This article provides evidence for the presence of galectins, previously known as animal lectins, in a fungal species. The important implication of this study is that the galectin gene family could be much older than previously believed. Furthermore, the wide occurrence of galectins increases the possibility of understanding general functions of lectins.

It was recently shown that the nematode-infecting fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora contains a saline-soluble lectin (designated AOL) that is a member of a novel family of fungal lectins sharing similar primary sequences and binding specificities. During saprophytic growth in liquid cultures, levels of AOL and AOL mRNA were found to vary depending on the growth phase of the mycelium and the carbon/ni

The nematode trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora produces an extracellular serine protease (designated PII) that immobilizes free-living nematodes in bioassays and hydrolyses proteins of the nematode cuticle. Peptides were isolated from PII and partly sequenced. Three internal peptide sequences were used to design synthetic oligonucleotides, which allowed the subsequent isolation of the gene e

The effects of Zn contamination on the microbial community structure of a forest humus and an arable soil, as estimated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, were followed during 18 months. The soils were contaminated at 10 different metal concentrations and incubated in plastic jars at 22°C. In both soils effects of heavy metal contamination could be detected after 2 weeks. Qualitatively si

When grown in liquid cultures allowing the formation of nematode traps, the fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora produced two extracellular proteases hydrolysing the chromogenic substrate Azocoll. The protease activity was separated into two fractions (FI and FII) using anion-exchange chromatography. In bioassays, protease(s) present in FII immobilized the free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus indi

The phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) pattern was analyzed in a forest humus and in an arable soil experimentally polluted with Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, or Zn at different concentrations. In both soil types, there were gradual changes in the PLFA patterns for the different levels of metal contamination. The changes in the forest soil were similar irrespective of which metal was used, while in the arable soil

Alkaliskt sfingomyelinas, en antiinflammatorisk faktor som kan motverka colit och colorektal cancer Rui-Dong Duan, Erik Hertervig, Åke NilssonBakgrund: Borstbrämsenzymet alkaliskt sfingomyelinas (alk-SMas) som vi upptäckt, renat och klonat hydrolyserar sfingomyelin (SM) och den proinflammatoriska glycerofosfolipiden platelet activating factor (PAF). Metaboliter av SM är anticarcinogena och inaktiv

Background: The substitution of bisphenol A (BPA) by bisphenol B (BPB), a very close structural analog, stresses the need to assess its potential endocrine properties.Objective: This analysis aimed to investigate whether BPB has endocrine disruptive properties in humans and in wildlife as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) definition used in the regulatory field, that is, a) adverse ef

The present invention provides methods that increases the graft survival rate of pancreatic islets after pancreatic islet transplantation, maintains the survival of pancreatic islets ex vivo, and reduce the number of transplanted pancreatic islets required for normalizing blood glucose levels. When performing pancreatic islet transplantation, by pre-incubating pancreatic islets with stem cells or

The paper discusses how families affected by Typhoon Haiyan have been involved in housing reconstruction in the Philippines and the potential for the use of medium-rise buildings. Case study methodology was conducted based on data collected three months after Typhoon Haiyan. Reconstruction projects show different degrees of users involvement such as “reparation of previous makeshift shelter,”“shel

Genetic and environmental factors both contribute to the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). One suggested environmental risk factor for ASD and ADHD is air pollution, but knowledge of its effects, especially in low-exposure areas, are limited. Here, we investigate risks for ASD and ADHD associated with prenatal exposure to air polluti

Crop production often comes at the expense of losses in ecosystem services and biodiversity; however, this might not always be the case. Here we test the effects of shade gradients and agricultural inputs on trade-offs or synergies between coffee yield and ecosystem services and biodiversity data for smallholder coffee plantations of Arabica coffee in Peru. We collected data using surveys (n = 162