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Abstract Background When samples are collected in the field and transported to the lab, degradation of the nucleic acids contained in the samples is frequently observed. Immediate extraction and precipitation of the nucleic acids reduces degradation to a minimum, thus preserving accurate sequence information. An extraction method to obtain high quality DNA in field studies is described. Findings DNA extracted immediately after sampling was compared to DNA extracted after allowing the sampled tissues to air dry at 21°C for 48 or 72 hours. While DNA extracted from fresh tissues exhibited little degradation, DNA extracted from all tissues exposed to 21°C air for 48 or 72 hours exhibited varying degrees of degradation. Yield was higher for extractions from fresh tissues in most cases. Four microcentrifuges were compared for DNA yield: one standard electric laboratory microcentrifuge (max rcf = 16,000×g), two battery-operated microcentrifuges (max rcf = 5,000 and 3,000 ×g), and one manually-operated microcentrifuge (max rcf = 120×g). Yields for all centrifuges were similar. DNA extracted under simulated field conditions was similar in yield and quality to DNA extracted in the laboratory using the same equipment. Conclusions This CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) DNA extraction method employs battery-operated and manually-operated equipment to isolate high quality DNA in the field. The method was tested on plant and fungus tissues, and may be adapted for other types of organisms. The method produced high quality DNA in laboratory tests and under simulated field conditions. The field extraction method should prove useful for working in remote sites, where ice, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen are unavailable; where degradation is likely to occur due to the long distances between the sample site and the laboratory; and in instances where other DNA preservation and transportation methods have been unsuccessful. It may be possible to adapt this method for genomic, metagenomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic projects using samples collected in situ.

The sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) is abundant in endothelial cells, where it regulates vascular development and microvascular barrier function. In investigating the role of endothelial cell S1P1 in adult mice, we found that the endothelial S1P1 signal was enhanced in regions of the arterial vasculature experiencing inflammation. The abundance of proinflammatory adhesion proteins, such as ICAM-1, was enhanced in mice with endothelial cell-specific deletion of S1pr1 and suppressed in mice with endothelial cell-specific overexpression of S1pr1, suggesting a protective function of S1P1 in vascular disease. The chaperones ApoM(+)HDL (HDL) or albumin bind to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in the circulation; therefore, we tested the effects of S1P bound to each chaperone on S1P1 signaling in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Exposure of HUVECs to ApoM(+)HDL-S1P, but not to albumin-S1P, promoted the formation of a cell surface S1P1-β-arrestin 2 complex and attenuated the ability of the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα to activate NF-κB and increase ICAM-1 abundance. Although S1P bound to either chaperone induced MAPK activation, albumin-S1P triggered greater Gi activation and receptor endocytosis. Endothelial cell-specific deletion of S1pr1 in the hypercholesterolemic Apoe(-/-) mouse model of atherosclerosis enhanced atherosclerotic lesion formation in the descending aorta. We propose that the ability of ApoM(+)HDL to act as a biased agonist on S1P1 inhibits vascular inflammation, which may partially explain the cardiovascular protective functions of HDL., (Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)

Objective: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) promotes reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues to the liver for clearance. Reduced HDL-cholesterol (HDLc) is associated with atherosclerosis; however, as a predictor of cardiovascular disease, HDLc has limitations because it is not a direct marker of HDL functionality. Our objective was to develop a mass spectrometry-based method for the simultaneous measurement of HDLc and ApoAI kinetics in mice, using a single (2)H2O tracer, and use it to examine genetic and drug perturbations on HDL turnover in vivo., Approach and Results: Mice were given (2)H2O in the drinking water, and serial blood samples were collected at different time points. HDLc and ApoAI gradually incorporated (2)H, allowing experimental measurement of fractional catabolic rates and production rates for HDLc and ApoAI. ApoE(-/-) mice displayed increased fractional catabolic rates (P<0.01) and reduced production rates of both HDLc and ApoAI (P<0.05) compared with controls. In human ApoAI transgenic mice, levels and production rates of HDLc and human ApoAI were strikingly higher than in wild-type mice. Myriocin, an inhibitor of sphingolipid synthesis, significantly increased both HDL flux and macrophage-to-feces reverse cholesterol transport, indicating compatibility of this HDL turnover method with the macrophage-specific reverse cholesterol transport assay., Conclusions: (2)H2O-labeling can be used to measure HDLc and ApoAI flux in vivo, and to assess the role of genetic and pharmacological interventions on HDL turnover in mice. Safety, simplicity, and low cost of the (2)H2O-based HDL turnover approach suggest that this assay can be scaled for human use to study effects of HDL targeted therapies on dynamic HDL function.