Knockout of the Bcmo1 gene results in an inflammatory response in female lung, which is suppressed by dietary beta-carotene

Beta-carotene 15,15′-monooxygenase 1 knockout (Bcmo1 ^?/?) mice accumulate beta-carotene (BC) similarly to humans, whereas wild-type (Bcmo1 ^+/+) mice efficiently cleave BC. Bcmo1 ^?/? mice are therefore suitable to investigate BC-induced alterations in gene expression in lung, assessed by microarray analysis. Bcmo1 ^?/? mice receiving control diet had increased expression of inflammatory genes as compared to BC-supplemented Bcmo1 ^?/? mice and Bcmo1 ^+/+ mice that received either control or BC-supplemented diets. Differential gene expression in Bcmo1 ^?/? mice was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. Histochemical analysis indeed showed an increase in inflammatory cells in lungs of control Bcmo1 ^?/? mice. Supported by metabolite and gene-expression data, we hypothesize that the increased inflammatory response is due to an altered BC metabolism, resulting in an increased vitamin A requirement in Bcmo1 ^?/? mice. This suggests that effects of BC may depend on inter-individual variations in BC-metabolizing enzymes, such as the frequently occurring human polymorphisms in BCMO1.     

Cytochromeh fromAplysia depilans L.

Riassunto Nell'epatopancreas di due Gasteropodi marini:Aplysia depilans eA. limacina è presente un emocromogeno assai simile al citocromoh di Helix. Il pigmento è stato estratto e purificato e le sue proprietà fisiche, chimiche e biologiche sono state confrontate con quelle dell'emoproteina di Helix.     

The Systemic Approach of SSM: The Case of a Brazilian Company

This paper aims to describe the application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to the reality of a Brazilian enterprise. Systemic practices are ways of putting to use systemic thought in the real world, using the precepts of the systemic approach, which is very important for knowledge management and globalization. The systemic practice SSM is used in the resolution of ill-defined problems, which often involve behavioral variables and, thus, cannot be addressed by the so-called hard methodologies. In this paper, SSM is applied to the problematic of a middle-market business, an auto supply distributor, whose managers consulted the authors of this paper as regards proposing improvements of its performance. As a result of this work, the authors were able to propose core changes in attitudes, leading to changes in structure and process.     

Polyribosomes in rat liver slices during incubation in vitro

Riassunto Durante l'incubazione a 37°C i poliribosomi delle sezioni di fegato di ratto subiscono un processo di monomerizzazione. Il processo viene rallentato dalla presenza di forti concentrazioni di aminoacidi ed è inibito dal trattamento con cicloheximide. I monomeri che si formano durante l'incubazione in vitro rispondono al poly-U come i monosomi isolati direttamente dal fegato. Si ritiene quindi che la degradazione dei polisomi sia il risultato di un distacco metabolico dal messaggero con un rallentamento del riciclo dei monomeri piuttosto che la conseguenza di una azione enzimatica.

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Acknowledgments. The work was supported by a grant from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. The IEC-B 60 centrifuge was a gift from Mrs.Giulia Devoto Falck.     

Plant retinoblastoma homologues control nuclear proliferation in the female gametophyte

Haploid spores of plants divide mitotically to form multicellular gametophytes. The female spore (megaspore) of most flowering plants develops by means of a well-defined programme into the mature megagametophyte consisting of the egg apparatus and a central cell. We investigated the role of the Arabidopsis retinoblastoma protein homologue and its function as a negative regulator of cell proliferation during megagametophyte development. Here we show that three mutant alleles of the gene for the Arabidopsis retinoblastoma-related protein, RBR1 (ref. 4), are gametophytic lethal. In heterozygous plants 50% of the ovules are aborted when the mutant allele is maternally inherited. The mature unfertilized mutant megagametophyte fails to arrest mitosis and undergoes excessive nuclear proliferation in the embryo sac. Supernumerary nuclei are present at the micropylar end of the megagametophyte, which develops into the egg apparatus and central cell. The central cell nucleus, which gives rise to the endosperm after fertilization, initiates autonomous endosperm development reminiscent of fertilization-independent seed (fis) mutants. Thus, RBR1 has a novel and previously unrecognized function in cell cycle control during gametogenesis and in the repression of autonomous endosperm development.     

Aspects of the activity rhythm and population size of troglophilic mygalomorph spiders (Trechona sp., Dipluridae) in a quartzite cave in Minas Gerais,Brazil

Records of mygalomorphs inhabiting caves have increased in the past years. We present data on a population of Trechona sp. spiders, found in a quartizite cave in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The spiders and their retreats were marked, and this population was followed for 17 months. The population consisted of up to 100 individuals, comprising the worlds’ largest known cave-dwelling population of mygalomophs. The estimated population size (Jolly-Seber model) varied from 50.36 to 853.43, the latter considered much overestimated. We did not find individuals of Trechona sp. in the surrounding epigean areas. The number of spiders was higher in the entrance zone than in the other two zones (twilight and dark zones). We found that individuals at the entrance zone showed similar activity to a nocturnal spider, whereas the other two groups showed conspicuous differences from this pattern, spending longer periods without rest, on the sheet-web as a sit-and-wait predator.     

Genome-wide association identifies three new susceptibility loci for Paget's disease of bone

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a common disorder characterized by focal abnormalities of bone remodeling. We previously identified variants at the CSF1, OPTN and TNFRSF11A loci as risk factors for PDB by genome-wide association study. Here we extended this study, identified three new loci and confirmed their association with PDB in 2,215 affected individuals (cases) and 4,370 controls from seven independent populations. The new associations were with rs5742915 within PML on 15q24 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, P = 1.6 × 10(-14)), rs10498635 within RIN3 on 14q32 (OR = 1.44, P = 2.55 × 10(-11)) and rs4294134 within NUP205 on 7q33 (OR = 1.45, P = 8.45 × 10(-10)). Our data also confirmed the association of TM7SF4 (rs2458413, OR = 1.40, P = 7.38 × 10(-17)) with PDB. These seven loci explained ～13% of the familial risk of PDB. These studies provide new insights into the genetic architecture and pathophysiology of PDB.     

Melatonin,mitochondria and hypertension

Melatonin, due to its multiple means and mechanisms of action, plays a fundamental role in the regulation of the organismal physiology by fine tunning several functions. The cardiovascular system is an important site of action as melatonin regulates blood pressure both by central and peripheral interventions, in addition to its relation with the renin–angiotensin system. Besides, the systemic management of several processes, melatonin acts on mitochondria regulation to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Hypertension affects target organs in different ways and cellular energy metabolism is frequently involved due to mitochondrial alterations that include a rise in reactive oxygen species production and an ATP synthesis decrease. The discussion that follows shows the role played by melatonin in the regulation of mitochondrial physiology in several levels of the cardiovascular system, including brain, heart, kidney, blood vessels and, particularly, regulating the renin–angiotensin system. This discussion shows the putative importance of using melatonin as a therapeutic tool involving its antioxidant potential and its action on mitochondrial physiology in the cardiovascular system.