Glycopeptidolipids: Immuno-modulators in greasy mycobacterial cell envelope

Species of opportunistic mycobacteria are the major causative agent for disseminating pulmonary infections in immuno-compromised individuals. These naturally resistant strains recruit a unique type of glycolipid known as glycopeptidolipids (GPLs), noncovalently attached to the outer surface of their thick lipid rich cell envelope. Species specific GPLs constitute the chemical determinants of most nontuberculous mycobacterial serotypes, and their absence from the cell surface confers altered colony morphology, hydrophobicity, and inability to grow as biofilms. The objective of this review is to present a comprehensive account and highlight the renewed interest on this much neglected group of pleiotropic molecules with respect to their structural diversity and biosynthesis. In addition, the role of GPLs in mycobacterial survival, both intracellular and in the environment is also discussed. It also explores the possibility of identifying new targets for intervening Mycobacterium avium complex-related infections. These antigenic molecules have been considered to play a pivotal role in immune suppression and can also induce various cytokine mediated innate immune responses, the molecular mechanism of which remains obscure. (c) 2012 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 2012

Wool statistics, including mohair and other animal fibers.

Cover-title.

Mohair histogenesis, maturation, and shedding in the Angora goat /

Issued Nov. 1974.

Wool and mohair.

Latest issue consulted: 1998, Mar. 25, 1999.

Volatile components associated with bacterial spoilage of tropical prawns

Analysis of headspace volatiles by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry from king (Penaeus plebejus), banana (P. merguiensis), tiger (P. esculentus/semisulcatus) and greasy (Metapenaeus bennettae) prawns stored in ice or ice slurry, which is effectively an environment of low oxygen tension, indicated the presence of amines at the early stages of storage (less than 8 days) irrespective of the nature of the storage media. Esters were more prevalent in prawns stored on ice (normal oxygen conditions) at the latter stages of storage (more than 8 days) and were only produced by Pseudomonas fragi, whereas sulphides and amines occurred whether the predominant spoilage organism was Ps.fragi or Shewanella putrefaciens. The free amino acid profiles of banana and king prawns were high in arginine (12–14%) and low in cysteine (0.1–0.17%) and methionine (0.1–0.2%). Filter sterilised raw banana prawn broth inoculated with a total of 15 cultures of Ps. fragi and S. putrefaciens and incubated for two weeks at 5°C, showed the presence of 17 major compounds in the headspace volatiles analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). These were mainly amines, sulphides, ketones and esters. Principal Component Analysis of the results for the comparative levels of the volatiles produced by pure cultures, inoculated into sterile prawn broth, indicated three subgroupings of the organisms; I, Ps. fragi from a particular geographic location; II, S. putrefaciens from another geographic location; and III, a mixture of Ps. fragi and S. putrefaciens from different geographic locations. The sensory impression created by the cultures was strongly related to the chemical profile as determined by GC/MS. Organisms, even within the same subgrouping classified as identical by the usual tests, produced a different range of volatiles in the same uniform substrate.

Effect of seasonal conditions on fleece weight and its components in merino sheep grazing Mitchell grass pasture in North West Queensland

SUMMARY Seasonal conditions in the pre to post natal period and selected periods before and during wool growth were described using climatic measures and estimates of the quality and quantity of pasture on offer derived from a validated pasture production model (GRASP). The variation in greasy and clean fleece weight, yield, staple length, fibre diameter, neck and side wrinkle score of Merinos grazing Mitchell grass in north west Queensland was explained in terms of these pasture and climatic measures and animal characteristics such as reproductive status, age and skin area. Multiple regression equations predicting clean and greasy fleece weight from the proportion of days in the wool growth period that the green pool in the pasture was less than one kg/ha, the percentage utilisation of the pasture, age, reproductive status and skin area of the ewes explained 87% and 79% of the variation respectively. Equations with similar predictors explained 58-85% of the variation of the other components. The inclusion of pasture conditions in the pre to post natal period did not significantly improve the predictions of the animal’s later performance. 22nd Biennial Conference.

