The effect of diet on the human gut microbiome: a metagenomic analysis in humanized gnotobiotic mice.

Diet and nutritional status are among the most important modifiable determinants of human health. The nutritional value of food is influenced in part by a person's gut microbial community (microbiota) and its component genes (microbiome). Unraveling the interrelations among diet, the structure and operations of the gut microbiota, and nutrient and energy harvest is confounded by variations in human environmental exposures, microbial ecology, and genotype.

The disulfide bonds in glycoprotein E2 of hepatitis C virus reveal the tertiary organization of the molecule.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major cause of chronic liver disease in humans, is the focus of intense research efforts worldwide. Yet structural data on the viral envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are scarce, in spite of their essential role in the viral life cycle. To obtain more information, we developed an efficient production system of recombinant E2 ectodomain (E2e), truncated immediately upstream its trans-membrane (TM) region, using Drosophila melanogaster cells.

Developmental programming: effect of prenatal steroid excess on intraovarian components of insulin signaling pathway and related proteins in sheep.

Prenatal testosterone (T) excess increases ovarian follicular recruitment, follicular persistence, insulin resistance, and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. Considering the importance of insulin in ovarian physiology, in this study, using prenatal T- and dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a nonaromatizable androgen)-treated female sheep, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal androgen excess alters the intraovarian insulin signaling cascade and metabolic mediators that have an impact on insulin signaling. Changes in ovarian insulin receptor (INSRB), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG), and adiponectin proteins were determined at fetal (Days 90 and 140), postpubertal (10 mo), and adult (21 mo) ages by immunohistochemistry.

Herpes simplex virus glycoproteins H/L bind to cells independently of {alpha}V{beta}3 integrin and inhibit virus entry, and their constitutive expression restricts infection.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) fusion with cells requires the gD, gB, and gH/gL glycoprotein quartet. gD serves as a receptor binding glycoprotein. gB and gH/gL execute fusion in an as-yet-unclear manner.

Efficient method for production of high yields of Fab fragments in Drosophila S2 cells.

Fab molecules are used as therapeutic agents, and are invaluable tools in structural biology. We report here a method for production of recombinant Fab in Drosophila S2 cells for use in structural biology. Stably transfected S2 cell lines expressing the Fab were created within weeks.

Crystal structure of an Aquabirnavirus particle: insights into antigenic diversity and virulence determinism.

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a pathogen of salmon and trout, imposes a severe toll on the aquaculture and sea farming industries. IPNV belongs to the Aquabirnavirus genus in the Birnaviridae family of bisegmented double-stranded RNA viruses. The virions are nonenveloped with a T=13l icosahedral capsid made by the coat protein VP2, the three-dimensional (3D) organization of which is known in detail for the family prototype, the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) of poultry.

Crystal structure of a nucleocapsid-like nucleoprotein-RNA complex of respiratory syncytial virus.

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important human pathogen, yet neither a vaccine nor effective therapies are available to treat infection. To help elucidate the replication mechanism of this RNA virus, we determined the three-dimensional (3D) crystal structure at 3.3 A resolution of a decameric, annular ribonucleoprotein complex of the RSV nucleoprotein (N) bound to RNA.

Insulin-like growth factor-II and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in bovine cystic ovarian disease.

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is one of the most common reproductive disorders of cattle and is considered to have multifactorial aetiology. An accepted hypothesis involves neuroendocrinological dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; however, the role of growth factors in COD has not been extensively investigated. The present study examines the potential role of members of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family in COD.

High expression of the inhibitory receptor BTLA in T-follicular helper cells and in B-cell small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is a lymphoid receptor that inhibits lymphocyte activation on interaction with its ligand, herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). We developed monoclonal antibodies against BTLA and HVEM to study their expression using immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses in human tissues. In reactive lymph nodes, they were both expressed in interfollicular T cells and in B cells from mantle and marginal zones.

New insights on CO2-methane separation using LTA zeolites with different Si/Al ratios and a first comparison with MOFs.

LTA zeolites can be synthesized with tailored adsorption properties by controlling the Al content in the framework. In this work, we have demonstrated that it is possible to adjust the polarity of the zeolitic adsorbent to optimize its thermodynamic adsorption properties for the energetically relevant CO(2)/CH(4) separation process. The thermodynamic study has been made from the corresponding adsorption isotherms of the pure gases carried out at different pressures and temperatures, as well as breakthrough separation experiments of CO(2)/CH(4) mixtures and the results were compared to those reported on MOFs.

Heat shock protein patterns in the bovine ovary and relation with cystic ovarian disease.

