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1.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 115(43): E10177-E10186, 2018 10 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30301801

ABSTRACT

Activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE) is the dominant mode of synaptic vesicle endocytosis during high-frequency stimulation, suggesting it should play key roles in neurotransmission during periods of intense neuronal activity. However, efforts in elucidating the physiological role of ADBE have been hampered by the lack of identified molecules which are unique to this endocytosis mode. To address this, we performed proteomic analysis on purified bulk endosomes, which are a key organelle in ADBE. Bulk endosomes were enriched via two independent approaches, a classical subcellular fractionation method and isolation via magnetic nanoparticles. There was a 77% overlap in proteins identified via the two protocols, and these molecules formed the ADBE core proteome. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a strong enrichment in cell adhesion and cytoskeletal and signaling molecules, in addition to expected synaptic and trafficking proteins. Network analysis identified Rab GTPases as a central hub within the ADBE proteome. Subsequent investigation of a subset of these Rabs revealed that Rab11 both facilitated ADBE and accelerated clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These findings suggest that the ADBE proteome will provide a rich resource for the future study of presynaptic function, and identify Rab11 as a regulator of presynaptic function.


Subject(s)
Endocytosis/physiology , Proteome/metabolism , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism , rab GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Cytoskeleton/physiology , Endosomes/metabolism , Endosomes/physiology , Female , Nanoparticles/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Neurons/physiology , Protein Transport/physiology , Proteomics/methods , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Synaptic Transmission/physiology
2.
Mol Neurobiol ; 39(3): 185-9, 2009 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19266323

ABSTRACT

Central nerve terminals are placed under considerable stress during intense stimulation due to large numbers of synaptic vesicles (SVs) fusing with the plasma membrane. Classical clathrin-dependent SV endocytosis cannot correct for the large increase in nerve terminal surface area in the short term, due to its slow kinetics and low capacity. During such intense stimulation, an additional SV retrieval pathway is recruited called bulk endocytosis. Recent studies have shown that bulk endocytosis fulfils all of the physiological requirements to remedy the acute changes in nerve terminal surface area to allow the nerve terminal to continue to function. This review will summarise the recent developments in the field that characterise the physiology of bulk endocytosis which show that it is a fast, activity-dependent and high capacity mechanism that is essential for the function of central nerve terminals.


Subject(s)
Cell Membrane/metabolism , Endocytosis , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism , Animals , Neurons/cytology , Neurons/metabolism
3.
Neurochem Int ; 53(3-4): 51-5, 2008 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18586059

ABSTRACT

Bulk endocytosis is triggered in central nerve terminals during intense physiological stimulation. This endocytosis pathway can be labelled by the dye FM1-43 but not its more hydrophilic counterpart FM2-10. This selective labelling was proposed to be due to the retention of FM1-43, but not FM2-10, in slowly retrieving structures after washout of the dye. However, this explanation assumed that bulk endocytosis was a slow process that persisted after stimulation. We have recently shown that the great majority of bulk endocytosis occurs during stimulation, therefore another explanation for the specific labelling of this pathway by FM1-43 must be found. In this paper we show that the ability of FM dyes to label bulk endocytosis is dependent on the concentration of dye used and not their washout properties. When the loading concentration of FM1-43 was reduced 10-fold, its ability to label bulk endocytosis was lost. Conversely when the loading concentration of FM2-10 was increased 10-fold, it now labelled the pathway. This suggests that a difference in affinity of bulk endosome membranes for FM1-43 and FM2-10 underlies the disparity in labelling.