Genetic Parameters for Staple Length and Staple Strength of Merino Wool Produced in Central and North West Queensland

Estimates of genetic parameters are presented for staple length and staple strength for 15 month old, medium Peppin sheep at Longreach and Julia Creek Queensland. The effects of birth type, sex and year of birth are shown. There were significant interactions for sex by site and for sex by year of birth. Heritability of staple length and strength were respectively 0.75 and 0.37 for the Longreach flock and 0.70 and 0.23 for the Julia Creek flock. The heritability of staple strength agrees with other published data however the estimate for staple length is very high. Phenotypic and genetic correlations with greasy fleece weight, yield, clean fleece weight, average fibre diameter and liveweight are in general agreement with other published estimates. Animal production for a consuming world : proceedings of 9th Congress of the Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies [AAAP] and 23rd Biennial Conference of the Australian Society of Animal Production [ASAP] and 17th Annual Symposium of the University of Sydney, Dairy Research Foundation, [DRF]. 2-7 July 2000 University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Genetic Parameters for Production Traits in Queensland Merinos

Genetic and phenotypic parameters are presented for production traits, greasy fleece weight (GFW), yield (YLD), clean fleece weight (CFW), average fibre diameter (DIAM) and liveweight (LWT), in 15 month old medium Peppin Merino sheep at Longreach and Julia Creek, Queensland. Heritabilities for GFW, YLD, CFW, DIAM and LWT were respectively 0.35, 0.62, 0.34, 0.74, and 0.37 for Longreach and 0.23, 0.52, 0.20, 0.67 and 0.56 for Julia Creek. Most estimates were consistent with other reported values. AAABG 13th Conference; Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics.

Use of part records in Merino breeding programs - The inheritance of wool growth and fibre traits during different times of the year to determine their value in Merino breeding programs

Fibre diameter can vary dramatically along a wool staple, especially in the Mediterranean environment of southern Australia with its dry summers and abundance of green feed in spring. Other research results have shown a very low phenotypic correlation between fibre diameter grown between seasons. Many breeders use short staples to measure fibre diameter for breeding purposes and also to promote animals for sale. The effectiveness of this practice is determined by the relative response to selection by measuring fibre traits on a full 12 months wool staple as compared to measuring them only on part of a staple. If a high genetic correlation exists between the part record and the full record, then using part records may be acceptable to identify genetically superior animals. No information is available on the effectiveness of part records. This paper investigated whether wool growth and fibre diameter traits of Merino wool grown at different times of the year in a Mediterranean environment, are genetically the same trait, respectively. The work was carried out on about 7 dyebanded wool sections/animal.year, on ewes from weaning to hogget age, in the Katanning Merino resource flocks over 6 years. Relative clean wool growth of the different sections had very low heritability estimates of less than 0.10, and they were phenotypically and genetically poorly correlated with 6 or 12 months wool growth. This indicates that part record measurement of clean wool growth of these sections will be ineffective as indirect selection criteria to improve wool growth genetically. Staple length growth as measured by the length between dyebands, would be more effective with heritability estimates of between 0.20 and 0.30. However, these measurements were shown to have a low genetic correlation with wool grown for 12 months which implies that these staple length measurements would only be half as efficient as the wool weight for 6 or 12 months to improve total clean wool weight. Heritability estimates of fibre diameter, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature were relatively high and were genetically and phenotypically highly correlated across sections. High positive phenotypic and genetic correlations were also found between fibre diameter, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature of the different sections and similar measurements for wool grown over 6 or 12 months. Coefficient of variation of fibre diameter of the sections also had a moderate negative phenotypic and genetic correlation with staple strength of wool staples grown over 6 months indicating that coefficient of variation of fibre diameter of any section would be as good an indirect selection criterion to improve stable strength as coefficient of variation of fibre diameter for wool grown over 6 or 12 months. The results indicate that fibre diameter, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature of wool grown over short periods of time have virtually the same heritability as that of wool grown over 12 months, and that the genetic correlation between fibre diameter, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature on part and on full records is very high (rg > 0.85). This indicates that fibre diameter, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature on part records can be used as selection criteria to improve these traits. However, part records of greasy and clean wool growth would be much less efficient than fleece weight for wool grown over 6 or 12 months because of the low heritability of part records and the low genetic correlation between these traits on part records and on wool grown for 12 months.

