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“Previously, it was shown that an aconitase (citB) null mutation results in a vast overaccumulation of citrate in the culture fluid of growing Bacillus subtilis cells, a phenotype that causes secondary effects, including the hyperexpression of the citB promoter. B. subtilis aconitase is a bifunctional protein; to determine if either or both activities of aconitase were responsible for this phenotype, two strains producing different mutant forms of aconitase were constructed, one designed Small molecule library cell line to be enzymatically inactive (C450S [citB2]) and the other designed to be defective in RNA binding (R741E [citB7]). The citB2

mutant was a glutamate auxotroph and accumulated citrate, while the citB7 mutant was a glutamate prototroph. Unexpectedly, the citB7 strain also accumulated citrate. Both mutant strains exhibited overexpression of the citB promoter and accumulated high levels of aconitase protein. These strains and the citB null mutant also exhibited increased levels of citrate synthase protein and enzyme activity in cell extracts, and the major citrate synthase (citZ) transcript was present at higher-than-normal

levels in the citB null mutant, due at least in part to a>3-fold increase in the stability of the WH-4-023 citZ transcript compared to the wild type. Purified B. subtilis aconitase bound to the citZ 5′ leader RNA in vitro, but the mutant proteins did not. Together, these data suggest that wild-type aconitase binds to and BI-D1870 in vitro destabilizes the citZ transcript in order to maintain proper cell homeostasis by preventing the overaccumulation of citrate.”
“Chronic exposure to otitis media (OM) has been linked to risk of overweight/obesity. Here we tested if dietary behaviors explained some of the OM-adiposity relationship among 485 racially-diverse, low-income preschoolers (253 girls, mean age = 45 +/- 7 months) enrolled in government-supported urban preschool programs. From measured weight/height, 4% were underweight, 17%

were overweight and 13% were obese. OM exposure according to parent report varied across nearly equal quartiles low (never, once) to high (3-5 times, 6 + times) exposure categories. Boys were more likely to be in the high exposure categories. Parents rated their child’s liking/disliking of foods (high-fat/added sugar, fruits/juice, vegetables) and non-food activities. In analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), mean liking for vegetables and fruits/juice fell as OM exposure increased, with significant differences between lowest and highest exposure categories (p<.05). Food neophobic versus non-neophobic preschoolers also liked vegetables and fruits less (p<.001). In a two-way ANCOVA, main effects of OM and food neophobia independently predicted vegetable and fruit liking: preschoolers with more OM exposure and neophobia had the lowest liking.