The present study was performed to determine how the development of cystic ovarian disease (COD) affecting the ovarian expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) in cows were expressing extrous cycles. HSP27, HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90 were evaluated in different ovarian components by Western blot and semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis. Greater expression of the HSP27 gene was detected in the granulosa and theca cells of primary, secondary, tertiary and cystic follicles, with decreasing amount in atretic follicles.

Glenohumeral instability associated with Buford complex.

Buford complex is described as a normal anatomical variant of the anterosuperior part of the glenoid consisting of the absence of the anterosuperior labrum with the presence of a cord-like middle glenohumeral ligament. Traditionally, reattachment to the glenoid has been discouraged. We present a case of a Buford complex associated with glenohumeral instability.

{beta}-glucanase Eng2 is required for ascus wall endolysis after sporulation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Meiosis is the developmental program by which sexually reproducing diploid organisms generate haploid gametes. In yeast, meiosis is followed by spore morphogenesis. When Schizosaccharomyces pombe diploid cells undergo meiosis, they differentiate into asci containing four haploid ascospores that are highly resistant to environmental stress.

Brachytherapy versus cystectomy in solitary bladder cancer: a case control, multicentre, East-Netherlands study.

Purpose: Comparing the outcome of surgery and brachytherapy-based radiotherapy in patients with solitary T1G3/T2 bladder tumour in, a retrospective case-control study, because efforts for a randomised clinical trial comparing these modalities have failed.

Materials And Methods: Cystectomy group. Patients were selected using the pathological registration system (PALGA).

The picobirnavirus crystal structure provides functional insights into virion assembly and cell entry.

Double-stranded (ds) RNA virus particles are organized around a central icosahedral core capsid made of 120 identical subunits. This core capsid is unable to invade cells from outside, and animal dsRNA viruses have acquired surrounding capsid layers that are used to deliver a transcriptionally active core particle across the membrane during cell entry. In contrast, dsRNA viruses infecting primitive eukaryotes have only a simple core capsid, and as a consequence are transmitted only vertically.

Prenatal exposure to pesticides disrupts testicular histoarchitecture and alters testosterone levels in male Caiman latirostris.

The increased use of agrochemical pesticides, such as atrazine (ATZ) and endosulfan (END), may have a significant impact on ecosystem health and biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of in ovum exposure to ATZ and END on Caiman latirostris gonadal histo-functional features. Caiman eggs were collected from environmentally pristine areas and incubated in controlled conditions at male producing temperature (33 degrees C).

Androgen dependence of hirsutism, acne, and alopecia in women: retrospective analysis of 228 patients investigated for hyperandrogenism.

Hirsutism, acne, alopecia, and oligo-amenorrhea are clinical expressions of hyperandrogenism, one of the most frequent endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age. Women referred to our endocrine clinics for skin symptoms of hyperandrogenism underwent a laboratory workup to evaluate hormone measurements and received antiandrogen therapy. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 228 consecutive patients investigated over 6 years.

Characterizing a model human gut microbiota composed of members of its two dominant bacterial phyla.

The adult human distal gut microbial community is typically dominated by 2 bacterial phyla (divisions), the Firmicutes and the Bacteroidetes. Little is known about the factors that govern the interactions between their members. Here, we examine the niches of representatives of both phyla in vivo.

History of bioengineering techniques for erosion control in rivers in Western Europe.

Living plants have been used for a very long time throughout the world in structures against soil erosion, as traces have been found dating back to the first century BC. Widely practiced in Western Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, bioengineering was somewhat abandoned in the middle of the twentieth century, before seeing a resurgence in recent times. Based on an extensive bibliography, this article examines the different forms of bioengineering techniques used in the past to manage rivers and riverbanks, mainly in Europe.

Direct synthesis of a photoactive inorganic-organic mesostructured hybrid material and its application as a photocatalyst.

A photoactive, hexagonally structured mesoporous material (Tyl-MCM41) is produced through co-hydrolysis of SiO(2) and a trialkoxysilane-functionalized trityl cation as photoactive species. The formation of the corresponding triphenylmethanol precursor in the material is confirmed by spectroscopic techniques. The hybrid material has an ordered structure with a narrow pore size distribution typical of ordered mesoporous MCM-41-type materials.

Contribution of a shelter-based survey for screening respiratory diseases in the homeless.

Background: The homeless are at very high risk for both respiratory diseases and poor access to health care delivery systems. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of a shelter-based survey to identify respiratory diseases in the homeless population in Marseilles, in order to further develop preventive interventions.

Methods: A prevalence survey of respiratory diseases was conducted in two homeless shelters in Marseilles, in February 2005.