Studies on the fungal diseases in crustaceans. I. Lagenidum scyllae sp. nov. isolated from cultivated ova and larvae of the mangrove crab (Scylla serrata)

Lagenidium scyllae , a marine mastigomycete from the ova and larvae of the mangrove crab, is described and illustrated as new. The fungus grew at a temperature range of 16-42 C, with an optimum at 22.5-31.8 C. It grew well in peptone-yeast-glucose (PYG) broth containing 2-3% NaCl. In PYG-sea water medium, it grew at a pH range of 5-11.

Measurement of the Interaction Between Recombinant I-domain from Integrin alpha 2 beta 1 and a Triple Helical Collagen Peptide with the GFOGER Binding Motif Using Molecular Force Spectroscopy.

The role of the collagen-platelet interaction is of crucial importance to the haemostatic response during both injury and pathogenesis of the blood vessel wall. Of particular interest is the high affinity interaction of the platelet transmembrane receptor, alpha 2 beta 1, responsible for firm attachment of platelets to collagen at and around injury sites. We employ single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) using the atomic force microscope (AFM) to study the interaction of the I-domain from integrin alpha 2 beta 1 with a synthetic collagen related triple-helical peptide containing the high-affinity integrin-binding GFOGER motif, and a control peptide lacking this sequence, referred to as GPP. By utilising synthetic peptides in this manner we are able to study at the molecular level subtleties that would otherwise be lost when considering cell-to-collagen matrix interactions using ensemble techniques. We demonstrate for the first time the complexity of this interaction as illustrated by the complex multi-peaked force spectra and confirm specificity using control blocking experiments. In addition we observe specific interaction of the GPP peptide sequence with the I-domain. We propose a model to explain these observations.

Origin and evolution of the RIG-I like RNA helicase gene family

Background: The DExD/H domain containing RNA helicases such as retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) are key cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) for detecting nucleotide pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of invading viruses. The RIG-I and MDA5 proteins differentially recognise conserved PAMPs in double stranded or single stranded viral RNA molecules, leading to activation of the interferon system in vertebrates. They share three core protein domains including a RNA helicase domain near the C terminus (HELICc), one or more caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs) and an ATP dependent DExD/H domain. The RIG-I/MDA5 directed interferon response is negatively regulated by laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2) and is believed to be controlled by the mitochondria antiviral signalling protein (MAVS), a CARD containing protein associated with mitochondria. Results: The DExD/H containing RNA helicases including RIG-I, MDA5 and LGP2 were analysed in silico in a wide spectrum of invertebrate and vertebrate genomes. The gene synteny of MDA5 and LGP2 is well conserved among vertebrates whilst conservation of the gene synteny of RIG-I is less apparent. Invertebrate homologues had a closer phylogenetic relationship with the vertebrate RIG-Is than the MDA5/LGP2 molecules, suggesting the RIG-I homologues may have emerged earlier in evolution, possibly prior to the appearance of vertebrates. Our data suggest that the RIG-I like helicases possibly originated from three distinct genes coding for the core domains including the HELICc, CARD and ATP dependent DExD/H domains through gene fusion and gene/domain duplication. Furthermore, presence of domains similar to a prokaryotic DNA restriction enzyme III domain (Res III), and a zinc finger domain of transcription factor (TF) IIS have been detected by bioinformatic analysis. Conclusion: The RIG-I/MDA5 viral surveillance system is conserved in vertebrates. The RIG-I like helicase family appears to have evolved from a common ancestor that originated from genes encoding different core functional domains. Diversification of core functional domains might be fundamental to their functional divergence in terms of recognition of different viral PAMPs.

In vivo studies on toxin accumulation in liver and ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes of the phytoplanktivorous bighead carp i.p.-injected with extracted microcystins

Phytoplanktivorous bighead carp were injected i.p. with extracted microcystins (mainly MC-RR and -LR) at two doses, 200 and 500 MC-LReq. mu g kg(-1) bw, and the changes in extractable MCs in liver and in the ultrastructure of hepatocytes were studied at 1, 3, 12, 24 and 48 h after injection. Quantitative and qualitative determinations of MCs in the liver were conducted by HPLC and LC-MS, respectively. MC concentration in the liver reached the maxima at 12 It (2.89 mu g MCs g(-1) dry weight at the lower dose) or at 3 h (5.43 mu g MCs g(-1) dry weight at the higher dose) post-injection, followed by sharp declines afterwards, whereas the ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes in both dose groups suggest progressive increases in severity toward the directions of apoptosis and necrosis from I to 24 h, respectively. There were two new findings in fish: widening of intercellular spaces was among the early ultrastructural changes induced by MCs and ultrastructural recovery of hepatocytes was evident at 48 h post-injection in both dose groups. Both the present and previous studies suggest that with in vivo or in vitro exposure to microcystins, hepatocyte damage in fish tends to proceed toward the direction of apoptosis at lower MC concentrations but toward the direction of necrosis at high MC concentrations. The temporal dynamics of MCs in the liver suggest that bighead carp may have a mechanism to degrade or bind MC-LR actively after it enters the blood system. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURES OF THE ALKALI-CONTAINING BUCKMINSTERFULLERENES (A-DELTA-C60) (A=LI,NA,K,RB,CS) AND THE HALOGEN-CONTAINING BUCKMINSTERFULLERENES (H-DELTA-C60) (H=F,CL,BR,I)

