Plant-based milk: unravel the changes of the antioxidant index during processing and storage - a review.

As a nutrient rich emulsion extracted from plant materials, plant-based milk (PBM) has been the latest trend and hot topic in the food industry due to the growing awareness of consumers toward plant-based products in managing the environmental (carbon footprint and land utility), ethical (animal well-fare) and societal (health-conscious) issues. There have been extensive studies and reviews done to discuss the distinct perspective of PBM including its production, health effects and market acceptance. However, not much has been emphasized on the valuable antioxidants present in PBM which is one of the attributes making them stand apart from dairy milk. The amounts of antioxidants in PBM are important. They offered tremendous health benefits in maintaining optimum health and reducing the risk of various health disorders. Therefore, enhancing the extraction of antioxidants and preserving their activity during production and storage is important. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive review of how these antioxidants changes in response to different processing steps involved in PBM production. Presumably, antioxidants in PBM could be potentially lost due to thermal degradation, oxidation or leaching into processing water. Hence, this paper aims to fill the gaps by addressing an extensive review of how different production steps (germination, roasting, soaking, blanching, grinding and filtration, and microbial inactivation) affect the antioxidant content in PBM. In addition, the effect of different microbial inactivation treatments (thermal or non-thermal processing) on the alteration of antioxidant in PBM was also highlighted. This paper can provide useful insight for the industry that aims in selecting suitable processing steps to produce PBM products that carry with them a health declaration.

Arecoline inhibits interleukin-2 secretion in Jurkat cells by decreasing the expression of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and prostaglandin E2.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the effect of arecoline on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion, the expression of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs), prostaglandin E2(PGE2) protein, and IL-2 mRNA in human lymphocyte cells (Jurkat cell line). The IL-2 and PGE2 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and α7-nAChRs were determined by Western blotting. The level of IL-2 mRNA was determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Arecoline, in a dose-dependent manner, significantly decreased IL-2 and PGE2 secretion by Jurkat cells incubated with 0 or 5 µg/ml 5 µg/ml PHA. PGE2 also significantly inhibited IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, reduced expression of PHA-induced ERK phosphorylation was observed in Jurkat cells treated with arecoline. PHA-enhanced IL-2 mRNA expression was also inhibited by arecoline. These results imply that arecoline inhibits the release of PGE2 and PHA-induced IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells and that these effects seem to occur, at least in part, either through the attenuation of ERK in conjunction with a decrease of PHA-induced IL-2 mRNA expression. These results imply that arecoline inhibits the protein expression of α7-nAChRs , the release of PGE2 and PHA-induced IL-2 secretion by Jurkat cells.

Comparison of antimicrobial resistance patterns between clinical and sewage isolates in a regional hospital in Taiwan.

AIMS: To compare bacterial populations and antimicrobial resistance patterns between clinical and sewage isolates from a regional hospital in northern Taiwan. The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from hospital compartments to the hospital sewage treatment plant was examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1020 clinical isolates and 435 sewage isolates were collected between July and September 2005. The percentages of Gram-negative bacteria from the clinical and sewage isolates were 87.2% and 91.0%, respectively (P = 0.033). Escherichia coli were the leading bacterial isolates in both groups. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed a significant difference (P < 0.001) in resistance to ampicillin (85.6% vs 94.1%), ampicillin/sulbactam (31.7% vs 55.4%), cefazolin (29.2% vs 71.5%) and cefuroxime (20.7% vs 61.9%) between clinical and sewage coliform isolates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The sewage isolates had higher antimicrobial resistance rates than the clinical isolates from the same hospital. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The low efficacy of the hospital sewage treatment may contribute to the dissemination of multidrug resistant bacteria from this hospital compartments to the environment. Practices which limit the disposal of antimicrobial agents into the wastewater system may be the possible measure to prevent the selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria from sewage treatment plants.

