicillin for penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 3A was reduced in 25 clinical isolates of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin (AMP)-resistant (BLNAR) Haemophilus influenzae for which the AMP MIC was ≥1.0 μg/ml. The affinities of PBP 3B and PBP 4 were also reduced in some strains. The sequences of the ftsI gene encoding the transpeptidase domain of PBP 3A and/or PBP 3B and of the dacB gene encoding PBP 4 were determined for these strains and compared to those of AMP-susceptible Rd strains. The BLNAR strains were classified into three groups on the basis of deduced amino acid substitutions in the ftsI gene, which is thought to be involved in septal peptidoglycan synthesis. His-517, near the conserved Lys-Thr-Gly (KTG) motif, was substituted for Arg-517 in group I strains (n = 9), and Lys-526 was substituted for Asn-526 in group II strains (n = 12). In group III strains (n = 4), three residues (Met-377, Ser-385, and Leu-389), positioned near the conserved Ser-Ser-Asn (SSN) motif, were replaced with Ile, Thr, and Phe, respectively, in addition to the replacement with Lys-526. The MICs of cephem antibiotics with relatively high affinities for PBP 3A and PBP 3B were higher than those of AMP and meropenem for group III strains. The MICs of β-lactams for H. influenzae transformants into which the ftsI gene from BLNAR strains was introduced were as high as those for the donors, and PBP 3A and PBP 3B showed decreased affinities for β-lactams. There was no clear relationship between 7-bp deletions in the dacB gene and AMP susceptibility. Even though mutations in another gene(s) may be involved in β-lactam resistance, these data indicate that mutations in the ftsI gene are the most important for development of resistance to β-lactams in BLNAR strains. PMID:11353613

  17. C-glycosylation reactions of sulfur-substituted glycosyl donors: evidence against the role of neighboring-group participation.

    PubMed

    Beaver, Matthew G; Billings, Susan B; Woerpel, K A

    2008-02-13

    Nucleophilic substitution reactions of C-4 sulfur-substituted tetrahydropyran acetals revealed that neighboring-group participation does not control product formation. Spectroscopic evidence for the formation of an intermediate sulfonium ion is provided, as are data from nucleophilic substitution reactions demonstrating that products are formed from oxocarbenium ion intermediates. The selectivity was not sensitive to solvent or to which Lewis acid was employed. The identity of the heteroatom at the C-4 position also did not significantly impact diastereoselectivity. Consequently, neighboring-group participation was not responsible for the formation of either the major or the minor products. These studies implicate a Curtin-Hammett kinetic scenario in which the formation of a low-energy intermediate does not necessitate its involvement in the product-forming pathway.

  18. Decarboxylation of cinnamic acids using a ruthenium sawhorse

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The ruthenium sawhorse has proven effective in the conversion of trans-cinnamic acid, and substituted trans-cinnamic acids, giving an effective source of biobased styrene and styrene analogues. The reaction is especially versatile, as it achieves product without utilising co-reagents. However, the o...

  19. A Single-Amino-Acid Substitution at Position 225 in Hemagglutinin Alters the Transmissibility of Eurasian Avian-Like H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus in Guinea Pigs.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zeng; Yang, Huanliang; Chen, Yan; Tao, Shiyu; Liu, Liling; Kong, Huihui; Ma, Shujie; Meng, Fei; Suzuki, Yasuo; Qiao, Chuanling; Chen, Hualan

    2017-11-01

    Efficient transmission from human to human is the prerequisite for an influenza virus to cause a pandemic; however, the molecular determinants of influenza virus transmission are still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the molecular basis for transmission of Eurasian avian-like H1N1 (EAH1N1) swine influenza viruses by comparing two viruses that are genetically similar but differ in their transmissibility in guinea pigs: the A/swine/Guangxi/18/2011 virus (GX/18) is highly transmissible by respiratory droplet in guinea pigs, whereas the A/swine/Heilongjiang/27/2012 virus (HLJ/27) does not transmit in this animal model. We used reverse genetics to generate a series of reassortants and mutants in the GX/18 background and tested their transmissibility in guinea pigs. We found that a single-amino-acid substitution of glycine (G) for glutamic acid (E) at position 225 (E225G) in the HA1 protein completely abolished the respiratory droplet transmission of GX/18, whereas the substitution of E for G at the same position (G225E) in HA1 enabled HLJ/27 to transmit in guinea pigs. We investigated the underlying mechanism and found that viruses bearing 225E in HA1 replicated more rapidly than viruses bearing 225G due to differences in assembly and budding efficiencies. Our study indicates that the amino acid 225E in HA1 plays a key role in EAH1N1 swine influenza virus transmission and provides important information for evaluating the pandemic potential of field influenza virus strains. IMPORTANCE Efficient transmission among humans is a prerequisite for a novel influenza virus to cause a human pandemic. Transmissibility of influenza viruses is a polygenic trait, and understanding the genetic determinants for transmissibility will provide useful insights for evaluating the pandemic potential of influenza viruses in the field. Several amino acids in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza viruses have been shown to be important for transmissibility, usually by

  20. A Single Amino Acid Substitution Prevents Recognition of a Dominant Human Aquaporin-4 Determinant in the Context of HLA-DRB1*03:01 by a Murine TCR

    PubMed Central

    Arellano, Benjamine; Hussain, Rehana; Miller-Little, William A.; Herndon, Emily; Lambracht-Washington, Doris; Eagar, Todd N.; Lewis, Robert; Healey, Don; Vernino, Steven; Greenberg, Benjamin M.; Stüve, Olaf

    2016-01-01

    Background Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is considered a putative autoantigen in patients with Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), an autoinflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). HLA haplotype analyses of patients with NMO suggest a positive association with HLA-DRB1* 03:01. We previously showed that the human (h) AQP4 peptide 281–300 is the dominant immunogenic determinant of hAQP4 in the context of HLA-DRB1*03:01. This immunogenic peptide stimulates a strong Th1 and Th17 immune response. AQP4281-300-specific encephalitogenic CD4+ T cells should initiate CNS inflammation that results in a clinical phenotype in HLA-DRB1*03:01 transgenic mice. Methods Controlled study with humanized experimental animals. HLA-DRB1*03:01 transgenic mice were immunized with hAQP4281-300, or whole-length hAQP4 protein emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant. Humoral immune responses to both antigens were assessed longitudinally. In vivo T cell frequencies were assessed by tetramer staining. Mice were followed clinically, and the anterior visual pathway was tested by pupillometry. CNS tissue was examined histologically post-mortem. Flow cytometry was utilized for MHC binding assays and to immunophenotype T cells, and T cell frequencies were determined by ELISpot assay. Results Immunization with hAQP4281-300 resulted in an in vivo expansion of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells, and an immunoglobulin isotype switch. HLA-DRB1*03:01 TG mice actively immunized with hAQP4281-300, or with whole-length hAQP4 protein were resistant to developing a neurological disease that resembles NMO. Experimental mice show no histological evidence of CNS inflammation, nor change in pupillary responses. Subsequent analysis reveals that a single amino acid substitution from aspartic acid in hAQP4 to glutamic acid in murine (m)AQP4 at position 290 prevents the recognition of hAQP4281-300 by the murine T cell receptor (TCR). Conclusion Induction of a CNS inflammatory autoimmune disorder by active immunization of

  1. Society already achieves economic benefits from generic substitution but fails to do the same for therapeutic substitution.

    PubMed

    Gumbs, Pearl D; Verschuren, W M Monique; Souverein, Patrick C; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; de Wit, G Ardine; de Boer, Anthonius; Klungel, Olaf H

    2007-11-01

    To assess the potential annual savings due to generic and therapeutic substitution of statin therapy for the general Dutch population, taking the patients medical history into account. We conducted a population-based costing study using the PHARMO Record Linkage System (RLS). PHARMO RLS contains drug dispensing records from a representative sample of pharmacies located in more than 50 regions in the Netherlands. We selected all statin users in the database since 2003. The cost-savings of generic substitution of statin therapy for all simvastatin and pravastatin users, and of therapeutic substitution of statin therapy for other statin users were calculated. Substituting current users and new users of statins were considered separately. Therapeutic substitution was based on the medical history of the individual patient. Patients were only substituted if there was an appropriate substitute available. The appropriateness of substitution was based on drug-drug interactions between statins and possible comedication and the availability of an equipotent alternative. Substituting (generic and therapeutic) statin therapy for all current users would lead to potential annual savings of approximately 87 million euros. Substituting (generic and therapeutic) all starters on statin therapy would lead to potential annual savings of around 51 million euros. In the case of generic substitution only, the potential annual savings for all current simvastatin and pravastatin users would be 2.4 million euros and for the new users about 1.8 million euros. From an economic point of view, society could gain a lot from substituting statin therapy, especially from therapeutic substitution.

  2. Exogenous abscisic acid significantly affects proteome in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) exposed to drought stress

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is an important economic crop, and drought is the most important abiotic stress affecting yield and quality. Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone responsible for activating drought resistance. Increased understanding of ABA effects on tea plant unde...

  3. Managing Substitute Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Kevin R.

    1999-01-01

    This news brief presents information on managing substitute teaching. The information is based on issues discussed at a summit meeting which included public school administrators and personnel directors from around the nation. The main topics of concern focused around four core components related to the management of substitute teaching:…

  4. Effect of osmotic dehydration of olives as pre-fermentation treatment and partial substitution of sodium chloride by monosodium glutamate in the fermentation profile of Kalamata natural black olives.