Molecular and expression characterization of three gonadotropin subunits common alpha, FSH beta and LH beta in groupers

A SMART cDNA plasmid library was constructed from protogyous greasy grouper (Epinephelus coioides) pituitary, and the full-length cDNAs of three gonadotropin (GTH) subunits common alpha, FSH beta and LH beta were cloned and sequenced from the library. The nucleotide sequences of common alpha, FSH beta and LH beta subunit cDNAs are 647, 594 and 574 bp in length, and encode for mature peptides of 94, 99 and 115 aa, respectively. High homology was observed by amino acid sequence alignment and identity comparison of the grouper mature peptides of common alpha, FSH beta and LH beta with that of other fishes. Phylogenetic tree analyses of the three GTH mature subunits revealed similar phylogeny relationships among the studied fish species. Three polyclonal antibodies were prepared from the in vitro expressed common alpha, FSH beta and LH beta mature proteins, respectively. Western blot analysis and immunofluoresence localization were performed on two typical stages of ovarian development stages in red-spotted grouper. Significant differences in protein expression levels of three gonadotropin subunits were revealed between the two ovarian development stages. In the individuals with resting ovary, common alpha was almost not detected in pituitaries, and FSH beta and LH beta expression levels were very low. While in the individuals with developing ovary, the expression of all three gonadotropin subunits reached to a high level. Immunofluoresence localization indicated that the grouper FSH beta cells mainly distributed in the middle area of PPD, while the LH beta cells distributed more widely, including in the area similar to the FSH beta cells and at the external periphery of pituitary near to the PI side. The common alpha might be expressed in both FSH beta and LH beta cells. Double immunofluoresence localization further demonstrated FSH beta and LH beta expression in distinct cells in the PPD area, although the FSH beta and LH beta cells were detected in the identical area of PPD. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exuberant clinical presentation of probable Malassezia folliculitis in a young nonimmunosuppressed patient

Malassezia folliculitis is an inflammatory disorder observed in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. The authors describe an unusual and exuberant presumed case affecting the face, trunk and upper limbs of a 12-year-old nonimmunosuppressed patient. Although the agent was not identified by culture, the clinical and histopathological aspects plus the response to specific treatment support the diagnosis of Malassezia folliculitis. The only possible predisponent cause observed on the patient was greasy skin. Repetitive cultures were negative. Treatment with itraconazol promoted apparent cure, however, the patient relapsed twelve months later.

Estudo da estabilidade química, física e liberação in vitro da eritromicina veiculada em sistemas líquido-cristalinos para tratamento da Acne Vulgaris

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Atualizações sobre o uso de óleo de peixe no tratamento de cardiopatia canina

There are cardiopathies that acometem the dogs, being able this being congenital or acquired and lately have grown the number of cases due to the increase of the life expectancy of these animals becoming each time more necessary prevention methods. In recent years innumerable research is being carried through to understand the influence of the fish oil in the cardiopathies. The fish oil ingestion, Omega 3, has shown beneficial effect in the prevention of cardiovascular illnesses in such a way in the men as in the animals. Such effect this related to the presence of acid greasy polyunsaturateds n-3, mainly acid the eicosapentaenóico (EPA) and acid the docosahexaenóico (DHA). These substances can be found in foods as marine cold water fish (salmon, tuna, sardine and Trout), hemp seeds and soy. The present study, therefore, it has as objective to carry through an update on the use of the fish oil in the treatment of cardiopathies in dogs

Abnormal differentiation of epidermis in transgenic mice constitutively expressing cyclooxygenase-2 in skin

In prostanoid biosynthesis, the first two steps are catalyzed by cyclooxygenases (COX). In mice and humans, deregulated expression of COX-2, but not of COX-1, is characteristic of epithelial tumors, including squamous cell carcinomas of skin. To explore the function of COX-2 in epidermis, a keratin 5 promoter was used to direct COX-2 expression to the basal cells of interfollicular epidermis and the pilosebaceous appendage of transgenic mouse skin. COX-2 overexpression in the expected locations, resulting in increased prostaglandin levels in epidermis and plasma, correlated with a pronounced skin phenotype. Heterozygous transgenic mice exhibited a reduced hair follicle density. Moreover, postnatally hair follicle morphogenesis and thinning of interfollicular dorsal epidermis were delayed. Adult transgenics showed a body-site-dependent sparse coat of greasy hair, the latter caused by sebaceous gland hyperplasia and increased epicutaneous sebum levels. In tail skin, hyperplasia of scale epidermis reflecting an increased number of viable and cornified cell layers was observed. Hyperplasia was a result of a disturbed program of epidermal differentiation rather than an increased proliferation rate, as reflected by the strong suppression of keratin 10, involucrin, and loricrin expression in suprabasal cells. Further pathological signs were loss of cell polarity, mainly of basal keratinocytes, epidermal invaginations into the dermis, and formation of horn perls. Invaginating hyperplastic lobes were surrounded by CD31-positive vessels. These results demonstrate a causal relationship between transgenic COX-2 expression in basal keratinocytes and epidermal hyperplasia as well as dysplastic features at discrete body sites.