bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prerequisites for the acquisition of mammalian pathogenicity by influenza A virus with a prototypic avian PB2 gene
Authors: Lee Chung-Young , An Se-Hee , Kim Ilhwan , Go Du-Min , Kim Dae-Yong , Choi Jun-Gu , Lee Youn-Jeong , Kim Jae-Hong , Kwon Hyuk-Joon 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe polymerase of avian influenza A virus (AIV) is a heterotrimer composed of PB2, PB1, and PA. PB2 plays a role in overcoming the host barrier; however, the genetic prerequisites for avian PB2 to acquire mammalian pathogenic mutations have not been well elucidated. Previously, we identified a prototypic avian PB2 that conferred non-replicative and non-pathogenic traits to a PR8-derived recombinant virus when it was used to infect mice. Here, we demonstrated that key amino acid mutations (I66M, I109V, and I133V, collectively referred to as MVV) of this prototypic avian PB2 increase the replication efficiency of recombinant PR8 virus carrying the mutated PB2 in both avian and mammalian hosts. The MVV mutations caused no weight loss in mice, but they did allow replication in infected lungs, and the viruses acquired fatal mammalian pathogenic mutations such as Q591R/K, E627K, or D701N in the infected lungs. The MVV mutations are located at the interfaces of the trimer and are predicted to increase the strength of this structure. Thus, gaining MVV mutations might be the first step for AIV to acquire mammalian pathogenicity. These results provide new insights into the evolution of AIV in birds and mammals.
Type 3 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is dispensable for sensory activation of the mammalian vomeronasal organ
Authors: Chamero Pablo , Weiss Jan , Alonso María Teresa , Rodríguez-Prados Macarena , Hisatsune Chihiro , Mikoshiba Katsuhiko , Leinders-Zufall Trese , Zufall Frank 
Published: August 2017

AbstractSignal transduction in sensory neurons of the mammalian vomeronasal organ (VNO) involves the opening of the canonical transient receptor potential channel Trpc2, a Ca2+-permeable cation channel that is activated by diacylglycerol and inhibited by Ca2+-calmodulin. There has been a long-standing debate about the extent to which the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and type 3 InsP3 receptor (InsP3R3) are involved in the opening of Trpc2 channels and in sensory activation of the VNO. To address this question, we investigated VNO function of mice carrying a knockout mutation in the Itpr3 locus causing a loss of InsP3R3. We established a new method to monitor Ca2+ in the endoplasmic reticulum of vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) by employing the GFP-aequorin protein sensor erGAP2. We also performed simultaneous InsP3 photorelease and Ca2+ monitoring experiments, and analysed Ca2+ dynamics, sensory currents, and action potential or field potential responses in InsP3R3-deficient VSNs. Disruption of Itpr3 abolished or minimized the Ca2+ transients evoked by photoactivated InsP3, but there was virtually no effect on sensory activation of VSNs. Therefore, InsP3R3 is dispensable for primary chemoelectrical transduction in mouse VNO. We conclude that InsP3R3 is not required for gating of Trpc2 in VSNs.
MAPK1 of Leishmania donovani interacts and phosphorylates HSP70 and HSP90 subunits of foldosome complex
Authors: Kaur Pavneet , Garg Mansi , Hombach-Barrigah Antje , Clos Joachim , Goyal Neena 
Published: August 2017

AbstractMAP kinases (MAPK) are the most downstream kinases in signal transduction cascades and regulate critical cellular activities such as cell proliferation, differentiation, mortality, stress response, and apoptosis. The Leishmania donovani MAPK1 (LdMAPK1) is involved in parasite viability and drug resistance, but its substrates have not been identified yet. Aiming to identify the possible targets(s) of LdMAPK1, we sought to isolate interacting partners by co-immunoprecipitation, gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Out of fifteen analyzed protein bands, four were identified as subunits of the HSP90 foldosome complex, namely HSP 90, HSP70, STI and SGT. Western blot analysis not only confirmed that LdMAPK1 interacts with HSP70 and HSP90 but also demonstrated that MAPK1 abundance modulates their expression. The interaction is sensitive to treatment with AMTZD, a competitive ERK inhibitor. MAPK1 also displayed kinase activity with HSP90 or HSP70 as substrates. By phosphorylating HSPs in the foldosome complex, MAPK1 may regulate the stability and activity of the foldosome which in turn plays a pivotal role in the parasitic life cycle of L. donovani. Our study therefore implicates LdMAPK1 in the post-translational modification and possibly the regulation of heat shock proteins. Conversely, HSP90 and HSP70 are identified as the first substrates of LdMAPK1.