    PubMed

    Bonatsou, Stamatoula; Iliopoulos, Vasilis; Mallouchos, Athanasios; Gogou, Eleni; Oikonomopoulou, Vasiliki; Krokida, Magdalini; Taoukis, Petros; Panagou, Efstathios Z

    2017-05-01

    This study examined the effect of osmotic dehydration of Kalamata natural black olives as pre-fermentation treatment in combination with partial substitution of NaCl by monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the fermentation profile of olives. Osmotic dehydration was undertaken by immersing the olives in 70% (w/w) glucose syrup overnight at room temperature. Further on, three different mixtures of NaCl and MSG with/without prior osmotic dehydration of olives were investigated, namely (i) 6.65% NaCl - 0.35% MSG (5% substitution), (ii) 6.30% NaCl - 0.70% MSG (10% substitution), (iii) 5.95% NaCl - 1.05% MSG (15% substitution), and (iv) 7% NaCl without osmotic dehydration (control treatment). Changes in the microbial association (lactic acid bacteria [LAB], yeasts, Enterobacteriaceae), pH, titratable acidity, organic acids, sugars, and volatile compounds in the brine were analyzed for a period of 4 months. The final product was subjected to sensory analysis and the content of MSG in olives was determined. Results demonstrated that osmotic dehydration of olives prior to brining led to vigorous lactic acid processes as indicated by the obtained values of pH (3.7-4.1) and acidity (0.7-0.8%) regardless of the amount of MSG used. However, in non-osmotically dehydrated olives, the highest substitution level of MSG resulted in a final pH (4.5) that was beyond specification for this type of olives. MSG was degraded in the brines being almost completely converted to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the end of fermentation. Finally, the sensory assessment of fermented olives with/without osmotic dehydration and at all levels of MSG did not show any deviation compared to the control treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effective non-viral delivery of siRNA to acute myeloid leukemia cells with lipid-substituted polyethylenimines.

    PubMed

    Landry, Breanne; Aliabadi, Hamidreza Montazeri; Samuel, Anuja; Gül-Uludağ, Hilal; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Kutsch, Olaf; Uludağ, Hasan

    2012-01-01

    Use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising approach for AML treatment as the siRNA molecule can be designed to specifically target proteins that contribute to aberrant cell proliferation in this disease. However, a clinical-relevant means of delivering siRNA molecules must be developed, as the cellular delivery of siRNA is problematic. Here, we report amphiphilic carriers combining a cationic polymer (2 kDa polyethyleneimine, PEI2) with lipophilic moieties to facilitate intracellular delivery of siRNA to AML cell lines. Complete binding of siRNA by the designed carriers was achieved at a polymer:siRNA ratio of ≈ 0.5 and led to siRNA/polymer complexes of ≈ 100 nm size. While the native PEI2 did not display cytotoxicity on AML cell lines THP-1, KG-1 and HL-60, lipid-modification on PEI2 slightly increased the cytotoxicity, which was consistent with increased interaction of polymers with cell membranes. Cellular delivery of siRNA was dependent on the nature of lipid substituent and the extent of lipid substitution, and varied among the three AML cell lines used. Linoleic acid-substituted polymers performed best among the prepared polymers and gave a siRNA delivery equivalent to better performing commercial reagents. Using THP-1 cells and a reporter (GFP) and an endogenous (CXCR4) target, effective silencing of the chosen targets was achieved with 25 to 50 nM of siRNA concentrations, and without adversely affecting subsequent cell growth. We conclude that lipid-substituted PEI2 can serve as an effective delivery of siRNA to leukemic cells and could be employed in molecular therapy of leukemia.

  6. Effective Non-Viral Delivery of siRNA to Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells with Lipid-Substituted Polyethylenimines

    PubMed Central

    Landry, Breanne; Aliabadi, Hamidreza Montazeri; Samuel, Anuja; Gül-Uludağ, Hilal; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Kutsch, Olaf; Uludağ, Hasan

    2012-01-01

    Use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising approach for AML treatment as the siRNA molecule can be designed to specifically target proteins that contribute to aberrant cell proliferation in this disease. However, a clinical-relevant means of delivering siRNA molecules must be developed, as the cellular delivery of siRNA is problematic. Here, we report amphiphilic carriers combining a cationic polymer (2 kDa polyethyleneimine, PEI2) with lipophilic moieties to facilitate intracellular delivery of siRNA to AML cell lines. Complete binding of siRNA by the designed carriers was achieved at a polymer:siRNA ratio of ∼0.5 and led to siRNA/polymer complexes of ∼100 nm size. While the native PEI2 did not display cytotoxicity on AML cell lines THP-1, KG-1 and HL-60, lipid-modification on PEI2 slightly increased the cytotoxicity, which was consistent with increased interaction of polymers with cell membranes. Cellular delivery of siRNA was dependent on the nature of lipid substituent and the extent of lipid substitution, and varied among the three AML cell lines used. Linoleic acid-substituted polymers performed best among the prepared polymers and gave a siRNA delivery equivalent to better performing commercial reagents. Using THP-1 cells and a reporter (GFP) and an endogenous (CXCR4) target, effective silencing of the chosen targets was achieved with 25 to 50 nM of siRNA concentrations, and without adversely affecting subsequent cell growth. We conclude that lipid-substituted PEI2 can serve as an effective delivery of siRNA to leukemic cells and could be employed in molecular therapy of leukemia. PMID:22952927

  7. C sbnd H…F hydrogen bonds as the organising force in F-substituted α-phenyl cinnamic acid aggregates studied by the combination of FTIR spectroscopy and computations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolnai, B.; Kiss, J. T.; Felföldi, K.; Pálinkó, I.

    2009-04-01

    Various F-substituted E-2,3-diphenyl propenoic acid molecules were synthesised and their aggregation behaviour was studied by experimental (FT-IR spectroscopy) and computational (semiempirical and DFT) methods. Experimental approach embraced the identification of potential hydrogen bonding sites through finding the relevant IR bands and monitoring their shifts upon increasing the acid concentration and on going to the solid state. It was found that fluorine engaged in C sbnd H…F hydrogen bonding easily, where the carbon atom could be of any kind available in the molecule (aromatic, aliphatic or olefinic). Shifts were found even in moderately concentrated solutions and in the solid state too. Hydrogen bonding sites could be assigned and relevant aggregate models could be built. Molecular modelling allowed obtaining good estimates for hydrogen bond lengths and angles and visualisation of the geometric arrangements even of extended networks also became feasible.

  8. Inhibition of Isolated Mycobacterium tuberculosis Fatty Acid Synthase I by Pyrazinamide Analogs▿

    PubMed Central

    Ngo, Silvana C.; Zimhony, Oren; Chung, Woo Jin; Sayahi, Halimah; Jacobs, William R.; Welch, John T.

    2007-01-01

    An analog of pyrazinamide (PZA), 5-chloropyrazinamide (5-Cl-PZA), has previously been shown to inhibit mycobacterial fatty acid synthase I (FASI). FASI has been purified from a recombinant strain of M. smegmatis (M. smegmatis Δfas1 attB::M. tuberculosis fas1). Following purification, FASI activity and inhibition were assessed spectrophotometrically by monitoring NADPH oxidation. The observed inhibition was both concentration and structure dependent, being affected by both substitution at the 5 position of the pyrazine nucleus and the nature of the ester or N-alkyl group. Under the conditions studied, both 5-Cl-PZA and PZA exhibited concentration and substrate dependence consistent with competitive inhibition of FASI with Kis of 55 to 59 μM and 2,567 to 2,627 μM, respectively. The results were validated utilizing a radiolabeled fatty acid synthesis assay. This assay showed that FASI was inhibited by PZA and pyrazinoic acid as well as by a series of PZA analogs. PMID:17485499

  9. Crushed cement concrete substitution for construction aggregates; a materials flow analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kelly, Thomas

    1998-01-01

    An analysis of the substitution of crushed cement concrete for natural construction aggregates is performed by using a materials flow diagram that tracks all material flows into and out of the cement concrete portion of the products made with cement concrete: highways, roads, and buildings. Crushed cement concrete is only one of the materials flowing into these products, and the amount of crushed cement concrete substituted influences the amount of other materials in the flow. Factors such as availability and transportation costs, as well as physical properties, that can affect stability and finishability, influence whether crushed cement concrete or construction aggregates should be used or predominate for a particular end use.

  10. Evolution of plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) levels during treatment in schizo-affective disorder.

    PubMed

    Galinowski, A; Castelnau, C; Spreux-Varoquaux, O; Bourdel, M C; Olie, J P; Loo, H; Poirier, M F

    2000-11-01

    1. Plasma Homovanillic Acid (p HVA) levels were measured by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) in 5 schizo-affective depressed patients receiving a standardized treatment. (lithium, chlorpromazine and clomipramine) during 4 weeks. 2. Four patients were pretreated, without a washout period. 3. No significant difference was observed between patients and normal controls at baseline. Under treatment, pHVA levels increased (p<0.02) with clinical improvement (MADRS and PANSS scores). 4. Although effects of medications prior to the study period were not controlled, these findings suggest that depressed schizo-affective patients may have normal pHVA levels that increase with clinical improvement, unlike schizophrenic patients whose increased pHVA concentrations decline with neuroleptic treatment.