The geometrical parameters and electronic structures of C60, (A partial derivative C60) (A = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) and (H partial derivative C60) (H = F, Cl, Br, I) have been calculated by the EHMO/ASED (atom superposition and electron delocalization) method. When putting a central atom into the C60 cage, the frontier and subfrontier orbitals of (A partial derivative C60) (A = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) and (H partial derivative C60) (H = F, Cl) relative to those of C60 undergo little change and thus, from the viewpoint of charge transfer, A (A = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) and H (H = F, Cl) are simply electron donors and acceptors for the C60 cage resPeCtively. Br is an electron acceptor but it does influence the frontier and subfrontier MOs for the C60 cage, and although there is no charge transfer between I and the C60 cage, the frontier and subfrontier MOs for the C60 cage are obviously influenced by I. The stabilities DELTAE(X) (DELTAE(X) = (E(X) + E(C60)) - E(x partial derivative C60)) follow the sequence I < Br < None < Cl < F < Li < Na < K < Rb < Cs while the cage radii r follow the inverse sequence. The stability order and the cage radii order have been explained by means of the (exp-6-1) potential.

Properties of the pi h(9/2)circle times nu i(13/2) oblate band in Tl-188

High spin states in Tl-188 have been investigated via the Gd-157(Cl-35,4n) reaction at beam energy of 170 MeV. A rotational band built on the pi h(9/2) circle times nu(13/2) configuration with oblate deformation has been established. Considering the similarity between the band structure observed in odd-odd Tl nuclei, spin values have been tentatively proposed for the new band in Tl-188. The pi h(9/2) circle times nu(13/2) oblate band in Tl-188 shows low-spin signature inversion, and it can be interpreted qualitatively by the two quasiparticle plus rotor model including a J-dependent p-n residual interaction.

Ultrathin-film growth of para-sexiphenyl (I): Submonolayer thin-film growth as a function of the substrate temperature

The para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) monolayer film induces weak epitaxy growth (WEG) of disk-like organic semiconductors, and their charge mobilities are increased dramatically to the level of the corresponding single crystals [Wang et al., Adv. Mater. 2007, 19, 2168]. The growth behavior and morphology of p-6P monolayer film play decisive roles on WEG. Here, we investigated the growth behavior of p-6P submonolayer film as a function of the substrate temperature. Its growth exhibited two different mechanisms at high and low substrate temperature.

C-13 NMR study of ethylene/propylene/octene-1 terpolymers synthesized with TiCl4/MgCl2/i-Bu3Al as the catalyst

The theory of chemical shift effect of substituent was applied to the assignment of the C-13 NMR spectra of the ethylene/propylene and ethylene/octene-1 copolymers. Using the parameters derived above and the DEFT technique, we then entirely assigned the C-13 NMR spectra of the ethylene/propylene/octene(-1) terpolymers synthesized in the presence of the same heterogeneous supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst, TiCl4/MgCl2/i-Bu3Al. The present paper also covers the terpolymer composition and the monomer sequence distributions of a series of ethylene/propylene/octene-1 terpolymers.

Isothermal crystallization kinetics of PEO in poly(ethylene terephthalate)-poly(ethylene oxide) segmented copolymers. I. Effect of the sofi-block length

The isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block in two poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-PEO segmented copolymers was studied with differential scanning calorimetry. The Avrami equation failed to describe the overall crystallization process, but a modified Avrami equation, the Q equation, did. The crystallizability of the PET block and the different lengths of the PEO block exerted strong influences on the crystallization process, the crystallinity, and time final morphology of the PEO block. The mechanism of nucleation and the growth dimension of the PEG block were different because of the crystallizability of time PET block and the compositional heterogeneity. The crystallization of the PEO block was physically constrained by the microstructure of time PET crystalline phase, which resulted in a lower crystallization rate. However, this influence became weak with the increase in the soft-block length. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Study of the catalytic behaviors of concentrated heteropolyacid solution. I. A novel catalyst for isobutane alkylation with butenes

A novel liquid acid catalyst, composed of heteropolyacid and acetic acid for the alkylation of isobutane with butenes is reported. The conditions for the formation of catalytic active phase as well as its catalytic behaviors in alkylation of isobutane with butenes have been studied. It was found that acetic acid, as a solvent, exerts a synergistic effect on the acid strength of heteropolyacid, and the contents of crystal water in HPAs have influence over the formation of active phase and the catalytic activity. This novel catalyst is comparable to the sulfuric acid in catalytic activity.