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Antifungal effect of Australian tea tree oil on Malassezia pachydermatis isolated from canines suffering from cutaneous skin disease.

The lipophilic yeast Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal skin flora of most warm-blooded organisms. In a number of surveys it could be demonstrated that this yeast species might be involved in different skin diseases like seborrhoeic dermatitis, especially in dogs and cats. In order to look for an alternative therapeutic agent to the commonly used antimycotic and antiseptic synthetic substances the in vitro activity of Australian tea tree oil, the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, against several strains of Malassezia pachydermatis was examined. All tested strains showed remarkably high susceptibility to tea tree oil. With these results the excellent antibacterial activity of tea tree oil is extended to a new group of fungal pathogens colonizing mainly mammals' skin. During the last ten years there was an increasing popularity of tea tree oil containing human health care products. The presented data open up new horizons for this essential oil as a promising alternative agent for topical use in veterinary medicine as well.

Animals↗

Integration of viral genomes.

DNA transcripts of infectious RNA viruses were found to be integrated in the DNA of chronically-infected tissue cultures. DNA sequences homologous to RNA of measles virus were found in tissues affected with systemic lupus erythemotosus. These data open up a new class of virus-cell interaction that may be a result of cooperation between infectious and oncogenic viruses.

Animals↗

Asymmetric conformational changes in a GPCR dimer controlled by G-proteins.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key players in cell communication. Although long considered as monomeric, it now appears that these heptahelical proteins can form homo- or heterodimers. Here, we analyzed the conformational changes in each subunit of a receptor dimer resulting from agonist binding to either one or both subunits by measuring the fluorescent properties of a leukotriene B(4) receptor dimer with a single 5-hydroxytryptophan-labeled protomer. We show that a receptor dimer with only a single agonist-occupied subunit can trigger G-protein activation. We also show that the two subunits of the receptor dimer in the G-protein-coupled state differ in their conformation, even when both are liganded by the agonist. No such asymmetric conformational changes are observed in the absence of G-protein, indicating that the interaction of the G-protein with the receptor dimer brings specific constraints that prevent a symmetric functioning of this dimer. These data open new options for the differential signaling properties of GPCR dimers.

Dimerization↗

cDNA profiling of epileptogenesis in the rat brain.

Symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy typically develops in three phases: brain insult --> latency period (epileptogenesis) --> recurrent seizures (epilepsy). We hypothesized that remodeling of neuronal circuits underlying epilepsy is associated with altered gene expression during epileptogenesis. Epileptogenesis was induced by electrically triggered status epilepticus (SE) in rats. Animals were continuously monitored with video-EEG, and the hippocampus and temporal lobe were collected either during epileptogenesis (1, 4 and 14 days) or after the first spontaneous seizures (14 days) for cDNA array analysis. Altogether, 282 genes had altered expression, from which 87 were in the hippocampus and 208 in the temporal lobe (overlap in 13). Assessment of hippocampal gene expression during epileptogenesis indicated that 37 genes were altered in the 1-day group, 12 in the 4-day group and 14 in the 14-day epileptogenesis group. There were 42 genes with altered expression in the 14-day epilepsy group. In the temporal lobe, the number of genes with altered expression was 29 in the 1-day group, 155 in the 4-day group, 32 in the 14-day epileptogenesis group and 62 in the 14-day epilepsy group. Products of the altered genes are involved in neuronal plasticity, gliosis, organization of the cytoskeleton or extracellular matrix, cell adhesion, signal transduction, regulation of cell cycle, and metabolism. As most of these genes have not previously been implicated in epileptogenesis or epilepsy, these data open new avenues for understanding the molecular basis of epileptogenesis and provide new targets for rational development of anti-epileptogenic treatments for patients with an elevated risk of epileptogenesis after brain injury.

Animals↗

[How do G-protein-coupled receptors work? The case of metabotropic glutamate and GABA receptors].

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest membrane proteins family in animal genomes. Being the receptors for most hormones and neurotransmitters, these proteins play a central role in intercellular communication. GPCRs can be classified into several groups based on the sequence similarity of their common structural feature: the heptahelical domain. The metabotropic receptors for the main neurotransmitters glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) belong to the class III of GPCRs, together with others receptors for Ca2+, for sweet and amino acid taste compounds and for some pheromones, as well as for odorants in fish. Besides their transmembrane heptahelical domain responsible for G-protein activation, most of class III receptors possess a large extracellular domain responsible for ligand recognition. The recent resolution of the structure of this binding domain of one of these receptors, the mGlu1 receptor, together with the recent demonstration that these receptors are dimers, revealed an original mechanism of activation for these GPCRs. Such data open new possibilities to develop drugs aimed at modulating these receptors, and raised a number of interesting questions on the activation mechanism of other GPCRs.

Animals↗

Cardiostimulatory and antiarrhythmic activity of tubulin-binding agents.