Characterization of cervico-vaginal microbiota in women developing persistent high-risk Human Papillomavirus infection
Authors: Di Paola Monica , Sani Cristina , Clemente Ann Maria , Iossa Anna , Perissi Eloisa , Castronovo Giuseppe , Tanturli Michele , Rivero Damariz , Cozzolino Federico , Cavalieri Duccio , Carozzi Francesca , De Filippo Carlotta , Torcia Maria Gabriella 
Published: August 2017

AbstractChanges in cervico-vaginal microbiota with Lactobacillus depletion and increased microbial diversity facilitate human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and might be involved in viral persistence and cancer development. To define the microbial Community State Types (CSTs) associated with high-risk HPV−persistence, we analysed 55 cervico-vaginal samples from HPV positive (HPV+) women out of 1029 screened women and performed pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA. A total of 17 samples from age-matched HPV negative (HPV−) women were used as control. Clearance or Persistence groups were defined by recalling women after one year for HPV screening and genotyping. A CST IV subgroup, with bacterial genera such as Gardnerella, Prevotella, Megasphoera, Atopobium, frequently associated with anaerobic consortium in bacterial vaginosis (BV), was present at baseline sampling in 43% of women in Persistence group, and only in 7.4% of women in Clearance group. Atopobium genus was significantly enriched in Persistence group compared to the other groups. Sialidase-encoding gene from Gardnerella vaginalis, involved in biofilm formation, was significantly more represented in Persistence group compared to the other groups. Based on these data, we consider the CST IV-BV as a risk factor for HPV persistence and we propose Atopobium spp and sialidase gene from G. vaginalis as microbial markers of HPV−persistence.
Regulation of androgen receptor signaling by ubiquitination during folliculogenesis and its possible dysregulation in polycystic ovarian syndrome
Authors: Lim Jung Jin , Lima Patricia D. A. , Salehi Reza , Lee Dong Ryul , Tsang Benjamin K. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAlthough chronic hyperandrogenism suppresses antral follicular development, a phenomenon often observed in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), whether and how deregulation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is involved, is not well understood. In the present study, we examined the role of ring finger protein 6 (RNF6) in AR ubiquitination and the possible dysregulation in the expression and actions of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and kit-ligand (Kitlg) in a chronic androgenized PCOS rat model. 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment in vivo inhibited antral follicle growth, a response mediated through increased RNF6 content, suppressed K63- but increased K48-linked AR ubiquitination as well as the mRNA expression and content of soluble KIT-L (sKitlg) and content of GDF9. These androgenic responses were attenuated by gonadotropin treatment in vivo. Growth of antral follicles from DHT-treated rats in vitro was significantly slower when compared to those of control but was significantly enhanced by exogenous GDF9, suggesting the DHT-induced antral follicular growth arrest is in part the results of GDF9 suppression. Our findings indicate how hyperandrogenism modulates RNF6 content and subsequently AR ubiquitination, resulting in antral follicle growth arrest in a chronically androgenized PCOS rat model.
