Protein kinetics: structures of intermediates and reaction mechanism from time-resolved x-ray data

We determine the number of authentic reaction intermediates in the later stages of the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein at room temperature, their atomic structures, and a consistent set of chemical kinetic mechanisms, by analysis of a set of time-dependent difference electron density maps spanning the time range from 5 micros to 100 ms. The successful fit of exponentials to right singular vectors derived from a singular value decomposition of the difference maps demonstrates that a chemical kinetic mechanism holds and that structurally distinct intermediates exist. We identify two time-independent difference maps, from which we refine the structures of the corresponding intermediates. We thus demonstrate how structures associated with intermediate states can be extracted from the experimental, time-dependent crystallographic data. Stoichiometric and structural constraints allow the exclusion of one kinetic mechanism proposed for the photocycle but retain other plausible candidate kinetic mechanisms.     

Are the results of electrophysiological study different in patients with a pre-excitation syndrome, with and without syncope?

AIMS: Syncope in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome may reveal an arrhythmic event or is not WPW syndrome related. The aim of the study is to evaluate the results of electrophysiological study in WPW syndrome according to the presence or not of syncope and the possible causes of syncope. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 518 consecutive patients with diagnosis of WPW syndrome, 71 patients, mean age 34.5 +/- 17, presented syncope. Transoesophageal electrophysiological study in control state and after isoproterenol infusion was performed in the out-patient clinic. Atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia (AVRT) was more frequently induced than in asymptomatic patients (n = 38, 53.5%, P < 0.01), less frequently than in those with tachycardia; atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or antidromic tachycardia (ATD) was induced in 28 patients (39%) more frequently (P < 0.05) than in asymptomatic patients or those with tachycardia. The incidence of high-risk form [rapid conduction over accessory pathway (AP) and AF or ATD induction] was higher in syncope group (n = 18, 25%, P < 0.001) than in asymptomatic subjects (8%) or those with tachycardias (7.5%). Maximal rate conducted over AP was similar in patients with and without syncope, and higher in patients with spontaneous AF, but without syncope. Results were not age-related. CONCLUSION: Tachycardia inducibility was higher in patients with syncope than in the asymptomatic group. The incidence of malignant WPW syndrome was higher in patients with syncope than in asymptomatic or symptomatic population, but the maximal rate conducted over AP was not higher and another mechanism could be also implicated in the mechanism of syncope.     

Platelet-derived growth factors induced lymphangiogenesis: evidence,unanswered questions and upcoming challenges

Crosstalk between angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in embryonic development continues during postnatal life and has specific mechanisms involving factors that initiate activation of the intracellular cascade for their specific receptors. Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their corresponding receptors (PDGFRs) are known as important regulators of blood vessel development in both normal and pathologic angiogenesis. Despite some recent papers which reported a potential role of the PDGF/PDGFR axis in lymphatic spread of tumor cells, a few papers have suggested the potential role of PDGFs in tumor lymphangiogenesis development. The present paper summarizes the potential lymphangiogenic role of the PDGF/PDGFR axis, underlying upcoming challenges in the field.     

Functional short- and long-term effects of nasal CPAP with and without humidification on the ciliary function of the nasal respiratory epithelium

Purpose

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but its impact on ciliary function is unclear to date. Furthermore, CPAP is associated with numerous side effects related to the nose and upper airway. Humidified CPAP is used to relieve these symptoms, but again, little is known regarding its effect on ciliary function of the nasal respiratory epithelium.

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, crossover trial, 31 patients with OSA (AHI >15/h) were randomized to two treatment arms: nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) with humidification or nCPAP without humidification for one night in each modality to assess short-term effects of ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and mucus transport time (MTT) and consecutively for 8 weeks in each modality to assess long-term effects in a crossover fashion.