Rhythmic, spontaneously pulsating cardiac cells cultured from newborn rats are immediately stimulated to beat faster by addition of a number of tubulin-binding agents but not by their non-tubulin-binding analogues. The tubulin-binding agents tested include vinblastine, vincristine, navelbine, two analogs of vinblastine (S12362 and S12363), nocodazole, colchicine, and podophylotoxin. In addition to binding tubulin, all of the above agents also depolymerize microtubules. In contrast, taxol, a tubulin-binding agent that stabilizes microtubules, does not stimulate cardiac cells. Moreover, the immediate and ensuing cardiac stimulation by vinblastine at 0.05 microgram/ml is completely blocked by pre- and cotreatment with taxol at 1.0 microgram/ml. The time necessary to reverse the cardiostimulatory effect of vinblastine is significantly longer than that required for nocodazole, further implicating depolymerization of microtubules in the cardiac activity of these agents. All of the tubulin-binding agents tested (including taxol) also immediately reverse adriamycin-induced arrhythmias. By using a monoclonal antibody to alpha-tubulin, typical filamentous microtubules are visualized in cardiac muscle and cocultured non-muscle cells by immunofluorescence. When cells are treated for 2 hr with vinblastine at 0.05 microgram/ml, fluorescence is detected in cross-striated patterns in cardiac muscle cells. Overall, these data open the possibility of uncovering an additional relationship between cytoskeletal elements (other than actin and myosin) and the contractility of cardiac muscle. They also suggest an alternative mechanism for affecting cardiac cell function in vitro (namely, by tubulin-binding agents). If these agents are shown to be cardioactive in vivo, they may provide another approach to the treatment and management of cardiac arrhythmias.

Alkaloids↗

The heptahelical domain of GABA(B2) is activated directly by CGP7930, a positive allosteric modulator of the GABA(B) receptor.

The gamma-aminobutyric acid, type B (GABA(B)) receptor is well recognized as being composed of two subunits, GABA(B1) and GABA(B2). Both subunits share structural homology with other class-III G-protein-coupled receptors. They are composed of two main domains: a heptahelical domain (HD) typical of all G-protein-coupled receptors and a large extracellular domain (ECD). Although GABA(B1) binds GABA, GABA(B2) is required for GABA(B1) to reach the cell surface. However, it is still not demonstrated whether the association of these two subunits is always required for function in the brain. Indeed, GABA(B2) plays a major role in the coupling of the heteromer to G-proteins, such that it is possible that GABA(B2) can transmit a signal in the absence of GABA(B1). Today only ligands interacting with GABA(B1) ECD have been identified. Thus, the compounds acting exclusively on the GABA(B2) subunit will be helpful in analyzing the specific role of this subunit in the brain. Here, we explored the mechanism of action of CGP7930, a compound described as a positive allosteric regulator of the GABA(B) receptor. We showed that it activates the wild type GABA(B) receptor but with a low efficacy. The GABA(B2) HD is necessary for this effect, although one cannot exclude that CGP7930 could also bind to GABA(B1). Of interest, CGP7930 could activate GABA(B2) expressed alone and is the first described agonist of GABA(B2). Finally, we show that CGP7930 retains its agonist activity on a GABA(B2) subunit deleted of its ECD. This demonstrates that the HD of GABA(B2) behaves similar to a rhodopsin-like receptor, because it can reach the cell surface alone, can couple to G-protein, and be activated by agonists. These data open new strategies for studying the mechanism of activation of GABA(B) receptor and examine any possible role of homomeric GABA(B2) receptors.

Allosteric Regulation↗

Activation of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated DNA damage checkpoint signal transduction elicited by herpes simplex virus infection.

Eukaryotic cells are equipped with machinery to monitor and repair damaged DNA. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA replication occurs at discrete sites in nuclei, the replication compartment, where viral replication proteins cluster and synthesize a large amount of viral DNA. In the present study, HSV infection was found to elicit a cellular DNA damage response, with activation of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) signal transduction pathway, as observed by autophosphorylation of ATM and phosphorylation of multiple downstream targets including Nbs1, Chk2, and p53, while infection with a UV-inactivated virus or with a replication-defective virus did not. Activated ATM and the DNA damage sensor MRN complex composed of Mre11, Rad50, and Nbs1 were recruited and retained at sites of viral DNA replication, probably recognizing newly synthesized viral DNAs as abnormal DNA structures. These events were not observed in ATM-deficient cells, indicating ATM dependence. In Nbs1-deficient cells, HSV infection induced an ATM DNA damage response that was delayed, suggesting a functional MRN complex requirement for efficient ATM activation. However, ATM silencing had no effect on viral replication in 293T cells. Our data open up an interesting question of how the virus is able to complete its replication, although host cells activate ATM checkpoint signaling in response to the HSV infection.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases↗

Location and clonal analysis of stem cells and their differentiated progeny in the human ocular surface.

