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Sample records for cells lacking recg

  1. RECG maintains plastid and mitochondrial genome stability by suppressing extensive recombination between short dispersed repeats.

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    Masaki Odahara

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Maintenance of plastid and mitochondrial genome stability is crucial for photosynthesis and respiration, respectively. Recently, we have reported that RECA1 maintains mitochondrial genome stability by suppressing gross rearrangements induced by aberrant recombination between short dispersed repeats in the moss Physcomitrella patens. In this study, we studied a newly identified P. patens homolog of bacterial RecG helicase, RECG, some of which is localized in both plastid and mitochondrial nucleoids. RECG partially complements recG deficiency in Escherichia coli cells. A knockout (KO mutation of RECG caused characteristic phenotypes including growth delay and developmental and mitochondrial defects, which are similar to those of the RECA1 KO mutant. The RECG KO cells showed heterogeneity in these phenotypes. Analyses of RECG KO plants showed that mitochondrial genome was destabilized due to a recombination between 8-79 bp repeats and the pattern of the recombination partly differed from that observed in the RECA1 KO mutants. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA instability was greater in severe phenotypic RECG KO cells than that in mild phenotypic ones. This result suggests that mitochondrial genomic instability is responsible for the defective phenotypes of RECG KO plants. Some of the induced recombination caused efficient genomic rearrangements in RECG KO mitochondria. Such loci were sometimes associated with a decrease in the levels of normal mtDNA and significant decrease in the number of transcripts derived from the loci. In addition, the RECG KO mutation caused remarkable plastid abnormalities and induced recombination between short repeats (12-63 bp in the plastid DNA. These results suggest that RECG plays a role in the maintenance of both plastid and mitochondrial genome stability by suppressing aberrant recombination between dispersed short repeats; this role is crucial for plastid and mitochondrial functions.

  2. Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG binds and unwinds model DNA substrates with a preference for Holliday junctions.

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    Zegeye, Ephrem Debebe; Balasingham, Seetha V; Laerdahl, Jon K; Homberset, Håvard; Tønjum, Tone

    2012-08-01

    The RecG enzyme, a superfamily 2 helicase, is present in nearly all bacteria. Here we report for the first time that the recG gene is also present in the genomes of most vascular plants as well as in green algae, but is not found in other eukaryotes or archaea. The precise function of RecG is poorly understood, although ample evidence shows that it plays critical roles in DNA repair, recombination and replication. We further demonstrate that Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG (RecG(Mtb)) DNA binding activity had a broad substrate specificity, whereas it only unwound branched-DNA substrates such as Holliday junctions (HJs), replication forks, D-loops and R-loops, with a strong preference for the HJ as a helicase substrate. In addition, RecG(Mtb) preferentially bound relatively long (≥40 nt) ssDNA, exhibiting a higher affinity for the homopolymeric nucleotides poly(dT), poly(dG) and poly(dC) than for poly(dA). RecG(Mtb) helicase activity was supported by hydrolysis of ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Cu(2+) or Fe(2+). Like its Escherichia coli orthologue, RecG(Mtb) is also a strictly DNA-dependent ATPase.

  3. Evidence for the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG helicase in DNA repair and recombination.

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    Thakur, Roshan S; Basavaraju, Shivakumar; Somyajit, Kumar; Jain, Akshatha; Subramanya, Shreelakshmi; Muniyappa, Kalappa; Nagaraju, Ganesh

    2013-04-01

    In order to survive and replicate in a variety of stressful conditions during its life cycle, Mycobacterium tuberculosis must possess mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the genome. Although DNA repair and recombination related genes are thought to play key roles in the repair of damaged DNA in all organisms, so far only a few of them have been functionally characterized in the tubercle bacillus. In this study, we show that M. tuberculosis RecG (MtRecG) expression was induced in response to different genotoxic agents. Strikingly, expression of MtRecG in Escherichia coli ∆recG mutant strain provided protection against mitomycin C, methyl methane sulfonate and UV induced cell death. Purified MtRecG exhibited higher binding affinity for the Holliday junction (HJ) compared with a number of canonical recombinational DNA repair intermediates. Notably, although MtRecG binds at the core of the mobile and immobile HJs, and with higher binding affinity for the immobile HJ, branch migration was evident only in the case of the mobile HJ. Furthermore, immobile HJs stimulate MtRecG ATPase activity less efficiently than mobile HJs. In addition to HJ substrates, MtRecG exhibited binding affinity for a variety of branched DNA structures including three-way junctions, replication forks, flap structures, forked duplex and a D-loop structure, but demonstrated strong unwinding activity on replication fork and flap DNA structures. Together, these results support that MtRecG plays an important role in processes related to DNA metabolism under normal as well as stress conditions. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

  4. Salt stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA.

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    Gao, Qiuqiang; Liou, Liang-Chun; Ren, Qun; Bao, Xiaoming; Zhang, Zhaojie

    2014-03-03

    The yeast cell wall plays an important role in maintaining cell morphology, cell integrity and response to environmental stresses. Here, we report that salt stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (ρ 0 ). Upon salt treatment, the cell wall is thickened, broken and becomes more sensitive to the cell wall-perturbing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Also, SCW11 mRNA levels are elevated in ρ 0 cells. Deletion of SCW11 significantly decreases the sensitivity of ρ 0 cells to SDS after salt treatment, while overexpression of SCW11 results in higher sensitivity. In addition, salt stress in ρ 0 cells induces high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which further damages the cell wall, causing cells to become more sensitive towards the cell wall-perturbing agent.

  5. PROPOSED CARDIAC STEM CELLS DERIVED FROM “CARDIOSPHERES” LACK CARDIOMYOGENIC POTENTIAL

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ditte Caroline

       Recent studies have reported that clinical relevant numbers of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) with cardiomyogenic potential can be obtained from small heart tissue biopsies, by an intrinsic ability of CSCs to form beating cardiospheres (CSs) during ex vivo culture. Such data have provided optimism...... that injuried heart tissue may be repaired by stem cell therapy using autologous CS derived cells, and pre-clinical studies have already been described in literature.    Herein, we established CSs from neonatal rats, and by immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and microscopic examination we demonstrated...... to form CSs by themselves. Phenotypically, CS cells largely resembled fibroblasts, and they lacked cardiomyogenic as well as endothelial differentiation potential.    Our data imply that at least the murine cardiosphere model seems unsuitable for enrichment of cardiac stem cells with cardiomyogenic...

  6. Lack of spontaneous and radiation-induced chromosome breakage at interstitial telomeric sites in murine scid cells.

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    Wong, H-P; Mozdarani, H; Finnegan, C; McIlrath, J; Bryant, P E; Slijepcevic, P

    2004-01-01

    Interstitial telomeric sites (ITSs) in chromosomes from DNA repair-proficient mammalian cells are sensitive to both spontaneous and radiation-induced chromosome breakage. Exact mechanisms of this chromosome breakage sensitivity are not known. To investigate factors that predispose ITSs to chromosome breakage we used murine scid cells. These cells lack functional DNA-PKcs, an enzyme involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Interestingly, our results revealed lack of both spontaneous and radiation-induced chromosome breakage at ITSs found in scid chromosomes. Therefore, it is possible that increased sensitivity of ITSs to chromosome breakage is associated with the functional DNA double-strand break repair machinery. To investigate if this is the case we used scid cells in which DNA-PKcs deficiency was corrected. Our results revealed complete disappearance of ITSs in scid cells with functional DNA-PKcs, presumably through chromosome breakage at ITSs, but their unchanged frequency in positive and negative control cells. Therefore, our results indicate that the functional DNA double-strand break machinery is required for elevated sensitivity of ITSs to chromosome breakage. Interestingly, we observed significant differences in mitotic chromosome condensation between scid cells and their counterparts with restored DNA-PKcs activity suggesting that lack of functional DNA-PKcs may cause a defect in chromatin organization. Increased condensation of mitotic chromosomes in the scid background was also confirmed in vivo. Therefore, our results indicate a previously unanticipated role of DNA-PKcs in chromatin organisation, which could contribute to the lack of ITS sensitivity to chromosome breakage in murine scid cells. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

  7. Inhibition of cell division in hupA hupB mutant bacteria lacking HU protein.

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    Dri, A M; Rouviere-Yaniv, J; Moreau, P L

    1991-01-01

    Escherichia coli hupA hypB double mutants that lack HU protein have severe cellular defects in cell division, DNA folding, and DNA partitioning. Here we show that the sfiA11 mutation, which alters the SfiA cell division inhibitor, reduces filamentation and production of anucleate cells in AB1157 hupA hupB strains. However, lexA3(Ind-) and sfiB(ftsZ)114 mutations, which normally counteract the effect of the SfiA inhibitor, could not restore a normal morphology to hupA hupB mutant bacteria. The LexA repressor, which controls the expression of the sfiA gene, was present in hupA hupB mutant bacteria in concentrations half of those of the parent bacteria, but this decrease was independent of the specific cleavage of the LexA repressor by activated RecA protein. One possibility to account for the filamentous morphology of hupA hupB mutant bacteria is that the lack of HU protein alters the expression of specific genes, such as lexA and fts cell division genes. Images PMID:2019558

  8. Antigenicity of Leishmania-Activated C-Kinase Antigen (LACK in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, and Protective Effect of Prime-Boost Vaccination With pCI-neo-LACK Plus Attenuated LACK-Expressing Vaccinia Viruses in Hamsters

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    Laura Fernández

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania-activated C-kinase antigen (LACK is a highly conserved protein among Leishmania species and is considered a viable vaccine candidate for human leishmaniasis. In animal models, prime-boost vaccination with LACK-expressing plasmids plus attenuated vaccinia viruses (modified vaccinia Ankara [MVA] and mutant M65 expressing LACK, has been shown to protect against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL. Further, LACK demonstrated to induce the production of protective cytokines in patients with active CL or cured visceral leishmaniasis, as well as in asymptomatic individuals from endemic areas. However, whether LACK is capable to trigger cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients cured of CL due to Leishmania infantum (L. infantum or induce protection in L. infantum-infected hamsters [visceral leishmaniasis (VL model], has not yet been analyzed. The present work examines the ex vivo immunogenicity of LACK in cured VL and CL patients, and asymptomatic subjects from an L. infantum area. It also evaluates the vaccine potential of LACK against L. infantum infection in hamsters, in a protocol of priming with plasmid pCI-neo-LACK (DNA-LACK followed by a booster with the poxvirus vectors MVA-LACK or M65-LACK. LACK-stimulated PBMC from both asymptomatic and cured subjects responded by producing IFN-γ, TNF-α, and granzyme B (Th1-type response. Further, 78% of PBMC samples that responded to soluble Leishmania antigen showed IFN-γ secretion following stimulation with LACK. In hamsters, the protocol of DNA-LACK prime/MVA-LACK or M65-LACK virus boost vaccination significantly reduced the amount of Leishmania DNA in the liver and bone marrow, with no differences recorded between the use of MVA or M65 virus vector options. In summary, the Th1-type and cytotoxic responses elicited by LACK in PBMC from human subjects infected with L. infantum, and the parasite protective effect of prime/boost vaccination in hamsters with DNA-LACK/MVA-LACK

  9. Inhibition of cell division in hupA hupB mutant bacteria lacking HU protein.

    OpenAIRE

    Dri, A M; Rouviere-Yaniv, J; Moreau, P L

    1991-01-01

    Escherichia coli hupA hypB double mutants that lack HU protein have severe cellular defects in cell division, DNA folding, and DNA partitioning. Here we show that the sfiA11 mutation, which alters the SfiA cell division inhibitor, reduces filamentation and production of anucleate cells in AB1157 hupA hupB strains. However, lexA3(Ind-) and sfiB(ftsZ)114 mutations, which normally counteract the effect of the SfiA inhibitor, could not restore a normal morphology to hupA hupB mutant bacteria. The...

  10. Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking the ARP2/3 complex show defects in cell wall assembly and auxin distribution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pratap Sahi, Vaidurya; Cifrová, Petra; García-González, Judith; Kotannal Baby, Innu; Mouillé, Gregory; Gineau, Emilie; Müller, Karel; Baluška, František; Soukup, Aleš; Petrášek, Jan; Schwarzerová, Katerina

    2017-12-25

    The cytoskeleton plays an important role in the synthesis of plant cell walls. Both microtubules and actin cytoskeleton are known to be involved in the morphogenesis of plant cells through their role in cell wall building. The role of ARP2/3-nucleated actin cytoskeleton in the morphogenesis of cotyledon pavement cells has been described before. Seedlings of Arabidopsis mutants lacking a functional ARP2/3 complex display specific cell wall-associated defects. In three independent Arabidopsis mutant lines lacking subunits of the ARP2/3 complex, phenotypes associated with the loss of the complex were analysed throughout plant development. Organ size and anatomy, cell wall composition, and auxin distribution were investigated. ARP2/3-related phenotype is associated with changes in cell wall composition, and the phenotype is manifested especially in mature tissues. Cell walls of mature plants contain less cellulose and a higher amount of homogalacturonan, and display changes in cell wall lignification. Vascular bundles of mutant inflorescence stems show a changed pattern of AUX1-YFP expression. Plants lacking a functional ARP2/3 complex have decreased basipetal auxin transport. The results suggest that the ARP2/3 complex has a morphogenetic function related to cell wall synthesis and auxin transport. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Minor cell-death defects but reduced tumor latency in mice lacking the BH3-only proteins Bad and Bmf.

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    Baumgartner, F; Woess, C; Pedit, V; Tzankov, A; Labi, V; Villunger, A

    2013-01-31

    Proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members of the Bcl-2 homology (BH)3-only subgroup are critical for the establishment and maintenance of tissue homeostasis and can mediate apoptotic cell death in response to developmental cues or exogenously induced forms of cell stress. On the basis of the biochemical experiments as well as genetic studies in mice, the BH3-only proteins Bad and Bmf have been implicated in different proapoptotic events such as those triggered by glucose- or trophic factor-deprivation, glucocorticoids, or histone deacetylase inhibition, as well as suppression of B-cell lymphomagenesis upon aberrant expression of c-Myc. To address possible redundancies in cell death regulation and tumor suppression, we generated compound mutant mice lacking both genes. Our studies revealed lack of redundancy in most paradigms of lymphocyte apoptosis tested in tissue culture. Only spontaneous cell death of thymocytes kept in low glucose or that of pre-B cells deprived of cytokines was significantly delayed when both genes were lacking. Of note, despite these minor apoptosis defects we observed compromised lymphocyte homeostasis in vivo that affected mainly the B-cell lineage. Long-term follow-up revealed significantly reduced latency to spontaneous tumor formation in aged mice when both genes were lacking. Together our study suggests that Bad and Bmf co-regulate lymphocyte homeostasis and limit spontaneous transformation by mechanisms that may not exclusively be linked to the induction of lymphocyte apoptosis.

  12. Mechanisms of collective cell movement lacking a leading or free front edge in vivo.

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    Uechi, Hiroyuki; Kuranaga, Erina

    2017-08-01

    Collective cell movement is one of the strategies for achieving the complex shapes of tissues and organs. In this process, multiple cells within a group held together by cell-cell adhesion acquire mobility and move together in the same direction. In some well-studied models of collective cell movement, the mobility depends strongly on traction generated at the leading edge by cells located at the front. However, recent advances in live-imaging techniques have led to the discovery of other types of collective cell movement lacking a leading edge or even a free edge at the front, in a diverse array of morphological events, including tubule elongation, epithelial sheet extension, and tissue rotation. We herein review some of the developmental events that are organized by collective cell movement and attempt to elucidate the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, which include membrane protrusions, guidance cues, cell intercalation, and planer cell polarity, or chirality pathways.

  13. Dual-source cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in the follow-up of cardiac transplant: comparison of image quality and radiation dose using three different imaging protocols

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    Beitzke, D.; Berger-Kulemann, V.; Unterhumer, S.; Loewe, C.; Wolf, F. [Medical University Vienna, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image Guided Therapy, Division of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, Vienna (Austria); Schoepf, V. [Medical University Vienna, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image Guided Therapy, Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Vienna (Austria); Spitzer, E. [Bern University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Bern (Switzerland); Feuchtner, G.M. [Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Radiology II, Innsbruck (Austria); Gyoengyoesi, M. [Medical University Vienna, Department of Cardiology, Vienna (Austria); Uyanik-Uenal, K.; Zuckermann, A. [Medical University Vienna, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Vienna (Austria)

    2015-08-15

    To prospectively evaluate image quality (IQ) and radiation dose of dual-source cardiac computed tomography (CCTA) using different imaging protocols. CCTA was performed in 150 patients using the retrospective ECG-gated spiral technique (rECG) the prospective ECG-gated technique (pECG), or the prospective ECG-gated technique with systolic imaging and automated tube voltage selection (pECGsys). IQ was rated using a 16-segment coronary artery model. Techniques were compared for overall IQ, IQ of the large and the small coronary artery segments. Effective dose was used for comparison of radiation dose. Overall IQ and IQ of the large segments showed no differences between the groups. IQ analysis of the small segments showed lowered IQ in pECGsys compared to rECG (p = 0.02), but not to pECG (p = 0.6). Effective dose did not differ significantly between rECG and pECG (p = 0.13), but was significantly lower for pECGsys (p < 0.001 vs. rECG and pECG). Radiation dose of dual-source CCTA in heart transplant recipients is significantly reduced by using prospective systolic scanning and automated tube voltage selection, while overall IQ and IQ of the large coronary segments are maintained. IQ appears to be lower compared to retrospective techniques with regard to small coronary segments. (orig.)

  14. Dual-source cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in the follow-up of cardiac transplant: comparison of image quality and radiation dose using three different imaging protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beitzke, D.; Berger-Kulemann, V.; Unterhumer, S.; Loewe, C.; Wolf, F.; Schoepf, V.; Spitzer, E.; Feuchtner, G.M.; Gyoengyoesi, M.; Uyanik-Uenal, K.; Zuckermann, A.

    2015-01-01

    To prospectively evaluate image quality (IQ) and radiation dose of dual-source cardiac computed tomography (CCTA) using different imaging protocols. CCTA was performed in 150 patients using the retrospective ECG-gated spiral technique (rECG) the prospective ECG-gated technique (pECG), or the prospective ECG-gated technique with systolic imaging and automated tube voltage selection (pECGsys). IQ was rated using a 16-segment coronary artery model. Techniques were compared for overall IQ, IQ of the large and the small coronary artery segments. Effective dose was used for comparison of radiation dose. Overall IQ and IQ of the large segments showed no differences between the groups. IQ analysis of the small segments showed lowered IQ in pECGsys compared to rECG (p = 0.02), but not to pECG (p = 0.6). Effective dose did not differ significantly between rECG and pECG (p = 0.13), but was significantly lower for pECGsys (p < 0.001 vs. rECG and pECG). Radiation dose of dual-source CCTA in heart transplant recipients is significantly reduced by using prospective systolic scanning and automated tube voltage selection, while overall IQ and IQ of the large coronary segments are maintained. IQ appears to be lower compared to retrospective techniques with regard to small coronary segments. (orig.)

  15. Cells containing aragonite crystals mediate responses to gravity in Trichoplax adhaerens (Placozoa), an animal lacking neurons and synapses.

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    Mayorova, Tatiana D; Smith, Carolyn L; Hammar, Katherine; Winters, Christine A; Pivovarova, Natalia B; Aronova, Maria A; Leapman, Richard D; Reese, Thomas S

    2018-01-01

    Trichoplax adhaerens has only six cell types. The function as well as the structure of crystal cells, the least numerous cell type, presented an enigma. Crystal cells are arrayed around the perimeter of the animal and each contains a birefringent crystal. Crystal cells resemble lithocytes in other animals so we looked for evidence they are gravity sensors. Confocal microscopy showed that their cup-shaped nuclei are oriented toward the edge of the animal, and that the crystal shifts downward under the influence of gravity. Some animals spontaneously lack crystal cells and these animals behaved differently upon being tilted vertically than animals with a typical number of crystal cells. EM revealed crystal cell contacts with fiber cells and epithelial cells but these contacts lacked features of synapses. EM spectroscopic analyses showed that crystals consist of the aragonite form of calcium carbonate. We thus provide behavioral evidence that Trichoplax are able to sense gravity, and that crystal cells are likely to be their gravity receptors. Moreover, because placozoans are thought to have evolved during Ediacaran or Cryogenian eras associated with aragonite seas, and their crystals are made of aragonite, they may have acquired gravity sensors during this early era.

  16. Lack of Parental Rules for Cell Phone Use among Low Income Mexican Descendent Adolescents

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    Christine Bracamonte Wiggs

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Youth have access to and utilize various types of technology at a growing rate. Cell phones are a portable way for adolescents to remain in constant contact with friends, parents, and others. While White youth are more likely to have a cell phone compared to Latino youth, the trends for cell phone use are similar among all teens with text messaging serving as the most popular means of communication. Despite their high volume of communication with others via cell phones, adolescents are likely to have little or no adult supervision while using technology. With a lack of parental supervision or awareness regarding youth technology use, adolescents may be especially vulnerable to cyberbullying and other negative health impacts. The current study investigates cell phone and texting use among a community sample of Latino adolescents and examines how parental rules regarding cell phone use influences adolescents’ cell phone and texting behaviors.

  17. Adult hematopoietic stem cells lacking Hif-1α self-renew normally

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    Vukovic, Milica; Sepulveda, Catarina; Subramani, Chithra; Guitart, Amélie V.; Mohr, Jasmine; Allen, Lewis; Panagopoulou, Theano I.; Paris, Jasmin; Lawson, Hannah; Villacreces, Arnaud; Armesilla-Diaz, Alejandro; Gezer, Deniz; Holyoake, Tessa L.; Ratcliffe, Peter J.

    2016-01-01

    The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) pool is maintained under hypoxic conditions within the bone marrow microenvironment. Cellular responses to hypoxia are largely mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factors, Hif-1 and Hif-2. The oxygen-regulated α subunits of Hif-1 and Hif-2 (namely, Hif-1α and Hif-2α) form dimers with their stably expressed β subunits and control the transcription of downstream hypoxia-responsive genes to facilitate adaptation to low oxygen tension. An initial study concluded that Hif-1α is essential for HSC maintenance, whereby Hif-1α–deficient HSCs lost their ability to self-renew in serial transplantation assays. In another study, we demonstrated that Hif-2α is dispensable for cell-autonomous HSC maintenance, both under steady-state conditions and following transplantation. Given these unexpected findings, we set out to revisit the role of Hif-1α in cell-autonomous HSC functions. Here we demonstrate that inducible acute deletion of Hif-1α has no impact on HSC survival. Notably, unstressed HSCs lacking Hif-1α efficiently self-renew and sustain long-term multilineage hematopoiesis upon serial transplantation. Finally, Hif-1α–deficient HSCs recover normally after hematopoietic injury induced by serial administration of 5-fluorouracil. We therefore conclude that despite the hypoxic nature of the bone marrow microenvironment, Hif-1α is dispensable for cell-autonomous HSC maintenance. PMID:27060169

  18. Inducible error-prone repair in B. subtilis. Progress report, September 1, 1981-April 30, 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasbin, R.E.

    1982-12-01

    Considerable progress has been made on determining the mechanisms of mutagenesis in B. subtilis and on elucidating the interactions between DNA repair systems and mutagenesis in this bacterium. Specifically, the B. subtilis W-reactivation system has been shown to involve a damage-specific (pyrimidine dimer) repair mechanism which may or may not be error-free. On the other hand, error-prone repair (as defined by the ability of cells to be mutated by low doses of uv) has been definitively established in this bacterium. The investigation of the genes controlling the error-prone repair system has revealed that uv mutagenesis is significantly decreased in cells carrying the recG13 mutation. In addition, cells lacking a functional excision repair system are hypermutable to EMS, although these cells are not hypersensitive to the killing activity of EMS. Both EMS and uv generate the same spectrum of mutants (reversions vs suppressors); however, cells lacking a functional excision repair system apparently generate more suppressor mutations when exposed to uv as compared to the other strains tested. A genomic library for B. subtilis has been established. This library will be specifically used to isolate a cloned fragment of DNA which codes for the major subunit of the Bacillus DNA polymerase III. However, this bank can also be used to isolate Bacillus genes which control most of the repair functions. Furthermore, we have begun the process of cloning the E. coli phr + gene in to B. subtilis

  19. S-phase checkpoint elements of the E2F-1 family increase radiosensitivity in fibrosarcoma cells lacking p53

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodis, Stephan; Pruschy, Martin; Wirbelauer, Christiane; Glanzmann, Christoph; Krek, Wilhelm

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: Correct advance of cells through the S-phase of the mammalian cell cycle depends on the timely controlled activity of the E2F-1 transcription factor by cyclin A-cdk2. We are studying the reproductive integrity and radiosensitation of isogenic mouse fibrosarcoma cells, differing only in their p53 status, after expression of E2F-1 wildtype (wt) and specific E2F-1 mutants (mt) lacking the cyclin-A-binding domain. In this tumor model system only p53 wild-type expressing tumor cells are sensitive to ionizing radiation in vitro and in vivo. Material and Methods: Either wild-type p53 or genetically engineered p53 'null' mouse embryo fibroblasts were transfected with the oncogenes E1A and ras. These otherwise isogenic fibrosarcoma cells, with a malignant phenotype and tumorigenic in nude mice, were transfected with retroviruses containing either E2F-1 wild-type or specific E2F-1 mutants lacking the cyclin-A binding domain. Reproductive integrity after E2F-1 transfection with or without ionizing radiation (RT) was tested using the clonogenic assay. Tumor cell morphology of treated cells is analyzed for cell death mechanism. Results: E2F-1 wild-type expression in fibrosarcoma cells induced a clear p53 dependent cell death. While clonogenic survival of p53 'null' tumor cells was only slightly reduced with the expression of E2F-1 wild type (survival fraction of 0.5), the clonogenic survival of p53 wild-type fibrosarcoma tumor cells was reduced by at least one logarithm (survival fraction of 0.05). However, expression of the specific E2F-1 mutant lacking the cyclin-A binding domain reduced clonogenic survival in both the p53 'null' and the p53 wild-type fibrosarcoma cells by at least 2 logarithms (survival fraction 0.01 for p53 'null' and 0.002 for p53 wild-type). The mean values of the survival fractions after 2 and 5 Gy radiation alone in p53 'null' fibrosarcoma cells (SF 2 and SF 5) were SF 2 0.7, SF 5 = 0.15, respectively. The combination of ionizing RT in the p53

  20. A mesenchymal-like phenotype and expression of CD44 predict lack of apoptotic response to sorafenib in liver tumor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernando, Joan; Malfettone, Andrea; Cepeda, Edgar B; Vilarrasa-Blasi, Roser; Bertran, Esther; Raimondi, Giulia; Fabra, Àngels; Alvarez-Barrientos, Alberto; Fernández-Salguero, Pedro; Fernández-Rodríguez, Conrado M; Giannelli, Gianluigi; Sancho, Patricia; Fabregat, Isabel

    2015-02-15

    The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only effective drug in advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, response differs among patients and effectiveness only implies a delay. We have recently described that sorafenib sensitizes HCC cells to apoptosis. In this work, we have explored the response to this drug of six different liver tumor cell lines to define a phenotypic signature that may predict lack of response in HCC patients. Results have indicated that liver tumor cells that show a mesenchymal-like phenotype, resistance to the suppressor effects of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and high expression of the stem cell marker CD44 were refractory to sorafenib-induced cell death in in vitro studies, which correlated with lack of response to sorafenib in nude mice xenograft models of human HCC. In contrast, epithelial-like cells expressing the stem-related proteins EpCAM or CD133 were sensitive to sorafenib-induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. A cross-talk between the TGF-β pathway and the acquisition of a mesenchymal-like phenotype with up-regulation of CD44 expression was found in the HCC cell lines. Targeted CD44 knock-down in the mesenchymal-like cells indicated that CD44 plays an active role in protecting HCC cells from sorafenib-induced apoptosis. However, CD44 effect requires a TGF-β-induced mesenchymal background, since the only overexpression of CD44 in epithelial-like HCC cells is not sufficient to impair sorafenib-induced cell death. In conclusion, a mesenchymal profile and expression of CD44, linked to activation of the TGF-β pathway, may predict lack of response to sorafenib in HCC patients. © 2014 UICC.

  1. Differential gene expression in the murine gastric fundus lacking interstitial cells of Cajal

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    Ward Sean M

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The muscle layers of murine gastric fundus have no interstitial cells of Cajal at the level of the myenteric plexus and only possess intramuscular interstitial cells and this tissue does not generate electric slow waves. The absence of intramuscular interstitial cells in W/WV mutants provides a unique opportunity to study the molecular changes that are associated with the loss of these intercalating cells. Method The gene expression profile of the gastric fundus of wild type and W/WV mice was assayed by murine microarray analysis displaying a total of 8734 elements. Queried genes from the microarray analysis were confirmed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results Twenty-one genes were differentially expressed in wild type and W/WV mice. Eleven transcripts had 2.0–2.5 fold higher mRNA expression in W/WV gastric fundus when compared to wild type tissues. Ten transcripts had 2.1–3.9 fold lower expression in W/WV mutants in comparison with wild type animals. None of these genes have ever been implicated in any bowel motility function. Conclusions These data provides evidence that several important genes have significantly changed in the murine fundus of W/WV mutants that lack intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal and have reduced enteric motor neurotransmission.

  2. Hematopoietic Kit Deficiency, rather than Lack of Mast Cells, Protects Mice from Obesity and Insulin Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, Dario A; Muralidhar, Sathya; Feyerabend, Thorsten B; Herzig, Stephan; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer

    2015-05-05

    Obesity, insulin resistance, and related pathologies are associated with immune-mediated chronic inflammation. Kit mutant mice are protected from diet-induced obesity and associated co-morbidities, and this phenotype has previously been attributed to their lack of mast cells. We performed a comprehensive metabolic analysis of Kit-dependent Kit(W/Wv) and Kit-independent Cpa3(Cre/+) mast-cell-deficient mouse strains, employing diet-induced or genetic (Lep(Ob/Ob) background) models of obesity. Our results show that mast cell deficiency, in the absence of Kit mutations, plays no role in the regulation of weight gain or insulin resistance. Moreover, we provide evidence that the metabolic phenotype observed in Kit mutant mice, while independent of mast cells, is immune regulated. Our data underscore the value of definitive mast cell deficiency models to conclusively test the involvement of this enigmatic cell in immune-mediated pathologies and identify Kit as a key hematopoietic factor in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Spdef null mice lack conjunctival goblet cells and provide a model of dry eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marko, Christina K; Menon, Balaraj B; Chen, Gang; Whitsett, Jeffrey A; Clevers, Hans; Gipson, Ilene K

    2013-07-01

    Goblet cell numbers decrease within the conjunctival epithelium in drying and cicatrizing ocular surface diseases. Factors regulating goblet cell differentiation in conjunctival epithelium are unknown. Recent data indicate that the transcription factor SAM-pointed domain epithelial-specific transcription factor (Spdef) is essential for goblet cell differentiation in tracheobronchial and gastrointestinal epithelium of mice. Using Spdef(-/-) mice, we determined that Spdef is required for conjunctival goblet cell differentiation and that Spdef(-/-) mice, which lack conjunctival goblet cells, have significantly increased corneal surface fluorescein staining and tear volume, a phenotype consistent with dry eye. Microarray analysis of conjunctival epithelium in Spdef(-/-) mice revealed down-regulation of goblet cell-specific genes (Muc5ac, Tff1, Gcnt3). Up-regulated genes included epithelial cell differentiation/keratinization genes (Sprr2h, Tgm1) and proinflammatory genes (Il1-α, Il-1β, Tnf-α), all of which are up-regulated in dry eye. Interestingly, four Wnt pathway genes were down-regulated. SPDEF expression was significantly decreased in the conjunctival epithelium of Sjögren syndrome patients with dry eye and decreased goblet cell mucin expression. These data demonstrate that Spdef is required for conjunctival goblet cell differentiation and down-regulation of SPDEF may play a role in human dry eye with goblet cell loss. Spdef(-/-) mice have an ocular surface phenotype similar to that in moderate dry eye, providing a new, more convenient model for the disease. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. How Do CD4+ T Cells Detect and Eliminate Tumor Cells That Either Lack or Express MHC Class II Molecules?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haabeth, Ole Audun Werner; Tveita, Anders Aune; Fauskanger, Marte; Schjesvold, Fredrik; Lorvik, Kristina Berg; Hofgaard, Peter O.; Omholt, Hilde; Munthe, Ludvig A.; Dembic, Zlatko; Corthay, Alexandre; Bogen, Bjarne

    2014-01-01

    CD4+ T cells contribute to tumor eradication, even in the absence of CD8+ T cells. Cytotoxic CD4+ T cells can directly kill MHC class II positive tumor cells. More surprisingly, CD4+ T cells can indirectly eliminate tumor cells that lack MHC class II expression. Here, we review the mechanisms of direct and indirect CD4+ T cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells. An emphasis is put on T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic models, where anti-tumor responses of naïve CD4+ T cells of defined specificity can be tracked. Some generalizations can tentatively be made. For both MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumors, presentation of tumor-specific antigen by host antigen-presenting cells (APCs) appears to be required for CD4+ T cell priming. This has been extensively studied in a myeloma model (MOPC315), where host APCs in tumor-draining lymph nodes are primed with secreted tumor antigen. Upon antigen recognition, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into Th1 cells and migrate to the tumor. At the tumor site, the mechanisms for elimination of MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumor cells differ. In a TCR-transgenic B16 melanoma model, MHCIIPOS melanoma cells are directly killed by cytotoxic CD4+ T cells in a perforin/granzyme B-dependent manner. By contrast, MHCIINEG myeloma cells are killed by IFN-γ stimulated M1-like macrophages. In summary, while the priming phase of CD4+ T cells appears similar for MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumors, the killing mechanisms are different. Unresolved issues and directions for future research are addressed. PMID:24782871

  5. How do CD4+ T cells detect and eliminate tumor cells that either lack or express MHC class II molecules?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ole Audun Werner Haabeth

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available CD4+ T cells contribute to tumor eradication, even in the absence of CD8+ T cells. Cytotoxic CD4+ T cells can directly kill MHC class II positive tumor cells. More surprisingly, CD4+ T cells can indirectly eliminate tumor cells that lack MHC class II expression. Here, we review the mechanisms of direct and indirect CD4+ T cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells. An emphasis is put on T cell receptor (TCR transgenic models, where anti-tumor responses of naïve CD4+ T cells of defined specificity can be tracked. Some generalizations can tentatively be made. For both MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumors, presentation of tumor specific antigen by host antigen presenting cells (APCs appears to be required for CD4+ T cell priming. This has been extensively studied in a myeloma model (MOPC315, where host APCs in tumor-draining lymph nodes are primed with secreted tumor antigen. Upon antigen recognition, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into Th1 cells and migrate to the tumor. At the tumor site, the mechanisms for elimination of MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumor cells differ. In a TCR transgenic B16 melanoma model, MHCIIPOS melanoma cells are directly killed by cytotoxic CD4+ T cells in a perforin/granzyme B-dependent manner. By contrast, MHCIINEG myeloma cells are killed by IFN-g stimulated M1-like macrophages. In summary, while the priming phase of CD4+ T cells appears similar for MHCIIPOS and MHCIINEG tumors, the killing mechanisms are different. Unresolved issues and directions for future research are addressed.

  6. Acinetobacter baumannii and A. pittii clinical isolates lack adherence and cytotoxicity to lung epithelial cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lázaro-Díez, María; Navascués-Lejarza, Teresa; Remuzgo-Martínez, Sara; Navas, Jesús; Icardo, José Manuel; Acosta, Felix; Martínez-Martínez, Luis; Ramos-Vivas, José

    2016-09-01

    The molecular and genetic basis of Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter pittii virulence remains poorly understood, and there is still lack of knowledge in host cell response to these bacteria. In this study, we have used eleven clinical Acinetobacter strains (A. baumannii n = 5; A. pittii n = 6) to unravel bacterial adherence, invasion and cytotoxicity to human lung epithelial cells. Our results showed that adherence to epithelial cells by Acinetobacter strains is scarce and cellular invasion was not truly detected. In addition, all Acinetobacter strains failed to induce any cytotoxic effect on A549 cells. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Antibody response against Betaferon® in immune tolerant mice: involvement of marginal zone B-cells and CD4+ T-cells and apparent lack of immunological memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauerborn, Melody; van Beers, Miranda M C; Jiskoot, Wim; Kijanka, Grzegorz M; Boon, Louis; Schellekens, Huub; Brinks, Vera

    2013-01-01

    The immunological processes underlying immunogenicity of recombinant human therapeutics are poorly understood. Using an immune tolerant mouse model we previously demonstrated that aggregates are a major trigger of the antidrug antibody (ADA) response against recombinant human interferon beta (rhIFNβ) products including Betaferon®, and that immunological memory seems to be lacking after a rechallenge with non-aggregated rhIFNβ. The apparent absence of immunological memory indicates a CD4+ T-cell independent (Tind) immune response underlying ADA formation against Betaferon®. This hypothesis was tested. Using the immune tolerant mouse model we first validated that rechallenge with highly aggregated rhIFNβ (Betaferon®) does not lead to a subsequent fast increase in ADA titers, suggesting a lack of immunological memory. Next we assessed whether Betaferon® could act as Tind antigen by inactivation of marginal zone (MZ) B-cells during treatment. MZ B-cells are major effector cells involved in a Tind immune response. In a following experiment we depleted the mice from CD4+ T-cells to test their involvement in the ADA response against Betaferon®. Inactivation of MZ B-cells at the start of Betaferon® treatment drastically lowered ADA levels, suggesting a Tind immune response. However, persistent depletion of CD4+ T-cells before and during Betaferon® treatment abolished the ADA response in almost all mice. The immune response against rhIFNβ in immune tolerant mice is neither a T-cell independent nor a classical T-cell dependent immune response. Further studies are needed to confirm absence of immunological memory (cells).

  8. Cells bearing chromosome aberrations lacking one telomere are selectively blocked at the G2/M checkpoint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez, Pilar [Unitat de Biologia Cel.lular, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Barquinero, Joan Francesc [Unitat d' Antropologia Biologica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Duran, Assumpta [Unitat de Biologia Cel.lular, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Caballin, Maria Rosa [Unitat d' Antropologia Biologica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Ribas, Montserrat [Servei de Radiofisica i Radioproteccio de l' Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona (Spain); Barrios, Leonardo, E-mail: Lleonard.Barrios@uab.cat [Unitat de Biologia Cel.lular, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain)

    2009-11-02

    Cell cycle checkpoints are part of the cellular mechanisms to maintain genomic integrity. After ionizing radiation exposure, the cells can show delay or arrest in their progression through the cell cycle, as well as an activation of the DNA repair machinery in order to reduce the damage. The G2/M checkpoint prevents G2 cells entering mitosis until the DNA damage has been reduced. The present study evaluates which G0 radiation-induced chromosome aberrations are negatively selected in the G2/M checkpoint. For this purpose, peripheral blood samples were irradiated at 1 and 3 Gy of {gamma}-rays, and lymphocytes were cultured for 48 h. Calyculin-A and Colcemid were used to analyze, in the same slide, cells in G2 and M. Chromosome spreads were consecutively analyzed by solid stain, pancentromeric and pantelomeric FISH and mFISH. The results show that the frequency of incomplete chromosome elements, those lacking a telomeric signal at one end, decreases abruptly from G2 to M. This indicates that cells with incomplete chromosome elements can progress from G0 to G2, but at the G2/M checkpoint suffer a strong negative selection.

  9. Cells bearing chromosome aberrations lacking one telomere are selectively blocked at the G2/M checkpoint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, Pilar; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; Duran, Assumpta; Caballin, Maria Rosa; Ribas, Montserrat; Barrios, Leonardo

    2009-01-01

    Cell cycle checkpoints are part of the cellular mechanisms to maintain genomic integrity. After ionizing radiation exposure, the cells can show delay or arrest in their progression through the cell cycle, as well as an activation of the DNA repair machinery in order to reduce the damage. The G2/M checkpoint prevents G2 cells entering mitosis until the DNA damage has been reduced. The present study evaluates which G0 radiation-induced chromosome aberrations are negatively selected in the G2/M checkpoint. For this purpose, peripheral blood samples were irradiated at 1 and 3 Gy of γ-rays, and lymphocytes were cultured for 48 h. Calyculin-A and Colcemid were used to analyze, in the same slide, cells in G2 and M. Chromosome spreads were consecutively analyzed by solid stain, pancentromeric and pantelomeric FISH and mFISH. The results show that the frequency of incomplete chromosome elements, those lacking a telomeric signal at one end, decreases abruptly from G2 to M. This indicates that cells with incomplete chromosome elements can progress from G0 to G2, but at the G2/M checkpoint suffer a strong negative selection.

  10. Continuous Lymphoid Cell Lines with Characteristics of B Cells (Bone-Marrow-Derived), Lacking the Epstein-Barr Virus Genome and Derived from Three Human Lymphomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, George; Lindahl, Tomas; Jondal, Mikael; Leibold, Wolfgang; Menézes, José; Nilsson, Kenneth; Sundström, Christer

    1974-01-01

    Three exceptional cell lines have been tested for the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus genome by nucleic acid hybridization (complementary RNA·DNA) and Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen tests. Two lines were derived from Swedish lymphoma cases and one from an African Burkitt-like lymphoma biopsy that was negative for Epstein-Barr virus DNA and the virus-determined nuclear antigen. All three lines apparently lacked the viral genome. Two of the three lines clearly had characteristics of B-cells (bone-marrow-derived). PMID:4369887

  11. Pathogenic Chlamydia Lack a Classical Sacculus but Synthesize a Narrow, Mid-cell Peptidoglycan Ring, Regulated by MreB, for Cell Division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liechti, George; Kuru, Erkin; Packiam, Mathanraj; Hsu, Yen-Pang; Tekkam, Srinivas; Hall, Edward; Rittichier, Jonathan T; VanNieuwenhze, Michael; Brun, Yves V; Maurelli, Anthony T

    2016-05-01

    The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is a peptide cross-linked glycan polymer essential for bacterial division and maintenance of cell shape and hydrostatic pressure. Bacteria in the Chlamydiales were long thought to lack PG until recent advances in PG labeling technologies revealed the presence of this critical cell wall component in Chlamydia trachomatis. In this study, we utilize bio-orthogonal D-amino acid dipeptide probes combined with super-resolution microscopy to demonstrate that four pathogenic Chlamydiae species each possess a ≤ 140 nm wide PG ring limited to the division plane during the replicative phase of their developmental cycles. Assembly of this PG ring is rapid, processive, and linked to the bacterial actin-like protein, MreB. Both MreB polymerization and PG biosynthesis occur only in the intracellular form of pathogenic Chlamydia and are required for cell enlargement, division, and transition between the microbe's developmental forms. Our kinetic, molecular, and biochemical analyses suggest that the development of this limited, transient, PG ring structure is the result of pathoadaptation by Chlamydia to an intracellular niche within its vertebrate host.

  12. Pathogenic Chlamydia Lack a Classical Sacculus but Synthesize a Narrow, Mid-cell Peptidoglycan Ring, Regulated by MreB, for Cell Division.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Liechti

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The peptidoglycan (PG cell wall is a peptide cross-linked glycan polymer essential for bacterial division and maintenance of cell shape and hydrostatic pressure. Bacteria in the Chlamydiales were long thought to lack PG until recent advances in PG labeling technologies revealed the presence of this critical cell wall component in Chlamydia trachomatis. In this study, we utilize bio-orthogonal D-amino acid dipeptide probes combined with super-resolution microscopy to demonstrate that four pathogenic Chlamydiae species each possess a ≤ 140 nm wide PG ring limited to the division plane during the replicative phase of their developmental cycles. Assembly of this PG ring is rapid, processive, and linked to the bacterial actin-like protein, MreB. Both MreB polymerization and PG biosynthesis occur only in the intracellular form of pathogenic Chlamydia and are required for cell enlargement, division, and transition between the microbe's developmental forms. Our kinetic, molecular, and biochemical analyses suggest that the development of this limited, transient, PG ring structure is the result of pathoadaptation by Chlamydia to an intracellular niche within its vertebrate host.

  13. Septal membrane localization by C-terminal amphipathic α-helices of MinD in Bacillus subtilis mutant cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Kazuki; Matsuoka, Satoshi; Hara, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Kouji

    2017-10-18

    The Min system, which inhibits assembly of the cytokinetic protein FtsZ, is largely responsible for positioning the division site in rod-shaped bacteria. It has been reported that MinJ, which bridges DivIVA and MinD, is targeted to the cell poles by an interaction with DivIVA, and that MinJ in turn recruits MinCD to the cell poles. MinC, however, is located primarily at active division sites at mid-cell when expressed from its native promoter. Surprisingly, we found that Bacillus subtilis MinD is located at nascent septal membranes and at an asymmetric site on lateral membranes between nascent septal membranes in filamentous cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA. Bacillus subtilis MinD has two amphipathic α-helices rich in basic amino acid residues at its C-terminus; one of these, named MTS1 here, is the counterpart of the membrane targeting sequence (MTS) in Escherichia coli MinD while the other, named MTS-like sequence (MTSL), is the nearest helix to MTS1. These amphipathic helices were located independently at nascent septal membranes in cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA, whereas elimination of the helices from the wild type protein reduced its localization considerably. MinD variants with altered MTS1 and MTSL, in which basic amino acid residues were replaced with proline or acidic residues, were not located at nascent septal membranes, indicating that the binding to the nascent septal membranes requires basic residues and a helical structure. The septal localization of MTSL, but not of MTS1, was dependent on host cell MinD. These results suggest that MinD is targeted to nascent septal membranes via its C-terminal amphipathic α-helices in B. subtilis cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA. Moreover, the diffuse distribution of MinD lacking both MTSs suggests that only a small fraction of MinD depends on MinJ for its localization to nascent septal membranes.

  14. The Biology of Autoimmune Response in the Scurfy Mice that Lack the CD4+Foxp3+ Regulatory T-Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Shyr-Te; Sharma, Rahul; Gaskin, Felicia; Kung, John T; Fu, Shu Man

    2012-04-04

    Due to a mutation in the Foxp3 transcription factor, Scurfy mice lack regulatory T-cells that maintain self-tolerance of the immune system. They develop multi-organ inflammation (MOI) and die around four weeks old. The affected organs are skin, tail, lungs and liver. In humans, endocrine and gastrointestinal inflammation are also observed, hence the disease is termed IPEX (Immunodysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked) syndrome. The three week period of fatal MOI offers a useful autoimmune model in which the controls by genetics, T-cell subsets, cytokines, and effector mechanisms could be efficiently investigated. In this report, we will review published work, summarize our recent studies of Scurfy double mutants lacking specific autoimmune-related genes, discuss the cellular and cytokine controls by these genes on MOI, the organ-specificities of the MOI controlled by environments, and the effector mechanisms regulated by specific Th cytokines, including several newly identified control mechanisms for organ-specific autoimmune response.

  15. Presence of multiple sites containing polar material in spherical Escherichia coli cells that lack MreB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsen, Trine; Yan, Arthur W; Gale, Gregory; Goldberg, Marcia B

    2005-09-01

    In rod-shaped bacteria, certain proteins are specifically localized to the cell poles. The nature of the positional information that leads to the proper localization of these proteins is unclear. In a screen for factors required for the localization of the Shigella sp. actin assembly protein IcsA to the bacterial pole, a mutant carrying a transposon insertion in mreB displayed altered targeting of IcsA. The phenotype of cells containing a transposon insertion in mreB was indistinguishable from that of cells containing a nonpolar mutation in mreB or that of wild-type cells treated with the MreB inhibitor A22. In cells lacking MreB, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion to a cytoplasmic derivative of IcsA localized to multiple sites. Secreted full-length native IcsA was present in multiple faint patches on the surfaces of these cells in a pattern similar to that seen for the cytoplasmic IcsA-GFP fusion. EpsM, the polar Vibrio cholerae inner membrane protein, also localized to multiple sites in mreB cells and colocalized with IcsA, indicating that localization to multiple sites is not unique to IcsA. Our results are consistent with the requirement, either direct or indirect, for MreB in the restriction of certain polar material to defined sites within the cell and, in the absence of MreB, with the formation of ectopic sites containing polar material.

  16. Lack of autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: evidence for autoreactive T-cell dysfunction not correlated with phenotype, karyotype, or clinical status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, T.; Bloom, M.L.; Dadey, B.; Bennett, G.; Minowada, J.; Sandberg, A.A.; Ozer, H.

    1982-01-01

    In the present study, there was a complete lack of autologous MLR between responding T cells or T subsets and unirradiated or irradiated leukemic B cells or monocytes in all 20 patients with CLL, regardless of disease status, stage, phenotype, or karyotype of the disease. The stimulating capacity of unirradiated CLL B cells and CLL monocytes or irradiated CLL B cells was significantly depressed as compared to that of respective normal B cells and monocytes in allogeneic MLR. The responding capacity of CLL T cells was also variably lower than that of normal T cells against unirradiated or irradiated normal allogeneic B cells and monocytes. The depressed allogeneic MLR between CLL B cells or CLL monocytes and normal T cells described in the present study could be explained on the basis of a defect in the stimulating antigens of leukemic B cells or monocytes. The decreased allogeneic MLR of CLL T cells might simply be explained by a defect in the responsiveness of T lymphocytes from patients with CLL. However, these speculations do not adequately explain the complete lack of autologous MLR in these patients. When irradiated CLL B cells or irradiated CLL T cells were cocultured with normal T cells and irradiated normal B cells, it was found that there was no suppressor cell activity of CLL B cells or CLL T cells on normal autologous MLR. Our data suggest that the absence or dysfunction of autoreactive T cells within the Tnon-gamma subset account for the lack of autologous MLR in patients with CLL. The possible significance of the autologous MLR, its relationship to in vivo immunoregulatory mechanisms, and the possible role of breakdown of autoimmunoregulation in the oncogenic process of certain lymphoproliferative and autoimmune diseases in man are discussed

  17. Selection and characterization of T-cell variants lacking molecules involved in T-cell activation (T3 T-cell receptor, T44, and T11): analysis of the functional relationship among different pathways of activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moretta, A.; Poggi, A.; Olive, D.; Bottino, C.; Fortis, C.; Pantaleo, G.; Moretta, L.

    1987-01-01

    A clone of the interleukin 2-producing Jurkat leukemia cell line termed JA3 (surface phenotype, T3 + , Ti + , T44 + , T11 + , T40 + ) has been used to induce and select cell variants lacking surface molecules involved in T-cell activation. Following 200 rad of γ-radiation (1 rad = 0.01 Gy), cells were treated with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed to T3, Ti, T44, or T11 antigen and complement. After growth of the residual cells in culture, negative cells were cloned under limiting conditions. Depending on the specificity of the mAb used for the immunoselection, three groups of variants were obtained. (i) The use of mAbs directed to T3 or Ti resulted in cell variants that expressed the T3 - Ti - T44 + Leu1 + T11 + T40 + 4F2 + HLA class I + surface phenotype. (ii) Immunoselection with anti-T44 mAb resulted in 2 variants that shared the T3 - Ti - T44 - Leu1 - T11 - T40 - 4F2 - HLA class I + phenotype. (iii) Cell treatment with anti-T11 mAb resulted in 15 variants characterized by the lack of T11 antigen expression and of all the other T-cell-specific surface antigens. Therefore, it appears that the different sets of JA3 cell variants, like T cells at discrete stages of intrathymic differentiation, may follow a coordinated expression of surface differentiation antigens. Analysis of the functional responsiveness of the three distinct groups of JA3 cell variants to different stimuli showed that all produced interleukin 2 in response to A23187 calcium ionophore plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate

  18. On the lack of host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated phage T5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiang, T.; Harm, W.

    1976-01-01

    Previously reported experiments have shown that host-cell reactivation (HCR) of UV-irradiated phage T1 in excision-repair proficient Escherichia coli cells is inhibited by superinfection with phage T5. Theoretical considerations have led to predictions concerning the dependence of repair inhibition on the multiplicity of superinfecting T5 phage and on the UV fluence to which they were exposed. These predictions have been supported by experimental results described in this paper. The fluence dependence permitted calculation of the relative UV sensitivity of the gene function responsible for repair inhibition; it was found to be about 2.3% that of the plaque-forming ability of phage T5. The T5-inhibitable step in excision repair occurs early in the infective cycle of T1. Furthermore, experiments involving the presence of 400 μg/ml chloramphenicol showed that HCR inhibition of T1 is caused by a protein produced after the FST segment of T5 (i.e. the first 8% of the T5 genome) has entered the host cell. A previously described minor T1 recovery process, occuring in both excision-repair-proficient and -deficient host-cells, is inhibited by T5 infection due to a different substance, which is most likely associated with the 'second-step-transfer' region of T5 DNA (involving the remainder of the genome). Superinfection with T4v 1 phage resulted in HCR inhibition of T1, resembling that observed after T5 superinfection. The discussion of these results suggests that inhibition of the bacterial excision repair system by T5 or T4 infection occurs at the level of UV-endonucleolytic incision, and that lack of HCR both in T-even phages and in T5 can be explained in the same manner

  19. Lack of centrioles and primary cilia in STIL(-/-) mouse embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, Ahuvit; Liu, Fengying; Tibelius, Alexandra; Vulprecht, Julia; Wald, Diana; Rothermel, Ulrike; Ohana, Reut; Seitel, Alexander; Metzger, Jasmin; Ashery-Padan, Ruth; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Gröne, Hermann-Josef; Izraeli, Shai; Krämer, Alwin

    2014-01-01

    Although most animal cells contain centrosomes, consisting of a pair of centrioles, their precise contribution to cell division and embryonic development is unclear. Genetic ablation of STIL, an essential component of the centriole replication machinery in mammalian cells, causes embryonic lethality in mice around mid gestation associated with defective Hedgehog signaling. Here, we describe, by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, that STIL(-/-) mouse embryos do not contain centrioles or primary cilia, suggesting that these organelles are not essential for mammalian development until mid gestation. We further show that the lack of primary cilia explains the absence of Hedgehog signaling in STIL(-/-) cells. Exogenous re-expression of STIL or STIL microcephaly mutants compatible with human survival, induced non-templated, de novo generation of centrioles in STIL(-/-) cells. Thus, while the abscence of centrioles is compatible with mammalian gastrulation, lack of centrioles and primary cilia impairs Hedgehog signaling and further embryonic development.