  11. Effects of hospital generic drug substitution on diabetes therapy

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Hui-Yin; Chang, Hui-Ru; Lang, Hui-Chu

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate the effects on physicians’ prescribing behavior and on the therapeutic outcome of non-insulin-dependent diabetes patients of substituting different generic brands of metformin. Methods We adopt a retrospective cohort study involving 280 type-2 diabetes patients who regularly used the outpatient services of one medical center and who had changed metformin brands five times between 2003 and 2008. The aim was to examine the effects of switching brands. The generalized estimating equation was used to determine whether drug brand switching affected patient glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, their prescribed daily dose, or their adherence to medication with metformin. Results HbA1c levels increased from 7.91 to 8.34 throughout the study period, although it was found that brand switching did not adversely affect HbA1c levels after controlling for patient characteristics and the time course of the study. Furthermore, the prescribed daily dose of metformin was stable throughout the study period, and was approximately 0.8 of the defined daily dose. Finally, although adherence was significantly higher with the original metformin than with the four generic brands, patients still maintained high levels of adherence of >0.8. Conclusion Although switching between different brands of metformin slightly affected the prescribing behavior of the physicians, there was no unfavorable effect on patient HbA1c levels. Thus, the policy of substituting between different generic brands of metformin is a good cost-effective approach that does not adversely affect the quality of diabetes patient care. PMID:24511228

  12. Cysteine 295 indirectly affects Ni coordination of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase-II C-cluster

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Inoue, Takahiro; Takao, Kyosuke; Yoshida, Takashi

    2013-11-08

    Highlights: •CODH-II harbors a unique [Ni-Fe-S] cluster. •We substituted the ligand residues of Cys{sup 295} and His{sup 261}. •Dramatic decreases in Ni content upon substitutions were observed. •All substitutions did not affect Fe-S clusters assembly. •CO oxidation activity was decreased by the substitutions. -- Abstract: A unique [Ni–Fe–S] cluster (C-cluster) constitutes the active center of Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs). His{sup 261}, which coordinates one of the Fe atoms with Cys{sup 295}, is suggested to be the only residue required for Ni coordination in the C-cluster. To evaluate the role of Cys{sup 295}, we constructed CODH-II variants. Ala substitution formore » the Cys{sup 295} substitution resulted in the decrease of Ni content and didn’t result in major change of Fe content. In addition, the substitution had no effect on the ability to assemble a full complement of [Fe–S] clusters. This strongly suggests Cys{sup 295} indirectly and His{sup 261} together affect Ni-coordination in the C-cluster.« less

  13. 40 CFR 721.10661 - Methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene], polymer with alkanedoic acid, alkylene glycols, alkoxylated...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...], polymer with alkanedoic acid, alkylene glycols, alkoxylated alkanepolyol and substituted trialkoxysilane... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10661 Methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene], polymer with alkanedoic acid... as methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene], polymer with alkanedoic acid, alkylene glycols, alkoxylated...

  14. Promising approaches to optimize the biological properties of the antimicrobial peptide esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2: Amino acids substitution and conjugation to nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casciaro, Bruno; Cappiello, Floriana; Cacciafesta, Mauro; Mangoni, Maria Luisa

    2017-04-01

    Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent an interesting class of molecules with expanding biological properties which make them a viable alternative for the development of future antibiotic drugs. However, for this purpose, some limitations must be overcome: (i) the poor biostability due to enzymatic degradation; (ii) the cytotoxicity at concentrations slightly higher than the therapeutic dosages; and (iii) the inefficient delivery to the target site at effective concentrations. Recently, a derivative of the frog skin esculentin-1a, named esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, [Esc(1-21): GIFSKLAGKKIKNLLISGLKG-NH2] has been found to have a potent activity against the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a slightly weaker activity against Gram-positive bacteria and interesting immunomodulatory properties. With the aim to optimize the antimicrobial features of Esc(1-21) and to circumvent the limitations described above, two different approaches were followed: (i) substitutions by non-coded amino acids, i.e. α-aminoisobutyric acid or D-amino acids; and (ii) peptide conjugation to gold nanoparticles. In this mini-review, we summarized the structural and functional properties of the resulting Esc(1-21)-derived compounds. Overall, our data may assist researchers in the rational design and optimization of AMPs for the development of future drugs to fight the worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance.

  15. 14 CFR 1260.55 - Reports substitution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... AGREEMENTS General Special Conditions § 1260.55 Reports substitution. Reports Substitution October 2000 Technical Reports may be substituted for the required Performance Reports. The title page of such reports... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Reports substitution. 1260.55 Section 1260...

  16. 14 CFR 1260.55 - Reports substitution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... AGREEMENTS General Special Conditions § 1260.55 Reports substitution. Reports Substitution October 2000 Technical Reports may be substituted for the required Performance Reports. The title page of such reports... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reports substitution. 1260.55 Section 1260...

  17. 14 CFR 1260.55 - Reports substitution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... AGREEMENTS General Special Conditions § 1260.55 Reports substitution. Reports Substitution October 2000 Technical Reports may be substituted for the required Performance Reports. The title page of such reports... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2011-01-01 2010-01-01 true Reports substitution. 1260.55 Section 1260...

  18. 14 CFR 1260.55 - Reports substitution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... AGREEMENTS General Special Conditions § 1260.55 Reports substitution. Reports Substitution October 2000 Technical Reports may be substituted for the required Performance Reports. The title page of such reports... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Reports substitution. 1260.55 Section 1260...

  19. Accessing 2-substituted piperidine iminosugars by organometallic addition/intramolecular reductive amination: aldehyde vs. nitrone route.

    PubMed

    Mirabella, S; Fibbi, G; Matassini, C; Faggi, C; Goti, A; Cardona, F

    2017-11-07

    A dual synthetic strategy to afford 2-substituted trihydroxypiperidines is disclosed. The procedure involved Grignard addition either to a carbohydrate-derived aldehyde or to a nitrone derived thereof, and took advantage of an efficient ring-closure reductive amination strategy in the final cyclization step. An opposite diastereofacial preference was demonstrated in the nucleophilic attack to the two electrophiles, which would finally produce the same piperidine diastereoisomer as the major product. However, use of a suitable Lewis acid in the Grignard addition to the nitrone allowed reversing the selectivity, giving access to 2-substituted piperidines with the opposite configuration at C-2.

  20. Lanthanum-silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite: Mechanochemical synthesis and prospects for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaikina, M. V.; Komarova, E. G.; Sharkeev, Yu. P.; Bulina, N. V.; Prosanov, I. Yu.

    2016-08-01

    The paper presents the results of mechanochemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAP) with simultaneous substitutions of lanthanum (La3+) for calcium ions and silicate ((SiO4)4--group) for the phosphate group with the substituent concentrations in the range 0.2-2.0 mol per HAP mol. The use of Si-substituted HAP as a coating material promotes accelerated osteosynthesis and osteointegration of implants into the bone tissue. The replacement of calcium ions by La3+ in the HAP structure plays an antimicrobial role preventing inflammatory processes. Annealing-induced variations in the lattice parameters of synthesized samples indicate the substituent incorporation into the HAP structure. It is known that complex compounds with lanthanides are used for cancer chemotherapy. In particular, La plays a key role in the course of treatment of injured defects of bone tissue. In addition, La-substituted HAP can be used for filling bone defects and coating implants in postoperational areas affected by bone cancer.

  1. Direct comparison of oligochaete erythrocruorins as potential blood substitutes

    PubMed Central

    Zimmerman, Devon; DiIusto, Matthew; Dienes, Jack; Abdulmalik, Osheiza

    2017-01-01

    Abstract While many blood substitutes are based on mammalian hemoglobins (e.g., human hemoglobin, HbA), the naturally extracellular hemoglobins of invertebrates (a.k.a. erythrocruorins, Ecs) are intriguing alternative oxygen carriers. Specifically, the erythrocruorin of Lumbricus terrestris has been shown to effectively deliver oxygen in mice and rats without the negative side effects observed with HbA. In this study, the properties of six oligochaete Ecs (Lumbricus terrestris, Eisenia hortensis, Eisenia fetida, Eisenia veneta, Eudrilus eugeniae, and Amynthas gracilis) were compared in vitro to identify the most promising blood substitute candidate(s). Several metrics were used to compare the Ecs, including their oxidation rates, dissociation at physiological pH, thermal stability, and oxygen transport characteristics. Overall, the Ecs of Lumbricus terrestris (LtEc) and Eisenia fetida (EfEc) were identified as promising candidates, since they demonstrated high thermal and oligomeric stability, while also exhibiting relatively low oxidation rates. Interestingly, the O2 affinity of LtEc (P 50 = 26.25 mmHg at 37 °C) was also observed to be uniquely lower than EfEc and all of the other Ecs (P 50 = 9.29–13.62 mmHg). Subsequent alignment of the primary sequences of LtEc and EfEc revealed several significant amino acid substitutions within the D subunit interfaces that may be responsible for this significant change in O2 affinity. Nonetheless, these results show that LtEc and EfEc are promising potential blood substitutes that are resistant to oxidation and denaturation, but additional experiments will need to be conducted to determine their safety, efficacy, and the effects of their disparate oxygen affinities in vivo. PMID:29313031

  2. Serum neuron-specific enolase, biogenic amino-acids and neurobehavioral function in lead-exposed workers from lead-acid battery manufacturing process.

    PubMed

    Ravibabu, K; Barman, T; Rajmohan, H R

    2015-01-01

    The interaction between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), biogenic amino-acids and neurobehavioral function with blood lead levels in workers exposed to lead form lead-acid battery manufacturing process was not studied. To evaluate serum NSE and biogenic amino-acids (dopamine and serotonin) levels, and neurobehavioral performance among workers exposed to lead from lead-acid storage battery plant, and its relation with blood lead levels (BLLs). In a cross-sectional study, we performed biochemical and neurobehavioral function tests on 146 workers exposed to lead from lead-acid battery manufacturing process. BLLs were assessed by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum NSE, dopamine and serotonin were measured by ELISA. Neurobehavioral functions were assessed by CDC-recommended tests---simple reaction time (SRT), symbol digit substitution test (SDST), and serial digit learning test (SDLT). There was a significant correlation (r 0.199, p<0.05) between SDST and BLL. SDLT and SRT had also a significant positive correlation (r 0.238, p<0.01). NSE had a negative correlation (r -0.194, p<0.05) with serotonin level. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both SRT and SDST had positive significant associations with BLL. SRT also had a positive significant association with age. Serum NSE cannot be used as a marker for BLL. The only domain of neurobehavioral function tests that is affected by increased BLL in workers of lead-acid battery manufacturing process is that of the "attention and perception" (SDST).