We have analyzed the proliferative and differentiation potential of human ocular keratinocytes. Holoclones, meroclones, and paraclones, previously identified in skin, constitute also the proliferative compartment of the ocular epithelium. Ocular holoclones have the expected properties of stem cells, while transient amplifying cells have variable proliferative potential. Corneal stem cells are segregated in the limbus, while conjunctival stem cells are uniformly distributed in bulbar and forniceal conjunctiva. Conjunctival keratinocytes and goblet cells derive from a common bipotent progenitor. Goblet cells were found in cultures of transient amplifying cells, suggesting that commitment for goblet cell differentiation can occur late in the life of a single conjunctival clone. We found that conjunctival keratinocytes with high proliferative capacity give rise to goblet cells at least twice in their life and, more importantly, at rather precise times of their life history, namely at 45-50 cell doublings and at approximately 15 cell doublings before senescence. Thus, the decision of conjunctival keratinocytes to differentiate into goblet cells appears to be dependent upon an intrinsic "cell doubling clock. " These data open new perspectives in the surgical treatment of severe defects of the anterior ocular surface with autologous cultured conjunctival epithelium.

3T3 Cells↗

Which depth dose data should be used for dose planning when wedge filters are used to modify the photon beam?

The use of beam data for open photon fields when calculating absorbed dose distributions for beams with wedge filters has been studied. The depth doses for beams with wedge filters are changed through beam hardening and the dose maximum can be shifted; both these changes result in errors in the final dose calculations of several per cent if open beam data are used. The errors are larger for 6 MV than for 18 MV x-rays. The depth of measurement for determining the wedge factor and the influence of other beam modifying devices are discussed. It is recommended that the reference depth be used instead of the dose maximum for these kinds of measurements since the influence of contaminating electrons in the beam will then be avoided and the wedge factor will be correct at a clinically relevant depth.

Filtration↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5. IV. Sequence features of the regions of 1,456,315 bp covered by nineteen physically assigned P1 and TAC clones.

Nineteen P1 and TAC clones, which have been precisely localized to the fine physical map of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5, were newly sequenced, and their sequence features were analysed. The total length of the clones sequenced was 1,456,315 bp. Together with the previously reported sequences, the regions of chromosome 5 that have been sequenced to date is now 5,310,105 bp. When the sequences determined in this study were subjected to similarity search against protein and expressed sequence tag (EST) databases and analysis with computer programs for gene modeling, a total of 354 potential protein-coding genes and/or gene segments were identified. The average density of the assigned genes and/or gene segments was one gene per 4,114 bp. Introns were identified in 75% of the potential protein genes, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 3.7 and 194 bp, respectively. These sequence features are essentially identical to those in the previously reported sequences. The numbers of the Arabidopsis ESTs matched to each of the predicted genes have been counted to monitor the transcription level. The sequence data and gene information are available on the World Wide Web database KAOS (the Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/.

Arabidopsis↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5. V. Sequence features of the regions of 1,381,565 bp covered by twenty one physically assigned P1 and TAC clones.

The nucleotide sequences of 21 P1 and TAC clones which have been precisely localized to the fine physical map of the Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5, were determined, and their sequence features were analyzed. The total length of the regions sequenced in this study were 1,381,565 bp, bringing the total length of the chromosome 5 sequences determined so far to 6,691,670 bp together with the regions of the 69 clones previously reported. By computer-aided analyses including similarity search against protein and EST databases and gene modeling with computer programs, a total of 337 potential protein-coding genes and/or gene segments were identified on the basis of similarity to the reported gene sequences. An average density of the genes and/or gene segments thus assigned was 1 gene/4,100 bp. Introns were identified in 76.7% of the potential protein genes for which the entire gene structure were predicted, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 3.9 and 176 bp, respectively. These sequence features are essentially identical to those in the previously reported sequences. The numbers of the Arabidopsis ESTs matched to each of the predicted genes have been counted to monitor the transcription level. The sequence data and gene information are available on the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http:@www.kazusa.or.jp@arabi

Arabidopsis↗

A physical map of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3 represented by two contigs of CIC YAC, P1, TAC and BAC clones.

We have constructed a physical map of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3 by ordering the clones from CIC YAC, P1, TAC and BAC libraries using the sequences of a variety of genetic and EST markers and terminal sequences of clones. The markers used were 112 DNA markers, 145 YAC end sequences, and 156 end sequences of P1, TAC and BAC clones. The entire genome of chromosome 3, except for the centromeric and telomeric regions, was covered by two large contigs, 13.6 Mb and 9.2 Mb long. This physical map will facilitate map-based cloning experiments as well as genome sequencing of chromosome 3. The map and end sequence information are available on the KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) web site at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/.