Subject(s)
Central Nervous System/physiology , Endocytosis/physiology , Fluorescent Dyes/metabolism , Presynaptic Terminals/physiology , Staining and Labeling/methods , Animals , Axonal Transport/physiology , Cells, Cultured , Central Nervous System/ultrastructure , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Endosomes/drug effects , Endosomes/metabolism , Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacokinetics , Intracellular Membranes/drug effects , Intracellular Membranes/metabolism , Neurons/physiology , Neurons/ultrastructure , Presynaptic Terminals/ultrastructure , Pyridinium Compounds/metabolism , Pyridinium Compounds/pharmacokinetics , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/metabolism , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/pharmacokinetics , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Synaptic Transmission/physiology , Transport Vesicles/drug effects , Transport Vesicles/metabolism
4.
FEBS J ; 274(24): 6306-16, 2007 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18028448

ABSTRACT

Chloride intracellular channels (CLICs) are soluble, signal peptide-less proteins that are distantly related to Omega-type glutathione-S-transferases. Although some CLICs bypass the classical secretory pathway and autoinsert into cell membranes to form ion channels, their cellular roles remain unclear. Many CLICs are strongly associated with cytoskeletal proteins, but the role of these associations is not known. In this study, we incorporated purified, recombinant mammalian CLIC1, CLIC4 and (for the first time) CLIC5 into planar lipid bilayers, and tested the hypothesis that the channels are regulated by actin. CLIC5 formed multiconductance channels that were almost equally permeable to Na(+), K(+) and Cl(-), suggesting that the 'CLIC' nomenclature may need to be revised. CLIC1 and CLIC5, but not CLIC4, were strongly and reversibly inhibited (or inactivated) by 'cytosolic' F-actin in the absence of any other protein. This inhibition effect on channels could be reversed by using cytochalasin to disrupt the F-actin. We suggest that actin-regulated membrane CLICs could modify solute transport at key stages during cellular events such as apoptosis, cell and organelle division and fusion, cell-volume regulation, and cell movement.


Subject(s)
Actins/chemistry , Chloride Channels/chemistry , Lipid Bilayers/chemistry , Microfilament Proteins/chemistry , Actins/physiology , Algorithms , Chloride Channels/genetics , Chloride Channels/physiology , Chlorides/pharmacokinetics , Cytochalasins/pharmacology , Cytoskeleton/chemistry , Humans , Ion Channel Gating/drug effects , Ion Channel Gating/physiology , Ion Transport/drug effects , Membrane Potentials/drug effects , Microfilament Proteins/genetics , Microfilament Proteins/physiology , Potassium/pharmacokinetics , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Sodium/pharmacokinetics
5.
Food Microbiol ; 24(4): 352-61, 2007 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17189761

ABSTRACT

Preinoculation growth conditions and fat levels were evaluated for effects on the heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes strain MFS 102 in formulated frankfurter slurries and on frankfurter surfaces. Comparison of linear inactivation rates (D-values) for cells heated in frankfurter slurry showed that growth conditions were significant (P<0.05) factors affecting subsequent thermal resistance. The average D(60 degrees C)-values for the five preinoculation growth media tested from most resistant to least heat resistant were: tryptic soy broth with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE) (2.2 min) and 8.5% fat slurry (2.2 min), followed by 23% fat slurry (1.7 min) and 11% fat slurry (1.7 min), and then TSYBE with quaternary ammonium compounds added (TSBYE+Q) (1 min). The fat level in the frankfurter heating media also had a significant (P<0.05) effect on the thermal death rate of L. monocytogenes. Cells heated in 8.5% fat slurry had a significantly higher (P<0.05) D(60 degrees C)-value (2.2 min) than those heated in 11% fat (1.0 min) and 23% fat slurry (0.9 min). Growth media (TSBYE, 8.5% fat slurry, and TSBYE+Q), and fat level (15% and 20%), however, were not significant factors (P>0.05) affecting thermal inactivation rates on frankfurter surfaces. Heat inactivation rates were consistently higher on frankfurter surfaces compared to similar treatments done in frankfurter slurry. On frankfurter surfaces, a 2.3- to 5.1-log(10) reduction was achieved after 15 min depending on frankfurter surface type. The time necessary to achieve a 3-log(10) reduction using post-processing pasteurization of frankfurters in a hot water-bath at 60 degrees C almost doubled for cells grown in TSBYE and heated in 23% fat frankfurter slurry (19.6 min) versus cells grown and heated in 8.5% fat frankfurter slurry (10.8 min).


