Structure and function of DsbA, a key bacterial oxidative folding catalyst

Since its discovery in 1991, the bacterial periplasmic oxidative folding catalyst DsbA has been the focus of intense research. Early studies addressed why it is so oxidizing and how it is maintained in its less stable oxidized state. The crystal structure of Escherichia coli DsbA (EcDsbA) revealed that the oxidizing periplasmic enzyme is a distant evolutionary cousin of the reducing cytoplasmic enzyme thioredoxin. Recent significant developments have deepened our understanding of DsbA function, mechanism, and interactions: the structure of the partner membrane protein EcDsbB, including its complex with EcDsbA, proved a landmark in the field. Studies of DsbA machineries from bacteria other than E. coli K-12 have highlighted dramatic differences from the model organism, including a striking divergence in redox parameters and surface features. Several DsbA structures have provided the first clues to its interaction with substrates, and finally, evidence for a central role of DsbA in bacterial virulence has been demonstrated in a range of organisms. Here, we review current knowledge on DsbA, a bacterial periplasmic protein that introduces disulfide bonds into diverse substrate proteins and which may one day be the target of a new class of anti-virulence drugs to treat bacterial infection. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 14, 1729–1760.

Genotoxicity of inorganic lead salts and disturbance of microtubule function

Lead compounds are known genotoxicants, principally affecting the integrity of chromosomes. Lead chloride and lead acetate induced concentration-dependent increases in micronucleus frequency in V79 cells, starting at 1.1 μM lead chloride and 0.05 μM lead acetate. The difference between the lead salts, which was expected based on their relative abilities to form complex acetato-cations, was confirmed in an independent experiment. CREST analyses of the micronuclei verified that lead chloride and acetate were predominantly aneugenic (CREST-positive response), which was consistent with the morphology of the micronuclei (larger micronuclei, compared with micronuclei induced by a clastogenic mechanism). The effects of high concentrations of lead salts on the microtubule network of V79 cells were also examined using immunofluorescence staining. The dose effects of these responses were consistent with the cytotoxicity of lead(II), as visualized in the neutral-red uptake assay. In a cell-free system, 20-60 μM lead salts inhibited tubulin assembly dose-dependently. The no-observed-effect concentration of lead(II) in this assay was 10 μM. This inhibitory effect was interpreted as a shift of the assembly/disassembly steady-state toward disassembly, e.g., by reducing the concentration of assembly-competent tubulin dimers. The effects of lead salts on microtubule-associated motor-protein functions were studied using a kinesin-gliding assay that mimics intracellular transport processes in vitro by quantifying the movement of paclitaxel-stabilized microtubules across a kinesin-coated glass surface. There was a dose-dependent effect of lead nitrate on microtubule motility. Lead nitrate affected the gliding velocities of microtubules starting at concentrations above 10 μM and reached half-maximal inhibition of motility at about 50 μM. The processes reported here point to relevant interactions of lead with tubulin and kinesin at low dose levels.

Genotoxicity of inorganic mercury salts based on disturbed microtubule function

This study investigated the hypothesis that the chromosomal genotoxicity of inorganic mercury results from interaction(s) with cytoskeletal proteins. Effects of Hg2+ salts on functional activities of tubulin and kinesin were investigated by determining tubulin assembly and kinesin-driven motility in cell-free systems. Hg2+ inhibits microtubule assembly at concentrations above 1 μM, and inhibition is complete at about 10 μM. In this range, the tubulin assembly is fully (up to 6 μM) or partially (∼6-10 μM) reversible. The inhibition of tubulin assembly by mercury is independent of the anion, chloride or nitrate. The no-observed-effect- concentration for inhibition of microtubule assembly in vitro was 1 μM Hg2+, the IC50 5.8 μM. Mercury(II) salts at the IC 50 concentrations partly inhibiting tubulin assembly did not cause the formation of aberrant microtubule structures. Effects of mercury salts on the functionality of the microtubule motility apparatus were studied with the motor protein kinesin. By using a "gliding assay" mimicking intracellular movement and transport processes in vitro, HgCl2 affected the gliding velocity of paclitaxel-stabilised microtubules in a clear dose-dependent manner. An apparent effect is detected at a concentration of 0.1 μM and a complete inhibition is reached at 1 μM. Cytotoxicity of mercury chloride was studied in V79 cells using neutral red uptake, showing an influence above 17 μM HgCl2. Between 15 and 20 μM HgCl2 there was a steep increase in cell toxicity. Both mercury chloride and mercury nitrate induced micronuclei concentration-dependently, starting at concentrations above 0.01 μM. CREST analyses on micronuclei formation in V79 cells demonstrated both clastogenic (CREST-negative) and aneugenic effects of Hg2+, with some preponderance of aneugenicity. A morphological effect of high Hg2+ concentrations (100 μM HgCl2) on the microtubule cytoskeleton was verified in V79 cells by immuno-fluorescence staining. The overall data are consistent with the concept that the chromosomal genotoxicity could be due to interaction of Hg2+ with the motor protein kinesin mediating cellular transport processes. Interactions of Hg 2+ with the tubulin shown by in vitro investigations could also partly influence intracellular microtubule functions leading, together with the effects on the kinesin, to an impaired chromosome distribution as shown by the micronucleus test.

