A prominent glycyl radical enzyme in human gut microbiomes metabolizes trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline

The human microbiome encodes vast numbers of uncharacterized enzymes, limiting our functional understanding of this community and its effects on host health and disease. By incorporating information about enzymatic chemistry into quantitative metagenomics, we determined the abundance and distribution of individual members of the glycyl radical enzyme superfamily among the microbiomes of healthy humans. We identified many uncharacterized family members, including a universally distributed enzyme that enables commensal gut microbes and human pathogens to dehydrate trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, the product of the most abundant human posttranslational modification. This "chemically guided functional profiling" workflow can therefore use ecological context to facilitate the discovery of enzymes in microbial communities.

A systematic review of the efficacy and general safety of antibodies to NGF in the treatment of OA of the hip or knee

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-NGF antibody treatment in hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken utilizing the criteria described by the Cochrane collaboration. Both published and unpublished trials were identified for tanezumab, fulranumab and fasinumab in hip and knee OA; sponsors were contacted to provide and confirm data. Study quality was assessed by Jadad criteria; efficacy and safety data were extracted independently by two individuals and meta-analyses were performed using Revman 5.2. 13 randomized, controlled trials were identified: 10 of tanezumab, two of fulranumab and one with fasinumab. All agents demonstrated superiority in efficacy compared to placebo. The highest doses in the phase II studies of tanezumab had a standardized effect size for WOMAC pain of 0.73 (CI, 0.51, 0.95). Subsequent phase III studies of tanezumab and phase II studies of fulranumab and fasinumab reported standardized effect sizes for WOMAC pain of -0.15-0.5, with no clear distinction among dose levels. Tanezumab compared to NSAIDs and opioids showed greater efficacy with a standardized effect size for WOMAC pain of 0.23 (CI 0.17-0.29). WOMAC function and PGA results were similar to WOMAC pain. Safety, determined by odds ratios of withdrawals from studies due to adverse events (AEs), was better at the lower doses than higher doses and similar among all agents. These results demonstrate that antibodies to NGF provide efficacy in OA and that general safety at the lower doses appears similar to placebo. Additional data on both efficacy and safety of these antibodies are needed to define the optimal dose to maximize benefit to risk.

Quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 3 and 17 influence phenotypes of the metabolic syndrome

Recent research has emphasized the importance of the metabolic cluster, which includes glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure, as a strong predictor of the obesity-related morbidities and premature mortality. Fundamental to this association, commonly referred to as the metabolic syndrome, is the close interaction between abdominal fat patterning, total body adiposity, and insulin resistance. As the initial step in identifying major genetic loci influencing these phenotypes, we performed a genomewide scan by using a 10-centiMorgan map in 2,209 individuals distributed over 507 nuclear Caucasian families. Pedigree-based analysis using a variance components linkage model demonstrated a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 3 (3q27) strongly linked to six traits representing these fundamental phenotypes [logarithm of odds (lod) scores ranged from 2.4 to 3.5]. This QTL exhibited possible epistatic interaction with a second QTL on chromosome 17 (17p12) strongly linked to plasma leptin levels (lod = 5.0). Situated at these epistatic QTLs are candidate genes likely to influence two biologic precursor pathways of the metabolic syndrome.

Evaluation of whole-cell and OspC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for discrimination of early lyme borreliosis from OspA vaccination

A recombinant Lyme borreliosis vaccine consisting of outer surface protein A (OspA) is commercially available for vaccination of humans against infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Vaccination with OspA induces an antibody response that makes serologic interpretation of infection with B. burgdorferi difficult, especially by screening tests based on whole-cell preparations of B. burgdorferi. We show that an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto 50772, which lacks the plasmid encoding OspA and OspB, or a full-length recombinant OspC protein can identify patients infected with B. burgdorferi. We found that 69 and 65% of serum samples from patients with case-defined early Lyme borreliosis had anti-B. burgdorferi sensu stricto 50772 and anti-OspC reactivities, respectively. In addition, little or no reactivity was detected with sera obtained from individuals vaccinated with OspA. Unfortunately, 51 and 33% of sera from healthy patients and sera from patients with other illnesses were also reactive against B. burgdorferi sensu stricto 50772 and OspC, respectively. Although these assays can discriminate B. burgdorferi infection from vaccination with OspA, their lack of specificity highlights the necessity for confirming equivocal or positive reactivities with more specific serodiagnostic tests.