Proteome-wide acetylation dynamics in human cells
Authors: Kori Yekaterina , Sidoli Simone , Yuan Zuo-Fei , Lund Peder J. , Zhao Xiaolu , Garcia Benjamin A. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractProtein acetylation plays a critical role in biological processes by regulating the functions and properties of proteins. Thus, the study of protein acetylation dynamics is critical for understanding of how this modification influences protein stability, localization, and function. Here we performed a comprehensive characterization of protein acetylation dynamics using mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics through utilization of 13C-glucose or D3-acetate, which are metabolized into acetyl-coA, labeling acetyl groups through subsequent incorporation into proteins. Samples were collected at eight time points to monitor rates and trends of heavy acetyl incorporation. Through this platform, we characterized around 1,000 sites with significantly increasing acetylation trends, which we clustered based on their rates of acetylation. Faster rates were enriched on proteins associated with chromatin and RNA metabolism, while slower rates were more typical on proteins involved with lipid metabolism. Among others, we identified sites catalyzed at faster rates with potential critical roles in protein activation, including the histone acetyltransferase p300 acetylated in its activation loop, which could explain self-acetylation as an important feedback mechanism to regulate acetyltransferases. Overall, our studies highlight the dynamic nature of protein acetylation, and how metabolism plays a central role in this regulation.
The EAL-domain protein FcsR regulates flagella, chemotaxis and type III secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a phosphodiesterase independent mechanism
Authors: Rossello Jessica , Lima Analía , Gil Magdalena , Rodríguez Duarte Jorge , Correa Agustín , Carvalho Paulo C. , Kierbel Arlinet , Durán Rosario 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe second messenger c-di-GMP regulates the switch between motile and sessile bacterial lifestyles. A general feature of c-di-GMP metabolism is the presence of a surprisingly large number of genes coding for diguanylate cyclases and phosphodiesterases, the enzymes responsible for its synthesis and degradation respectively. However, the physiological relevance of this apparent redundancy is not clear, emphasizing the need for investigating the functions of each of these enzymes. Here we focused on the phosphodiesterase PA2133 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important opportunistic pathogen. We phenotypically characterized P. aeruginosa strain K overexpressing PA2133 or its inactive mutant. We showed that biofilm formation and motility are severely impaired by overexpression of PA2133. Our quantitative proteomic approach applied to the membrane and exoprotein fractions revealed that proteins involved in three processes were mostly affected: flagellar motility, type III secretion system and chemotaxis. While inhibition of biofilm formation can be ascribed to the phosphodiesterase activity of PA2133, down-regulation of flagellar, chemotaxis, and type III secretion system proteins is independent of this enzymatic activity. Based on these unexpected effects of PA2133, we propose to rename this gene product FcsR, for Flagellar, chemotaxis and type III secretion system Regulator.
Vacancies, disorder-induced smearing of the electronic structure, and its implications for the superconductivity of anti-perovskite MgC0.93Ni2.85
Authors: Ernsting David , Billington David , Millichamp Thomas E. , Edwards Rebecca A. , Sparkes Hazel A. , Zhigadlo Nikolai D. , Giblin Sean R. , Taylor Jonathan W. , Duffy Jonathan A. , Dugdale Stephen B. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe anti-perovskite superconductor MgC0.93Ni2.85 was studied using high-resolution x-ray Compton scattering combined with electronic structure calculations. Compton scattering measurements were used to determine experimentally a Fermi surface that showed good agreement with that of our supercell calculations, establishing the presence of the predicted hole and electron Fermi surface sheets. Our calculations indicate that the Fermi surface is smeared by the disorder due to the presence of vacancies on the C and Ni sites, but does not drastically change shape. The 20% reduction in the Fermi level density-of-states would lead to a significant (~70%) suppression of the superconducting T
c
for pair-forming electron-phonon coupling. However, we ascribe the observed much smaller T
c
reduction at our composition (compared to the stoichiometric compound) to the suppression of pair-breaking spin fluctuations.
