Induction of a stringent metabolic response in intracellular stages of Leishmania mexicana leads to increased dependence on mitochondrial metabolism.

Leishmania parasites alternate between extracellular promastigote stages in the insect vector and an obligate intracellular amastigote stage that proliferates within the phagolysosomal compartment of macrophages in the mammalian host. Most enzymes involved in Leishmania central carbon metabolism are constitutively expressed and stage-specific changes in energy metabolism remain poorly defined. Using (13)C-stable isotope resolved metabolomics and (2)H2O labelling, we show that amastigote differentiation is associated with reduction in growth rate and induction of a distinct stringent metabolic state.

Effective bias removal for fringe projection profilometry using the dual-tree complex wavelet transform.

When reconstructing the three-dimensional (3D) object height profile using the fringe projection profilometry (FPP) technique, the light intensity reflected from the object surface can yield abruptly changing bias in the captured fringe image, which leads to severe reconstruction error. The traditional approach tries to remove the bias by suppressing the zero spectrum of the fringe image. It is based on the assumption that the aliasing between the frequency spectrum of the bias, which is around the zero frequency, and the frequency spectrum of the fringe is negligible.

Efficient fringe image enhancement based on dual-tree complex wavelet transform.

In optical phase shift profilometry (PSP), parallel fringe patterns are projected onto an object and the deformed fringes are captured using a digital camera. It is of particular interest in real time three-dimensional (3D) modeling applications because it enables 3D reconstruction using just a few image captures. When using this approach in a real life environment, however, the noise in the captured images can greatly affect the quality of the reconstructed 3D model.

Isotopomer profiling of Leishmania mexicana promastigotes reveals important roles for succinate fermentation and aspartate uptake in tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) anaplerosis, glutamate synthesis, and growth.

Leishmania parasites proliferate within nutritionally complex niches in their sandfly vector and mammalian hosts. However, the extent to which these parasites utilize different carbon sources remains poorly defined. In this study, we have followed the incorporation of various (13)C-labeled carbon sources into the intracellular and secreted metabolites of Leishmania mexicana promastigotes using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and (13)C NMR.

Genistein potentiates protein kinase A activity in porcine coronary artery.

Soy consumption is associated with a lower risk of atherosclerotic disease in the oriental population. Genistein is a soy isoflavone bearing estrogenic properties. Previous experiments in our laboratory demonstrated the potentiation of endothelium-independent relaxation of coronary artery by both estrogen and genistein.