Subject(s)
Culture Media/chemistry , Food Contamination/prevention & control , Hot Temperature , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Meat Products/microbiology , Animals , Colony Count, Microbial , Consumer Product Safety , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Fats/metabolism , Fats/pharmacology , Humans , Listeria monocytogenes/metabolism , Meat Products/analysis , Serotyping , Swine
6.
J Food Prot ; 69(8): 1777-84, 2006 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16924899

ABSTRACT

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy has been successfully used as a nondestructive method for identifying, distinguishing, and classifying pathogens. In this study, a less time-consuming Fourier-transform infrared procedure was developed to identify Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. Samples containing 10(9) CFU/ml were prepared in tryptic soy broth and then serially diluted (up to eight times) to obtain bacterial solutions of 10(9) to 10 CFU/ml. These dilutions were incubated at 37 degrees C for 6 h, samples were filtered through a Metricel filter hourly (for 0 to 6 h), and spectra were obtained using a ZnSe contact attenuated total reflectance accessory on a Continu mum infrared microscope. Midinfrared spectra (4,000 to 700 cm(-1)) of Salmonella Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 were generated, and peak areas in the region of 1,589 to 1,493 cm(-1) were used to detect the pathogens. Initially, detection limits were between 10(6) and 10(7) CFU/ml without preenrichment, and samples starting with 500 CFU/ml were detectable following incubation for 6 h, when counts reached at least 10(6) CFU/ ml. Compared with results of previously published studies in which Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify select pathogens, this method is more rapid and less expensive for practical large-scale sample analysis.


Subject(s)
Escherichia coli O157/isolation & purification , Food Contamination/analysis , Food Microbiology , Salmonella typhimurium/isolation & purification , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared/methods , Colony Count, Microbial , Filtration , Sensitivity and Specificity , Temperature , Time Factors
7.
J Food Prot ; 69(7): 1552-60, 2006 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16865885

ABSTRACT

A modified Gompertz equation was used to model the effects of temperature (55, 60, and 65 degrees C), sodium lactate (0, 2.4, and 4.8%), and sodium diacetate (0, 0.125, and 0.25%) on inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes strain MFS 102 (serotype 4b) in frankfurter slurry. The effects of these factors were determined on the shouldering region (parameter A), maximum death rate (parameter B), and tailing region (parameter C) of microbial inactivation curves. Increased temperature or sodium diacetate concentrations increased the death rate, whereas increased sodium lactate concentrations decreased heat resistance. Complex two-way interactive effects were also observed. As both temperature and sodium lactate increased, the death rate decreased; however, as temperature and sodium diacetate increased, the death rate increased. The effect of the interaction between sodium lactate and sodium diacetate on the maximum death rate varied with temperature. Increases in both acidulants at temperatures above 56.7 degrees C decreased the death rate, whereas at temperatures below 56.7 degrees C, increases in both acidulants increased the death rate. To test for significant differences between treatments, D-values were calculated and compared. This comparison revealed that, in general, sodium lactate increased heat resistance and sodium diacetate decreased heat resistance of L. monocytogenes. This information is important for reducing and minimizing contamination during postprocessing thermal treatments.


Subject(s)
Food Microbiology , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Meat Products/microbiology , Models, Biological , Sodium Acetate/pharmacology , Sodium Lactate/pharmacology , Animals , Colony Count, Microbial , Consumer Product Safety , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Food Contamination/prevention & control , Humans , Kinetics , Temperature
8.
Biochem Soc Trans ; 33(Pt 6): 1350-3, 2005 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16246116

ABSTRACT

The integral SV (synaptic vesicle) protein synaptophysin was one of the first nerve terminal proteins identified. However its role, if any, in the SV life cycle remains undetermined. One of the most prominent features of synaptophysin is that its cytoplasmic C-terminus largely consists of pentapeptide repeats initiated by a tyrosine residue. Synaptophysin is heavily phosphorylated by tyrosine kinases in the nerve terminal, suggesting that this phosphorylation is central to its function. This review will cover the evidence for tyrosine phosphorylation of synaptophysin and how this phosphorylation may control its function in the SV life cycle.