  20. Triclosan Lacks (Anti-Estrogenic Effects in Zebrafish Cells but Modulates Estrogen Response in Zebrafish Embryos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélène Serra

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Triclosan (TCS, an antimicrobial agent widely found in the aquatic environment, is suspected to act as an endocrine disrupting compound, however mechanistic information is lacking in regards to aquatic species. This study assessed the ability of TCS to interfere with estrogen receptor (ER transcriptional activity, in zebrafish-specific in vitro and in vivo reporter gene assays. We report that TCS exhibits a lack of either agonistic or antagonistic effects on a panel of ER-expressing zebrafish (ZELH-zfERα and -zfERβ and human (MELN cell lines. At the organism level, TCS at concentrations of up to 0.3 µM had no effect on ER-regulated brain aromatase gene expression in transgenic cyp19a1b-GFP zebrafish embryos. At a concentration of 1 µM, TCS interfered with the E2 response in an ambivalent manner by potentializing a low E2 response (0.625 nM, but decreasing a high E2 response (10 nM. Altogether, our study suggests that while modulation of ER-regulated genes by TCS may occur in zebrafish, it does so irrespective of a direct binding and activation of zfERs.

  1. Synergistic inhibition of the APC/C by the removal of APC15 in HCT116 cells lacking UBE2C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garvanska, Dimitriya H; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Nilsson, Jakob

    2016-01-01

    that has been shown to depend on the APC/C E2 enzymes, UBE2C and UBE2S. Here we investigate the in vivo role of the APC/C E2 enzymes in SAC silencing using CRISPR/Cas9 genetically engineered HCT116 UBE2C or UBE2S null cell lines. Using live cell assays, we show that UBE2C and UBE2S make a minor...... contribution to SAC silencing in HCT116 cells. Strikingly in cells specifically lacking UBE2C, we observe a strong synergistic inhibition of mitotic progression when we stabilize the MCC on the APC/C by depleting APC15, potentially reflecting increased competition between the MCC and the remaining initiating E...

  2. Nonobese Diabetic (NOD Mice Lack a Protective B-Cell Response against the “Nonlethal” Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL Malaria Protozoan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirian Mendoza

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL is a nonlethal malaria strain in mice of different genetic backgrounds including the C57BL/6 mice (I-Ab/I-Enull used in this study as a control strain. We have compared the trends of blood stage infection with the nonlethal murine strain of P. yoelii 17XNL malaria protozoan in immunocompetent Nonobese Diabetic (NOD mice prone to type 1 diabetes (T1D and C57BL/6 mice (control mice that are not prone to T1D and self-cure the P. yoelii 17XNL infection. Prediabetic NOD mice could not mount a protective antibody response to the P. yoelii 17XNL-infected red blood cells (iRBCs, and they all succumbed shortly after infection. Our data suggest that the lack of anti-P. yoelii 17XNL-iRBCs protective antibodies in NOD mice is a result of parasite-induced, Foxp3+ T regulatory (Treg cells able to suppress the parasite-specific antibody secretion. Conclusions. The NOD mouse model may help in identifying new mechanisms of B-cell evasion by malaria parasites. It may also serve as a more accurate tool for testing antimalaria therapeutics due to the lack of interference with a preexistent self-curing mechanism present in other mouse strains.

  3. Mice lacking natural killer T cells are more susceptible to metabolic alterations following high fat diet feeding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brittany V Martin-Murphy

    Full Text Available Current estimates suggest that over one-third of the adult population has metabolic syndrome and three-fourths of the obese population has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. Inflammation in metabolic tissues has emerged as a universal feature of obesity and its co-morbidities, including NAFLD. Natural Killer T (NKT cells are a subset of innate immune cells that abundantly reside within the liver and are readily activated by lipid antigens. There is general consensus that NKT cells are pivotal regulators of inflammation; however, disagreement exists as to whether NKT cells exert pathogenic or suppressive functions in obesity. Here we demonstrate that CD1d(-/- mice, which lack NKT cells, were more susceptible to weight gain and fatty liver following high fat diet (HFD feeding. Compared with their WT counterparts, CD1d(-/- mice displayed increased adiposity and greater induction of inflammatory genes in the liver suggestive of the precursors of NAFLD. Calorimetry studies revealed a significant increase in food intake and trends toward decreased metabolic rate and activity in CD1d(-/- mice compared with WT mice. Based on these findings, our results suggest that NKT cells play a regulatory role that helps to prevent diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction and may play an important role in mechanisms governing cross-talk between metabolism and the immune system to regulate energy balance and liver health.

  4. Lack of centrioles and primary cilia in STIL−/− mouse embryos

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, Ahuvit; Liu, Fengying; Tibelius, Alexandra; Vulprecht, Julia; Wald, Diana; Rothermel, Ulrike; Ohana, Reut; Seitel, Alexander; Metzger, Jasmin; Ashery-Padan, Ruth; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Gröne, Hermann-Josef; Izraeli, Shai; Krämer, Alwin

    2014-01-01

    Although most animal cells contain centrosomes, consisting of a pair of centrioles, their precise contribution to cell division and embryonic development is unclear. Genetic ablation of STIL, an essential component of the centriole replication machinery in mammalian cells, causes embryonic lethality in mice around mid gestation associated with defective Hedgehog signaling. Here, we describe, by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, that STIL−/− mouse embryos do not contain centrioles or primary cilia, suggesting that these organelles are not essential for mammalian development until mid gestation. We further show that the lack of primary cilia explains the absence of Hedgehog signaling in STIL−/− cells. Exogenous re-expression of STIL or STIL microcephaly mutants compatible with human survival, induced non-templated, de novo generation of centrioles in STIL−/− cells. Thus, while the abscence of centrioles is compatible with mammalian gastrulation, lack of centrioles and primary cilia impairs Hedgehog signaling and further embryonic development. PMID:25486474

  5. Female mice lacking cholecystokinin 1 receptors have compromised neurogenesis, and fewer dopaminergic cells in the olfactory bulb

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    Yi eSui

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Neurogenesis in the adult rodent brain is largely restricted to the subependymal zone (SVZ of the lateral ventricle and subgranular zone (SGZ of the dentate gyrus (DG. We examined whether cholecystokinin (CCK through actions mediated by CCK1 receptors (CCK1R is involved in regulating neurogenesis. Proliferating cells in the SVZ, measured by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU injected 2 hours prior to death or by immunoreactivity against Ki67, were reduced by 37% and 42%, respectively, in female (but not male mice lacking CCK1Rs (CCK1R-/- compared to wild-type (WT. Generation of neuroblasts in the SVZ and rostral migratory stream was also affected, since the number of doublecortin (DCX-immunoreactive (ir neuroblasts in these regions decreased by 29%. In the SGZ of female CCK1R-/- mice, BrdU-positive (+ and Ki67-ir cells were reduced by 38% and 56%, respectively, while DCX-ir neuroblasts were down 80%. Subsequently, the effect of reduced SVZ/SGZ proliferation on the generation and survival of mature adult-born cells in female CCK1R-/- mice was examined. In the OB granule cell layer (GCL, the number of neuronal nuclei (NeuN-ir and calretinin-ir cells was stable compared to WT, and 42 days after BrdU injections, the number of BrdU+ cells co-expressing GABA- or NeuN-like immunoreactivity (LI was similar. Compared to WT, the granule cell layer of the DG in female CCK1R-/- mice had a similar number of calbindin-ir cells and BrdU+ cells co-expressing calbindin-LI 42 days after BrdU injections. However, the OB glomerular layer (GL of CCK1R-/- female mice had 11% fewer NeuN-ir cells, 23% less TH-ir cells, and a 38% and 29% reduction in BrdU+ cells that co-expressed TH-LI or GABA-LI, respectively. We conclude that CCK, via CCK1Rs, is involved in regulating the generation of proliferating cells and neuroblasts in the adult female mouse brain, and mechanisms are in place to maintain steady neuronal populations in the OB and DG when the rate of proliferation is

  6. p53-dependent control of cell death by nicastrin: lack of requirement for presenilin-dependent gamma-secretase complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pardossi-Piquard, Raphaëlle; Dunys, Julie; Giaime, Emilie; Guillot-Sestier, Marie-Victoire; St George-Hyslop, Peter; Checler, Frédéric; Alves da Costa, Cristine

    2009-04-01

    Nicastrin (NCT) is a component of the presenilin (PS)-dependent gamma-secretase complexes that liberate amyloid beta-peptides from the beta-Amyloid Precursor Protein. Several lines of evidence indicate that the members of these complexes could also contribute to the control of cell death. Here we show that over-expression of NCT increases the viability of human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells and decreases staurosporine (STS)- and thapsigargin (TPS)-induced caspase-3 activation in various cell lines from human and neuronal origins by Akt-dependent pathway. NCT lowers p53 expression, transcriptional activity and promoter transactivation and reduces p53 phosphorylation. NCT-associated protection against STS-stimulated cell death was completely abolished by p53 deficiency. Conversely, the depletion of NCT drastically enhances STS-induced caspase-3 activation and p53 pathway and favored p53 nuclear translocation. We examined whether NCT protective function depends on PS-dependent gamma-secretase activity. First, a 29-amino acid deletion known to reduce NCT-dependent amyloid beta-peptide production did not affect NCT-associated protective phenotype. Second, NCT still reduces STS-induced caspase-3 activation in fibroblasts lacking PS1 and PS2. Third, the gamma-secretase inhibitor DFK167 did not affect NCT-mediated reduction of p53 activity. Altogether, our study indicates that NCT controls cell death via phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and p53-dependent pathways and that this function remains independent of the activity and molecular integrity of the gamma-secretase complexes.

  7. Kidney failure in mice lacking the tetraspanin CD151

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sachs, Norman; Kreft, Maaike; van den Bergh Weerman, Marius A.; Beynon, Andy J.; Peters, Theo A.; Weening, Jan J.; Sonnenberg, Arnoud

    2006-01-01

    The tetraspanin CD151 is a cell-surface molecule known for its strong lateral interaction with the laminin-binding integrin alpha3beta1. Patients with a nonsense mutation in CD151 display end-stage kidney failure associated with regional skin blistering and sensorineural deafness, and mice lacking

  8. Kidney failure in mice lacking the tetraspanin CD151.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sachs, N.; Kreft, M.; Bergh Weerman, M. van der; Beynon, A.J.; Peters, T.A.; Weening, J.J.; Sonnenberg, A.

    2006-01-01

    The tetraspanin CD151 is a cell-surface molecule known for its strong lateral interaction with the laminin-binding integrin alpha3beta1. Patients with a nonsense mutation in CD151 display end-stage kidney failure associated with regional skin blistering and sensorineural deafness, and mice lacking

  9. Recombinant interleukin-24 lacks apoptosis-inducing properties in melanoma cells.

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    Stephanie Kreis

    Full Text Available IL-24, also known as melanoma differentiation antigen 7 (mda-7, is a member of the IL-10 family of cytokines and is mainly produced by Th(2 cells as well as by activated monocytes. Binding of IL-24 to either of its two possible heterodimeric receptors IL-20R1/IL-20R2 and IL-22R/IL-20R2 activates STAT3 and/or STAT1 in target tissues such as lung, testis, ovary, keratinocytes and skin. To date, the physiological properties of IL-24 are still not well understood but available data suggest that IL-24 affects epidermal functions by increasing proliferation of dermal cells. In stark contrast to its "normal" and physiological behaviour, IL-24 has been reported to selectively and efficiently kill a vast variety of cancer cells, especially melanoma cells, independent of receptor expression and Jak-STAT signalling. These intriguing properties have led to the development of adenovirally-expressed IL-24, which is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Using three different methods, we have analysed a large panel of melanoma cell lines with respect to IL-24 and IL-24 receptor expression and found that none of the investigated cell lines expressed sufficient amounts of functional receptor pairs and therefore did not react to IL-24 stimulation with Jak/STAT activation. Results for three cell lines contrasted with previous studies, which reported presence of IL-24 receptors and activation of STAT3 following IL-24 stimulation. Furthermore, evaluating four different sources and modes of IL-24 administration (commercial recombinant IL-24, bacterially expressed GST-IL-24 fusion protein, IL-24 produced from transfected Hek cells, transiently over-expressed IL-24 no induction or increase in cell death was detected when compared to appropriate control treatments. Thus, we conclude that the cytokine IL-24 itself has no cancer-specific apoptosis-inducing properties in melanoma cells.

  10. Premature Aging Phenotype in Mice Lacking High-Affinity Nicotinic Receptors: Region-Specific Changes in Layer V Pyramidal Cell Morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konsolaki, Eleni; Skaliora, Irini

    2015-08-01

    The mechanisms by which aging leads to alterations in brain structure and cognitive deficits are unclear. Α deficient cholinergic system has been implicated as one of the main factors that could confer a heightened vulnerability to the aging process, and mice lacking high-affinity nicotinic receptors (β2(-/-)) have been proposed as an animal model of accelerated cognitive aging. To date, however, age-related changes in neuronal microanatomy have not been studied in these mice. In the present study, we examine the neuronal structure of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP(+)) layer V neurons in 2 cytoarchitectonically distinct cortical regions in wild-type (WT) and β2(-/-) animals. We find that (1) substantial morphological differences exist between YFP(+) cells of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and primary visual cortex (V1), in both genotypes; (2) in WT animals, ACC cells are more susceptible to aging compared with cells in V1; and (3) β2 deletion is associated with a regionally and temporally specific increase in vulnerability to aging. ACC cells exhibit a prematurely aged phenotype already at 4-6 months, whereas V1 cells are spared in adulthood but strongly affected in old animals. Collectively, our data reveal region-specific synergistic effects of aging and genotype and suggest distinct vulnerabilities in V1 and ACC neurons. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Lack of galectin-3 disturbs mesenteric lymph node homeostasis and B cell niches in the course of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

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    Felipe L Oliveira

    Full Text Available Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding protein that has been shown to regulate pathophysiological processes, including cellular activation, differentiation and apoptosis. Recently, we showed that galectin-3 acts as a potent inhibitor of B cell differentiation into plasma cells. Here, we have investigated whether galectin-3 interferes with the lymphoid organization of B cell compartments in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs during chronic schistosomiasis, using WT and galectin-3(-/- mice. Schistosoma mansoni synthesizes GalNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3GlcNAc(Lac-DiNAc structures (N-acetylgalactosamine β1-4 N-acetylglucosamine, which are known to interact with galectin-3 and elicit an intense humoral response. Antigens derived from the eggs and adult worms are continuously drained to MLNs and induce a polyclonal B cell activation. In the present work, we observed that chronically-infected galectin-3(-/- mice exhibited a significant reduced amount of macrophages and B lymphocytes followed by drastic histological changes in B lymphocyte and plasma cell niches in the MLNs. The lack of galectin-3 favored an increase in the lymphoid follicle number, but made follicular cells more susceptible to apoptotic stimuli. There were an excessive quantity of apoptotic bodies, higher number of annexin V(+/PI(- cells, and reduced clearance of follicular apoptotic cells in the course of schistosomiasis. Here, we observed that galectin-3 was expressed in non-lymphoid follicular cells and its absence was associated with severe damage to tissue architecture. Thus, we convey new information on the role of galectin-3 in regulation of histological events associated with B lymphocyte and plasma cell niches, apoptosis, phagocytosis and cell cycle properties in the MLNs of mice challenged with S.mansoni.

  12. Inherent Immunogenicity or Lack Thereof of Pluripotent Stem Cells: Implications for Cell Replacement Therapy

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    Arvind Chhabra

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Donor-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs offer opportunities for personalized cell replacement therapeutic approaches due to their unlimited self-renewal potential and ability to differentiate into different somatic cells. A significant progress has been made toward generating iPSC lines that are free of integrating viral vectors, development of xeno-free culture conditions, and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs into functional somatic cell lineages. Since donor-specific iPSC lines are genetically identical to the individual, they are expected to be immunologically matched and these iPSC lines and their cellular derivatives are not expected to be immunologically rejected. However, studies in mouse models, utilizing rejection of teratomas as a model, have claimed that syngenic iPSC lines, especially the iPSC lines derived with integrating viral vectors, could be inherently immunogenic. This manuscript reviews current understanding of inherent immunogenicity of PSC lines, especially that of the human iPSC lines and their cellular derivatives, and strategies to overcome it.

  13. Mice lacking NKT cells but with a complete complement of CD8+ T-cells are not protected against the metabolic abnormalities of diet-induced obesity.

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    Benjamin S Mantell

    Full Text Available The contribution of natural killer T (NKT cells to the pathogenesis of metabolic abnormalities of obesity is controversial. While the combined genetic deletion of NKT and CD8(+ T-cells improves glucose tolerance and reduces inflammation, interpretation of these data have been complicated by the recent observation that the deletion of CD8(+ T-cells alone reduces obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysregulation, leaving the issue of the metabolic effects of NKT cell depletion unresolved. To address this question, CD1d null mice (CD1d(-/-, which lack NKT cells but have a full complement of CD8(+ T-cells, and littermate wild type controls (WT on a pure C57BL/6J background were exposed to a high fat diet, and glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and obesity were assessed. Food intake (15.5±4.3 vs 15.3±1.8 kcal/mouse/day, weight gain (21.8±1.8 vs 22.8±1.4 g and fat mass (18.6±1.9 vs 19.5±2.1 g were similar in CD1d(-/- and WT, respectively. As would be expected from these data, metabolic rate (3.0±0.1 vs 2.9±0.2 ml O(2/g/h and activity (21.6±4.3 vs 18.5±2.6 beam breaks/min were unchanged by NKT cell depletion. Furthermore, the degree of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, liver steatosis, and adipose and liver inflammatory marker expression (TNFα, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP1α induced by high fat feeding in CD1d(-/- were not different from WT. We conclude that deletion of NKT cells, in the absence of alterations in the CD8(+ T-cell population, is insufficient to protect against the development of the metabolic abnormalities of diet-induced obesity.

  14. Serum-free microcarrier based production of replication deficient Influenza vaccine candidate virus lacking NS1 using Vero cells

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    Yan Mylene L

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Influenza virus is a major health concern that has huge impacts on the human society, and vaccination remains as one of the most effective ways to mitigate this disease. Comparing the two types of commercially available Influenza vaccine, the live attenuated virus vaccine is more cross-reactive and easier to administer than the traditional inactivated vaccines. One promising live attenuated Influenza vaccine that has completed Phase I clinical trial is deltaFLU, a deletion mutant lacking the viral Nonstructural Protein 1 (NS1 gene. As a consequence of this gene deletion, this mutant virus can only propagate effectively in cells with a deficient interferon-mediated antiviral response. To demonstrate the manufacturability of this vaccine candidate, a batch bioreactor production process using adherent Vero cells on microcarriers in commercially available animal-component free, serum-free media is described. Results Five commercially available animal-component free, serum-free media (SFM were evaluated for growth of Vero cells in agitated Cytodex 1 spinner flask microcarrier cultures. EX-CELL Vero SFM achieved the highest cell concentration of 2.6 × 10^6 cells/ml, whereas other SFM achieved about 1.2 × 10^6 cells/ml. Time points for infection between the late exponential and stationary phases of cell growth had no significant effect in the final virus titres. A virus yield of 7.6 Log10 TCID50/ml was achieved using trypsin concentration of 10 μg/ml and MOI of 0.001. The Influenza vaccine production process was scaled up to a 3 liter controlled stirred tank bioreactor to achieve a cell density of 2.7 × 10^6 cells/ml and virus titre of 8.3 Log10 TCID50/ml. Finally, the bioreactor system was tested for the production of the corresponding wild type H1N1 Influenza virus, which is conventionally used in the production of inactivated vaccine. High virus titres of up to 10 Log10 TCID50/ml were achieved. Conclusions We describe for the

  15. Synergistic inhibition of the APC/C by the removal of APC15 in HCT116 cells lacking UBE2C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garvanska, Dimitriya H; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Nilsson, Jakob

    2016-10-15

    The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) inhibits the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in response to unattached kinetochores by generating a diffusible inhibitor termed the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC). At metaphase, rapid activation of the APC/C requires removal of the MCC, a process that has been shown to depend on the APC/C E2 enzymes, UBE2C and UBE2S. Here we investigate the in vivo role of the APC/C E2 enzymes in SAC silencing using CRISPR/Cas9 genetically engineered HCT116 UBE2C or UBE2S null cell lines. Using live cell assays, we show that UBE2C and UBE2S make a minor contribution to SAC silencing in HCT116 cells. Strikingly, in cells specifically lacking UBE2C, we observe a strong synergistic inhibition of mitotic progression when we stabilize the MCC on the APC/C by depleting APC15, potentially reflecting increased competition between the MCC and the remaining initiating E2 enzyme UBE2D. In conclusion, we provide in vivo insight into the APC/C E2 module and its interplay with SAC silencing components. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  16. Epithelial cell stretching and luminal acidification lead to a retarded development of stria vascularis and deafness in mice lacking pendrin.

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    Hyoung-Mi Kim

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Loss-of-function mutations of SLC26A4/pendrin are among the most prevalent causes of deafness. Deafness and vestibular dysfunction in the corresponding mouse model, Slc26a4(-/-, are associated with an enlargement and acidification of the membranous labyrinth. Here we relate the onset of expression of the HCO(3 (- transporter pendrin to the luminal pH and to enlargement-associated epithelial cell stretching. We determined expression with immunocytochemistry, cell stretching by digital morphometry and pH with double-barreled ion-selective electrodes. Pendrin was first expressed in the endolymphatic sac at embryonic day (E 11.5, in the cochlear hook-region at E13.5, in the utricle and saccule at E14.5, in ampullae at E16.5, and in the upper turn of the cochlea at E17.5. Epithelial cell stretching in Slc26a4(-/- mice began at E14.5. pH changes occurred first in the cochlea at E15.5 and in the endolymphatic sac at E17.5. At postnatal day 2, stria vascularis, outer sulcus and Reissner's membrane epithelial cells, and utricular and saccular transitional cells were stretched, whereas sensory cells in the cochlea, utricle and saccule did not differ between Slc26a4(+/- and Slc26a4(-/- mice. Structural development of stria vascularis, including vascularization, was retarded in Slc26a4(-/- mice. In conclusion, the data demonstrate that the enlargement and stretching of non-sensory epithelial cells precedes luminal acidification in the cochlea and the endolymphatic sac. Stretching and luminal acidification may alter cell-to-cell communication and lead to the observed retarded development of stria vascularis, which may be an important step on the path to deafness in Slc26a4(-/- mice, and possibly in humans, lacking functional pendrin expression.

  17. Effects of T cell depletion in radiation bone marrow chimeras. I. Evidence for a donor cell population which increases allogeneic chimerism but which lacks the potential to produce GVHD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sykes, M.; Sheard, M.; Sachs, D.H.

    1988-01-01

    The opposing problems of graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) and failure of alloengraftment present major obstacles to the application of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) across complete MHC barriers. The addition of syngeneic T-cell-depleted (TCD) bone marrow (BM) to untreated fully allogeneic marrow inocula in lethally irradiated mice has been previously shown to provide protection from GVHD. We have used this model to study the effects of allogeneic T cells on levels of chimerism in recipients of mixed marrow inocula. The results indicate that T cells in allogeneic BM inocula eliminate both coadministered recipient-strain and radioresistant host hematopoietic elements to produce complete allogeneic chimerism without clinical GVHD. To determine the role of GVH reactivity in this phenomenon, we performed similar studies in an F1 into parent combination, in which the genetic potential for GVHD is lacking. The presence of T cells in F1 marrow inocula led to predominant repopulation with F1 lymphocytes in such chimeras, even when coadministered with TCD-recipient-strain BM. These results imply that the ability of allogeneic BM cells removed by T cell depletion to increase levels of allochimerism may be mediated by a population which is distinct from that which produces GVHD. These results may have implications for clinical BM transplantation

  18. Model validation of channel zapping quality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kooij, R.; Nicolai, F.; Ahmed, K.; Brunnström, K.

    2009-01-01

    In an earlier paper we showed, that perceived quality of channel zapping is related to the perceived quality of download time of web browsing, as suggested by ITU-T Rec.G.1030. We showed this by performing subjective tests resulting in an excellent fit with a 0.99 correlation. This was what we call

  19. Lack of TXNIP protects against mitochondria-mediated apoptosis but not against fatty acid-induced ER stress-mediated beta-cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Junqin; Fontes, Ghislaine; Saxena, Geetu; Poitout, Vincent; Shalev, Anath

    2010-02-01

    We have previously shown that lack of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) protects against diabetes and glucotoxicity-induced beta-cell apoptosis. Because the role of TXNIP in lipotoxicity is unknown, the goal of the present study was to determine whether TXNIP expression is regulated by fatty acids and whether TXNIP deficiency also protects beta-cells against lipoapoptosis. RESARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: To determine the effects of fatty acids on beta-cell TXNIP expression, INS-1 cells and isolated islets were incubated with/without palmitate and rats underwent cyclic infusions of glucose and/or Intralipid prior to islet isolation and analysis by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting. Using primary wild-type and TXNIP-deficient islets, we then assessed the effects of palmitate on apoptosis (transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling [TUNEL]), mitochondrial death pathway (cytochrome c release), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (binding protein [BiP], C/EBP homologous protein [CHOP]). Effects of TXNIP deficiency were also tested in the context of staurosporine (mitochondrial damage) or thapsigargin (ER stress). Glucose elicited a dramatic increase in islet TXNIP expression both in vitro and in vivo, whereas fatty acids had no such effect and, when combined with glucose, even abolished the glucose effect. We also found that TXNIP deficiency does not effectively protect against palmitate or thapsigargin-induced beta-cell apoptosis, but specifically prevents staurosporine- or glucose-induced toxicity. Our results demonstrate that unlike glucose, fatty acids do not induce beta-cell expression of proapoptotic TXNIP. They further reveal that TXNIP deficiency specifically inhibits the mitochondrial death pathway underlying beta-cell glucotoxicity, whereas it has very few protective effects against ER stress-mediated lipoapoptosis.

  20. Silencing of Taxol-Sensitizer Genes in Cancer Cells: Lack of Sensitization Effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Shang-Lang; Chao, Chuck C.-K.

    2015-01-01

    A previous genome-wide screening analysis identified a panel of genes that sensitize the human non-small-cell lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H1155 to taxol. However, whether the identified genes sensitize other cancer cells to taxol has not been examined. Here, we silenced the taxol-sensitizer genes identified (acrbp, atp6v0d2, fgd4, hs6st2, psma6, and tubgcp2) in nine other cancer cell types (including lung, cervical, ovarian, and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines) that showed reduced cell viability in the presence of a sub-lethal concentration of taxol. Surprisingly, none of the genes studied increased sensitivity to taxol in the tested panel of cell lines. As observed in H1155 cells, SKOV3 cells displayed induction of five of the six genes studied in response to a cell killing dose of taxol. The other cell types were much less responsive to taxol. Notably, four of the five inducible taxol-sensitizer genes tested (acrbp, atp6v0d2, psma6, and tubgcp2) were upregulated in a taxol-resistant ovarian cancer cell line. These results indicate that the previously identified taxol-sensitizer loci are not conserved genetic targets involved in inhibiting cell proliferation in response to taxol. Our findings also suggest that regulation of taxol-sensitizer genes by taxol may be critical for acquired cell resistance to the drug

  1. Silencing of Taxol-Sensitizer Genes in Cancer Cells: Lack of Sensitization Effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Shang-Lang [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Chao, Chuck C.-K., E-mail: cckchao@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Department of Medical Research and Development, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China)

    2015-06-16

    A previous genome-wide screening analysis identified a panel of genes that sensitize the human non-small-cell lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H1155 to taxol. However, whether the identified genes sensitize other cancer cells to taxol has not been examined. Here, we silenced the taxol-sensitizer genes identified (acrbp, atp6v0d2, fgd4, hs6st2, psma6, and tubgcp2) in nine other cancer cell types (including lung, cervical, ovarian, and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines) that showed reduced cell viability in the presence of a sub-lethal concentration of taxol. Surprisingly, none of the genes studied increased sensitivity to taxol in the tested panel of cell lines. As observed in H1155 cells, SKOV3 cells displayed induction of five of the six genes studied in response to a cell killing dose of taxol. The other cell types were much less responsive to taxol. Notably, four of the five inducible taxol-sensitizer genes tested (acrbp, atp6v0d2, psma6, and tubgcp2) were upregulated in a taxol-resistant ovarian cancer cell line. These results indicate that the previously identified taxol-sensitizer loci are not conserved genetic targets involved in inhibiting cell proliferation in response to taxol. Our findings also suggest that regulation of taxol-sensitizer genes by taxol may be critical for acquired cell resistance to the drug.

  2. Sucrose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking hexose transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batista, Anderson S; Miletti, Luiz C; Stambuk, Boris U

    2004-01-01

    Sucrose is the major carbon source used by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during production of baker's yeast, fuel ethanol and several distilled beverages. It is generally accepted that sucrose fermentation proceeds through extracellular hydrolysis of the sugar, mediated by the periplasmic invertase, producing glucose and fructose that are transported into the cells and metabolized. In the present work we analyzed the contribution to sucrose fermentation of a poorly characterized pathway of sucrose utilization by S. cerevisiae cells, the active transport of the sugar through the plasma membrane and its intracellular hydrolysis. A yeast strain that lacks the major hexose transporters (hxt1-hxt7 and gal2) is incapable of growing on or fermenting glucose or fructose. Our results show that this hxt-null strain is still able to ferment sucrose due to direct uptake of the sugar into the cells. Deletion of the AGT1 gene, which encodes a high-affinity sucrose-H(+) symporter, rendered cells incapable of sucrose fermentation. Since sucrose is not an inducer of the permease, expression of the AGT1 must be constitutive in order to allow growth of the hxt-null strain on sucrose. The molecular characterization of active sucrose transport and fermentation by S. cerevisiae cells opens new opportunities to optimize yeasts for sugarcane-based industrial processes.

  3. Lack of radioimmunodetection and complications associated with monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen antibody cross-reactivity with an antigen on circulating cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dillman, R.O.; Beauregard, J.C.; Sobol, R.E.; Royston, I.; Bartholomew, R.M.; Hagan, P.S.; Halpern, S.E.

    1984-01-01

    Characterization of several high-affinity murine monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibodies suggested good specificity except for cross-reactivity with an antigen on granulocytes and erythrocytes which was different from the previously described normal cross-reacting antigen of granulocytes. In vivo studies in athymic mice using an indium conjugate of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody (MoAb) revealed excellent specific uptake in colorectal carcinoma xenografts. Studies were conducted in humans to determine the limitations produced by the cross-reactivity with granulocytes and erythrocytes. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer received 3 to 6 mg of anti-CEA MoAb over 10 min or 2 hr. In five of six trials, the MoAb infusion was associated with a 40 to 90% decrease in circulating granulocytes and systemic toxicity including fever, rigors, and emesis. One patient had no change in cell count and had no toxicity. Radionuclide scans with 111 In-anti-CEA MoAb showed marked uptake in the spleen when cells were eliminated, and in the liver, especially when pretreatment CEA levels were high. Metastatic tumor sites failed to concentrate the isotope. This study emphasizes the potential limitations for radioimmunodetection and/or radioimmunotherapy imposed by reactivity with circulating cells, and suggests that certain toxic reactions associated with MoAb infusions are related to destruction of circulating cells rather than allergic reactions to mouse protein. It also emphasizes how variables such as dose and binding affinity of antibody, radioisotope used, and assessment at different observation points can obscure lack of antibody specificity

  4. Lack of radioimmunodetection and complications associated with monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen antibody cross-reactivity with an antigen on circulating cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dillman, R.O.; Beauregard, J.C.; Sobol, R.E.; Royston, I.; Bartholomew, R.M.; Hagan, P.S.; Halpern, S.E.

    1984-05-01

    Characterization of several high-affinity murine monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibodies suggested good specificity except for cross-reactivity with an antigen on granulocytes and erythrocytes which was different from the previously described normal cross-reacting antigen of granulocytes. In vivo studies in athymic mice using an indium conjugate of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody (MoAb) revealed excellent specific uptake in colorectal carcinoma xenografts. Studies were conducted in humans to determine the limitations produced by the cross-reactivity with granulocytes and erythrocytes. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer received 3 to 6 mg of anti-CEA MoAb over 10 min or 2 hr. In five of six trials, the MoAb infusion was associated with a 40 to 90% decrease in circulating granulocytes and systemic toxicity including fever, rigors, and emesis. One patient had no change in cell count and had no toxicity. Radionuclide scans with /sup 111/In-anti-CEA MoAb showed marked uptake in the spleen when cells were eliminated, and in the liver, especially when pretreatment CEA levels were high. Metastatic tumor sites failed to concentrate the isotope. This study emphasizes the potential limitations for radioimmunodetection and/or radioimmunotherapy imposed by reactivity with circulating cells, and suggests that certain toxic reactions associated with MoAb infusions are related to destruction of circulating cells rather than allergic reactions to mouse protein. It also emphasizes how variables such as dose and binding affinity of antibody, radioisotope used, and assessment at different observation points can obscure lack of antibody specificity.

  5. Lack of TAK1 in dendritic cells inhibits the contact hypersensitivity response induced by trichloroethylene in local lymph node assay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yao, Pan; Hongqian, Chu; Qinghe, Meng; Lanqin, Shang; Jianjun, Jiang; Xiaohua, Yang; Xuetao, Wei; Weidong, Hao, E-mail: whao@bjmu.edu.cn

    2016-09-15

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Occupational TCE exposure has been associated with severe, generalized contact hypersensitivity (CHS) skin disorder. The development of CHS depends on innate and adaptive immune functions. Transforming growth factor-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) controls the survival of dendritic cells (DCs) that affect the immune system homeostasis. We aimed to investigate the role of TAK1 activity in DC on TCE-induced CHS response. Control mice and DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice were treated with 80% (v/v) TCE using local lymph node assay (LLNA) to establish a TCE-induced CHS model. The draining lymph nodes (DLNs) were excised and the lymphocytes were measure for proliferation by BrdU-ELISA, T-cell phenotype analysis by flow cytometry and signaling pathway activation by western blot. The ears were harvested for histopathological analysis. Control mice in the 80% TCE group displayed an inflammatory response in the ears, increased lymphocyte proliferation, elevated regulatory T-cell and activated T-cell percentages, and more IFN-γ producing CD8{sup +} T cells in DLNs. In contrast to control mice, DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice in the 80% TCE group showed an abolished CHS response and this was associated with defective T-cell expansion, activation and IFN-γ production. This effect may occur through Jnk and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, this study demonstrates a pivotal role of TAK1 in DCs in controlling TCE-induced CHS response and suggests that targeting TAK1 function in DCs may be a viable approach to preventing and treating TCE-related occupational health hazards. - Highlights: • Lack of TAK1 in DC caused an abolished TCE-induced CHS response. • TAK1 in DCs was essential to maintain the homeostasis of T cells in TCE-induced CHS. • Intact TAK1 in DCs was critical to promote T-cell priming in TCE-induced CHS. • DC-specific TAK1 deficiency abolished the TCE-mediated phosphorylation of Jnk.

  6. Lack of TAK1 in dendritic cells inhibits the contact hypersensitivity response induced by trichloroethylene in local lymph node assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, Pan; Hongqian, Chu; Qinghe, Meng; Lanqin, Shang; Jianjun, Jiang; Xiaohua, Yang; Xuetao, Wei; Weidong, Hao

    2016-01-01

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Occupational TCE exposure has been associated with severe, generalized contact hypersensitivity (CHS) skin disorder. The development of CHS depends on innate and adaptive immune functions. Transforming growth factor-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) controls the survival of dendritic cells (DCs) that affect the immune system homeostasis. We aimed to investigate the role of TAK1 activity in DC on TCE-induced CHS response. Control mice and DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice were treated with 80% (v/v) TCE using local lymph node assay (LLNA) to establish a TCE-induced CHS model. The draining lymph nodes (DLNs) were excised and the lymphocytes were measure for proliferation by BrdU-ELISA, T-cell phenotype analysis by flow cytometry and signaling pathway activation by western blot. The ears were harvested for histopathological analysis. Control mice in the 80% TCE group displayed an inflammatory response in the ears, increased lymphocyte proliferation, elevated regulatory T-cell and activated T-cell percentages, and more IFN-γ producing CD8 + T cells in DLNs. In contrast to control mice, DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice in the 80% TCE group showed an abolished CHS response and this was associated with defective T-cell expansion, activation and IFN-γ production. This effect may occur through Jnk and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, this study demonstrates a pivotal role of TAK1 in DCs in controlling TCE-induced CHS response and suggests that targeting TAK1 function in DCs may be a viable approach to preventing and treating TCE-related occupational health hazards. - Highlights: • Lack of TAK1 in DC caused an abolished TCE-induced CHS response. • TAK1 in DCs was essential to maintain the homeostasis of T cells in TCE-induced CHS. • Intact TAK1 in DCs was critical to promote T-cell priming in TCE-induced CHS. • DC-specific TAK1 deficiency abolished the TCE-mediated phosphorylation of Jnk.

  7. Lack of FasL expression in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaestel, C G; Madsen, H O; Prause, J U

    2001-01-01

    Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have been proposed to play a part in maintaining the eye as an immune privileged organ. However, our knowledge of the implicated mechanism is still sparse. Fas ligand (FasL) expression of RPE cells is generally recognized to be essential for the immune...... privilege of the eye, but due to contradictory published results, it is unclear whether RPE cells express this molecule. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of FasL in RPE cells in vitro and in vivo. Cultured human fetal and adult RPE cells were examined by flow cytometry, Western...... blotting, RT-PCR and RNase Protection assay for FasL expression. Additionally, sections of ocular tissue were stained for FasL by immunohistochemistry. None of the used methods indicated FasL expression in cultured fetal or adult RPE cells of various passages. However, RPE cells in vivo, as judged from...

  8. Deregulated MAPK activity prevents adipocyte differentiation of fibroblasts lacking the retinoblastoma protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jacob B; Petersen, Rasmus K; Jørgensen, Claus

    2002-01-01

    A functional retinoblastoma protein (pRB) is required for adipose conversion of preadipocyte cell lines and primary mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) in response to treatment with standard adipogenic inducers. Interestingly, lack of functional pRB in MEFs was recently linked to elevated Ras activity...

  9. Lack of effect of inhibitors of DNA synthesis/repair on the ionizing radiation-induced chromosomal damage in G[sub 2] stage of ataxia telangiectasia cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antoccia, A. (Univ. ' La Sapienza' , Rome (Italy). Dipt. di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare); Palitti, F.; Raggi, T. (Univ. del Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy). Dipt. di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica); Catena, C. (ENEA, Casaccia (Italy). Centro Ricerche Energia); Tanzarella, C. (Rome Univ. 3 (Italy). Dipt. di Biologia)

    1994-09-01

    The relationship between the repair processes occurring at the G[sub 2] phase of the cell cycle and cytogenetic damage in ataxia telangiectasia (AT) cells was studied. Lymphoblastoid cells derived from normal, heterozygote AT (HzAT) and three AT patients were exposed to X-rays or fission neutrons and post-treated with inhibitors of DNA synthesis/repair, such as inhibitors of DNA polymerases [alpha], [sigma] and [epsilon] (cytosine arabinoside, ara-C; aphidicolin, APC; buthylphenyl-guanine, BuPdG) or ribonucleotide reductase (hydroxyurea HU). A strong increase of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations was observed in normal and HzAT cells post-treated with ara-C, APC and HU, but not in the presence of BuPdG. No enhancing effect was observed in cells derived from AT patients, except for HU post-irradiation treatment. These results suggest that the enzymes that can be inhibited by these agents are not directly involved in the repair of radiation damage induced in G[sub 2] cells from AT patients, indicating that probably the AT cells that we used lack the capability to transform the primary DNA lesions into reparable products, or that AT cells might contain a mutated form of DNA polymerase resistant to the inhibitors. (author).

  10. Rett Syndrome Mutant Neural Cells Lacks MeCP2 Immunoreactive Bands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Bueno

    Full Text Available Dysfunctions of MeCP2 protein lead to various neurological disorders such as Rett syndrome and Autism. The exact functions of MeCP2 protein is still far from clear. At a molecular level, there exist contradictory data. MeCP2 protein is considered a single immunoreactive band around 75 kDa by western-blot analysis but several reports have revealed the existence of multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands above and below the level where MeCP2 is expected. MeCP2 immunoreactive bands have been interpreted in different ways. Some researchers suggest that multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands are unidentified proteins that cross-react with the MeCP2 antibody or degradation product of MeCP2, while others suggest that MeCP2 post-transcriptional processing generates multiple molecular forms linked to cell signaling, but so far they have not been properly analyzed in relation to Rett syndrome experimental models. The purpose of this study is to advance understanding of multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands in control neural cells and p.T158M MeCP2e1 mutant cells. We have generated stable wild-type and p.T158M MeCP2e1-RFP mutant expressing cells. Application of N- and C- terminal MeCP2 antibodies, and also, RFP antibody minimized concerns about nonspecific cross-reactivity, since they react with the same antigen at different epitopes. We report the existence of multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands in control cells, stable wild-type and p.T158M MeCP2e1-RFP mutant expressing cells. Also, MeCP2 immunoreactive bands differences were found between wild-type and p.T158M MeCP2e1-RFP mutant expressing cells. Slower migration phosphorylated band around 70kDa disappeared in p.T158M MeCP2e1-RFP mutant expressing cells. These data suggest that threonine 158 could represent an important phosphorylation site potentially involved in protein function. Our results clearly indicate that MeCP2 antibodies have no cross-reactivity with similar epitopes on others proteins, supporting the

  11. Architecture and permeability of post-cytokinesis plasmodesmata lacking cytoplasmic sleeves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolas, William J; Grison, Magali S; Trépout, Sylvain; Gaston, Amélia; Fouché, Mathieu; Cordelières, Fabrice P; Oparka, Karl; Tilsner, Jens; Brocard, Lysiane; Bayer, Emmanuelle M

    2017-06-12

    Plasmodesmata are remarkable cellular machines responsible for the controlled exchange of proteins, small RNAs and signalling molecules between cells. They are lined by the plasma membrane (PM), contain a strand of tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and the space between these two membranes is thought to control plasmodesmata permeability. Here, we have reconstructed plasmodesmata three-dimensional (3D) ultrastructure with an unprecedented level of 3D information using electron tomography. We show that within plasmodesmata, ER-PM contact sites undergo substantial remodelling events during cell differentiation. Instead of being open pores, post-cytokinesis plasmodesmata present such intimate ER-PM contact along the entire length of the pores that no intermembrane gap is visible. Later on, during cell expansion, the plasmodesmata pore widens and the two membranes separate, leaving a cytosolic sleeve spanned by tethers whose presence correlates with the appearance of the intermembrane gap. Surprisingly, the post-cytokinesis plasmodesmata allow diffusion of macromolecules despite the apparent lack of an open cytoplasmic sleeve, forcing the reassessment of the mechanisms that control plant cell-cell communication.

  12. Hepatitis C virus positive diffuse large B-cell lymphomas have distinct molecular features and lack BCL2 translocations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Visco, Carlo; Wang, Jinfen; Tisi, Maria Chiara

    2017-01-01

    apoptotic pathways, have higher proliferative index, and lack BCL2 translocations. CONCLUSIONS: HCV-positive DLBCL have distinct molecular and pathological features compared to the HCV-negative counterparts.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication, 26 September 2017; doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.345 www.bjcancer.com....... in lymphomagenesis, as witnessed by the curative potential of antiviral therapy in HCV-related low-grade B-cell lymphomas. METHODS: We performed a case-control study including 44 HCV-positive cases of de novo DLBCL, comparing them with 132 HCV-negative patients as controls (ratio 3 to 1). Cases and controls were...... for MYC, BCL2 and BCL6, TP53 mutations, and diagnostic specimens reviewed to exclude transformation from low-grade lymphoma. RESULTS: Compared to the HCV-negative controls, patients with HCV-positive de novo DLBCL had differential expression of genes that regulate innate immune response and modulate...

  13. Lack of oxygen effect in glutathione-deficient human cells in culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edgren, M.; Larsson, A.; Nilsson, K.; Revesz, L.; Scott, O.C.A.

    1980-01-01

    The frequency of X-ray-induced DNA breaks was determined in human cell lines which are deficient in glutathione synthetase and have a greatly reduced glutathione content. Hydroxyapatite chromatography was used for the estimation of the DNA breaks in cell cultures, which were derived either from lymphoblasts transformed by infection with EB virus or from fibroblasts. The dose-effect relationship for the induction of breaks when radiation exposure was made in argon, was similar to that found when exposure was made in air. In control cultures with normal glutathione content, the induction of breaks was enhanced when irradiation was made under aerobic, instead of anaerobic, conditions. Treatment of the glutathione-deficient cells with the hypoxic radiosensitizer misonidazole did not enhance the induction of breaks by radiation delivered either in air or in argon. In control cultures, radiation induction of breaks was enhanced by misonidazole under anaerobic but not under aerobic conditions. When the glutathione-deficient cells were pretreated with cysteamine however, irradiation in the absence of oxygen resulted in a decreased frequency of DNA breaks. (author)

  14. Impaired intestinal proglucagon processing in mice lacking prohormone convertase 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ugleholdt, Randi; Zhu, Xiaorong; Deacon, Carolyn F

    2003-01-01

    proglucagon processing showed marked defects. Tissue proglucagon levels in null mice were elevated, and proglucagon processing to glicentin, oxyntomodulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 and -2 (GLP-1 and GLP-2) was markedly decreased, indicating that PC1 is essential for the processing of all the intestinal...... proglucagon cleavage sites. This includes the monobasic site R(77) and, thereby, production of mature, biologically active GLP-1. We also found elevated glucagon levels, suggesting that factors other than PC1 that are capable of processing to mature glucagon are present in the secretory granules of the L cell......The neuroendocrine prohormone convertases 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2) are expressed in endocrine intestinal L cells and pancreatic A cells, respectively, and colocalize with proglucagon in secretory granules. Mice lacking PC2 have multiple endocrinopathies and cannot process proglucagon to mature...

  15. Impaired neuronal maturation of hippocampal neural progenitor cells in mice lacking CRAF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfeiffer, Verena; Götz, Rudolf; Camarero, Guadelupe; Heinsen, Helmut; Blum, Robert; Rapp, Ulf Rüdiger

    2018-01-01

    RAF kinases are major constituents of the mitogen activated signaling pathway, regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and cell survival of many cell types, including neurons. In mammals, the family of RAF proteins consists of three members, ARAF, BRAF, and CRAF. Ablation of CRAF kinase in inbred mouse strains causes major developmental defects during fetal growth and embryonic or perinatal lethality. Heterozygous germline mutations in CRAF result in Noonan syndrome, which is characterized by neurocognitive impairment that may involve hippocampal physiology. The role of CRAF signaling during hippocampal development and generation of new postnatal hippocampal granule neurons has not been examined and may provide novel insight into the cause of hippocampal dysfunction in Noonan syndrome. In this study, by crossing CRAF-deficiency to CD-1 outbred mice, a CRAF mouse model was established which enabled us to investigate the interplay of neural progenitor proliferation and postmitotic differentiation during adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Albeit the general morphology of the hippocampus was unchanged, CRAF-deficient mice displayed smaller granule cell layer (GCL) volume at postnatal day 30 (P30). In CRAF-deficient mice a substantial number of abnormal, chromophilic, fast dividing cells were found in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and hilus of the dentate gyrus (DG), indicating that CRAF signaling contributes to hippocampal neural progenitor proliferation. CRAF-deficient neural progenitor cells showed an increased cell death rate and reduced neuronal maturation. These results indicate that CRAF function affects postmitotic neural cell differentiation and points to a critical role of CRAF-dependent growth factor signaling pathway in the postmitotic development of adult-born neurons.

  16. The lack of autophagy triggers precocious activation of Notch signaling during Drosophila oogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barth Julia MI

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The proper balance of autophagy, a lysosome-mediated degradation process, is indispensable for oogenesis in Drosophila. We recently demonstrated that egg development depends on autophagy in the somatic follicle cells (FC, but not in the germline cells (GCs. However, the lack of autophagy only affects oogenesis when FCs are autophagy-deficient but GCs are wild type, indicating that a dysfunctional signaling between soma and germline may be responsible for the oogenesis defects. Thus, autophagy could play an essential role in modulating signal transduction pathways during egg development. Results Here, we provide further evidence for the necessity of autophagy during oogenesis and demonstrate that autophagy is especially required in subsets of FCs. Generation of autophagy-deficient FCs leads to a wide range of phenotypes that are similar to mutants with defects in the classical cell-cell signaling pathways in the ovary. Interestingly, we observe that loss of autophagy leads to a precocious activation of the Notch pathway in the FCs as monitored by the expression of Cut and Hindsight, two downstream effectors of Notch signaling. Conclusion Our findings point to an unexpected function for autophagy in the modulation of the Notch signaling pathway during Drosophila oogenesis and suggest a function for autophagy in proper receptor activation. Egg development is affected by an imbalance of autophagy between signal sending (germline and signal receiving cell (FC, thus the lack of autophagy in the germline is likely to decrease the amount of active ligand and accordingly compensates for increased signaling in autophagy-defective follicle cells.

  17. Enhanced amino acid utilization sustains growth of cells lacking Snf1/AMPK

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicastro, Raffaele; Tripodi, Farida; Guzzi, Cinzia

    2015-01-01

    when grown with glucose excess. We show that loss of Snf1 in cells growing in 2% glucose induces an extensive transcriptional reprogramming, enhances glycolytic activity, fatty acid accumulation and reliance on amino acid utilization for growth. Strikingly, we demonstrate that Snf1/AMPK-deficient cells...... remodel their metabolism fueling mitochondria and show glucose and amino acids addiction, a typical hallmark of cancer cells....

  18. Generation of H9 T-cells stably expressing a membrane-bound form of the cytoplasmic tail of the Env-glycoprotein: lack of transcomplementation of defective HIV-1 virions encoding C-terminally truncated Env

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bosch Valerie

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract H9-T-cells do not support the replication of mutant HIV-1 encoding Env protein lacking its long cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (Env-CT. Here we describe the generation of a H9-T-cell population constitutively expressing the HIV-1 Env-CT protein domain anchored in the cellular membrane by it homologous membrane-spanning domain (TMD. We confirmed that the Env-TMD-CT protein was associated with cellular membranes, that its expression did not have any obvious cytotoxic effects on the cells and that it did not affect wild-type HIV-1 replication. However, as measured in both a single-round assay as well as in spreading infections, replication competence of mutant pNL-Tr712, lacking the Env-CT, was not restored in this H9 T-cell population. This means that the Env-CT per se cannot transcomplement the replication block of HIV-1 virions encoding C-terminally truncated Env proteins and suggests that the Env-CT likely exerts its function only in the context of the complete Env protein.

