In vivo dynamics of pro-inflammatory factors, mucins, and polymorph nuclear neutrophils in the bovine oviduct during the follicular and luteal phase.

Dynamic functional changes in the oviductal microenvironment are the prerequisite for the establishment of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to gain the first insights into oestrous cycle-dependent dynamics of polymorph nuclear neutrophils (PMN) and the mRNA abundance of selected genes and their correlations in the oviduct of living cows. Mini-cytobrush samples were taken from the oviducts of healthy heifers (n = 6) and cows (n = 7) during the follicular (FOL) and luteal phase (LUT) by transvaginal endoscopy.

Seasonal and diel movement patterns of brown bears in a population in southeastern Europe.

Most animals concentrate their movement into certain hours of the day depending on drivers such as photoperiod, ambient temperature, inter- or intraspecific competition, and predation risk. The main activity periods of many mammal species, especially in human-dominated landscapes, are commonly set at dusk, dawn, and during nighttime hours. Large carnivores, such as brown bears, often display great flexibility in diel movement patterns throughout their range, and even within populations, striking between individual differences in movement have been demonstrated.

Harvest is associated with the disruption of social and fine-scale genetic structure among matrilines of a solitary large carnivore.

Harvest can disrupt wildlife populations by removing adults with naturally high survival. This can reshape sociospatial structure, genetic composition, fitness, and potentially affect evolution. Genetic tools can detect changes in local, fine-scale genetic structure (FGS) and assess the interplay between harvest-caused social and FGS in populations.

The third dimension in river restoration: how anthropogenic disturbance changes boundary conditions for ecological mitigation.

The goals of the European Water Framework Directive changed the perspective on rivers from human to ecosystem-based river management. After decades of channelizing and damming rivers, restoration projects are applied with more or less successful outcomes. The anthropogenic influence put on rivers can change their physical parameters and result in a different morphological type of river.

Pyranose dehydrogenases: Rare enzymes for electrochemistry and biocatalysis.

Pyranose dehydrogenase is a flavin-dependent carbohydrate oxidoreductase classified among Auxiliary Activities Family 3, along with structurally and catalytically related enzymes like pyranose oxidase and cellobiose dehydrogenase, and probably fulfils biological functions in lignocellulose breakdown. It is limited to a rather small group of litter-decomposing basidiomycetes adapted to humic-rich habitats, and shows an equally rare combination of structural and biochemical properties. It displays broader substrate specificity and regioselectivity compared to similar enzymes, catalyzing monooxidations at C1, C2, C3 or dioxidations at C2, 3 or C3, 4, depending on the pyranose sugar form (mono-/di-/oligo-saccharide or glycoside) and the enzyme source.

Major Outbreaks in the Nineteenth Century Shaped Grape Phylloxera Contemporary Genetic Structure in Europe.

Grape phylloxera is native to North America, where Vitis spp. acquired different mechanisms of resistance to leaf and root attack. Its appearance in European vineyards at the beginning of the 1860s, where the phylloxera-susceptible grapevine species V.

Use of DNA Markers for Grape Phylloxera Population and Evolutionary Genetics: From RAPDs to SSRs and Beyond.

Grape phylloxera ( Fitch) is a major pest of cultivated grapevines ( spp.), occurring in virtually all viticultural regions around the world. Different grape phylloxera strains can be found at varying levels on leaves and roots on both own-rooted plants and in plants grafted onto partially resistant rootstocks.

A novel approach to study the bovine oviductal fluid proteome using transvaginal endoscopy.

The oviduct provides the optimal micro milieu for early embryo development. However, accessing the bovine oviductal fluid in vivo for analysis is still challenging and therefore the oviductal fluid is usually collected post mortem. In the study presented here we introduce a novel approach to gain minimal invasive access to the bovine oviductal fluid proteome in vivo by transvaginal endoscopy at different stages of the estrous cycle.

Identification of Rabbit Oviductal Fluid Proteins Involved in Pre-Fertilization Processes by Quantitative Proteomics.

Oviductal fluid (ODF) proteins modulate and support reproductive processes in the oviduct. In the present study, proteins involved in the biological events that precede fertilization have been identified in the rabbit ODF proteome, isolated from the ampulla and isthmus of the oviduct at different time points within 8 h after intrauterine insemination. A workflow is used that integrates lectin affinity capture with stable-isotope dimethyl labeling prior to nanoLC-MS/MS analysis.

Semen modulated secretory activity of oviductal epithelial cells is linked to cellular proteostasis network remodeling: Proteomic insights into the early phase of interaction in the oviduct in vivo.

Unlabelled: The oviductal epithelium is crucial for the integrity of the female organ. Previously we got evidence that the surface proteome of oviductal epithelial cells (Oecs) is promptly altered in response to insemination and thus suggested that this early phase plays a notable regulatory role in maintaining cellular function. This study further aimed to assess the effect of semen on the cellular and molecular mechanisms in rabbit Oecs.

Exploring the oviductal fluid proteome by a lectin-based affinity approach.

The analysis of glycoproteins in body fluids represents a central task in the study of vital processes. Herein, we assessed the combined use of Concanavalin A and Wheat Germ Agglutinin as ligands to fractionate and enrich glycoproteins from oviductal fluid (OF), which is a source of molecules involved in fertilization. First, the selectivity was corroborated by a gel-based approach using glycoprotein staining and enzymatic deglycosylation.