The zinc finger domain of Tzfp binds to the tbs motif located at the upstream flanking region of the Aie1 (aurora-C) kinase gene.

Our previous studies showed that Aie1 (aurora-C), is a novel testis kinase belonging to the aurora kinase family (). In this report, we describe a testis zinc finger protein (Tzfp) that binds to the upstream flanking sequence of the Aie1 gene. The mouse Tzfp gene, mapped to chromosome 7 B2-B3, encodes a 465-amino acid transcription factor containing a conserved N-terminal BTB/POZ domain and three C-terminal PLZF-like C(2)H(2) zinc fingers. The zinc finger domain of Tzfp binds to the TGTACAGTGT motif (Tzfp binding site, termed tbs) located at the upstream flanking sequence of the Aie1 gene by gel mobility shift, DNase I footprinting, and competition analyses. When the C-terminal zinc fingers of Tzfp were fused to the transactivation domain of VP16, the chimera activated transcription of a reporter construct containing multiple copies of the tbs. In contrast, the same chimera did not activate the reporter gene when an essential nucleotide fifth C was mutated to A at the tbs. Furthermore, we showed that the N-terminal BTB/POZ domain of TZFP has a repressor activity. Taken together, our results indicate that Tzfp recognizes a sequence-specific motif (tbs) and may play a role in the regulation of the genes carrying the tbs.

Genomic organization, expression, and chromosome localization of a third aurora-related kinase gene, Aie1.

We previously reported two novel testis-specific serine/threonine kinases, Aie1 (mouse) and AIE2 (human), that share high amino acid identities with the kinase domains of fly aurora and yeast Ipl1. Here, we report the entire intron-exon organization of the Aie1 gene and analyze the expression patterns of Aie1 mRNA during testis development. The mouse Aie1 gene spans approximately 14 kb and contains seven exons. The sequences of the exon-intron boundaries of the Aie1 gene conform to the consensus sequences (GT/AG) of the splicing donor and acceptor sites of most eukaryotic genes. Comparative genomic sequencing revealed that the gene structure is highly conserved between mouse Aie1 and human AIE2. However, much less homology was found in the sequence outside the kinase-coding domains. The Aie1 locus was mapped to mouse chromosome 7A2-A3 by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Northern blot analysis indicates that Aie1 mRNA likely is expressed at a low level on day 14 and reaches its plateau on day 21 in the developing postnatal testis. RNA in situ hybridization indicated that the expression of the Aie1 transcript was restricted to meiotically active germ cells, with the highest levels detected in spermatocytes at the late pachytene stage. These findings suggest that Aie1 plays a role in spermatogenesis.

Protein 4.1 R-135 interacts with a novel centrosomal protein (CPAP) which is associated with the gamma-tubulin complex.

Using a yeast two-hybrid system, we isolated a novel human centrosomal protein, CPAP (centrosomal P4.1-associated protein), which specifically interacts with the head domain of the 135-kDa protein 4.1R isoform (4.1R-135). Sequence analysis revealed that the carboxyl terminus of CPAP has 31.3% amino acid identity with human Tcp-10 (a t-complex responder gene product). Interestingly, most of the sequence identity is restricted to two conserved regions. One carries a leucine zipper, which may form a series of heptad repeats involved in coiled-coil formation; the other contains unusual glycine repeats with unknown function. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that CPAP and gamma-tubulin are localized within the centrosome throughout the cell cycle. CPAP cosediments with gamma-tubulin in sucrose gradients and coimmunoprecipitates with gamma-tubulin, indicating that CPAP is a part of the gamma-tubulin complex. Furthermore, functional analysis revealed that CPAP is localized within the center of microtubule asters and may participate in microtubule nucleation. The formation of microtubule asters was significantly inhibited by anti-CPAP antibody. Together, these observations indicate that CPAP may play an important role in cell division and centrosome function.

Protein 4.1R binding to eIF3-p44 suggests an interaction between the cytoskeletal network and the translation apparatus.