Subject(s)
Endocytosis/physiology , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism , Synaptophysin/metabolism , Tyrosine/metabolism , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Molecular Sequence Data , Neuronal Plasticity/physiology , Phosphorylation , Protein Kinases/metabolism , Sequence Alignment , Synaptophysin/genetics
9.
J Environ Health ; 68(1): 31-8, 43, 2005.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16121485

ABSTRACT

The growth and inactivation kinetics of L. monocytogenes were evaluated at pH 4.0, 4.6, and 5.2 during storage at 5.0 degrees C, 7.2 degrees C, and 21.1 degrees C (41 degrees F, 45 degrees F, and 70 degrees F). Using commercially produced pasteurized chicken salad, the authors adjusted the pH levels with acetic acid or sodium acetate. Samples of 25 g each of the pH-modified salad were inoculated to approximately 1 x 10(6) cells per gram with a three-strain mixture of L. monocytogenes and stored for up to 119 days. Samples were enumerated for L. monocytogenes according to the Food and Drug Administration-modified most-probable-number (MPN) procedure, and log MPN was plotted against time. Inactivation was seen at all pH levels and at all temperatures. At 21.1 degrees C, a 6-log reduction was seen after 14 days at pH 4.0, after 52 days at pH 4.6, and after 38 days at pH 5.2. Inactivation at 21.1 degrees C began within hours or days at pH 4.0, and after a lag phase of 10 to 12 days at pH 4.6 and 5.2. Inactivation was slower in cold-storage temperatures. At 7.2 degrees C, a microbial reduction of 1.1 log (pH 5.2) and > 3 log (pH 4.0 and 4.6) was observed at 119 days. At 5 degrees C, a 7.5-log reduction was observed at 24 days at pH 4.0. At pH levels of 4.6 and 5.2, however, only a 4-log reduction was found at 119 days. The data generated in this study may be used to develop predictive models that could specifically address the interactions of pH and storage temperature on the viability of L. monocytogenes in prepared salads.


Subject(s)
Food Microbiology , Food Preservation , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Meat/microbiology , Acetic Acid/pharmacology , Animals , Chickens , Colony Count, Microbial , Food Handling , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Temperature
10.
J Microsc ; 215(Pt 1): 1-12, 2004 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15230870

ABSTRACT

We present a novel, multi-dimensional, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging with a laser-scanning microscope operated at a pixel dwell-time in the microsecond range. The unsurpassed temporal accuracy of this approach combined with a high detection efficiency was applied to measure the fluorescent lifetimes of enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP) in isolation and in tandem with EYFP (enhanced yellow fluorescent protein). This technique enables multi-exponential decay analysis in a scanning microscope with high intrinsic time resolution, accuracy and counting efficiency, particularly at the low excitation levels required to maintain cell viability and avoid photobleaching. Using a construct encoding the two fluorescent proteins separated by a fixed-distance amino acid spacer, we were able to measure the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency determined by the interchromophore distance. These data revealed that ECFP exhibits complex exponential fluorescence decays under both FRET and non-FRET conditions, as previously reported. Two approaches to calculate the distance between donor and acceptor from the lifetime delivered values within a 10% error range. To confirm that this method can be used also to quantify intermolecular FRET, we labelled cultured neurones with the styryl dye FM1-43, quantified the fluorescence lifetime, then quenched its fluorescence using FM4-64, an efficient energy acceptor for FM1-43 emission. These experiments confirmed directly for the first time that FRET occurs between these two chromophores, characterized the lifetimes of these probes, determined the interchromophore distance in the plasma membrane and provided high-resolution two-dimensional images of lifetime distributions in living neurones.