  3. Phenylacetic and Phenylpropionic Acids Do Not Affect Xylan Degradation by Ruminococcus albus

    PubMed Central

    Reveneau, Carine; Adams, Sarah E.; Cotta, M. A.; Morrison, M.

    2003-01-01

    Since the addition of either ruminal fluid or a combination of phenylacetic and phenylpropionic acids (PAA/PPA) has previously been shown to dramatically improve cellulose degradation and growth of Ruminococcus albus, it was of interest to determine the effects of these additives on xylan-grown cultures. Although cell-bound xylanase activity increased when either PAA/PPA or ruminal fluid was added to the growth medium, total xylanase did not change, and neither of these supplements affected the growth or xylan-degrading capacity of R. albus 8. Similarly, neither PAA/PPA nor ruminal fluid affected xylan degradation by multiple strains of R. albus when xylan prepared from oat spelts was used as a carbohydrate source. These results show that the xylanolytic potential of R. albus is not conditional on the availability of PAA/PPA or other components of ruminal fluid. PMID:14602663

  4. Molecular complexes of alprazolam with carboxylic acids, boric acid, boronic acids, and phenols. Evaluation of supramolecular heterosynthons mediated by a triazole ring.

    PubMed

    Varughese, Sunil; Azim, Yasser; Desiraju, Gautam R

    2010-09-01

    A series of molecular complexes, both co-crystals and salts, of a triazole drug-alprazolam-with carboxylic acids, boric acid, boronic acids, and phenols have been analyzed with respect to heterosynthons present in the crystal structures. In all cases, the triazole ring behaves as an efficient hydrogen bond acceptor with the acidic coformers. The hydrogen bond patterns exhibited with aromatic carboxylic acids were found to depend on the nature and position of the substituents. Being a strong acid, 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid forms a salt with alprazolam. With aliphatic dicarboxylic acids alprazolam forms hydrates and the water molecules play a central role in synthon formation and crystal packing. The triazole ring makes two distinct heterosynthons in the molecular complex with boric acid. Boronic acids and phenols form consistent hydrogen bond patterns, and these are seemingly independent of the substitutional effects. Boronic acids form noncentrosymmetric cyclic synthons, while phenols form O--H...N hydrogen bonds with the triazole ring.

  5. Low irradiances affect abscisic acid, indole-3-acidic acid, and cytokinin levels of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tissues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nan, R.; Carman, J. G.; Salisbury, F. B.

    1999-01-01

    Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants were grown under four irradiance levels: 1,400, 400, 200, and 100 micromol m-2 s-1. Leaves and roots were sampled before, during, and after the boot stage, and levels of abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), zeatin, zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin, dihydrozeatin riboside, isopentenyl adenine, and isopentenyl adenosine were quantified using noncompetitive indirect ELISA systems. Levels of IAA in leaves and roots of plants exposed to 100 micromol m-2 s-1 of irradiance were 0.7 and 2.9 micromol kg-1 dry mass (DM), respectively. These levels were 0.2 and 1.0 micromol kg-1 DM, respectively, when plants were exposed to 1,400 micromol m-2 s-1. Levels of ABA in leaves and roots of plants exposed to 100 micromol m-2 s-1 were 0.65 and 0.55 micromol kg-1 DM, respectively. They were 0.24 micromol kg-1 DM (both leaves and roots) when plants were exposed to 1,400 micromol m-2 s-1. Levels of isopentenyl adenosine in leaves (24.3 nmol kg-1 DM) and roots (29.9 nmol kg-1 DM) were not affected by differences in the irradiance regime. Similar values were obtained in a second experiment. Other cytokinins could not be detected (<10 nmol kg 1 DM) in either experiment with the sample sizes used (150-600 mg DM for roots and shoots, respectively).

  6. Amino acid polymorphisms in the fibronectin-binding repeats of fibronectin-binding protein A affect bond strength and fibronectin conformation.

    PubMed

    Casillas-Ituarte, Nadia N; Cruz, Carlos H B; Lins, Roberto D; DiBartola, Alex C; Howard, Jessica; Liang, Xiaowen; Höök, Magnus; Viana, Isabelle F T; Sierra-Hernández, M Roxana; Lower, Steven K

    2017-05-26

    The Staphylococcus aureus cell surface contains cell wall-anchored proteins such as fibronectin-binding protein A (FnBPA) that bind to host ligands ( e.g. fibronectin; Fn) present in the extracellular matrix of tissue or coatings on cardiac implants. Recent clinical studies have found a correlation between cardiovascular infections caused by S. aureus and nonsynonymous SNPs in FnBPA. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and molecular simulations were used to investigate interactions between Fn and each of eight 20-mer peptide variants containing amino acids Ala, Asn, Gln, His, Ile, and Lys at positions equivalent to 782 and/or 786 in Fn-binding repeat-9 of FnBPA. Experimentally measured bond lifetimes (1/ k off ) and dissociation constants ( K d = k off / k on ), determined by mechanically dissociating the Fn·peptide complex at loading rates relevant to the cardiovascular system, varied from the lowest-affinity H782A/K786A peptide (0.011 s, 747 μm) to the highest-affinity H782Q/K786N peptide (0.192 s, 15.7 μm). These atomic force microscopy results tracked remarkably well to metadynamics simulations in which peptide detachment was defined solely by the free-energy landscape. Simulations and SPR experiments suggested that an Fn conformational change may enhance the stability of the binding complex for peptides with K786I or H782Q/K786I ( K d app = 0.2-0.5 μm, as determined by SPR) compared with the lowest-affinity double-alanine peptide ( K d app = 3.8 μm). Together, these findings demonstrate that amino acid substitutions in Fn-binding repeat-9 can significantly affect bond strength and influence the conformation of Fn upon binding. They provide a mechanistic explanation for the observation of nonsynonymous SNPs in fnbA among clinical isolates of S. aureus that cause endovascular infections. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  7. Biodegradation of chloro- and bromobenzoic acids: effect of milieu conditions and microbial community analysis.

    PubMed

    Gaza, Sarah; Felgner, Annika; Otto, Johannes; Kushmaro, Ariel; Ben-Dov, Eitan; Tiehm, Andreas

    2015-04-28

    Monohalogenated benzoic acids often appear in industrial wastewaters where biodegradation can be hampered by complex mixtures of pollutants and prevailing extreme milieu conditions. In this study, the biodegradation of chlorinated and brominated benzoic acids was conducted at a pH range of 5.0-9.0, at elevated salt concentrations and with pollutant mixtures including fluorinated and iodinated compounds. In mixtures of the isomers, the degradation order was primarily 4-substituted followed by 3-substituted and then 2-substituted halogenated benzoic acids. If the pH and salt concentration were altered simultaneously, long adaptation periods were required. Community analyses were conducted in liquid batch cultures and after immobilization on sand columns. The Alphaproteobacteria represented an important fraction in all of the enrichment cultures. On the genus level, Afipia sp. was detected most frequently. In particular, Bacteroidetes were detected in high numbers with chlorinated benzoic acids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Ionic substitution of Mg2+ for Al3+ and Fe3+ with octahedral coordination in hydroxides facilitate precipitation of layered double hydroxides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paikaray, Susanta; Essilfie-Dughan, Joseph; Hendry, M. Jim

    2018-01-01

    Precipitation of hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxides (HT-LDHs) from CO32--SO42--rich acidic and alkaline aqueous media through ionic substitution of Mg2+ for Al3+ + Fe3+ and vice versa was investigated under ambient conditions. Diffractogram, spectroscopic, microprobe, microscopic, and synchrotron techniques were used to examine the mechanisms involved. The cations facilitated rapid precipitation of HT-LDH in alkaline conditions (pH ≥ 8.2) with SO42- and CO32- as the counter charge balancing interlayer anions, while initial formation of Fe3+- and Al3+-hydroxides in acidic conditions (pH ≥ 2.4) with subsequent transformation to MgAlFe-type HT-LDH (pH ≥ 8.2) occurred through substitution of Mg2+ for Al3+ and Fe3+. Substitution of Al3+ and Fe3+ in Mg2+-hydroxides did not yield HT-LDH, while the reverse, i.e., Mg2+ substitution in Al3+ and Fe3+-hydroxides, produced initial poorly ordered amorphous HT-LDH that gained better crystallinity and crystallite size upon neutralization. Linear combination fit analyses of XANES data suggest schwertmannite constituted the predominant Fe-phase until pH ∼3.7 followed by ferrihydrite and eventually HT-LDH after pH ≥ 10; basaluminite and epsomite constituted the predominant Al and Mg phases until pH ∼4.5, after which HT-LDH with minor Al(OH)3 and HT-LDH with brucite, respectively, predominated. The study highlights that Mg2+ substitution in Al- and Fe-precipitates is the governing mechanism for HT-LDH precipitation in oxic environments through neutralization of acidic cationic aqueous residues.

  9. Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Substituted Phenylnitrenes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wijeratne, Neloni R.; Da Fonte, Maria; Wenthold, Paul G.

    2009-06-01

    Nitrenes are unusual molecular structures with unfilled electronic valences that are isoelectronic with carbenes. Although, both can be generated by either thermal or photochemical decomposition of appropriate precursors they usually exhibit different reactivities. In this work, we carry out spectroscopic studies of substituted phenylnitrene to determine how the introduction of substituents will affect the reactivity and its thermochemical properties. All studies were carried out by using the newly constructed time-of-flight negative ion photoelectron spectrometer (NIPES) at Purdue University. The 355 nm photoelectron spectra of the o-, m-, and p-chlorophenyl nitrene anions are fairly similar to that measured for phenylnitrene anion. All spectra show low energy triplet state and a high energy singlet state. The singlet state for the meta isomer is well-resolved, with a well defined origin and observable vibrational structure. Whereas the singlet states for the ortho and para isomers have lower energy onsets and no resolved structure. The isomeric dependence suggests that the geometry differences result from the resonance interaction between the nitrogen and the substituent. Quinoidal resonance structures are possible for the open-shell singlet states of the o- and p-chlorinated phenyl nitrenes. The advantages of this type of electronic structures for the open-shell singlet states is that the unpaired electrons can be more localized on separate atoms in the molecules, minimizing the repulsion between. Because the meta position is not in resonance with the nitrenes, substitution at that position should not affect the structure of the open-shell singlet state. The measured electron affinities (EA) of the triplet phenylnitrenes are in excellent agreement with the values predicted by electronic structure calculations. The largest EA, 1.82 eV is found for the meta isomer, with para being the smallest, 1.70 eV.