Erythroid protein 4.1 (4.1R) is an 80-kd cytoskeletal protein that stabilizes the membrane-skeletal network structure underlying the lipid bilayer. Using the carboxyl terminal domain (22/24 kd) of 4.1R as bait in a yeast 2-hybrid screen, we isolated cDNA clones encoding a polypeptide of eIF3-p44, which represents a subunit of a eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) complex. The eIF3 complex consists of at least 10 subunits that play an essential role in the pathway of protein translation initiation. Northern blot analysis revealed that eIF3-p44 (approximately 1.35 kb) is constitutively expressed in many tissues. The essential sequence for this interaction was mapped to the carboxyl-terminus of 4.1R (residues 525-622) and a region (residues 54-321) of eIF3-p44. The direct association between 4.1R and eIF3-p44 was further confirmed by in vitro binding assays and coimmunoprecipitation studies. To characterize the functions of eIF3-p44, we depleted eIF3-p44 from rabbit reticulocyte lysates either by anti-eIF3-p44 antibody or by GST/4.1R-80 fusion protein. Our results show that the eIF3-p44 depleted cell-free translation system was unable to synthesize proteins efficiently. The direct association between 4.1R and elF3-p44 suggests that 4.1R may act as an anchor protein that links the cytoskeleton network to the translation apparatus. (Blood. 2000;96:747-753)

Human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene transforms NIH 3T3 cells and induces tumors in nude mice.

The main physiological function of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is to produce NADPH and ribose 5-phosphate, which are essential for reductive biosynthesis and nucleic acid synthesis. In normal cells, G6PD expression is tightly controlled; however, in many tumors, regulation of its expression is altered, resulting in a significant increase in G6PD activity. To investigate the potential role of G6PD in tumorigenesis, we transfected NIH 3T3 cells with human G6PD cDNA. Cells overexpressing G6PD showed altered cell morphology and exhibited tumorigenic properties. In contrast to the control cells or cells transfected with mutated G6PD cDNA, G6PD-overexpressing cells were not contact inhibited and exhibited anchorage-independent growth. They divided more quickly and induced rapidly growing, large fibrosarcomas in nude mice. Moreover, the induced tumorigenic properties were positively correlated with the level of G6PD activity. Interestingly, treatment with buthionine SR-sulfoximine (BSO), a glutathione depletion agent, decreased the colony-forming efficiency of G6PD-overexpressing cells in soft agar, which implicates that alteration of the redox balance may be involved in G6PD-induced tumorigenesis. A comparative analysis of the expression level of G6PD in a variety of human cancer cell lines was also performed. Northern- and Western-blot analyses revealed that G6PD was particularly overexpressed in human esophageal cancer cell lines. Our observations indicate that G6PD may act as a potential oncogene, whose overexpression plays a critical role in neoplastic transformation.

Identification and expression of an allergen Asp f 13 from Aspergillus fumigatus and epitope mapping using human IgE antibodies and rabbit polyclonal antibodies.

The Aspergillus genus of fungi is known to be one of the most prevalent aeroallergens. On two-dimensional immunoblotting using patients' sera containing IgE specific for Asp f 13, an allergen with a molecular mass of 33 kDa and a pI of 6.2 was identified. This allergen was also present in A. fumigatus culture filtrates. Furthermore, the sequence of the Asp f 13 cDNA was identical to that for alkaline protease isolated from A. fumigatus and showed 42-49% identity of amino acids with two proteases from P. cyclopium and T. album and with the Pen c 1 allergen from P. citrinum. Asp f 13 coding sequences were expressed in Escherichia coli as a [His](6)-tagged fusion protein which was purified by Ni(2+)-chelate affinity chromatography. Recombinant Asp f 13 was recognized by rabbit polyclonal antibodies against Asp f 13 and by IgE antibodies from subject allergic to A. fumigatus. To identify and characterize the linear epitopes of this allergen, a combination of chemical and enzymatic cleavage and immunoblotting techniques, with subsequent N-terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry, were performed. At least 13 different linear epitopes reacting with the rabbit anti-Asp f 13 antiserum were identified, located throughout the entire molecule. In contrast, IgE from A. fumigatus-sensitive patients bound to three immunodominant epitopes at the C-terminal of the protein.