Subject(s)
Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer/methods , Neurons/cytology , Animals , Cell Line , Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer/instrumentation , Humans , Kidney , Kinetics , Microscopy/methods , PC12 Cells , Rats
11.
J Food Prot ; 67(3): 536-43, 2004 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15035370

ABSTRACT

Some species of Fusarium can produce mycotoxins during food processing procedures that facilitate fungal growth, such as the malting of barley. The objectives of this study were to develop a 5' fluorogenic (Taqman) real-time PCR assay for group-specific detection of trichothecene- and fumonisin-producing Fusarium spp. and to identify Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides in field-collected barley and corn samples. Primers and probes were designed from genes involved in mycotoxin biosynthesis (TRI6 and FUM1), and for a genus-specific internal positive control, primers and a probe were designed from Fusarium rDNA sequences. Real-time PCR conditions were optimized for amplification of the three products in a single reaction format. The specificity of the assay was confirmed by testing 9 Fusarium spp. and 33 non-Fusarium fungal species. With serial dilutions of purified genomic DNA from F. verticillioides, F. graminearum, or both as the template, the detection limit of the assay was 5 pg of genomic DNA per reaction. The three products were detectable over four orders of magnitude of template concentration (5 pg to 5 ng of genomic DNA per reaction); at 50 ng template per reaction, only the TRI6 and FUM1 PCR products were detected. Barley and corn samples were evaluated for the presence of Fusarium spp. with traditional microbiological methods and with the real-time PCR assay. The 20 barley samples and 1 corn sample that contained F. graminearum by traditional methods of analysis tested positive for the TRI6 and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) PCR products. The five corn samples that tested positive for F. verticillioides by traditional methods also were positive for the FUMI and ITS PCR products. These results indicate that the described multiplex real-time PCR assay provides sensitive and accurate differential detection of fumonisin- and trichothecene-producing groups of Fusarium spp. in complex matrices.


Subject(s)
Food Contamination/analysis , Fusarium/isolation & purification , Mycotoxins/biosynthesis , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Base Sequence , Consumer Product Safety , DNA Primers , DNA, Fungal/genetics , Food Microbiology , Fumonisins/analysis , Fumonisins/metabolism , Fusarium/chemistry , Fusarium/metabolism , Hordeum/microbiology , Humans , Mycotoxins/analysis , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Species Specificity , Trichothecenes/analysis , Trichothecenes/biosynthesis , Zea mays/microbiology
12.
J Food Prot ; 66(3): 451-6, 2003 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-12636300

ABSTRACT

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect Fusarium species in foods. Antibodies to proteins extracted from the mycelia of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium moniliforme (verticillioides) were produced in New Zealand white rabbits. These antibodies detected 13 Fusarium species in addition to the producer strains. Levels of Fusarium semitectum and Fusarium tricinctum strains were below the detection threshold. The specificity of the assay was tested against 70 molds and yeasts belonging to 23 genera. One strain of Monascus species and one strain of Phoma exigua were detected; however, these two molds are not common contaminants of cereal grains or foods and should not interfere with the assay. The indirect ELISA's detection limits for F. graminearum and F. moniliforme were 0.1 and 1 microg of mold mycelium per ml of a cornmeal mixture, respectively. When spores of each mold were added individually to cornmeal mixtures (at ca. 10 spores per g) and incubated at 25 degrees C, these spores were detected by the indirect ELISA when they reached levels of 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/ml after 24 to 36 h. The indirect ELISA developed here shows promise for the detection of Fusarium species in grains or foods.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Fungal/immunology , Fusarium/isolation & purification , Zea mays/microbiology , Antibodies, Fungal/analysis , Antigens, Fungal/immunology , Cross Reactions , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Food Microbiology , Fusarium/immunology , Sensitivity and Specificity
13.
J Food Prot ; 65(12): 1955-61, 2002 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-12495016