  19. Benzene activates caspase-4 and -12 at the transcription level, without an association with apoptosis, in mouse bone marrow cells lacking the p53 gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yi, Jung-Yeon; Han, Jeong-Hee; Yoon, Byung-Il [Kangwon National University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Chuncheon, Gangwon (Korea); Hirabayashi, Yoko; Kodama, Yukio; Kanno, Jun [National Institute of Health Sciences, Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Center for Biological Safety and Research, Tokyo (Japan); Choi, Yang-Kyu [Konkuk University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Inoue, Tohru [National Institute of Health Sciences, Biological Safety and Research Center, Tokyo (Japan)

    2009-08-15

    Benzene is a well-known environmental pollutant that can induce hematotoxicity, aplastic anemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, and lymphoma. However, although benzene metabolites are known to induce oxidative stress and disrupt the cell cycle, the mechanism underlying lympho/leukemogenicity is not fully understood. Caspase-4 (alias caspase-11) and -12 are inflammatory caspases implicated in inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis. The objectives of this study were to investigate the altered expression of caspase-4 and -12 in mouse bone marrow after benzene exposure and to determine whether their alterations are associated with benzene-induced bone marrow toxicity, especially cellular apoptosis. In addition, we evaluated whether the p53 gene is involved in regulating the mechanism, using both wild-type (WT) mice and mice lacking the p53 gene. For this study, 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice [WT and p53 knockout (KO)] were administered a benzene solution (150 mg/kg diluted in corn oil) via oral gavage once daily, 5 days/week, for 1 or 2 weeks. Blood and bone marrow cells were collected and cell counts were measured using a Coulter counter. Total mRNA and protein extracts were prepared from the harvested bone marrow cells. Then qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect changes in the caspases at the mRNA and protein level, respectively. A DNA fragmentation assay and Annexin-V staining were carried out on the bone marrow cells to detect apoptosis. Results indicated that when compared to the control, leukocyte number and bone marrow cellularity decreased significantly in WT mice. The expression of caspase-4 and -12 mRNA increased significantly after 12 days of benzene treatment in the bone marrow cells of benzene-exposed p53KO mice. However, apoptosis detection assays indicated no evidence of apoptosis in p53KO or WT mice. In addition, no changes of other apoptosis-related caspases, such as caspase-3 and -9, were found in WT or p53KO mice at the

  20. Deglycosylation systematically improves N-glycoprotein identification in liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry proteomics for analysis of cell wall stress responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking Alg3p.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Ulla-Maja; Schulz, Benjamin L

    2013-04-01

    Post-translational modification of proteins with glycosylation is of key importance in many biological systems in eukaryotes, influencing fundamental biological processes and regulating protein function. Changes in glycosylation are therefore of interest in understanding these processes and are also useful as clinical biomarkers of disease. The presence of glycosylation can also inhibit protease digestion and lower the quality and confidence of protein identification by mass spectrometry. While deglycosylation can improve the efficiency of subsequent protease digest and increase protein coverage, this step is often excluded from proteomic workflows. Here, we performed a systematic analysis that showed that deglycosylation with peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) prior to protease digestion with AspN or trypsin improved the quality of identification of the yeast cell wall proteome. The improvement in the confidence of identification of glycoproteins following PNGase F deglycosylation correlated with a higher density of glycosylation sites. Optimal identification across the proteome was achieved with PNGase F deglycosylation and complementary proteolysis with either AspN or trypsin. We used this combination of deglycosylation and complementary protease digest to identify changes in the yeast cell wall proteome caused by lack of the Alg3p protein, a key component of the biosynthetic pathway of protein N-glycosylation. The cell wall of yeast lacking Alg3p showed specifically increased levels of Cis3p, a protein important for cell wall integrity. Our results showed that deglycosylation prior to protease digestion improved the quality of proteomic analyses even if protein glycosylation is not of direct relevance to the study at hand. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Lack of a peroxiredoxin suppresses the lethality of cells devoid of electron donors by channelling electrons to oxidized ribonucleotide reductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boronat, Susanna; Domènech, Alba; Carmona, Mercè; García-Santamarina, Sarela; Bañó, M Carmen; Ayté, José; Hidalgo, Elena

    2017-06-01

    The thioredoxin and glutaredoxin pathways are responsible of recycling several enzymes which undergo intramolecular disulfide bond formation as part of their catalytic cycles such as the peroxide scavengers peroxiredoxins or the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). RNR, the rate-limiting enzyme of deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, is an essential enzyme relying on these electron flow cascades for recycling. RNR is tightly regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner at different levels, but little is known about the participation of electron donors in such regulation. Here, we show that cytosolic thioredoxins Trx1 and Trx3 are the primary electron donors for RNR in fission yeast. Unexpectedly, trx1 transcript and Trx1 protein levels are up-regulated in a G1-to-S phase-dependent manner, indicating that the supply of electron donors is also cell cycle-regulated. Indeed, genetic depletion of thioredoxins triggers a DNA replication checkpoint ruled by Rad3 and Cds1, with the final goal of up-regulating transcription of S phase genes and constitutive RNR synthesis. Regarding the thioredoxin and glutaredoxin cascades, one combination of gene deletions is synthetic lethal in fission yeast: cells lacking both thioredoxin reductase and cytosolic dithiol glutaredoxin. We have isolated a suppressor of this lethal phenotype: a mutation at the Tpx1-coding gene, leading to a frame shift and a loss-of-function of Tpx1, the main client of electron donors. We propose that in a mutant strain compromised in reducing equivalents, the absence of an abundant and competitive substrate such as the peroxiredoxin Tpx1 has been selected as a lethality suppressor to favor RNR function at the expense of the non-essential peroxide scavenging function, to allow DNA synthesis and cell growth.

  2. Lack of a peroxiredoxin suppresses the lethality of cells devoid of electron donors by channelling electrons to oxidized ribonucleotide reductase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanna Boronat

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The thioredoxin and glutaredoxin pathways are responsible of recycling several enzymes which undergo intramolecular disulfide bond formation as part of their catalytic cycles such as the peroxide scavengers peroxiredoxins or the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR. RNR, the rate-limiting enzyme of deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, is an essential enzyme relying on these electron flow cascades for recycling. RNR is tightly regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner at different levels, but little is known about the participation of electron donors in such regulation. Here, we show that cytosolic thioredoxins Trx1 and Trx3 are the primary electron donors for RNR in fission yeast. Unexpectedly, trx1 transcript and Trx1 protein levels are up-regulated in a G1-to-S phase-dependent manner, indicating that the supply of electron donors is also cell cycle-regulated. Indeed, genetic depletion of thioredoxins triggers a DNA replication checkpoint ruled by Rad3 and Cds1, with the final goal of up-regulating transcription of S phase genes and constitutive RNR synthesis. Regarding the thioredoxin and glutaredoxin cascades, one combination of gene deletions is synthetic lethal in fission yeast: cells lacking both thioredoxin reductase and cytosolic dithiol glutaredoxin. We have isolated a suppressor of this lethal phenotype: a mutation at the Tpx1-coding gene, leading to a frame shift and a loss-of-function of Tpx1, the main client of electron donors. We propose that in a mutant strain compromised in reducing equivalents, the absence of an abundant and competitive substrate such as the peroxiredoxin Tpx1 has been selected as a lethality suppressor to favor RNR function at the expense of the non-essential peroxide scavenging function, to allow DNA synthesis and cell growth.

  3. Cell-extracellular matrix and cell-cell adhesion are linked by syndecan-4

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pakideeri Karat, Sandeep Gopal; Multhaupt, Hinke A B; Pocock, Roger

    2017-01-01

    Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell-cell junctions that employ microfilaments are sites of tension. They are important for tissue repair, morphogenetic movements and can be emblematic of matrix contraction in fibrotic disease and the stroma of solid tumors. One cell surface receptor, syndecan...... calcium. While it is known that cell-ECM and cell-cell junctions may be linked, possible roles for syndecans in this process are not understood. Here we show that wild type primary fibroblasts and those lacking syndecan-4 utilize different cadherins in their adherens junctions and that tension is a major...... factor in this differential response. This corresponds to the reduced ability of fibroblasts lacking syndecan-4 to exert tension on the ECM and we now show that this may extend to reduced tension in cell-cell adhesion....

  4. Deriving mechanisms responsible for the lack of correlation between hypoxia and acidity in solid tumors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid R Molavian

    Full Text Available Hypoxia and acidity are two main microenvironmental factors intimately associated with solid tumors and play critical roles in tumor growth and metastasis. The experimental results of Helmlinger and colleagues (Nature Medicine 3, 177, 1997 provide evidence of a lack of correlation between these factors on the micrometer scale in vivo and further show that the distribution of pH and pO(2 are heterogeneous. Here, using computational simulations, grounded in these experimental results, we show that the lack of correlation between pH and pO(2 and the heterogeneity in their shapes are related to the heterogeneous concentration of buffers and oxygen in the blood vessels, further amplified by the network of blood vessels and the cell metabolism. We also demonstrate that, although the judicious administration of anti-angiogenesis agents (normalization process in tumors may lead to recovery of the correlation between hypoxia and acidity, it may not normalize the pH throughout the whole tumor. However, an increase in the buffering capacity inside the blood vessels does appear to increase the extracellular pH throughout the whole tumor. Based on these results, we propose that the application of anti-angiogenic agents and at the same time increasing the buffering capacity of the tumor extracellular environment may be the most efficient way of normalizing the tumor microenvironment. As a by-product of our simulation we show that the recently observed lack of correlation between glucose consumption and hypoxia in cells which rely on respiration is related to the inhomogeneous consumption of glucose to oxygen concentration. We also demonstrate that this lack of correlation in cells which rely on glycolysis could be related to the heterogeneous concentration of oxygen inside the blood vessels.

  5. Doxofylline does not increase formoterol-induced cAMP nor MKP-1 expression in ASM cells resulting in lack of anti-inflammatory effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Brijeshkumar S; Kugel, Michael J; Baehring, Gina; Ammit, Alaina J

    2017-08-01

    The xanthine doxofylline has been examined in clinical trials and shown to have efficacy and greater tolerability than theophylline in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The 'novofylline' doxofylline has demonstrated bronchodilatory and anti-inflammatory actions in in vivo and ex vivo experimental models of respiratory disease. However, there are limited studies in vitro. We address this herein and examine whether doxofylline has anti-inflammatory impact on primary cultures of airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. We conduct a series of investigations comparing and contrasting doxofylline with the archetypal xanthine, theophylline, and the specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor, cilomilast. We confirm that the xanthine drugs do not have action as PDE inhibitors in ASM cells. Unlike cilomilast, doxofylline (and theophylline) do not increase cAMP production in ASM cells induced by long-acting β 2 -agonist formoterol. Similar to theophylline, and consistent with the lack of cAMP potentiation, doxofylline does not augment formoterol-induced upregulation of the anti-inflammatory protein mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1). However, when we examine the effect of doxofylline on secretion of the interleukin 8 from ASM cells stimulated by tumour necrosis factor (an in vitro surrogate measure of inflammation), there was no repression of inflammation. This is in contrast to the anti-inflammatory impact exerted by theophylline and cilomilast in confirmatory experiments. In summary, our study is the first to examine the effect of doxofylline on ASM cells in vitro and highlights some distinct differences between two key members of xanthine drug family, doxofylline and theophylline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. PprM is necessary for up-regulation of katE1, encoding the major catalase of Deinococcus radiodurans, under unstressed culture conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Sun-Wook; Seo, Ho Seong; Kim, Min-Kyu; Choi, Jong-Il; Lim, Heon-Man; Lim, Sangyong

    2016-06-01

    Deinococcus radiodurans is a poly-extremophilic organism, capable of tolerating a wide variety of different stresses, such as gamma/ultraviolet radiation, desiccation, and oxidative stress. PprM, a cold shock protein homolog, is involved in the radiation resistance of D. radiodurans, but its role in the oxidative stress response has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the effect of pprM mutation on catalase gene expression. pprM disruption decreased the mRNA and protein levels of KatE1, which is the major catalase in D. radiodurans, under normal culture conditions. A pprM mutant strain (pprM MT) exhibited decreased catalase activity, and its resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decreased accordingly compared with that of the wild-type strain. We confirmed that RecG helicase negatively regulates katE1 under normal culture conditions. Among katE1 transcriptional regulators, the positive regulator drRRA was not altered in pprM (-), while the negative regulators perR, dtxR, and recG were activated more than 2.5-fold in pprM MT. These findings suggest that PprM is necessary for KatE1 production under normal culture conditions by down-regulation of katE1 negative regulators.

  7. The analysis of novel microRNA mimic sequences in cancer cells reveals lack of specificity in stem-loop RT-qPCR-based microRNA detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winata, Patrick; Williams, Marissa; McGowan, Eileen; Nassif, Najah; van Zandwijk, Nico; Reid, Glen

    2017-11-17

    MicroRNAs are frequently downregulated in cancer, and restoring expression has tumour suppressive activity in tumour cells. Our recent phase I clinical trial investigated microRNA-based therapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Treatment with TargomiRs, microRNA mimics with novel sequence packaged in EGFR antibody-targeted bacterial minicells, revealed clear signs of clinical activity. In order to detect delivery of microRNA mimics to tumour cells in future clinical trials, we tested hydrolysis probe-based assays specific for the sequence of the novel mimics in transfected mesothelioma cell lines using RT-qPCR. The custom assays efficiently and specifically amplified the consensus mimics. However, we found that these assays gave a signal when total RNA from untransfected and control mimic-transfected cells were used as templates. Further investigation revealed that the reverse transcription step using stem-loop primers appeared to introduce substantial non-specific amplification with either total RNA or synthetic RNA templates. This suggests that reverse transcription using stem-loop primers suffers from an intrinsic lack of specificity for the detection of highly similar microRNAs in the same family, especially when analysing total RNA. These results suggest that RT-qPCR is unlikely to be an effective means to detect delivery of microRNA mimic-based drugs to tumour cells in patients.

  8. Myelosuppression of Thrombocytes and Monocytes Is Associated with a Lack of Synergy between Chemotherapy and Anti-VEGF Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Starlinger

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Chemotherapeutic agents that have shown improved patient outcome when combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF therapy were recently identified to induce the mobilization of proangiogenic Tie-2-expressing monocytes (TEMs and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs by platelet release of stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α. VEGF blockade was found to counteract cell mobilization. We aimed to determine why agents like gemcitabine do not elicit TEM and EPC recruitment and may therefore lack synergy with anti-VEGF therapy. Experimental Design: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients (n = 20 were monitored during 16 weeks of neoadjuvant therapy. Treatment was based on gemcitabine with or without the addition of bevacizumab. Blood levels of proangiogenic cell populations and angiogenesis factors were determined in 2-week intervals. Results: The lack of EPC mobilization during gemcitabine therapy was associated with severe thrombocytopenia and reduced SDF-1α blood concentrations. Furthermore, myelosuppression by gemcitabine correlated significantly with loss of TEMs. With respect to angiogenic factors stored and released by platelets, plasma levels of the angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1 were selectively decreased and correlated significantly with thrombocytopenia in response to gemcitabine therapy. Conclusions: A thorough literature screen identified thrombocytopenia as a common feature of chemotherapeutic agents that lack synergy with anti-VEGF treatment. Our results on gemcitabine therapy indicate that myelosuppression (in particular, with respect to thrombocytes and monocytes interferes with the mobilization of proangiogenic cell types targeted by bevacizumab and may further counteract antiangiogenic therapy by substantially reducing the angiogenesis inhibitor TSP-1.

  9. Lack of radiation protective effect of orgotein in normal and malignant mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Overgaard, J.; Nielsen, O.S.; Overgaard, M.; Steenholdt, S.; Jakobsen, A.; Sell, A.

    1979-01-01

    The potential radiation protective effect of orgotein, a metalloprotein with superoxide dismutase activity, was investigated in L 1 A 2 tumour cells in vitro, jejunal crypt cells and C 3 H mouse mammary carcinoma in vivo. No effect of orgotein, given either 2 hours before irradiation or 30 min after, was observed compared to the effect of irradiation alone. Thus, it was concluded that orgotein did not influence the primary radiation response in air in mammalian cells. (Auth.)

  10. Lack of interaction between digoxin and quinidine in cultured heart cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, J.D.; Barry, W.H.; Smith, T.W.

    1982-01-01

    Previous investigations have raised the possibility that the digoxin-quinidine interaction is associated with a reduction in the positive inotropic effect of digoxin due to displacement of digoxin from cardiac as well as skeletal muscle. To circumvent some of the complexities presented by intact animal models, this interaction was investigated in cultured chick embryo ventricular cells. Quinidine, even at relatively high concentrations (10(-4)--2 x 10(-3) M), did not significantly affect positive inotropic effects of digoxin and did not protect against cellular contracture induced by toxic digoxin concentrations, despite preincubation of cells with quinidine for 60 min. The effects of digoxin on monovalent cation transport, as judged by active uptake of the K analog 86Rb, were also not altered by 10(-4) M to 2 x 10(-3) M quinidine. These data suggest that quinidine does not displace digoxin from Na, K adenosine triphosphatase binding sites in this preparation. Although these data must be extrapolated to the intact animal with caution, our findings suggest that changes in digoxin clearance are more likely of primary importance in the digoxin-quinidine interaction, and indicate that the approximately 2-fold increase in serum digoxin concentration observed after addition of quinidine would be expected to have direct effects on myocardial cells comparable with those seen with increased digoxin concentration in the absence of quinidine

  11. Lack of radiation protective effect of orgotein in normal and malignant mammalian cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Overgaard, J; Nielsen, O S; Overgaard, M; Steenholdt, S; Jakobsen, A; Sell, A [Institute of Cancer Research and The Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, The Radium Centre, Aarhus, Denmark

    1979-01-01

    The potential radiation protective effect of orgotein, a metalloprotein with superoxide dismutase activity, was investigated in L/sub 1/A/sub 2/ tumour cells in vitro, jejunal crypt cells and C/sub 3/H mouse mammary carcinoma in vivo. No effect of orgotein, given either 2 hours before irradiation or 30 min after, was observed compared to the effect of irradiation alone. Thus, it was concluded that orgotein did not influence the primary radiation response in air in mammalian cells.

  12. Collagen Accumulation in Osteosarcoma Cells lacking GLT25D1 Collagen Galactosyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Stephan; Hennet, Thierry

    2016-08-26

    Collagen is post-translationally modified by prolyl and lysyl hydroxylation and subsequently by glycosylation of hydroxylysine. Despite the widespread occurrence of the glycan structure Glc(α1-2)Gal linked to hydroxylysine in animals, the functional significance of collagen glycosylation remains elusive. To address the role of glycosylation in collagen expression, folding, and secretion, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to inactivate the collagen galactosyltransferase GLT25D1 and GLT25D2 genes in osteosarcoma cells. Loss of GLT25D1 led to increased expression and intracellular accumulation of collagen type I, whereas loss of GLT25D2 had no effect on collagen secretion. Inactivation of the GLT25D1 gene resulted in a compensatory induction of GLT25D2 expression. Loss of GLT25D1 decreased collagen glycosylation by up to 60% but did not alter collagen folding and thermal stability. Whereas cells harboring individually inactivated GLT25D1 and GLT25D2 genes could be recovered and maintained in culture, cell clones with simultaneously inactive GLT25D1 and GLT25D2 genes could be not grown and studied, suggesting that a complete loss of collagen glycosylation impairs osteosarcoma cell proliferation and viability. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. PINCH1 regulates cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions, cell polarity and cell survival during the peri-implantation stage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shaohua; Bordoy, Randi; Stanchi, Fabio

    2005-01-01

    PINCH1 is composed of 5 LIM domains, binds integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and locates to integrin-mediated adhesion sites. In order to investigate PINCH1 function we generated mice and embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) lacking the PINCH1 gene. Similar to mice lacking beta1...... integrin or Ilk, loss of PINCH1 arrested development at the peri-implantation stage. In contrast to beta1 integrin or Ilk mutants, however, disruption of the PINCH1 gene produced implantation chambers with visible cell clumps even at embryonic day 9.5. In order to define the phenotype leading to the peri...... not observed in beta1 integrin- or ILK-deficient mice or EBs, included abnormal cell-cell adhesion of endoderm and epiblast as well as the presence of apoptotic cells in the endodermal cell layer. Although ILK and PINCH1 were shown to be involved in the phosphorylation of serine-473 of PKB/Akt, immunostaining...

  14. An increase in immature β-cells lacking Glut2 precedes the expansion of β-cell mass in the pregnant mouse.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine A Beamish

    Full Text Available A compensatory increase in β-cell mass occurs during pregnancy to counter the associated insulin resistance, and a failure in adaptation is thought to contribute to gestational diabetes. Insulin-expressing but glucose-transporter-2-low (Ins+Glut2LO progenitor cells are present in mouse and human pancreas, being predominantly located in extra-islet β-cell clusters, and contribute to the regeneration of the endocrine pancreas following induced ablation. We therefore sought to investigate the contribution of Ins+Glut2LO cells to β-cell mass expansion during pregnancy. Female C57Bl/6 mice were time mated and pancreata were collected at gestational days (GD 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, and postpartum D7 (n = 4/time-point and compared to control (non-pregnant animals. Beta cell mass, location, proliferation (Ki67+, and proportion of Ins+Glut2LO cells were measured using immunohistochemistry and bright field or confocal microscopy. Beta cell mass tripled by GD18 and β-cell proliferation peaked at GD12 in islets (≥6 β-cells and small β-cell clusters (1-5 β-cells. The proportion and fraction of Ins+Glut2LO cells undergoing proliferation increased significantly at GD9 in both islets and clusters, preceding the increase in β-cell mass and proliferation, and their proliferation within clusters persisted until GD15. The overall number of clusters increased significantly at GD9. Quantitative PCR showed a significant increase in Pdx1 presence at GD9 vs. GD18 or control pancreas, and Pdx1 was visualized by immunohistochemistry within both Ins+Glut2LO and Ins+Glut2HI cells within clusters. These results indicate that Ins+Glut2LO cells are likely to contribute to β-cell mass expansion during pregnancy.

  15. Regulation of ENaC in mice lacking renal insulin receptors in the collecting duct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Tengis S.; Ilatovskaya, Daria V.; Levchenko, Vladislav; Li, Lijun; Ecelbarger, Carolyn M.; Staruschenko, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is one of the central effectors involved in regulation of salt and water homeostasis in the kidney. To study mechanisms of ENaC regulation, we generated knockout mice lacking the insulin receptor (InsR KO) specifically in the collecting duct principal cells. Single-channel analysis in freshly isolated split-open tubules demonstrated that the InsR-KO mice have significantly lower ENaC activity compared to their wild-type (C57BL/6J) littermates when animals were fed either normal or sodium-deficient diets. Immunohistochemical and Western blot assays demonstrated no significant changes in expression of ENaC subunits in InsR-KO mice compared to wild-type littermates. Insulin treatment caused greater ENaC activity in split-open tubules isolated from wild-type mice but did not have this effect in the InsR-KO mice. Thus, these results suggest that insulin increases ENaC activity via its own receptor affecting the channel open probability. To further determine the mechanism of the action of insulin on ENaC, we used mouse mpkCCDc14 principal cells. Insulin significantly augmented amiloride-sensitive transepithelial flux in these cells. Pretreatment of the mpkCCDc14 cells with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (LY294002; 10 μM) or mTOR (PP242; 100 nM) inhibitors precluded this effect. This study provides new information about the importance of insulin receptors expressed in collecting duct principal cells for ENaC activity.—Pavlov, T. S., Ilatovskaya, D. V., Levchenko, V., Li, L., Ecelbarger, C. M., Staruschenko, A. Regulation of ENaC in mice lacking renal insulin receptors in the collecting duct. PMID:23558339

  16. Leishmania promastigotes lack phosphatidylserine but bind annexin V upon permeabilization or miltefosine treatment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrien Weingärtner

    Full Text Available The protozoan parasite Leishmania is an intracellular pathogen infecting and replicating inside vertebrate host macrophages. A recent model suggests that promastigote and amastigote forms of the parasite mimic mammalian apoptotic cells by exposing phosphatidylserine (PS at the cell surface to trigger their phagocytic uptake into host macrophages. PS presentation at the cell surface is typically analyzed using fluorescence-labeled annexin V. Here we show that Leishmania promastigotes can be stained by fluorescence-labeled annexin V upon permeabilization or miltefosine treatment. However, combined lipid analysis by thin-layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and (31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy revealed that Leishmania promastigotes lack any detectable amount of PS. Instead, we identified several other phospholipid classes such phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine; phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol as candidate lipids enabling annexin V staining.

  17. Generation of a non-transmissive Borna disease virus vector lacking both matrix and glycoprotein genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujino, Kan; Yamamoto, Yusuke; Daito, Takuji; Makino, Akiko; Honda, Tomoyuki; Tomonaga, Keizo

    2017-09-01

    Borna disease virus (BoDV), a prototype of mammalian bornavirus, is a non-segmented, negative strand RNA virus that often causes severe neurological disorders in infected animals, including horses and sheep. Unique among animal RNA viruses, BoDV transcribes and replicates non-cytopathically in the cell nucleus, leading to establishment of long-lasting persistent infection. This striking feature of BoDV indicates its potential as an RNA virus vector system. It has previously been demonstrated by our team that recombinant BoDV (rBoDV) lacking an envelope glycoprotein (G) gene develops persistent infections in transduced cells without loss of the viral genome. In this study, a novel non-transmissive rBoDV, rBoDV ΔMG, which lacks both matrix (M) and G genes in the genome, is reported. rBoDV-ΔMG expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP), rBoDV ΔMG-GFP, was efficiently generated in Vero/MG cells stably expressing both BoDV M and G proteins. Infection with rBoDV ΔMG-GFP was persistently maintained in the parent Vero cells without propagation within cell culture. The optimal ratio of M and G for efficient viral particle production by transient transfection of M and G expression plasmids into cells persistently infected with rBoDV ΔMG-GFP was also demonstrated. These findings indicate that the rBoDV ΔMG-based BoDV vector may provide an extremely safe virus vector system and could be a novel strategy for investigating the function of M and G proteins and the host range of bornaviruses. © 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  18. Motor hypertonia and lack of locomotor coordination in mutant mice lacking DSCAM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Maxime; Laflamme, Olivier D; Thiry, Louise; Boulanger-Piette, Antoine; Frenette, Jérôme; Bretzner, Frédéric

    2016-03-01

    Down syndrome cell adherence molecule (DSCAM) contributes to the normal establishment and maintenance of neural circuits. Whereas there is abundant literature regarding the role of DSCAM in the neural patterning of the mammalian retina, less is known about motor circuits. Recently, DSCAM mutation has been shown to impair bilateral motor coordination during respiration, thus causing death at birth. DSCAM mutants that survive through adulthood display a lack of locomotor endurance and coordination in the rotarod test, thus suggesting that the DSCAM mutation impairs motor control. We investigated the motor and locomotor functions of DSCAM(2J) mutant mice through a combination of anatomical, kinematic, force, and electromyographic recordings. With respect to wild-type mice, DSCAM(2J) mice displayed a longer swing phase with a limb hyperflexion at the expense of a shorter stance phase during locomotion. Furthermore, electromyographic activity in the flexor and extensor muscles was increased and coactivated over 20% of the step cycle over a wide range of walking speeds. In contrast to wild-type mice, which used lateral walk and trot at walking speed, DSCAM(2J) mice used preferentially less coordinated gaits, such as out-of-phase walk and pace. The neuromuscular junction and the contractile properties of muscles, as well as their muscle spindles, were normal, and no signs of motor rigidity or spasticity were observed during passive limb movements. Our study demonstrates that the DSCAM mutation induces dystonic hypertonia and a disruption of locomotor gaits. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  19. Lack of HXK2 Induces Localization of Active Ras in Mitochondria and Triggers Apoptosis in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loredana Amigoni

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We recently showed that activated Ras proteins are localized to the plasma membrane and in the nucleus in wild-type cells growing exponentially on glucose, while in the hxk2Δ strain they accumulated mainly in mitochondria. An aberrant accumulation of activated Ras in these organelles was previously reported and correlated to mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of ROS, and cell death. Here we show that addition of acetic acid to wild-type cells results in a rapid recruitment of Ras-GTP from the nucleus and the plasma membrane to the mitochondria, providing a further proof that Ras proteins might be involved in programmed cell death. Moreover, we show that Hxk2 protects against apoptosis in S. cerevisiae. In particular, cells lacking HXK2 and showing a constitutive accumulation of activated Ras at the mitochondria are more sensitive to acetic-acid-induced programmed cell death compared to the wild type strain. Indeed, deletion of HXK2 causes an increase of apoptotic cells with several morphological and biochemical changes that are typical of apoptosis, including DNA fragmentation, externalization of phosphatidylserine, and ROS production. Finally, our results suggest that apoptosis induced by lack of Hxk2 may not require the activation of Yca1, the metacaspase homologue identified in yeast.

  20. Lack of HXK2 induces localization of active Ras in mitochondria and triggers apoptosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amigoni, Loredana; Martegani, Enzo; Colombo, Sonia

    2013-01-01

    We recently showed that activated Ras proteins are localized to the plasma membrane and in the nucleus in wild-type cells growing exponentially on glucose, while in the hxk2Δ strain they accumulated mainly in mitochondria. An aberrant accumulation of activated Ras in these organelles was previously reported and correlated to mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of ROS, and cell death. Here we show that addition of acetic acid to wild-type cells results in a rapid recruitment of Ras-GTP from the nucleus and the plasma membrane to the mitochondria, providing a further proof that Ras proteins might be involved in programmed cell death. Moreover, we show that Hxk2 protects against apoptosis in S. cerevisiae. In particular, cells lacking HXK2 and showing a constitutive accumulation of activated Ras at the mitochondria are more sensitive to acetic-acid-induced programmed cell death compared to the wild type strain. Indeed, deletion of HXK2 causes an increase of apoptotic cells with several morphological and biochemical changes that are typical of apoptosis, including DNA fragmentation, externalization of phosphatidylserine, and ROS production. Finally, our results suggest that apoptosis induced by lack of Hxk2 may not require the activation of Yca1, the metacaspase homologue identified in yeast.

  1. Lack of dependence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine-mediated radiosensitization on cytotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, T.S.; Davis, M.A.; Chang, E.Y.

    1995-01-01

    It has been proposed that fluoropyrimidine-mediated cytotoxicity and radiosensitization are closely correlated. We have shown that HT29 human colon cancer cells transfected with the E. coli dUTPase gene are resistant to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd)-mediated cytotoxicity, presumably through more effective elimination of dUTP. We used these cells to assess the association between radiosensitization and cytotoxicity produced by FdUrd. The radiation sensitivities of the clones expressing elevated dUTPase activity (dutE clones) were similar to those of untransfected HT29 cells or HT29 cells which has been transfected with only the expression vector for the E. coli gene (con clones). We found that FdUrd produced similar increases in radiation sensitivity regardless of dUTPase activity. Levels of dUTPase in the dutE clones remained elevated during the entire period of FdUrd exposure, demonstrating that the lack of difference between dutE and Con clones was not a reflection of down-regulation of dUTPase activity by FdUrd, Flow cytometry showed that all clones progressed past the G 1 /S-phase boundary and into early S phase during FdUrd treatment. These data suggest that the mechanisms of FdUrd-mediated cytotoxicity and radiosensitization are not closely linked. These findings, combined with our previous investigations, are consistent with the hypothesis that radiosensitization occurs in cells which progress past the G 1 /S-phase boundary in the presence of FdUrd. 24 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

  2. Myelosuppression of Thrombocytes and Monocytes Is Associated with a Lack of Synergy between Chemotherapy and Anti-VEGF Treatment1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starlinger, Patrick; Brugger, Philipp; Schauer, Dominic; Sommerfeldt, Silvia; Tamandl, Dietmar; Kuehrer, Irene; Schoppmann, Sebastian F; Gnant, Michael; Brostjan, Christine

    2011-01-01

    Purpose Chemotherapeutic agents that have shown improved patient outcome when combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy were recently identified to induce the mobilization of proangiogenic Tie-2-expressing monocytes (TEMs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) by platelet release of stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α). VEGF blockade was found to counteract cell mobilization. We aimed to determine why agents like gemcitabine do not elicit TEM and EPC recruitment and may therefore lack synergy with anti-VEGF therapy. Experimental Design Locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients (n = 20) were monitored during 16 weeks of neoadjuvant therapy. Treatment was based on gemcitabine with or without the addition of bevacizumab. Blood levels of proangiogenic cell populations and angiogenesis factors were determined in 2-week intervals. Results The lack of EPC mobilization during gemcitabine therapy was associated with severe thrombocytopenia and reduced SDF-1α blood concentrations. Furthermore, myelosuppression by gemcitabine correlated significantly with loss of TEMs. With respect to angiogenic factors stored and released by platelets, plasma levels of the angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) were selectively decreased and correlated significantly with thrombocytopenia in response to gemcitabine therapy. Conclusions A thorough literature screen identified thrombocytopenia as a common feature of chemotherapeutic agents that lack synergy with anti-VEGF treatment. Our results on gemcitabine therapy indicate that myelosuppression (in particular, with respect to thrombocytes and monocytes) interferes with the mobilization of proangiogenic cell types targeted by bevacizumab and may further counteract antiangiogenic therapy by substantially reducing the angiogenesis inhibitor TSP-1. PMID:21532882

  3. Lack of the sodium-driven chloride bicarbonate exchanger NCBE impairs visual function in the mouse retina.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerrit Hilgen

    Full Text Available Regulation of ion and pH homeostasis is essential for normal neuronal function. The sodium-driven chloride bicarbonate exchanger NCBE (Slc4a10, a member of the SLC4 family of bicarbonate transporters, uses the transmembrane gradient of sodium to drive cellular net uptake of bicarbonate and to extrude chloride, thereby modulating both intracellular pH (pH(i and chloride concentration ([Cl(-](i in neurons. Here we show that NCBE is strongly expressed in the retina. As GABA(A receptors conduct both chloride and bicarbonate, we hypothesized that NCBE may be relevant for GABAergic transmission in the retina. Importantly, we found a differential expression of NCBE in bipolar cells: whereas NCBE was expressed on ON and OFF bipolar cell axon terminals, it only localized to dendrites of OFF bipolar cells. On these compartments, NCBE colocalized with the main neuronal chloride extruder KCC2, which renders GABA hyperpolarizing. NCBE was also expressed in starburst amacrine cells, but was absent from neurons known to depolarize in response to GABA, like horizontal cells. Mice lacking NCBE showed decreased visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in behavioral experiments and smaller b-wave amplitudes and longer latencies in electroretinograms. Ganglion cells from NCBE-deficient mice also showed altered temporal response properties. In summary, our data suggest that NCBE may serve to maintain intracellular chloride and bicarbonate concentration in retinal neurons. Consequently, lack of NCBE in the retina may result in changes in pH(i regulation and chloride-dependent inhibition, leading to altered signal transmission and impaired visual function.

  4. Deficient CD4+ T cell priming and regression of CD8+ T cell functionality in virus-infected mice lacking a normal B cell compartment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jan Pravsgaard; Kauffmann, Susanne Ørding; Thomsen, Allan Randrup

    2003-01-01

    of virus-specific CD4(+) T cells was markedly impaired in B(-/-) mice infected with either virus strain. Thus, our results indicate that B cells play an important role in antiviral immunity not only as Ab producers, but also in promoting an optimal and sustained T cell response. The T cell defects......In this study, we investigate the state of T cell-mediated immunity in B cell-deficient (B(-/-)) mice infected with two strains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus known to differ markedly in their capacity to persist. In B(-/-) C57BL mice infected with the more persisting virus, virus......-specific CD8(+) T cells are initially generated that are qualitatively similar to those in wild-type mice. However, although cell numbers are well sustained over time, the capacity to produce cytokines is rapidly impaired. In similarly infected B(-/-) BALB/c mice, virus-specific CD8(+) T cells are completely...

  5. Deficient incorporation of spike protein into virions contributes to the lack of infectivity following establishment of a persistent, non-productive infection in oligodendroglial cell culture by murine coronavirus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yin; Herbst, Werner; Cao Jianzhong; Zhang Xuming

    2011-01-01

    Infection of mouse oligodendrocytes with a recombinant mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) expressing a green fluorescence protein facilitated specific selection of virus-infected cells and subsequent establishment of persistence. Interestingly, while viral genomic RNAs persisted in infected cells over 14 subsequent passages with concomitant synthesis of viral subgenomic mRNAs and structural proteins, no infectious virus was isolated beyond passage 2. Further biochemical and electron microscopic analyses revealed that virions, while assembled, contained little spike in the envelope, indicating that lack of infectivity during persistence was likely due to deficiency in spike incorporation. This type of non-lytic, non-productive persistence in oligodendrocytes is unique among animal viruses and resembles MHV persistence previously observed in the mouse central nervous system. Thus, establishment of such a culture system that can recapitulate the in vivo phenomenon will provide a powerful approach for elucidating the mechanisms of coronavirus persistence in glial cells at the cellular and molecular levels.

  6. Phenylbutyrate Sensitizes Human Glioblastoma Cells Lacking Wild-Type P53 Function to Ionizing Radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, Carlos A.; Feng, Felix Y.; Herman, Joseph M.; Nyati, Mukesh K.; Lawrence, Theodore S.; Ljungman, Mats

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors induce growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis in cancer cells. Phenylbutyrate (PB) is a HDAC inhibitor used clinically for treatment of urea cycle disorders. Because of its low cytotoxicity, cerebrospinal fluid penetration, and high oral bioavailability, we investigated PB as a potential radiation sensitizer in human glioblastoma cell lines. Methods and Materials: Four glioblastoma cell lines were selected for this study. Phenylbutyrate was used at a concentration of 2 mM, which is achievable in humans. Western blots were used to assess levels of acetylated histone H3 in tumor cells after treatment with PB. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis. Clonogenic assays were performed to assess the effect of PB on radiation sensitivity. We used shRNA against p53 to study the role of p53 in radiosensitization. Results: Treatment with PB alone resulted in hyperacetylation of histones, confirmed by Western blot analysis. The PB alone resulted in cytostatic effects in three cell lines. There was no evidence of G 1 arrest, increase in sub-G 1 fraction or p21 protein induction. Clonogenic assays showed radiosensitization in two lines harboring p53 mutations, with enhancement ratios (± SE) of 1.5 (± 0.2) and 1.3 (± 0.1), respectively. There was no radiopotentiating effect in two cell lines with wild-type p53, but knockdown of wild-type p53 resulted in radiosensitization by PB. Conclusions: Phenylbutyrate can produce p21-independent cytostasis, and enhances radiation sensitivity in p53 mutant human glioblastoma cells in vitro. This suggests the potential application of combined PB and radiotherapy in glioblastoma harboring mutant p53

  7. Lack of T-cell receptor-induced signaling is crucial for CD95 ligand up-regulation and protects cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells from activation-induced cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klemke, Claus-Detlev; Brenner, Dirk; Weiss, Eva-Maria; Schmidt, Marc; Leverkus, Martin; Gülow, Karsten; Krammer, Peter H

    2009-05-15

    Restimulation of previously activated T cells via the T-cell receptor (TCR) leads to activation-induced cell death (AICD), which is, at least in part, dependent on the death receptor CD95 (APO-1, FAS) and its natural ligand (CD95L). Here, we characterize cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cells (CTCL tumor cell lines and primary CTCL tumor cells from CTCL patients) as AICD resistant. We show that CTCL cells have elevated levels of the CD95-inhibitory protein cFLIP. However, cFLIP is not responsible for CTCL AICD resistance. Instead, our data suggest that reduced TCR-proximal signaling in CTCL cells is responsible for the observed AICD resistance. CTCL cells exhibit no PLC-gamma1 activity, resulting in an impaired Ca(2+)release and reduced generation of reactive oxygen species upon TCR stimulation. Ca(2+) and ROS production are crucial for up-regulation of CD95L and reconstitution of both signals resulted in AICD sensitivity of CTCL cells. In accordance with these data, CTCL tumor cells from patients with Sézary syndrome do not up-regulate CD95L upon TCR-stimulation and are therefore resistant to AICD. These results show a novel mechanism of AICD resistance in CTCL that could have future therapeutic implications to overcome apoptosis resistance in CTCL patients.

  8. Spdef Null Mice Lack Conjunctival Goblet Cells and Provide a Model of Dry Eye

    OpenAIRE

    Marko, Christina K.; Menon, Balaraj B.; Chen, Gang; Whitsett, Jeffrey A.; Clevers, Hans; Gipson, Ilene K.

    2013-01-01

    Goblet cell numbers decrease within the conjunctival epithelium in drying and cicatrizing ocular surface diseases. Factors regulating goblet cell differentiation in conjunctival epithelium are unknown. Recent data indicate that the transcription factor SAM-pointed domain epithelial-specific transcription factor (Spdef) is essential for goblet cell differentiation in tracheobronchial and gastrointestinal epithelium of mice. Using Spdef−/− mice, we determined that Spdef is required for conjunct...

  9. Lack of Both Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain-Containing Proteins 1 and 2 Primes T Cells for Activation-Induced Cell Death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasimsetty, Sashi G; Shigeoka, Alana A; Scheinok, Andrew A; Gavin, Amanda L; Ulevitch, Richard J; McKay, Dianne B

    2017-08-01

    Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (Nod)-containing proteins Nod1 and Nod2 play important roles in the innate immune response to pathogenic microbes, but mounting data suggest these pattern recognition receptors might also play key roles in adaptive immune responses. Targeting Nod1 and Nod2 signaling pathways in T cells is likely to provide a new strategy to modify inflammation in a variety of disease states, particularly those that depend on Ag-induced T cell activation. To better understand how Nod1 and Nod2 proteins contribute to adaptive immunity, this study investigated their role in alloantigen-induced T cell activation and asked whether their absence might impact in vivo alloresponses using a severe acute graft versus host disease model. The study provided several important observations. We found that the simultaneous absence of Nod1 and Nod2 primed T cells for activation-induced cell death. T cells from Nod1 × 2 -/- mice rapidly underwent cell death upon exposure to alloantigen. The Nod1 × 2 -/- T cells had sustained p53 expression that was associated with downregulation of its negative regulator MDM2. In vivo, mice transplanted with an inoculum containing Nod1 × 2 -/- T cells were protected from severe graft versus host disease. The results show that the simultaneous absence of Nod1 and Nod2 is associated with accelerated T cell death upon alloantigen encounter, suggesting these proteins might provide new targets to ameliorate T cell responses in a variety of inflammatory states, including those associated with bone marrow or solid organ transplantation. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  10. Proper design of silica nanoparticles combines high brightness, lack of cytotoxicity and efficient cell endocytosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rampazzo, Enrico; Voltan, Rebecca; Petrizza, Luca; Zaccheroni, Nelsi; Prodi, Luca; Casciano, Fabio; Zauli, Giorgio; Secchiero, Paola

    2013-08-01

    Silica-based luminescent nanoparticles (SiNPs) show promising prospects in nanomedicine in light of their chemical properties and versatility. In this study, we have characterized silica core-PEG shell SiNPs derivatized with PEG moieties (NP-PEG), with external amino- (NP-PEG-amino) or carboxy-groups (NP-PEG-carbo), both in cell cultures as well as in animal models. By using different techniques, we could demonstrate that these SiNPs were safe and did not exhibit appreciable cytotoxicity in different relevant cell models, of normal or cancer cell types, growing either in suspension (JVM-2 leukemic cell line and primary normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells) or in adherence (human hepatocarcinoma Huh7 and umbilical vein endothelial cells). Moreover, by multiparametric flow cytometry, we could demonstrate that the highest efficiency of cell uptake and entry was observed with NP-PEG-amino, with a stable persistence of the fluorescence signal associated with SiNPs in the loaded cell populations both in vitro and in vivo settings suggesting this as an innovative method for cell traceability and detection in whole organisms. Finally, experiments performed with the endocytosis inhibitor Genistein clearly suggested the involvement of a caveolae-mediated pathway in SiNP endocytosis. Overall, these data support the safe use of these SiNPs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.Silica-based luminescent nanoparticles (SiNPs) show promising prospects in nanomedicine in light of their chemical properties and versatility. In this study, we have characterized silica core-PEG shell SiNPs derivatized with PEG moieties (NP-PEG), with external amino- (NP-PEG-amino) or carboxy-groups (NP-PEG-carbo), both in cell cultures as well as in animal models. By using different techniques, we could demonstrate that these SiNPs were safe and did not exhibit appreciable cytotoxicity in different relevant cell models, of normal or cancer cell types, growing either in suspension (JVM-2

  11. Inability to induce consistent T-cell responses recognizing conserved regions within HIIV-1 antigens: a potential mechanism for lack of vaccine efficacy in the step study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korber, Bette [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Szinger, James [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    T cell based vaccines are based upon the induction of CD8+ T cell memory responses that would be effective in inhibiting infection and subsequent replication of an infecting HIV-1 strain, a process that requires a high probability of matching the epitope induced by vaccination with the infecting viral strain. We compared the frequency and specificity of the CTL epitopes elicited by the replication defective AdS gag/pol/nef vaccine used in the STEP trial with the likelihood of encountering those epitopes among recently sequenced Clade B isolates of HIV-1. On average vaccination elicited only one epitope per gene. Importantly, the highly conserved epitopes in gag, pol, and nef (> 80% of strains in the current collection of the Los Alamos database [www.hiv.lanl.gov]) were rarely elicited by vaccination. Moreover there was a statistically significant skewing of the T cell response to relative variable epitopes of each gene; only 20% of persons possessed > 3 T cell responses to epitopes likely to be found in circulating strains in the CladeB populations in which the Step trial was conducted. This inability to elicit T cell responses likely to be found in circulating viral strains is a likely factor in the lack of efficacy of the vaccine utilized in the STEP trial. Modeling of the epitope specific responses elicited by vaccination, we project that a median of 8-10 CD8+ T cell epitopes are required to provide >80% likelihood of eliciting at least 3 CD8+ T cell epitopes that would be found on a circulating population of viruses. Development of vaccine regimens which elicit either a greater breadth of responses or elicit responses to conserved regions of the HIV-1 genome are needed to fully evaluate the concept of whether induction of T cell immunity can alter HIV-1 in vivo.

  12. Lack of liver X receptors leads to cell proliferation in a model of mouse dorsal prostate epithelial cell.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie Dufour

    Full Text Available Recent studies underline the implication of Liver X Receptors (LXRs in several prostate diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH and prostate cancer. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved, we derived epithelial cells from dorsal prostate (MPECs of wild type (WT or Lxrαβ-/- mice. In the WT MPECs, our results show that LXR activation reduces proliferation and correlates with the modification of the AKT-survival pathway. Moreover, LXRs regulate lipid homeostasis with the regulation of Abca1, Abcg1 and Idol, and, in a lesser extent, Srebp1, Fas and Acc. Conversely cells derived from Lxrαβ-/- mice show a higher basal phosphorylation and consequently activation of the survival/proliferation transduction pathways AKT and MAPK. Altogether, our data point out that the cell model we developed allows deciphering the molecular mechanisms inducing the cell cycle arrest. Besides, we show that activated LXRs regulate AKT and MAPK transduction pathways and demonstrate that LXRs could be good pharmacological targets in prostate disease such as cancer.

  13. Murine bone marrow Lin⁻Sca⁻1⁺CD45⁻ very small embryonic-like (VSEL cells are heterogeneous population lacking Oct-4A expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Szade

    Full Text Available Murine very small embryonic-like (VSEL cells, defined by the Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(- phenotype and small size, were described as pluripotent cells and proposed to be the most primitive hematopoietic precursors in adult bone marrow. Although their isolation and potential application rely entirely on flow cytometry, the immunophenotype of VSELs has not been extensively characterized. Our aim was to analyze the possible heterogeneity of Lin(-Sca(+CD45(- population and investigate the extent to which VSELs characteristics may overlap with that of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs or endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs. The study evidenced that murine Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(- population was heterogeneous in terms of c-Kit and KDR expression. Accordingly, the c-Kit(+KDR(-, c-Kit(-KDR(+, and c-Kit(-KDR(- subpopulations could be distinguished, while c-Kit(+KDR(+ events were very rare. The c-Kit(+KDR(- subset contained almost solely small cells, meeting the size criterion of VSELs, in contrast to relatively bigger c-Kit(-KDR(+ cells. The c-Kit(-KDR(-FSC(low subset was highly enriched in Annexin V-positive, apoptotic cells, hence omitted from further analysis. Importantly, using qRT-PCR, we evidenced lack of Oct-4A and Oct-4B mRNA expression either in whole adult murine bone marrow or in the sorted of Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(-FSC(low population, even by single-cell qRT-PCR. We also found that the Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(-c-Kit(+ subset did not exhibit hematopoietic potential in a single cell-derived colony in vitro assay, although it comprised the Sca-1(+c-Kit(+Lin(- (SKL CD34(-CD45(-CD105(+ cells, expressing particular HSC markers. Co-culture of Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(-FSC(low with OP9 cells did not induce hematopoietic potential. Further investigation revealed that SKL CD45(-CD105(+ subset consisted of early apoptotic cells with fragmented chromatin, and could be contaminated with nuclei expelled from erythroblasts. Concluding, murine bone marrow Lin(-Sca-1(+CD45(-FSC(low cells are

  14. Signal peptide of eosinophil cationic protein is toxic to cells lacking signal peptide peptidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, C.-M.; Chang, Margaret Dah-Tsyr

    2004-01-01

    Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a toxin secreted by activated human eosinophils. The properties of mature ECP have been well studied but those of the signal peptide of ECP (ECPsp) are not clear. In this study, several chimeric proteins containing N-terminal fusion of ECPsp were generated, and introduced into Escherichia coli, Pichia pastoris, and human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 to study the function of ECPsp. We found that expression of ECPsp chimeric proteins inhibited the growth of E. coli and P. pastoris but not A431 cells. Primary sequence analysis and in vitro transcription/translation of ECPsp have revealed that it is a potential substrate for human signal peptide peptidase (hSPP), an intramembrane protease located in endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, knockdown of the hSPP mRNA expression in ECPsp-eGFP/A431 cells caused the growth inhibitory effect, whereas complementally expression of hSPP in P. pastoris system rescued the cell growth. Taken together, we have demonstrated that ECPsp is a toxic signal peptide, and expression of hSPP protects the cells from growth inhibition

  15. Immunization against Leishmania major infection using LACK- and IL-12-expressing Lactococcus lactis induces delay in footpad swelling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Hugentobler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leishmania is a mammalian parasite affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. Current treatments are expensive, cause severe side effects, and emerging drug resistance has been reported. Vaccination is the most cost-effective means to control infectious disease but currently there is no vaccine available against Leishmaniasis. Lactococcus lactis is a non-pathogenic, non-colonizing Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the dairy industry. Recently, L. lactis was used to express biologically active molecules including vaccine antigens and cytokines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report the generation of L. lactis strains expressing the protective Leishmania antigen, LACK, in the cytoplasm, secreted or anchored to the bacterial cell wall. L. lactis was also engineered to secrete biologically active single chain mouse IL-12. Subcutaneous immunization with live L. lactis expressing LACK anchored to the cell wall and L. lactis secreting IL-12 significantly delayed footpad swelling in Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice. The delay in footpad swelling correlated with a significant reduction of parasite burden in immunized animals compared to control groups. Immunization with these two L. lactis strains induced antigen-specific multifunctional T(H1 CD4(+ and CD8(+ T cells and a systemic LACK-specific T(H1 immune response. Further, protection in immunized animals correlated with a Leishmania-specific T(H1 immune response post-challenge. L. lactis secreting mouse IL-12 was essential for directing immune responses to LACK towards a protective T(H1 response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This report demonstrates the use of L. lactis as a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. The strains generated in this study provide the basis for the development of an inexpensive and safe vaccine against the human parasite Leishmania.

  16. Immunization against Leishmania major Infection Using LACK- and IL-12-Expressing Lactococcus lactis Induces Delay in Footpad Swelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hugentobler, Felix; Yam, Karen K.; Gillard, Joshua; Mahbuba, Raya; Olivier, Martin; Cousineau, Benoit

    2012-01-01

    Background Leishmania is a mammalian parasite affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. Current treatments are expensive, cause severe side effects, and emerging drug resistance has been reported. Vaccination is the most cost-effective means to control infectious disease but currently there is no vaccine available against Leishmaniasis. Lactococcus lactis is a non-pathogenic, non-colonizing Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the dairy industry. Recently, L. lactis was used to express biologically active molecules including vaccine antigens and cytokines. Methodology/Principal findings We report the generation of L. lactis strains expressing the protective Leishmania antigen, LACK, in the cytoplasm, secreted or anchored to the bacterial cell wall. L. lactis was also engineered to secrete biologically active single chain mouse IL-12. Subcutaneous immunization with live L. lactis expressing LACK anchored to the cell wall and L. lactis secreting IL-12 significantly delayed footpad swelling in Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice. The delay in footpad swelling correlated with a significant reduction of parasite burden in immunized animals compared to control groups. Immunization with these two L. lactis strains induced antigen-specific multifunctional TH1 CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a systemic LACK-specific TH1 immune response. Further, protection in immunized animals correlated with a Leishmania-specific TH1 immune response post-challenge. L. lactis secreting mouse IL-12 was essential for directing immune responses to LACK towards a protective TH1 response. Conclusions/Significance This report demonstrates the use of L. lactis as a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. The strains generated in this study provide the basis for the development of an inexpensive and safe vaccine against the human parasite Leishmania. PMID:22348031

  17. iNKT cells suppress the CD8+ T cell response to a murine Burkitt's-like B cell lymphoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan L Bjordahl

    Full Text Available The T cell response to B cell lymphomas differs from the majority of solid tumors in that the malignant cells themselves are derived from B lymphocytes, key players in immune response. B cell lymphomas are therefore well situated to manipulate their surrounding microenvironment to enhance tumor growth and minimize anti-tumor T cell responses. We analyzed the effect of T cells on the growth of a transplantable B cell lymphoma and found that iNKT cells suppressed the anti-tumor CD8(+ T cell response. Lymphoma cells transplanted into syngeneic wild type (WT mice or Jalpha18(-/- mice that specifically lack iNKT cells grew initially at the same rate, but only the mice lacking iNKT cells were able to reject the lymphoma. This effect was due to the enhanced activity of tumor-specific CD8(+ T cells in the absence of iNKT cells, and could be partially reversed by reconstitution of iNKT cells in Jalpha 18(-/- mice. Treatment of tumor-bearing WT mice with alpha -galactosyl ceramide, an activating ligand for iNKT cells, reduced the number of tumor-specific CD8(+ T cells. In contrast, lymphoma growth in CD1d1(-/- mice that lack both iNKT and type II NKT cells was similar to that in WT mice, suggesting that type II NKT cells are required for full activation of the anti-tumor immune response. This study reveals a tumor-promoting role for iNKT cells and suggests their capacity to inhibit the CD8(+ T cell response to B cell lymphoma by opposing the effects of type II NKT cells.

  18. IL-15 inhibits pre-B cell proliferation by selectively expanding Mac-1+B220+ NK cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajima, Shinsuke; Hida, Shigeaki; Taki, Shinsuke

    2008-01-01

    Natural killer (NK) cells are the cells critical for inhibition of repopulation of allogenic bone marrow cells. However, it is not well known if NK cells affect autologous lymphopoiesis. Here, we observed that NK cells could inhibit pre-B cell proliferation in vitro driven by interleukin (IL)-7 in a manner dependent on IL-15. Interestingly, the great majority of expanding NK cells were Mac-1 + B220 + , a recently identified potent interferon (IFN)-γ producer. Indeed, IFN-γ was produced in those cultures, and pre-B cells lacking IFN-γ receptors, but not those lacking type I IFN receptors, were resistant to such an inhibition. Furthermore, even NK cells from mice lacking β2-microglobulin, which were known to be functionally dampened, inhibited pre-B cell proliferation as well. Thus, activated NK cells, which were expanded selectively by IL-15, could potentially regulate B lymphopoiesis through IFN-γ beyond the selection imposed upon self-recognition

  19. Spdef null mice lack conjunctival goblet cells and provide a model of dry eye

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marko, C.K.; Menon, B.B.; Chen, G.; Whitsett, J.A.; Clevers, H.; Gipson, I.K.

