RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nodal/TGF signaling pathway has an important effect at early stages of differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in directing them to develop into different embryonic lineages. SMAD3 is a key intracellular messenger regulating factor in the Nodal/TGF signaling pathway, playing important roles in embryonic and, particularly, cardiovascular system development. The aim of this work was to find evidence on whether SMAD3 variations might be associated with ventricular septal defects (VSD) or other congenital heart diseases (CHD). METHODS: We sequenced the SMAD3 gene for 372 Chinese Han CHD patients including 176 VSD patients and evaluated SNP rs2289263, which is located before the 5'UTR sequence of the gene. The statistical analyses were conducted using Chi-Square Tests as implemented in SPSS (version 13.0). The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test of the population was carried out using the online software OEGE. RESULTS: Three heterozygous variants in SMAD3 gene, rs2289263, rs35874463 and rs17228212, were identified. Statistical analyses showed that the rs2289263 variant located before the 5'UTR sequence of SMAD3 gene was associated with the risk of VSD (P value=0.013 <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The SNP rs2289263 in the SMAD3 gene is associated with VSD in Chinese Han populations.
Assuntos
Comunicação Interventricular/genética , Coração/embriologia , Proteína Smad3/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Povo Asiático/genética , Criança , Pré-Escolar , China , Feminino , Frequência do Gene/genética , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Proteína Nodal/metabolismo , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Adulto JovemRESUMO
To characterize sulfate-producing microorganisms from the deteriorated sandstones of Angkor monuments in Cambodia, strains of Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from most probable number-positive cultures. All five strains isolated were able to use both elemental sulfur (S(0)) for chemolithoautotrophic growth and organic substances for chemoorganoheterotrophic growth. Results of phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses indicated that all five isolates were rapid growers of the genus Mycobacterium and were most similar to Mycobacterium cosmeticum and Mycobacterium pallens. Chemolithoautotrophic growth was further examined in the representative strain THI503. When grown in mineral salts medium, strain THI503 oxidized S(0) to thiosulfate and sulfate; oxidation was accompanied by a decrease in the pH of the medium from 4.7 to 3.6. The link between sulfur oxidation and energy metabolism was confirmed by an increase in ATP. Fluorescence microscopy of DAPI-stained cells revealed that strain THI503 adheres to and proliferates on the surface of sulfur particles. The flexible metabolic ability of facultative chemolithoautotrophs enables their survival in nutrient-limited sandstone environments.
RESUMO
Nineteen fungal strains having an ability to oxidize elemental sulfur in mineral salts medium were isolated from deteriorated sandstones of Angkor monuments. These fungi formed clearing zone on agar medium supplemented with powder sulfur due to the dissolution of sulfur. Representative of the isolates, strain THIF01, was identified as Fusarium solani on the basis of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. PCR amplification targeting 16S rRNA gene and analyses of full 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated strain THIF01 harbors an endobacterium Bradyrhizobium sp.; however, involvement of the bacterium in the sulfur oxidation is still unclear. Strain THIF01 oxidized elemental sulfur to thiosulfate and then sulfate. Germination of the spores of strain THIF01 was observed in a liquid medium containing mineral salts supplemented with elemental sulfur (rate of germinated spores against total spores was 60.2%), and the culture pH decreased from pH 4.8 to 4.0. On the contrary, neither germination (rate of germinated spores against total spores was 1.0%) nor pH decrease was observed without the supplement of elemental sulfur. Strain THIF01 could also degrade 30 ppmv and ambient level (approximate 500 pptv) of carbonyl sulfide.