Arabidopsis↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5. VIII. Sequence features of the regions of 1,081,958 bp covered by seventeen physically assigned P1 and TAC clones.

A total of 17 Pl and TAC clones each representing an assigned region of chromosome 5 were isolated from P1 and TAC genomic libraries of Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The length of the clones sequenced in this study summed up to 1,081,958 bp. As we have previously reported the sequence of 9,072,622 bp by analysis of 125 P1 and TAC clones, the total length of the sequences of chromosome 5 determined so far is now 10,154,580 bp. The sequences were subjected to similarity search against protein and EST databases and analysis with computer programs for gene modeling. As a consequence, a total of 253 potential protein-coding genes with known or predicted functions were identified. The positions of exons which do not show apparent similarity to known genes were also assigned using computer programs for exon prediction. The average density of the genes identified in this study was 1 gene per 4277 bp. Introns were observed in 74% of the potential protein genes, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 4.3 and 168 bp, respectively. The sequence data and gene information are available on the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/.

Arabidopsis↗

A sequence-ready contig map of the top arm of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3.

A fine physical map of the top arm of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3 has been constructed by ordering P1, TAC and BAC clones using the sequences of a variety of DNA markers and end-sequences of clones. The marker sequences used in this study were derived from 58 DNA markers, 93 YAC end-sequences, and 807 end-sequences of P1, TAC and BAC clones. The entire top arm of chromosome 3, except for the centromeric and telomeric regions, was covered by a single contig 13.3 Mb long. This fine physical map will facilitate gene isolation by map-based cloning experiments as well as genome sequencing of the top arm of chromosome 3. The map and end-sequence information are available on the web site KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at [http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/].

Arabidopsis↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5. X. Sequence features of the regions of 3,076,755 bp covered by sixty P1 and TAC clones.

In our ongoing project to deduce the nucleotide sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 5, non-redundant P1 and TAC clones have been sequenced on the basis of the fine physical map, and as of January, 2000, the sequences of 16.6 Mb representing approximately 60% of chromosome 5 have been accumulated and released at our web site. Along with the sequence determination, structural features of the sequenced regions have been analyzed by applying a variety of computer programs, and we already predicted a total of 2697 potential protein coding genes in the 11,166,130 bp regions, which are covered by 159 P1 and TAC clones. In this paper, we describe the structural features of the 3,076,755 bp regions covered by newly analyzed 60 P1 and TAC clones. A total of 715 potential protein coding genes were identified, giving an average density of the genes identified of 1 gene per 4001 bp. Introns were observed in 80% of the genes, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 4.5 and 147 bp, respectively. These sequence features are nearly identical to those in our latest report in which the data were compiled based on a new standard of gene assignment including the computer-predicted hypothetical genes. The regions also contained 12 tRNA genes when searched by similarity to reported tRNA genes and the tRNA scan-SE program. The sequence data and information on the potential genes are available through the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/kaos/.

Arabidopsis↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3. I. Sequence features of the regions of 4,504,864 bp covered by sixty P1 and TAC clones.

Based on the physical map of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3 previously constructed with CIC YAC, TAC, P1 and BAC clones (Sato, S. et al., DNA Res., 5, 163-168, 1998), a total of 60 P1 and TAC clones were sequenced, and the sequence features of the resulting 4,504,864 bp regions were analyzed by applying various computer programs for similarity search and gene modeling. As a result, a total of 1054 potential protein-coding genes were identified. The average density of the genes identified was 1 gene per 4066 bp. Introns were observed in 77% of the genes, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 3.9 and 156 bp, respectively. These sequence features are essentially identical to those of chromosome 5 in our previous reports, but the gene density was slightly higher than that observed for chromosomes 2 and 4. The regions also contained 10 tRNA genes when searched by similarity to reported tRNA genes and the tRNA scan-SE program. The sequence data and information on the potential genes are available through the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/kaos/.

Arabidopsis↗

Structural analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3. II. Sequence features of the 4,251,695 bp regions covered by 90 P1, TAC and BAC clones.

To deduce the entire sequence of the top arm of the Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 3, the sequence determination was performed on a total of 90 P1, TAC and BAC clones chosen according to our sequencing strategy. Sequence features of the resulting 4,251,695 bp regions were analyzed with various computer programs for similarity search and gene modeling. As a result, a total of 941 potential protein-coding genes were identified. The average density of the genes identified was 1 gene per 4210 bp. Introns were observed in 73% of the genes, and the average number per gene and the average length of the introns were 3.6 and 159 bp, respectively. These sequence features are essentially identical to those of chromosomes 3 and 5 in our previous reports. The regions also contained 14 tRNA genes when searched by similarity to reported tRNA genes and the tRNA scan-SE program. The sequence data and information on the potential genes are available through the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsis data Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/kaos/.

Arabidopsis↗