    2013-01-01

    Goblet cell numbers decrease within the conjunctival epithelium in drying and cicatrizing ocular surface diseases. Factors regulating goblet cell differentiation in conjunctival epithelium are unknown. Recent data indicate that the transcription factor SAM-pointed domain epithelial-specific

  20. Prolactin-stimulated mitogenesis in the Nb2 rat lymphoma cell: Lack of protoporphyrin IX effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerrish, K.E.; Putnam, C.W.; Laird, H.E. II (Univ. of Arizona, Tucson (USA))

    1990-01-01

    Pharmacological characterization of the Nb2 cell peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) was determined using selected 1,4-benzodiazepines, PK 11195, and protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) to compete for specific ({sup 3}H) Ro5-4864 binding. These data suggest that PPIX possesses an affinity for the Nb2 cell PBR. We have previously reported that the peripheral benzodiazepine ligands, Ro5-4864 and PK 11195, modulate prolactin-stimulated mitogenesis in the Nb2 cell. In contrast, PPIX, a putative endogenous ligand for the PBR had no effect on prolactin-stimulated mitogenesis in the Nb2 cell over the concentration range from 10{sup {minus}15} M to 10{sup {minus}6} M. Taken together these data show that PPIX has an affinity for the Nb2 cell PBR but does not modulate prolactin-stimulated mitogenesis at concentrations which should bind to the Nb2 cell PBR.

  1. Cells Lacking mtDNA Display Increased dNTP Pools upon DNA Damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovgaard, Tine; Rasmussen, Lene Juel; Munch-Petersen, Birgitte

    Imbalanced dNTP pools are highly mutagenic due to a deleterious effect on DNA polymerase fidelity. Mitochondrial DNA defects, including mutations and deletions, are commonly found in a wide variety of different cancer types. In order to further study the interconnection between dNTP pools...... and mitochondrial function we have examined the effect of DNA damage on dNTP pools in cells deficient of mtDNA. We show that DNA damage induced by UV irradiation, in a dose corresponding to LD50, induces an S phase delay in different human osteosarcoma cell lines. The UV pulse also has a destabilizing effect...... shows that normal mitochondrial function is prerequisite for retaining stable dNTP pools upon DNA damage. Therefore it is likely that mitochondrial deficiency defects may cause an increase in DNA mutations by disrupting dNTP pool balance....

  2. Cytokine production but lack of proliferation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy patients in response to T. cruzi ribosomal P proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia A Longhi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P proteins, P2β and P0, induce high levels of antibodies in patients with chronic Chagas' disease Cardiomyopathy (CCC. It is well known that these antibodies alter the beating rate of cardiomyocytes and provoke apoptosis by their interaction with β1-adrenergic and M2-muscarinic cardiac receptors. Based on these findings, we decided to study the cellular immune response to these proteins in CCC patients compared to non-infected individuals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated proliferation, presence of surface activation markers and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC stimulated with P2β, the C-terminal portion of P0 (CP0 proteins and T. cruzi lysate from CCC patients predominantly infected with TcVI lineage. PBMC from CCC patients cultured with P2β or CP0 proteins, failed to proliferate and express CD25 and HLA-DR on T cell populations. However, multiplex cytokine assays showed that these antigens triggered higher secretion of IL-10, TNF-α and GM-CSF by PBMC as well as both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells subsets of CCC subjects. Upon T. cruzi lysate stimulation, PBMC from CCC patients not only proliferated but also became activated within the context of Th1 response. Interestingly, T. cruzi lysate was also able to induce the secretion of GM-CSF by CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results showed that although the lack of PBMC proliferation in CCC patients in response to ribosomal P proteins, the detection of IL-10, TNF-α and GM-CSF suggests that specific T cells could have both immunoregulatory and pro-inflammatory potential, which might modulate the immune response in Chagas' disease. Furthermore, it was possible to demonstrate for the first time that GM-CSF was produced by PBMC of CCC patients in response not only to recombinant ribosomal P proteins but also to parasite lysate, suggesting the value of this cytokine to evaluate T cells responses in T

  3. Lack of bcr and abr promotes hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Yu

    Full Text Available Bcr and Abr are GTPase activating proteins that specifically downregulate activity of the small GTPase Rac in restricted cell types in vivo. Rac1 is expressed in smooth muscle cells, a critical cell type involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. The molecular mechanisms that underlie hypoxia-associated pulmonary hypertension are not well-defined.Bcr and abr null mutant mice were compared to wild type controls for the development of pulmonary hypertension after exposure to hypoxia. Also, pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells from those mice were cultured in hypoxia and examined for proliferation, p38 activation and IL-6 production. Mice lacking Bcr or Abr exposed to hypoxia developed increased right ventricular pressure, hypertrophy and pulmonary vascular remodeling. Perivascular leukocyte infiltration in the lungs was increased, and under hypoxia bcr-/- and abr-/- macrophages generated more reactive oxygen species. Consistent with a contribution of inflammation and oxidative stress in pulmonary hypertension-associated vascular damage, Bcr and Abr-deficient animals showed elevated endothelial leakage after hypoxia exposure. Hypoxia-treated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells from Bcr- or Abr-deficient mice also proliferated faster than those of wild type mice. Moreover, activated Rac1, phosphorylated p38 and interleukin 6 were increased in these cells in the absence of Bcr or Abr. Inhibition of Rac1 activation with Z62954982, a novel Rac inhibitor, decreased proliferation, p38 phosphorylation and IL-6 levels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells exposed to hypoxia.Bcr and Abr play a critical role in down-regulating hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension by deactivating Rac1 and, through this, reducing both oxidative stress generated by leukocytes as well as p38 phosphorylation, IL-6 production and proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells.

  4. B-1a transitional cells are phenotypically distinct and are lacking in mice deficient in IκBNS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Gabriel K.; Àdori, Monika; Khoenkhoen, Sharesta; Dosenovic, Pia; Beutler, Bruce; Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla B.

    2014-01-01

    B-1 cells mediate early protection against infection by responding to T cell-independent (TI) antigens found on the surface of various pathogens. Mice with impaired expression of the atypical IκB protein IκBNS have markedly reduced frequencies of B-1 cells. We used a mouse strain with dysfunctional IκBNS derived from an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) screen, named bumble, to investigate the point in the development of B-1 cells where IκBNS is required. The presence of wild-type (wt) peritoneal cells in mixed wt/bumble chimeras did not rescue the development of bumble B-1 cells, but wt peritoneal cells transferred to bumble mice restored natural IgM levels and response to TI antigens. The bumble and wt mice displayed similar levels of fetal liver B-1 progenitors and splenic neonatal transitional B (TrB) cells, both of which were previously shown to give rise to B-1 cells. Interestingly, we found that a subset of wt neonatal TrB cells expressed common B-1a markers (TrB-1a) and that this cell population was absent in the bumble neonatal spleen. Sorted TrB-1a (CD93+IgM+CD5+) cells exclusively generated B-1a cells when adoptively transferred, whereas sorted CD93+IgM+CD5− cells gave rise to B-2 cells and, to a lesser extent, B-1b and B-1a cells. This study identifies a phenotypically distinct splenic population of TrB-1a cells and establishes that the development of B-1a cells is blocked before this stage in the absence of IκBNS. PMID:25228759

  5. Generation of Recombinant Oropouche Viruses Lacking the Nonstructural Protein NSm or NSs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tilston-Lunel, Natasha L; Acrani, Gustavo Olszanski; Randall, Richard E; Elliott, Richard M

    2015-12-23

    Oropouche virus (OROV) is a midge-borne human pathogen with a geographic distribution in South America. OROV was first isolated in 1955, and since then, it has been known to cause recurring outbreaks of a dengue-like illness in the Amazonian regions of Brazil. OROV, however, remains one of the most poorly understood emerging viral zoonoses. Here we describe the successful recovery of infectious OROV entirely from cDNA copies of its genome and generation of OROV mutant viruses lacking either the NSm or the NSs coding region. Characterization of the recombinant viruses carried out in vitro demonstrated that the NSs protein of OROV is an interferon (IFN) antagonist as in other NSs-encoding bunyaviruses. Additionally, we demonstrate the importance of the nine C-terminal amino acids of OROV NSs in IFN antagonistic activity. OROV was also found to be sensitive to IFN-α when cells were pretreated; however, the virus was still capable of replicating at doses as high as 10,000 U/ml of IFN-α, in contrast to the family prototype BUNV. We found that OROV lacking the NSm protein displayed characteristics similar to those of the wild-type virus, suggesting that the NSm protein is dispensable for virus replication in the mammalian and mosquito cell lines that were tested. Oropouche virus (OROV) is a public health threat in Central and South America, where it causes periodic outbreaks of dengue-like illness. In Brazil, OROV is the second most frequent cause of arboviral febrile illness after dengue virus, and with the current rates of urban expansion, more cases of this emerging viral zoonosis could occur. To better understand the molecular biology of OROV, we have successfully rescued the virus along with mutants. We have established that the C terminus of the NSs protein is important in interferon antagonism and that the NSm protein is dispensable for virus replication in cell culture. The tools described in this paper are important in terms of understanding this important yet

  6. Recipient dendritic cells, but not B cells, are required antigen-presenting cells for peripheral alloreactive CD8+ T-cell tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mollov, J L; Lucas, C L; Haspot, F; Gaspar, J Kurtz C; Guzman, A; Sykes, M

    2010-03-01

    Induction of mixed allogeneic chimerism is a promising approach for achieving donor-specific tolerance, thereby obviating the need for life-long immunosuppression for solid organ allograft acceptance. In mice receiving a low dose (3Gy) of total body irradiation, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation combined with anti-CD154 tolerizes peripheral CD4 and CD8 T cells, allowing achievement of mixed chimerism with specific tolerance to donor. With this approach, peripheral CD8 T-cell tolerance requires recipient MHC class II, CD4 T cells, B cells and DCs. Recipient-type B cells from chimeras that were tolerant to donor still promoted CD8 T-cell tolerance, but their role could not be replaced by donor-type B cells. Using recipients whose B cells or DCs specifically lack MHC class I and/or class II or lack CD80 and CD86, we demonstrate that dendritic cells (DCs) must express CD80/86 and either MHC class I or class II to promote CD8 tolerance. In contrast, B cells, though required, did not need to express MHC class I or class II or CD80/86 to promote CD8 tolerance. Moreover, recipient IDO and IL-10 were not required. Thus, antigen presentation by recipient DCs and not by B cells is critical for peripheral alloreactive CD8 T cell tolerance.

  7. Mice lacking liver-specific β-catenin develop steatohepatitis and fibrosis after iron overload.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preziosi, Morgan E; Singh, Sucha; Valore, Erika V; Jung, Grace; Popovic, Branimir; Poddar, Minakshi; Nagarajan, Shanmugam; Ganz, Tomas; Monga, Satdarshan P

    2017-08-01

    Iron overload disorders such as hereditary hemochromatosis and iron loading anemias are a common cause of morbidity from liver diseases and increase risk of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Treatment options for iron-induced damage are limited, partly because there is lack of animal models of human disease. Therefore, we investigated the effect of iron overload in liver-specific β-catenin knockout mice (KO), which are susceptible to injury, fibrosis and tumorigenesis following chemical carcinogen exposure. Iron overload diet was administered to KO and littermate control (CON) mice for various times. To ameliorate an oxidant-mediated component of tissue injury, N-Acetyl-L-(+)-cysteine (NAC) was added to drinking water of mice on iron overload diet. KO on iron diet (KO +Fe) exhibited remarkable inflammation, followed by steatosis, oxidative stress, fibrosis, regenerating nodules and occurrence of occasional HCC. Increased injury in KO +Fe was associated with activated protein kinase B (AKT), ERK, and NF-κB, along with reappearance of β-catenin and target gene Cyp2e1, which promoted lipid peroxidation and hepatic damage. Addition of NAC to drinking water protected KO +Fe from hepatic steatosis, injury and fibrosis, and prevented activation of AKT, ERK, NF-κB and reappearance of β-catenin. The absence of hepatic β-catenin predisposes mice to hepatic injury and fibrosis following iron overload, which was reminiscent of hemochromatosis and associated with enhanced steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Disease progression was notably alleviated by antioxidant therapy, which supports its chemopreventive role in the management of chronic iron overload disorders. Lack of animal models for iron overload disorders makes it hard to study the disease process for improving therapies. Feeding high iron diet to mice that lack the β-catenin gene in liver cells led to increased inflammation followed by fat accumulation, cell death and wound healing that mimicked

  8. Innate immune restriction and antagonism of viral RNA lacking 2'-O methylation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hyde, Jennifer L. [Departments of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis., MO 63110 (United States); Diamond, Michael S., E-mail: diamond@borcim.wustl.edu [Departments of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis., MO 63110 (United States); Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis., MO 63110 (United States); Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis., MO 63110 (United States); The Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis., MO 63110 (United States)

    2015-05-15

    N-7 and 2′-O methylation of host cell mRNA occurs in the nucleus and results in the generation of cap structures (cap 0, m{sup 7}GpppN; cap 1, m{sup 7}GpppNm) that control gene expression by modulating nuclear export, splicing, turnover, and protein synthesis. Remarkably, RNA cap modification also contributes to mammalian cell host defense as viral RNA lacking 2′-O methylation is sensed and inhibited by IFIT1, an interferon (IFN) stimulated gene (ISG). Accordingly, pathogenic viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm have evolved mechanisms to circumvent IFIT1 restriction and facilitate infection of mammalian cells. These include: (a) generating cap 1 structures on their RNA through cap-snatching or virally-encoded 2′-O methyltransferases, (b) using cap-independent means of translation, or (c) using RNA secondary structural motifs to antagonize IFIT1 binding. This review will discuss new insights as to how specific modifications at the 5′-end of viral RNA modulate host pathogen recognition responses to promote infection and disease.

  9. Cadmium promotes the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells through EGFR-mediated cell cycle regulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Zhengxi; Song, Xiulong; Shaikh, Zahir A.

    2015-01-01

    Cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogenic metal which is implicated in breast cancer by epidemiological studies. It is reported to promote breast cancer cell growth in vitro through membrane receptors. The study described here examined Cd-mediated growth of non-metastatic human breast cancer derived cells that lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2. Treatment of triple-negative HCC 1937 cells with 0.1–0.5 μM Cd increased cell growth by activation of AKT and ERK. Accelerated cell cycle progression was achieved by increasing the levels of cyclins A, B, and E, as well as those of CDKs 1 and 2. Although triple negative cells lack estrogen receptor, they express high levels of EGFR. Therefore, further studies on HCC 1937 and another triple-negative cell line, HCC 38, were conducted using specific siRNA and an inhibitor of EGFR to determine whether EGFR was responsible for mediating the effect of Cd. The results revealed that in both cell types EGFR was not only activated upon Cd treatment, but was also essential for the downstream activation of AKT and ERK. Based on these observations, it is concluded that, in breast cancer cells lacking estrogen receptor, sub-micromolar concentration of Cd can promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, that EGFR plays a critical role in this process. - Highlights: • Sub-micromolar concentrations of Cd promote cell growth in breast cancer cells that lack ER, PR, and HER2. • The increase in cell number is not due to reduction in apoptosis. • Growth promotion involves AKT and ERK signaling and downstream stimulation of cell cycle progression. • Initiation of cell growth by Cd occurs at the cell membrane and requires the activation of EGFR.

  10. Hepatic stellate cells lack AP-1 responsiveness to electrophiles and phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reichard, John F.; Petersen, Dennis R.

    2004-01-01

    Stellate cell profibrotic gene induction and transdifferentiation are central events in liver fibrosis. Oxidative stress has been implicated as an activator of the transcription factors Nrf2 and AP-1 through shared kinase signaling pathways that also purportedly contribute to stellate cell activation. The present study examined the role of oxidative stress in ARE- and TRE-regulated gene induction in isolated hepatic stellate cells. Using a portion of the human Nqo1 promoter consisting of an ARE imbedded TRE, it was demonstrated that while the ARE was responsible for mediating inducible gene expression in response to the electrophiles 4-HNE and tBHQ, the TRE was refractory to induction by either electrophiles or PMA. It was demonstrated that stellate cells possess nuclear TRE-binding proteins that were identified as JunB, JunD, Fra1, and Fra2, which were unaffected by either electrophiles or PMA treatment. This report demonstrates that, in contrast to the ARE, the TRE and its binding cognate AP-1 did not mediate independent gene induction in hepatic stellate cells. This observation is significant given the presumed importance attributed to AP-1 in mediating profibrogenic gene expression

  11. Lack of functional relevance of isolated cell damage in transplants of Parkinson's disease patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cooper, Oliver; Astradsson, Arnar; Hallett, Penny

    2009-01-01

    Postmortem analyses from clinical neural transplantation trials of several subjects with Parkinson's disease revealed surviving grafted dopaminergic neurons after more than a decade. A subset of these subjects displayed isolated dopaminergic neurons within the grafts that contained Lewy body......-like structures. In this review, we discuss why this isolated cell damage is unlikely to affect the overall graft function and how we can use these observations to help us to understand age-related neurodegeneration and refine our future cell replacement therapies....

  12. Transplantation of autologous adipose stem cells lacks therapeutic efficacy in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiujuan Zhang

    Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS, characterized by chronic inflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage, is a complicated neurological disease of the human central nervous system. Recent interest in adipose stromal/stem cell (ASCs for the treatment of CNS diseases has promoted further investigation in order to identify the most suitable ASCs. To investigate whether MS affects the biologic properties of ASCs and whether autologous ASCs from MS-affected sources could serve as an effective source for stem cell therapy, cells were isolated from subcutaneous inguinal fat pads of mice with established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, a murine model of MS. ASCs from EAE mice and their syngeneic wild-type mice were cultured, expanded, and characterized for their cell morphology, surface antigen expression, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, colony forming units, and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in vitro. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy of the cells was assessed in vivo by transplantation into EAE mice. The results indicated that the ASCs from EAE mice displayed a normal phenotype, typical MSC surface antigen expression, and in vitro osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity, while their osteogenic differentiation capacity was reduced in comparison with their unafflicted control mice. The ASCs from EAE mice also demonstrated increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, specifically an elevation in the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and keratin chemoattractant. In vivo, infusion of wild type ASCs significantly ameliorate the disease course, autoimmune mediated demyelination and cell infiltration through the regulation of the inflammatory responses, however, mice treated with autologous ASCs showed no therapeutic improvement on the disease progression.

  13. Lack of correlation between immunologic markers and cell surface ultrastructure in the leukemic phase of lymphoproliferative diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Golomb, Harvey M.; Simon, Deberah

    1977-01-01

    In a prospective study of malignant cells from 13 patients with the leukemic phase of lymphoproliferative diseases, we wished to determine whether any correlation between the immunologic markers and the cell surface ultrastructure. Five patients had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, four had malignant lymphomas, poorly differentiated lymphocytic type, two had the Sezary syndrome, and one each had acute prolymphocytic leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia. Cell separation and isolation was done at room temperature for all specimens. Immunologic markers tested for were surface immunoglobins, a B-cell property, and E-rosettes, a T-cell property. Three patients had T-cell diseases, 6 had B-cell diseases, and 4 were classified as ''null.'' All but one patient had moderate to large numbers of microvilli on their malignant cells. The single exception had a typical B-cell form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. There appears to be no correlation between immunologic markers and cell surface ultrastructure; therefore, SEM appears not to be valuable in the diagnosis or classification of immunologic sub-types of certain lymphoproliferative diseases.

  14. Lack of RNase L attenuates macrophage functions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Yi

    Full Text Available Macrophages are one of the major cell types in innate immunity against microbial infection. It is believed that the expression of proinflammatory genes such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin (IL-1β, IL-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2 by macrophages is also crucial for activation of both innate and adaptive immunities. RNase L is an interferon (IFN inducible enzyme which is highly expressed in macrophages. It has been demonstrated that RNase L regulates the expression of certain inflammatory genes. However, its role in macrophage function is largely unknown.Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs were generated from RNase L(+/+and (-/- mice. The migration of BMMs was analyzed by using Transwell migration assays. Endocytosis and phagocytosis of macrophages were assessed by using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-Dextran 40,000 and FITC-E. coli bacteria, respectively. The expression of inflammatory genes was determined by Western Blot and ELISA. The promoter activity of Cox-2 was measured by luciferase reporter assays.Lack of RNase L significantly decreased the migration of BMMs induced by M-CSF, but at a less extent by GM-CSF and chemokine C-C motif ligand-2 (CCL2. Interestingly, RNase L deficient BMMs showed a significant reduction of endocytic activity to FITC-Dextran 40,000, but no any obvious effect on their phagocytic activity to FITC-bacteria under the same condition. RNase L impacts the expression of certain genes related to cell migration and inflammation such as transforming growth factor (TGF-β, IL-1β, IL-10, CCL2 and Cox-2. Furthermore, the functional analysis of the Cox-2 promoter revealed that RNase L regulated the expression of Cox-2 in macrophages at its transcriptional level. Taken together, our findings provide direct evidence showing that RNase L contributes to innate immunity through regulating macrophage functions.

  15. Distribution of E-cadherin and ß-catenin in relation to cell maturation and cell extrusion in rat and mouse small intestines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsson, Lars-Inge

    2006-01-01

    of programmed cell death (PCD) in mouse small intestinal epithelium. We have studied if this also occurs in the intact rodent small intestine. Our results confirm that extruded cells are negatie for E-cadherin. However, loss of the E-cadherin-interacting protein ß-cetenin preceded both extrusion and loss of E......-cadherin. Thus, all extruded cells as well as all cells in the process of extrusion lacked staining for ß-catenin. Moreover, almost 80% of all cells undergoing programmed cell death, as detected by the TUNEL reaction, lacked ß-catenin whereas over 70% of such cells were positive for E-cadherin. However, most...... ells lacking ß-catenin did not display signs of PCD as detected by the TUNEL method or by staining for active caspase-3. Therefore, these results suggest that loss of ß-catenin precedes the onset of programmed cell death, loss of E-cadherin and extrusion from the villi....

  16. Lack of clinical AIDS in SIV-infected sooty mangabeys with significant CD4+ T cell loss is associated with double-negative T cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milush, Jeffrey M.; Mir, Kiran D.; Sundaravaradan, Vasudha; Gordon, Shari N.; Engram, Jessica; Cano, Christopher A.; Reeves, Jacqueline D.; Anton, Elizabeth; O’Neill, Eduardo; Butler, Eboneé; Hancock, Kathy; Cole, Kelly S.; Brenchley, Jason M.; Else, James G.; Silvestri, Guido; Sodora, Donald L.

    2011-01-01

    SIV infection of natural host species such as sooty mangabeys results in high viral replication without clinical signs of simian AIDS. Studying such infections is useful for identifying immunologic parameters that lead to AIDS in HIV-infected patients. Here we have demonstrated that acute, SIV-induced CD4+ T cell depletion in sooty mangabeys does not result in immune dysfunction and progression to simian AIDS and that a population of CD3+CD4–CD8– T cells (double-negative T cells) partially compensates for CD4+ T cell function in these animals. Passaging plasma from an SIV-infected sooty mangabey with very few CD4+ T cells to SIV-negative animals resulted in rapid loss of CD4+ T cells. Nonetheless, all sooty mangabeys generated SIV-specific antibody and T cell responses and maintained normal levels of plasma lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, all CD4-low sooty mangabeys elicited a de novo immune response following influenza vaccination. Such preserved immune responses as well as the low levels of immune activation observed in these animals were associated with the presence of double-negative T cells capable of producing Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines. These studies indicate that SIV-infected sooty mangabeys do not appear to rely entirely on CD4+ T cells to maintain immunity and identify double-negative T cells as a potential subset of cells capable of performing CD4+ T cell–like helper functions upon SIV-induced CD4+ T cell depletion in this species. PMID:21317533

  17. Lack of T cell dysfunction and programmed cell death in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected chimpanzees correlates with absence of monocytotropic variants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schuitemaker, H.; Meyaard, L.; Kootstra, N. A.; Dubbes, R.; Otto, S. A.; Tersmette, M.; Heeney, J. L.; Miedema, F.

    1993-01-01

    In asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in humans, disturbed T cell functions such as anergy and programmed cell death, thought to result from inappropriate signaling by antigen-presenting cells due to HIV infection, precede increase in virus load, decline in CD4+ T cell

  18. Defective chemokine signal integration in leukocytes lacking activator of G protein signaling 3 (AGS3).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Branham-O'Connor, Melissa; Robichaux, William G; Zhang, Xian-Kui; Cho, Hyeseon; Kehrl, John H; Lanier, Stephen M; Blumer, Joe B

    2014-04-11

    Activator of G-protein signaling 3 (AGS3, gene name G-protein signaling modulator-1, Gpsm1), an accessory protein for G-protein signaling, has functional roles in the kidney and CNS. Here we show that AGS3 is expressed in spleen, thymus, and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, and is up-regulated upon leukocyte activation. We explored the role of AGS3 in immune cell function by characterizing chemokine receptor signaling in leukocytes from mice lacking AGS3. No obvious differences in lymphocyte subsets were observed. Interestingly, however, AGS3-null B and T lymphocytes and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells exhibited significant chemotactic defects as well as reductions in chemokine-stimulated calcium mobilization and altered ERK and Akt activation. These studies indicate a role for AGS3 in the regulation of G-protein signaling in the immune system, providing unexpected venues for the potential development of therapeutic agents that modulate immune function by targeting these regulatory mechanisms.

  19. Prolongation of chemically-induced methemoglobinemia in mice lacking α-synuclein: A novel pharmacologic and toxicologic phenotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yien-Ming Kuo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The protein α-synuclein is considered central to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD on genetic and histopathological grounds. It is widely expressed in fetal life and continues to be highly expressed in adult neural tissues, red blood cells and platelets, while the remainder of adult tissues are reported to have little or no expression. Despite cellular and molecular evidence for a role in neuronal function including synaptic vesicle trafficking, neurotransmitter release, mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism, neurogenesis, neuroprotection, and neuromelanin biosynthesis, mice ablated for the gene encoding α-synuclein (Snca have little or no neurological phenotype. Thus, nearly 20 years of intensive study have yet to reveal conclusively what the normal function of this highly abundant protein is in the nervous system. Interestingly, α-synuclein has also been shown to have enzymatic activity as a ferrireductase capable of reducing Fe+3 to Fe+2. Given its abundant expression in red blood cells, we set out to explore the role of α-synuclein in converting chemically-induced Fe+3 methemoglobin to normal Fe+2 hemoglobin. Initial in vivo experiments with the potent methemoglobin inducer, para-aminopropiophenone and its active metabolite, 4-hydroxy para-aminopropiophenone, demonstrated significantly greater and more prolonged methemoglobinemia in Snca−/− mice compared to Snca+/+ mice. In vitro experiments with red blood cells, however, and in vivo experiments in genetically engineered mouse strains that differ in their α-synuclein expression in various tissues, including the nervous system, red blood cells and liver, revealed that contrary to the initial hypothesis, a lack of expression of α-synuclein in red blood cells did not correlate with higher levels or more prolonged duration of methemoglobinemia. Instead, the greater sensitivity to chemically induced methemoglobinemia correlated with the absence of hepatic

  20. Lactose metabolism in Streptococcus lactis: studies with a mutant lacking glucokinase and mannose-phosphotransferase activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, J.; Chassy, B.M.; Egan, W.

    1985-01-01

    A mutant of Streptococcus lactis 133 has been isolated that lacks both glucokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent mannose- phosphotransferase (mannose-PTS) activities. The double mutant S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- is unable to utilize either exogenously supplied or intracellularly generated glucose for growth. Fluorographic analyses of metabolites formed during the metabolism of [ 14 C]lactose labeled specifically in the glucose or galactosyl moiety established that the cells were unable to phosphorylate intracellular glucose. However, cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- readily metabolized intracellular glucose 6-phosphate, and the growth rates and cell yield of the mutant and parental strains on sucrose were the same. During growth on lactose, S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- fermented only the galactose moiety of the disaccharide, and 1 mol of glucose was generated per mol of lactose consumed. For an equivalent concentration of lactose, the cell yield of the mutant was 50% that of the wild type. The specific rate of lactose utilization by growing cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- was ca. 50% greater than that of the wild type, but the cell doubling times were 70 and 47 min, respectively. High-resolution 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lactose transport by starved cells of S. lactis 133 and S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- showed that the latter cells contained elevated lactose-PTS activity. Throughout exponential growth on lactose, the mutant maintained an intracellular steady-state glucose concentration of 100 mM

  1. Lactose metabolism in Streptococcus lactis: studies with a mutant lacking glucokinase and mannose-phosphotransferase activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, J.; Chassy, B.M.; Egan, W.

    1985-04-01

    A mutant of Streptococcus lactis 133 has been isolated that lacks both glucokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent mannose- phosphotransferase (mannose-PTS) activities. The double mutant S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- is unable to utilize either exogenously supplied or intracellularly generated glucose for growth. Fluorographic analyses of metabolites formed during the metabolism of (/sup 14/C)lactose labeled specifically in the glucose or galactosyl moiety established that the cells were unable to phosphorylate intracellular glucose. However, cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- readily metabolized intracellular glucose 6-phosphate, and the growth rates and cell yield of the mutant and parental strains on sucrose were the same. During growth on lactose, S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- fermented only the galactose moiety of the disaccharide, and 1 mol of glucose was generated per mol of lactose consumed. For an equivalent concentration of lactose, the cell yield of the mutant was 50% that of the wild type. The specific rate of lactose utilization by growing cells of S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- was ca. 50% greater than that of the wild type, but the cell doubling times were 70 and 47 min, respectively. High-resolution /sup 31/P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lactose transport by starved cells of S. lactis 133 and S. lactis 133 mannose-PTSd GK- showed that the latter cells contained elevated lactose-PTS activity. Throughout exponential growth on lactose, the mutant maintained an intracellular steady-state glucose concentration of 100 mM.

  2. Lack of dust in quasar absorption line systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jura, M.

    1977-01-01

    It is stated that the origin of absorption line systems in quasars is still uncertain. Most such systems apparently have atomic hydrogen column densities of the order of 10 19 /cm 2 , but at least two quasars, 1331 + 170 and PHL957, have such strong Lyman α absorption lines that atomic hydrogen column densities of the order of 10 21 /cm 2 are indicated. It should be possible to observe the dust produced 2,200 A extinction feature as it is red shifted into the visible, and to determine whether absorption line systems are produced in spiral galaxies where the dust content is similar to that in the interstellar medium. It has been argued that the emission line regions of quasars generally lack dust and that towards PHL957 the 2,200 A feature is absent. The present author argues that dust similar to that found in the interstellar medium is not found towards the quasars 1331 + 170 and PHL957. This could explain why H 2 is not found towards PHL957, and it indicates that the absorption line systems in quasars are not produced in spiral galaxies similar to our own. It seems from the analysis presented that the dust-to-gas ratio towards 1331 + 170 is at least a factor of 20 less than in the interstellar medium, and there is no reason to suppose that this lack of dust results from a lack of metals It is concluded that there seems to be a lack of normal dust towards PHL957 by at least a factor of two; and that the absorption region towards 1331 + 170 and probably the region towards PHL957 are lacking dust similar to that in our own galaxy. This can explain the lack of H 2 in these systems. (U.K.)

  3. Defective tubulin organization and proplatelet formation in murine megakaryocytes lacking Rac1 and Cdc42

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pleines, Irina; Dütting, Sebastian; Cherpokova, Deya

    2013-01-01

    Blood platelets are anuclear cell fragments that are essential for blood clotting. Platelets are produced by bone marrow megakaryocytes (MKs), which extend protrusions, or so-called proplatelets, into bone marrow sinusoids. Proplatelet formation requires a profound reorganization of the MK actin...... normally in vivo but displayed highly abnormal morphology and uncontrolled fragmentation. Consistently, a lack of Rac1/Cdc42 virtually abrogated proplatelet formation in vitro. Strikingly, this phenotype was associated with severely defective tubulin organization, whereas actin assembly and structure were...

  4. Mice lacking inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors exhibit dry eye.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takaaki Inaba

    Full Text Available Tear secretion is important as it supplies water to the ocular surface and keeps eyes moist. Both the parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways contribute to tear secretion. Although intracellular Ca2+ elevation in the acinar cells of lacrimal glands is a crucial event for tear secretion in both the pathways, the Ca2+ channel, which is responsible for the Ca2+ elevation in the sympathetic pathway, has not been sufficiently analyzed. In this study, we examined tear secretion in mice lacking the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R types 2 and 3 (Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/-double-knockout mice. We found that tear secretion in both the parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways was abolished in Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/- mice. Intracellular Ca2+ elevation in lacrimal acinar cells after acetylcholine and epinephrine stimulation was abolished in Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/- mice. Consequently, Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/- mice exhibited keratoconjunctival alteration and corneal epithelial barrier disruption. Inflammatory cell infiltration into the lacrimal glands and elevation of serum autoantibodies, a representative marker for Sjögren's syndrome (SS in humans, were also detected in older Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/- mice. These results suggested that IP3Rs are essential for tear secretion in both parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways and that Itpr2-/-;Itpr3-/- mice could be a new dry eye mouse model with symptoms that mimic those of SS.

  5. IRF8 dependent classical dendritic cells are essential for intestinal T cell homeostasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Luda, K.; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, E. K.

    2016-01-01

    The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 dependent DCs have reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence of SI CD8ab+ andCD4+CD8......aa+ T cells; the latter requiring b8 integrin expression by migratory IRF8 dependent CD103+CD11b- DCs. SI homing receptor induction was impaired during T cell priming in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), which correlated with a reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity by SI derived MLN DCs......, and inefficient T cell localization to the SI. Finally, mice with a DC deletion in IRF8 lacked intestinal T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and failed to support Th1 cell differentiation in MLN and mount Th1 responses to Trichuris muris infection. Collectively these results highlight multiple non-redundant roles for IRF8...

  6. Cytomegalovirus-Induced Effector T Cells Cause Endothelial Cell Damage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Berg, Pablo J. E. J.; Yong, Si-La; Remmerswaal, Ester B. M.; van Lier, René A. W.; ten Berge, Ineke J. M.

    2012-01-01

    Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been linked to inflammatory diseases that involve vascular endothelial cell damage, but definitive proof for a direct cytopathic effect of CMV in these diseases is lacking. CMV infection is associated with a strong increase in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells

  7. Lack of direct evidence for a functional role of voltage-operated calcium channels in juxtaglomerular cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kurtz, A; Skott, O; Chegini, S

    1990-01-01

    in patch-clamped nor in intact Furaester-loaded cells. Moreover, basal renin secretion from a preparation enriched in mouse juxtaglomerular cells and from rat glomeruli with attached juxtaglomerular cells was not inhibited when extracellular potassium was isoosmotically increased to 56 mmol/l. In mouse...... kidney slices, however, depolarizing potassium concentrations caused a delayed inhibition at 56 mmol/l and a delayed stimulation of renin secretion at 110 mmol/l. Taken together, our study does not provide direct evidence for a role of voltage-activated calcium channels in the regulation of calcium...

  8. CD34+ cells cultured in stem cell factor and interleukin-2 generate CD56+ cells with antiproliferative effects on tumor cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hensel Nancy

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In vitro stimulation of CD34+ cells with IL-2 induces NK cell differentiation. In order to define the stages of NK cell development, which influence their generation from CD34 cells, we cultured G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells in the presence of stem cell factor and IL-2. After three weeks culture we found a diversity of CD56+ subsets which possessed granzyme A, but lacked the cytotoxic apparatus required for classical NK-like cytotoxicity. However, these CD56+ cells had the unusual property of inhibiting proliferation of K562 and P815 cell lines in a cell-contact dependent fashion.

  9. Dietary restriction ameliorates haematopoietic ageing independent of telomerase, whilst lack of telomerase and short telomeres exacerbates the ageing phenotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Ajmi, Nouf; Saretzki, Gabriele; Miles, Colin; Spyridopoulos, Ioakim

    2014-10-01

    Ageing is associated with an overall decline in the functional capacity of tissues and stem cells, including haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as telomere dysfunction. Dietary restriction (DR) is a recognised anti-ageing intervention that extends lifespan and improves health in several organisms. To investigate the role of telomeres and telomerase in haematopoietic ageing, we compared the HSPC profile and clonogenic capacity of bone marrow cells from wild type with telomerase-deficient mice and the effect of DR on these parameters. Compared with young mice, aged wild type mice demonstrated a significant accumulation of HSPCs (1.3% vs 0.2%, P=0.002) and elevated numbers of granulocyte/macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM, 26.4 vs 17.3, P=0.0037) consistent with myeloid "skewing" of haematopoiesis. DR was able to restrict the increase in HSPC number as well as the myeloid "skewing" in aged wild type mice. In order to analyse the influence of short telomeres on the ageing phenotype we examined mice lacking the RNA template for telomerase, TERC(-/-). Telomere shortening resulted in a similar bone marrow phenotype to that seen in aged mice, with significantly increased HSPC numbers and an increased formation of all myeloid colony types but at a younger age than wild type mice. However, an additional increase in erythroid colonies (BFU-E) was also evident. Mice lacking telomerase reverse transcriptase without shortened telomeres, TERT(-/-), also presented with augmented haematopoietic ageing which was ameliorated by DR, demonstrating that the effect of DR was not dependent on the presence of telomerase in HSPCs. We conclude that whilst shortened telomeres mimic some aspects of haematopoietic ageing, both shortened telomeres and the lack of telomerase produce specific phenotypes, some of which can be prevented by dietary restriction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Diseased muscles that lack dystrophin or laminin-α2 have altered compositions and proliferation of mononuclear cell populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miller Jeffrey

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiple types of mononucleate cells reside among the multinucleate myofibers in skeletal muscles and these mononucleate cells function in muscle maintenance and repair. How neuromuscular disease might affect different types of muscle mononucleate cells had not been determined. In this study, therefore, we examined how two neuromuscular diseases, dystrophin-deficiency and laminin-α2-deficiency, altered the proliferation and composition of different subsets of muscle-derived mononucleate cells. Methods We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting combined with bromodeoxyuridine labeling to examine proliferation rates and compositions of mononuclear cells in diseased and healthy mouse skeletal muscle. We prepared mononucleate cells from muscles of mdx (dystrophin-deficient or Lama2-/- (laminin-α2-deficient mice and compared them to cells from healthy control muscles. We enumerated subsets of resident muscle cells based on Sca-1 and CD45 expression patterns and determined the proliferation of each cell subset in vivo by BrdU incorporation. Results We found that the proliferation and composition of the mononucleate cells in dystrophin-deficient and laminin-α2-deficient diseased muscles are different than in healthy muscle. The mdx and Lama2-/- muscles showed similar significant increases in CD45+ cells compared to healthy muscle. Changes in proliferation, however, differed between the two diseases with proliferation increased in mdx and decreased in Lama2-/- muscles compared to healthy muscles. In particular, the most abundant Sca-1-/CD45- subset, which contains muscle precursor cells, had increased proliferation in mdx muscle but decreased proliferation in Lama2-/- muscles. Conclusion The similar increases in CD45+ cells, but opposite changes in proliferation of muscle precursor cells, may underlie aspects of the distinct pathologies in the two diseases.

  11. Cell polarity development and protein trafficking in hepatocytes lacking E-cadherin/beta-catenin-based adherens junctions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Theard, Delphine; Steiner, Magdalena; Kalicharan, Dharamdajal; Hoekstra, Dick; van IJzendoorn, Sven C. D.

    Using a mutant hepatocyte cell line in which E-cadherin and ss-catenin are completely depleted from the cell surface, and, consequently, fail to form adherens junctions, we have investigated adherens junction requirement for apical-basolateral polarity development and polarized membrane trafficking.

  12. Lack of metformin effect on mouse embryo AMPK activity: implications for metformin treatment during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyung-Yul; Wei, Dan; Loeken, Mary R

    2014-01-01

    Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is stimulated in embryos during diabetic pregnancy by maternal hyperglycaemia-induced embryo oxidative stress. Stimulation of AMPK disrupts embryo gene expression and causes neural tube defects. Metformin, which may be taken during early pregnancy, has been reported to stimulate AMPK activity. Thus, the benefits of improved glycaemic control could be offset by stimulated embryo AMPK activity. Here, we investigated whether metformin can stimulate AMPK activity in mouse embryos and can adversely affect embryo gene expression and neural tube defects. Pregnant nondiabetic mice were administered metformin beginning on the first day of pregnancy. Activation of maternal and embryo AMPK [phospho-AMPK α (Thr172) relative to total AMPK], expression of Pax3, a gene required for neural tube closure, and neural tube defects were studied. Mouse embryonic stem cells were used as a cell culture model of embryonic neuroepithelium to study metformin effects on AMPK and Pax3 expression. Metformin had no effect on AMPK in embryos or maternal skeletal muscle but increased activated AMPK in maternal liver. Metformin did not inhibit Pax3 expression or increase neural tube defects. However, metformin increased activated AMPK and inhibited Pax3 expression by mouse embryonic stem cells. Mate1/Slc47a1 and Oct3/Slc22a, which encode metformin transporters, were expressed at barely detectable levels by embryos. Although metformin can have effects associated with diabetic embryopathy in vitro, the lack of effects on mouse embryos in vivo may be due to lack of metformin transporters and indicates that the benefits of metformin on glycaemic control are not counteracted by stimulation of embryo AMPK activity and consequent embryopathy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Lack of a differential radiation response for proliferative and non-proliferative rat thyroid cells (FRTL-5) in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brosing, J.W.; Giese, W.L.; Mulcahy, R.T.

    1989-01-01

    FRTL-5 rat thyroid epithelial cells maintain normal thyroid function and morphology in vitro, exhibit an absolute requirement for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) for proliferation and display radiation dose response characteristics indistinguishable from those of rat thyroid epithelial cells in vivo. In TSH-free medium cells remain in a non-proliferative, yet viable, state for prolonged periods of time and respond to TSH re-stimulation by a return to exponential growth. Flow cytometric analysis using two-step acridine orange (AO) staining revealed an accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle accompanied by a pronounced reduction in red fluorescence (indicative of RNA content) in FRTL-5 cells cultured in the absence of TSH. The response of proliferative and non-proliferative FRTL-5 cells to single dose, split dose and fractionated radiation was compared to determine whether proliferative status was an important response determinant. The response of FRTL-5 cells was not influenced by proliferative status at the time of irradiation. Additionally, dose response was not altered by variable (12 hr-8 days) non-proliferative intervals before or after irradiation. As revealed by split dose experiments, the rate and extent of sublethal damage repair was likewise similar for proliferative and non-proliferative cells. Multifraction experiments employing three fractions separated by 6 hr intervals indicate that non-proliferative FRTL-5 cells completely repair sublethal damage between fractions. These results indicate that the radiation response of FRTL-5 cells is not influenced by the proliferative status of the cells prior to or post-irradiation

  14. Energy brands lack vitality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godri, S.; Wilders, E.

    2004-01-01

    The three Dutch energy companies (Nuon, Essent and Eneco Energie) have relatively little brand strength. The brands are not perceived to be sufficiently different from one another and are not valued by consumers. With liberalisation imminent, this is hardly a strong starting point. How can you win over consumers if it is not clear what is on offer? In the business market, decision-makers are better placed to distinguish between brands. However, the brands lack vitality in this sector of the market too. The only consolation is that the situation is by no means exclusive to the Netherlands [nl

  15. Lack of beta1 integrins in enteric neural crest cells leads to a Hirschsprung-like phenotype

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breau, Marie A; Pietri, Thomas; Eder, Olivier

    2006-01-01

    The enteric nervous system arises mainly from vagal and sacral neural crest cells that colonise the gut between 9.5 and 14 days of development in mice. Using the Cre-LoxP system, we removed beta1 integrins in the neural crest cells when they emerge from the neural tube. beta1-null enteric neural...

  16. Late anterior traumatic subluxation of a circular in-the-bag intraocular lens associated with lack of posterior capsule opacification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Billotte, Christian; Stéfani, Pierre; Lecoq, Pierre

    2003-05-01

    We report a case of traumatic subluxation of a circular poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lens (IOL) 5 years after surgery. Slitlamp examination revealed the lack of epithelial cells or fibrosis in the intact capsule bag. Trauma was minor, and no other complication was found in the eye and orbit. The subluxated IOL was easily relocated in the bag with a hook, revealing the poor capsule sealing. Among the factors ensuring the fixation of IOLs placed in the bag after continuous curvilinear capsulotomy are sealing of the anterior and posterior capsules and proliferation of epithelial cells from the equator of the bag.

  17. Lack of nonfunctional B-cell receptor rearrangements in a patient with normal B cell numbers despite partial RAG1 deficiency and atypical SCID/Omenn syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ohm-Laursen, Line; Nielsen, Christian; Fisker, Niels

    2008-01-01

    rearrangements to those of age-matched controls, cord blood, and adults revealed an almost total lack of nonproductive rearrangements (2.7% versus 14.7%, 27.6%, and 19.8% in the controls, respectively) indicating failure to correct out-of-frame rearrangements by a second rearrangement on the homologous...

  18. Sperm-storage defects and live birth in Drosophila females lacking spermathecal secretory cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra L Schnakenberg

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Male Drosophila flies secrete seminal-fluid proteins that mediate proper sperm storage and fertilization, and that induce changes in female behavior. Females also produce reproductive-tract secretions, yet their contributions to postmating physiology are poorly understood. Large secretory cells line the female's spermathecae, a pair of sperm-storage organs. We identified the regulatory regions controlling transcription of two genes exclusively expressed in these spermathecal secretory cells (SSC: Spermathecal endopeptidase 1 (Send1, which is expressed in both unmated and mated females, and Spermathecal endopeptidase 2 (Send2, which is induced by mating. We used these regulatory sequences to perform precise genetic ablations of the SSC at distinct time points relative to mating. We show that the SSC are required for recruiting sperm to the spermathecae, but not for retaining sperm there. The SSC also act at a distance in the reproductive tract, in that their ablation: (1 reduces sperm motility in the female's other sperm-storage organ, the seminal receptacle; and (2 causes ovoviviparity--the retention and internal development of fertilized eggs. These results establish the reproductive functions of the SSC, shed light on the evolution of live birth, and open new avenues for studying and manipulating female fertility in insects.

  19. Evidence that a recombinationless strain, rad 51, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacks the budding cell resistance to γ-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hama-Inaba, Hiroko; Saeki, Tetsuya

    1975-01-01

    The radiosensitivities of a wild-type and x-ray sensitive mutant, rad 51 (defective in genetic recombination) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to γ-rays were compared, using non-synchronized and partially synchronized cultures. The rad 51 cells, either haploid or diploid, showed only very small changes in radiosensitivity during cell growth, whereas the wild-type cells, especially haploid, showed the well-known budding resistance. The heterozygous (wild/rad 51) diploid cells showed in a survival curve a remarkable budding resistance and sigmoidal inactivation kinetics similar to those of wild-type homozygous diploid cells. (author)

  20. Low bone mass and changes in the osteocyte network in mice lacking autophagy in the osteoblast lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piemontese, Marilina; Onal, Melda; Xiong, Jinhu; Han, Li; Thostenson, Jeff D; Almeida, Maria; O'Brien, Charles A

    2016-04-11

    Autophagy maintains cell function and homeostasis by recycling intracellular components. This process is also required for morphological changes associated with maturation of some cell types. Osteoblasts are bone forming cells some of which become embedded in bone and differentiate into osteocytes. This transformation includes development of long cellular projections and a reduction in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. We examined the role of autophagy in osteoblasts by deleting Atg7 using an Osterix1-Cre transgene, which causes recombination in osteoblast progenitors and their descendants. Mice lacking Atg7 in the entire osteoblast lineage had low bone mass and fractures associated with reduced numbers of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Suppression of autophagy also reduced the amount of osteocyte cellular projections and led to retention of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in osteocytes. These results demonstrate that autophagy in osteoblasts contributes to skeletal homeostasis and to the morphological changes associated with osteocyte formation.

  1. The Cell Wall Polymer Lipoteichoic Acid Becomes Nonessential in Staphylococcus aureus Cells Lacking the ClpX Chaperone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baek, Kristoffer T.; Bowman, Lisa; Millership, Charlotte

    2016-01-01

    Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an important cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria and a promising target for the development of vaccines and antimicrobial compounds against Staphylococcus aureus. Here we demonstrate that mutations in the conditionally essential ltaS (LTA synthase) gene arise...... not produce LTA, and genetic analyses confirmed that LTA becomes nonessential in the absence of the ClpX chaperone. In fact, inactivation of ltaS alleviated the severe growth defect conferred by the clpX deletion. Microscopic analyses showed that the absence of ClpX partly alleviates the septum placement...

  2. γδ T cells producing interleukin-17A regulate adipose regulatory T cell homeostasis and thermogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohlgruber, Ayano C; Gal-Oz, Shani T; LaMarche, Nelson M; Shimazaki, Moto; Duquette, Danielle; Nguyen, Hung N; Mina, Amir I; Paras, Tyler; Tavakkoli, Ali; von Andrian, Ulrich; Banks, Alexander S; Shay, Tal; Brenner, Michael B; Lynch, Lydia

    2018-05-01

    γδ T cells are situated at barrier sites and guard the body from infection and damage. However, little is known about their roles outside of host defense in nonbarrier tissues. Here, we characterize a highly enriched tissue-resident population of γδ T cells in adipose tissue that regulate age-dependent regulatory T cell (T reg ) expansion and control core body temperature in response to environmental fluctuations. Mechanistically, innate PLZF + γδ T cells produced tumor necrosis factor and interleukin (IL) 17 A and determined PDGFRα + and Pdpn + stromal-cell production of IL-33 in adipose tissue. Mice lacking γδ T cells or IL-17A exhibited decreases in both ST2 + T reg cells and IL-33 abundance in visceral adipose tissue. Remarkably, these mice also lacked the ability to regulate core body temperature at thermoneutrality and after cold challenge. Together, these findings uncover important physiological roles for resident γδ T cells in adipose tissue immune homeostasis and body-temperature control.

  3. IRF8 Transcription-Factor-Dependent Classical Dendritic Cells Are Essential for Intestinal T Cell Homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luda, Katarzyna M; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, Emma K; Rivollier, Aymeric; Demiri, Mimoza; Sitnik, Katarzyna M; Pool, Lieneke; Holm, Jacob B; Melo-Gonzalez, Felipe; Richter, Lisa; Lambrecht, Bart N; Kristiansen, Karsten; Travis, Mark A; Svensson-Frej, Marcus; Kotarsky, Knut; Agace, William W

    2016-04-19

    The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 transcription-factor-dependent DCs had reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence of SI CD8αβ(+) and CD4(+)CD8αα(+) T cells; the latter requiring β8 integrin expression by migratory IRF8 dependent CD103(+)CD11b(-) DCs. SI homing receptor induction was impaired during T cell priming in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), which correlated with a reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity by SI-derived MLN DCs, and inefficient T cell localization to the SI. These mice also lacked intestinal T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and failed to support Th1 cell differentiation in MLN and mount Th1 cell responses to Trichuris muris infection. Collectively these results highlight multiple non-redundant roles for IRF8 dependent DCs in the maintenance of intestinal T cell homeostasis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Deletion of Notch1 converts pro-T cells to dendritic cells and promotes thymic B cells by cell-extrinsic and cell-intrinsic mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feyerabend, Thorsten B; Terszowski, Grzegorz; Tietz, Annette; Blum, Carmen; Luche, Hervé; Gossler, Achim; Gale, Nicholas W; Radtke, Freddy; Fehling, Hans Jörg; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer

    2009-01-16

    Notch1 signaling is required for T cell development and has been implicated in fate decisions in the thymus. We showed that Notch1 deletion in progenitor T cells (pro-T cells) revealed their latent developmental potential toward becoming conventional and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. In addition, Notch1 deletion in pro-T cells resulted in large numbers of thymic B cells, previously explained by T-to-B cell fate conversion. Single-cell genotyping showed, however, that the majority of these thymic B cells arose from Notch1-sufficient cells by a cell-extrinsic pathway. Fate switching nevertheless exists for a subset of thymic B cells originating from Notch1-deleted pro-T cells. Chimeric mice lacking the Notch ligand delta-like 4 (Dll4) in thymus epithelium revealed an essential role for Dll4 in T cell development. Thus, Notch1-Dll4 signaling fortifies T cell commitment by suppressing non-T cell lineage potential in pro-T cells, and normal Notch1-driven T cell development repels excessive B cells in the thymus.

  5. Lack of tau proteins rescues neuronal cell death and decreases amyloidogenic processing of APP in APP/PS1 mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leroy, Karelle; Ando, Kunie; Laporte, Vincent; Dedecker, Robert; Suain, Valérie; Authelet, Michèle; Héraud, Céline; Pierrot, Nathalie; Yilmaz, Zehra; Octave, Jean-Noël; Brion, Jean-Pierre

    2012-12-01

    Lack of tau expression has been reported to protect against excitotoxicity and to prevent memory deficits in mice expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) identified in familial Alzheimer disease. In APP mice, mutant presenilin 1 (PS1) enhances generation of Aβ42 and inhibits cell survival pathways. It is unknown whether the deficient phenotype induced by concomitant expression of mutant PS1 is rescued by absence of tau. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of tau deletion in mice expressing mutant APP and PS1. Although APP/PS1/tau(+/+) mice had a reduced survival, developed spatial memory deficits at 6 months and motor impairments at 12 months, these deficits were rescued in APP/PS1/tau(-/-) mice. Neuronal loss and synaptic loss in APP/PS1/tau(+/+) mice were rescued in the APP/PS1/tau(-/-) mice. The amyloid plaque burden was decreased by roughly 50% in the cortex and the spinal cord of the APP/PS1/tau(-/-) mice. The levels of soluble and insoluble Aβ40 and Aβ42, and the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio were reduced in APP/PS1/tau(-/-) mice. Levels of phosphorylated APP, of β-C-terminal fragments (CTFs), and of β-secretase 1 (BACE1) were also reduced, suggesting that β-secretase cleavage of APP was reduced in APP/PS1/tau(-/-) mice. Our results indicate that tau deletion had a protective effect against amyloid induced toxicity even in the presence of mutant PS1 and reduced the production of Aβ. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. 10 CFR 503.21 - Lack of alternate fuel supply.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lack of alternate fuel supply. 503.21 Section 503.21 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ALTERNATE FUELS NEW FACILITIES Temporary Exemptions for New Facilities § 503.21 Lack of alternate fuel supply. (a) Eligibility. Section 211(a)(1) of the Act provides for...