Disturbed microtubule function and induction of micronuclei by chelate complexes of mercury(II)

Interactions of mercury(II) with the microtubule network of cells may lead to genotoxicity. Complexation of mercury(II) with EDTA is currently being discussed for its employment in detoxification processes of polluted sites. This prompted us to re-evaluate the effects of such complexing agents on certain aspects of mercury toxicity, by examining the influences of mercury(II) complexes on tubulin assembly and kinesin-driven motility of microtubules. The genotoxic effects were studied using the micronucleus assay in V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts. Mercury(II) complexes with EDTA and related chelators interfered dose-dependently with tubulin assembly and microtubule motility in vitro. The no-effect-concentration for assembly inhibition was 1 μM of complexed Hg(II), and for inhibition of motility it was 0.05 μM, respectively. These findings are supported on the genotoxicity level by the results of the micronucleus assay, with micronuclei being induced dose-dependently starting at concentrations of about 0.05 μM of complexed Hg(II). Generally, the no-effect-concentrations for complexed mercury(II) found in the cell-free systems and in cellular assays (including the micronucleus test) were identical with or similar to results for mercury tested in the absence of chelators. This indicates that mercury(II) has a much higher affinity to sulfhydryls of cytoskeletal proteins than to this type of complexing agents. Therefore, the suitability of EDTA and related compounds for remediation of environmental mercury contamination or for other detoxification purposes involving mercury has to be questioned.

Detoxification enzyme activities (CYP1A1 and GST) in the skin of humpback whales as a function of organochlorine burdens and migration status

The activities of glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and cytochrome P-450 1A1 (CYP1A1) enzymes were measured in freshly extracted epidermis of live-biopsied, migrating, southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The two quantified enzyme activities did not correlate strongly with each other. Similarly, neither correlated strongly with any of the organochlorine compound groups previously measured in the superficial blubber of the sample biopsy core, likely reflecting the anticipated low levels of typical aryl-hydrocarbon receptor ligands. GST activity did not differ significantly between genders or between northward (early migration) or southward (late migration) migrating cohorts. Indeed, the inter-individual variability in GST measurements was relatively low. This observation raises the possibility that measured activities were basal activities and that GST function was inherently impacted by the fasting state of the sampled animals, as seen in other species. These results do not support the implementation of CYP1A1 or GST as effective biomarkers of organochlorine contaminant burdens in southern hemisphere populations of humpback whales as advocated for other cetacean species. Further investigation of GST activity in feeding versus fasting cohorts may, however, provide some insight into the fasting metabolism of these behaviourally adapted populations.

Thrust allocation with linear constrained quadratic cost function

In this paper, a method of thrust allocation based on a linearly constrained quadratic cost function capable of handling rotating azimuths is presented. The problem formulation accounts for magnitude and rate constraints on both thruster forces and azimuth angles. The advantage of this formulation is that the solution can be found with a finite number of iterations for each time step. Experiments with a model ship are used to validate the thrust allocation system.

Gray matter deficits, mismatch negativity, and outcomes in schizophrenia

Reduced mismatch negativity (MMN) in response to auditory change is a well-established finding in schizophrenia and has been shown to be correlated with impaired daily functioning, rather than with hallmark signs and symptoms of the disorder. In this study, we investigated (1) whether the relationship between reduced MMN and impaired daily functioning is mediated by cortical volume loss in temporal and frontal brain regions in schizophrenia and (2) whether this relationship varies with the type of auditory deviant generating MMN. MMN in response to duration, frequency, and intensity deviants was recorded from 18 schizophrenia subjects and 18 pairwise age- and gender-matched healthy subjects. Patients’ levels of global functioning were rated on the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance scans were acquired to generate average cerebral cortex and temporal lobe models using cortical pattern matching. This technique allows accurate statistical comparison and averaging of cortical measures across subjects, despite wide variations in gyral patterns. MMN amplitude was reduced in schizophrenia patients and correlated with their impaired day-to-day function level. Only in patients, bilateral gray matter reduction in Heschl’s gyrus, as well as motor and executive regions of the frontal cortex, correlated with reduced MMN amplitude in response to frequency deviants, while reduced gray matter in right Heschl’s gyrus also correlated with reduced MMN to duration deviants. Our findings further support the importance of MMN reduction in schizophrenia by linking frontotemporal cerebral gray matter pathology to an automatically generated event-related potential index of daily functioning.

Visual function and the ageing visual system

The population is ageing. Globally, the number of older adults (aged 60 years or over) is expected to more than double, from 841 million people in 2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050.1 In light of the increasing size of the older adult population, there is a pressing need to better identify the nature of, and mechanisms underlying, age-related vision impairment and the functional impact it has on the performance of everyday activities in older adults. The content of this feature issue reflects the diversity of research currently being undertaken on the topic of the ageing visual system and the important visual challenges that this presents for our ageing patient population. The scope is broad and includes topics relating to three main related themes: 1) The treatment of age-related ocular disorders and diseases and their consequences, including presbyopia and AMD; 2) The impact of age-related visual changes on everyday activities in older people, including mobility, driving and falls, and; 3) The interaction of age-related visual impairments and other age-related impairments including hearing and cognitive changes.

Theoretical modelling of momentum transfer function of bi-disperse porous media

The aim of this paper is to obtain the momentum transfer coefficient between the two phases, denoted by f and p, occupying a bi-disperse porous medium by mapping the available experimental data to the theoretical model proposed by Nield and Kuznetsov. Data pertinent to plate-fin heat exchangers, as bi-disperse porous media, were used. The measured pressure drops for such heat exchangers are then used to give the overall permeability which is linked to the porosity and permeability of each phase as well as the interfacial momentum transfer coefficient between the two phases. Accordingly, numerical values are obtained for the momentum transfer coefficient for three different fin spacing values considered in the heat exchanger experiments.