Spectrum of pathogens of in-patient children and youths with community acquired pneumonia: a 3 year survey of a community hospital in Vienna, Austria.

Background: No actual data are available on the epidemiology and morbidity of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in youths and children in Vienna, Austria.

Objective: The objective was to determine the epidemiology of CAP and morbidity of children hospitalized due to CAP in a tertiary care facility.

Methods: During three winter seasons youths and children hospitalized due to CAP were enrolled.

Detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in cats with conjunctivitis.

Objective: To determine the presence of chlamydial species including recently described chlamydial agents as well as the human pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae in feline conjunctivitis.

Animal Studied: Twenty five cats without and 49 cats with conjunctivitis were tested for chlamydia using a Chlamydiaceae real time (RT) PCR (targeting the 23S rRNA gene sequence), a Chlamydiales PCR (targeting the 16S rRNA gene sequence), and cell culture. The PCR products of all positive samples were sequenced and subsequently analyzed using a basic local alignment search tool search.

Role of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in children hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia in Vienna, Austria.

Background: No recent Austrian data are available on the epidemiology and morbidity of Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) as causative agent in youths and children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). These data would serve as a rationale for empiric antimicrobial therapy.

[18F]FETO: metabolic considerations.

Purpose: 11beta-Hydroxylase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of adrenocortical steroid hormones and is a suitable target for the imaging of the adrenal cortex. [(11)C]Metomidate (MTO), [(11)C]etomidate (ETO) and desethyl-[(18)F]fluoroethyl-etomidate (FETO) are potent inhibitors of this enzyme and are used for PET imaging of adrenocortical pathologies. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate and compare the metabolic stability of MTO, ETO and FETO against esterases and (2) to investigate the metabolic pattern of FETO in vivo.

Biological evaluation of 2'-[18F]fluoroflumazenil ([18F]FFMZ), a potential GABA receptor ligand for PET.

[(11)C]Flumazenil, a highly selective benzodiazepine antagonist is the most extensively used GABA(A) ligand for PET so far. To overcome half life disadvantages of (11)C a [(18)F]-labeled flumazenil derivative, 2'-[(18)F]fluoroflumazenil (FFMZ) was developed and biologically evaluated with respect to the GABA(A) receptor. Organ with the highest uptake was the pituitary gland.

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of [18F]FETO with respect to the adrenocortical and GABAergic system in rats.

11beta-Hydroxylase (CYP11B1, P45011beta) plays an important role in the biosynthesis of cortisol and aldosterone and has been shown to be a good target for the in vivo imaging of adrenocortical incidentalomas in nuclear medicine. [11C]Metomidate (MTO), a potent inhibitor of this enzyme, is used for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of adrenocortical pathology. The synthesis of (R)-1-(1-phenylethyl)-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid 2-[18F]fluoroethylester (FETO), a close analogue to MTO and etomidate (ETO), has been presented recently, and the present investigation aimed to characterise the in vivo distribution of FETO.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae PIP2 mediating oleic acid induction and peroxisome proliferation is regulated by Adr1p and Pip2p-Oaf1p.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes involved in fatty acid degradation contain in their promoters oleate response elements (OREs) and type 1 upstream activation sequences (UAS1s) that bind Pip2p-Oaf1p and Adr1p, respectively. The promoter of the PIP2 gene was found to contain a potential UAS1 that consists of a tandem array of CYCCRR half-sites in an overlapping arrangement with a previously characterized ORE. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis demonstrated that Adr1p bound to UAS1PIP2, and Northern analysis in combination with a lacZ reporter gene confirmed that Adr1p influenced the transcription of PIP2.

Identification of an amino acid sequence within GABA(A) receptor beta3 subunits that is important for receptor assembly.

GABA(A) receptors are chloride ion channels that can be opened by GABA, the most important inhibitory transmitter in the CNS. In the mammalian brain the majority of these pentameric receptors is composed of two alpha, two beta and one gamma subunit. To achieve the correct order of subunits around the pore, each subunit must form specific contacts via its plus (+) and minus (-) side.

Homologous sites of GABA(A) receptor alpha(1), beta(3) and gamma(2) subunits are important for assembly.

GABA(A) receptors are the major inhibitory transmitter receptors in the central nervous system. The majority of these receptors is composed of two alpha, two beta and one gamma subunit that assemble around an aqueous pore and form an intrinsic chloride ion channel. Using full-length or truncated chimeric subunits it was demonstrated that homologous sequences from different subunit classes, alpha(1)(54-68), beta(3)(52-66), and gamma(2)(67-81), are important for assembly of GABA(A) receptors composed of alpha(1), beta(3), and gamma(2) subunits.

The tetratricopeptide repeat domains of human, tobacco, and nematode PEX5 proteins are functionally interchangeable with the analogous native domain for peroxisomal import of PTS1-terminated proteins in yeast.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, beta-oxidation of fatty acids is compartmentalised in peroxisomes. Most yeast peroxisomal matrix proteins contain a type 1C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS1) consisting of the tripeptide SKL or a conservative variant thereof. PTS1-terminated proteins are imported by Pex5p, which interacts with the targeting signal via a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain.

Adr1p-dependent regulation of the oleic acid-inducible yeast gene SPS19 encoding the peroxisomal beta-oxidation auxiliary enzyme 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase.

The role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Adr1p was examined with respect to the transcriptional regulation of the SPS19 gene encoding the peroxisomal beta-oxidation auxiliary enzyme 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase. The SPS19 promoter contains both an oleate response element that binds the Pip2p-Oaf1p transcription factor as well as a canonical Adr1p-binding element, termed UAS1(SPS19). Northern analysis demonstrated that transcriptional up-regulation of SPS19 was abolished in cells devoid of Adr1p.

Function of human mitochondrial 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase and rat monofunctional Delta3-Delta2-enoyl-CoA isomerase in beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

Human 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (2,4-reductase; DECR) and rat monofunctional Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase (rat 3, 2-isomerase; ECI) are thought to be mitochondrial auxiliary enzymes involved in the beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. However, their function during this process has not been demonstrated. Although they lack obvious peroxisomal targeting signals (PTSs), both proteins have been suggested previously to also occur in the mammalian peroxisomal compartment.