Deficiency of TLR4 homologue RP105 aggravates outward remodeling in a murine model of arteriovenous fistula failure
Authors: Bezhaeva Taisiya , Wong ChunYu , de Vries Margreet R. , van der Veer Eric P. , van Alem Carla M. A. , Que Ivo , Lalai Reshma A. , van Zonneveld Anton-Jan , Rotmans Joris I. , Quax Paul H. A. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractArteriovenous access dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity for hemodialysis patients. The pathophysiology of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure is associated with inflammation, impaired outward remodeling (OR) and intimal hyperplasia. RP105 is a critical physiologic regulator of TLR4 signaling in numerous cell types. In the present study, we investigated the impact of RP105 on AVF maturation, and defined cell-specific effects of RP105 on macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Overall, RP105−/− mice displayed a 26% decrease in venous OR. The inflammatory response in RP105−/− mice was characterized by accumulation of anti-inflammatory macrophages, a 76% decrease in pro- inflammatory macrophages, a 70% reduction in T-cells and a 50% decrease in MMP-activity. In vitro, anti-inflammatory macrophages from RP105−/− mice displayed increased IL10 production, while MCP1 and IL6 levels secreted by pro-inflammatory macrophages were elevated. VSMC content in RP105−/− AVFs was markedly decreased. In vitro, RP105−/− venous VSMCs proliferation was 50% lower, whereas arterial VSMCs displayed a 50% decrease in migration, relative to WT. In conclusion, the impaired venous OR in RP105−/− mice could result from of a shift in both macrophages and VSMCs towards a regenerative phenotype, identifying a novel relationship between inflammation and VSMC function in AVF maturation.
Trichel pulse in various gases and the key factor for its formation
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xia Qing , Jiang Zhaorui , Ouyang Jiting 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe confirm in this paper that Trichel pulse of negative corona is a common phenomenon that can occur in various gases rather than only in electronegative gases as considered in the last 70 years since G W Trichel firstly reported. Trichel pulse is exactly a mode transition between low-current Townsend and high-current normal glow regime, two pulseless stages of negative corona with different operating conditions and ion flux threshold. The rising of the pulse corresponds to the breakdown and formation of temporal glow discharge, the decay corresponds to the destroy of temporal sheath, and the interval (or repetition frequency of pulses) is determined by the re-building of the positive ion cloud to enhance significantly the local electric field for glow discharge to form again. The positive ions play a predominant role for the pulse formation and the mode transition, while the negative ions in electronegative gas are not necessary even if they affect greatly the pulsing process.
Damaged fiber tracts of the nucleus basalis of Meynert in Parkinson’s disease patients with visual hallucinations
Authors: Hepp Dagmar H. , Foncke Elisabeth M. J. , Berendse Henk W. , Wassenaar Thomas M. , Olde Dubbelink Kim T. E. , Groenewegen Henk J. , D.J. van de Berg Wilma , Schoonheim Menno M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractDamage to fiber tracts connecting the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) to the cerebral cortex may underlie the development of visual hallucinations (VH) in Parkinson’s disease (PD), possibly due to a loss of cholinergic innervation. This was investigated by comparing structural connectivity of the NBM using diffusion tensor imaging in 15 PD patients with VH (PD + VH), 40 PD patients without VH (PD − VH), and 15 age- and gender-matched controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of pathways connecting the NBM to the whole cerebral cortex and of regional NBM fiber tracts were compared between groups. In PD + VH patients, compared to controls, higher MD values were observed in the pathways connecting the NBM to the cerebral cortex, while FA values were normal. Regional analysis demonstrated a higher MD of parietal (p = 0.011) and occipital tracts (p = 0.027) in PD + VH, compared to PD − VH patients. We suggest that loss of structural connectivity between the NBM and posterior brain regions may contribute to the etiology of VH in PD. Future studies are needed to determine whether these findings could represent a sensitive marker for the hypothesized cholinergic deficit in PD + VH patients.
Development of gold nanoparticle-aptamer-based LSPR sensing chips for the rapid detection of Salmonella typhimurium in pork meat
Authors: Oh Seo Yeong , Heo Nam Su , Shukla Shruti , Cho Hye-Jin , Vilian A. T. Ezhil , Kim Jinwoon , Lee Sang Yup , Han Young-Kyu , Yoo Seung Min , Huh Yun Suk 
Published: August 2017

AbstractA non-labeled, portable plasmonic biosensor-based device was developed to enable the ultra-sensitive and selective detection of Salmonella typhimurium in pork meat samples. Specifically, a plasmonic sensor, using the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to achieve a regulated diameter of 20 nm for the AuNP monolayers, was used to conduct high-density deposition on a transparent substrate, which produced longitudinal wavelength extinction shifts via a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal. The developed aptamers conjugated to the LSPR sensing chips revealed an ultra-sensitive upper limit of detection (LOD) of approximately 104 cfu/mL for S. typhimurium in pure culture under the optimal assay conditions, with a total analysis time of 30–35 min. When the LSPR sensing chips were applied on artificially contaminated pork meat samples, S. typhimurium in the spiked pork meat samples was also detected at an LOD of 1.0 × 104 cfu/mL. The developed method could detect S. typhimurium in spiked pork meat samples without a pre-enrichment step. Additionally, the LSPR sensing chips developed against S. typhimurium were not susceptible to any effect of the food matrix or background contaminant microflora. These findings confirmed that the developed gold nanoparticle-aptamer-based LSPR sensing chips could facilitate sensitive detection of S. typhimurium in food samples.
