AFITbin: a metagenomic contig binning method using aggregate l-mer frequency based on initial and terminal nucleotides.

BACKGROUND: Using next-generation sequencing technologies, scientists can sequence complex microbial communities directly from the environment. Significant insights into the structure, diversity, and ecology of microbial communities have resulted from the study of metagenomics. The assembly of reads into longer contigs, which are then binned into groups of contigs that correspond to different species in the metagenomic sample, is a crucial step in the analysis of metagenomics. It is necessary to organize these contigs into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) for further taxonomic profiling and functional analysis. For binning, which is synonymous with the clustering of OTUs, the tetra-nucleotide frequency (TNF) is typically utilized as a compositional feature for each OTU. RESULTS: In this paper, we present AFIT, a new l-mer statistic vector for each contig, and AFITBin, a novel method for metagenomic binning based on AFIT and a matrix factorization method. To evaluate the performance of the AFIT vector, the t-SNE algorithm is used to compare species clustering based on AFIT and TNF information. In addition, the efficacy of AFITBin is demonstrated on both simulated and real datasets in comparison to state-of-the-art binning methods such as MetaBAT 2, MaxBin 2.0, CONCOT, MetaCon, SolidBin, BusyBee Web, and MetaBinner. To further analyze the performance of the purposed AFIT vector, we compare the barcodes of the AFIT vector and the TNF vector. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that AFITBin shows superior performance in taxonomic identification compared to existing methods, leveraging the AFIT vector for improved results in metagenomic binning. This approach holds promise for advancing the analysis of metagenomic data, providing more reliable insights into microbial community composition and function. AVAILABILITY: A python package is available at: https://github.com/SayehSobhani/AFITBin .

A dual functional turn off florescence sensor using metal-organic framework for sensitive detection of aluminum(III) in aqueous solution.

Aluminum, classified as one of the toxic heavy metals, has a recommended daily consumption limit of 3-10 mg, as specified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Herein, the selective and sensitive aluminum(III) fluorescence sensor based on TMU-16 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in aqueous medium, is reported. A sensing pathway was found via the cation exchange between aluminum(III) and zinc(II) ions, and caused selectivity and sensitivity detection of aluminum(III) with a 5-100 ppm linear range and 1.99 ppm limit of detection (LOD). This sensor offers the advantage of accurately determining the concentration range of aluminum(III) ions. At low concentrations, only fluorescence quenching was observed, while at higher concentrations, fluorescence emission not only undergoes quenching but also exhibits a blue shift in wavelength. Notably, the sensor demonstrates no interference from cation solutions of mercury(II), zinc(II), nickel(II), lead(II), cobalt(II), cadmium(II), silver(I), chromium(III), and iron(III). Another significant feature of this sensor is its selectivity toward copper(II) and aluminum(III) ions, due to quenching fluorescence in the presence of copper(II) ion. The results presented the sensor's selectivity toward copper(II) at low concentrations and aluminum(III) at high concentrations.

Antiatherogenic properties of high-density lipoproteins from arterial plasma are attenuated as compared to their counterparts of venous origin.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles play atheroprotective roles by their ability to efflux cholesterol from foam cells and to protect low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from oxidative damage in the arterial intima. We hypothesized that antioxidative properties of HDLs can be attenuated in the oxygen-rich prooxidative arterial environment, contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared antioxidative activity of HDLs from arterial and venous plasmas. METHODS AND RESULTS: Arterial and venous blood samples were simultaneously obtained from 16 patients (age 68 ± 10 years; 75% males) presenting with ischemic or valvular heart disease. Major HDL subfractions and total HDLs were isolated by density gradient ultracentrifugation and their chemical composition and the capacity to protect LDLs from in vitro oxidation were evaluated. HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 levels were slightly but significantly reduced by -4 to -8% (p < 0.01) in the arterial vs. venous samples. Total mass of HDL subpopulations was similar and HDL subpopulations did not reveal marked compositional differences between the arterial and venous circulation. Potent antioxidative activity of the small, dense HDL3c subpopulation was significantly reduced in the particles of arterial origin vs. their counterparts from venous plasma (increase of +21% in the propagation rate of LDL oxidation, p < 0.05). Interestingly, antioxidative properties of venous HDLs were enhanced in statin-treated patients relative to untreated subjects. CONCLUSION: Antioxidative properties of small, dense HDLs from arterial plasma are attenuated as compared to the particles of venous origin, consistent with the development of atherosclerosis in the arterial wall.

I405V and -629C/A polymorphisms of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plays a main role in high-density lipoprotein metabolism. CETP gene possesses several single nucleotide polymorphisms which have been associated with plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine the association of CETP -629C/A and I405V polymorphisms with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Iranian population. METHODS: The presence of two CETP gene polymorphisms -629C/A and I405V were studied in 187 unrelated CAD cases and 136 controls. All the samples were clinically examined and lipid profile was estimated. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: The frequency of -629C/A and I405V allelic variants were found to be 0.732 and 0.366 in cases and 0.658 and 0.348 in controls, respectively. The frequency of A allele of -629C/A polymorphism in cases was significantly higher than that of controls. HDL-C in AA genotype was higher than CA and CC genotypes in controls. No significant effect of II, IV and VV genotypes was found in lipid profiles. CONCLUSION: No significant association was found between CETP I405V polymorphism and increased risk of CAD in Azeri population studied. AA genotype of -629C/A increased HDL but the risk of CAD in this genotype might be higher than CC genotype.

Distinct phospholipid and sphingolipid species are linked to altered HDL function in apolipoprotein A-I deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Familial apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) deficiency (FAID) involving low levels of both apoA-I and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to define distinctive patterns in the lipidome of HDL subpopulations in FAID in relationship to antiatherogenic activities. METHODS: Five HDL subfractions were isolated by ultracentrifugation from plasma of FAID Caucasian patients (n = 5) and age-matched healthy normolipidemic Caucasian controls (n = 8), and the HDL lipidome (160 molecular species of 9 classes of phospholipids and sphingolipids) was quantitatively evaluated. RESULTS: Increased concentrations of numerous molecular species of lysophosphatidylcholine (up to 12-fold), ceramides (up to 3-fold), phosphatidylserine (up to 34-fold), phosphatidic acid (up to 71-fold), and phosphatidylglycerol (up to 20-fold) were detected throughout all five HDL subpopulations as compared with their counterparts from controls, whereas concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine species were decreased (up to 5-fold). Moderately to highly abundant, within their lipid class, species of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and ceramide featuring multiple unsaturations were primarily affected by apoA-I deficiency; their HDL content, particularly that of phosphatidylcholine (34:2), was strongly correlated with HDL function, impaired in FAID. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, and linoleic acid metabolism was significantly affected by FAID. CONCLUSION: These data reveal that altered content of specific phospholipid and sphingolipid species is linked to deficient antiatherogenic properties of HDL in FAID.