The Effect of Shear on the Structural Conformation of rhGH and IgG1 in Free Solution.

The effect of hydrodynamic forces on proteins in free solution, also referred to as shear stress in multiple drug substance and drug product processing steps, was investigated by means of in situ and inline biophysical measurements. The use of a quartz Couette cell in combination with a circular dichroism spectrometer allowed simultaneously the creation of simple shear flow and direct measurements of the proteins' secondary and tertiary structure. Recombinant human growth hormone and an IgG1 mAb were chosen as model proteins.

Large-Scale Purification of r28M: A Bispecific scFv Antibody Targeting Human Melanoma Produced in Transgenic Cattle.

Background: 30 years ago, the potential of bispecific antibodies to engage cytotoxic T cells for the lysis of cancer cells was discovered. Today a variety of bispecific antibodies against diverse cell surface structures have been developed, the majority of them produced in mammalian cell culture systems. Beside the r28M, described here, no such bispecific antibody is known to be expressed by transgenic livestock, although various biologicals for medical needs are already harvested-mostly from the milk-of these transgenics.

Red clover isoflavone metabolite bioavailability is decreased after fructooligosaccharide supplementation.

Background: Red clover is an important source of isoflavones; which has been made commercially available as dietary supplements for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Bioavailability and metabolism of these red clover isoflavones (RCI) have not been studied in detail. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) stimulate the growth of intestinal bacteria and play an important role in the formation of certain isoflavone metabolites, such as equol and O-desmethylangolensin.

Evaluation of SYPRO Ruby total protein stain for the normalization of two-dimensional Western blots.

Due to post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, proteins exist as distinct charge variants. Two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting enables the detection of these isoforms. For their accurate relative quantitation in different samples, a loading control is necessary to compensate for technical errors such as imprecise sample loading or transfer.

Advancements in IR spectroscopic approaches for the determination of fungal derived contaminations in food crops.

Infrared spectroscopy is a rapid, nondestructive analytical technique that can be applied to the authentication and characterization of food samples in high throughput. In particular, near infrared spectroscopy is commonly utilized in the food quality control industry to monitor the physical attributes of numerous cereal grains for protein, carbohydrate, and lipid content. IR-based methods require little sample preparation, labor, or technical competence if multivariate data mining techniques are implemented; however, they do require extensive calibration.

IgGs are made for walking on bacterial and viral surfaces.

Binding of antibodies to their cognate antigens is fundamental for adaptive immunity. Molecular engineering of antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes emerges to be one of the major technologies in combating many human diseases. Despite its importance, a detailed description of the nanomechanical process of antibody-antigen binding and dissociation on the molecular level is lacking.

Improvement of anaerobic digestion performance by continuous nitrogen removal with a membrane contactor treating a substrate rich in ammonia and sulfide.

The effect of reduced ammonia levels on anaerobic digestion was investigated. Two reactors were fed with slaughterhouse waste, one with a hollow fiber membrane contractor for ammonia removal and one without. Different organic loading rates (OLR) and free ammonia and sulfide concentrations were investigated.

HIV-1 specific antibody titers and neutralization among chronically infected patients on long-term suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART): a cross-sectional study.

The majority of potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 have been isolated from untreated patients with acute or chronic infection. To assess the extent of HIV-1 specific antibody response and neutralization after many years of virologic suppression from potent combination ART, we examined antibody binding titers and neutralization of 51 patients with chronic HIV-1 infection on suppressive ART for at least three years. In this cross-sectional analysis, we found high antibody titers against gp120, gp41, and the membrane proximal external region (MPER) in 59%, 43%, and 27% of patients, respectively.

Agrobacterium infection and plant defense-transformation success hangs by a thread.

The value of Agrobacterium tumefaciens for plant molecular biologists cannot be appreciated enough. This soil-borne pathogen has the unique capability to transfer DNA (T-DNA) into plant systems. Gene transfer involves both bacterial and host factors, and it is the orchestration of these factors that determines the success of transformation.

Comparison of gel-based phosphoproteomic approaches to analyse scarce oviductal epithelial cell samples.

The reversible change of the phosphorylation state of proteins regulates key cellular processes. In the present study, three different gel-based approaches were compared with regard to their applicability to quantitatively analyse the phosphoproteome of scarce biological material obtained ex vivo. Our results show that the phosphoproteome characterisation of oviductal epithelial cells isolated from the female reproductive tract requires affinity enrichment and pre-electrophoretic labelling using fluorescence dyes.

Counteracting ammonia inhibition in anaerobic digestion by removal with a hollow fiber membrane contactor.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of membrane contactors for continuous ammonia (NH₃-N) removal in an anaerobic digestion process and to counteract ammonia inhibition. Two laboratory anaerobic digesters were fed slaughterhouse wastes with ammonium (NH₄⁺) concentrations ranging from 6 to 7.4 g/L.

Molecular dynamics simulations of water molecule-bridges in polar domains of humic acids.

The stabilizing effect of water molecule bridges on polar regions in humic substances (HSs) has been investigated by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The purpose of these investigations was to show the effect of water molecular bridges (WAMB) for cross-linking distant locations of hydrophilic groups. For this purpose, a tetramer of undecanoid fatty acids connected to a network of water molecules has been constructed, which serve as a model for spatially fixed aliphatic chains in HSs terminated by a polar (carboxyl) group.