RESUMO
Lactobacillus plantarum HOKKAIDO (HOKKAIDO strain) was isolated from well-pickled vegetables in Hokkaido, Japan. We report a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of L. plantarum HOKKAIDO on immune function and stress markers in 171 adult subjects. Subjects were divided into three groups: the L. plantarum HOKKAIDO yogurt group, the placebo-1 group who ingested yogurt without the HOKKAIDO strain, and the placebo-2 group who ingested a yogurt-like dessert without the HOKKAIDO strain. Hematological tests and body composition measurements were performed before and after 4 and 8 weeks of blinded ingestion. Although no significant differences in natural killer cell activity were observed, it was found that neutrophil ratio significantly decreased and lymphocytes tended to increase in the HOKKAIDO strain yogurt group compared with the yogurt-like dessert group. In addition, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, a stress marker, tended to improve in the HOKKAIDO strain yogurt group compared with the yogurt-like dessert group. These results suggest that the ingestion of HOKKAIDO strain yogurt tends to improve immune activity and decrease stress markers.
RESUMO
To assess the toxicity of the C1 compounds methanol and formaldehyde, gene expression profiles of treated baker's yeast were analyzed using DNA microarrays. Among approximately 6,000 open reading frames (ORFs), 314 were repressed and 375 were induced in response to methanol. The gene process category "energy" comprised the greatest number of induced genes while "protein synthesis" comprised the greatest number of repressed genes. Products of genes induced by methanol were mainly integral membrane proteins or were localized to the plasma membrane. A total of 622 and 610 ORFs were induced or repressed by formaldehyde, respectively. More than one-third of the genes found to be strongly repressed by formaldehyde belonged to the "protein synthesis" functional category. Conversely, genes in the subcategory of "nitrogen, sulfur, and selenium metabolism" within "metabolism" and in the category of "cell rescue, defense, and virulence" were up-regulated by exposure to formaldehyde. Our data suggest that membrane structure is a major target of methanol toxicity, while proteins were major targets of formaldehyde toxicity.
Assuntos
Formaldeído/toxicidade , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Metanol/toxicidade , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/efeitos dos fármacos , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Testes de Toxicidade , Análise por Conglomerados , Reparo do DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Reparo do DNA/genética , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Inativação Metabólica/genética , Fases de Leitura Aberta/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/citologia , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismoRESUMO
The effect of the heavy metal copper on the expression of a wide spectrum of genes was analyzed by using a DNA microarray. The gene expression profile of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in a medium containing a sublethal concentration of cupric sulfate was compared with that of yeast grown in a normal medium. Among approximately 6000 yeast ORFs, 143 ORFs were induced more than twofold to resist copper toxicity after exposure to copper. Copper metallothionein CUP1-1 and CUP1-2 were induced more than 20-fold. Some genes related to sulfur metabolism and oxidative stress response were also up-regulated. This DNA microarray analysis identified several molecular targets of copper toxicity.
Assuntos
Sulfato de Cobre/toxicidade , Cobre/toxicidade , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas de Transporte/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Metalotioneína , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , Estresse Oxidativo/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Enxofre/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
Callus from Helianthus tuberosus expresses a mannose-specific lectin (HTA). The level of HTA mRNA significantly increased one hour after treatment of the callus with 20 mg/l methyl jasmonate. Following this, fragmentation of the callus DNA at regular intervals was observed together with strong self-fluorescence emission in the callus cells.
Assuntos
Acetatos/farmacologia , Ciclopentanos/farmacologia , Helianthus/efeitos dos fármacos , Helianthus/metabolismo , Lectinas de Ligação a Manose/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Fragmentação do DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Fluorescência , Helianthus/química , Oxilipinas , Reguladores de Crescimento de Plantas/farmacologia , RNA de Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
From a Corticium rolfsii cDNA library, a clone homologous to other fungal cellobiohydrolase (CBH1) genes was isolated using the polymerase chain reaction. In the nucleotide sequence, one 1.6 kb long open reading frame coding for a polypeptide of 530 amino acid residues was detected which showed 64% identity with CBH1 of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. With expression of the 1.8 kb cDNA using the Aspergillus oryzae expression system, we detected microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) hydrolyzing activity in the culture supernatant. The secreted protein, accompanied by the activity, was 89 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.