Mice immunized with DNA encoding a modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A develop protective immunity against exotoxin intoxication.

A recombinant plasmid, which contains the Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PE) gene with a C-terminal deletion, was inserted into expression vector pSecTag Xpress. The expression of this bacterial exotoxin in an animal cell was first demonstrated in 3T3 cell by transient transfection and western blot assay. Recombinant plasmid DNA was then injected intramuscularly to BALB/c mice, anti-PE specific antibodies were found in all animals vaccinated with plasmid containing the PE gene and with 'detoxicated' recombinant PE protein. Mice vaccinated with DNA were protected from the intoxication of lethal dosage of P. aeruginosa exotoxin A. Our results indicated that mice vaccinated with DNA encoding the PE gene could express PE protein in vivo, induced specific immune response, and provided sufficient protective immunity that safeguarded mice from the injection of lethal dosage of PE toxin.

Identification and gene structure of a novel human PLZF-related transcription factor gene, TZFP.

A novel cDNA clone was identified through yeast two-hybrid experiments. Following cross-examination between the cDNA clones, EST clones, and the cosmid clone, we could digitally assemble a new zinc finger transcription factor gene. This predicted gene has a cDNA size of about 1960 bp and is translated into a 487-amino-acid protein. According to database analysis, this gene contains three C2H2 zinc finger motifs and is highly related to human PLZF (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein). The full-length coding region of the gene was isolated, and its sequences were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Interestingly, one splicing variant lacking exon III was also identified. Northern blot analysis revealed that this gene is mainly expressed in human testis. In conclusion, we have identified a new member of the PLZF zinc finger protein family, the testis zinc finger protein (TZFP), which is mainly expressed in testis tissue.

Amino acid conservation and clinical severity of human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mutations.

More than a hundred naturally occurring mutations of human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) have been identified at the amino acid level. The abundance of distinct mutation sites and their clinical manifestations make this enzyme ideal for structure-function analysis studies. We present here a sequence and structure combined analysis by which the severity of clinical symptoms resulting from point mutations of this enzyme is correlated with quantified degrees of amino acid conservation within 23 G6PD sequences from different organisms. Our analysis verifies, on a quantitative basis, a widely held notion that clinically severer mutations of G6PD usually occur at conserved amino acids. However, marked exceptions to this general trend exist which are most notably revealed by a number of mutations associated with chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (class I variants). When mapped onto a homology-derived structural model of human G6PD, these class I mutational sites of low amino acid conservation appear to localize in two spatially distinct clusters, both of which are populated with mutations consisting mainly of clinically severer variants (i.e. class I and class II). These results of computer-assisted analyses contribute to a further understanding of the structure-function relationships of human G6PD deficiency.

Protein kinase profile of sperm and eggs: cloning and characterization of two novel testis-specific protein kinases (AIE1, AIE2) related to yeast and fly chromosome segregation regulators.

We have analyzed the general protein kinase expression profile in mouse sperm and eggs. A total of 41 different kinases were identified. In this study, we describe two novel protein kinases, designated AIE1 (mouse) and AIE2 (human), which share high amino acid identities with the serine/threonine (S/T) kinase domain of yeast Ip11, fly aurora, and frog Eg2. Mutations in Ip11 and aurora have been reported to cause abnormal chromosome segregation and centrosome separation. Both AIE1 and AIE2 contain a typical S/T kinase domain (251 aa) flanked by a short polypeptide at both ends. Two other AIE-related kinases (STK-1 and IAK1/Ayk1) were also identified in mature mouse oocytes. The central kinase domain of AIE1 revealed 77.6% and 66.3% identity with that of STK-1 and IAK1/Ayk1, but much less homology was found in the sequence outside the kinase domain. Northern blot analysis revealed that both AIE1 and AIE2 are specifically expressed in testis, whereas STK-1 and IAK1/Ayk1 are expressed in many tissues rich in proliferating cells. An in vitro kinase assay showed that AIE1 can phosphorylate casein, AIE1 itself, and an uncharacterized cellular protein (p16). The kinase activity of AIE1 can be destroyed by heat inactivation. In summary, we suggest that AIE is a new member of the S/T kinase family, which may be regulated in a fashion distinct from other AIE-related kinases.