  7. Exosomes from Cardiomyocyte Progenitor Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stimulate Angiogenesis Via EMMPRIN

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vrijsen, Krijn R.; Maring, Janita A.; Chamuleau, Steven A J; Verhage, Vera; Mol, Emma A.; Deddens, Janine C.; Metz, Corina H G; Lodder, Kirsten; van Eeuwijk, Esther C M; van Dommelen, Susan M.; Doevendans, Pieter A.; Smits, Anke M.; Goumans, Marie José; Sluijter, Joost P G

    2016-01-01

    To date, cellular transplantation therapy has not yet fulfilled its high expectations for cardiac repair. A major limiting factor is lack of long-term engraftment of the transplanted cells. Interestingly, transplanted cells can positively affect their environment via secreted paracrine factors,

  8. Running on empty: does mitochondrial DNA mutation limit replicative lifespan in yeast?: Mutations that increase the division rate of cells lacking mitochondrial DNA also extend replicative lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Cory D

    2011-10-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations escalate with increasing age in higher organisms. However, it has so far been difficult to experimentally determine whether mtDNA mutation merely correlates with age or directly limits lifespan. A recent study shows that budding yeast can also lose functional mtDNA late in life. Interestingly, independent studies of replicative lifespan (RLS) and of mtDNA-deficient cells show that the same mutations can increase both RLS and the division rate of yeast lacking the mitochondrial genome. These exciting, parallel findings imply a potential causal relationship between mtDNA mutation and replicative senescence. Furthermore, these results suggest more efficient methods for discovering genes that determine lifespan. Copyright © 2011 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Live-cell visualization of gasdermin D-driven pyroptotic cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathkey, Joseph K; Benson, Bryan L; Chirieleison, Steven M; Yang, Jie; Xiao, Tsan S; Dubyak, George R; Huang, Alex Y; Abbott, Derek W

    2017-09-01

    Pyroptosis is a form of cell death important in defenses against pathogens that can also result in a potent and sometimes pathological inflammatory response. During pyroptosis, GSDMD (gasdermin D), the pore-forming effector protein, is cleaved, forms oligomers, and inserts into the membranes of the cell, resulting in rapid cell death. However, the potent cell death induction caused by GSDMD has complicated our ability to understand the biology of this protein. Studies aimed at visualizing GSDMD have relied on expression of GSDMD fragments in epithelial cell lines that naturally lack GSDMD expression and also lack the proteases necessary to cleave GSDMD. In this work, we performed mutagenesis and molecular modeling to strategically place tags and fluorescent proteins within GSDMD that support native pyroptosis and facilitate live-cell imaging of pyroptotic cell death. Here, we demonstrate that these fusion proteins are cleaved by caspases-1 and -11 at Asp-276. Mutations that disrupted the predicted p30-p20 autoinhibitory interface resulted in GSDMD aggregation, supporting the oligomerizing activity of these mutations. Furthermore, we show that these novel GSDMD fusions execute inflammasome-dependent pyroptotic cell death in response to multiple stimuli and allow for visualization of the morphological changes associated with pyroptotic cell death in real time. This work therefore provides new tools that not only expand the molecular understanding of pyroptosis but also enable its direct visualization. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Generation of Novel Traj18-Deficient Mice Lacking Vα14 Natural Killer T Cells with an Undisturbed T Cell Receptor α-Chain Repertoire.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nyambayar Dashtsoodol

    Full Text Available Invariant Vα14 natural killer T (NKT cells, characterized by the expression of a single invariant T cell receptor (TCR α chain encoded by rearranged Trav11 (Vα14-Traj18 (Jα18 gene segments in mice, and TRAV10 (Vα24-TRAJ18 (Jα18 in humans, mediate adjuvant effects to activate various effector cell types in both innate and adaptive immune systems that facilitates the potent antitumor effects. It was recently reported that the Jα18-deficient mouse described by our group in 1997 harbors perturbed TCRα repertoire, which raised concerns regarding the validity of some of the experimental conclusions that have been made using this mouse line. To resolve this concern, we generated a novel Traj18-deficient mouse line by specifically targeting the Traj18 gene segment using Cre-Lox approach. Here we showed the newly generated Traj18-deficient mouse has, apart from the absence of Traj18, an undisturbed TCRα chain repertoire by using next generation sequencing and by detecting normal generation of Vα19Jα33 expressing mucosal associated invariant T cells, whose development was abrogated in the originally described Jα18-KO mice. We also demonstrated here the definitive requirement for NKT cells in the protection against tumors and their potent adjuvant effects on antigen-specific CD8 T cells.

  11. Lack of specificity of chromosome breaks resulting from radiation-induced genomic instability in Chinese hamster cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trott, K.-R.; Teibe, A.

    1998-01-01

    In V79 Chinese hamster cells, radiation-induced genomic instability results in a persistently increased frequency of micronuclei, dicentric chromosomes and apoptosis and in decreased colony-forming ability. These manifestations of radiation-induced genomic instability may be attributed to an increased rate of chromosome breakage events many generations after irradiation. This chromosomal instability does not seem to be a property which has been inflicted on individual chromosomes at the time of irradiation. Rather, it appears to be secondary to an increased level of non-specific clastogenic factors in the progeny of most if not all irradiated cells. This conclusion is drawn from the observations presented here, that all the chromosomes in surviving V79 cells are involved in the formation of dicentric chromosome aberrations 1 or 2 weeks after irradiation with about equal probability if corrections are made for chromosome length. (orig.)

  12. Alloactivated HLA class II-positive T-cell lines induce IL-2 reactivity but lack accessory cell function in mixed leukocyte culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Odum, N; Dickmeiss, E; Hofmann, B

    1989-01-01

    in the primary mixed leukocyte reaction (median counts per minute (cpm) 5.5 x 10(3] was significantly lower than that of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cpm: 44.0 x 10(3]. The stimulation by Ta was almost only seen when the Ta were specifically directed against the class II antigens of the responder...... peripheral blood mononuclear cells (i.e., in combinations with "backstimulation") (median cpm: 21,000). In mixed leukocyte reaction combinations without backstimulation, significantly weaker reactions were seen (median cpm: 1,000). This observation may explain previous controversies concerning...

  13. Hydrobalneological methods in modern medical treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Włodzisław Kuliński

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Therapeutic methods combining balneology and hydrotherapy have been used in treatment and prevention for a long time. Their influence on the skin, based on mechanical, thermal, and hydrostatic stimuli, results in a reaction of the internal organs as well as the whole body. The most important effects of such procedures are changes within the cardiovascular system. Aim of the research: The use of hydrobalneological methods in modern medical treatment. Material and methods : The analysis focused on the influence of water jets at alternating temperatures in the treatment of functional cardiovascular disturbances with the use of non-invasive methods of autonomic nervous system function work-up based on the analysis of heart rate variability. The effect of the jets on heart rate and blood pressure was observed in 50 patients with first-degree hypertension, which was accompanied by radioelectrocardiographic (RECG assessment of the influence of underwater massage and carbonic acid baths on the cardiovascular system in patients undergoing these procedures due to Da Costa’s syndrome. Results : Water jets at alternating temperatures successfully modulate the tension within the autonomic nervous system and stimulate its parasympathetic part. Underwater massage is a gentle procedure and does not cause significant changes in heart rate and RECG tracing. Carbonic acid baths decrease autonomic nervous system excitability. Conclusions: The study results show a possibility of regulating autonomic nervous system function with the use of selected balneological and hydrotherapeutic methods, and thus influencing the functional level of the human body which is most appropriate for the requirements created by the internal and external environment of the body.

  14. Mutations reducing replication from R-loops suppress the defects of growth, chromosome segregation and DNA supercoiling in cells lacking topoisomerase I and RNase HI activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usongo, Valentine; Martel, Makisha; Balleydier, Aurélien; Drolet, Marc

    2016-04-01

    R-loop formation occurs when the nascent RNA hybridizes with the template DNA strand behind the RNA polymerase. R-loops affect a wide range of cellular processes and their use as origins of replication was the first function attributed to them. In Escherichia coli, R-loop formation is promoted by the ATP-dependent negative supercoiling activity of gyrase (gyrA and gyrB) and is inhibited by topoisomerase (topo) I (topA) relaxing transcription-induced negative supercoiling. RNase HI (rnhA) degrades the RNA moiety of R-loops. The depletion of RNase HI activity in topA null mutants was previously shown to lead to extensive DNA relaxation, due to DNA gyrase inhibition, and to severe growth and chromosome segregation defects that were partially corrected by overproducing topo III (topB). Here, DNA gyrase assays in crude cell extracts showed that the ATP-dependent activity (supercoiling) of gyrase but not its ATP-independent activity (relaxation) was inhibited in topA null cells lacking RNase HI. To characterize the cellular event(s) triggered by the absence of RNase HI, we performed a genetic screen for suppressors of the growth defect of topA rnhA null cells. Suppressors affecting genes in replication (holC2::aph and dnaT18::aph) nucleotide metabolism (dcd49::aph), RNA degradation (rne59::aph) and fimbriae synthesis (fimD22::aph) were found to reduce replication from R-loops and to restore supercoiling, thus pointing to a correlation between R-loop-dependent replication in topA rnhA mutants and the inhibition of gyrase activity and growth. Interestingly, the position of fimD on the E. coli chromosome corresponds to the site of one of the five main putative origins of replication from R-loops in rnhA null cells recently identified by next-generation sequencing, thus suggesting that the fimD22::aph mutation inactivated one of these origins. Furthermore, we show that topo III overproduction is unable to complement the growth defect of topA rnhA null mutants at low

  15. Lack of functional specialization of neurons in the mouse primary visual cortex that have expressed calretinin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela eCamillo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Calretinin is a calcium-binding protein often used as a marker for a subset of inhibitory interneurons in the mammalian neocortex. We studied the labeled cells in offspring from a cross of a Cre-dependent reporter line with the CR-ires-Cre mice, which express Cre-recombinase in the same pattern as calretinin. We found that in the mature visual cortex, only a minority of the cells that have expressed calretinin and Cre-recombinase during their lifetime is GABAergic and only about 20% are immunoreactive for calretinin. The reason behind this is that calretinin is transiently expressed in many cortical pyramidal neurons during development. To determine whether neurons that express or have expressed calretinin share any distinct functional characteristics, we recorded their visual response properties using GCaMP6s calcium imaging. The average orientation selectivity, size tuning, and temporal and spatial frequency tuning of this group of cells, however, match the response profile of the general neuronal population, revealing the lack of functional specialization for the features studied.

  16. Cell Cycle Related Differentiation of Bone Marrow Cells into Lung Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dooner, Mark; Aliotta, Jason M.; Pimental, Jeffrey; Dooner, Gerri J.; Abedi, Mehrdad; Colvin, Gerald; Liu, Qin; Weier, Heinz-Ulli; Dooner, Mark S.; Quesenberry, Peter J.

    2007-12-31

    Green-fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled marrow cells transplanted into lethally irradiated mice can be detected in the lungs of transplanted mice and have been shown to express lung specific proteins while lacking the expression of hematopoietic markers. We have studied marrow cells induced to transit cell cycle by exposure to IL-3, IL-6, IL-11 and steel factor at different times of culture corresponding to different phases of cell cycle. We have found that marrow cells at the G1/S interface have a 3-fold increase in cells which assume a lung phenotype and that this increase is no longer seen in late S/G2. These cells have been characterized as GFP{sup +} CD45{sup -} and GFP{sup +} cytokeratin{sup +}. Thus marrow cells with the capacity to convert into cells with a lung phenotype after transplantation show a reversible increase with cytokine induced cell cycle transit. Previous studies have shown the phenotype of bone marrow stem cells fluctuates reversibly as these cells traverse cell cycle, leading to a continuum model of stem cell regulation. The present studies indicate that marrow stem cell production of nonhematopoietic cells also fluctuates on a continuum.

  17. Lacking deoxygenation-linked interaction between cytoplasmic domain of band 3 and HbF from fetal red blood cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weber, Roy E.

    2007-01-01

    Aim: Several of the red blood cell's metabolic and membrane functions display dependence on haemoglobin oxygenation. In adult human red cells, the increased glycolytic rate at low O2 tension results from binding of deoxygenated HbA at negatively charged, N-terminal, cytoplasmic domain of the memb......Aim: Several of the red blood cell's metabolic and membrane functions display dependence on haemoglobin oxygenation. In adult human red cells, the increased glycolytic rate at low O2 tension results from binding of deoxygenated HbA at negatively charged, N-terminal, cytoplasmic domain...... of the membrane protein band 3, which liberates glycolytic enzymes from this site. This study aims to investigate the role of fetal HbF (that has lower anion-binding capacity than HbA) in fetal red cells (that are subjected to low O2 tensions), and to elucidate possible linkage (e.g. via the major red cell...... membrane organising centre, band 3) between the individual oxygenation-linked reactions encountered in red cells. Methods: The interaction between band 3 and Hb is analysed in terms of the effects, measured under different conditions, of a 10-mer peptide that corresponds to the N-terminus of human band 3...

  18. Airway eosinophils accumulate in the mediastinal lymph nodes but lack antigen-presenting potential for naive T cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rijt, Leonie S.; Vos, Nanda; Hijdra, Daniëlle; de Vries, Victor C.; Hoogsteden, Henk C.; Lambrecht, Bart N.

    2003-01-01

    Asthma is characterized by infiltration of the airway wall with eosinophils. Although eosinophils are considered to be effector cells, recent studies have reported their ability to activate primed Th2 cells. In this study, we investigated whether eosinophils are capable of presenting Ag to unprimed

  19. Comparative Genomics of DNA Recombination and Repair in Cyanobacteria: Biotechnological Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassier-Chauvat, Corinne; Veaudor, Théo; Chauvat, Franck

    2016-01-01

    Cyanobacteria are fascinating photosynthetic prokaryotes that are regarded as the ancestors of the plant chloroplast; the purveyors of oxygen and biomass for the food chain; and promising cell factories for an environmentally friendly production of chemicals. In colonizing most waters and soils of our planet, cyanobacteria are inevitably challenged by environmental stresses that generate DNA damages. Furthermore, many strains engineered for biotechnological purposes can use DNA recombination to stop synthesizing the biotechnological product. Hence, it is important to study DNA recombination and repair in cyanobacteria for both basic and applied research. This review reports what is known in a few widely studied model cyanobacteria and what can be inferred by mining the sequenced genomes of morphologically and physiologically diverse strains. We show that cyanobacteria possess many E. coli-like DNA recombination and repair genes, and possibly other genes not yet identified. E. coli-homolog genes are unevenly distributed in cyanobacteria, in agreement with their wide genome diversity. Many genes are extremely well conserved in cyanobacteria (mutMS, radA, recA, recFO, recG, recN, ruvABC, ssb, and uvrABCD), even in small genomes, suggesting that they encode the core DNA repair process. In addition to these core genes, the marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus strains harbor recBCD (DNA recombination), umuCD (mutational DNA replication), as well as the key SOS genes lexA (regulation of the SOS system) and sulA (postponing of cell division until completion of DNA reparation). Hence, these strains could possess an E. coli-type SOS system. In contrast, several cyanobacteria endowed with larger genomes lack typical SOS genes. For examples, the two studied Gloeobacter strains lack alkB, lexA, and sulA; and Synechococcus PCC7942 has neither lexA nor recCD. Furthermore, the Synechocystis PCC6803 lexA product does not regulate DNA repair genes. Collectively, these findings

  20. Isolation of Human Innate Lymphoid Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krabbendam, Lisette; Nagasawa, Maho; Spits, Hergen; Bal, Suzanne M

    2018-06-29

    Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are innate immune cells of lymphoid origin that have important effector and regulatory functions in the first line of defense against pathogens, but also regulate tissue homeostasis, remodeling, and repair. Their function mirrors T helper cells and cytotoxic CD8 + T lymphocytes, but they lack expression of rearranged antigen-specific receptors. Distinct ILC subsets are classified in group 1 ILCs (ILC1s), group 2 ILCs (ILC2s), and group 3 ILCs (ILC3s and lymphoid tissue-inducer cells), based on the expression of transcription factors and the cytokines they produce. As the frequency of ILCs is low, their isolation requires extensive depletion of other cell types. The lack of unique cell surface antigens further complicates the identification of these cells. Here, methods for ILC isolation and characterization from human peripheral blood and different tissues are described. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  1. Involvement of Aif1 in apoptosis triggered by lack of Hxk2 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amigoni, Loredana; Frigerio, Gianluca; Martegani, Enzo; Colombo, Sonia

    2016-05-01

    We recently showed that in hxk2Δ cells, showing constitutive localization of active Ras at the mitochondria, addition of acetic acid caused an increase of both apoptotic and necrotic cells compared with the wild-type strain, providing a new role for hexokinase 2 (EC 2.7.1.1) as an anti-apoptotic factor, besides its known role as a glycolytic enzyme and as a regulator of gene transcription of several Mig1-regulated genes. We also demonstrated that apoptosis induced by lack of Hxk2 may not require the activation of Yca1. Here, we show that deletion of HXK2 causes hypersensitivity to H2O2 and that addition of this well-known apoptotic stimulus to hxk2Δ cells causes an increase in the level ROS, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential. We also show that deletion of AIF1 in hxk2Δ cells enhances survival after induction of apoptosis with both H2O2 and acetic acid, rescues the reduction of both growth rate and cell size, abrogates both H2O2 and acetic acid-induced ROS accumulation and decreases cell death, suggesting that Aif1 might be involved in both H2O2 and acetic acid-induced cell death in hxk2Δ cells. Moreover, we show that active Ras proteins relocalize to the plasma membrane and to the nucleus in hxk2Δ aif1Δ cells. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Differentially expressed genes in embryonic cardiac tissues of mice lacking Folr1 gene activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schwartz Robert J

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Heart anomalies are the most frequently observed among all human congenital defects. As with the situation for neural tube defects (NTDs, it has been demonstrated that women who use multivitamins containing folic acid peri-conceptionally have a reduced risk for delivering offspring with conotruncal heart defects 123. Cellular folate transport is mediated by a receptor or binding protein and by an anionic transporter protein system. Defective function of the Folr1 (also known as Folbp1; homologue of human FRα gene in mice results in inadequate transport, accumulation, or metabolism of folate during cardiovascular morphogenesis. Results We have observed cardiovascular abnormalities including outflow tract and aortic arch arterial defects in genetically compromised Folr1 knockout mice. In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the failure to complete development of outflow tract and aortic arch arteries in the Folr1 knockout mouse model, we examined tissue-specific gene expression difference between Folr1 nullizygous embryos and morphologically normal heterozygous embryos during early cardiac development (14-somite stage, heart tube looping (28-somite stage, and outflow track septation (38-somite stage. Microarray analysis was performed as a primary screening, followed by investigation using quantitative real-time PCR assays. Gene ontology analysis highlighted the following ontology groups: cell migration, cell motility and localization of cells, structural constituent of cytoskeleton, cell-cell adhesion, oxidoreductase, protein folding and mRNA processing. This study provided preliminary data and suggested potential candidate genes for further description and investigation. Conclusion The results suggested that Folr1 gene ablation and abnormal folate homeostasis altered gene expression in developing heart and conotruncal tissues. These changes affected normal cytoskeleton structures, cell migration and

  3. Skin Stem Cells in Skin Cell Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mollapour Sisakht

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Context Preclinical and clinical research has shown that stem cell therapy is a promising therapeutic option for many diseases. This article describes skin stem cells sources and their therapeutic applications. Evidence Acquisition Compared with conventional methods, cell therapy reduces the surgical burden for patients because it is simple and less time-consuming. Skin cell therapy has been developed for variety of diseases. By isolation of the skin stem cell from the niche, in vitro expansion and transplantation of cells offers a surprising healing capacity profile. Results Stem cells located in skin cells have shown interesting properties such as plasticity, transdifferentiation, and specificity. Mesenchymal cells of the dermis, hypodermis, and other sources are currently being investigated to promote regeneration. Conclusions Because skin stem cells are highly accessible from autologous sources and their immunological profile is unique, they are ideal for therapeutic approaches. Optimization of administrative routes requires more investigation own to the lack of a standard protocol.

  4. Activation of CHK1 in Supporting Cells Indirectly Promotes Hair Cell Survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azadeh Jadali

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The sensory hair cells of the inner ear are exquisitely sensitive to ototoxic insults. Loss of hair cells after exposure to ototoxic agents causes hearing loss. Chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin causes hair cell loss. Cisplatin forms DNA mono-adducts as well as intra- and inter-strand DNA crosslinks. DNA cisplatin adducts are repaired through the DNA damage response. The decision between cell survival and cell death following DNA damage rests on factors that are involved in determining damage tolerance, cell survival and apoptosis. Cisplatin damage on hair cells has been the main focus of many ototoxic studies, yet the effect of cisplatin on supporting cells has been largely ignored. In this study, the effects of DNA damage response in cochlear supporting cells were interrogated. Supporting cells play a major role in the development, maintenance and oto-protection of hair cells. Loss of supporting cells may indirectly affect hair cell survival or maintenance. Activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K signaling was previously shown to promote hair cell survival. To test whether activating PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival after cisplatin damage, cochlear explants from the neural subset (NS Cre Pten conditional knockout mice were employed. Deletion of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN activates PI3K signaling in multiple cell types within the cochlea. Supporting cells lacking PTEN showed increased cell survival after cisplatin damage. Supporting cells lacking PTEN also showed increased phosphorylation of Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1 levels after cisplatin damage. Nearest neighbor analysis showed increased numbers of supporting cells with activated PI3K signaling in close proximity to surviving hair cells in cisplatin damaged cochleae. We propose that increased PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival through phosphorylation of CHK1 and increased survival of supporting cells indirectly increases hair cell

  5. Action potential generation in the small intestine of W mutant mice that lack interstitial cells of Cajal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malysz, J; Thuneberg, L; Mikkelsen, Hanne Birte

    1996-01-01

    significantly changed. Neither FLC nor MLC were part of a network nor did they form specialized junctions with neighboring cells as ICC do. Hence no cell type had replaced ICC at their normal morphological position associated with Auerbach's plexus. ICC were present in W/Wv mice at the deep muscular plexus...

  6. [Lack of neonatologists: vocational crisis or mistaken policies?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Justich, Pablo R

    2012-10-01

    In Argentina, the difficulty in covering neonatologist's positions represent an increasing problem. The absence of a coordinated and organized health system on one hand, and the lack of adaptation of the neonatologist's role to the current situation of the maternal and child care on the other, prevent the correct assistential coverage. The inadequate work conditions, the professional risks, the wide amount of time devoted to formation and studying, and the lack of knowledge of the professionals necessities and difficulties have a negative impact when it comes to incorporate new specialists. A global approach of the problem is essential to reach enduring answers.

  7. Lack of retinoic acid leads to increased langerin-expressing dendritic cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Sun-Young; Cha, Hye-Ran; Chang, Jae-Hoon; Ko, Hyun-Jeong; Yang, Hyungjun; Malissen, Bernard; Iwata, Makoto; Kweon, Mi-Na

    2010-04-01

    Retinoic acid (RA) is a crucial factor for maintaining homeostasis in the gut, including lymphocyte homing, immunoglobulin (Ig) A production, and T regulatory cells (Treg) and T helper cell 17 (T(H)17) generation. Until now, most attention has focused on the function of dendritic cells (DCs) to initiate adaptive immunity including T and B lymphocytes through RA. To investigate the effects of RA on DCs of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), we analyzed the phenotype and function of DC subsets from GALT of vitamin A-deficient (VAD) mice. VAD mice were prepared by feeding them a VAD diet over 12 weeks from gestational days 10-14. Here, we report that tremendous increase of langerin(+) DCs occurred in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and gut lamina propria of VAD mice dependent on CCR7 signaling. Langerin(+) DCs have phenotypes more similar to those of bone marrow-derived dermal langerin(+) DCs than epidermal Langerhans cells. Moreover, RA receptor antagonists enhance the differentiation of langerin(+) DCs from mouse and human precursors of bone marrow and peripheral blood. Langerin(+) DCs were highly differentiated but less inflammatory than langerin(-) DCs of MLNs of VAD mice. Moreover, tolerance to orally delivered antigen was completely abrogated by depletion of langerin(+) DCs in the VAD mice. These results suggest that generation of langerin(+) DCs in the GALT is tightly regulated by RA and that the microenvironment of tissues determines the phenotype of DCs. 2010 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Lack of a functional VHL gene product sensitizes renal cell carcinoma cells to the apoptotic effects of the protein synthesis inhibitor verrucarin A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woldemichael, Girma M; Turbyville, Thomas J; Vasselli, James R; Linehan, W Marston; McMahon, James B

    2012-08-01

    Verrucarin A (VA) is a small molecule derived from the fungal plant pathogen Myrothecium verrucaria and was identified as a selective inhibitor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) cell proliferation in a high-throughput screen of a library of naturally occurring small molecules. CCRCC arises as a result of loss-of-function mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene. Here we show that VA inhibits protein translation initiation culminating in apoptosis through the extrinsic signaling pathway. Reintroduction of the VHL gene in CCRCC cells afforded resistance to VA's apoptotic effects. This resistance is mediated in part by the formation of stress granules that entrap signaling molecules that initiate the apoptotic signaling cascade. The VHL gene product was found to be a component of stress granules that develop as result of VA treatment. These findings reveal an important role for the VHL gene product in cytotoxic stress response and have important implications for the rational development of VA-related compounds in chemotherapeutic targeting of CCRCC.

  9. Dictyostelium cells bind a secreted autocrine factor that represses cell proliferation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choe, Jonathan M; Bakthavatsalam, Deenadayalan; Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

    2009-02-02

    Dictyostelium cells secrete the proteins AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking either AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild type, while AprA or CfaD overexpressor cells proliferate slowly, indicating that AprA and CfaD are autocrine factors that repress proliferation. CfaD interacts with AprA and requires the presence of AprA to slow proliferation. To determine if CfaD is necessary for the ability of AprA to slow proliferation, whether AprA binds to cells, and if so whether the binding requires the presence of CfaD, we examined the binding and effect on proliferation of recombinant AprA. We find that the extracellular accumulation of AprA increases with cell density and reaches a concentration of 0.3 microg/ml near a stationary cell density. When added to wild-type or aprA- cells, recombinant AprA (rAprA) significantly slows proliferation at 0.1 microg/ml and higher concentrations. From 4 to 64 microg/ml, the effect of rAprA is at a plateau, slowing but not stopping proliferation. The proliferation-inhibiting activity of rAprA is roughly the same as that of native AprA in conditioned growth medium. Proliferating aprA- cells show saturable binding of rAprA to 92,000 +/- 11,000 cell-surface receptors with a KD of 0.03 +/- 0.02 microg/ml. There appears to be one class of binding site, and no apparent cooperativity. Native AprA inhibits the binding of rAprA to aprA- cells with a Ki of 0.03 mug/ml, suggesting that the binding kinetics of rAprA are similar to those of native AprA. The proliferation of cells lacking CrlA, a cAMP receptor-like protein, or cells lacking CfaD are not affected by rAprA. Surprisingly, both cell types still bind rAprA. Together, the data suggest that AprA functions as an autocrine proliferation-inhibiting factor by binding to cell surface receptors. Although AprA requires CfaD for activity, it does not require CfaD to bind to cells, suggesting the possibility that cells have an AprA receptor and a CfaD receptor, and activation of both receptors is

  10. Lack of CD4+ T cell percent decrease in alemtuzumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients with persistent relapses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolla, Simona; De Mercanti, Stefania Federica; Bardina, Valentina; Horakova, Dana; Habek, Mario; Adamec, Ivan; Cocco, Eleonora; Annovazzi, Pietro; Vladic, Anton; Novelli, Francesco; Durelli, Luca; Clerico, Marinella

    2017-12-15

    Alemtuzumab, a highly effective treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), induces lymphopenia especially of CD4+ T cells. Here, we report the atypical CD4+ T population behaviour of two patients with persistent disease activity despite repeated alemtuzumab treatments. Whereas lymphocytes count decreased and fluctuated accordingly to alemtuzumab administration, their CD4+ cell percentage was not or just mildly affected and was slightly below the lowest normal limit already before alemtuzumab. These cases anticipate further studies aimed to investigate whether the evaluation of the CD4+ cell percentage could represent a helpful tool to address the individual clinical response to alemtuzumab. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. CAG Expansions Are Genetically Stable and Form Nontoxic Aggregates in Cells Lacking Endogenous Polyglutamine Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashley A. Zurawel

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Proteins containing polyglutamine (polyQ regions are found in almost all eukaryotes, albeit with various frequencies. In humans, proteins such as huntingtin (Htt with abnormally expanded polyQ regions cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease (HD. To study how the presence of endogenous polyQ aggregation modulates polyQ aggregation and toxicity, we expressed polyQ expanded Htt fragments (polyQ Htt in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In stark contrast to other unicellular fungi, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. pombe is uniquely devoid of proteins with more than 10 Q repeats. We found that polyQ Htt forms aggregates within S. pombe cells only with exceedingly long polyQ expansions. Surprisingly, despite the presence of polyQ Htt aggregates in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, no significant growth defect was observed in S. pombe cells. Further, PCR analysis showed that the repetitive polyQ-encoding DNA region remained constant following transformation and after multiple divisions in S. pombe, in contrast to the genetic instability of polyQ DNA sequences in other organisms. These results demonstrate that cells with a low content of polyQ or other aggregation-prone proteins can show a striking resilience with respect to polyQ toxicity and that genetic instability of repetitive DNA sequences may have played an important role in the evolutionary emergence and exclusion of polyQ expansion proteins in different organisms.

  12. Conceptualising the lack of health insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, J B

    2000-01-01

    This paper examines the lack of health insurance coverage in the US as a public policy issue. It first compares the problem of health insurance coverage to the problem of unemployment to show that in terms of the numbers of individuals affected lack of health insurance is a problem comparable in importance to the problem of unemployment. Secondly, the paper discusses the methodology involved in measuring health insurance coverage, and argues that the current method of estimation of the uninsured underestimates the extent that individuals go without health insurance. Third, the paper briefly introduces Amartya Sen's functioning and capabilities framework to suggest a way of representing the extent to which individuals are uninsured. Fourth, the paper sketches a means of operationalizing the Sen representation of the uninsured in terms of the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) measure.

  13. Lack of the purinergic receptor P2X7 results in resistance to contact hypersensitivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Felix C.; Esser, Philipp R.; Müller, Tobias; Ganesan, Jayanthi; Pellegatti, Patrizia; Simon, Markus M.; Zeiser, Robert; Idzko, Marco; Jakob, Thilo

    2010-01-01

    Sensitization to contact allergens requires activation of the innate immune system by endogenous danger signals. However, the mechanisms through which contact allergens activate innate signaling pathways are incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that mice lacking the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) receptor P2X7 are resistant to contact hypersensitivity (CHS). P2X7-deficient dendritic cells fail to induce sensitization to contact allergens and do not release IL-1β in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP. These defects are restored by pretreatment with LPS and alum in an NLRP3- and ASC-dependent manner. Whereas pretreatment of wild-type mice with P2X7 antagonists, the ATP-degrading enzyme apyrase or IL-1 receptor antagonist, prevents CHS, IL-1β injection restores CHS in P2X7-deficient mice. Thus, P2X7 is a crucial receptor for extracellular ATP released in skin in response to contact allergens. The lack of P2X7 triggering prevents IL-1β release, which is an essential step in the sensitization process. Interference with P2X7 signaling may be a promising strategy for the prevention of allergic contact dermatitis. PMID:21059855

  14. Lack of a Functional VHL Gene Product Sensitizes Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells to the Apoptotic Effects of the Protein Synthesis Inhibitor Verrucarin A

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Girma M. Woldemichael

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Verrucarin A (VA is a small molecule derived from the fungal plant pathogen Myrothecium verrucaria and was identified as a selective inhibitor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC cell proliferation in a high-throughput screen of a library of naturally occurring small molecules. CCRCC arises as a result of loss-of-function mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL gene. Here we show that VA inhibits protein translation initiation culminating in apoptosis through the extrinsic signaling pathway. Reintroduction of the VHL gene in CCRCC cells afforded resistance to VA's apoptotic effects. This resistance is mediated in part by the formation of stress granules that entrap signaling molecules that initiate the apoptotic signaling cascade. The VHL gene product was found to be a component of stress granules that develop as result of VA treatment. These findings reveal an important role for the VHL gene product in cytotoxic stress response and have important implications for the rational development of VA-related compounds in chemotherapeutic targeting of CCRCC.

  15. IRF8 Transcription-Factor-Dependent Classical Dendritic Cells Are Essential for Intestinal T Cell Homeostasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Luda, Katarzyna M.; Joeris, Thorsten; Persson, Emma K.

    2016-01-01

    The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in intestinal immune homeostasis remains incompletely defined. Here we show that mice lacking IRF8 transcription-factor-dependent DCs had reduced numbers of T cells in the small intestine (SI), but not large intestine (LI), including an almost complete absence...... dependent DCs in the maintenance of intestinal T cell homeostasis....

  16. Dictyostelium cells bind a secreted autocrine factor that represses cell proliferation

    OpenAIRE

    Choe, Jonathan M; Bakthavatsalam, Deenadayalan; Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Background Dictyostelium cells secrete the proteins AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking either AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild type, while AprA or CfaD overexpressor cells proliferate slowly, indicating that AprA and CfaD are autocrine factors that repress proliferation. CfaD interacts with AprA and requires the presence of AprA to slow proliferation. To determine if CfaD is necessary for the ability of AprA to slow proliferation, whether AprA binds to cells, and if so whether the...

  17. Lack of inhibitory effects of the anti-fibrotic drug imatinib on endothelial cell functions in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venalis, Paulius; Maurer, Britta; Akhmetshina, Alfiya; Busch, Nicole; Dees, Clara; Stürzl, Michael; Zwerina, Jochen; Jüngel, Astrid; Gay, Steffen; Schett, Georg; Distler, Oliver; Distler, Jörg H W

    2009-10-01

    Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by microangiopathy with progressive loss of capillaries and tissue fibrosis. Imatinib exerts potent anti-fibrotic effects and is currently evaluated in clinical trials. The aim of the present study was to exclude that the anti-fibrotic effects of imatinib are complicated by inhibitory effects on endothelial cell functions, which might augment vascular disease in SSc. Endothelial cells and mice were treated with pharmacologically relevant concentrations of imatinib. The expression of markers of vascular activation was assessed with real-time PCR. Proliferation was analysed with the cell counting experiments and the MTT assay. Apoptosis was quantified with caspase 3 assays, annexin V in vitro and with TUNEL staining in vivo. Migration was studied with scratch and transwell assays. Tube forming was investigated with the matrigel assay. Imatinib did not alter the expression of markers of vascular activation. Imatinib did not increase the percentage of annexin V positive cells or the activity of caspase 3. No reduction in proliferation or metabolic activity of endothelial cells was observed. Imatinib did not affect migration of endothelial cells and did not reduce the formation of capillary tubes. Consistent with the in vitro data, no difference in the number of apoptotic endothelial cells was observed in vivo in mice treated with imatinib. Imatinib does not inhibit activation, viability, proliferation, migration or tube forming of endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, treatment with imatinib might not augment further endothelial cell damage in SSc.

  18. Intestinal epithelial cell-specific RARα depletion results in aberrant epithelial cell homeostasis and underdeveloped immune system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jijon, H B; Suarez-Lopez, L; Diaz, O E; Das, S; De Calisto, J; Yaffe, M B; Pittet, M J; Mora, J R; Belkaid, Y; Xavier, R J; Villablanca, E J

    2018-05-01

    Retinoic acid (RA), a dietary vitamin A metabolite, is crucial in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. RA acts on intestinal leukocytes to modulate their lineage commitment and function. Although the role of RA has been characterized in immune cells, whether intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) rely on RA signaling to exert their immune-regulatory function has not been examined. Here we demonstrate that lack of RA receptor α (RARα) signaling in IECs results in deregulated epithelial lineage specification, leading to increased numbers of goblet cells and Paneth cells. Mechanistically, lack of RARα resulted in increased KLF4 + goblet cell precursors in the distal bowel, whereas RA treatment inhibited klf4 expression and goblet cell differentiation in zebrafish. These changes in secretory cells are associated with increased Reg3g, reduced luminal bacterial detection, and an underdeveloped intestinal immune system, as evidenced by an almost complete absence of lymphoid follicles and gut resident mononuclear phagocytes. This underdeveloped intestinal immune system shows a decreased ability to clear infection with Citrobacter rodentium. Collectively, our findings indicate that epithelial cell-intrinsic RARα signaling is critical to the global development of the intestinal immune system.

  19. Homeostasis of peripheral CD4+ T cells: IL-2R alpha and IL-2 shape a population of regulatory cells that controls CD4+ T cell numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Almeida, Afonso R. M.; Legrand, Nicolas; Papiernik, Martine; Freitas, António A.

    2002-01-01

    We show that the lymphoid hyperplasia observed in IL-2Ralpha- and IL-2-deficient mice is due to the lack of a population of regulatory cells essential for CD4 T cell homeostasis. In chimeras reconstituted with bone marrow cells from IL-2Ralpha-deficient donors, restitution of a population of

  20. The subjetivacion of the lack: between Lacan and Hegel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorena Souyris Oportot

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The present article develops a reflection concerning the figure of the subjectivation and the statute of the lack  in relation to Jacques Lacan y Hegel's thought . The analysis will be addressed from a philosophical approach as and with a psychoanalytic perspective, to show the need to understand the subjectivity, not already as a "work" of duel, but ligature to the loss and the split. The idea is that the above mentioned significances make possible deconstruir and to rethink the duel in lack, that he structures to the subject in an experience "escripturaire" (escriptural and, for the same thing, of dispossession. So that the figure of the subjetivación "in" lack  will allow to grant an important place to the non-place while I spread where the unthinkable thing and the "Autre" registers.  Once exposed this, the reflection will focus on the tragic exigences behind experience “escripturaire” expressed in the image of Antigone

  1. Stem cell proliferation and differentiation a multitype branching process model

    CERN Document Server

    Macken, Catherine A

    1988-01-01

    The body contains many cellular systems that require the continuous production of new, fully functional, differentiated cells to replace cells lacking or having limited self-renewal capabilities that die or are damaged during the lifetime of an individual. Such systems include the epidermis, the epithelial lining of the gut, and the blood. For example, erythrocytes (red blood cells) lack nuclei and thus are incapable of self-replication. They have a life span in the circulation of about 120 days. Mature granulocytes, which also lack proliferative capacity, have a much shorter life span - typically 12 hours, though this may be reduced to only two or three hours in times of serious tissue infection. Perhaps a more familiar example is the outermost layer of the skin. This layer is composed of fully mature, dead epidermal cells that must be replaced by the descendants of stem cells lodged in lower layers of the epidermis (cf. Alberts et al. , 1983). In total, to supply the normal steady-state demands of cells, an...

  2. Cytokine-induced killer cells are type II natural killer T cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schmidt-Wolf, Ingo G.H.

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Until now, cytokine-induced killer (CIK cells were assumed to be part of the type I natural killer T (NKT cell population, but it was not yet investigated if this is correct. Methods: For analysis, CIK cells were generated by various culture conditions. Human type I NKT cells express a T cell receptor (TCR composed of an invariant Vα24-JαQ chain combined with one of several Vβ chains. The Vα24 is a reliable marker for the presence of these TCRs. Results: While comparing cultures stimulated with different substances, we observed the lack of any Vα24 on the surface of CIK culture cells. Conclusion: We conclude that CIK cells do not belong to the type I NKT cells.

  3. Proteasome-mediated degradation of integral inner nuclear membrane protein emerin in fibroblasts lacking A-type lamins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muchir, Antoine; Massart, Catherine; Engelen, Baziel G. van; Lammens, Martin; Bonne, Gisele; Worman, Howard J.

    2006-01-01

    We previously identified and characterized a homozygous LMNA nonsense mutation leading to the absence of A-type lamins in a premature neonate who died at birth. We show here that the absence of A-type lamins is due to degradation of the aberrant mRNA transcript with a premature termination codon. In cultured fibroblasts from the subject with the homozygous LMNA nonsense mutation, there was a decreased steady-state expression of the integral inner nuclear membrane proteins emerin and nesprin-1α associated with their mislocalization to the bulk endoplasmic reticulum and a hyperphosphorylation of emerin. To determine if decreased emerin expression occurred post-translationally, we treated cells with a selective proteasome inhibitor and observed an increase in expression. Our results show that mislocalization of integral inner nuclear membrane proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum in human cells lacking A-type lamins leads to their degradation and provides the first evidence that their degradation is mediated by the proteasome

  4. Laura: Soybean variety lacking Kunitz trypsin inhibitor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srebrić Mirjana

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Grain of conventional soybean varieties requires heat processing to break down trypsin inhibitor's activity before using as food or animal feed. At the same time, protein denaturation and other qualitative changes occur in soybean grain, especially if the temperature of heating is not controlled. Two types of trypsin inhibitor were found in soybean grain the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and the Bowman-Birk inhibitor. Mature grain of soybean Laura is lacking Kunitz trypsin inhibitor. Grain yield of variety Laura is equal to high yielding varieties from the maturity group I, where it belongs. Lacking of Kunitz-trypsin inhibitor makes soybean grain suitable for direct feeding in adult non ruminant animals without previous thermal processing. Grain of variety Laura can be processed for a shorter period of time than conventional soybeans. This way we save energy, and preserve valuable nutritional composition of soybean grain, which is of interest in industrial processing.

  5. Dictyostelium cells bind a secreted autocrine factor that represses cell proliferation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillips Jonathan E

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dictyostelium cells secrete the proteins AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking either AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild type, while AprA or CfaD overexpressor cells proliferate slowly, indicating that AprA and CfaD are autocrine factors that repress proliferation. CfaD interacts with AprA and requires the presence of AprA to slow proliferation. To determine if CfaD is necessary for the ability of AprA to slow proliferation, whether AprA binds to cells, and if so whether the binding requires the presence of CfaD, we examined the binding and effect on proliferation of recombinant AprA. Results We find that the extracellular accumulation of AprA increases with cell density and reaches a concentration of 0.3 μg/ml near a stationary cell density. When added to wild-type or aprA- cells, recombinant AprA (rAprA significantly slows proliferation at 0.1 μg/ml and higher concentrations. From 4 to 64 μg/ml, the effect of rAprA is at a plateau, slowing but not stopping proliferation. The proliferation-inhibiting activity of rAprA is roughly the same as that of native AprA in conditioned growth medium. Proliferating aprA- cells show saturable binding of rAprA to 92,000 ± 11,000 cell-surface receptors with a KD of 0.03 ± 0.02 μg/ml. There appears to be one class of binding site, and no apparent cooperativity. Native AprA inhibits the binding of rAprA to aprA- cells with a Ki of 0.03 μg/ml, suggesting that the binding kinetics of rAprA are similar to those of native AprA. The proliferation of cells lacking CrlA, a cAMP receptor-like protein, or cells lacking CfaD are not affected by rAprA. Surprisingly, both cell types still bind rAprA. Conclusion Together, the data suggest that AprA functions as an autocrine proliferation-inhibiting factor by binding to cell surface receptors. Although AprA requires CfaD for activity, it does not require CfaD to bind to cells, suggesting the possibility that cells have an AprA receptor and a Cfa

  6. Lack of Evidence for Molecular Mimicry in HIV-Infected Subjects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter D Burbelo

    Full Text Available Previous studies in HIV patients have reported autoantibodies to several human proteins, including erythropoietin (EPO, interferon-α (IFN-α, interleukin-2 (IL-2, and HLA-DR, as potential mediators of anemia or immunosuppression. The etiology of these autoantibodies has been attributed to molecular mimicry between HIV epitopes and self-proteins. Here, the Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System (LIPS was used to investigate the presence of such autoantibodies in HIV-infected adults. High levels of antibodies to HIV proteins such as capsid (p24, matrix (p17, envelope (gp41, and reverse transcriptase (RT were detected using LIPS in both untreated and anti-retroviral-treated HIV-infected individuals but not in uninfected controls. LIPS readily detected anti-EPO autoantibodies in serum samples from subjects with presumptive pure red cell aplasia but not in any of the samples from HIV-infected or uninfected individuals. Similarly, subjects with HIV lacked autoantibodies to IFN-α, IL-2, HLA-DR and the immunoglobulin lambda light chain; all purported targets of molecular mimicry. While molecular mimicry between pathogen proteins and self-proteins is a commonly proposed mechanism for autoantibody production, the findings presented here indicate such a process is not common in HIV disease.

  7. The nucleus is irreversibly shaped by motion of cell boundaries in cancer and non-cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tocco, Vincent J; Li, Yuan; Christopher, Keith G; Matthews, James H; Aggarwal, Varun; Paschall, Lauren; Luesch, Hendrik; Licht, Jonathan D; Dickinson, Richard B; Lele, Tanmay P

    2018-02-01

    Actomyosin stress fibers impinge on the nucleus and can exert compressive forces on it. These compressive forces have been proposed to elongate nuclei in fibroblasts, and lead to abnormally shaped nuclei in cancer cells. In these models, the elongated or flattened nuclear shape is proposed to store elastic energy. However, we found that deformed shapes of nuclei are unchanged even after removal of the cell with micro-dissection, both for smooth, elongated nuclei in fibroblasts and abnormally shaped nuclei in breast cancer cells. The lack of shape relaxation implies that the nuclear shape in spread cells does not store any elastic energy, and the cellular stresses that deform the nucleus are dissipative, not static. During cell spreading, the deviation of the nucleus from a convex shape increased in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, but decreased in MCF-10A cells. Tracking changes of nuclear and cellular shape on micropatterned substrata revealed that fibroblast nuclei deform only during deformations in cell shape and only in the direction of nearby moving cell boundaries. We propose that motion of cell boundaries exert a stress on the nucleus, which allows the nucleus to mimic cell shape. The lack of elastic energy in the nuclear shape suggests that nuclear shape changes in cells occur at constant surface area and volume. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Lack of protein-tyrosine sulfation disrupts photoreceptor outer segment morphogenesis, retinal function and retinal anatomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherry, David M; Murray, Anne R; Kanan, Yogita; Arbogast, Kelsey L; Hamilton, Robert A; Fliesler, Steven J; Burns, Marie E; Moore, Kevin L; Al-Ubaidi, Muayyad R

    2010-11-01

    To investigate the role(s) of protein-tyrosine sulfation in the retina, we examined retinal function and structure in mice lacking tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases (TPST) 1 and 2. Tpst double knockout (DKO; Tpst1(-/-) /Tpst2 (-/-) ) retinas had drastically reduced electroretinographic responses, although their photoreceptors exhibited normal responses in single cell recordings. These retinas appeared normal histologically; however, the rod photoreceptors had ultrastructurally abnormal outer segments, with membrane evulsions into the extracellular space, irregular disc membrane spacing and expanded intradiscal space. Photoreceptor synaptic terminals were disorganized in Tpst DKO retinas, but established ultrastructurally normal synapses, as did bipolar and amacrine cells; however, the morphology and organization of neuronal processes in the inner retina were abnormal. These results indicate that protein-tyrosine sulfation is essential for proper outer segment morphogenesis and synaptic function, but is not critical for overall retinal structure or synapse formation, and may serve broader functions in neuronal development and maintenance. © 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2010 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. Lack of endogenous parathyroid hormone delays fracture healing by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor‑mediated angiogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Qingfeng; Sun, Peng; Zhou, Hao; Wan, Bowen; Yin, Jian; Huang, Yao; Li, Qingqing; Yin, Guoyong; Fan, Jin

    2018-07-01

    Intermittent low‑dose injections of parathyroid hormone (PTH) have been reported to exert bone anabolic effects and to promote fracture healing. As an important proangiogenic cytokine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is secreted by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and osteoblasts, and serves a crucial regulatory role in the process of vascular development and regeneration. To investigate whether lack of endogenous PTH causes reduced angiogenic capacity and thereby delays the process of fracture healing by downregulating the VEGF signaling pathway, a PTH knockout (PTHKO) mouse fracture model was generated. Fracture healing was observed using X‑ray and micro‑computerized tomography. Bone anabolic and angiogenic markers were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The expression levels of VEGF and associated signaling pathways in murine BMSC‑derived osteoblasts were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The expression levels of protein kinase A (PKA), phosphorylated‑serine/threonine protein kinase (pAKT), hypoxia‑inducible factor‑1α (HIF1α) and VEGF were significantly decreased in BMSC‑derived osteoblasts from PTHKO mice. In addition, positive platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule staining was reduced in PTHKO mice, as determined by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of HIF1α, VEGF, runt‑related transcription factor 2, osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase were also decreased in PTHKO mice, and fracture healing was delayed. In conclusion, lack of endogenous PTH may reduce VEGF expression in BMSC‑derived osteoblasts by downregulating the activity of the PKA/pAKT/HIF1α/VEGF pathway, thus affecting endochondral bone formation by causing a reduction in angiogenesis and osteogenesis, ultimately leading to delayed fracture healing.

  10. Diversity and evolution of Lactobacillus casei group isolated from fermented dairy products in Tibet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Jing; Jiang, Yujun; Li, Mingyu; Zhao, Siyu; Zhang, Yanming; Li, Xuesong; Wang, Hui; Lin, Guangen; Wang, Hao; Li, Tiejing; Man, Chaoxin

    2018-05-25

    Bacteria in Lactobacillus casei group, including Lactobacillus casei (L. casei), Lactobacillus paracasei (L. paracasei), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) are important lactic acid bacteria in the production of fermented dairy products and are faced with the controversial nomenclatural status due to their close phylogenetic similarity. To probe the evolution and phylogeny of L. casei group, 100 isolates of lactic acid bacteria originated from naturally fermented dairy products in Tibet of China were subjected to multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The MLST scheme, based on analysis of the housekeeping genes fusA, ileS, lepA, leuS, pyrG, recA and recG, revealed that all the isolates belonged to a group containing the L. paracasei reference strains and were clearly different from the strains of L. casei and L. rhamnosus. Although nucleotide diversity (π) was low for the seven genes (ranging from 0.00341 for fusA to 0.01307 for recG), high genetic diversity represented by 83 sequence types (STs) with a discriminatory index of 0.98 was detected. A network-like structure based on split decomposition analysis, and the high values of the relative effect of recombination and mutation in the diversification of the lineages (r/m = 4.76) and the relative frequency of occurrence of recombination and mutation (ρ/θ = 2.62) indicated that intra-species recombination occurred frequently and homologous recombination played a key role in generating genotypic diversity amongst L. paracasei strains in Tibet. The discovery of 51 new STs and the results of STRUCTURE analysis suggested that the L. casei group in Tibet had an individual and particular population structure in comparison to European isolates. Overall, this research might be the first report about genetic diversity and population structure of Lactobacillus populations isolated from naturally fermented dairy products in Tibet based on MLST scheme.

  11. A Phenomenological Study on Lack of Motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Educational Research and Reviews, 2013

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this research is to point out the underlying reasons about the lack of motivation at academic activities concerning Attribution Theory. Attribution Theory trys to understand how the people answer "why" question and how they do casual explanations. This research is a qualitative based research. It used the phenomenological…

  12. Altered development of NKT cells, γδ T cells, CD8 T cells and NK cells in a PLZF deficient patient.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maggie Eidson

    Full Text Available In mice, the transcription factor, PLZF, controls the development of effector functions in invariant NKT cells and a subset of NKT cell-like, γδ T cells. Here, we show that in human lymphocytes, in addition to invariant NKT cells, PLZF was also expressed in a large percentage of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, PLZF was also found to be expressed in all γδ T cells and in all NK cells. Importantly, we show that in a donor lacking functional PLZF, all of these various lymphocyte populations were altered. Therefore, in contrast to mice, PLZF appears to control the development and/or function of a wide variety of human lymphocytes that represent more than 10% of the total PBMCs. Interestingly, the PLZF-expressing CD8+ T cell population was found to be expanded in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic melanoma but was greatly diminished in patients with autoimmune disease.

  13. Patterning of Endothelial Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Laser-Assisted Bioprinting to Study Cell Migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourget, Jean-Michel; Kérourédan, Olivia; Medina, Manuela; Rémy, Murielle; Thébaud, Noélie Brunehilde; Bareille, Reine; Chassande, Olivier; Amédée, Joëlle; Catros, Sylvain; Devillard, Raphaël

    2016-01-01

    Tissue engineering of large organs is currently limited by the lack of potent vascularization in vitro . Tissue-engineered bone grafts can be prevascularized in vitro using endothelial cells (ECs). The microvascular network architecture could be controlled by printing ECs following a specific pattern. Using laser-assisted bioprinting, we investigated the effect of distance between printed cell islets and the influence of coprinted mesenchymal cells on migration. When printed alone, ECs spread out evenly on the collagen hydrogel, regardless of the distance between cell islets. However, when printed in coculture with mesenchymal cells by laser-assisted bioprinting, they remained in the printed area. Therefore, the presence of mesenchymal cell is mandatory in order to create a pattern that will be conserved over time. This work describes an interesting approach to study cell migration that could be reproduced to study the effect of trophic factors.

