A comparison of dietary behaviour in Central England and a French Mediterranean region.

UNLABELLED: BJECTIVEe: The investigation involves comparison of dietary behaviour between UK and Mediterranean France by characterizing the pattern of the current French Mediterranean diet compared with the current British diet. DESIGN: The findings of two dietary surveys, one in the UK and one in France, are compared. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used in both countries. Questions on food frequency were used to assess dietary behaviour, which were regrouped in the French survey to correspond with UK groupings. Dietary indices were constructed to describe dietary behaviour in relation to cancer recommendations for intake of fat, fibre, meat, fruit and vegetables. SETTING: The UK study was conducted in Leicestershire, central England and the French study was carried out in Hérault, southern France. SUBJECTS: UK: n=418 subjects (57.9% female and 42.1% male; mean age=45.0 y); France: n=635 subjects (50.1% female and 40.9% male; mean age=49.8 y). Age range of both samples: 20-74 y. RESULTS: There were positive and negative trends in food consumption in each country. UK respondents reported eating more beans and pulses (P=0.000), less cheese (P=0. 000), red meat (P=0.001), and processed meats (P=0.000) than French respondents. However, on the negative side, they ate less fruit and vegetables (P=0.000), fish and poultry (P=0.000), cereals (P=0.000), and more sweets and chocolates (P=0.000), and cakes, pastries, biscuits and puddings (P=0.000). Women had healthier diets in both countries. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the southern French diet was healthier as French respondents scored significantly better for indices for fat, dietary fibre, fruit and vegetables (P=0.000 in all cases). However, the French sample scored poorer for the meat index (P=0.000). SPONSORSHIP: This study was supported by a grant from l'Association de la Recherche contre le Cancer (ARC) awarded to M Holdsworth.

Separate cis sequences and trans factors direct metabolic and developmental regulation of a potato tuber storage protein gene.

The expression of genes encoding patatin, a major tuber protein, is highly tissue-specific but is also modulated by exogenous sucrose. The patterns of transcription observed in potato plants could be due to mechanisms conferring tuber-specificity or they could reflect the concentrations of sucrose found in different tissues. To distinguish between these possibilities, a detailed examination was made of the function of a region of the promoter previously implicated in conferring tissue-specific and sucrose-inducible expression. Internal deletions of this region revealed three separate functional domains regulating expression. The B repeat region acted as a positive activator of transcription in the tuber and was also responsible for a degree of sucrose-inducibility. The distal region of the A repeat repressed transcription in leaf and tuber tissue, while the proximal region of the A repeat was able to confer sucrose-responsiveness. Each of these regions specifically bound nuclear proteins which may be putative transcription factors involved in conferring these responses. The region found to confer sucrose-inducible expression was conserved among some other genes that are also regulated by exogenous sucrose.

DNA-binding properties of cloned TATA-binding protein from potato tubers.

A full-length cDNA clone encoding the TATA-binding protein (TBP), the DNA-binding component of the general transcription factor TFIID was cloned from potato tubers. The DNA sequence of this cDNA indicated that the predicted potato protein was very similar to cloned TBP from other species. Genomic southern analysis showed that TBP is encoded in the potato genome as a low-copy-number sequence. The potato TBP cDNA clone was shown to encode a functional protein that interacts in a sequence-specific way with the promoter region of a class-1 potato patatin gene. Functional analysis of carboxy-terminal truncated derivatives of potato TBP showed that important components of DNA binding were located within the carboxy-terminal 54 amino acids. Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of in vitro synthesised potato TBP were investigated, and demonstrated strict salt and temperature preferences for maximum DNA binding activity. In addition on and off-rate measurements showed that both association and dissociation of TBP from DNA is slow. The specific and the non-specific equilibrium constants Ks and Kn were calculated as 5 x 10(9) M-1 and 3.65 x 10(4) M-1 respectively. These results indicate that the interaction of potato TBP with the patatin promoter is highly specific.

Factors contributing to vitamin D status near retirement age.

As part of a larger survey assessing health and wellbeing in men and women at retirement age, vitamin D status was examined. The sample of 110 men and women participated in a week's weighed dietary survey, with extensive interviews including socio-economic background and the collection of medical information and blood samples. Estimations of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) were included among the analyses, and were related to dietary intakes and sunlight exposure, including recent holidays in the sun. The results emphasize the major importance of ultraviolet light on the skin. Fortified and unfortified foods, as well as other variables possibly affecting vitamin D status, were investigated. It was found that a weekly consumption of fatty fish maintained adequate plasma 25-OHD levels in those whose exposure to sunlight was poor. It is concluded that positive action taken at a time of change, ie, retirement from work, may sustain the adequate vitamin D status shown in this sample.