The 30-kD domain of protein 4.1 mediates its binding to the carboxyl terminus of pICln, a protein involved in cellular volume regulation.

Erythrocyte protein 4.1 (P4.1) is an 80-kD cytoskeletal protein that is important for the maintenance of the structural integrity and flexibility of the red blood cell membrane. Limited chymotryptic digestion of erythroid P4.1 yields 4 structural domains corresponding to the 30-, 16-, 10-, and 22/24-kD domains. Using a yeast two-hybrid system, we isolated cDNA clones encoding pICln that specifically interacts with the 30-kD domain of P4.1. In this report, we show that the carboxyl-terminus (amino acid residues 103-237) of pICln binds to the 30-kD domain of P4.1 in a yeast two-hybrid system. The direct association between the 30-kD domain of P4.1 and pICln was further confirmed by the following findings: (1) the S35-methione-labeled pICln specifically bound to both GST/P4.1-80 (80 kD) and GST/P4.1-30 (30 kD) fusion proteins, but not to the proteins that lack the 30-kD domain; (2) coimmunoprecipitation analysis of the cell extracts from transfected SiHa cells showed that pICln and P4.1 associate in transfected cells. It was reported that pICln can form a complex with actin and may play a role involved in cellular volume regulation. The direct association between P4.1 and pICln suggests that pICln may link P4.1-bound cytoskeletal elements to an unidentified volume-sensitive chloride channel.

Proteolytic cleavage and activation of PAK2 during UV irradiation-induced apoptosis in A431 cells.

Exposure of mammalian cells to ultraviolet (UV) light elicits a cellular response and can also lead to apoptotic cell death. In this report, we show that a 36-kDa myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase detected by an in-gel kinase assay can be dramatically activated during the early stages of UV irradiation-triggered apoptosis of A431 cells. Immunoblot analysis revealed that this 36-kDa MBP kinase could be recognized by an antibody against the C-terminal regions of a family of p21Cdc42/Rac-activated kinases (PAKs). By using this antibody and a PAK2-specific antibody against the N-terminal region of PAK2 as studying tools, we further demonstrated that UV irradiation caused cleavage of PAK2 to generate a 36-kDa C-terminal catalytic fragment and a 30-kDa N-terminal fragment in A431 cells. The appearance of the 36-kDa C-terminal catalytic fragment of PAK2 matched exactly with the activation of the 36-kDa MBP kinase in A431 cells upon UV irradiation. In addition, UV irradiation also led to activation of CPP32/caspase-3, but not ICH-1L/caspase-2 and ICE/caspase-1, in A431 cells and the kinetics of activation of CPP32/caspase-3 appeared to correlate well with that of DNA fragmentation and of cleavage/activation of PAK2, respectively. Moreover, blockage of activation of CPP32/caspase-3 by pretreating the cells with two specific tetrapeptidic inhibitors for caspases (Ac-DEVD-cho and Ac-YVAD-cmk) could significantly attenuate the extent of cleavage/activation of PAK2 induced by UV irradiation. Collectively, the results demonstrate that cleavage and activation of PAK2 can be induced during the early stages of UV irradiation-triggered apoptosis and indicate the involvement of CPP32/caspase-3 in this process.