  14. Transient GFP expression in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia suspension cells: the role of gene silencing, cell death and T-DNA loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weld, R; Heinemann, J; Eady, C

    2001-03-01

    The transient nature of T-DNA expression was studied with a gfp reporter gene transferred to Nicotiana plumbaginifolia suspension cells from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Individual GFP-expressing protoplasts were isolated after 4 days' co-cultivation. The protoplasts were cultured without selection and 4 weeks later the surviving proto-calluses were again screened for GFP expression. Of the proto-calluses initially expressing GFP, 50% had lost detectable GFP activity during the first 4 weeks of culture. Multiple T-DNA copies of the gfp gene were detected in 10 of 17 proto-calluses lacking visible GFP activity. The remaining 7 cell lines contained no gfp sequences. Our results confirm that transiently expressed T-DNAs can be lost during growth of somatic cells and demonstrate that transiently expressing cells frequently integrate multiple T-DNAs that become silenced. In cells competent for DNA uptake, cell death and gene silencing were more important barriers to the recovery of stably expressing transformants than lack of T-DNA integration.

  15. Mutation to ouabain-resistance in Chinese hamster cells: induction by ethyl methanesulphonate and lack of induction by ionising radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thacker, J.; Stephens, M.A.; Stretch, A.

    1978-01-01

    The spontaneous frequency of mutants resistant to growth inhibition by ouabian (OUAsup(R) mutants) was found to be about 5.10 -5 per viable cell in uncloned cultures of Chinese hamster V79-4 cells. In freshly-isolated clones or cultures started from a few cells this frequency was initially reduced to about 1.10 -6 in 1 mM ouabain. No increase in the frequency of OUAsup(R) mutants was found in cultures treated with γ-rays despite exploration of such variables as radiation dose, ouabain concentration, post-treatment interval before selection, cell density in selective medium, and clonal state of the cells at the time of adding ouabain (in situ vs. respreading method). A similar negative result was found for accelerated helium ions, for which the mutagenic effectiveness per unit dose has been shown to be about 10 times higher than γ-rays for the induction of thioguanine-resistant mutants in these cells. Recent evidence is reviewed in support of the suggestion that ionising radiation is unable to induce OUAsup(R) mutants because of the severity of the genetic damage it causes. (Auth.)

  16. Cell culture techniques in honey bee research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cell culture techniques are indispensable in most if not all life science disciplines to date. Wherever cell culture models are lacking scientific development is hampered. Unfortunately this has been and still is the case in honey bee research because permanent honey bee cell lines have not yet been...

  17. REPROBATION AND LACK OF INTEREST IN MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    César Humberto Guzmán Valdivia

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Engineering education in mechatronics is an attractive field of research because it is a new multidisciplinary career. However, a potential problem is the reprobation rate. In the period from January to April 2012 at the Universidad Politécnica de Zacatecas a 53% regular students of a total of 197 were registered. To find the causes of this problem, a survey was conducted to determine the causes of reprobation, lack of motivation and interest to a population of 96 students, of which 40 were the first training cycle, 32 the second and 24 the third. The surveys yielded three main results. The first indicates that the lack of interest is proportional to the time spent in college. The second shows that the reprobation rate is linked to the laziness and the excess of courses. And the last shows a lack of motivation and low expectations of student due to the monotony of the theoretical courses. In conclusion, more research is needed to have a motivated student in an engineering career in mechatronics.

  18. Targeted disruption of CD1d prevents NKT cell development in pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Guan; Artiaga, Bianca L; Hackmann, Timothy J; Samuel, Melissa S; Walters, Eric M; Salek-Ardakani, Shahram; Driver, John P

    2015-06-01

    Studies in mice genetically lacking natural killer T (NKT) cells show that these lymphocytes make important contributions to both innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the usefulness of murine models to study human NKT cells is limited by the many differences between mice and humans, including that their NKT cell frequencies, subsets, and distribution are dissimilar. A more suitable model may be swine that share many metabolic, physiological, and growth characteristics with humans and are also similar for NKT cells. Thus, we analyzed genetically modified pigs made deficient for CD1d that is required for the development of Type I invariant NKT (iNKT) cells that express a semi-invariant T-cell receptor (TCR) and Type II NKT cells that use variable TCRs. Peripheral blood analyzed by flow cytometry and interferon-γ enzyme-linked immuno spot assays demonstrated that CD1d-knockout pigs completely lack iNKT cells, while other leukocyte populations remain intact. CD1d and NKT cells have been shown to be involved in shaping the composition of the commensal microbiota in mice. Therefore, we also compared the fecal microbiota profile between pigs expressing and lacking NKT cells. However, no differences were found between pigs lacking or expressing CD1d. Our results are the first to show that knocking-out CD1d prevents the development of NKT cells in a non-rodent species. CD1d-deficient pigs should offer a useful model to more accurately determine the contribution of NKT cells for human immune responses. They also have potential for understanding how NKT cells impact the health of commercial swine.

  19. A Paracrine Role for IL6 in Prostate Cancer Patients: Lack of Production by Primary or Metastatic Tumor Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Shu-Han; Zheng, Qizhi; Esopi, David; Macgregor-Das, Anne; Luo, Jun; Antonarakis, Emmanuel S.; Drake, Charles G.; Vessella, Robert; Morrissey, Colm; De Marzo, Angelo M.; Sfanos, Karen S.

    2015-01-01

    Correlative human studies suggest that the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin-6 (IL6) contributes to the development and/or progression of prostate cancer. However, the source of IL6 production in the prostate microenvironment in patients has yet to be determined. The cellular origin of IL6 in primary and metastatic prostate cancer was examined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues using a highly sensitive and specific chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) assay that underwent extensive analytical validation. Quantitative RT-PCR (q-RT-PCR) showed that benign prostate tissues often had higher expression of IL6 mRNA than matched tumor specimens. CISH analysis further indicated that both primary and metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma cells do not express IL6 mRNA. IL6 expression was highly heterogeneous across specimens and was nearly exclusively restricted to the prostate stromal compartment – including endothelial cells and macrophages among other cell types. The number of IL6-expressing cells correlated positively with the presence of acute inflammation. In metastatic disease, tumor cells were negative in all lesions examined and IL6 expression was restricted to endothelial cells within the vasculature of bone metastases. Finally, IL6 was not detected in any cells in soft tissue metastases. These data suggest that, in prostate cancer patients, paracrine rather than autocrine IL6 production is likely associated with any role for the cytokine in disease progression. PMID:26048576

  20. The GnRH receptor and the response of gonadotrope cells to GnRH pulse frequency code. A story of an atypical adaptation of cell function relying on a lack of receptor homologous desensitization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Bleux

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Brain control of the reproductive system is mediated through hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH which activates specific receptors (GnRHR present at the surface of the pituitary gonadotropes to trigger secretion of the two gonadotropins LH and FSH. A unique feature of this system is the high dependence on the secretion mode of GnRH, which is basically pulsatile but undergoes considerable fluctuations in pulse frequency pattern in response to endogenous or external factors. How the physiological fluctuations of GnRH secretion that orchestrate normal reproduction are decoded by the gonadotrope cell machinery to ultimately control gonadotropin release and/or subunit gene transcription has been the subject of intensive studies during the past decades. Surprisingly, the mammalian GnRHR is unique among G protein-coupled receptor family as it lacks the carboxy-terminal tail usually involved in classical endocytotic process. Accordingly, it does not desensitize properly and internalizes very poorly. Both this atypical intrinsic property and post-receptor events may thus contribute to decode the GnRH signal. This includes the participation of a network of signaling pathways that differently respond to GnRH together with a growing amount of genes differentially sensitive to pulse frequency. Among these are two pairs of genes, the transcription factors EGR-1 and NAB, and the regulatory factors activin and follistatin, that function as intracellular autoregulatory feedback loops controlling respectively LHbeta and FSHbeta gene expression and hence, LH and FSH synthesis. Pituitary gonadotropes thus represent a unique model of cells functionally adapted to respond to a considerably fluctuating neuroendocrine stimulation, from short individual pulses to sustained GnRH as observed at the proestrus of ovarian cycle. Altogether, the data emphasize the adaptative reciprocal complementarity of hypothalamic GnRH neurones and pituitary gonadotropes to

  1. Tetraspanin CD9 regulates cell contraction and actin arrangement via RhoA in human vascular smooth muscle cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J Herr

    Full Text Available The most prevalent cardiovascular diseases arise from alterations in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC morphology and function. Tetraspanin CD9 has been previously implicated in regulating vascular pathologies; however, insight into how CD9 may regulate adverse VSMC phenotypes has not been provided. We utilized a human model of aortic smooth muscle cells to understand the consequences of CD9 deficiency on VSMC phenotypes. Upon knocking down CD9, the cells developed an abnormally small and rounded morphology. We determined that this morphological change was due to a lack of typical parallel actin arrangement. We also found similar total RhoA but decreased GTP-bound (active RhoA levels in CD9 deficient cells. As a result, cells lacking a full complement of CD9 were less contractile than their control treated counterparts. Upon restoration of RhoA activity in the CD9 deficient cells, the phenotype was reversed and cell contraction was restored. Conversely, inhibition of RhoA activity in the control cells mimicked the CD9-deficient cell phenotype. Thus, alteration in CD9 expression was sufficient to profoundly disrupt cellular actin arrangement and endogenous cell contraction by interfering with RhoA signaling. This study provides insight into how CD9 may regulate previously described vascular smooth muscle cell pathophysiology.

  2. Lack of a Functional VHL Gene Product Sensitizes Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells to the Apoptotic Effects of the Protein Synthesis Inhibitor Verrucarin A12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woldemichael, Girma M; Turbyville, Thomas J; Vasselli, James R; Linehan, W Marston; McMahon, James B

    2012-01-01

    Verrucarin A (VA) is a small molecule derived from the fungal plant pathogen Myrothecium verrucaria and was identified as a selective inhibitor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) cell proliferation in a high-throughput screen of a library of naturally occurring small molecules. CCRCC arises as a result of loss-of-function mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene. Here we show that VA inhibits protein translation initiation culminating in apoptosis through the extrinsic signaling pathway. Reintroduction of the VHL gene in CCRCC cells afforded resistance to VA's apoptotic effects. This resistance is mediated in part by the formation of stress granules that entrap signaling molecules that initiate the apoptotic signaling cascade. The VHL gene product was found to be a component of stress granules that develop as result of VA treatment. These findings reveal an important role for the VHL gene product in cytotoxic stress response and have important implications for the rational development of VA-related compounds in chemotherapeutic targeting of CCRCC. PMID:22952429

  3. Expression and autoregulation of transforming growth factor beta receptor mRNA in small-cell lung cancer cell lines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, P; Spang-Thomsen, M; Poulsen, H S

    1996-01-01

    In small-cell lung cancer cell lines resistance to growth inhibition by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1, was previously shown to correlate with lack of TGF-beta receptor I (RI) and II (RII) proteins. To further investigate the role of these receptors, the expression of mRNA for RI, RII...... and beta-glycan (RIII) was examined. The results showed that loss of RII mRNA correlated with TGF-beta 1 resistance. In contrast, RI-and beta-glycan mRNA was expressed by all cell lines, including those lacking expression of these proteins. According to Southern blot analysis, the loss of type II m......RNA was not due to gross structural changes in the gene. The effect of TGF-beta 1 on expression of TGF-beta receptor mRNA (receptor autoregulation) was examined by quantitative Northern blotting in four cell lines with different expression of TGF-beta receptor proteins. In two cell lines expressing all three TGF...

  4. Accidents in radiotherapy: Lack of quality assurance?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novotny, J.

    1997-01-01

    About 150 radiological accidents, involving more than 3000 patients with adverse effects, 15 patient's fatalities and about 5000 staff and public exposures have been collected and analysed. Out of 67 analysed accidents in external beam therapy 22% has been caused by wrong calculation of the exposure time or monitor units, 13% by inadequate review of patient's chart, 12% by mistakes in the anatomical area to be treated. The remaining 35% can be attributed to 17 different causes. The most common mistakes in brachytherapy were wrong activities of sources used for treatment (20%), inadequate procedures for placement of sources applicators (14%), mistakes in calculating the treatment time (12%), etc. The direct and contributing causes of radiological accidents have been deduced from each event, when it was possible and categorized into 9 categories: mistakes in procedures (30%), professional mistakes (17%), communication mistakes (15%), lack of training (8.5%), interpretation mistakes (7%), lack of supervision (6%), mistakes in judgement (6%), hardware failures (5%), software and other mistakes (5.5%). Three types of direct and contributing causes responsible for almost 62% of all accidents are directly connected to the quality assurance of treatment. The lessons learnt from the accidents are related to frequencies of direct and contributing factors and show that most of the accident are caused by lack, non-application of quality assurance (QA) procedures or by underestimating of QA procedures. The international system for collection of accidents and dissemination of lessons learnt from the different accidents, proposed by IAEA, can contribute to better practice in many radiotherapy departments. Most of the accidents could have been avoided, had a comprehensive QA programme been established and properly applied in all radiotherapy departments, whatever the size. (author)

  5. Lack of liver glycogen causes hepatic insulin resistance and steatosis in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irimia, Jose M; Meyer, Catalina M; Segvich, Dyann M; Surendran, Sneha; DePaoli-Roach, Anna A; Morral, Nuria; Roach, Peter J

    2017-06-23

    Disruption of the Gys2 gene encoding the liver isoform of glycogen synthase generates a mouse strain (LGSKO) that almost completely lacks hepatic glycogen, has impaired glucose disposal, and is pre-disposed to entering the fasted state. This study investigated how the lack of liver glycogen increases fat accumulation and the development of liver insulin resistance. Insulin signaling in LGSKO mice was reduced in liver, but not muscle, suggesting an organ-specific defect. Phosphorylation of components of the hepatic insulin-signaling pathway, namely IRS1, Akt, and GSK3, was decreased in LGSKO mice. Moreover, insulin stimulation of their phosphorylation was significantly suppressed, both temporally and in an insulin dose response. Phosphorylation of the insulin-regulated transcription factor FoxO1 was somewhat reduced and insulin treatment did not elicit normal translocation of FoxO1 out of the nucleus. Fat overaccumulated in LGSKO livers, showing an aberrant distribution in the acinus, an increase not explained by a reduction in hepatic triglyceride export. Rather, when administered orally to fasted mice, glucose was directed toward hepatic lipogenesis as judged by the activity, protein levels, and expression of several fatty acid synthesis genes, namely, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, SREBP1c, chREBP, glucokinase, and pyruvate kinase. Furthermore, using cultured primary hepatocytes, we found that lipogenesis was increased by 40% in LGSKO cells compared with controls. Of note, the hepatic insulin resistance was not associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Our results suggest that loss of liver glycogen synthesis diverts glucose toward fat synthesis, correlating with impaired hepatic insulin signaling and glucose disposal. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  6. Amiloride-sensitive channels in type I fungiform taste cells in mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clapp Tod R

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Taste buds are the sensory organs of taste perception. Three types of taste cells have been described. Type I cells have voltage-gated outward currents, but lack voltage-gated inward currents. These cells have been presumed to play only a support role in the taste bud. Type II cells have voltage-gated Na+ and K+ current, and the receptors and transduction machinery for bitter, sweet, and umami taste stimuli. Type III cells have voltage-gated Na+, K+, and Ca2+ currents, and make prominent synapses with afferent nerve fibers. Na+ salt transduction in part involves amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs. In rodents, these channels are located in taste cells of fungiform papillae on the anterior part of the tongue innervated by the chorda tympani nerve. However, the taste cell type that expresses ENaCs is not known. This study used whole cell recordings of single fungiform taste cells of transgenic mice expressing GFP in Type II taste cells to identify the taste cells responding to amiloride. We also used immunocytochemistry to further define and compare cell types in fungiform and circumvallate taste buds of these mice. Results Taste cell types were identified by their response to depolarizing voltage steps and their presence or absence of GFP fluorescence. TRPM5-GFP taste cells expressed large voltage-gated Na+ and K+ currents, but lacked voltage-gated Ca2+ currents, as expected from previous studies. Approximately half of the unlabeled cells had similar membrane properties, suggesting they comprise a separate population of Type II cells. The other half expressed voltage-gated outward currents only, typical of Type I cells. A single taste cell had voltage-gated Ca2+ current characteristic of Type III cells. Responses to amiloride occurred only in cells that lacked voltage-gated inward currents. Immunocytochemistry showed that fungiform taste buds have significantly fewer Type II cells expressing PLC signalling

  7. Co-precipitation of phosphate and iron limits mitochondrial phosphate availability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking the yeast frataxin homologue (YFH1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seguin, Alexandra; Santos, Renata; Pain, Debkumar; Dancis, Andrew; Camadro, Jean-Michel; Lesuisse, Emmanuel

    2011-02-25

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells lacking the yeast frataxin homologue (Δyfh1) accumulate iron in the mitochondria in the form of nanoparticles of ferric phosphate. The phosphate content of Δyfh1 mitochondria was higher than that of wild-type mitochondria, but the proportion of mitochondrial phosphate that was soluble was much lower in Δyfh1 cells. The rates of phosphate and iron uptake in vitro by isolated mitochondria were higher for Δyfh1 than wild-type mitochondria, and a significant proportion of the phosphate and iron rapidly became insoluble in the mitochondrial matrix, suggesting co-precipitation of these species after oxidation of iron by oxygen. Increasing the amount of phosphate in the medium decreased the amount of iron accumulated by Δyfh1 cells and improved their growth in an iron-dependent manner, and this effect was mostly transcriptional. Overexpressing the major mitochondrial phosphate carrier, MIR1, slightly increased the concentration of soluble mitochondrial phosphate and significantly improved various mitochondrial functions (cytochromes, [Fe-S] clusters, and respiration) in Δyfh1 cells. We conclude that in Δyfh1 cells, soluble phosphate is limiting, due to its co-precipitation with iron.

  8. Lack of consent for mediation between companies and its reasons

    OpenAIRE

    Karpińska-Królikowska, Iwona

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses commercial mediation, presenting its principles and procedure. It shows the reason why I became interested in the topic of companies’ lack of willingness to solve problems through mediation. It presents empirical statistics from mediation in commercial cases, including those on lack of consents or settlements. The figures are shown against the background of court statistics. On the basis of research conducted in the form of case studies, it presents...

  9. Magnetic cell sorting purification of differentiated embryonic stem cells stably expressing truncated human CD4 as surface marker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, Robert; Groebner, Michael; Franz, Wolfgang-Michael

    2005-04-01

    Embryonic stem (ES) cells offer great potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Clinical applications are still hampered by the lack of protocols for gentle, high-yield isolation of specific cell types for transplantation expressing no immunogenic markers. We describe labeling of stably transfected ES cells expressing a human CD4 molecule lacking its intracellular domain (DeltaCD4) under control of the phosphoglycerate kinase promoter for magnetic cell sorting (MACS). To track the labeled ES cells, we fused DeltaCD4 to an intracellular enhanced green fluorescent protein domain (DeltaCD4EGFP). We showed functionality of the membrane-bound fluorescent fusion protein and its suitability for MACS leading to purities greater than 97%. Likewise, expression of DeltaCD4 yielded up to 98.5% positive cells independently of their differentiation state. Purities were not limited by the initial percentage of DeltaCD4(+) cells, ranging from 0.6%-16%. The viability of MACS-selected cells was demonstrated by reaggregation and de novo formation of embryoid bodies developing all three germ layers. Thus, expression of DeltaCD4 in differentiated ES cells may enable rapid, high-yield purification of a desired cell type for tissue engineering and transplantation studies.

  10. Patterning of Endothelial Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Laser-Assisted Bioprinting to Study Cell Migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Michel Bourget

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Tissue engineering of large organs is currently limited by the lack of potent vascularization in vitro. Tissue-engineered bone grafts can be prevascularized in vitro using endothelial cells (ECs. The microvascular network architecture could be controlled by printing ECs following a specific pattern. Using laser-assisted bioprinting, we investigated the effect of distance between printed cell islets and the influence of coprinted mesenchymal cells on migration. When printed alone, ECs spread out evenly on the collagen hydrogel, regardless of the distance between cell islets. However, when printed in coculture with mesenchymal cells by laser-assisted bioprinting, they remained in the printed area. Therefore, the presence of mesenchymal cell is mandatory in order to create a pattern that will be conserved over time. This work describes an interesting approach to study cell migration that could be reproduced to study the effect of trophic factors.

  11. Lack of retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy predicts survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasselli, J R; Yang, J C; Linehan, W M; White, D E; Rosenberg, S A; Walther, M M

    2001-07-01

    Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma have a reported 5-year survival of 0% to 20%. The ability to predict which patients would benefit from nephrectomy and interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy before any treatment is initiated would be useful for maximizing the advantage of therapy and improving the quality of life. A retrospective analysis of the x-rays and charts of patients treated at the National Institutes of Health Surgery Branch between 1985 and 1996, who presented with metastatic renal cancer beyond the locoregional area and the primary tumor in place, was performed. Preoperative computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, or radiological reports if no scans were available, were used to obtain an estimate of the volume of retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Operative notes were used to evaluate whether all lymphadenopathy was resected or disease left in situ, or if any extrarenal resection, including venacavotomy, was performed. Mean survival rate was calculated from the time of nephrectomy to the time of death or last clinical followup. If patients received IL-2 therapy, the response to treatment was recorded. Mean survival and response rate for IL-2 were compared among patients in 3 separate analyses. Patients without preoperatively detected lymphadenopathy were compared with those with at least 1 cm.3 retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Also, the patients who had detectable lymphadenopathy were divided into subgroups consisting of all resected, incompletely resected, unresectable and unknown if all disease was resected. Each subgroup was compared with patients without detectable preoperative lymphadenopathy. Patients with less than were compared to those with greater than 50 cm.3 retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Patients undergoing extrarenal resection at nephrectomy (complex surgery) due to direct invasion of the tumor into another intra-abdominal organ were compared with those undergoing radical nephrectomy alone, regardless of lymph node status

  12. Immunological aspects of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a possible neoplasm of regulatory T-cells

    OpenAIRE

    Yamada, Yasuaki; Kamihira, Shimeru

    2008-01-01

    Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a distinct disease caused by the first discovered human oncogenic retrovirus, human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1). The peculiarity of this disease is not only in its causative agent HTLV-1 but also in the character of leukemia cells. ATLL cells express the mature helper/inducer T-cell antigens, CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD5 but usually lacking CD8. Despite CD4 expression, it has long been known that ATLL cells exhibit strong immunosuppressive activity ...

  13. Cre-mediated cell ablation contests mast cell contribution in models of antibody- and T cell-mediated autoimmunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feyerabend, Thorsten B; Weiser, Anne; Tietz, Annette; Stassen, Michael; Harris, Nicola; Kopf, Manfred; Radermacher, Peter; Möller, Peter; Benoist, Christophe; Mathis, Diane; Fehling, Hans Jörg; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer

    2011-11-23

    Immunological functions of mast cells remain poorly understood. Studies in Kit mutant mice suggest key roles for mast cells in certain antibody- and T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. However, Kit mutations affect multiple cell types of both immune and nonimmune origin. Here, we show that targeted insertion of Cre-recombinase into the mast cell carboxypeptidase A3 locus deleted mast cells in connective and mucosal tissues by a genotoxic Trp53-dependent mechanism. Cre-mediated mast cell eradication (Cre-Master) mice had, with the exception of a lack of mast cells and reduced basophils, a normal immune system. Cre-Master mice were refractory to IgE-mediated anaphylaxis, and this defect was rescued by mast cell reconstitution. This mast cell-deficient strain was fully susceptible to antibody-induced autoimmune arthritis and to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Differences comparing Kit mutant mast cell deficiency models to selectively mast cell-deficient mice call for a systematic re-evaluation of immunological functions of mast cells beyond allergy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Lack of cross-resistance to fostriecin in a human small-cell lung carcinoma cell line showing topoisomerase II-related drug resistance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, Steven; Zijlstra, J G; Mulder, Nanno; de Vries, Liesbeth

    1991-01-01

    Cells exhibiting decreased topoisomerase II (Topo II) activity are resistant to several drugs that require Topo II as an intermediate. These drugs are cytotoxic due to the formation of a cleavable complex between the drug, Topo II and DNA. Fostriecin belongs to a new class of drugs that inhibit Topo

  15. Stem cell plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakshmipathy, Uma; Verfaillie, Catherine

    2005-01-01

    The central dogma in stem cell biology has been that cells isolated from a particular tissue can renew and differentiate into lineages of the tissue it resides in. Several studies have challenged this idea by demonstrating that tissue specific cell have considerable plasticity and can cross-lineage restriction boundary and give rise to cell types of other lineages. However, the lack of a clear definition for plasticity has led to confusion with several reports failing to demonstrate that a single cell can indeed differentiate into multiple lineages at significant levels. Further, differences between results obtained in different labs has cast doubt on some results and several studies still await independent confirmation. In this review, we critically evaluate studies that report stem cell plasticity using three rigid criteria to define stem cell plasticity; differentiation of a single cell into multiple cell lineages, functionality of differentiated cells in vitro and in vivo, robust and persistent engraft of transplanted cells.

  16. Immunohistochemical expression of CD44s in renal cell carcinoma lacks independent prognostic significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter Henriques da Costa

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To analyze the immunohistochemical expression of the standard isoform of CD44 (CD44s adhesion molecule in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC and its impact on clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-nine consecutive patients treated surgically for RCC between 1992 and 2009 were selected. A single pathologist reviewed all cases to effect a uniform reclassification and determine the most representative tumor areas for construction of a tissue microarray. The same pathologist, who was blinded to the outcome of the cases, semi-quantitatively scored the staining intensity of CD44s in all specimens. The counting was done using the H-Score algorithm. RESULTS: Of the 99 immunostained RCC specimens, 57(57.7% showed low expression, and 42(42.4% showed high expression levels of CD44s. The expression of CD44s was directly associated with tumor size (p = 0.03, clinical stage (p = 0.02 and Fuhrman grade (p = 0.02. Disease specific survival (DSS rates for patients whose specimens expressed low and high levels of CD44s was 88.1% and 67.5%, respectively (p = 0.009. Progression free survival (PFS rates in patients with low and high expression of CD44s were 78.8% and 61.7%, respectively (p = 0.05. Classical features such as the presence of metastasis and clinical stage remained isolated predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical expression of CD44s was associated with important clinical variables such as stage and Fuhrman grade. However, it was not an independent predictor of survival. Therefore, we believe it has a limited role as a prognostic marker in patients with CCRCC.

  17. Perspectives on Regulatory T Cell Therapies

    OpenAIRE

    Probst-Kepper, Michael; Kröger, Andrea; Garritsen, Henk S.P.; Buer, Jan

    2009-01-01

    Adoptive transfer in animal models clearly indicate an essential role of CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in prevention and treatment of autoimmune and graft-versus-host disease. Thus, Treg cell therapies and development of drugs that specifically enhance Treg cell function and development represent promising tools to establish dominant tolerance. So far, lack of specific markers to differentiate human Treg cells from activated CD4+ CD25+ effector T cells, which also express FOXP3 ...

  18. Lack of competition in Italian natural gas market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bozzetto, Fabrizio

    2007-01-01

    This article analyses the reasons for an evident lack of competition in the Italian natural gas market, after the 2003 full liberalisation of the market. In particular, analysis focuses on dynamics which probably marks mass market and small office segments [it

  19. Single-Cell Transcriptomics and Fate Mapping of Ependymal Cells Reveals an Absence of Neural Stem Cell Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Prajay T; Stratton, Jo A; Stykel, Morgan Gail; Abbasi, Sepideh; Sharma, Sandeep; Mayr, Kyle A; Koblinger, Kathrin; Whelan, Patrick J; Biernaskie, Jeff

    2018-05-03

    Ependymal cells are multi-ciliated cells that form the brain's ventricular epithelium and a niche for neural stem cells (NSCs) in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). In addition, ependymal cells are suggested to be latent NSCs with a capacity to acquire neurogenic function. This remains highly controversial due to a lack of prospective in vivo labeling techniques that can effectively distinguish ependymal cells from neighboring V-SVZ NSCs. We describe a transgenic system that allows for targeted labeling of ependymal cells within the V-SVZ. Single-cell RNA-seq revealed that ependymal cells are enriched for cilia-related genes and share several stem-cell-associated genes with neural stem or progenitors. Under in vivo and in vitro neural-stem- or progenitor-stimulating environments, ependymal cells failed to demonstrate any suggestion of latent neural-stem-cell function. These findings suggest remarkable stability of ependymal cell function and provide fundamental insights into the molecular signature of the V-SVZ niche. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Cancer stem cells, cancer cell plasticity and radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlashi, Erina; Pajonk, Frank

    2015-04-01

    Since the first prospective identification of cancer stem cells in solid cancers the cancer stem cell hypothesis has reemerged as a research topic of increasing interest. It postulates that solid cancers are organized hierarchically with a small number of cancer stem cells driving tumor growth, repopulation after injury and metastasis. They give rise to differentiated progeny, which lack these features. The model predicts that for any therapy to provide cure, all cancer stem cells have to be eliminated while the survival of differentiated progeny is less critical. In this review we discuss recent reports challenging the idea of a unidirectional differentiation of cancer cells. These reports provide evidence supporting the idea that non-stem cancer cells exhibit a remarkable degree of plasticity that allows them to re-acquire cancer stem cell traits, especially in the context of radiation therapy. We summarize conditions under which differentiation is reversed and discuss the current knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Lack of school requirements and clinician recommendations for human papillomavirus vaccination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda M. Niccolai

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: A strong recommendation from a clinician is one of the best predictors of human papillomavirus (HPV vaccination among adolescents, yet many clinicians do not provide effective recommendations. The objective of this study was to understand how the lack of school entry requirements for HPV vaccination influences clinicians’ recommendations. Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 32 clinicians were conducted in 2015 in Connecticut USA. Data were analysed using an iterative thematic approach in 2016-2017. Results: Many clinicians described presenting HPV vaccination as optional or non-urgent because it is not required for school entry. This was noted to be different from how other required vaccines were discussed. Even strong recommendations were often qualified by statements about the lack of requirements. Furthermore, lack of requirements was often raised initially by clinicians and not by parents. Many clinicians agreed that requirements would simplify the recommendation, but that parents may not agree with requirements. Personal opinions about school entry requirements were mixed. Conclusions: The current lack of school entry requirements for HPV vaccination is an important influence on clinicians’ recommendations that are often framed as optional or non-urgent. Efforts are needed to strengthen the quality of clinicians’ recommendations in a way that remains strong and focused on disease prevention yet uncoupled from the lack of requirements that may encourage delays. Additionally, greater support for requirements among clinicians may be needed to successfully enact requirements in the future.

  2. IAP-Based Cell Sorting Results in Homogeneous Transplantable Dopaminergic Precursor Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Lehnen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC-derived mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA neurons can relieve motor deficits in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD. Clinical translation of differentiation protocols requires standardization of production procedures, and surface-marker-based cell sorting is considered instrumental for reproducible generation of defined cell products. Here, we demonstrate that integrin-associated protein (IAP is a cell surface marker suitable for enrichment of hPSC-derived mesDA progenitor cells. Immunomagnetically sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors showed increased expression of ventral midbrain floor plate markers, lacked expression of pluripotency markers, and differentiated into mature dopaminergic (DA neurons in vitro. Intrastriatal transplantation of IAP+ cells sorted at day 16 of differentiation in a rat model of PD resulted in functional recovery. Grafts from sorted IAP+ mesDA progenitors were more homogeneous in size and DA neuron density. Thus, we suggest IAP-based sorting for reproducible prospective enrichment of mesDA progenitor cells in clinical cell replacement strategies.

  3. Actin and dynamin recruitment and the lack thereof at exo- and endocytotic sites in PC12 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felmy, Felix

    2009-06-01

    Protein recruitment during endocytosis is well characterized in fibroblasts. Since fibroblasts do not engage in regulated exocytosis, only information about protein recruitment during constitutive endocytosis is provided. Furthermore, the cortical actin of fibroblasts is characterized by stress fibers rather than a thick cortical meshwork. A cell model, which differs in these features, could provide insight into the heterogeneity of protein recruitment to constitutive and exocytosis coupled endocytotic areas. Therefore, this study investigates the sequence of protein recruitment in PC12 cells, a well documented exocytotic cell model with thick actin cortex. Using real time total-internal-reflection fluorescence microscopy it was found that at the plasma membrane steady, but not transient, dynamin-1-EGFP or -mCherry fluorescence spots that rapidly dimmed coincided with markers for constitutive endocytotic such as clathrin-LC-dsRed and transferrin-receptor-pHluorin. Clathrin-LC-dsRed and dynamin-1-EGFP were further used to determine the temporal sequence of protein recruitment to areas of constitutive endocytosis. mCherry- and EGFP-beta-actin, Arp-3-EGFP and EGFP-mAbp1 were slowly recruited before the dynamin-1-mCherry fluorescence dimmed, but their fluorescence peaked after the loss of clathrin-LC-dsRed commenced. Furthermore, mCherry-beta-actin fluorescence increased before exocytosis, indicating redistribution prior to release. Also, no average dynamin-1-mCherry recruitment was observed within 50 s to regions of exocytosis marked by NPY-mGFP. This indicates that the temporal-spatial coupling between regulated exo-and endocytosis is rather limited in PC12 cells. Furthermore, the time course of the protein recruitment to constitutive endocytotic sites might depend on the subcellular morphology such as the size of the actin cortex.

  4. Cancer Stem Cells of Differentiated B-Cell Malignancies: Models and Consequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Jacques Fournie

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The concept of cancer stem cells has revolutionized our current vision of cancer development and was validated in solid tumors and cancers of the primitive hematopoietic compartment. Proof of the principle is still lacking, however, in malignancies of differentiated B-cells. We review here the current literature, which nevertheless suggests hierarchical organizations of the tumor clone for mostly incurable B-cell cancers such as multiple myeloma, lymphomas and B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We propose two models accounting for cancer stem cells in these contexts: a “top-to-bottom” clonal hierarchy from memory B-cells and a “bottom-to-top” model of clonal reprogramming. Selection pressure on the growing tumor can drive such reprogramming and increase its genetic diversity.

  5. Cancer Stem Cells of Differentiated B-Cell Malignancies: Models and Consequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, Emilie; Quillet-Mary, Anne; Ysebaert, Loic; Laurent, Guy; Fournie, Jean-Jacques

    2011-01-01

    The concept of cancer stem cells has revolutionized our current vision of cancer development and was validated in solid tumors and cancers of the primitive hematopoietic compartment. Proof of the principle is still lacking, however, in malignancies of differentiated B-cells. We review here the current literature, which nevertheless suggests hierarchical organizations of the tumor clone for mostly incurable B-cell cancers such as multiple myeloma, lymphomas and B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We propose two models accounting for cancer stem cells in these contexts: a “top-to-bottom” clonal hierarchy from memory B-cells and a “bottom-to-top” model of clonal reprogramming. Selection pressure on the growing tumor can drive such reprogramming and increase its genetic diversity

  6. Rapid cell separation with minimal manipulation for autologous cell therapies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Alban J.; O'Rorke, Richard D.; Kale, Akshay; Rimsa, Roberts; Tomlinson, Matthew J.; Kirkham, Jennifer; Davies, A. Giles; Wälti, Christoph; Wood, Christopher D.

    2017-02-01

    The ability to isolate specific, viable cell populations from mixed ensembles with minimal manipulation and within intra-operative time would provide significant advantages for autologous, cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine. Current cell-enrichment technologies are either slow, lack specificity and/or require labelling. Thus a rapid, label-free separation technology that does not affect cell functionality, viability or phenotype is highly desirable. Here, we demonstrate separation of viable from non-viable human stromal cells using remote dielectrophoresis, in which an electric field is coupled into a microfluidic channel using shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves, producing an array of virtual electrodes within the channel. This allows high-throughput dielectrophoretic cell separation in high conductivity, physiological-like fluids, overcoming the limitations of conventional dielectrophoresis. We demonstrate viable/non-viable separation efficacy of >98% in pre-purified mesenchymal stromal cells, extracted from human dental pulp, with no adverse effects on cell viability, or on their subsequent osteogenic capabilities.

  7. Human leucocyte antigen class I-redirected anti-tumour CD4+ T cells require a higher T cell receptor binding affinity for optimal activity than CD8+ T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, M P; Dolton, G M; Gerry, A B; Brewer, J E; Bennett, A D; Pumphrey, N J; Jakobsen, B K; Sewell, A K

    2017-01-01

    CD4 + T helper cells are a valuable component of the immune response towards cancer. Unfortunately, natural tumour-specific CD4 + T cells occur in low frequency, express relatively low-affinity T cell receptors (TCRs) and show poor reactivity towards cognate antigen. In addition, the lack of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II expression on most cancers dictates that these cells are often unable to respond to tumour cells directly. These deficiencies can be overcome by transducing primary CD4 + T cells with tumour-specific HLA class I-restricted TCRs prior to adoptive transfer. The lack of help from the co-receptor CD8 glycoprotein in CD4 + cells might result in these cells requiring a different optimal TCR binding affinity. Here we compared primary CD4 + and CD8 + T cells expressing wild-type and a range of affinity-enhanced TCRs specific for the HLA A*0201-restricted NY-ESO-1- and gp100 tumour antigens. Our major findings are: (i) redirected primary CD4 + T cells expressing TCRs of sufficiently high affinity exhibit a wide range of effector functions, including cytotoxicity, in response to cognate peptide; and (ii) optimal TCR binding affinity is higher in CD4 + T cells than CD8 + T cells. These results indicate that the CD4 + T cell component of current adoptive therapies using TCRs optimized for CD8 + T cells is below par and that there is room for substantial improvement. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical & Experimental Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society for Immunology.

  8. Plants lacking the main light-harvesting complex retain photosystem II macro-organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruban, A V; Wentworth, M; Yakushevska, A E; Andersson, J; Lee, P J; Keegstra, W; Dekker, J P; Boekema, E J; Jansson, S; Horton, P

    2003-02-06

    Photosystem II (PSII) is a key component of photosynthesis, the process of converting sunlight into the chemical energy of life. In plant cells, it forms a unique oligomeric macrostructure in membranes of the chloroplasts. Several light-harvesting antenna complexes are organized precisely in the PSII macrostructure-the major trimeric complexes (LHCII) that bind 70% of PSII chlorophyll and three minor monomeric complexes-which together form PSII supercomplexes. The antenna complexes are essential for collecting sunlight and regulating photosynthesis, but the relationship between these functions and their molecular architecture is unresolved. Here we report that antisense Arabidopsis plants lacking the proteins that form LHCII trimers have PSII supercomplexes with almost identical abundance and structure to those found in wild-type plants. The place of LHCII is taken by a normally minor and monomeric complex, CP26, which is synthesized in large amounts and organized into trimers. Trimerization is clearly not a specific attribute of LHCII. Our results highlight the importance of the PSII macrostructure: in the absence of one of its main components, another protein is recruited to allow it to assemble and function.

  9. Siim Nestor soovitab : lack of Eoins / Siim Nestor

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Nestor, Siim, 1974-

    2008-01-01

    Väikefirma Seksound annab sel nädalavahetusel välja Viljandi indiebändi Lack of Eoins esikplaadi "Echo Group" (plaadiesitlused 11. dets. Tallinnas Von Krahlis ja 12. dets. Tartus Genialistide klubis, esinevad ka Ans. Andur ja Popidiot, plaate keerutavad Hannes Praks ja Taavi Laatsit)

  10. Glutathione transferase-M2-2 secreted from glioblastoma cell protects SH-SY5Y cells from aminochrome neurotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuevas, Carlos; Huenchuguala, Sandro; Muñoz, Patricia; Villa, Monica; Paris, Irmgard; Mannervik, Bengt; Segura-Aguilar, Juan

    2015-04-01

    U373MG cells are able to take up aminochrome that induces glutathione transferase M2-2 (GSTM2) expression in a concentration-dependent manner where 100 µM aminochrome increases GSTM2 expression by 2.1-fold (P protects SH-SY5Y cells incubated with 10 µM aminochrome. The significant protection provided by U373MG-conditioned medium in SH-SY5Y cells incubated with aminochrome was dependent on GSTM2 internalization into SH-SY5Y cells as evidenced by (i) uptake of (14)C-GSTM2 released from U373MG cells into SH-SY5Y cells, a process inhibited by anti-GSTM2 antiserum; (ii) lack of protection of U373MG-conditioned medium in the presence of anti-GSTM2 antiserum on SH-SY5Y cells treated with aminochrome; and (iii) lack of protection of conditioned medium from U373MGsiGST6 that expresses an siRNA directed against GSTM2 on SH-SY5Y cells treated with aminochrome. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that U373MG cells protect SH-SY5Y cells against aminochrome neurotoxicity by releasing GSTM2 into the conditioned medium and subsequent internalization of GSTM2 into SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest a new mechanism of protection of dopaminergic neurons mediated by astrocytes by releasing GSTM2 into the intersynaptic space and subsequent internalization into dopaminergic neuron in order to protect these cells against aminochrome neurotoxicity.

  11. Economy may be harmed by lack of LLW disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1994-01-01

    A study released by Organizations United for Responsible Low-Level Radioactive Waste Solutions warns that the substantial benefits of using radioactive materials are threatened by the lack of a low-level waste (LLW) disposal facility. The main point of the study is the threat to the American economy posed by insufficient facilities for disposal of the 1.7 billion ft 3 of LLW produced by the use of radioactive materials every year only 34.8 percent of which comes from nuclear power plants. open-quotes Thirty years of experience have provided the technical knowledge to design waste disposal facilities that protect the public and environment. But an impending lack of adequate disposal facilities jeopardizes our continued use of radioactive materials,close quotes according to the study

  12. Possible role of the 38 kDa protein, lacking in the gastrula-arrested Xenopus mutant, in gastrulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Tetsuya S; Ikenishi, Kohji

    2002-02-01

    An acidic, 38 kDa protein that is present in Xenopus wild-type embryos has been previously shown to be lacking in gastrula-arrested mutant embryos. To gain understanding of the role of this protein, its spatio-temporal distribution and involvement in gastrulation was investigated using the monoclonal antibody (9D10) against it. The protein was prominent in the cortical cytoplasm of cells facing the outside in the animal hemisphere of embryos until the gastrula stage, and in ciliated epithelial cells of embryos at stages later than the late neurula. When the 9D10 antibody was injected into fertilized wild-type eggs, they cleaved normally, but most of them had arrested development, always at the early stage of gastrulation, as in the mutant embryos. In contrast, the majority of the control antibody-injected eggs gastrulated normally and developed further. Cytoskeletal F-actin, which was mainly observed in the area beneath the plasma membrane facing the outside of the epithelial layer of not only the dorsal involuting marginal zone but also the dorsal, vegetal cell mass of the control antibody-injected embryos at the early gastrula stage, was scarcely recognized in the corresponding area of the 9D10 antibody-injected embryos. It is likely that the paucity of the F-actin caused by the 9D10 antibody inhibition of the 38 kDa protein might lead to a failure of cell movement in gastrulation, resulting in developmental arrest.

  13. Red blood cell alloimmunization after blood transfusion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schonewille, Henk

    2008-01-01

    Current pretransfusion policy requires the patients’ serum to be tested for the presence of irregular red blood cell antibodies. In case of an antibody, red blood cells lacking the corresponding antigen are transfused after an antiglobulin crossmatch. The aim of the studies in this thesis is

  14. Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Mice Lacking the Tas1r3 Taste Receptor Gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murovets, Vladimir O; Bachmanov, Alexander A; Zolotarev, Vasiliy A

    2015-01-01

    The G-protein-coupled sweet taste receptor dimer T1R2/T1R3 is expressed in taste bud cells in the oral cavity. In recent years, its involvement in membrane glucose sensing was discovered in endocrine cells regulating glucose homeostasis. We investigated importance of extraorally expressed T1R3 taste receptor protein in age-dependent control of blood glucose homeostasis in vivo, using nonfasted mice with a targeted mutation of the Tas1r3 gene that encodes the T1R3 protein. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests, as well as behavioral tests measuring taste responses to sucrose solutions, were performed with C57BL/6ByJ (Tas1r3+/+) inbred mice bearing the wild-type allele and C57BL/6J-Tas1r3tm1Rfm mice lacking the entire Tas1r3 coding region and devoid of the T1R3 protein (Tas1r3-/-). Compared with Tas1r3+/+ mice, Tas1r3-/- mice lacked attraction to sucrose in brief-access licking tests, had diminished taste preferences for sucrose solutions in the two-bottle tests, and had reduced insulin sensitivity and tolerance to glucose administered intraperitoneally or intragastrically, which suggests that these effects are due to absence of T1R3. Impairment of glucose clearance in Tas1r3-/- mice was exacerbated with age after intraperitoneal but not intragastric administration of glucose, pointing to a compensatory role of extraoral T1R3-dependent mechanisms in offsetting age-dependent decline in regulation of glucose homeostasis. Incretin effects were similar in Tas1r3+/+ and Tas1r3-/- mice, which suggests that control of blood glucose clearance is associated with effects of extraoral T1R3 in tissues other than the gastrointestinal tract. Collectively, the obtained data demonstrate that the T1R3 receptor protein plays an important role in control of glucose homeostasis not only by regulating sugar intake but also via its extraoral function, probably in the pancreas and brain.

  15. Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Mice Lacking the Tas1r3 Taste Receptor Gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir O Murovets

    Full Text Available The G-protein-coupled sweet taste receptor dimer T1R2/T1R3 is expressed in taste bud cells in the oral cavity. In recent years, its involvement in membrane glucose sensing was discovered in endocrine cells regulating glucose homeostasis. We investigated importance of extraorally expressed T1R3 taste receptor protein in age-dependent control of blood glucose homeostasis in vivo, using nonfasted mice with a targeted mutation of the Tas1r3 gene that encodes the T1R3 protein. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests, as well as behavioral tests measuring taste responses to sucrose solutions, were performed with C57BL/6ByJ (Tas1r3+/+ inbred mice bearing the wild-type allele and C57BL/6J-Tas1r3tm1Rfm mice lacking the entire Tas1r3 coding region and devoid of the T1R3 protein (Tas1r3-/-. Compared with Tas1r3+/+ mice, Tas1r3-/- mice lacked attraction to sucrose in brief-access licking tests, had diminished taste preferences for sucrose solutions in the two-bottle tests, and had reduced insulin sensitivity and tolerance to glucose administered intraperitoneally or intragastrically, which suggests that these effects are due to absence of T1R3. Impairment of glucose clearance in Tas1r3-/- mice was exacerbated with age after intraperitoneal but not intragastric administration of glucose, pointing to a compensatory role of extraoral T1R3-dependent mechanisms in offsetting age-dependent decline in regulation of glucose homeostasis. Incretin effects were similar in Tas1r3+/+ and Tas1r3-/- mice, which suggests that control of blood glucose clearance is associated with effects of extraoral T1R3 in tissues other than the gastrointestinal tract. Collectively, the obtained data demonstrate that the T1R3 receptor protein plays an important role in control of glucose homeostasis not only by regulating sugar intake but also via its extraoral function, probably in the pancreas and brain.

  16. Identifying activated T cells in reconstituted RAG deficient mice using retrovirally transduced Pax5 deficient pro-B cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadesan Gajendran

    Full Text Available Various methods have been used to identify activated T cells such as binding of MHC tetramers and expression of cell surface markers in addition to cytokine-based assays. In contrast to these published methods, we here describe a strategy to identify T cells that respond to any antigen and track the fate of these activated T cells. We constructed a retroviral double-reporter construct with enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP and a far-red fluorescent protein from Heteractis crispa (HcRed. LTR-driven EGFP expression was used to enrich and identify transduced cells, while HcRed expression is driven by the CD40Ligand (CD40L promoter, which is inducible and enables the identification and cell fate tracing of T cells that have responded to infection/inflammation. Pax5 deficient pro-B cells that can give rise to different hematopoietic cells like T cells, were retrovirally transduced with this double-reporter cassette and were used to reconstitute the T cell pool in RAG1 deficient mice that lack T and B cells. By using flow cytometry and histology, we identified activated T cells that had developed from Pax5 deficient pro-B cells and responded to infection with the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Microscopic examination of organ sections allowed visual identification of HcRed-expressing cells. To further characterize the immune response to a given stimuli, this strategy can be easily adapted to identify other cells of the hematopoietic system that respond to infection/inflammation. This can be achieved by using an inducible reporter, choosing the appropriate promoter, and reconstituting mice lacking cells of interest by injecting gene-modified Pax5 deficient pro-B cells.

  17. Endothelium in brain: Receptors, mitogenesis, and biosynthesis in glial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacCumber, M.W.; Ross, C.A.; Snyder, S.H.

    1990-01-01

    The authors have explored the cellular loci of endothelin (ET) actions and formation in the brain, using cerebellar mutant mice was well as primary and continuous cell cultures. A glial role is favored by several observations: (1) mutant mice lacking neuronal Purkinje cells display normal ET receptor binding and enhanced stimulation by ET of inositolphospholipid turnover; (ii) in weaver mice lacking neuronal granule cells, ET stimulation of inositolphospholipid turnover is not significantly diminished; (iii) C 6 glioma cells and primary cultures of cerebellar astroglia exhibit substantial ET receptor binding and ET-induced stimulation of inositolphospholipid turnover; (iv) ET promotes mitogenesis of C 6 glioma cells and primary cerebellar astroglia; and (v) primary cultures of cerebellar astroglia contain ET mRNA. ET also appears to have a neuronal role, since it stimulates inositolphospholipid turnover in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells, and ET binding declines in granule cell-deficient mice. Thus, ET can be produced by glia and act upon both glia and neurons in a paracrine fashion

  18. Variable methylation of the imprinted gene, SNRPN, supports a relationship between intracranial germ cell tumours and neural stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shih-Han; Appleby, Vanessa; Jeyapalan, Jennie N; Palmer, Roger D; Nicholson, James C; Sottile, Virginie; Gao, Erning; Coleman, Nicholas; Scotting, Paul J

    2011-02-01

    Germ cell tumours (GCTs) are a diverse group of neoplasms all of which are generally believed to arise from germ cell progenitors (PGCs). Even those that form in the nervous system are likewise believed to be PGC-derived, despite being found a great distance from the normal location of germ cells. The primary evidence in favour of this model for the origins of intracranial GCTs is that they share molecular features with other GCTs. Those features include shared gene expression and a lack of methylation of imprinted genes, including SNRPN. Contrary to this model, we have proposed that endogenous neural stem cells of the brain are a more likely origin for these tumours. We show here that the lack of methylation of SNRPN that has previously been taken to indicate an origin for GCTs from PGCs is also seen in neural stem cells of mice and humans. We believe that, in the light of these and other recent observations, endogenous neural precursors of the brain are a more plausible origin for intracranial GCTs than are misplaced PGCs.

  19. Radiobiological analyse based on cell cluster models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Hui; Jing Jia; Meng Damin; Xu Yuanying; Xu Liangfeng

    2010-01-01

    The influence of cell cluster dimension on EUD and TCP for targeted radionuclide therapy was studied using the radiobiological method. The radiobiological features of tumor with activity-lack in core were evaluated and analyzed by associating EUD, TCP and SF.The results show that EUD will increase with the increase of tumor dimension under the activity homogeneous distribution. If the extra-cellular activity was taken into consideration, the EUD will increase 47%. Under the activity-lack in tumor center and the requirement of TCP=0.90, the α cross-fire influence of 211 At could make up the maximum(48 μm)3 activity-lack for Nucleus source, but(72 μm)3 for Cytoplasm, Cell Surface, Cell and Voxel sources. In clinic,the physician could prefer the suggested dose of Cell Surface source in case of the future of local tumor control for under-dose. Generally TCP could well exhibit the effect difference between under-dose and due-dose, but not between due-dose and over-dose, which makes TCP more suitable for the therapy plan choice. EUD could well exhibit the difference between different models and activity distributions,which makes it more suitable for the research work. When the user uses EUD to study the influence of activity inhomogeneous distribution, one should keep the consistency of the configuration and volume of the former and the latter models. (authors)

  20. Inactivation of the transforming growth factor beta type II receptor in human small cell lung cancer cell lines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougaard, S; Nørgaard, P; Abrahamsen, N

    1999-01-01

    Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) exerts a growth inhibitory effect on many cell types through binding to two types of receptors, the type I and II receptors. Resistance to TGF-beta due to lack of type II receptor (RII) has been described in some cancer types including small cell lung...

  1. Self-reactive T cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Becker, Jürgen C; thor Straten, Per; Andersen, Mads Hald

    2014-01-01

    -proteins expressed in regulatory immune cells have been reported, especially in patients with cancer. The seemingly lack of tolerance toward such proteins is interesting, as it suggests a regulatory function of self-reactive T (srT) cells, which may be important for the fine tuning of the immune system......The immune system is a tightly regulated and complex system. An important part of this immune regulation is the assurance of tolerance toward self-antigens to maintain immune homeostasis. However, in recent years, antigen-specific cellular immune responses toward several normal self....... In particular, surprising has been the description of cytotoxic srT cells that are able to eliminate normal regulatory immune cells. Such srT cells may be important as effector cells that suppress regulatory suppressor cells. The current knowledge of the nature and function of srT cells is still limited. Still...

  2. Lack of Proinflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-6 or Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1 Results in a Failure of the Innate Immune Response after Bacterial Meningitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lea-Jessica Albrecht

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The most frequent pathogen that causes bacterial meningitis is the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. By entering the brain, host cells will be activated and proinflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α are released. The goal of the current study was to examine the interaction between IL-6 and TNFR1 as receptor for TNF-α and the innate immune response in vivo in a model of Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced meningitis. For the experiments IL-6−/−, TNFR1−/−, and TNFR1-IL-6−/− KO mice were used. Our results revealed higher mortality rates and bacterial burden after infection in TNFR1−/−, IL-6−/−, and TNFR1-IL-6−/− mice and a decreased immune response including lower neutrophil infiltration in the meninges of TNFR1−/− and TNFR1-IL-6−/− mice in contrast to IL-6−/− and wild type mice. Furthermore, the increased mortality of TNFR1−/− and TNFR1-IL-6−/− mice correlated with decreased glial cell activation compared to IL-6−/− or wild type mice after pneumococcal meningitis. Altogether, the results show the importance of TNFR1 and IL-6 in the regulation of the innate immune response. The lack of TNFR1 and IL-6 results in higher mortality by weakened immune defence, whereas the lack of TNFR1 results in more severe impairment of the innate immune response than the lack of IL-6 alone.