  10. The substitutability of reinforcers.

    PubMed

    Green, Leonard; Freed, Debra E

    1993-07-01

    Substitutability is a construct borrowed from microeconomics that describes a continuum of possible interactions among the reinforcers in a given situation. Highly substitutable reinforcers, which occupy one end of the continuum, are readily traded for each other due to their functional similarity. Complementary reinforcers, at the other end of the continuum, tend to be consumed jointly in fairly rigid proportion, and therefore cannot be traded for one another except to achieve that proportion. At the center of the continuum are reinforcers that are independent with respect to each other; consumption of one has no influence on consumption of another. Psychological research and analyses in terms of substitutability employ standard operant conditioning paradigms in which humans and nonhumans choose between alternative reinforcers. The range of reinforcer interactions found in these studies is more readily accommodated and predicted when behavior-analytic models of choice consider issues of substitutability. New insights are gained into such areas as eating and drinking, electrical brain stimulation, temporal separation of choice alternatives, behavior therapy, drug use, and addictions. Moreover, the generalized matching law (Baum, 1974) gains greater explanatory power and comprehensiveness when measures of substitutability are included.

  11. The substitutability of reinforcers

    PubMed Central

    Green, Leonard; Freed, Debra E.

    1993-01-01

    Substitutability is a construct borrowed from microeconomics that describes a continuum of possible interactions among the reinforcers in a given situation. Highly substitutable reinforcers, which occupy one end of the continuum, are readily traded for each other due to their functional similarity. Complementary reinforcers, at the other end of the continuum, tend to be consumed jointly in fairly rigid proportion, and therefore cannot be traded for one another except to achieve that proportion. At the center of the continuum are reinforcers that are independent with respect to each other; consumption of one has no influence on consumption of another. Psychological research and analyses in terms of substitutability employ standard operant conditioning paradigms in which humans and nonhumans choose between alternative reinforcers. The range of reinforcer interactions found in these studies is more readily accommodated and predicted when behavior-analytic models of choice consider issues of substitutability. New insights are gained into such areas as eating and drinking, electrical brain stimulation, temporal separation of choice alternatives, behavior therapy, drug use, and addictions. Moreover, the generalized matching law (Baum, 1974) gains greater explanatory power and comprehensiveness when measures of substitutability are included. PMID:16812696

  12. Generic substitution: micro evidence from register data in Norway.

    PubMed

    Dalen, Dag Morten; Furu, Kari; Locatelli, Marilena; Strøm, Steinar

    2011-02-01

    The importance of prices, doctor and patient characteristics, and market institutions for the likelihood of choosing generic drugs instead of the more expensive original brand-name version are examined. Using an extensive dataset extracted from The Norwegian Prescription Database containing all prescriptions dispensed to individuals in February 2004 and 2006 on 23 different drugs (chemical substances) in Norway, we find strong evidence for the importance of both doctor and patient characteristics for the choice probabilities. The price difference between brand and generic versions and insurance coverage both affect generic substitution. Moreover, controlling for the retail chain affiliation of the dispensing pharmacy, we find that pharmacies play an important role in promoting generic substitution. In markets with more recent entry of generic drugs, brand-name loyalty proves to be much stronger, giving less explanatory power to our demand model.

  13. Effect of B-ring substitution pattern on binding mode of propionamide selective androgen receptor modulators.

    PubMed

    Bohl, Casey E; Wu, Zengru; Chen, Jiyun; Mohler, Michael L; Yang, Jun; Hwang, Dong Jin; Mustafa, Suni; Miller, Duane D; Bell, Charles E; Dalton, James T

    2008-10-15

    Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are essentially prostate sparing androgens, which provide therapeutic potential in osteoporosis, male hormone replacement, and muscle wasting. Herein we report crystal structures of the androgen receptor (AR) ligand-binding domain (LBD) complexed to a series of potent synthetic nonsteroidal SARMs with a substituted pendant arene referred to as the B-ring. We found that hydrophilic B-ring para-substituted analogs exhibit an additional region of hydrogen bonding not seen with steroidal compounds and that multiple halogen substitutions affect the B-ring conformation and aromatic interactions with Trp741. This information elucidates interactions important for high AR binding affinity and provides new insight for structure-based drug design.

  14. Competitive/co-operative interactions in acid base sandwich: role of cation vs. substituents.

    PubMed

    Kalpana, Ayyavoo; Akilandeswari, Lakshminarayanan

    2017-11-15

    The cation-π interaction can be envisaged as a lewis acid base interaction, and it is in line with Pearson's acid base concept. The critical examination of interactions between the π-acids (alkali metal cations - Li + , Na + and alkaline earth metal cations Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ ) on one face and tripodal Cr(CO) 3 moiety on the other π face of substituted arenes demonstrates the role of cation and substitutents in manipulating the interactions between them. The interaction of the two π acids on both faces of arene is not expectedly additive, rather it shows either depreciation of interaction energy revealing the competition of acids toward the base or enhancement of interaction energy denoting a cooperative effect. Among the metal cations under study, Mg 2+ shows a cooperative gesture. Although the substituents play a meek role, they unfailingly exert their electronic effects and are amply documented by excellent correlation of various parameters with the Hammett constant σ m . The elusive switching of λ max from the UV to IR region on binding Mg 2+ with substituted arene-Cr(CO) 3 complex is a characteristic clue that TDDFT can help design the ionic sensors for Mg 2+ cations.

  15. Optimal ordering quantities for substitutable deteriorating items under joint replenishment with cost of substitution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, Vinod Kumar

    2017-09-01

    In this paper we develop an inventory model, to determine the optimal ordering quantities, for a set of two substitutable deteriorating items. In this inventory model the inventory level of both items depleted due to demands and deterioration and when an item is out of stock, its demands are partially fulfilled by the other item and all unsatisfied demand is lost. Each substituted item incurs a cost of substitution and the demands and deterioration is considered to be deterministic and constant. Items are order jointly in each ordering cycle, to take the advantages of joint replenishment. The problem is formulated and a solution procedure is developed to determine the optimal ordering quantities that minimize the total inventory cost. We provide an extensive numerical and sensitivity analysis to illustrate the effect of different parameter on the model. The key observation on the basis of numerical analysis, there is substantial improvement in the optimal total cost of the inventory model with substitution over without substitution.

  16. Statistical Physics of Complex Substitutive Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Qing

    Diffusion processes are central to human interactions. Despite extensive studies that span multiple disciplines, our knowledge is limited to spreading processes in non-substitutive systems. Yet, a considerable number of ideas, products, and behaviors spread by substitution; to adopt a new one, agents must give up an existing one. This captures the spread of scientific constructs--forcing scientists to choose, for example, a deterministic or probabilistic worldview, as well as the adoption of durable items, such as mobile phones, cars, or homes. In this dissertation, I develop a statistical physics framework to describe, quantify, and understand substitutive systems. By empirically exploring three collected high-resolution datasets pertaining to such systems, I build a mechanistic model describing substitutions, which not only analytically predicts the universal macroscopic phenomenon discovered in the collected datasets, but also accurately captures the trajectories of individual items in a complex substitutive system, demonstrating a high degree of regularity and universality in substitutive systems. I also discuss the origins and insights of the parameters in the substitution model and possible generalization form of the mathematical framework. The systematical study of substitutive systems presented in this dissertation could potentially guide the understanding and prediction of all spreading phenomena driven by substitutions, from electric cars to scientific paradigms, and from renewable energy to new healthy habits.

  17. Arachidonic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Metabolism in Juvenile Atlantic Salmon as Affected by Water Temperature.

    PubMed

    Norambuena, Fernando; Morais, Sofia; Emery, James A; Turchini, Giovanni M

    2015-01-01

    Salmons raised in aquaculture farms around the world are increasingly subjected to sub-optimal environmental conditions, such as high water temperatures during summer seasons. Aerobic scope increases and lipid metabolism changes are known plasticity responses of fish for a better acclimation to high water temperature. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of high water temperature on the regulation of fatty acid metabolism in juvenile Atlantic salmon fed different dietary ARA/EPA ratios (arachidonic acid, 20:4n-6/ eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3), with particular focus on apparent in vivo enzyme activities and gene expression of lipid metabolism pathways. Three experimental diets were formulated to be identical, except for the ratio EPA/ARA, and fed to triplicate groups of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) kept either at 10°C or 20°C. Results showed that fatty acid metabolic utilisation, and likely also their dietary requirements for optimal performance, can be affected by changes in their relative levels and by environmental temperature in Atlantic salmon. Thus, the increase in temperature, independently from dietary treatment, had a significant effect on the β-oxidation of a fatty acid including EPA, as observed by the apparent in vivo enzyme activity and mRNA expression of pparα -transcription factor in lipid metabolism, including β-oxidation genes- and cpt1 -key enzyme responsible for the movement of LC-PUFA from the cytosol into the mitochondria for β-oxidation-, were both increased at the higher water temperature. An interesting interaction was observed in the transcription and in vivo enzyme activity of Δ5fad-time-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis pathway of EPA and ARA. Such, at lower temperature, the highest mRNA expression and enzyme activity was recorded in fish with limited supply of dietary EPA, whereas at higher temperature these were recorded in fish with limited ARA supply. In consideration that fish at higher water temperature

  18. Fermentation of aqueous plant seed extracts by lactic acid bacteria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schafner, D.W.; Beuchat, R.L.