ABSTRACT

The genus Fusarium comprises a diverse group of fungi including several species that produce mycotoxins in food commodities. In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the group-specific detection of fumonisin-producing and trichothecene-producing species of Fusarium. Primers for genus-level recognition of Fusarium spp. were designed from the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) of rDNA. Primers for group-specific detection were designed from the TRI6 gene involved in trichothecene biosynthesis and the FUM5 gene involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. Primer specificity was determined by testing for cross-reactivity against purified genomic DNA from 43 fungal species representing 14 genera, including 9 Aspergillus spp., 9 Fusarium spp., and 10 Penicillium spp. With purified genomic DNA as a template, genus-specific recognition was observed at 10 pg per reaction; group-specific recognition occurred at 100 pg of template per reaction for the trichothecene producer Fusarium graminearum and at 1 ng of template per reaction for the fumonisin producer Fusarium verticillioides. For the application of the PCR assay, a protocol was developed to isolate fungal DNA from cornmeal. The detection of F. graminearum and its differentiation from F. verticillioides were accomplished prior to visible fungal growth at <10(5) CFU/g of cornmeal. This level of detection is comparable to those of other methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the assay described here can be used in the food industry's effort to monitor quality and safety.


Subject(s)
Food Microbiology , Fusarium/isolation & purification , Mycotoxins/biosynthesis , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Zea mays/microbiology , Consumer Product Safety , DNA Primers , DNA, Fungal/genetics , DNA, Intergenic , Fumonisins , Fusarium/metabolism , Humans , Sensitivity and Specificity , Species Specificity , Trichothecenes/biosynthesis , Trichothecenes/chemistry
14.
Int J Food Microbiol ; 78(3): 235-43, 2002 Oct 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-12227642

ABSTRACT

A predictive model for Listeria monocytogenes was developed using cells grown in different pH and milkfat levels before subsequent thermal inactivation in identical pH and milkfat conditions. Inactivation of the cells used combinations of temperature (55, 60, 65 degrees C), pH (5.0, 6.0, 7.0), and milkfat (0%, 2.5%, 5.0%) in a complete 3 x 3 x 3 factorial design with each test done in triplicate. A modified Gompertz equation was used to model nonlinear survival curves with the following three parameter estimates: A for the shouldering region, B for the maximum death rate, and C for the tailing region. All treatment sets were analyzed together in a regression model using the modified Gompertz equation. There was good confidence in the overall model when it was used to predict values for the entire data set. The correlation of determination, R2, between the observed log surviving fraction (LSF) of cells from each of the conditions studied in the experiment, for the overall model was 0.811. For the A and B parameter estimates, temperature or milkfat alone, and the interaction of temperature and milkfat significantly (p < 0.05) affected the shouldering region and maximum death rate of a survival curve, respectively. These results were compared to a previously published predictive model, generated for cells grown under optimum conditions (pH 7.0, 0% milkfat), where pH was the only significant (p < 0.05) factor affecting the shoulder region. These results suggested that the conditions of the growth environment had an important impact on survival curve shape and the estimates of the predictive model. Specifically, there were more factor interactions involving temperature and milkfat level. These growth factors affected the shoulder region and maximum rate of death of the survival curve when cells were grown in identical medium conditions to which they were heated. Differences related to shouldering and inactivation rates for cells grown in different conditions may have important and practical importance for estimating inactivation of L. monocytogenes. This study provides some evidence on the importance of growing conditions when evaluating microbial heat resistance.