  3. Effect of lack of later support in the masseter muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez Lopez, Otton

    2007-01-01

    One of the main complaints during dental consultation has been pain in the zone of the masseter muscle, especially a lack of rear support. None research has published that reveals what has been the relationship between the rear support and histological alterations in muscle mass. Both topics have treated to relate through a process of tooth wear in laboratory animals and produce a lack of rear support. Cuts of the masseter muscles and specimens were subjected to microscopic study of light and electronic. The conclusion has been that by removing the rear support are produced important changes to histological level. (author) [es

  4. Patients Lacking a KIR-Ligand of HLA Group C1 or C2 Have a Better Outcome after Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Martínez-Losada

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Donor natural killer (NK cells can destroy residual leukemic cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This effect is based on the interaction of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR of donor NK cells with ligands of the major histocompatibility complex found on the surface of the target cells. HLA-C1 subtypes provide the ligand for KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 and the HLA-C2 subtypes for KIR2DL1. We have studied the probability of relapse (PR after single-unit unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT in relation to the potential graft-vs.-leukemia effect mediated by NK cells present in the umbilical cord blood (UCB by analyzing KIR-ligand and HLA-C typing of the receptor. Data from 33 consecutive patients given a single unit UCBT were included. We have considered two groups of patients based on the absence or the presence of one of the C-ligands for inhibitory KIR and the incompatibility HLA-C1/2 between UCB and patients. Group 1 (n = 21: the patient lacks a C-ligand for inhibitory KIR present in UCB NK cells, i.e., patients homozygous C1/C1 or C2/C2. Group 2 (n = 12: patients heterozygous C1/C2 in which KIR-mediated graft-vs.-leukemia effect is not expected (presence of both C ligands for inhibitory KIR in the receptor. With a median follow-up post-UCBT of 93 months, patients with absence of a C-ligand for inhibitory KIRs (Group 1 showed a lower actuarial PR than patients with both C-ligands (group 2: 21 ± 10 vs. 68 ± 18% at 2 year and 36 ± 13 vs. 84 ± 14% at 5 years (p = 0.025, respectively. In patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the 2-year PR was 36 ± 21% for group 1 and 66 ± 26% for 2 (p = 0.038. Furthermore, group 1 had a lower incidence of grades II–IV acute graft-vs.-host disease (p = 0.04. In the setting of UCBT, the absence of a C-ligand (C1 or C2 of inhibitory KIR in the patient is associated with lower PR, which is probably due to the graft

  5. Lack of a safety culture destroyed the reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vuori, A.

    1996-01-01

    The importance of good safety culture in the operation of nuclear power plants is discussed. The modern safety culture emphasizes responsibility and preventive maintenance that can eliminate or minimize faults in advance. In the article the accident of Chernobyl is used as an example of the lack of safety culture. (1 fig.)

  6. AcEST: BP918646 [AcEST

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available nt DNA helicase recG OS=Helicoba... 32 2.5 sp|Q05318|L_EBOZM Large structural protein OS=Zaire ebolavirus (...... 32 2.5 sp|Q6V1Q2|L_EBOZ5 Large structural protein OS=Zaire ebolavirus (... 32 2.5 sp|Q5XX01|L_EBOSU Large... structural protein OS=Sudan ebolavirus (... 32 2.5 sp|Q66802|L_EBOSM Large structural protein OS=Sudan ebola...a (strain K... 31 3.3 sp|Q8JPX5|L_EBORR Large structural protein OS=Reston ebolav...irus ... 31 4.3 sp|Q91DD4|L_EBORE Large structural protein OS=Reston ebolavirus ... 31 4.3 sp|Q5WFS8|RS2_BAC

  7. A protocol to assess cell cycle and apoptosis in human and mouse pluripotent cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edel Michael J

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Embryonic stem cells (ESC and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs present a great opportunity to treat and model human disease as a cell replacement therapy. There is a growing pressure to understand better the signal transduction pathways regulating pluripotency and self-renewal of these special cells in order to deliver a safe and reliable cell based therapy in the near future. Many signal transduction pathways converge on two major cell functions associated with self-renewal and pluripotency: control of the cell cycle and apoptosis, although a standard method is lacking across the field. Here we present a detailed protocol to assess the cell cycle and apoptosis of ESC and iPSCs as a single reference point offering an easy to use standard approach across the field.

  8. Intrinsic radiation resistance in human chondrosarcoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moussavi-Harami, Farid; Mollano, Anthony; Martin, James A.; Ayoob, Andrew; Domann, Frederick E.; Gitelis, Steven; Buckwalter, Joseph A.

    2006-01-01

    Human chondrosarcomas rarely respond to radiation treatment, limiting the options for eradication of these tumors. The basis of radiation resistance in chondrosarcomas remains obscure. In normal cells radiation induces DNA damage that leads to growth arrest or death. However, cells that lack cell cycle control mechanisms needed for these responses show intrinsic radiation resistance. In previous work, we identified immortalized human chondrosarcoma cell lines that lacked p16 ink4a , one of the major tumor suppressor proteins that regulate the cell cycle. We hypothesized that the absence of p16 ink4a contributes to the intrinsic radiation resistance of chondrosarcomas and that restoring p16 ink4a expression would increase their radiation sensitivity. To test this we determined the effects of ectopic p16 ink4a expression on chondrosarcoma cell resistance to low-dose γ-irradiation (1-5 Gy). p16 ink4a expression significantly increased radiation sensitivity in clonogenic assays. Apoptosis did not increase significantly with radiation and was unaffected by p16 ink4a transduction of chondrosarcoma cells, indicating that mitotic catastrophe, rather than programmed cell death, was the predominant radiation effect. These results support the hypothesis that p16 ink4a plays a role in the radiation resistance of chondrosarcoma cell lines and suggests that restoring p16 expression will improve the radiation sensitivity of human chondrosarcomas

  9. Renal cell tumors with clear cell histology and intact VHL and chromosome 3p: a histological review of tumors from the Cancer Genome Atlas database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favazza, Laura; Chitale, Dhananjay A; Barod, Ravi; Rogers, Craig G; Kalyana-Sundaram, Shanker; Palanisamy, Nallasivam; Gupta, Nilesh S; Williamson, Sean R

    2017-11-01

    Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is by far the most common form of kidney cancer; however, a number of histologically similar tumors are now recognized and considered distinct entities. The Cancer Genome Atlas published data set was queried (http://cbioportal.org) for clear cell renal cell carcinoma tumors lacking VHL gene mutation and chromosome 3p loss, for which whole-slide images were reviewed. Of the 418 tumors in the published Cancer Genome Atlas clear cell renal cell carcinoma database, 387 had VHL mutation, copy number loss for chromosome 3p, or both (93%). Of the remaining, 27/31 had whole-slide images for review. One had 3p loss based on karyotype but not sequencing, and three demonstrated VHL promoter hypermethylation. Nine could be reclassified as distinct or emerging entities: translocation renal cell carcinoma (n=3), TCEB1 mutant renal cell carcinoma (n=3), papillary renal cell carcinoma (n=2), and clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma (n=1). Of the remaining, 6 had other clear cell renal cell carcinoma-associated gene alterations (PBRM1, SMARCA4, BAP1, SETD2), leaving 11 specimens, including 2 high-grade or sarcomatoid renal cell carcinomas and 2 with prominent fibromuscular stroma (not TCEB1 mutant). One of the remaining tumors exhibited gain of chromosome 7 but lacked histological features of papillary renal cell carcinoma. Two tumors previously reported to harbor TFE3 gene fusions also exhibited VHL mutation, chromosome 3p loss, and morphology indistinguishable from clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the significance of which is uncertain. In summary, almost all clear cell renal cell carcinomas harbor VHL mutation, 3p copy number loss, or both. Of tumors with clear cell histology that lack these alterations, a subset can now be reclassified as other entities. Further study will determine whether additional entities exist, based on distinct genetic pathways that may have implications for treatment.

  10. A drug target that stimulates development of healthy stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scientists have overcome a major impediment to the development of effective stem cell therapies by studying mice that lack CD47, a protein found on the surface of both healthy and cancer cells. They discovered that cells obtained from the lungs of CD47-de

  11. The C-terminal domain of the bacterial SSB protein acts as a DNA maintenance hub at active chromosome replication forks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Audrey Costes

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We have investigated in vivo the role of the carboxy-terminal domain of the Bacillus subtilis Single-Stranded DNA Binding protein (SSB(Cter as a recruitment platform at active chromosomal forks for many proteins of the genome maintenance machineries. We probed this SSB(Cter interactome using GFP fusions and by Tap-tag and biochemical analysis. It includes at least 12 proteins. The interactome was previously shown to include PriA, RecG, and RecQ and extended in this study by addition of DnaE, SbcC, RarA, RecJ, RecO, XseA, Ung, YpbB, and YrrC. Targeting of YpbB to active forks appears to depend on RecS, a RecQ paralogue, with which it forms a stable complex. Most of these SSB partners are conserved in bacteria, while others, such as the essential DNA polymerase DnaE, YrrC, and the YpbB/RecS complex, appear to be specific to B. subtilis. SSB(Cter deletion has a moderate impact on B. subtilis cell growth. However, it markedly affects the efficiency of repair of damaged genomic DNA and arrested replication forks. ssbΔCter mutant cells appear deficient in RecA loading on ssDNA, explaining their inefficiency in triggering the SOS response upon exposure to genotoxic agents. Together, our findings show that the bacterial SSB(Cter acts as a DNA maintenance hub at active chromosomal forks that secures their propagation along the genome.

  12. What role do annelid neoblasts play? A comparison of the regeneration patterns in a neoblast-bearing and a neoblast-lacking enchytraeid oligochaete.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maroko Myohara

    Full Text Available The term 'neoblast' was originally coined for a particular type of cell that had been observed during annelid regeneration, but is now used to describe the pluripotent/totipotent stem cells that are indispensable for planarian regeneration. Despite having the same name, however, planarian and annelid neoblasts are morphologically and functionally distinct, and many annelid species that lack neoblasts can nonetheless substantially regenerate. To further elucidate the functions of the annelid neoblasts, a comparison was made between the regeneration patterns of two enchytraeid oligochaetes, Enchytraeus japonensis and Enchytraeus buchholzi, which possess and lack neoblasts, respectively. In E. japonensis, which can reproduce asexually by fragmentation and subsequent regeneration, neoblasts are present in all segments except for the eight anterior-most segments including the seven head-specific segments, and all body fragments containing neoblasts can regenerate a complete head and a complete tail, irrespective of the region of the body from which they were originally derived. In E. japonensis, therefore, no antero-posterior gradient of regeneration ability exists in the trunk region. However, when amputation was carried out within the head region, where neoblasts are absent, the number of regenerated segments was found to be dependent on the level of amputation along the body axis. In E. buchholzi, which reproduces only sexually and lacks neoblasts in all segments, complete heads were never regenerated and incomplete (hypomeric heads could be regenerated only from the anterior region of the body. Such an antero-posterior gradient of regeneration ability was observed for both the anterior and posterior regeneration in the whole body of E. buchholzi. These results indicate that the presence of neoblasts correlates with the absence of an antero-posterior gradient of regeneration ability along the body axis, and suggest that the annelid neoblasts are

  13. Lack of collagen VI promotes neurodegeneration by impairing autophagy and inducing apoptosis during aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cescon, Matilde; Chen, Peiwen; Castagnaro, Silvia; Gregorio, Ilaria; Bonaldo, Paolo

    2016-05-01

    Collagen VI is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein with a broad distribution in different tissues and mostly deposited at the close periphery of the cell surface. Previous studies revealed that collagen VI protects neurons from the toxicity of amyloid-βpeptides and from UV-induced damage. However, the physiological role of this protein in the central nervous system (CNS) remains unknown. Here, we established primary neural cultures from murine cortex and hippocampus, and carried out in vitro and in vivo studies in wild-type and collagen VI null (Col6a1-/-) mice. Col6a1-/- neural cultures displayed an increased incidence of spontaneous apoptosis and higher vulnerability to oxidative stress, accompanied by altered regulation of autophagy with increased p62 protein levels and decreased LC3 lipidation. Analysis of brain sections confirmed increased apoptosis and abnormal regulation of autophagy in the CNS of collagen VI-deficient animals. To investigate the in vivo physiological consequences of these CNS defects, we carried out functional studies and found that motor and memory task performances were impaired in aged Col6a1-/-mice. These findings indicate that lack of collagen VI leads to spontaneous apoptosis and defective autophagy in neural cells, and point at a protective role for this ECM protein in the CNS during physiological aging.

  14. IAP-Based Cell Sorting Results in Homogeneous Transplantable Dopaminergic Precursor Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehnen, Daniela; Barral, Serena; Cardoso, Tiago; Grealish, Shane; Heuer, Andreas; Smiyakin, Andrej; Kirkeby, Agnete; Kollet, Jutta; Cremer, Harold; Parmar, Malin; Bosio, Andreas; Knöbel, Sebastian

    2017-10-10

    Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons can relieve motor deficits in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical translation of differentiation protocols requires standardization of production procedures, and surface-marker-based cell sorting is considered instrumental for reproducible generation of defined cell products. Here, we demonstrate that integrin-associated protein (IAP) is a cell surface marker suitable for enrichment of hPSC-derived mesDA progenitor cells. Immunomagnetically sorted IAP + mesDA progenitors showed increased expression of ventral midbrain floor plate markers, lacked expression of pluripotency markers, and differentiated into mature dopaminergic (DA) neurons in vitro. Intrastriatal transplantation of IAP + cells sorted at day 16 of differentiation in a rat model of PD resulted in functional recovery. Grafts from sorted IAP + mesDA progenitors were more homogeneous in size and DA neuron density. Thus, we suggest IAP-based sorting for reproducible prospective enrichment of mesDA progenitor cells in clinical cell replacement strategies. Copyright © 2017 Miltenyi Biotec GmbH. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Lack of resistance development in Bemisia tabaci to Isaria fumosorosea after multiple generations of selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Tianni; Wang, Zhaolei; Huang, Yü; Keyhani, Nemat O.; Huang, Zhen

    2017-02-01

    The emergence of insecticide resistant insect pests is of significant concern worldwide. The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is an important agricultural pest and has shown incredible resilience developing resistance to a number of chemical pesticides. Entomopathogenic fungi such as Isaria fumosorosea offer an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides for insect control, and this fungus has been shown to be an effective pathogen of B. tabaci. Little is known concerning the potential for the development of resistance to I. fumosorosea by B. tabaci. Five generations of successive survivors of B. tabaci infected by I. fumosorosea were assayed with I. fumosorosea. No significant differences in susceptibility to I. fumosorosea, number of ovarioles, or ovipostioning were seen between any of the generations tested. Effects of I. fumosorosea and cell-free ethyl acetate fractions derived from the fungus on the B. tabaci fat body, ovary, and vitellogenin were also investigated. These data revealed significant deformation and degradation of ovary tissues and associated vitellogenin by the fungal mycelium as well as by cell-free ethyl acetate fungal extracts. These data indicate the lack of the emergence of resistance to I. fumosorosea under the conditions tested and demonstrate invasion of the insect reproductive tissues during fungal infection.

  16. Mitochondrial fission proteins regulate programmed cell death in yeast

    OpenAIRE

    Fannjiang, Yihru; Cheng, Wen-Chih; Lee, Sarah J.; Qi, Bing; Pevsner, Jonathan; McCaffery, J. Michael; Hill, R. Blake; Basañez, Gorka; Hardwick, J. Marie

    2004-01-01

    The possibility that single-cell organisms undergo programmed cell death has been questioned in part because they lack several key components of the mammalian cell death machinery. However, yeast encode a homolog of human Drp1, a mitochondrial fission protein that was shown previously to promote mammalian cell death and the excessive mitochondrial fragmentation characteristic of apoptotic mammalian cells. In support of a primordial origin of programmed cell death involving mitochondria, we fo...

  17. Absence of transient elevated uv resistance during germination of Bacillus subtilis spores lacking small, acid-soluble spore proteins α and β

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Setlow, B.; Setlow, P.

    1988-01-01

    Dormant spores of various Bacillus species are much more resistant to UV irradiation than are the corresponding vegetative cells. This elevated spore UV resistance appears to have two causes. First, UV irradiation of spores does not produce the pyrimidine dimers formed in vegetative-cell DNA, but rather produces several other photoproducts, the most predominant of which is termed the spore photoproduct, a 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine adduct (1, 10). Second, spores have at least two mechanisms which efficiently repair this spore photoproduct during spore germination, including one which monomerizes the adduct back to two thymines. This study shows that germinating spores of bacillus subtilis mutants which lack small, acid-soluble spore proteins α and β did not exhibit the transient elevated UV resistance seen during germination of wild-type spores

  18. Mammalian cochlear supporting cells can divide and trans-differentiate into hair cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Patricia M; Doetzlhofer, Angelika; Lee, Yun Shain; Groves, Andrew K; Segil, Neil

    2006-06-22

    Sensory hair cells of the mammalian organ of Corti in the inner ear do not regenerate when lost as a consequence of injury, disease, or age-related deafness. This contrasts with other vertebrates such as birds, where the death of hair cells causes surrounding supporting cells to re-enter the cell cycle and give rise to both new hair cells and supporting cells. It is not clear whether the lack of mammalian hair cell regeneration is due to an intrinsic inability of supporting cells to divide and differentiate or to an absence or blockade of regenerative signals. Here we show that post-mitotic supporting cells purified from the postnatal mouse cochlea retain the ability to divide and trans-differentiate into new hair cells in culture. Furthermore, we show that age-dependent changes in supporting cell proliferative capacity are due in part to changes in the ability to downregulate the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) (also known as Cdkn1b). These results indicate that postnatal mammalian supporting cells are potential targets for therapeutic manipulation.

  19. Tyrosinase degradation is prevented when EDEM1 lacks the intrinsically disordered region.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marioara B Marin

    Full Text Available EDEM1 is a mannosidase-like protein that recruits misfolded glycoproteins from the calnexin/calreticulin folding cycle to downstream endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD pathway. Here, we investigate the role of EDEM1 in the processing of tyrosinase, a tumour antigen overexpressed in melanoma cells. First, we analyzed and modeled EDEM1 major domains. The homology model raised on the crystal structures of human and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER class I α1,2-mannosidases reveals that the major mannosidase domain located between aminoacids 121-598 fits with high accuracy. We have further identified an N-terminal region located between aminoacids 40-119, predicted to be intrinsically disordered (ID and susceptible to adopt multiple conformations, hence facilitating protein-protein interactions. To investigate these two domains we have constructed an EDEM1 deletion mutant lacking the ID region and a triple mutant disrupting the glycan-binding domain and analyzed their association with tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is a glycoprotein partly degraded endogenously by ERAD and the ubiquitin proteasomal system. We found that the degradation of wild type and misfolded tyrosinase was enhanced when EDEM1 was overexpressed. Glycosylated and non-glycosylated mutants co-immunoprecipitated with EDEM1 even in the absence of its intact mannosidase-like domain, but not when the ID region was deleted. In contrast, calnexin and SEL 1L associated with the deletion mutant. Our data suggest that the ID region identified in the N-terminal end of EDEM1 is involved in the binding of glycosylated and non-glycosylated misfolded proteins. Accelerating tyrosinase degradation by EDEM1 overexpression may lead to an efficient antigen presentation and enhanced elimination of melanoma cells.

  20. Why does Colombia lack agricultural commodity futures?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Moreno-Alemay

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the reasons why futures contracts are not traded as an alternative to price hedging for agricultural goods in Colombia. Based on surveys, interviews and statistical analysis, this study identified that conceptual gaps in contract negotiation, lack of consensus in the agricultural sector regarding the use of financial mechanisms and the sector’s infrequent contact with Colombia’s financial institutions, are the main reasons why a futures contracts market has not emerged.

  1. Innate Lymphoid Cells: Emerging Insights in Development, Lineage Relationships, and Function

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spits, Hergen; Cupedo, Tom

    2012-01-01

    Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are immune cells that lack a specific antigen receptor yet can produce an array of effector cytokines that in variety match that of T helper cell subsets. ILCs function in lymphoid organogenesis, tissue remodeling, antimicrobial immunity, and inflammation, particularly

  2. Cell cycle regulation of hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Sha; Chen, Chen; Cheng, Tao

    2016-05-01

    The highly regulated process of blood production is achieved through the hierarchical organization of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) subsets and their progenies, which differ in self-renewal and differentiation potential. Genetic studies in mice have demonstrated that cell cycle is tightly controlled by the complex interplay between extrinsic cues and intrinsic regulatory pathways involved in HSC self-renewal and differentiation. Deregulation of these cellular programs may transform HSCs or hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) into disease-initiating stem cells, and can result in hematopoietic malignancies such as leukemia. While previous studies have shown roles for some cell cycle regulators and related signaling pathways in HSCs and HPCs, a more complete picture regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying cell cycle regulation in HSCs or HPCs is lacking. Based on accumulated studies in this field, the present review introduces the basic components of the cell cycle machinery and discusses their major cellular networks that regulate the dormancy and cell cycle progression of HSCs. Knowledge on this topic would help researchers and clinicians to better understand the pathogenesis of relevant blood disorders and to develop new strategies for therapeutic manipulation of HSCs.

  3. Human intestinal tissue with adult stem cell properties derived from pluripotent stem cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Forster, Ryan; Chiba, Kunitoshi; Schaeffer, Lorian; Regalado, Samuel G; Lai, Christine S; Gao, Qing; Kiani, Samira; Farin, Henner F; Clevers, Hans; Cost, Gregory J; Chan, Andy; Rebar, Edward J; Urnov, Fyodor D; Gregory, Philip D; Pachter, Lior; Jaenisch, Rudolf; Hockemeyer, Dirk

    2014-01-01

    Genetically engineered human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been proposed as a source for transplantation therapies and are rapidly becoming valuable tools for human disease modeling. However, many applications are limited due to the lack of robust differentiation paradigms that allow for the

  4. Mutant Mice Lacking the p53 C-Terminal Domain Model Telomere Syndromes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iva Simeonova

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Mutations in p53, although frequent in human cancers, have not been implicated in telomere-related syndromes. Here, we show that homozygous mutant mice expressing p53Δ31, a p53 lacking the C-terminal domain, exhibit increased p53 activity and suffer from aplastic anemia and pulmonary fibrosis, hallmarks of syndromes caused by short telomeres. Indeed, p53Δ31/Δ31 mice had short telomeres and other phenotypic traits associated with the telomere disease dyskeratosis congenita and its severe variant the Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome. Heterozygous p53+/Δ31 mice were only mildly affected, but decreased levels of Mdm4, a negative regulator of p53, led to a dramatic aggravation of their symptoms. Importantly, several genes involved in telomere metabolism were downregulated in p53Δ31/Δ31 cells, including Dyskerin, Rtel1, and Tinf2, which are mutated in dyskeratosis congenita, and Terf1, which is implicated in aplastic anemia. Together, these data reveal that a truncating mutation can activate p53 and that p53 plays a major role in the regulation of telomere metabolism.

  5. Vascular inflammatory cells in hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David G. Harrison

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is a common disorder with uncertain etiology. In the last several years, it has become evident that components of both the innate and adaptive immune system play an essential role in hypertension. Macrophages and T cells accumulate in the perivascular fat, the heart and the kidney of hypertensive patients and in animals with experimental hypertension. Various immunosuppressive agents lower blood pressure and prevent end-organ damage. Mice lacking lymphocytes are protected against hypertension, and adoptive transfer of T cells, but not B cells in the animals restores their blood pressure response to stimuli such as angiotensin II or high salt. Recent studies have shown that mice lacking macrophages have blunted hypertension in response to angiotensin II and that genetic deletion of macrophages markedly reduces experimental hypertension. Dendritic cells have also been implicated in this disease. Many hypertensive stimuli have triggering effects on the central nervous system and signals arising from the circumventricular organ seem to promote inflammation. Studies have suggested that central signals activate macrophages and T cells, which home to the kidney and vasculature and release cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-17, which in turn cause renal and vascular dysfunction and lead to blood pressure elevation. These recent discoveries provide a new understanding of hypertension and provide novel therapeutic opportunities for treatment of this serious disease.

  6. Activated Allogeneic NK Cells Preferentially Kill Poor Prognosis B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Martínez, Diego; Lanuza, Pilar M; Gómez, Natalia; Muntasell, Aura; Cisneros, Elisa; Moraru, Manuela; Azaceta, Gemma; Anel, Alberto; Martínez-Lostao, Luis; Villalba, Martin; Palomera, Luis; Vilches, Carlos; García Marco, José A; Pardo, Julián

    2016-01-01

    Mutational status of TP53 together with expression of wild-type (wt) IGHV represents the most widely accepted biomarkers, establishing a very poor prognosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) patients. Adoptive cell therapy using allogeneic HLA-mismatched Natural killer (NK) cells has emerged as an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias that do not respond to traditional therapies. We have described that allogeneic activated NK cells eliminate hematological cancer cell lines with multidrug resistance acquired by mutations in the apoptotic machinery. This effect depends on the activation protocol, being B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) the most effective stimulus to activate NK cells. Here, we have further analyzed the molecular determinants involved in allogeneic NK cell recognition and elimination of B-CLL cells, including the expression of ligands of the main NK cell-activating receptors (NKG2D and NCRs) and HLA mismatch. We present preliminary data suggesting that B-CLL susceptibility significantly correlates with HLA mismatch between NK cell donor and B-CLL patient. Moreover, we show that the sensitivity of B-CLL cells to NK cells depends on the prognosis based on TP53 and IGHV mutational status. Cells from patients with worse prognosis (mutated TP53 and wt IGHV ) are the most susceptible to activated NK cells. Hence, B-CLL prognosis may predict the efficacy of allogenic activated NK cells, and, thus, NK cell transfer represents a good alternative to treat poor prognosis B-CLL patients who present a very short life expectancy due to lack of effective treatments.

  7. P38 delta MAPK promotes breast cancer progression and lung metastasis by enhancing cell proliferation and cell detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, M; Canals, D; Adada, M; Coant, N; Salama, M F; Helke, K L; Arthur, J S; Shroyer, K R; Kitatani, K; Obeid, L M; Hannun, Y A

    2017-11-23

    The protein p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) delta isoform (p38δ) is a poorly studied member of the MAPK family. Data analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that p38δ is highly expressed in all types of human breast cancers. Using a human breast cancer tissue array, we confirmed elevation in cancer tissue. The breast cancer mouse model, MMTV-PyMT (PyMT), developed breast tumors with lung metastasis; however, mice deleted in p38δ (PyMT/p38δ -/- ) exhibited delayed primary tumor formation and highly reduced lung metastatic burden. At the cellular level, we demonstrate that targeting of p38δ in breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 resulted in a reduced rate of cell proliferation. In addition, cells lacking p38δ also displayed an increased cell-matrix adhesion and reduced cell detachment. This effect on cell adhesion was molecularly supported by the regulation of the focal adhesion kinase by p38δ in the human breast cell lines. These studies define a previously unappreciated role for p38δ in breast cancer development and evolution by regulating tumor growth and altering metastatic properties. This study proposes MAPK p38δ protein as a key factor in breast cancer. Lack of p38δ resulted in reduced primary tumor size and blocked the metastatic potential to the lungs.

  8. Natural killer activity and suppressor cells in irradiated mice repopulated with a mixture of cells from normal and 89Sr-treated donors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levy, E.M.; Kumar, V.; Bennett, M.

    1981-01-01

    Mice that have been injected with 89 Sr have fairly normal B and T cell function, but are abnormal in that they lack natural killer (NK) activity and other functions that require an intact bone marrow. These mice also have an increased potential for suppressor cell activity. We had previously shown that spleen cells from 89 Sr-treated mice could transfer low NK activity and increased suppressor cell function to lethally irradiated syngeneic recipients. To investigate the mechanisms involved in perpetuating these defects, groups of normal spleen or bone marrow cells. Recipients were assayed for their NK activity and suppressor cell function 5 to 14 wk later. it was found that the addition of normal cells in the donor inoculum resulted in normal NK activity. This indicates that low NK activity in 89 Sr-treated mice was not due to the presence of a suppressor cell that prevented NK cell generation. It was additionally found that low NK activity in recipient mice could be boosted by interferon inducers. This would indicate that NK activity in the recipients was not due to a lack of interferon-sensitive pre-NK cells. Suppressor cell function in recipient mice depended on the type and number of normal cells in the donor inoculum. Bone marrow cells were very efficient in overcoming the tendency to produce suppressor cells. It took approximately 20 times more normal spleen cells to produce the same results. The implications of these findings are discussed

  9. Lack of consensus in social systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benczik, I. J.; Benczik, S. Z.; Schmittmann, B.; Zia, R. K. P.

    2008-05-01

    We propose an exactly solvable model for the dynamics of voters in a two-party system. The opinion formation process is modeled on a random network of agents. The dynamical nature of interpersonal relations is also reflected in the model, as the connections in the network evolve with the dynamics of the voters. In the infinite time limit, an exact solution predicts the emergence of consensus, for arbitrary initial conditions. However, before consensus is reached, two different metastable states can persist for exponentially long times. One state reflects a perfect balancing of opinions, the other reflects a completely static situation. An estimate of the associated lifetimes suggests that lack of consensus is typical for large systems.

  10. Update on Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harms, Paul W

    2017-09-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy. Merkel cell polyomavirus, a tumorigenic DNA virus, is present in most MCC tumors, with implications for tumor biology, diagnosis, and management. Merkel cell polyomavirus-negative tumors have a high burden of UV-signature mutations, similar to melanoma. The histopathologic diagnosis of MCC requires immunohistochemistry to exclude morphologically similar entities. Therapies for advanced disease are currently lacking. Here, the features of MCC are reviewed, including recent molecular discoveries with implications for improved therapy for advanced disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Lack of TAK1 in dendritic cells inhibits the contact hypersensitivity response induced by trichloroethylene in local lymph node assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Pan; Hongqian, Chu; Qinghe, Meng; Lanqin, Shang; Jianjun, Jiang; Xiaohua, Yang; Xuetao, Wei; Weidong, Hao

    2016-09-15

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Occupational TCE exposure has been associated with severe, generalized contact hypersensitivity (CHS) skin disorder. The development of CHS depends on innate and adaptive immune functions. Transforming growth factor-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) controls the survival of dendritic cells (DCs) that affect the immune system homeostasis. We aimed to investigate the role of TAK1 activity in DC on TCE-induced CHS response. Control mice and DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice were treated with 80% (v/v) TCE using local lymph node assay (LLNA) to establish a TCE-induced CHS model. The draining lymph nodes (DLNs) were excised and the lymphocytes were measure for proliferation by BrdU-ELISA, T-cell phenotype analysis by flow cytometry and signaling pathway activation by western blot. The ears were harvested for histopathological analysis. Control mice in the 80% TCE group displayed an inflammatory response in the ears, increased lymphocyte proliferation, elevated regulatory T-cell and activated T-cell percentages, and more IFN-γ producing CD8(+) T cells in DLNs. In contrast to control mice, DC-specific TAK1 deletion mice in the 80% TCE group showed an abolished CHS response and this was associated with defective T-cell expansion, activation and IFN-γ production. This effect may occur through Jnk and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, this study demonstrates a pivotal role of TAK1 in DCs in controlling TCE-induced CHS response and suggests that targeting TAK1 function in DCs may be a viable approach to preventing and treating TCE-related occupational health hazards. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Protection of Dentate Hilar Cells from Prolonged Stimulation by Intracellular Calcium Chelation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharfman, Helen E.; Schwartzkroin, Philip A.

    1989-10-01

    Prolonged afferent stimulation of the rat dentate gyrus in vivo leads to degeneration only of those cells that lack immunoreactivity for the calcium binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin. In order to test the hypothesis that calcium binding proteins protect against the effects of prolonged stimulation, intracellular recordings were made in hippocampal slices from cells that lack immunoreactivity for calcium binding proteins. Calcium binding protein--negative cells showed electrophysiological signs of deterioration during prolonged stimulation; cells containing calcium binding protein did not. When neurons without calcium binding proteins were impaled with microelectrodes containing the calcium chelator BAPTA, and BAPTA was allowed to diffuse into the cells, these cells showed no deterioration. These results indicate that, in a complex tissue of the central nervous system, an activity-induced increase in intracellular calcium can trigger processes leading to cell deterioration, and that increasing the calcium binding capacity of a cell decreases its vulnerability to damage.

  13. On the effect of certain mutations on the radiosensitivity of haploid and diploid yeast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sokurova, E.N.; Korogodin, V.I.

    1978-01-01

    Mutation ade 1-6 in haploid cell Saccharomyces cerevisiae increases half as much against radioresistance of cells. Diploid cells lacking in adenine, homozygous by ade 1-6 mutation, are nearly twice as radiosensitive as prototrophic cells. Hence ade 1-6 mutation increases radioresistance of haploid cells and decreases that of diplois. These changes in radioresistance are not connected with variations in the extrapolation number of survival curve, the ability of cells to recover from radiation damages upon cultivation in an innutrient medium, and with the inactivation form ratio. Lack of adenine influences the radioresistance of diploid yeast irrespective of whether it is or it is not affected by homo- or heterozygosity by the locus of mating type

  14. Reduced alcohol consumption in mice lacking preprodynorphin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blednov, Yuri A; Walker, Danielle; Martinez, Marni; Harris, R Adron

    2006-10-01

    Many studies suggest a role for endogenous opioid peptides and their receptors in regulation of ethanol intake. It is commonly accepted that the kappa-opioid receptors and their endogenous ligands, dynorphins, produce a dysphoric state and therefore may be responsible for avoidance of alcohol. We used mutant mice lacking preprodynorphin in a variety of behavioral tests of alcohol actions. Null mutant female, but not male, mice showed significantly lower preference for alcohol and consumed lower amounts of alcohol in a two-bottle choice test as compared with wild-type littermates. In the same test, knockout mice of both sexes showed a strong reduction of preference for saccharin compared to control mice. In contrast, under conditions of limited (4 h) access (light phase of the light/dark cycle), null mutant mice did not show any differences in consumption of saccharin, but they showed significantly reduced intake of sucrose. To determine the possible cause for reduction of ethanol preference and intake, we studied other ethanol-related behaviors in mice lacking the preprodynorphin gene. There were no differences between null mutant and wild-type mice in ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex, acute ethanol withdrawal, ethanol-induced conditioned place preference, or conditioned taste aversion to ethanol. These results indicate that deletion of preprodynorphin leads to substantial reduction of alcohol intake in female mice, and suggest that this is caused by decreased orosensory reward of alcohol (sweet taste and/or palatability).

  15. Law tightened to protect adults who lack capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-21

    VULNERABLE OLDER people will be better protected from abuse and poor care after new legislation came into force last month. Under the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, a care home or hospital wanting to deprive a person who lacks capacity of their liberty, for their own safety or wellbeing, must now apply for permission. A rigorous, standardised assessment and authorisation process must then be completed.

  16. Mice lacking caspase-2 are protected from behavioral changes, but not pathology, in the YAC128 model of Huntington disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bissada Nagat

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Huntington Disease (HD is a neurodegenerative disorder in which caspase activation and cleavage of substrates, including the huntingtin protein, has been invoked as a pathological mechanism. Specific changes in caspase-2 (casp2 activity have been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of HD, however unique casp2 cleavage substrates have remained elusive. We thus utilized mice completely lacking casp2 (casp2-/- to examine the role played by casp2 in the progression of HD. This 'substrate agnostic' approach allows us to query the effect of casp2 on HD progression without pre-defining proteolytic substrates of interest. Results YAC128 HD model mice lacking casp2 show protection from well-validated motor and cognitive features of HD, including performance on rotarod, swimming T-maze, pre-pulse inhibition, spontaneous alternation and locomotor tasks. However, the specific pathological features of the YAC128 mice including striatal volume loss and testicular degeneration are unaltered in mice lacking casp2. The application of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI techniques validates specific neuropathology in the YAC128 mice that is not altered by ablation of casp2. Conclusions The rescue of behavioral phenotypes in the absence of pathological improvement suggests that different pathways may be operative in the dysfunction of neural circuitry in HD leading to behavioral changes compared to the processes leading to cell death and volume loss. Inhibition of caspase-2 activity may be associated with symptomatic improvement in HD.

  17. Targeting regulatory T cells in cancer.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Byrne, William L

    2012-01-31

    Infiltration of tumors by regulatory T cells confers growth and metastatic advantages by inhibiting antitumor immunity and by production of receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) ligand, which may directly stimulate metastatic propagation of RANK-expressing cancer cells. Modulation of regulatory T cells can enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Strategies include depletion, interference with function, inhibition of tumoral migration, and exploitation of T-cell plasticity. Problems with these strategies include a lack of specificity, resulting in depletion of antitumor effector T cells or global interruption of regulatory T cells, which may predispose to autoimmune diseases. Emerging technologies, such as RNA interference and tetramer-based targeting, may have the potential to improve selectivity and efficacy.

  18. Characteristics of Adolescents Lacking Provider-Recommended Human Papillomavirus Vaccination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krakow, Melinda; Beavis, Anna; Cosides, Olivia; Rositch, Anne F

    2017-05-01

    To characterize subgroups of teens in the United States for whom provider recommendation is less likely to impact human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation. We analyzed provider-verified vaccination data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2014 National Immunization Survey-Teen. Poisson regression models identified characteristics associated with the lack of HPV vaccine initiation among teens who received a provider recommendation (n = 12,742). Top qualitative reasons for nonvaccination among teens who received a provider recommendation were summarized (n = 1,688). Among teens with provider recommendations, males, younger teens, and white teens were less likely to initiate vaccination, compared to peers. Believing the vaccine was unnecessary, concerns about safety and lack of vaccine knowledge were common reasons parents did not initiate the vaccine, despite receiving provider recommendations. These key subgroups and barriers to HPV vaccination should be targeted with interventions that complement provider recommendation to achieve broad vaccine uptake in the United States. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Lack of hormone binding in COS-7 cells expressing a mutated growth hormone receptor found in Laron dwarfism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edery, M; Rozakis-Adcock, M; Goujon, L; Finidori, J; Lévi-Meyrueis, C; Paly, J; Djiane, J; Postel-Vinay, M C; Kelly, P A

    1993-01-01

    A single point mutation in the growth hormone (GH) receptor gene generating a Phe-->Ser substitution in the extracellular binding domain of the receptor has been identified in one family with Laron type dwarfism. The mutation was introduced by site-directed mutagenesis into cDNAs encoding the full-length rabbit GH receptor and the extracellular domain or binding protein (BP) of the human and rabbit GH receptor, and also in cDNAs encoding the full length and the extracellular domain of the related rabbit prolactin (PRL) receptor. All constructs were transiently expressed in COS-7 cells. Both wild type and mutant full-length rabbit GH and PRL receptors, as well as GH and prolactin BPs (wild type and mutant), were detected by Western blot in cell membranes and concentrated culture media, respectively. Immunofluorescence studies showed that wild type and mutant full-length GH receptors had the same cell surface and intracellular distribution and were expressed with comparable intensities. In contrast, all mutant forms (full-length receptors or BPs), completely lost their modify the synthesis ligand. These results clearly demonstrate that this point mutation (patients with Laron syndrome) does not modify the synthesis or the intracellular pathway of receptor proteins, but rather abolishes ability of the receptor or BP to bind GH and is thus responsible for the extreme GH resistance in these patients. Images PMID:8450064

  20. Human glomerular epithelial cell proteoglycans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, G.J.; Jenner, L.; Mason, R.M.; Davies, M.

    1990-01-01

    Proteoglycans synthesized by cultures of human glomerular epithelial cells have been isolated and characterized. Three types of heparan sulfate were detected. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan I (HSPG-I; Kav 6B 0.04) was found in the cell layer and medium and accounted for 12% of the total proteoglycans synthesized. HSPG-II (Kav 6B 0.25) accounted for 18% of the proteoglycans and was located in the medium and cell layer. A third population (9% of the proteoglycan population), heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HS-GAG; Kav 6B 0.4-0.8), had properties consistent with single glycosaminoglycan chains or their fragments and was found only in the cell layer. HSPG-I and HSPG-II from the cell layer had hydrophobic properties; they were released from the cell layer by mild trypsin treatment. HS-GAG lacked these properties, consisted of low-molecular-mass heparan sulfate oligosaccharides, and were intracellular. HSPG-I and -II released to the medium lacked hydrophobic properties. The cells also produced three distinct types of chondroitin sulfates. The major species, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan I (CSPG-I) eluted in the excluded volume of a Sepharose CL-6B column, accounted for 30% of the proteoglycans detected, and was found in both the cell layer and medium. Cell layer CSPG-I bound to octyl-Sepharose. It was released from the cell layer by mild trypsin treatment. CSPG-II (Kav 6B 0.1-0.23) accounted for 10% of the total 35S-labeled macromolecules and was found predominantly in the culture medium. A small amount of CS-GAG (Kav 6B 0.25-0.6) is present in the cell extract and like HS-GAG is intracellular. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that HSPG-I and -II and CSPG-I and -II are lost from the cell layer either by direct release into the medium or by internalization where they are metabolized to single glycosaminoglycan chains and subsequently to inorganic sulfate

  1. Activated allogeneic NK cells preferentially kill poor prognosis B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Sanchez-Martinez

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Mutational status of TP53 together with expression of wild type (wt IGHV represents the most widely accepted biomarkers, establishing a very poor prognosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL patients. Adoptive cell therapy using allogeneic HLA mismatched Natural Killer (NK cells has emerged as an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias that do not respond to traditional therapies. We have described that allogeneic activated NK cells eliminate hematological cancer cell lines with multidrug resistance acquired by mutations in the apoptotic machinery. This effect depends on the activation protocol, being B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs the most effective stimulus to activate NK cells. Here we have further analyzed the molecular determinants involved in allogeneic NK cell recognition and elimination of B-CLL cells, including the expression of ligands of the main NK cell activating receptors (NKG2D and NCRs and HLA mismatch. We present preliminary data suggesting that B-CLL susceptibility significantly correlates with HLA mismatch between NK cell donor and B-CLL patient. Moreover, we show that the sensitivity of B-CLL cells to NK cells depends on the prognosis based on TP53 and IGHV mutational status. Cells from patients with worse prognosis (mutated TP53 and wt IGHV are the most susceptible to activated NK cells. Hence, B-CLL prognosis may predict the efficacy of allogenic activated NK cells and, thus, NK cell transfer represents a good alternative to treat poor prognosis B-CLL patients who present a very short life expectancy due to lack of effective treatments.□

  2. Development of a lack of appetite item bank for computer-adaptive testing (CAT)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thamsborg, Lise Laurberg Holst; Petersen, Morten Aa; Aaronson, Neil K

    2015-01-01

    to 12 lack of appetite items. CONCLUSIONS: Phases 1-3 resulted in 12 lack of appetite candidate items. Based on a field testing (phase 4), the psychometric characteristics of the items will be assessed and the final item bank will be generated. This CAT item bank is expected to provide precise...

  3. Genetic characterization of the inducible SOS-like system of Bacillus subtilis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Love, P.E.; Yasbin, R.E.

    1984-12-01

    The SOS-like system of Bacillus subtilis consists of several coordinately induced phenomena which are expressed after cellular insult such as DNA damage of inhibition of DNA replication. Mutagenesis of the bacterial chromosomes and the development of maintenance of competence also appear to be involved in the SOS-like response in this bacterium. The genetic characterization of the SOS-like system has involved an analysis of (i) the effects of various DNA repair mutations on the expression of inducible phenomena and (ii) the tsi-23 mutation, which renders host strains thermally inducible for each of the SOS-like functions. Bacterial filamentation was unaffected by any of the DNA repair mutations studied. In contrast, the induction of prophage after thermal or UV pretreatment was abolished in strains carrying the recE4, recA1, recB2, or recG13 mutation. The Weigle reactivation of UV-damaged bacteriophage was also inhibited by the recE4, recA1, recB2, or recG13 mutation, whereas levels of Weigle reactivation were lower in strains which carried the uvrA42, polA5, or rec-961 mutation than in the DNA repair-proficient strain. Strains which carried the recE4 mutation were incapable of chromosomal DNA-mediated transformation, and the frequency of this event was decreased in strains carrying recA1, recB2, or tsi-23 mutation. Plasmid DNA transformation efficiency was decreased only in strains carrying the tsi-23 mutation in addition to the recE4, recA1, or recB2 mutation. The results indicate that the SOS-like system of B. subtilis is regulated at different levels by two or more gene products. In this report, the current data regarding the genetic regulation of inducible phenomena are summarized, and a model is proposed to explain the mechanism of SOS-like induction in B. subtillis. 50 references, 3 figures, 6 tables.

  4. Inducible error-prone repair in B. subtilis. Progress report, September 1, 1981-April 30, 1985

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yasbin, R.E.

    1984-12-01

    The objective was to investigate and elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for (i) inducible DNA repair system(s) and for (ii) error-prone repair in the gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The SOS-like system of Bacillus subtilis consists of several coordinately induced phenomena (e.g., cellular filamentation, prophage induction, and Weigle reactivation of uv-damaged bacteriophage) which are expressed after cellular insult such as DNA damage or inhibition of DNA replication. Mutagenesis of the bacterial chromosome and the development or maintenance of competence also appear to be involved in the SOS-like response in this bacterium. The genetic characterization of the SOS-like system has involved an analysis of (i) the effects of various DNA repair mutations on the expression of inducible phenomena and (ii) the tsi-23 mutation, which renders host strains thermally inducible for each of the SOS-like functions. Bacterial filamentation was unaffected by any of the DNA repair mutations studied. In contrast, the induction of prophage after thermal or uv pretreatment was abolished in strains carrying the recE4, recA1, recB2, or recG13 mutation. Weigle reactivation was also inhibited by the recE4, recA1, recB2, or recG13 mutation, whereas levels of W-reactivation were lower in strains which carried the uvrA42, polA5, or rec-961 mutation than in the DNA repair-proficient strain. Strains which carried the recE4 allele were incapable of chromosomal DNA-mediated transformation, and the frequency of this event was decreased in strains carrying the recA1, recB2, or tsi-23 mutation. Plasmid DNA transformation efficiency was decreased only in strains carrying the tsi-23 mutation in addition to the recE4, recA1, recB2, mutation. The results indicate that the SOS-like or SOB system of B. subtilis is regulated at different levels by two or more gene products.

  5. Stem cell tourism and public education: the missing elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Master, Zubin; Robertson, Kelsey; Frederick, Daniel; Rachul, Christen; Caulfield, Timothy

    2014-09-04

    Stem cell tourism describes the Internet-based industry where in patients receive unproven stem cell interventions. To better inform the public, several organizations provide educational material on stem cell therapies and tourism; however, an assessment of the currently available resources reveals a lack of comprehensive information, suggesting that further efforts are needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Biometric Security for Cell Phones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Cell phones are already prime targets for theft. The increasing functionality of cell phones is making them even more attractive. With the increase of cell phone functionality including personal digital assistance, banking, e-commerce, remote work, internet access and entertainment, more and more confidential data is stored on these devices. What is protecting this confidential data stored on cell phones? Studies have shown that even though most of the cell phone users are aware of the PIN security feature more than 50% of them are not using it either because of the lack of confidence in it or because of the inconvenience. A large majority of those users believes that an alternative approach to security would be a good idea.

  7. Local cell metrics: a novel method for analysis of cell-cell interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Chien-Chiang

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The regulation of many cell functions is inherently linked to cell-cell contact interactions. However, effects of contact interactions among adherent cells can be difficult to detect with global summary statistics due to the localized nature and noise inherent to cell-cell interactions. The lack of informatics approaches specific for detecting cell-cell interactions is a limitation in the analysis of large sets of cell image data, including traditional and combinatorial or high-throughput studies. Here we introduce a novel histogram-based data analysis strategy, termed local cell metrics (LCMs, which addresses this shortcoming. Results The new LCM method is demonstrated via a study of contact inhibition of proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. We describe how LCMs can be used to quantify the local environment of cells and how LCMs are decomposed mathematically into metrics specific to each cell type in a culture, e.g., differently-labelled cells in fluorescence imaging. Using this approach, a quantitative, probabilistic description of the contact inhibition effects in MC3T3-E1 cultures has been achieved. We also show how LCMs are related to the naïve Bayes model. Namely, LCMs are Bayes class-conditional probability functions, suggesting their use for data mining and classification. Conclusion LCMs are successful in robust detection of cell contact inhibition in situations where conventional global statistics fail to do so. The noise due to the random features of cell behavior was suppressed significantly as a result of the focus on local distances, providing sensitive detection of cell-cell contact effects. The methodology can be extended to any quantifiable feature that can be obtained from imaging of cell cultures or tissue samples, including optical, fluorescent, and confocal microscopy. This approach may prove useful in interpreting culture and histological data in fields where cell-cell interactions play a critical

  8. Local cell metrics: a novel method for analysis of cell-cell interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Jing; Zapata, Pedro J; Chen, Chien-Chiang; Meredith, J Carson

    2009-10-23

    The regulation of many cell functions is inherently linked to cell-cell contact interactions. However, effects of contact interactions among adherent cells can be difficult to detect with global summary statistics due to the localized nature and noise inherent to cell-cell interactions. The lack of informatics approaches specific for detecting cell-cell interactions is a limitation in the analysis of large sets of cell image data, including traditional and combinatorial or high-throughput studies. Here we introduce a novel histogram-based data analysis strategy, termed local cell metrics (LCMs), which addresses this shortcoming. The new LCM method is demonstrated via a study of contact inhibition of proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. We describe how LCMs can be used to quantify the local environment of cells and how LCMs are decomposed mathematically into metrics specific to each cell type in a culture, e.g., differently-labelled cells in fluorescence imaging. Using this approach, a quantitative, probabilistic description of the contact inhibition effects in MC3T3-E1 cultures has been achieved. We also show how LCMs are related to the naïve Bayes model. Namely, LCMs are Bayes class-conditional probability functions, suggesting their use for data mining and classification. LCMs are successful in robust detection of cell contact inhibition in situations where conventional global statistics fail to do so. The noise due to the random features of cell behavior was suppressed significantly as a result of the focus on local distances, providing sensitive detection of cell-cell contact effects. The methodology can be extended to any quantifiable feature that can be obtained from imaging of cell cultures or tissue samples, including optical, fluorescent, and confocal microscopy. This approach may prove useful in interpreting culture and histological data in fields where cell-cell interactions play a critical role in determining cell fate, e.g., cancer, developmental

  9. [Lack of assertiveness in patients with eating disorders].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behar A, Rosa; Manzo G, Rodrigo; Casanova Z, Dunny

    2006-03-01

    Low self-assertion has been noted as an important feature among patients with eating disorders. To verify, in a female population, if assertiveness is related or has a predictive capacity for the development of eating disorders. An structured clinical interview, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) and the Rathus Assertiveness Scale (RAS) were administered to 62 patients that fulfilled the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for eating disorders and to 120 female students without eating problems. Patients with eating disorders ranked significantly higher on the EAT-40 and its factors (p assertiveness on the RAS (p Assertiveness measured by RAS and its factors was inversely related to EAT-40 and its items (r= -0.21). The predictive capability of the lack of self-assertion in the development of an eating disorder reached 53%, when patients with eating disorders and subjects at risk were considered together and compared to students without such disorder. Lack of assertiveness is a significant trait in patients with eating disorders; it may worsen its outcome and even perpetuate symptoms. Low self-assertion may be considered a predictive factor in the development of an eating disorder and must be managed from a preventive or therapeutic point of view.

  10. Self-recognition specificity expressed by T cells from nude mice. Absence of detectable Ia-restricted T cells in nude mice that do exhibit self-K/D-restricted T cell responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruisbeek, A.M.; Davis, M.L.; Matis, L.A.; Longo, D.L.

    1984-01-01

    The presence in athymic nude mice of precursor T cells with self-recognition specificity for either H-2 K/D or H-2 I region determinants was investigated. Chimeras were constructed of lethally irradiated parental mice receiving a mixture of F1 nude mouse (6-8 wk old) spleen and bone marrow cells. The donor inoculum was deliberately not subjected to any T cell depletion procedure, so that any potential major histocompatibility complex-committed precursor T cells were allowed to differentiate and expand in the normal parental recipients. 3 mo after reconstitution, the chimeras were immunized with several protein antigens in complete Freund's adjuvant in the footpads and their purified draining lymph node T cells tested 10 d later for ability to recognize antigen on antigen-presenting cells of either parental haplotype. Also, their spleen and lymph node cells were tested for ability to generate a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to trinitrophenyl (TNP)-modified stimulator cells of either parental haplotype. It was demonstrated that T cell proliferative responses of these F1(nude)----parent chimeras were restricted solely to recognizing parental host I region determinants as self and expressed the Ir gene phenotype of the host. In contrast, CTL responses could be generated (in the presence of interleukin 2) to TNP-modified stimulator cells of either parental haplotype. Thus these results indicate that nude mice which do have CTL with self-specificity for K/D region determinants lack proliferating T cells with self-specificity for I region determinants. These results provide evidence for the concepts that development of the I region-restricted T cell repertoire is strictly an intrathymically determined event and that young nude mice lack the unique thymic elements responsible for education of I region-restricted T cells

  11. Migrating glioma cells express stem cell markers and give rise to new tumors upon xenografting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munthe, Sune; Sørensen, Mia D; Thomassen, Mads

    2016-01-01

    Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and malignant brain tumor with an overall survival of only 14.6 months. Although these tumors are treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, recurrence is inevitable. A critical population of tumor cells in terms of therapy, the so-called cancer stem......-like phenotype is currently lacking. In the present study, the aim was to characterize the phenotype of migrating tumor cells using a novel migration assay based on serum-free stem cell medium and patient-derived spheroid cultures. The results showed pronounced migration of five different GBM spheroid cultures......-related genes and the HOX-gene list in migrating cells compared to spheroids. Determination of GBM molecular subtypes revealed that subtypes of spheroids and migrating cells were identical. In conclusion, migrating tumor cells preserve expression of stem cell markers and functional CSC characteristics. Since...