Characterization of a core region in the A2UCOE that confers effective anti-silencing activity
Authors: Zhang Fang , Santilli Giorgia , Thrasher Adrian J. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe have previously shown that reliability of the A2UCOE in driving transgene expression can be attributed to its resistance to DNA methylation, and its ability to confer this property to linked regulatory sequences. In order to gain a better understanding of how resistance to DNA methylation from the A2UCOE is conferred, and whether the anti-silencing effect from the A2UCOE is confined within a core region, we evaluated the anti-silencing effect of different sub-domains. We found that maximal epigenetic regulatory activity was contained within a 455 bp element derived from the CBX3 region when tested in the context of a lentiviral vector in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and human inducible pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. This region possessed an active chromatin signature, and operated effectively in cis to protect linked heterologous regulatory elements from methylation, thereby conferring stable transgene expression. Defined UCOE elements may be particularly useful for use in vectors where gene expression is desired in methylation-prone chromatin environments such as those encountered in pluripotent stem cells.
Surface frontogenesis by surface heat fluxes in the upstream Kuroshio Extension region
Authors: Tozuka Tomoki , Cronin Meghan F. , Tomita Hiroyuki 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWestern boundary currents bring warm tropical water poleward and eastward and are characterized by a sharp sea surface temperature (SST) front on the poleward edge of the current as it extends into the interior basin. One of the most prominent such front is associated with the Kuroshio Extension (KE) as it extends east of Japan (“upstream KE”). Large latent and sensible heat fluxes that warm the atmosphere and cool the ocean project this front into the atmosphere, thereby affecting weather and climate both locally and remotely. While one might assume that these larger surface heat fluxes on the equatorward side would tend to damp the SST front, here we present observational evidence that the surface heat loss actually strengthens the front during October-April in monthly climatology and about 87% of months from October to January during the 2004/05–2014/15 period, although the percentage lowers to about 38% for February-April of the same period, suggesting some temporal/data dependency in the analysis. The key to understanding this counterintuitive result for frontogenesis is that the effective heat capacity of the surface water depends on mixed layer thickness. SSTs are more (less) sensitive to surface heat fluxes in regions with shallow (deep) mixed layer.
An Investigation on Attributes of Ambient Temperature and Diurnal Temperature Range on Mortality in Five East-Asian Countries
Authors: Lee Whan-Hee , Lim Youn-Hee , Dang Tran Ngoc , Seposo Xerxes , Honda Yasushi , Guo Yue-Liang Leon , Jang Hye-Min , Kim Ho 
Published: August 2017

AbstractInterest in the health effects of extremely low/high ambient temperature and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) on mortality as representative indices of temperature variability is growing. Although numerous studies have reported on these indices independently, few studies have provided the attributes of ambient temperature and DTR related to mortality, concurrently. In this study, we aimed to investigate and compare the mortality risk attributable to ambient temperature and DTR. The study included data of 63 cities in five East-Asian countries/regions during various periods between 1972 and 2013. The attributable risk of non-accidental death to ambient temperature was 9.36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.98–9.69%) and to DTR was 0.59% (95% CI: 0.53–0.65%). The attributable cardiovascular mortality risks to ambient temperature (15.63%) and DTR (0.75%) are higher than the risks to non-accidental/respiratory-related mortality. We verified that ambient temperature plays a larger role in temperature-associated mortality, and cardiovascular mortality is susceptible to ambient temperature and DTR.