Effects of G6PD overexpression in NIH3T3 cells treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide or paraquat.

The major physiological role of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is to provide NADPH, which is required for reductive biosynthesis and for detoxification of free radicals and peroxides in mature red blood cells. To study the function of G6PD in non-erythroid cells, we examined the sensitivity of NIH3T3 cells transfected with a plasmid containing human G6PD cDNA to tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) and paraquat. Two transfected clones which had a sixteen-fold (H7 clone) and six-fold (H6 clone) increase in their intracellular G6PD activity were compared with control cells transfected with a vector alone. Cells with high-level expression of human G6PD were 2.3 (H6) to 3.7 (H7) times more resistant to TBH than control cells. The antioxidant (anti-TBH) abilities in H6 and H7 cells were revealed by (1) a significant increase in the intracellular level of NADPH and glutathione, (2) a reduction of fluorescent intensity of the oxidant-sensitive dye, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate, and (3) a significant reduction in the production of oxidized adducts generated by lipid peroxidation. In contrast, cells overexpressing G6PD were very sensitive to paraquat, a superoxide-producing herbicide. The concentrations of paraquat required to produce a 50% decrease in cell viability of H7, H6 and control cells were 0.80 mM, 1.14 mM, and 2.19 mM, respectively. The cytotoxicity of paraquat correlated with the expression level of NADPH in the cells. In this study, overexpression of human G6PD in NIH3T3 cells had different effects on the toxicity of TBH vs. paraquat. Reduction of NADP+ to NADPH by G6PD protects cells from oxidative damage by TBH, but appears to enhance the toxicity of paraquat.

Content of reduced glutathione and consequences in recipients of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red blood cells.

The red blood cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity of every donor was examined with automatic enzyme-coupled method. The technique of molecular biology was applied to determine the DNA mutations for the 97 donors with undetectable G6PD activity. The concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the stored RBC of the 97 G6PD-deficient donors and 124 normal donors was determined with the technique of high performance liquid chromatography. Routine blood counts, bilirubin and haptoglobin levels were used to evaluate posttransfusional hemolysis for the 48 adult patients transfused with 1 U G6PD deficient and 1 U normal RBC. Most (88, 90.7%) of the 97 donors were confirmed to be G6PD deficient at the DNA level. At each age interval of storage, the GSH concentration of G6PD-deficient RBC was significantly different from that of normal RBC. The total average value of GSH (pmol/gHb) was 2.52 +/- 0.95 (mean +/- 1 standard deviation) vs. 3.74 +/- 1.43 (P < 0.001). Hemoglobin, hematocrit, bilirubin, and haptoglobin levels in the patients receiving G6PD-deficient RBC were not statistically different from those in the recipients of normal RBC; even though the age of stored blood was 26-35 days. Within the same group of patients, the results of bilirubin and haptoglobin were not significantly changed before and after transfusion. The results of this study show that the GSH concentration in the stored blood of G6PD deficient donors was 67% of that in the normal donors. However, hemolysis does not occur in adult patients transfused with 1 U G6PD-deficient RBC. It seems unnecessary to screen G6PD activity for donors of adult recipients in Taiwan.

Genetic heterogeneity for familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Chinese: analysis of six Chinese kindreds.