Borreliacidal antibody production against outer surface protein C of Borrelia burgdorferi

Early Lyme borreliosis sera with significant titers of anti-outer surface protein C (OspC) borreliacidal antibodies were identified. Human anti-OspC borreliacidal antibodies could be either IgM or IgG. Significant concentrations of borreliacidal activity were detected after vaccination of mice with OspC. Detection of anti-OspC borreliacidal activity was dependent on surface expression of OspC by Borrelia burgdorferi isolate 50772. The ability of OspC to induce borreliacidal antibodies in vivo and after vaccination offers another possible explanation for the ability of vaccination with OspC to protect against infection with B. burgdorferi. Furthermore, detection of anti-OspC borreliacidal antibodies, especially IgM antibodies, in early Lyme borreliosis sera provides additional evidence that borreliacidal antibody detection may be useful for the serodiagnosis of early Lyme borreliosis.

High-efficiency transformation of Pichia stipitis based on its URA3 gene and a homologous autonomous replication sequence, ARS2

This paper describes the first high-efficiency transformation system for the xylose-fermenting yeast Pichia stipitis. The system includes integrating and autonomously replicating plasmids based on the gene for orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase (URA3) and an autonomous replicating sequence (ARS) element (ARS2) isolated from P. stipitis CBS 6054. Ura- auxotrophs were obtained by selecting for resistance to 5-fluoroorotic acid and were identified as ura3 mutants by transformation with P. stipitis URA3. P. stipitis URA3 was cloned by its homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae URA3, with which it is 69% identical in the coding region. P. stipitis ARS elements were cloned functionally through plasmid rescue. These sequences confer autonomous replication when cloned into vectors bearing the P. stipitis URA3 gene. P. stipitis ARS2 has features similar to those of the consensus ARS of S. cerevisiae and other ARS elements. Circular plasmids bearing the P. stipitis URA3 gene with various amounts of flanking sequences produced 600 to 8,600 Ura+ transformants per micrograms of DNA by electroporation. Most transformants obtained with circular vectors arose without integration of vector sequences. One vector yielded 5,200 to 12,500 Ura+ transformants per micrograms of DNA after it was linearized at various restriction enzyme sites within the P. stipitis URA3 insert. Transformants arising from linearized vectors produced stable integrants, and integration events were site specific for the genomic ura3 in 20% of the transformants examined. Plasmids bearing the P. stipitis URA3 gene and ARS2 element produced more than 30,000 transformants per micrograms of plasmid DNA. Autonomously replicating plasmids were stable for at least 50 generations in selection medium and were present at an average of 10 copies per nucleus.

The skeletal muscle relaxant action of Portulaca oleracea: role of potassium ions

An aqueous extract of the stems and leaves of Portulaca oleracea abolishes the twitch contraction of the directly stimulated rat hemidiaphragm preparation. The effects of the extract mimic qualitatively the action of potassium oxalate--a known constituent of Portulaca oleracea--on the diaphragm. Removal of K+ ions from the methanol extract by passing it through a cation exchange resin reduced the inhibitory effect of the extract. There was a positive correlation between the concentration of K+ ions in the extract and the effects of potassium chloride of similar molarity. It is concluded that the K+ ion content of Portulaca oleracea is at least partly responsible for the relaxant effect observed on the isolated rat diaphragm.

Brain damage in profound hypothermia. Perfusion versus circulatory arrest

To investigate brain changes in induced deep core hypothermia (18 degrees C) with or without circulatory arrest, four groups of dogs were subjected to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) under the following conditions: (1) differential head perfusion with pulsatile flow and simultaneous circulatory arrest to the rest of the body; (2) differential perfusion to the head with a nonpulsatile flow; (3) total circulatory arrest; and (4) continuous hypothermic perfusion. Parameters analyzed were: (1) blood flow distribution; (2) creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-BB) elevation in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in the brain venous return; and (3) microscopy of the brain in animals killed at 30 minutes, 24 and 48 hours, 1 and 2 weeks, and 1 month. Although minor brain tissue flow differences were found at 37 degrees C among the groups, flows equalized at 18 degrees C. A significant seven-fold brain flow increase followed the period of circulatory arrest in Group III. Rise of CK-BB levels occurred in brain venous return but not in CSF in all groups. Microscopic cellular damage appeared in all groups with an equal degree of severity, regardless of the method of hypothermia and perfusion implemented.