Lipoprotein status among urban populations in Bangladesh

ObjectiveSerum lipoprotein is the most important predictor for microvascular diseases, and may be influenced by rapid urbanization. Currently available data are limited, particularly regarding age-specific lipoprotein status in urban Bangladeshi populations.MethodsBlood lipoprotein levels of 51,353 male and female individuals primarily residing in urban Bangladesh were analyzed. De-identified data (collected between January 2005 and December 2011) were extracted from the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory Data Archive of International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). For analyses, six age categories were created: (i) <20 years, n = 481; (ii) 20–29 years, n = 1602; (iii) 30–39 years, n = 7272; (iv) 40–49 years, n = 13,582; (v) 50–59 years, n = 15,890; and (vi) 60 years and more, n = 12,526.ResultsMean serum levels of TC, LDL, TG, LDL:HDL and TC:HDL were significantly higher among adults 30–39 years old compared to other age groups, regardless of sex. The proportion of high TC and LDL from 2005 to 2011 among individuals aged 30–39 years old varied widely (p < 0.01 for trend and all pairwise tests).Conclusion30–39 years old individuals had higher concentration of lipoprotein, which increases microvascular disease risk. Further population-based studies are needed to validate our observations in rural areas of Bangladesh.     

Interaction of structure-specific and promiscuous G-protein-coupled receptors mediates small-molecule signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

A chemically diverse family of small-molecule signals, the ascarosides, control developmental diapause (dauer), olfactory learning, and social behaviors of the nematode model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. The ascarosides act upstream of conserved signaling pathways, including the insulin, TGF-β, serotonin, and guanylyl cyclase pathways; however, the sensory processes underlying ascaroside function are poorly understood. Because ascarosides often are multifunctional and show strongly synergistic effects, characterization of their receptors will be essential for understanding ascaroside biology and may provide insight into molecular mechanisms that produce synergistic outcomes in small-molecule sensing. Based on DAF-8 immunoprecipitation, we here identify two G-protein-coupled receptors, DAF-37 and DAF-38, which cooperatively mediate ascaroside perception. daf-37 mutants are defective in all responses to ascr#2, one of the most potent dauer-inducing ascarosides, although this mutant responds normally to other ascarosides. In contrast, daf-38 mutants are partially defective in responses to several different ascarosides. Through cell-specific overexpression, we show that DAF-37 regulates dauer when expressed in ASI neurons and adult behavior when expressed in ASK neurons. Using a photoaffinity-labeled ascr#2 probe and amplified luminescence assays (AlphaScreen), we demonstrate that ascr#2 binds to DAF-37. Photobleaching fluorescent energy transfer assays revealed that DAF-37 and DAF-38 form heterodimers, and we show that heterodimerization strongly increases cAMP inhibition in response to ascr#2. These results suggest that that the ascarosides' intricate signaling properties result in part from the interaction of highly structure-specific G-protein-coupled receptors such as DAF-37 with more promiscuous G-protein-coupled receptors such as DAF-38.     

Staphylococcal pathogenicity island interference with helper phage reproduction is a paradigm of molecular parasitism

Staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) carry superantigen and resistance genes and are extremely widespread in Staphylococcus aureus and in other Gram-positive bacteria. SaPIs represent a major source of intrageneric horizontal gene transfer and a stealth conduit for intergeneric gene transfer; they are phage satellites that exploit the life cycle of their temperate helper phages with elegant precision to enable their rapid replication and promiscuous spread. SaPIs also interfere with helper phage reproduction, blocking plaque formation, sharply reducing burst size and enhancing the survival of host cells following phage infection. Here, we show that SaPIs use several different strategies for phage interference, presumably the result of convergent evolution. One strategy, not described previously in the bacteriophage microcosm, involves a SaPI-encoded protein that directly and specifically interferes with phage DNA packaging by blocking the phage terminase small subunit. Another strategy involves interference with phage reproduction by diversion of the vast majority of virion proteins to the formation of SaPI-specific small infectious particles. Several SaPIs use both of these strategies, and at least one uses neither but possesses a third. Our studies illuminate a key feature of the evolutionary strategy of these mobile genetic elements, in addition to their carriage of important genes—interference with helper phage reproduction, which could ensure their transferability and long-term persistence.     

Glutamine and Whey Protein Improve Intestinal Permeability and Morphology in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background  

Increased intestinal permeability (IP) has been implicated in the etiopathogenesis, disease activity and relapse of Crohn’s disease (CD). Glutamine, the major fuel for the enterocytes, may improve IP.