OBJECTIVE: Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHCM) is a primary myocardial disease characterized by unexplained ventricular hypertrophy. The application of the techniques of reverse genetics has identified at least five chromosomal loci as the major causes for FHCM in diverse ethnic populations, suggesting substantial genetic heterogeneity for FHCM. Recently, the defective gene loci of two Chinese families with FHCM have been mapped to chromosome 11 and 14q1, respectively. For further understanding of the molecular basis of FHCM in Chinese, we analyzed the linkage between four other Chinese kindreds and DNA markers from chromosome 14q1. METHODS: Six unrelated Chinese families with FHCM, including two previously reported, were studied. Totally 90 family members were included for analysis. DNA from 80 individuals was extracted and polymerase chain reactions were performed using the primers designed according to the sequences derived from the alpha and beta myosin heavy chain gene. Totally four polymorphisms were studied, including three polymorphic microsatellite sequences and one single strand conformation polymorphism. Genetic linkage analysis were performed using the Linkage program. RESULTS: In the six studied families, 39 of the 90 family members were found to be affected diagnosed either by echocardiography or by clinical evaluation. The pattern of inheritance in all six studied families was most consistent with an autosomal dominant trait with a high degree of penetrance. Genetic linkage analysis using polymorphisms on the alpha and beta MHC genes showed a combined maximal lod score of 6.2 for trinucleotide repeat polymorphism AMHC-I 15 at theta = 0.00 for three studied families without recombination. Exclusion of linkage to the chromosome 14q1 location was noted in two of three other families with the maximal lod score of -2 or less. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide further evidence that FHCM in Chinese is genetically heterogeneous. Chromosome 14q1 locus, probably the beta myosin heavy chain gene, is important as the molecular basis for FHCM in Chinese.

Free radical theory of erythrocyte aging.

Mature, circulating mammalian erythrocytes have a finite lifespan. The molecular mechanism that determines removal of cells from the circulation remains unknown, but probably involves recognition of senescence antigens by phagocytes, either directly or via an antibody/complement-mediated pathway. It has been proposed that the major senescence antigen in aged erythrocytes is derived from the band 3 protein, the main transmembrane glycoprotein in erythrocytes. Other possible mechanisms for red cell aging include mechanical fatigue, ATP depletion, calcium accumulation, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS, which damage proteins and initiate lipid peroxidation, can be generated either inside erythrocytes through the hemoglobin oxidation pathway or outside (eg, by stimulated macrophages). The ROS theory of red cell aging has been widely accepted, yet it lacks direct supporting evidence. To test this hypothesis, two critical techniques have been established in this laboratory. First, we determine the lifespan of erythrocytes in vivo using a fluorescent cell labeling technique. Second, transgenic mice have been produced which express high levels of the human antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, in their erythrocytes. These two techniques will be very useful for the evaluation of the free radical theory of red cell aging.

Haplotyping of mitochondrial DNA in the D-loop region by PCR: forensic application.

A rapid and simple method using restriction enzymes to detect the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern of hypervariable segment 1 in the D-loop region of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was developed. We first focused on the investigation of variations of DNA sequence in the D-loop region among Chinese subjects, as well as on the determination of RFLP patterns of each restriction enzyme. Seven restriction enzymes were used to digest a 618 bp polymerase chain (PCR) reaction product of the D-loop region of mtDNA. Frequency distribution of RFLP patterns of each restriction enzyme among 145 unrelated Chinese subjects in Taiwan was also established. For the purposes of practical forensic application, a routine typing system was designed on the basis of the RFLP data. Two short hypervariable, mtDNA fragments, which were contained within the 618 bp region, were selected for this purpose. In this haplotyping system, a 281 bp PCR-amplified DNA product was analyzed by five restriction enzymes: Mnl I, Nla III, Rsa l, Mse I and Hinf I, and a 237 bp fragment was analyzed by Kpn I. The RFLP patterns were determined by agarose gel electrophoresis of the restriction enzyme-digested DNA fragments. Six restriction enzymes. Mul I, Nla III, Rsa I. Msc I, Hinf I and Kpn 1, defined eight, four, four, five, two and four polymorphic patterns, respectively among the 145 Chinese subjects. The RFLP patterns of restriction fragments for each individual were systematically analyzed and the mtDNAs of the 145 Chinese subjects were grouped into 52 haplotypes. This PCR-RFLP haplotyping system revealed a high degree of variability and diversity of segment I in the D-loop region of human mtDNA. The power of discrimination and allelic diversity values were 0.923 and 0.929, respectively. Successful application of this haplotyping system in a murder case is also discussed.