    1986-05-01

    The effects of lactic acid bacterial fermentation on chemical and physical changes in aqueous extracts of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), peanut (Arachis hypogea), soybean (Glycine max), and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) were studied. The bacteria investigated were Lactobacillus helveticus, L. delbrueckii, L. casei, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Organisms were inoculated individually into all of the seed extracts; L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus were also evaluated together as inocula for fermenting the legume extracts. During fermentation, bacterial population and changes in titratable acidity, pH, viscosity, and color were measured over a 72 h period at 37 degrees C. Maximum bacterialmore » populations, titratable acidity, pH, and viscosity varied depending upon the type of extract and bacterial strain. The maximum population of each organism was influenced by fermentable carbohydrates, which, in turn, influenced acid production and change in pH. Change in viscosity was correlated with the amount of protein and titratable acidity of products. Color was affected by pasteurization treatment and fermentation as well as the source of extract. In the extracts inoculated simultaneously with L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, a synergistic effect resulted in increased bacterial populations, titratable acidity, and viscosity, and decreased pH in all the legume extracts when compared to the extracts fermented with either of these organisms individually. Fermented extracts offer potential as substitutes for cultured dairy products. 24 references.« less

  19. Effects of Gd substitution on the structural and magnetic properties of strontium hexaferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Litsardakis, G.; Manolakis, I.; Serletis, C.; Efthimiadis, K. G.

    2007-09-01

    The effect of Gd substitution in M-type strontium hexaferrites has been examined in two series of samples, (Sr1-xGdx)O·5.25Fe2O3 and Sr1-xGdxFe12-xCoxO19, both prepared by the ceramic method, where x=0-0.40. The samples have been characterized by XRD, VSM and SEM-EDAX techniques. All substituted samples present primarily the hexaferrite structure. Sample (Sr0.95Gd)O·5.25Fe2O3 is single phase. Formation of impurity phases is affected by stoichiometry and presence of Co. In Sr-Gd samples, coercivity showed a maximum value of 305 kA/m (3.8 kOe) for x=0.20, while remanence and saturation magnetization did not decrease. Coercivity and magnetization in the Sr-Gd-Co series decreased steadily with substitution degree.

  20. 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives of inositol from dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root characterised using LC-SPE-NMR and LC-MS techniques.

    PubMed

    Kenny, O; Smyth, T J; Hewage, C M; Brunton, N P; McLoughlin, P

    2014-02-01

    The combination of hyphenated techniques, LC-SPE-NMR and LC-MS, to isolate and identify minor isomeric compounds from an ethyl acetate fraction of Taraxacum officinale root was employed in this study. Two distinct fractions of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives of inositol were isolated and characterised by spectroscopic methods. The (1)H NMR spectra and MS data revealed two groups of compounds, one of which were derivatives of the di-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivative of the inositol compound tetrahydroxy-5-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl] oxycyclohexyl-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate, while the other group consisted of similar tri-substituted inositol derivatives. For both fractions the derivatives of inositols vary in the number of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid groups present and their position and geometry on the inositol ring. In total, three di-substituted and three tri-substituted 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid inositol derivates were identified for the first time along with a further two previously reported di-substituted inositol derivatives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. An enantioselective route to alpha-methyl carboxylic acids via metal and enzyme catalysis.

    PubMed

    Norinder, Jakob; Bogár, Krisztián; Kanupp, Lisa; Bäckvall, Jan-E

    2007-11-22

    Dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic alcohols to allylic acetates followed by copper-catalyzed allylic substitution gave alkenes in high yields and high optical purity. Subsequent oxidative C-C double bond cleavage afforded pharmaceutically important alpha-methyl substituted carboxylic acids in high ee.

  2. Bioorganometallic chemistry. 8. The molecular recognition of aromatic and aliphatic amino acids and substituted aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acid guests with supramolecular ({eta}{sup 5}-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium - nucleobase, nucleoside, and nucleotide cyclic trimer hosts via non-covalent {pi}-{pi} and hydrophobic interactions in water: Steric, electronic, and conformational parameters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, H.; Ogo, Seiji; Fish, R.H.

    Molecular recognition, via non-covalent processes such as hydrogen bonding, {pi}-{pi}, and hydrophobic interactions, is an important biological phenomenon for guests, such as drugs, proteins, and other important biological molecules with, for example, host DNA/RNA. We have studied a novel molecular recognition process using guests that encompass aromatic and aliphatic amino acids [L-alanine, L-glutamine (L-Gln), L-histidine, L-isoleucine(L-Ile), L-leucine(L-Leu), L-phenylalanine(L-Phe), L-proline, L-tryptophan(L-Trp), L-valine(L-Val)], substituted aromatic carboxylic acids o-, m-, p-aminobenzoic acids (G1-3), benzoic acid (G4), phenylacetic acid (G5), p-methoxyphenylacetic acid (G6), o-methyoxybenozoic acid (G9), o-nitrobenzoic acid (G10), and aliphatic carboxylic acids [cyclohexylacetic acid (G7), 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid (G8)] with supramolecular, bioorganometallic hosts, ({eta}{supmore » 5}-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium (Cp{sup *}Rh)-nucleobase, nucleoside, and nucleotide cyclic trimer complexes in aqueous solution at pH 7, utilizing {sup 1}H NMR, NOE, and molecular modeling techniques, and, as well, determining association constants (K{sub a}) and free energies of complexation ({Delta}{degree}G). The host-guest complexation occurs predominantly via non-covalent {pi}-{pi}, hydrophobic, and possible subtle H-bonding interactions, with steric, electronic, and molecular conformational parameters as important criteria. 8 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

  3. Large-scale analyses of synonymous substitution rates can be sensitive to assumptions about the process of mutation.

    PubMed

    Aris-Brosou, Stéphane; Bielawski, Joseph P

    2006-08-15

    A popular approach to examine the roles of mutation and selection in the evolution of genomes has been to consider the relationship between codon bias and synonymous rates of molecular evolution. A significant relationship between these two quantities is taken to indicate the action of weak selection on substitutions among synonymous codons. The neutral theory predicts that the rate of evolution is inversely related to the level of functional constraint. Therefore, selection against the use of non-preferred codons among those coding for the same amino acid should result in lower rates of synonymous substitution as compared with sites not subject to such selection pressures. However, reliably measuring the extent of such a relationship is problematic, as estimates of synonymous rates are sensitive to our assumptions about the process of molecular evolution. Previous studies showed the importance of accounting for unequal codon frequencies, in particular when synonymous codon usage is highly biased. Yet, unequal codon frequencies can be modeled in different ways, making different assumptions about the mutation process. Here we conduct a simulation study to evaluate two different ways of modeling uneven codon frequencies and show that both model parameterizations can have a dramatic impact on rate estimates and affect biological conclusions about genome evolution. We reanalyze three large data sets to demonstrate the relevance of our results to empirical data analysis.

  4. One-Tube-Only Standardized Site-Directed Mutagenesis: An Alternative Approach to Generate Amino Acid Substitution Collections

    PubMed Central

    Mingo, Janire; Erramuzpe, Asier; Luna, Sandra; Aurtenetxe, Olaia; Amo, Laura; Diez, Ibai; Schepens, Jan T. G.; Hendriks, Wiljan J. A. J.; Cortés, Jesús M.; Pulido, Rafael

    2016-01-01

    Site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) is a powerful tool to create defined collections of protein variants for experimental and clinical purposes, but effectiveness is compromised when a large number of mutations is required. We present here a one-tube-only standardized SDM approach that generates comprehensive collections of amino acid substitution variants, including scanning- and single site-multiple mutations. The approach combines unified mutagenic primer design with the mixing of multiple distinct primer pairs and/or plasmid templates to increase the yield of a single inverse-PCR mutagenesis reaction. Also, a user-friendly program for automatic design of standardized primers for Ala-scanning mutagenesis is made available. Experimental results were compared with a modeling approach together with stochastic simulation data. For single site-multiple mutagenesis purposes and for simultaneous mutagenesis in different plasmid backgrounds, combination of primer sets and/or plasmid templates in a single reaction tube yielded the distinct mutations in a stochastic fashion. For scanning mutagenesis, we found that a combination of overlapping primer sets in a single PCR reaction allowed the yield of different individual mutations, although this yield did not necessarily follow a stochastic trend. Double mutants were generated when the overlap of primer pairs was below 60%. Our results illustrate that one-tube-only SDM effectively reduces the number of reactions required in large-scale mutagenesis strategies, facilitating the generation of comprehensive collections of protein variants suitable for functional analysis. PMID:27548698

  5. First quadruple-glycine bridging mono-lanthanide-substituted borotungstate hybrids.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jiancai; Yu, Jing; Han, Qing; Wen, Yue; Chen, Lijuan; Zhao, Junwei

    2016-10-18

    A class of novel organic-inorganic hybrid lanthanide (Ln)-substituted Keggin-type borotungstates K 4 Na 4 H 4 [Ln 2 (gly) 4 (α-BW 11 O 39 ) 2 ]·23H 2 O [Ln = Ce 3+ (1), Pr 3+ (2), Nd 3+ (3), Sm 3+ (4), Eu 3+ (5), Tm 3+ (6); gly = glycine] have been synthesized from the reaction of K 8 [BW 11 O 39 H]·13H 2 O, NaAc·6H 2 O and Ln(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O by employing gly ligands as structure-stabilizing agents in the conventional aqueous solution system and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The common prominent structural feature of isomorphic 1-6 is that all of them consist of two mono-Ln-substituted Keggin [Ln(α-BW 11 O 39 )] 6- fragments linked by four gly ligands, furnishing an intriguing dimeric assembly of the quadruple-gly-connective mono-Ln-substituted borotungstate, in which each carboxylic oxygen atom from gly ligands is bound to Ln 3+ cations in the μ 2 -O or μ 3 -O mode. To the best of our knowledge, 1-6 represent the first examples of inorganic-organic hybrid Ln-substituted borotungstates functionalized by quadruple amino acid bridges. The solid-state photoluminescence properties of 3-5 have been determined at ambient temperature and the photoluminescence emission spectra exhibit the characteristic emission bands derived from Ln 3+ centers. The thermostability of 1-6 has been studied and the thermal decomposition procedure of 3 has been comprehensively investigated with the assistance of variable-temperature PXRD patterns and variable-temperature IR spectra. Furthermore, magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1, 2 and 4 have been conducted.

