Cytokine storm in aged people with CoV-2: possible role of vitamins as therapy or preventive strategy.

Background: In December 2019, a novel human-infecting coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, had emerged. The WHO has classified the epidemic as a "public health emergency of international concern". A dramatic situation has unfolded with thousands of deaths, occurring mainly in the aged and very ill people.

Structure and organization of the peridinin-chlorophyll a-binding protein gene in Gonyaulax polyedra.

We have identified a major 32-kDa protein in the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra as a peridinin-chlorophyll a-binding protein (PCP), based on micro-sequence data and immunological cross-reaction with antibodies raised against PCP from another dinoflagellate species. A cDNA for this protein, identified by a PCR-based cloning strategy, encoded all 68 of the amino acids microsequenced, thus confirming the identity of the clone. The PCP gene is highly expressed at both the mRNA and protein levels, and only PCP transcripts corresponding in size to the cDNA sequence were detected.

Isolation of membrane bound light-harvesting-complexes from the dinoflagellates Heterocapsa pygmaea and Prorocentrum minimum.

We have isolated Chl a-Chl c-carotenoid binding proteins from the dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum and Heterocapsa pygmaea grown under high (500 μmol m(-2) s(-1), HL) and low (35 μmol m(-2) s(-1), LL) light conditions. We compared various isolation procedures of membrane bound light harvesting complexes (LHCs) and assayed the functionality of the solubilized proteins by determining the energy transfer efficiency from the accessory pigments to Chl a by means of fluorescence excitation spectra. The identity of the newly isolated protein-complexes were confirmed by immunological cross-reactions with antibodies raised against the previously described membrane bound Chl a-c proteins (Boczar et al.

High abundance of Archaea in Antarctic marine picoplankton.

Archaea (archaebacteria) constitute one of the three major evolutionary lineages of life on Earth. Previously these prokaryotes were thought to predominate in only a few unusual and disparate niches, characterized by hypersaline, extremely hot, or strictly anoxic conditions. Recently, novel (uncultivated) phylotypes of Archaea have been detected in coastal and subsurface marine waters, but their abundance, distribution, physiology and ecology remain largely undescribed.

Characterization of two full-length cDNA sequences encoding for apoproteins of peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) complexes.

Characterizations are presented for RNA, 2 cDNA libraries, and 2 full-length cDNA sequences encoding for photosynthetic light-harvesting peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) in the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa pygmaea. Subsequent analyses of the PCP system also indicate that (1) it is represented by multiple nuclear encoded genes, (2) a subset of mRNAs encoding for PCP apoproteins are regulated by growth irradiance, (3) PCP preproteins are larger than the mature apoproteins, and (4) PCP cDNA clones sequenced thus far contain a conserved region but are not identical. Results are discussed in the context of photoadaptation in dinoflagellates.