Subject(s)
Food Microbiology , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Models, Biological , Animals , Bacterial Physiological Phenomena , Fats , Hot Temperature , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Kinetics , Listeria monocytogenes/physiology , Mathematics , Milk/chemistry , Regression Analysis
15.
Trends Neurosci ; 24(11): 659-65, 2001 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11672811

ABSTRACT

When nerve terminals in the brain are stimulated, a group of phosphoproteins called the dephosphins are coordinately dephosphorylated by calcineurin, the Ca(2+)-dependent protein phosphatase. Amazingly, the seven presently known dephosphins are not structurally related, yet each has been independently shown to be essential for synaptic vesicle endocytosis (SVE). Nowhere else in biology is there a similar example of the coordinated dephosphorylation of such a large group of proteins each sharing roles in the same biological response. This suggests that dephosphorylation and phosphorylation of the dephosphins is essential for SVE. Recent studies in synaptosomes have confirmed this view, with calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation of the dephosphins essential for triggering SVE. The phosphorylation cycle of the dephosphins might regulate SVE by targeting the proteins to sites of action and by stimulating the assembly of several large essential endocytic protein complexes.


Subject(s)
Calcineurin/physiology , Endocytosis/physiology , GTP Phosphohydrolases/metabolism , Synaptic Vesicles/physiology , Animals , Dynamins , Phosphorylation
17.
Int J Food Microbiol ; 65(1-2): 27-38, 2001 Apr 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11322698

ABSTRACT

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect moulds producing aflatoxins in maize and peanuts by an antibody produced to extracellular antigen from Aspergillus parasiticus. This antibody recognized species with phenotypic similarities to A. parasiticus, A. flavus and the domesticated species A. sojae and A. oryzae. For maize samples that were naturally contaminated with aflatoxins, low and high levels of aflatoxin corresponded with low and high ELISA readings for mould antigens, respectively. Maize and peanuts inoculated with 10(2) spores ml(-1) of A. parasiticus and incubated at 15 degrees C for 18 days or 21 degrees C for 7 days were analyzed for mould antigens and aflatoxin levels. At 15 degrees C, mould antigens were detected by day 4 in maize when 0.16 ng g(-1) of aflatoxin was detected by ELISA but not by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Antigens were detected in peanuts by day 4 before aflatoxin was found. Likewise, at 21 degrees C, antigens were detected by day 4 in maize when less than 1 ng g(-1) of aflatoxin was detected by ELISA but not by TLC, but by day 2 in peanuts when no aflatoxin was detected. A. parasiticus could be detected before it could produce aflatoxins. Therefore, this ELISA shows potential as an early detection method for moulds that produce aflatoxins.


Subject(s)
Aflatoxins/analysis , Arachis/microbiology , Aspergillus/isolation & purification , Food Contamination , Zea mays/microbiology , Antibodies, Fungal/immunology , Antibody Specificity , Antigens , Aspergillus/immunology , Aspergillus/metabolism , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Sensitivity and Specificity , Temperature , Time Factors
18.
J Neurochem ; 76(1): 105-16, 2001 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11145983

ABSTRACT

Dynamin I and at least five other nerve terminal proteins, amphiphysins I and II, synaptojanin, epsin and eps15 (collectively called dephosphins), are coordinately dephosphorylated by calcineurin during endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Here we have identified a new dephosphin, the essential endocytic protein AP180. Blocking dephosphorylation of the dephosphins is known to inhibit endocytosis, but the role of phosphorylation has not been determined. We show that the protein kinase C (PKC) antagonists Ro 31-8220 and Go 7874 block the rephosphorylation of dynamin I and synaptojanin that occurs during recovery from an initial depolarizing stimulus (S1). The rephosphorylation of AP180 and amphiphysins 1 and 2, however, were unaffected by Ro 31-8220. Although these dephosphins share a single phosphatase, different protein kinases phosphorylated them after nerve terminal stimulation. The inhibitors were used to selectively examine the role of dynamin I and/or synaptojanin phosphorylation in endocytosis. Ro 31-8220 and Go 7874 did not block the initial S1 cycle of endocytosis, but strongly inhibited endocytosis following a second stimulus (S2). Therefore, phosphorylation of a subset of dephosphins, which includes dynamin I and synaptojanin, is required for the next round of stimulated synaptic vesicle retrieval.