  6. Effect of mineral additives (natural pozzolana and sand of dunes) by substitution of cement on the performance and durability of mortars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saidi, M.; Safi, B.

    2016-04-01

    The objective of our work consists of the study of the substitution effects of clinker by mineral additions such as: natural pozzolana (PZ) and the sand of dunes (SD) finely crushed on the mechanical properties and the durability of the mortars worked out according to various combinations containing these additions. The results from this research confirm that the substitution of 20% to 30% of cement APC (Artificial Portland Cement) by additions in binary cement (APC + PZ) or ternary (APC + PZ + SD) contributes positively to the mechanical strength of mortars and resistance to the chemical attacks in various corrosive conditions such as: hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. The mechanical strength of the different variants is comparable to those of the APC. The test results of the weight loss and phenolphthalein shows that the chemical resistance of variants (PZ20) and (PZ20 with SD5) are larger compared to the reference mortar APC and other variants. This study shows that adding value by substituting a part of clinker. This substitution can save 20% to 30% of clinker used for the manufacture of cement; this will have a beneficial effect for cement and economically (less energy spent for the clinker burning). This study contributes to the protection of the environment as to produce one ton of clinker generates about one ton of CO2 is harmful to the atmosphere. Based on our results we will reduce from 20% to 30% CO2 gas responsible for the greenhouse effect.

  7. Biologic and synthetic skin substitutes: An overview

    PubMed Central

    Halim, Ahmad Sukari; Khoo, Teng Lye; Mohd. Yussof, Shah Jumaat

    2010-01-01

    The current trend of burn wound care has shifted to more holistic approach of improvement in the long-term form and function of the healed burn wounds and quality of life. This has demanded the emergence of various skin substitutes in the management of acute burn injury as well as post burn reconstructions. Skin substitutes have important roles in the treatment of deep dermal and full thickness wounds of various aetiologies. At present, there is no ideal substitute in the market. Skin substitutes can be divided into two main classes, namely, biological and synthetic substitutes. The biological skin substitutes have a more intact extracellular matrix structure, while the synthetic skin substitutes can be synthesised on demand and can be modulated for specific purposes. Each class has its advantages and disadvantages. The biological skin substitutes may allow the construction of a more natural new dermis and allow excellent re-epithelialisation characteristics due to the presence of a basement membrane. Synthetic skin substitutes demonstrate the advantages of increase control over scaffold composition. The ultimate goal is to achieve an ideal skin substitute that provides an effective and scar-free wound healing. PMID:21321652

  8. High-performance liquid chromatography study of the enantiomer separation of chrysanthemic acid and its analogous compounds on a terguride-based stationary phase.

    PubMed

    Dondi, M; Flieger, M; Olsovska, J; Polcaro, C M; Sinibaldi, M

    1999-10-29

    The direct enantioseparation of chrysanthemic acid [2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylpropenyl)-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid] and its halogen-substituted analogues was systematically studied by HPLC using a terguride-based chiral stationary phase in combination with a UV diode array and chiroptical detectors. Isomers with (1R) configuration always eluted before those with (IS) configuration. The elution sequence of cis- and trans-isomers was strongly affected by mobile phase pH, whereas the enantioselectivity remained the same. Conditions for the separation of all the enantiomers were also examined. This method was used for monitor the hydrolytic degradation products of Cyfluthrin (Baythroid) in soil under laboratory conditions.

  9. Substitution of a single amino acid residue in the aromatic/arginine selectivity filter alters the transport profiles of tonoplast aquaporin homologs.

    PubMed

    Azad, Abul Kalam; Yoshikawa, Naoki; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Sawa, Yoshihiro; Shibata, Hitoshi

    2012-01-01

    Aquaporins are integral membrane proteins that facilitate the transport of water and some small solutes across cellular membranes. X-ray crystallography of aquaporins indicates that four amino acids constitute an aromatic/arginine (ar/R) pore constriction known as the selectivity filter. On the basis of these four amino acids, tonoplast aquaporins called tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) are divided into three groups in Arabidopsis. Herein, we describe the characterization of two group I TIP1s (TgTIP1;1 and TgTIP1;2) from tulip (Tulipa gesneriana). TgTIP1;1 and TgTIP1;2 have a novel isoleucine in loop E (LE2 position) of the ar/R filter; the residue at LE2 is a valine in all group I TIPs from model plants. The homologs showed mercury-sensitive water channel activity in a fast kinetics swelling assay upon heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. Heterologous expression of both homologs promoted the growth of P. pastoris on ammonium or urea as sole sources of nitrogen and decreased growth and survival in the presence of H(2)O(2). TgTIP1;1- and TgTIP1;2-mediated H(2)O(2) conductance was demonstrated further by a fluorescence assay. Substitutions in the ar/R selectivity filter of TgTIP1;1 showed that mutants that mimicked the ar/R constriction of group I TIPs could conduct the same substrates that were transported by wild-type TgTIP1;1. In contrast, mutants that mimicked group II TIPs showed no evidence of urea or H(2)O(2) conductance. These results suggest that the amino acid residue at LE2 position is critical for the transport selectivity of the TIP homologs and group I TIPs might have a broader spectrum of substrate selectivity than group II TIPs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Structural basis for cyclization specificity of two Azotobacter type III polyketide synthases: a single amino acid substitution reverses their cyclization specificity.

    PubMed

    Satou, Ryutaro; Miyanaga, Akimasa; Ozawa, Hiroki; Funa, Nobutaka; Katsuyama, Yohei; Miyazono, Ken-ichi; Tanokura, Masaru; Ohnishi, Yasuo; Horinouchi, Sueharu

    2013-11-22

    Type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) show diverse cyclization specificity. We previously characterized two Azotobacter type III PKSs (ArsB and ArsC) with different cyclization specificity. ArsB and ArsC, which share a high sequence identity (71%), produce alkylresorcinols and alkylpyrones through aldol condensation and lactonization of the same polyketomethylene intermediate, respectively. Here we identified a key amino acid residue for the cyclization specificity of each enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis. Trp-281 of ArsB corresponded to Gly-284 of ArsC in the amino acid sequence alignment. The ArsB W281G mutant synthesized alkylpyrone but not alkylresorcinol. In contrast, the ArsC G284W mutant synthesized alkylresorcinol with a small amount of alkylpyrone. These results indicate that this amino acid residue (Trp-281 of ArsB or Gly-284 of ArsC) should occupy a critical position for the cyclization specificity of each enzyme. We then determined crystal structures of the wild-type and G284W ArsC proteins at resolutions of 1.76 and 1.99 Å, respectively. Comparison of these two ArsC structures indicates that the G284W substitution brings a steric wall to the active site cavity, resulting in a significant reduction of the cavity volume. We postulate that the polyketomethylene intermediate can be folded to a suitable form for aldol condensation only in such a relatively narrow cavity of ArsC G284W (and presumably ArsB). This is the first report on the alteration of cyclization specificity from lactonization to aldol condensation for a type III PKS. The ArsC G284W structure is significant as it is the first reported structure of a microbial resorcinol synthase.

  11. Differential Effects of the G118R, H51Y, and E138K Resistance Substitutions in Different Subtypes of HIV Integrase

    PubMed Central

    Quashie, Peter K.; Oliviera, Maureen; Veres, Tamar; Osman, Nathan; Han, Ying-Shan; Hassounah, Said; Lie, Yolanda; Huang, Wei; Mesplède, Thibault

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Dolutegravir (DTG) is the latest antiretroviral (ARV) approved for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The G118R substitution, previously identified with MK-2048 and raltegravir, may represent the initial substitution in a dolutegravir resistance pathway. We have found that subtype C integrase proteins have a low enzymatic cost associated with the G118R substitution, mostly at the strand transfer step of integration, compared to either subtype B or recombinant CRF02_AG proteins. Subtype B and circulating recombinant form AG (CRF02_AG) clonal viruses encoding G118R-bearing integrases were severely restricted in their viral replication capacity, and G118R/E138K-bearing viruses had various levels of resistance to dolutegravir, raltegravir, and elvitegravir. In cell-free experiments, the impacts of the H51Y and E138K substitutions on resistance and enzyme efficiency, when present with G118R, were highly dependent on viral subtype. Sequence alignment and homology modeling showed that the subtype-specific effects of these mutations were likely due to differential amino acid residue networks in the different integrase proteins, caused by polymorphic residues, which significantly affect native protein activity, structure, or function and are important for drug-mediated inhibition of enzyme activity. This preemptive study will aid in the interpretation of resistance patterns in dolutegravir-treated patients. IMPORTANCE Recognized drug resistance mutations have never been reported for naive patients treated with dolutegravir. Additionally, in integrase inhibitor-experienced patients, only R263K and other previously known integrase resistance substitutions have been reported. Here we suggest that alternate resistance pathways may develop in non-B HIV-1 subtypes and explain how “minor” polymorphisms and substitutions in HIV integrase that are associated with these subtypes can influence resistance against dolutegravir. This work also

  12. Differential effects of the G118R, H51Y, and E138K resistance substitutions in different subtypes of HIV integrase.

    PubMed

    Quashie, Peter K; Oliviera, Maureen; Veres, Tamar; Osman, Nathan; Han, Ying-Shan; Hassounah, Said; Lie, Yolanda; Huang, Wei; Mesplède, Thibault; Wainberg, Mark A