Results

The baseline CBF was 4.8?±?0.6 Hz, and baseline MTT was 540?±?221 s. After one night of CPAP with and without humidification, ciliary function increased moderately yet with statistical significance (p <0.05). The short-term groups with and without humidification did not differ statistically significant. Regarding long-term effects of CPAP, a statistically significant increase in ciliary function above the baseline level and above the short-term level was shown without humidification (7.2?±?0.4 Hz; 402?±?176 s; p <0.01). The increase above baseline level was even more pronounced with humidification (9.3?±?0.7 Hz; 313?±?95 s; p <0.01). There was a statistically significant difference between both groups at long-term assessment with regard to CBF (p <0.01).

Conclusions

Independent of airway humidification, nCPAP has moderate effects on short-term ciliary function of the nasal respiratory epithelium. However, a significant increase in ciliary function—both in terms of an increased CBF and a decreased MTT—was detected after long-term use. The effect was more pronounced when humidification was used during nCPAP.     

Hepatitis B Virus Core Promoter Mutations in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Bucharest,Romania

Background:

Accurate and personalized molecular virological diagnosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is crucial for individualized selection of patients for antiviral therapy in Romania.

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate HBV mutations in Romanian patients with chronic HBV infection, also to match HBV genotypes with HBV mutations identified and clinical outcomes.

Patients and Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 484 Romanian patients with chronic HBV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were investigated. This was performed in Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania during January 2005 to August 2010. HBsAg positive patients with chronic HBV infection admitted to Fundeni Clinical Institute were randomly enrolled in the study. Analysis was performed in the Centre for Immunogenetics and Virology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania. Indirect diagnosis was performed with enhanced chemiluminescence method using Architect i2000SR and HBV-DNA was quantified with COBAS TaqMan HBV PCR. Direct sequencing of the PCR-products was performed with the PCR-product sequencing kit. HBV genotyping was performed with INNO-LiPA DR Amplification and INNO-LiPA HBV precore-core.

Results:

We detected two HBV genotypes; A (8.1%) and D (60.5%), and a mixture of genotypes A and D (31.4%) (P < 0.001). Basal core promoter (BCP) A1762T/G1764A and precore (PC) G1896A mutations were detected in these Romanian patients with chronic HBV infection. HBV chronic carriers had mainly genotype D (54.4%) and HBV WT (64.0%). BCP A1762T, G1764A and PC G1896A were significantly associated with HCC-tissue HBV sequencing (75.3%) (P < 0.001). PC G1896A alone was detected in HCC-serum HBV sequencing group (66.7%).

Conclusions:

Genotype D was the main genotype detected in Romanian patients with chronic HBV infection. Genotype D presented both BCP and PC mutations more frequently.     

Full dynamics of a red blood cell in shear flow

At the cellular scale, blood fluidity and mass transport depend on the dynamics of red blood cells in blood flow, specifically on their deformation and orientation. These dynamics are governed by cellular rheological properties, such as internal viscosity and cytoskeleton elasticity. In diseases in which cell rheology is altered genetically or by parasitic invasion or by changes in the microenvironment, blood flow may be severely impaired. The nonlinear interplay between cell rheology and flow may generate complex dynamics, which remain largely unexplored experimentally. Under simple shear flow, only two motions, “tumbling” and “tank-treading,” have been described experimentally and relate to cell mechanics. Here, we elucidate the full dynamics of red blood cells in shear flow by coupling two videomicroscopy approaches providing multidirectional pictures of cells, and we analyze the mechanical origin of the observed dynamics. We show that contrary to common belief, when red blood cells flip into the flow, their orientation is determined by the shear rate. We discuss the “rolling” motion, similar to a rolling wheel. This motion, which permits the cells to avoid energetically costly deformations, is a true signature of the cytoskeleton elasticity. We highlight a hysteresis cycle and two transient dynamics driven by the shear rate: an intermittent regime during the “tank-treading-to-flipping” transition and a Frisbee-like “spinning” regime during the “rolling-to-tank-treading” transition. Finally, we reveal that the biconcave red cell shape is highly stable under moderate shear stresses, and we interpret this result in terms of stress-free shape and elastic buckling.