Subject(s)
Endocytosis/physiology , Monomeric Clathrin Assembly Proteins , Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism , Proteins/metabolism , Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport , Animals , Calcineurin/metabolism , Cyclosporine/pharmacology , Dynamin I , Dynamins , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Endocytosis/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , GTP Phosphohydrolases/metabolism , Indoles/pharmacology , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases/metabolism , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Protein Kinase C/antagonists & inhibitors , Rats , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism
19.
J Neurochem ; 75(4): 1645-53, 2000 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10987846

ABSTRACT

KCl and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) evoke glutamate release from rat brain cortical nerve terminals by voltage clamping or by Na(+) channel-generated repetitive action potentials, respectively. Stimulation by 4-AP but not KCl is largely mediated by protein kinase C (PKC). To determine whether KCl and 4-AP utilise the same mechanism to release glutamate, we correlated glutamate release with release of the hydrophobic synaptic vesicle (SV) marker FM2-10. A strong correlation was observed for increasing concentrations of KCl and after application of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or staurosporine. The parallel increase in exocytosis measured by two approaches suggested it occurred by a PKC-independent mechanism involving complete fusion of SVs with the plasma membrane. At low concentrations of 4-AP, alone or with staurosporine, glutamate and FM2-10 release also correlated. However, higher concentrations of 4-AP or of 4-AP plus PMA greatly increased glutamate release but did not further increase FM2-10 release. This divergence suggests that 4-AP recruits an additional mechanism of release during strong stimulation that is PKC dependent and is superimposed upon the first mechanism. This second mechanism is characteristic of kiss-and-run, which is not detectable by styryl dyes. Our data suggest that glutamate release in nerve terminals occurs via two mechanisms: (1) complete SV fusion, which is PKC independent; and (2) a kiss-and-run-like mechanism, which is PKC dependent. Recruitment of a second release mechanism may be a widespread means to facilitate neurotransmitter release in central neurons.


Subject(s)
Brain/metabolism , Macrolides , Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism , Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism , Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases , 4-Aminopyridine/pharmacology , Action Potentials/drug effects , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Fluorescent Dyes , Glutamic Acid/metabolism , Potassium Channel Blockers , Potassium Chloride/pharmacology , Presynaptic Terminals/drug effects , Protein Kinase C/antagonists & inhibitors , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Proton-Translocating ATPases/antagonists & inhibitors , Pyridinium Compounds , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds , Rats , Staurosporine/pharmacology , Synaptic Vesicles/drug effects , Synaptosomes/drug effects , Synaptosomes/metabolism , Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology
20.
J Neurosci ; 20(3): 949-57, 2000 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10648699

ABSTRACT

Ca(2+) entry into nerve terminals through clusters of voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels (VDCCs) at active zones creates a microdomain of elevated intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) that stimulates exocytosis. We show that this VDCC-mediated [Ca(2+)](i) elevation has no specific role in stimulating endocytosis but can inhibit endocytosis evoked by three different methods in isolated mammalian nerve terminals. The inhibition can be relieved by using either VDCC antagonists or fast, but not slow, binding intracellular Ca(2+) chelators. The Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition of endocytosis is mimicked in vitro by a low-affinity inhibition of dynamin I vesiculation of phospholipids. Increased [Ca(2+)](i) also inhibits dynamin II GTPase activity and receptor-mediated endocytosis in non-neuronal cells. VDCC-meditated Ca(2+) entry inhibits dynamin-mediated endocytosis at the active zone and provides neurons with a mechanism to clear recycling vesicles to nonactive zone regions during periods of high activity.


Subject(s)
Calcium/metabolism , Endocytosis/physiology , GTP Phosphohydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors , Synaptic Vesicles/physiology , Animals , Calcium Channels/physiology , Dynamin I , Dynamins , GTP Phosphohydrolases/physiology , Intracellular Membranes/metabolism , Nerve Endings/physiology , Osmolar Concentration , Phospholipids/physiology , Rats
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