    2015-03-01

    Dolutegravir (DTG) is the latest antiretroviral (ARV) approved for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The G118R substitution, previously identified with MK-2048 and raltegravir, may represent the initial substitution in a dolutegravir resistance pathway. We have found that subtype C integrase proteins have a low enzymatic cost associated with the G118R substitution, mostly at the strand transfer step of integration, compared to either subtype B or recombinant CRF02_AG proteins. Subtype B and circulating recombinant form AG (CRF02_AG) clonal viruses encoding G118R-bearing integrases were severely restricted in their viral replication capacity, and G118R/E138K-bearing viruses had various levels of resistance to dolutegravir, raltegravir, and elvitegravir. In cell-free experiments, the impacts of the H51Y and E138K substitutions on resistance and enzyme efficiency, when present with G118R, were highly dependent on viral subtype. Sequence alignment and homology modeling showed that the subtype-specific effects of these mutations were likely due to differential amino acid residue networks in the different integrase proteins, caused by polymorphic residues, which significantly affect native protein activity, structure, or function and are important for drug-mediated inhibition of enzyme activity. This preemptive study will aid in the interpretation of resistance patterns in dolutegravir-treated patients. Recognized drug resistance mutations have never been reported for naive patients treated with dolutegravir. Additionally, in integrase inhibitor-experienced patients, only R263K and other previously known integrase resistance substitutions have been reported. Here we suggest that alternate resistance pathways may develop in non-B HIV-1 subtypes and explain how "minor" polymorphisms and substitutions in HIV integrase that are associated with these subtypes can influence resistance against dolutegravir. This work also highlights the importance

  13. Relationship between Al content and substitution mechanism of Al-bearing anhydrous bridgmanites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noda, M.; Inoue, T.; Kakizawa, S.

    2017-12-01

    It is considered that two substitution mechanisms, Tschermak substitution and oxygen vacancy substitution, exist in MgSiO3 bridgmanite for the incorporation of Al in anhydrous condition. Kubo and Akaogi (2000) has conducted the phase equilibrium experiment in the system MgSiO3-Al2O3, and established the phase diagram up to 28 GPa. However the careful observation in the bridgmanite shows that the chemical compositions are slightly deviated from Tschermak substitution join. The same tendency can be also observed in the run products by Irifune et al. (1996). This result indicates that pure Tschermak substitution bridgmanite cannot be stable even in the MgSiO3-Al2O3 join experiment. However, the previous studies used powder samples as the starting materials, so the absorbed water may affect the results. Therefore, we tried to conduct the experiment in the join MgSiO3-Al2O3 in extremely anhydrous condition to clarify whether the pure Tschermak substitution bridgmanite can be stable or not. In addition, we also examined the stability of oxygen vacancy bridgmanite in the extremely anhydrous condition for the comparison. The high pressure synthesis experiments were conducted at 28 GPa and 1600-1700° for 1hour using a Kawai-type multi-anvil apparatus. Four different Al content samples were prepared as the starting materials along the ideal substitution line of Tschermak (Al=0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 mol) and oxygen-vacancy (Al=0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 mol) substitutions, respectively (when total cation of 2). The glass rods were used as the starting materials to eliminate the absorbed water on the sample surface. The chemical compositions of the synthesized bridgmanite could not be measured by EPMA because of small grain size less than submicron. Therefore the chemical compositions were estimated from the result of the XRD pattern by subtracting the amount of the other phases. The estimated chemical compositions of Tschermak substitution bridgmanites were consistent with the

  14. Docosahexaenoic acid affects markers of inflammation and muscle damage after eccentric exercise.

    PubMed

    DiLorenzo, Frank M; Drager, Christopher J; Rankin, Janet W

    2014-10-01

    The effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on inflammatory and muscle damage response to acute eccentric exercise and to the subsequent initiation of a resistance training program was studied in 41 untrained men. Subjects consumed either 2 g·d of either DHA or placebo (PL) for 28 days before a 17-day exercise phase (day 1 to day 17) that began with an eccentric exercise bout of the elbow flexors (day 1). For analysis, the exercise period was further divided into an acute response phase (day 1-4). Isometric muscle strength (STR), range of motion (ROM), and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) were measured on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, and 17. Fasted blood was measured for interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 receptor antagonist, C-reactive protein (CRP), and creatine kinase (CK) on days 1, 2, and 4. Serum CK and CRP were also measured in blood collected on days 7, 12, and 17. In the acute phase, DHA significantly reduced the serum CK (12.5%) and the IL-6 response (32%) but did not affect STR or DOMS. Over the entire 17-day resistance exercise period, DOMS area under the curve was 183.2 ± 96.2 for DHA and 203.2 ± 120.9 for PL (p = 0.054) and the CK response was numerically lower for DHA (p = 0.093). Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation reduced some but not all indicators of muscle damage and inflammation in the 4 days after an acute eccentric exercise bout but did not significantly affect the response to initiation of resistance exercise.

  15. Explicit Substitutions and All That

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ayala-Rincon, Mauricio; Munoz, Cesar

    2000-01-01

    Explicit substitution calculi are extensions of the lambda-calculus where the substitution mechanism is internalized into the theory. This feature makes them suitable for implementation and theoretical study of logic-based tools such as strongly typed programming languages and proof assistant systems. In this paper we explore new developments on two of the most successful styles of explicit substitution calculi: the lambda sigma- and lambda S(e)-calculi.

  16. Explicit Substitutions and All That

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ayala-Rincon, Mauricio; Munoz, Cesar; Busnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Explicit substitution calculi are extensions of the Lambda-calculus where the substitution mechanism is internalized into the theory. This feature makes them suitable for implementation and theoretical study of logic-based tools such as strongly typed programming languages and proof assistant systems. In this paper we explore new developments on two of the most successful styles of explicit substitution calculi: the lambda(sigma)- and lambda(s(e))-calculi.

  17. Why does trigonometric substitution work?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cunningham, Daniel W.

    2018-05-01

    Modern calculus textbooks carefully illustrate how to perform integration by trigonometric substitution. Unfortunately, most of these books do not adequately justify this powerful technique of integration. In this article, we present an accessible proof that establishes the validity of integration by trigonometric substitution. The proof offers calculus instructors a simple argument that can be used to show their students that trigonometric substitution is a valid technique of integration.

  18. X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Fe-Substituted Allophane and Imogolite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baker, L. L.; Strawn, D. G.; Nickerson, R. D.; McDaniel, P.

    2011-12-01

    Martian rocks and sediments contain weathering products including clay minerals formed as a result of interaction between rocks and water, and these materials can act as important indicators of past surface conditions on Mars. Weathering of terrestrial volcanic rocks similar to those on Mars produces nano-sized, variably hydrated aluminosilicate and iron oxide minerals, including allophane, imogolite, halloysite, hisingerite, and ferrihydrite. The nanoaluminosilicates can contain isomorphically substituted Fe, which may affect their spectral and physical properties as well as their eventual recrystallization products. Detection and quantification of such minerals in natural environments on Earth is difficult due to their variable chemical composition and lack of long-range crystalline order. Their accurate detection and quantification on Mars requires a better understanding of how composition affects their spectral properties and evolution to more crystalline phases. Aluminosilicate nanoparticles of varying composition were synthesized with isomorphically substituted Fe at Fe:Al ratios of 1:100. Allophanes were synthesized with Al:Si ratios of 2:1, 1:1, and 1:3. The substituted Fe was probed using Fe K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS). The XAFS spectrum contains information about the molecular environment surrounding the target atom, and is an ideal technique for studying poorly crystalline materials that are difficult to characterize using bulk methods such as XRD. The near-edge (XANES) and extended (EXAFS) portions of the XAFS spectrum were examined, and allophane backscattering paths were fit using coordinates for a modified nanoball model (1). XANES spectra rule out ferrihydrite in the synthetic samples, suggesting all Fe was incorporated into the aluminosilicate structure. The XAFS results suggest that Fe substituted into the allophane structure is present as Fe(III) in octahedral coordination in a well-ordered sheet. Some Fe

  19. Substituting freshwater: Can ocean desalination and water recycling capacities substitute for groundwater depletion in California?

    PubMed

    Badiuzzaman, Pierre; McLaughlin, Eoin; McCauley, Darren

    2017-12-01

    While the sustainability of resource depletion is a longstanding environmental concern, wider attention has recently been given to growing water scarcity and groundwater depletion. This study seeks to test the substitutability assumption embedded in weak sustainability indicators using a case study of Californian water supply. The volume of groundwater depletion is used as a proxy for unsustainable water consumption, and defined by synthesising existing research estimates into low, medium and high depletion baselines. These are compared against projected water supply increases from ocean desalination and water recycling by 2035, to determine whether new, drought-proof water sources can substitute for currently unsustainable groundwater consumption. Results show that the maximum projected supply of new water, 2.47 million acre-feet per year (MAF/yr), is sufficient to meet low depletion estimates of 2.02 MAF/yr, but fails to come near the high depletion estimate of 3.44 MAF/yr. This does not necessarily indicate physical limitations of substitutability, but more so socio-economic limitations influenced by high comparative costs. By including capacities in demand-substitutability via urban water conservation, maximum predicted capacities reach 5.57 MAF/yr, indicating wide room for substitution. Based on these results, investment in social and institutional capital is an important factor to enhance demand-side substitutability of water and other natural resources, which has been somewhat neglected by the literature on the substitutability of natural resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. No Substitute for Quality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russo, Alexander

    2001-01-01

    School leaders are trying pay incentives, consortia, and temp firms to assuage their need for qualified substitute teachers. Five coping strategies include making the job more attractive, increasing the candidate pool, hiring some permanent subs, using automated calling systems, and examining systemic issues. Substitutes are unionizing in some…