cereus isolates that possess genes for enterotoxin production are present in agronomic crops. Other endophytic B. cereus isolates lacked specific genes or lacked all nhe and hbl genes. Additionally, host, country of origin
and tissue of origin had no impact on the enterotoxin genes detected.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Bacillus cereus with the potential of causing diarrhoeal illness in humans is a cosmopolitan endophytic inhabitant of plants, not incidental surface inhabitants or contaminants, as often suggested by previous research.”
“Laminin (LM)-332 (alpha 3 beta 3 gamma 2), a large heterotrimeric glycoprotein, is an essential component of epithelial basement membranes that promotes cell adhesion and migration. Here, we expressed human LM-332 using a novel protein expression system based on the trypanosomatid protozoan host Leishmania tarentolae. Plasmids containing cDNA encoding full-length beta 3 and gamma 2 subunits and truncated Selisistat cell line alpha 3 subunit were sequentially introduced into L tarentolae. A recombinant strain harboring the three subunits of human LM-332 efficiently formed heterotrimer and secreted it into the culture medium. Heterotrimeric recombinant LM-332 (rLM-332) could be purified from culture medium with one-step immuno-affinity chromatography. The eluted fraction contained all three subunits, as confirmed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. The purified rLM-332 showed
similar cell GSK3326595 adhesion activity Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase to rLM-332 purified from mammalian cells, indicating its proper folding and assembly. The obtained expression level was
not high: however, we suggest that this expression system has the potential for mass production of LMs for tissue engineering. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The 5- and 12/15-lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes have been implicated to contribute to disease development in CNS disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. These LOX isozymes are distinct in function, with differential effects on neuroinflammation, and the impact of the distinct isozymes in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease has not as yet been evaluated. To determine whether the isozymes contribute differently to nigrostriatal vulnerability, the effects of 5- and 12/15-LOX deficiency on dopaminergic tone under naive and toxicant-challenged conditions were tested. In naive mice deficient in 5-LOX expression, a modest but significant reduction (18.0% reduction vs. wildtype (WT)) in striatal dopamine (DA) was detected (n = 6-8 per genotype). A concomitant decline in striatel tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) enzyme was also revealed in null 5-LOX vs. WT mice (26.2%); however, no changes in levels of DA or TH immunoreactivity were observed in null 12/15-LOX vs. WT mice. When challenged with the selective dopaminergic toxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), WT mice showed a marked reduction in DA (31.9%) and robust astrocytic and microglial activation as compared to saline-treated animals.