  12. Inflammatory Cell Distribution in Primary Merkel Cell Carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wheat, Rachel [School of Cancer Sciences and CR UK Centre for Cancer Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Roberts, Claudia [School of Cancer Sciences and CR UK Centre for Cancer Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, New Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2WB (United Kingdom); Waterboer, Tim [Infection and Cancer Program, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Centre), 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Steele, Jane [Human Biomaterials Resource Centre, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Marsden, Jerry [University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, New Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2WB (United Kingdom); Steven, Neil M., E-mail: n.m.steven@bham.ac.uk [School of Cancer Sciences and CR UK Centre for Cancer Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, New Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2WB (United Kingdom); Blackbourn, David J., E-mail: n.m.steven@bham.ac.uk [Department of Microbial and Cellular Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

    2014-05-06

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive poorly differentiated neuroendocrine cutaneous carcinoma associated with older age, immunodeficiency and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) integrated within malignant cells. The presence of intra-tumoural CD8+ lymphocytes reportedly predicts better MCC-specific survival. In this study, the distribution of inflammatory cells and properties of CD8+ T lymphocytes within 20 primary MCC specimens were characterised using immunohistochemistry and multicolour immunofluorescent staining coupled to confocal microscopy. CD8+ cells and CD68+ macrophages were identified in 19/20 primary MCC. CD20+ B cells were present in 5/10, CD4+ cells in 10/10 and FoxP3+ cells in 7/10 specimens. Only two specimens had almost no inflammatory cells. Within specimens, inflammatory cells followed the same patchy distribution, focused at the edge of sheets and nodules and, in some cases, more intense in trabecular areas. CD8+ cells were outside vessels on the edge of tumour. Those few within malignant sheets typically lined up in fine septa not contacting MCC cells expressing MCPyV large T antigen. The homeostatic chemokine CXCL12 was expressed outside malignant nodules whereas its receptor CXCR4 was identified within tumour but not on CD8+ cells. CD8+ cells lacked CXCR3 and granzyme B expression irrespective of location within stroma versus malignant nodules or of the intensity of the intra-tumoural infiltrate. In summary, diverse inflammatory cells were organised around the margin of malignant deposits suggesting response to aberrant signaling, but were unable to penetrate the tumour microenvironment itself to enable an immune response against malignant cells or their polyomavirus.

  13. Inflammatory Cell Distribution in Primary Merkel Cell Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wheat, Rachel; Roberts, Claudia; Waterboer, Tim; Steele, Jane; Marsden, Jerry; Steven, Neil M.; Blackbourn, David J.

    2014-01-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive poorly differentiated neuroendocrine cutaneous carcinoma associated with older age, immunodeficiency and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) integrated within malignant cells. The presence of intra-tumoural CD8+ lymphocytes reportedly predicts better MCC-specific survival. In this study, the distribution of inflammatory cells and properties of CD8+ T lymphocytes within 20 primary MCC specimens were characterised using immunohistochemistry and multicolour immunofluorescent staining coupled to confocal microscopy. CD8+ cells and CD68+ macrophages were identified in 19/20 primary MCC. CD20+ B cells were present in 5/10, CD4+ cells in 10/10 and FoxP3+ cells in 7/10 specimens. Only two specimens had almost no inflammatory cells. Within specimens, inflammatory cells followed the same patchy distribution, focused at the edge of sheets and nodules and, in some cases, more intense in trabecular areas. CD8+ cells were outside vessels on the edge of tumour. Those few within malignant sheets typically lined up in fine septa not contacting MCC cells expressing MCPyV large T antigen. The homeostatic chemokine CXCL12 was expressed outside malignant nodules whereas its receptor CXCR4 was identified within tumour but not on CD8+ cells. CD8+ cells lacked CXCR3 and granzyme B expression irrespective of location within stroma versus malignant nodules or of the intensity of the intra-tumoural infiltrate. In summary, diverse inflammatory cells were organised around the margin of malignant deposits suggesting response to aberrant signaling, but were unable to penetrate the tumour microenvironment itself to enable an immune response against malignant cells or their polyomavirus

  14. Lack of diversity in behavioral healthcare leadership reflected in services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Linda

    2008-04-01

    America's rapidly changing demographics present an enormous challenge for today's healthcare leaders to redesign the organization and delivery of care to accommodate people who now represent every language, culture and religious belief in the world. So will mental health and addictions services in this country be ready to address the unique needs of these multicultural patients? A survey of the present landscape in 2008 tells us that we have a long, long way to go. Not only are mental health and addictions fields lacking in cultural competency, but there is little diversity in our leadership ranks. Top administrators and executives in behavioral health today are overwhelmingly non-Hispanic whites. This lack of cultural diversity among our leaders will lead to an ever-widening gap in the current chasm of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.

  15. Competency to stand trial and defendants who lack insight into their mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reisner, Andrew D; Piel, Jennifer; Makey, Miller

    2013-01-01

    Forensic evaluators often assess patients who lack insight into their mental illnesses. This lack of insight can have a significant impact on the defendant's ability to make legal strategy decisions that rely on their acceptance of their mental illness. In this article, the relationship between refusing an insanity plea and competency to stand trial will be explored in the context of defendants who lack insight into their mental illness. The authors argue that an adequate competency assessment should take into account the defendant's ability to consider his available pleas rationally. Such evaluations may have the effect of negating the necessity of a Frendak inquiry in those jurisdictions that can impose the insanity defense on defendants.

  16. Using cell phones to improve language skills: the Hadeda project

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Butgereit, L

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available is required for tertiary education. Unfortunately, cell phones are often blamed for the degradation of language skills. There have been many studies blaming cell phone usage and instant messaging as being responsible for the lack of language skills of children...

  17. Generation of mature T cells from human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in artificial thymic organoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seet, Christopher S; He, Chongbin; Bethune, Michael T; Li, Suwen; Chick, Brent; Gschweng, Eric H; Zhu, Yuhua; Kim, Kenneth; Kohn, Donald B; Baltimore, David; Crooks, Gay M; Montel-Hagen, Amélie

    2017-05-01

    Studies of human T cell development require robust model systems that recapitulate the full span of thymopoiesis, from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) through to mature T cells. Existing in vitro models induce T cell commitment from human HSPCs; however, differentiation into mature CD3 + TCR-αβ + single-positive CD8 + or CD4 + cells is limited. We describe here a serum-free, artificial thymic organoid (ATO) system that supports efficient and reproducible in vitro differentiation and positive selection of conventional human T cells from all sources of HSPCs. ATO-derived T cells exhibited mature naive phenotypes, a diverse T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and TCR-dependent function. ATOs initiated with TCR-engineered HSPCs produced T cells with antigen-specific cytotoxicity and near-complete lack of endogenous TCR Vβ expression, consistent with allelic exclusion of Vβ-encoding loci. ATOs provide a robust tool for studying human T cell differentiation and for the future development of stem-cell-based engineered T cell therapies.

  18. Return voltage: reproductibility of lack in isolated plastics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frutos, F.; Acedo, M.; Jimenez, A.; Perez, J.A.

    1998-01-01

    Return voltage measures from plane-plane and point-plane experimental test objects of polyethylene are presented. Even though a lack of reproducibility is observed, all the experimental voltage curves can be modellized as the sum of two exponential functions: a first one with a long time period and a second one with a quite shorter time parameter. This analytical behaviour could be theoretically explained by considering an exponential dielectric function response. (Author) 7 refs

  19. Lack of pre-antiretroviral care and competition from traditional ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lack of family support tripled the risk of initiating ART very late (AOR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6-6.6). Conclusion: Policy makers should prevent ARV stock-outs though effective ARV procurement and supply chain management. New HIV clients should seek pre-ARV care for routine monitoring and determination of ART eligibility.

  20. Ionizing radiation-induced cell death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szumiel, I.

    1994-01-01

    Selected aspects of radiation-induced cell death, connected with signal transduction pathways are reviewed. Cell death is defined as insufficiency of the cellular signal transducing system to maintain the cell's physiological functions. The insufficiency may be due to impaired signal reception and/or transduction, lack or erroneous transcription activation, and eventual cellular ''misexpression'' of the signal. The molecular basis of this insufficiency would be damage to genomic (but also other cellular) structures and closing of specific signalling pathways or opening of others (like those leading to apoptosis). I describe experimental data that suggest an important role of RAS/NFI and p53/p105 Rb proteins in cell cycle control-coupled responses to DNA damage. (Author)

  1. PRMT5 is essential for the maintenance of chondrogenic progenitor cells in the limb bud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norrie, Jacqueline L; Li, Qiang; Co, Swanie; Huang, Bau-Lin; Ding, Ding; Uy, Jann C; Ji, Zhicheng; Mackem, Susan; Bedford, Mark T; Galli, Antonella; Ji, Hongkai; Vokes, Steven A

    2016-12-15

    During embryonic development, undifferentiated progenitor cells balance the generation of additional progenitor cells with differentiation. Within the developing limb, cartilage cells differentiate from mesodermal progenitors in an ordered process that results in the specification of the correct number of appropriately sized skeletal elements. The internal pathways by which these cells maintain an undifferentiated state while preserving their capacity to differentiate is unknown. Here, we report that the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 has a crucial role in maintaining progenitor cells. Mouse embryonic buds lacking PRMT5 have severely truncated bones with wispy digits lacking joints. This novel phenotype is caused by widespread cell death that includes mesodermal progenitor cells that have begun to precociously differentiate into cartilage cells. We propose that PRMT5 maintains progenitor cells through its regulation of Bmp4 Intriguingly, adult and embryonic stem cells also require PRMT5 for maintaining pluripotency, suggesting that similar mechanisms might regulate lineage-restricted progenitor cells during organogenesis. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  2. Cell shape regulates global histone acetylation in human mammaryepithelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Le Beyec, Johanne; Xu, Ren; Lee, Sun-Young; Nelson, Celeste M.; Rizki, Aylin; Alcaraz, Jordi; Bissell, Mina J.

    2007-02-28

    Extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cell morphology and gene expression in vivo; these relationships are maintained in three-dimensional (3D) cultures of mammary epithelial cells. In the presence of laminin-rich ECM (lrECM), mammary epithelial cells round up and undergo global histone deacetylation, a process critical for their functional differentiation. However, it remains unclear whether lrECM-dependent cell rounding and global histone deacetylation are indeed part of a common physical-biochemical pathway. Using 3D cultures as well as nonadhesive and micropatterned substrata, here we showed that the cell 'rounding' caused by lrECM was sufficient to induce deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 in the absence of biochemical cues. Microarray and confocal analysis demonstrated that this deacetylation in 3D culture is associated with a global increase in chromatin condensation and a reduction in gene expression. Whereas cells cultured on plastic substrata formed prominent stress fibers, cells grown in 3D lrECM or on micropatterns lacked these structures. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton with cytochalasin D phenocopied the lrECM-induced cell rounding and histone deacetylation. These results reveal a novel link between ECM-controlled cell shape and chromatin structure, and suggest that this link is mediated by changes in the actin cytoskeleton.

  3. The Role of Blood Transfusion in the Management of Sickle Cell ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    , in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). There is general lack of appreciation by clinicians, of the sub-optimal or frankly harmful effects, of inappropriate transfusion in SCD. This article discusses the relevant pathophysiology of sickle cell ...

  4. Lack of genetic polymorphism among peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus of Fiji

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talbot, Sandra; Palmer, Angela G.; Sage, George K.; Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Swem, Ted; Brimm, Daniel J.; White, Clayton M

    2014-01-01

    We compared levels of genetic diversity and isolation among peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus from two South Pacific island complexes (Fiji and Vanuatu: F. p. nesiotes), relative to other island and mainland populations. Fragment data from 12 microsatellite loci and sequence information from the control region of the mitochondrial DNA indicated levels of genetic variation in the South Pacific populations were lower than other island and mainland populations. Indeed, diversity varied from extremely low (Vanuatu) to completely absent (Fiji). We find little support for a hypothesis that populations on Fiji or Vanuatu were colonized via Australia. The complete lack of polymorphism in peregrine falcons of Fiji is remarkable, and to our knowledge has not been observed in a natural avian population. This lack of polymorphism, and the inability to test for decrease in polymorphism using museum samples, precludes testing whether the lack of genetic diversity in the population on Fiji is due to a recent bottleneck, or sustained isolation over evolutionary time. Increased fertility in eggs of Fiji peregrines upon outbreeding with males from other areas is consistent with inbreeding depression within a population typified by heterozygote deficiency.

  5. NYVAC vector modified by C7L viral gene insertion improves T cell immune responses and effectiveness against leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Sampedro, L; Mejías-Pérez, E; S Sorzano, Carlos Óscar; Nájera, J L; Esteban, M

    2016-07-15

    The NYVAC poxvirus vector is used as vaccine candidate for HIV and other diseases, although there is only limited experimental information on its immunogenicity and effectiveness for use against human pathogens. Here we defined the selective advantage of NYVAC vectors in a mouse model by comparing the immune responses and protection induced by vectors that express the LACK (Leishmania-activated C-kinase antigen), alone or with insertion of the viral host range gene C7L that allows the virus to replicate in human cells. Using DNA prime/virus boost protocols, we show that replication-competent NYVAC-LACK that expresses C7L (NYVAC-LACK-C7L) induced higher-magnitude polyfunctional CD8(+) and CD4(+) primary adaptive and effector memory T cell responses (IFNγ, TNFα, IL-2, CD107a) to LACK antigen than non-replicating NYVAC-LACK. Compared to NYVAC-LACK, the NYVAC-LACK-C7L-induced CD8(+) T cell population also showed higher proliferation when stimulated with LACK antigen. After a challenge by subcutaneous Leishmania major metacyclic promastigotes, NYVAC-LACK-C7L-vaccinated mouse groups showed greater protection than the NYVAC-LACK-vaccinated group. Our results indicate that the type and potency of immune responses induced by LACK-expressing NYVAC vectors is improved by insertion of the C7L gene, and that a replication-competent vector as a vaccine renders greater protection against a human pathogen than a non-replicating vector. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Apoptosis-Inducing-Factor-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Is Required for T Cell but Not B Cell Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milasta, Sandra; Dillon, Christopher P; Sturm, Oliver E; Verbist, Katherine C; Brewer, Taylor L; Quarato, Giovanni; Brown, Scott A; Frase, Sharon; Janke, Laura J; Perry, S Scott; Thomas, Paul G; Green, Douglas R

    2016-01-19

    The role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in promoting cell death versus survival remains controversial. We report that the loss of AIF in fibroblasts led to mitochondrial electron transport chain defects and loss of proliferation that could be restored by ectopic expression of the yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Aif-deficiency in T cells led to decreased peripheral T cell numbers and defective homeostatic proliferation, but thymic T cell development was unaffected. In contrast, Aif-deficient B cells developed and functioned normally. The difference in the dependency of T cells versus B cells on AIF for function and survival correlated with their metabolic requirements. Ectopic Ndi1 expression rescued homeostatic proliferation of Aif-deficient T cells. Despite its reported roles in cell death, fibroblasts, thymocytes and B cells lacking AIF underwent normal death. These studies suggest that the primary role of AIF relates to complex I function, with differential effects on T and B cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Burkholderia type VI secretion systems have distinct roles in eukaryotic and bacterial cell interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwarz, Sandra; West, T Eoin; Boyer, Frédéric

    2010-01-01

    . From a group of 31 diverse bacteria, we identified several organisms that competed less effectively against wild-type B. thai than a strain lacking T6SS-1 function. Inactivation of T6SS-1 renders B. thai greatly more susceptible to cell contact-induced stasis by Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas...... fluorescens and Serratia proteamaculans-leaving it 100- to 1000-fold less fit than the wild-type in competition experiments with these organisms. Flow cell biofilm assays showed that T6S-dependent interbacterial interactions are likely relevant in the environment. B. thai cells lacking T6SS-1 were rapidly...

  8. Lack of association between STAT4 gene polymorphism and biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palomino-Morales, Rogelio; Vazquez-Rodriguez, Tomas R; Morado, Inmaculada C; Castañeda, Santos; Ortego-Centeno, Norberto; Miranda-Filloy, Jose A; Lamas, Jose R; Martin, Javier; Gonzalez-Gay, Miguel A

    2009-05-01

    To investigate the potential implication of the STAT4 gene polymorphism rs7574865 in the predisposition to or the clinical expression of giant cell arteritis (GCA). A total of 212 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA were studied. DNA from patients and controls matched by age, sex, and ethnicity was obtained from peripheral blood. Samples were genotyped for STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism. No statistically significant differences in the allele frequencies for the STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism were observed between patients and controls. Although we observed an increased frequency of the T/T genotype in GCA patients (6.0%) compared to healthy controls (3.9%), this difference did not achieve statistical significance (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.72-3.41). No statistically significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies were observed when patients were stratified according to the presence of typical disease features such as polymyalgia rheumatica, severe ischemic manifestations, and visual ischemic complications in the setting of this vasculitis. Our results do not support a major role of the STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism in susceptibility to or clinical manifestations of GCA.

  9. Murine scid cells complement ataxia-telangiectasia cells and show a normal port-irradiation response of DNA synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komatsu, K.; Yoshida, M.; Okumura, Y.

    1993-01-01

    The murine severe combined immunodeficient mutation (scid) is characterized by a lack of both B and T cells, due to a deficit in lymphoid variable-(diversity)-joining (V(D)J) rearrangement. Scid cells are highly sensitive to both radiation-induced killing and chromosomal aberrations. Significantly reduced D 0 and n values were demonstrated in scid cells and were similar to ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) cells (a unique human disease conferring whole body radiosensitivity). However, the kinetics of DNA synthesis after irradiation were different between the two cell types. In contrast with the radioresistant DNA synthesis of AT cells, DNA synthesis of scid cells was markedly inhibited after irradiation. The existence of different mutations was also supported by evidence of complementation in somatic cell hybrids between scid cells and AT cells. Results indicate that the radiobiological character of scid is similar to AT but is presumably caused by different mechanisms. (author)

  10. Differentiation and molecular profiling of human embryonic stem cell-derived corneal epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzeszczynska, J; Samuel, K; Greenhough, S; Ramaesh, K; Dhillon, B; Hay, D C; Ross, J A

    2014-06-01

    It has been suggested that the isolation of scalable populations of limbal stem cells may lead to radical changes in ocular therapy. In particular, the derivation and transplantation of corneal stem cells from these populations may result in therapies providing clinical normality of the diseased or damaged cornea. Although feasible in theory, the lack of donor material in sufficient quantity and quality currently limits such a strategy. A potential scalable source of corneal cells could be derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). We developed an in vitro and serum-free corneal differentiation model which displays significant promise. Our stepwise differentiation model was designed with reference to development and gave rise to cells which displayed similarities to epithelial progenitor cells which can be specified to cells displaying a corneal epithelial phenotype. We believe our approach is novel, provides a robust model of human development and in the future, may facilitate the generation of corneal epithelial cells that are suitable for clinical use. Additionally, we demonstrate that following continued cell culture, stem cell-derived corneal epithelial cells undergo transdifferentiation and exhibit squamous metaplasia and therefore, also offer an in vitro model of disease.

  11. Lack of Neuronal IFN-β-IFNAR Causes Lewy Body- and Parkinson's Disease-like Dementia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ejlerskov, Patrick; Hultberg, Jeanette Göransdotter; Wang, JunYang

    2015-01-01

    -causing mutant proteins. Mice lacking Ifnb function exhibited motor and cognitive learning impairments with accompanying α-synuclein-containing Lewy bodies in the brain, as well as a reduction in dopaminergic neurons and defective dopamine signaling in the nigrostriatal region. Lack of IFN-β signaling caused...

  12. Toward Development of Pluripotent Porcine Stem Cells by Road Mapping Early Embryonic Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petkov, Stoyan; Freude, Kristine; Mashayekhi-Nezamabadi, Kaveh

    2017-01-01

    The lack in production of bona fide porcine pluripotent stem cells has definitely been hampered by a lack of research into porcine embryo development. Embryonic development in mammals is the extraordinary transition of a single-celled fertilized zygote into a complex fetus, which occurs...... in the uterus of the maternal adult during the early stages of gestation. Biomedical pig models could serve as genetic backgrounds for establishment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or other pluripotent stem cells (such as iPSC), which may be used to model and study diseases in vitro. This chapter provides...... insight into the current knowledge of pluripotent states in the developing pig embryo and the current status in establishment of bona fide porcine ESC (pESC) and piPSCs. It reflects the potential causes underlying the difficulty in establishing pluripotent stem cells and reviews recent data on global...

  13. A novel splice variant of supervillin, SV5, promotes carcinoma cell proliferation and cell migration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Xueran; Yang, Haoran; Zhang, Shangrong; Wang, Zhen; Ye, Fang; Liang, Chaozhao; Wang, Hongzhi; Fang, Zhiyou

    2017-01-01

    Supervillin is an actin-associated protein that regulates actin dynamics by interacting with Myosin II, F-actin, and Cortactin to promote cell contractility and cell motility. Two splicing variants of human Supervillin (SV1 and SV4) have been reported in non-muscle cells; SV1 lacks 3 exons present in the larger isoform SV4. SV2, also called archvillin, is present in striated muscle; SV3, also called smooth muscle archvillin or SmAV, was cloned from smooth muscle. In the present study, we identify a novel splicing variant of Supervillin (SV5). SV5 contains a new splicing pattern. In the mouse tissues and cell lines examined, SV5 was predominantly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles and in proliferating cells, but was virtually undetectable in most normal tissues. Using RNAi and rescue experiments, we show here that SV5 displays altered functional properties in cancer cells, and regulates cell proliferation and cell migration.

  14. Migration of Cells in a Social Context

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vedel, Søren; Tay, Savas; Johnston, Darius M.

    2013-01-01

    In multicellular organisms and complex ecosystems, cells migrate in a social context. While this is essential for the basic processes of life such as embryonic development, wound healing and unregulated migration furthermore is implicated in diseases such as cancer, the influence of neighboring...... cells on the individual remains poorly understood. Previous work on isolated cells has revealed a stereotypical migratory behavior, however many aspects of the migration characteristics of cells in populations remained unknown exactly because of this lack of characterization of neighbour-cell influence....... We quantified1 the migration of thousands of individual cells in their population context using time-lapse microscopy, microfluidic cell culture and automated image analysis, and discovered a much richer dynamics in the social context, with significant variations in directionality, displacement...

  15. Lack of induction of tissue transglutaminase but activation of the preexisting enzyme in c-Myc-induced apoptosis of CHO cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balajthy, Z; Kedei, N; Nagy, L; Davies, P J; Fésüs, L

    1997-07-18

    The intracellular activity and expression of tissue transglutaminase, which crosslinks proteins through epsilon(gamma-glutamyl)lysine isodipeptide bond, was investigated in CHO cells and those stably transfected with either inducible c-Myc (which leads to apoptosis) or with c-myc and the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2. Protein-bound cross-link content was significantly higher when apoptosis was induced by c-Myc while the concomitant presence of Bcl-2 markedly reduced both apoptosis and enzymatic protein cross-linking. The expression of tissue transglutaminase did not change following the initiation of apoptosis by c-Myc or when it was blocked by Bcl-2. Studying transiently co-transfected elements of the mouse tissue transglutaminase promoter linked to a reporter enzyme revealed their overall repression in cells expressing c-Myc. This repression was partially suspended in cells also carrying Bcl-2. Our data suggest that tissue transglutaminase is not induced when c-Myc initiates apoptosis but the pre-existing endogenous enzyme is activated.

  16. The balance between proliferation and transcription of angiogenic factors of mesenchymal stem cells in hypoxia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buizer, Arina T; Bulstra, Sjoerd K.; Veldhuizen, Albert G.; Kuijer, Roelof

    Bridging large bone defects with mesenchymal stromal cells-seeded scaffolds remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery, due to the lack of vascularization. Within such a cell-scaffold construct, cells are exposed to ischemic conditions. When human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) encounter hypoxic

  17. Breaking down pluripotency in the porcine embryo reveals both a premature and reticent stem cell state in the inner cell mass and unique expression profiles of the naive and primed stem cell states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Vanessa Jane; Hyttel, Poul

    2014-09-01

    To date, it has been difficult to establish bona fide porcine embryonic stem cells (pESC) and stable induced pluripotent stem cells. Reasons for this remain unclear, but they may depend on inappropriate culture conditions. This study reports the most insights to date on genes expressed in the pluripotent cells of the porcine embryo, namely the inner cell mass (ICM), the trophectoderm-covered epiblast (EPI), and the embryonic disc epiblast (ED). Specifically, we reveal that the early porcine ICM represents a premature state of pluripotency due to lack of translation of key pluripotent proteins, and the late ICM enters a transient, reticent pluripotent state which lacks expression of most genes associated with pluripotency. We describe a unique expression profile of the porcine EPI, reflecting the naive stem cell state, including expression of OCT4, NANOG, CRIPTO, and SSEA-1; weak expression of NrOB1 and REX1; but very limited expression of genes in classical pathways involved in regulating pluripotency. The porcine ED, reflecting the primed stem cell state, can be characterized by the expression of OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, KLF4, cMYC, REX1, CRIPTO, and KLF2. Further cell culture experiments using inhibitors against FGF, JAK/STAT, BMP, WNT, and NODAL pathways on cell cultures derived from day 5 and 10 embryos reveal the importance of FGF, JAK/STAT, and BMP signaling in maintaining cell proliferation of pESCs in vitro. Together, this article provides new insights into the regulation of pluripotency, revealing unique stem cell states in the different porcine stem cell populations derived from the early developing embryo.

  18. 'It means everyone should know their status': exploring lay conceptions of sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening among African Americans within middle reproductive age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayo-Gamble, Tilicia L; Barnes, Priscilla A; Cunningham Erves, Jennifer; Middlestadt, Susan E; Lin, Hsien-Chang

    2017-02-21

    This study examined the meaning of sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening from the lay perspective of African Americans. African Americans (N = 300), ages 18-35 and unaware of their sickle cell trait status, completed two open-ended questions from a larger survey. One question asked for their understanding of sickle cell trait; the other asked for their understanding of sickle cell trait screening. Content analysis occurred in two phases: (1) In vivo and holistic coding; and (2) focused coding. Four categories emerged illustrating lay conceptions of sickle cell trait; (1) Perceived as an illness; (2) Perceived recognition of the inheritance pattern of sickle cell trait; (3) Perceived lack of knowledge of sickle cell trait; and (4) Perceived importance of sickle cell trait. Five categories emerged illustrating lay conceptions for sickle cell trait screening: (1) Perceived recognition that screening means getting tested for sickle cell trait; (2) Perceived lack of knowledge of sickle cell trait screening; (3) Perceived health benefit of sickle cell trait screening; (4) Perceived importance of sickle cell trait screening; and (5) Perceived barriers to sickle cell trait screening. Sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening are concepts that are both regarded as important among this high-risk population. However, there is still misunderstanding concerning the hereditary nature and reproductive implications of sickle cell trait. Interventions seeking to improve communication on the need for sickle cell trait screening should begin by identifying what the population at large understands, knows and/or believes to improve their ability to make informed health decisions.

  19. Neuronal IFN-beta-induced PI3K/Akt-FoxA1 signalling is essential for generation of FoxA1(+)Treg cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Yawei; Marin, Andrea; Ejlerskov, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Neurons reprogramme encephalitogenic T cells (Tenc) to regulatory T cells (Tregs), either FoxP3(+)Tregs or FoxA1(+)Tregs. We reported previously that neuronal ability to generate FoxA1(+)Tregs was central to preventing neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Mice...... lacking interferon (IFN)-β were defective in generating FoxA1(+)Tregs in the brain. Here we show that lack of neuronal IFNβ signalling is associated with the absence of programme death ligand-1 (PDL1), which prevents their ability to reprogramme Tenc cells to FoxA1(+)Tregs. Passive transfer-EAE via IFNβ......-competent Tenc cells to mice lacking IFNβ and active induced-EAE in mice lacking its receptor, IFNAR, in the brain (Nes(Cre):Ifnar(fl/fl)) result in defective FoxA1(+)Tregs generation and aggravated neuroinflammation. IFNβ activates neuronal PI3K/Akt signalling and Akt binds to transcription factor FoxA1...

  20. Special Relativity in Week One: 4) Lack of Simultaneity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huggins, Elisha

    2011-01-01

    This is our final article on teaching special relativity in the first week of an introductory physics course. One of the profound changes in our view of the world was Einstein's discovery of the lack of simultaneity. He illustrated this result with a thought experiment in which we observe a railroad car passing by us. We see the two ends of the…

  1. Normal autophagic activity in macrophages from mice lacking Gαi3, AGS3, or RGS19.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Vural

    Full Text Available In macrophages autophagy assists antigen presentation, affects cytokine release, and promotes intracellular pathogen elimination. In some cells autophagy is modulated by a signaling pathway that employs Gαi3, Activator of G-protein Signaling-3 (AGS3/GPSM1, and Regulator of G-protein Signaling 19 (RGS19. As macrophages express each of these proteins, we tested their importance in regulating macrophage autophagy. We assessed LC3 processing and the formation of LC3 puncta in bone marrow derived macrophages prepared from wild type, Gnai3(-/-, Gpsm1(-/-, or Rgs19(-/- mice following amino acid starvation or Nigericin treatment. In addition, we evaluated rapamycin-induced autophagic proteolysis rates by long-lived protein degradation assays and anti-autophagic action after rapamycin induction in wild type, Gnai3(-/-, and Gpsm1(-/- macrophages. In similar assays we compared macrophages treated or not with pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of GPCR (G-protein couple receptor triggered Gαi nucleotide exchange. Despite previous findings, the level of basal autophagy, autophagic induction, autophagic flux, autophagic degradation and the anti-autophagic action in macrophages that lacked Gαi3, AGS3, or RGS19; or had been treated with pertussis toxin, were similar to controls. These results indicate that while Gαi signaling may impact autophagy in some cell types it does not in macrophages.

  2. Cell Cycle Control by PTEN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandmaier, Andrew; Hou, Sheng-Qi; Shen, Wen H

    2017-07-21

    Continuous and error-free chromosome inheritance through the cell cycle is essential for genomic stability and tumor suppression. However, accumulation of aberrant genetic materials often causes the cell cycle to go awry, leading to malignant transformation. In response to genotoxic stress, cells employ diverse adaptive mechanisms to halt or exit the cell cycle temporarily or permanently. The intrinsic machinery of cycling, resting, and exiting shapes the cellular response to extrinsic stimuli, whereas prevalent disruption of the cell cycle machinery in tumor cells often confers resistance to anticancer therapy. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor and a guardian of the genome that is frequently mutated or deleted in human cancer. Moreover, it is increasingly evident that PTEN deficiency disrupts the fundamental processes of genetic transmission. Cells lacking PTEN exhibit cell cycle deregulation and cell fate reprogramming. Here, we review the role of PTEN in regulating the key processes in and out of cell cycle to optimize genomic integrity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Requirement for CD40 ligand, CD4(+) T cells, and B cells in an infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brooks, J W; Hamilton-Easton, A M; Christensen, J P

    1999-01-01

    (+) CD8(+) population that is found in mice with different major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes. Aspects of the CD8(+)-T-cell response are substantially modified in mice that lack B cells, CD4(+) T cells, or the CD40 ligand (CD40L). The B-cell-deficient mice show no increase in Vbeta4(+) CD8......(+) T cells. Similar abrogation of the Vbeta4(+) CD8(+) response is seen following antibody-mediated depletion of the CD4(+) subset, through the numbers of CD8(+) CD62L(lo) cells are still significantly elevated. Virus-specific CD4(+)-T-cell frequencies are minimal in the CD40L(-/-) mice, and the Vbeta4......(+) CD8(+) population remains unexpanded. Apparently B-cell-CD4(+)-T-cell interactions play a part in the gammaHV-68 induction of both splenomegaly and non-MHC-restricted Vbeta4(+) CD8(+)-T-cell expansion....

  4. The myeloma stem cell concept, revisited: From phenomenology to operational terms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H.E. Johnsen (Hans); M. Bøgsted (Martin); A. Schmitz; Bødker, J.S. (Julie Støve); El-Galaly, T.C. (Tarec Christoffer); Johansen, P. (Preben); P. Valent (Peter); Zojer, N. (Niklas); E. van Valckenborgh (Els); Vanderkerken, K. (Karin); M. van Duin (Mark); P. Sonneveld (Pieter); M. Perez-Andres; A. Orfao (Alberto); K. Dybkær (Karen)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractThe concept of the myeloma stem cell may have important therapeutic implications, yet its demonstration has been hampered by a lack of consistency in terms and definitions. Here, we summarize the current documentation and propose single-cell in vitro studies for future translational

  5. Adherence of Staphylococci to plastic, mesothelial cells and mesothelial extracellular matrix

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Betjes, M. G.; Tuk, C. W.; Struijk, D. G.; Krediet, R. T.; Arisz, L.; Beelen, R. H.

    1992-01-01

    In this study we have investigated whether mesothelial cells (MC) and mesothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) are suitable substrates for the adherence of Staphylococci. Mesothelial cells were isolated from the peritoneal dialysis effluent by making use of their lack of Fc-receptors and capacity to

  6. Heat shock transcription factors regulate heat induced cell death in a ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2007-03-29

    Mar 29, 2007 ... Heat shock transcription factors regulate heat induced cell death in a rat ... the synthesis of heat shock proteins (Hsps) which is strictly regulated by ... The lack of Hsp synthesis in these cells was due to a failure in HSF1 DNA ...

  7. A quantitative system for discriminating induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells and somatic cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anyou Wang

    Full Text Available Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs derived from somatic cells (SCs and embryonic stem cells (ESCs provide promising resources for regenerative medicine and medical research, leading to a daily identification of new cell lines. However, an efficient system to discriminate the different types of cell lines is lacking. Here, we develop a quantitative system to discriminate the three cell types, iPSCs, ESCs, and SCs. The system consists of DNA-methylation biomarkers and mathematical models, including an artificial neural network and support vector machines. All biomarkers were unbiasedly selected by calculating an eigengene score derived from analysis of genome-wide DNA methylations. With 30 biomarkers, or even with as few as 3 top biomarkers, this system can discriminate SCs from pluripotent cells (PCs, including ESCs and iPSCs with almost 100% accuracy. With approximately 100 biomarkers, the system can distinguish ESCs from iPSCs with an accuracy of 95%. This robust system performs precisely with raw data without normalization as well as with converted data in which the continuous methylation levels are accounted. Strikingly, this system can even accurately predict new samples generated from different microarray platforms and the next-generation sequencing. The subtypes of cells, such as female and male iPSCs and fetal and adult SCs, can also be discriminated with this method. Thus, this novel quantitative system works as an accurate framework for discriminating the three cell types, iPSCs, ESCs, and SCs. This strategy also supports the notion that DNA-methylation generally varies among the three cell types.

  8. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells as a potential source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplant in PNH patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phondeechareon, Tanapol; Wattanapanitch, Methichit; U-Pratya, Yaowalak; Damkham, Chanapa; Klincumhom, Nuttha; Lorthongpanich, Chanchao; Kheolamai, Pakpoom; Laowtammathron, Chuti; Issaragrisil, Surapol

    2016-10-01

    Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired hemolytic anemia caused by lack of CD55 and CD59 on blood cell membrane leading to increased sensitivity of blood cells to complement. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative therapy for PNH, however, lack of HLA-matched donors and post-transplant complications are major concerns. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients are an attractive source for generating autologous HSCs to avoid adverse effects resulting from allogeneic HSCT. The disease involves only HSCs and their progeny; therefore, other tissues are not affected by the mutation and may be used to produce disease-free autologous HSCs. This study aimed to derive PNH patient-specific iPSCs from human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), characterize and differentiate to hematopoietic cells using a feeder-free protocol. Analysis of CD55 and CD59 expression was performed before and after reprogramming, and hematopoietic differentiation. Patients' dermal fibroblasts expressed CD55 and CD59 at normal levels and the normal expression remained after reprogramming. The iPSCs derived from PNH patients had typical pluripotent properties and differentiation capacities with normal karyotype. After hematopoietic differentiation, the differentiated cells expressed early hematopoietic markers (CD34 and CD43) with normal CD59 expression. The iPSCs derived from HDFs of PNH patients have normal levels of CD55 and CD59 expression and hold promise as a potential source of HSCs for autologous transplantation to cure PNH patients.

  9. Tissue and cell-specific transcriptomes in cotton reveal the subtleties of gene regulation underlying the diversity of plant secondary cell walls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacMillan, Colleen P; Birke, Hannah; Chuah, Aaron; Brill, Elizabeth; Tsuji, Yukiko; Ralph, John; Dennis, Elizabeth S; Llewellyn, Danny; Pettolino, Filomena A

    2017-07-18

    Knowledge of plant secondary cell wall (SCW) regulation and deposition is mainly based on the Arabidopsis model of a 'typical' lignocellulosic SCW. However, SCWs in other plants can vary from this. The SCW of mature cotton seed fibres is highly cellulosic and lacks lignification whereas xylem SCWs are lignocellulosic. We used cotton as a model to study different SCWs and the expression of the genes involved in their formation via RNA deep sequencing and chemical analysis of stem and seed fibre. Transcriptome comparisons from cotton xylem and pith as well as from a developmental series of seed fibres revealed tissue-specific and developmentally regulated expression of several NAC transcription factors some of which are likely to be important as top tier regulators of SCW formation in xylem and/or seed fibre. A so far undescribed hierarchy was identified between the top tier NAC transcription factors SND1-like and NST1/2 in cotton. Key SCW MYB transcription factors, homologs of Arabidopsis MYB46/83, were practically absent in cotton stem xylem. Lack of expression of other lignin-specific MYBs in seed fibre relative to xylem could account for the lack of lignin deposition in seed fibre. Expression of a MYB103 homolog correlated with temporal expression of SCW CesAs and cellulose synthesis in seed fibres. FLAs were highly expressed and may be important structural components of seed fibre SCWs. Finally, we made the unexpected observation that cell walls in the pith of cotton stems contained lignin and had a higher S:G ratio than in xylem, despite that tissue's lacking many of the gene transcripts normally associated with lignin biosynthesis. Our study in cotton confirmed some features of the currently accepted gene regulatory cascade for 'typical' plant SCWs, but also revealed substantial differences, especially with key downstream NACs and MYBs. The lignocellulosic SCW of cotton xylem appears to be achieved differently from that in Arabidopsis. Pith cell walls in

  10. Facial Reconstruction by Biosurgery: Cell Transplantation Versus Cell Homing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stosich, Michael S.; Moioli, Eduardo K.; Lee, Chang Hun; Fu, Susan Y.; Bastian, Barbara; Eisig, Sidney B.; Zemnick, Candice; Ascherman, Jeffrey; Wu, June; Rohde, Christine; Ahn, Jeffrey

    2010-01-01

    The face distinguishes one human being from another. When the face is disfigured because of trauma, tumor removal, congenital anomalies, or chronic diseases, the patient has a strong desire for functional and esthetic restoration. Current practice of facial reconstruction using autologous grafts, synthetic fillers, and prostheses is frequently below the surgeon's and patient's expectations. Facial reconstruction is yet to take advantage of recent advances in seemingly unrelated fields of stem cell biology, chemical engineering, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. “Biosurgery,” a new concept that we propose, will incorporate novel principles and strategies of bioactive cues, biopolymers, and/or cells to restore facial defects. Small facial defects can likely be reconstructed by cell homing and without cell transplantation. A critical advantage of cell homing is that agilely recruited endogenous cells have the potential to harness the host's innate capacity for regeneration, thus accelerating the rate of regulatory and commercialization processes for product development. Large facial defects, however, may not be restorable without cell delivery per our understanding at this time. New breakthrough in biosurgery will likely originate from integrated strategies of cell biology, cytokine biology, chemical engineering, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. Regardless of cell homing or cell delivery approaches, biosurgery not only will minimize surgical trauma and repetitive procedures, but also produce long-lasting results. At the same time, caution must be exercised against the development of products that lack scientific basis or dogmatic combination of cells, biomaterials, and biomolecules. Together, scientifically derived biosurgery will undoubtedly develop into new technologies that offer increasingly natural reconstruction and/or augmentation of the face. PMID:19891541

  11. Feathers and Fins: Non-mammalian models for hair cell regeneration

    OpenAIRE

    Brignull, Heather R.; Raible, David W.; Stone, Jennifer S.

    2009-01-01

    Death of mechanosensory cells in the inner ear results in two profound disabilities: hearing loss and balance disorders. Although mammals lack the capacity to regenerate hair cells, recent studies in mice and other rodents have offered valuable insight into strategies for stimulating hair cell regeneration in mammals. Investigations of model organisms that retain the ability to form new hair cells after embryogenesis, such as fish and chicks, are equally important and have provided clues as t...

  12. Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Lentoid Bodies Expressing a Lens Cell-Specific Fluorescent Reporter.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taruna Anand

    Full Text Available Curative approaches for eye cataracts and other eye abnormalities, such as myopia and hyperopia currently suffer from a lack of appropriate models. Here, we present a new approach for in vitro growth of lentoid bodies from induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells as a tool for ophthalmological research. We generated a transgenic mouse line with lens-specific expression of a fluorescent reporter driven by the alphaA crystallin promoter. Fetal fibroblasts were isolated from transgenic fetuses, reprogrammed to iPS cells, and differentiated to lentoid bodies exploiting the specific fluorescence of the lens cell-specific reporter. The employment of cell type-specific reporters for establishing and optimizing differentiation in vitro seems to be an efficient and generally applicable approach for developing differentiation protocols for desired cell populations.

  13. Cell Type Preference of a Novel Human Derived Cell-Permeable Peptide dNP2 and TAT in Murine Splenic Immune Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sangho Lim

    Full Text Available Cell-permeable peptides (CPPs have been widely studied as an attractive drug delivery system to deliver therapeutic macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and protein into cells. However, its clinical application is still limited and controversial due to the lack of a complete understanding of delivery efficiency in target cells. Previously we identified and characterized the novel and superior CPP, named dNP2, and here we comparatively analyzed intracellular delivery efficiency of dNP2 and TAT in various immune cells of mouse spleen to demonstrate their cell type preference. dNP2- or TAT-conjugated fluorescent proteins were most efficiently taken up by phagocytic cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages while little protein uptake was seen by lymphocytes including T cells, B cells, and NK cells. Interestingly CD8+ lymphoid dendritic cells and CD62LloCD44hi memory like T cell subsets showed significantly better uptake efficiency in vitro and in vivo relative to other dendritic cells or T cells, respectively. In addition, activated macrophages, T cells, and B cells took up the proteins more efficiently relative to when in the resting state. Importantly, only dNP2, not TAT, shows significant intracellular protein delivery efficiency in vivo. Collectively, this study provides important information regarding heterogeneous intracellular delivery efficiency of CPPs such as dNP2 and TAT with cell type preference in the spleen needed for its application in phagocytic cells or activated immune cells.

  14. IL-9-Producing Mast Cell Precursors and Food Allergy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    that Stat6-/- BM progenitors in sensitized wild type recipients that were competent in GFP- CD4+ST2+TH2 and ILC2s ( innate lymphoid cells ) generation, and...report demonstrated that type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) lack cell lineage markers and have the potential to pro- duce IL-9 (Wilhelm et al., 2011...Fujii, H., and Koyasu, S. (2010). Innate production of T(H)2 cytokines by adipose tissue-associated c-Kit(+)Sca-1(+) lymphoid cells . Nature 463, 540–544

  15. Inter-experiment variation and dependence on culture conditions in assaying the chemosensitivity of human small cell lung cancer cell lines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roed, H; Christensen, I B; Vindeløv, L L

    1987-01-01

    by a logarithmic function. Even after correction for lack of proportionality the two assay systems provided significantly different dose-response curves. The stability of the chemosensitivity was tested after 25-30 weeks continuous in vitro culture or prolonged storage in liquid nitrogen. One cell line underwent...... significant changes after continuous in vitro culture whereas the cell lines tested after prolonged storage in liquid nitrogen showed only minor changes. It is concluded that instead of considering the concentration necessary to achieve a certain degree of cell kill (e.g. ID50) in one experiment on one cell...

  16. Inhibition of infection and transmission of HIV-1 and lack of significant impact on the vaginal commensal lactobacilli by carbohydrate-binding agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrova, Mariya I; Mathys, Leen; Lebeer, Sarah; Noppen, Sam; Van Damme, Els J M; Tanaka, Haruo; Igarashi, Yasuhiro; Vaneechoutte, Mario; Vanderleyden, Jos; Balzarini, Jan

    2013-09-01

    A selection of carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs) with different glycan specificities were evaluated for their inhibitory effect against HIV infection and transmission, and their interaction with vaginal commensal bacteria. Several assays were used for the antiviral evaluation: (i) cell-free virus infection of human CD4+ T lymphocyte C8166 cells; (ii) syncytium formation in co-cultures of persistently HIV-1-infected HUT-78/HIV-1 and non-infected CD4+ SupT1 cells; (iii) DC-SIGN-directed capture of HIV-1 particles; and (iv) transmission of DC-SIGN-captured HIV-1 particles to uninfected CD4+ C8166 cells. CBAs were also examined for their interaction with vaginal commensal lactobacilli using several viability, proliferation and adhesion assays. The CBAs showed efficient inhibitory activity in the nanomolar to low-micromolar range against four events that play a crucial role in HIV-1 infection and transmission: cell-free virus infection, fusion between HIV-1-infected and non-infected cells, HIV-1 capture by DC-SIGN and transmission of DC-SIGN-captured virus to T cells. As candidate microbicides should not interfere with the normal human microbiota, we examined the effect of CBAs against Lactobacillus strains, including a variety of vaginal strains, a gastrointestinal strain and several non-human isolates. None of the CBAs included in our studies inhibited the growth of these bacteria in several media, affected their viability or had any significant impact on their adhesion to HeLa cell monolayers. The CBAs in this study were inhibitory to HIV-1 in several in vitro infection and transmission models, and may therefore qualify as potential microbicide candidates. The lack of significant impact on commensal vaginal lactobacilli is an important property of these CBAs in view of their potential microbicidal use.

  17. Role of Cell-Cell bond for the viability and the function of vascular smooth muscle cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Mura

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC viability and homeostasis is regulated by cell-matrix and cell-cell contact: disruption of these interactions are responsible of a switch from a mature to a high proliferative phenotype. VSMCs migration, rate of growth and apoptosis, and the extent of their extracellular matrix (ECM deposition can be also modulated by proatherogenic peptides. Among them, ATII induces the transactivation of IGF I R, which, together with the binding protein IGFBP3, represents a determinant of cell survival, growth and proliferation. Aim of our in vitro study was to verify the role of elective cell-cell bond in moulating the response to ATII. Thus, we evaluated viability, proliferation, IGFIR, IGFBP3 expression and the long term survival and production of ECM in a provisional tissue. A7r5 cell-line was used in adherent cultures or incubated in agarose-coated culture plates to inhibit cell-matrix interactions. Cells, treated or not with ATII 100 nM, were evaluated for apoptosis rate, cell cycle, IGFIR and IGFBP3 protei expression. Fibrin provisional tissue was developed polymerizing a fibrin solution. cantaining A7r5 cells with thrombin. Histological stainings for ECM components were performed on sections of prvisional tissue. An exclusive cell-cell contact resulted to monolayer cell cultures. ATII did not affect the cell survival in both culture conditions, but promoted a 10% decrease in "S" phase and an increases IGFIR expression only in adherent cells. while suspended cell aggregates were resistant to ATII administration; IGFBP3 was reduced both in ATII treated adherent cells and in floating clustered cells, irrespective of the treatmentn. VSMC conditioning in agarose-coated plates before seeding in fibrin provisional matrix reduced, but not abolished, the cell ability to colonize the clot and to produce ECM. This study demonstrates that the elective cell-cell contact induces a quiescent status in cells lacking of cell

  18. Recombinant Cyclophilins Lack Nuclease Activity

    OpenAIRE

    Manteca, Angel; Sanchez, Jesus

    2004-01-01

    Several single-domain prokaryotic and eukaryotic cyclophilins have been identified as also being unspecific nucleases with a role in DNA degradation during the lytic processes that accompany bacterial cell death and eukaryotic apoptosis. Evidence is provided here that the supposed nuclease activity of human and bacterial recombinant cyclophilins is due to contamination of the proteins by the host Escherichia coli endonuclease and is not an intrinsic property of these proteins.

  19. Detection of tetanus toxoid-specific memory T cells in equine lymph nodes but not in peripheral blood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frayne, J; Stokes, C R

    1995-07-01

    The use of tetanus toxoid as a recall antigen to investigate equine immune responses would be, in theory, a useful and cost-effective model in vitro. However, by using various regimens for culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cells from horses previously immunised with toxoid no proliferative response to the antigen was obtained in vitro, whereas lymph node mononuclear cells from the same animals proliferated significantly in response to it. The lack of response by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was not due to the presence of a suppressive factor but to a lack of recognition of the antigen by the T cells of the peripheral blood.

  20. Studying fatty aldehyde metabolism in living cells with pyrene-labeled compounds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keller, Markus A.; Watschinger, Katrin; Lange, Karsten; Golderer, Georg; Werner-Felmayer, Gabriele; Hermetter, Albin; Wanders, Ronald J. A.; Werner, Ernst R.

    2012-01-01

    The lack of fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase function in Sjogren Larsson Syndrome (SLS) patient cells not only impairs the conversion of fatty aldehydes into their corresponding fatty acid but also has an effect on connected pathways. Alteration of the lipid profile in these cells is thought to be

  1. Melanotic paraganglioma arising in the temporal horn following Langerhans cell histiocytosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Jeong Hyun; Rivera, Andreana; Naeini, Ramin M.; Yedururi, Sireesha; Megahead, Hatem; Bayindir, Petek; Fuller, Gregory N.; Suh, Jeong Soo; Adesina, Adekunle M.; Hunter, Jill V.

    2008-01-01

    Intracerebral paragangliomas are rare because of the lack of paraganglial cells in the cerebral tissue. We report a rare case of melanotic paraganglioma arising from the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle in a patient with prior Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) treated with chemotherapy and radiation. (orig.)

  2. A novel kinesin-like protein, KIF1Bbeta3 is involved in the movement of lysosomes to the cell periphery in non-neuronal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsushita, Masafumi; Tanaka, Shingo; Nakamura, Norihiro; Inoue, Hiroki; Kanazawa, Hiroshi

    2004-03-01

    The kinesin superfamily protein, KIF1Bbeta, a splice variant of KIF1B, is involved in the transport of synaptic vesicles in neuronal cells, and is also expressed in various non-neuronal tissues. To elucidate the functions of KIF1Bbeta in non-neuronal cells, we analyzed the intracellular localization of KIF1Bbeta and characterized its isoform expression profile. In COS-7 cells, KIF1B colocalized with lysosomal markers and expression of a mutant form of KIF1Bbeta, lacking the motor domain, impaired the intracellular distribution of lysosomes. A novel isoform of the kinesin-like protein, KIF1Bbeta3, was identified in rat and simian kidney. It lacks the 5th exon of the KIF1Bbeta-specific tail region. Overexpression of KIF1Bbeta3 induced the translocation of lysosomes to the cell periphery. However, overexpression of KIF1Bbeta3-Q98L, which harbors a pathogenic mutation associated with a familial neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 A, resulted in the abnormal perinuclear clustering of lysosomes. These results indicate that KIF1Bbeta3 is involved in the translocation of lysosomes from perinuclear regions to the cell periphery.

  3. The Development of Adult Innate Lymphoid Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Qi; Bhandoola, Avinash

    2016-01-01

    Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) are a specialized family of effector lymphocytes that transcriptionally and functionally mirror effector subsets of T cells, but differ from T cells in that they lack clonally-distributed adaptive antigen receptors. Our understanding of this family of lymphocytes is still in its infancy. In this review, we summarize current understanding and discuss recent insights into the cellular and molecular events that occur during early ILC development in adult mice. We discuss how these events overlap and diverge with the early development of adaptive T cells, and how they may influence the molecular and functional properties of mature ILC. PMID:26871595

  4. High diversity of the T-cell receptor repertoire of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in basal cell carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Omland, Silje H; Hamrouni, Abdelbasset; Gniadecki, Robert

    2017-01-01

    to determine the clonality of TCR and degree of overlap in TCR repertoires between skin resident T-cells and TILs. We found high diversity of the TCR repertoire in BCC and control skin with random V-J gene usage and similar CDR3-length distribution. Lack of TCR repertoire restriction indicates absence of tumor......Whether specific T-cell clones are present in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in BCC is unknown. We employed deep sequencing of mRNA coding for the T-cell receptor (TCR) chains α- and β to characterize the repertoire of TILs in BCC. V and J gene-usage and CDR3 length were computed...

  5. Lack of diffuseness in wave propagation in lightweight joist-floors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brunskog, Jonas; Chung, Hyuck

    2007-01-01

    . The structures under consideration are rib-reinforced plate structures. These may be a lightweight floor/joist structure in a building or hull of a ship. The diffuseness or rather the lack of diffuseness, in such 'ribbed-plate' structures is examined. The amount of power transported at an angle is calculated...

  6. Portable power applications of fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weston, M.; Matcham, J.

    2002-07-01

    This report describes the state-of-the-art of fuel cell technology for portable power applications. The study involved a comprehensive literature review. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted much more interest than either direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) or solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). However, issues relating to fuel choice and catalyst design remain with PEMFCs; DMFCs have excellent potential provided issues relating to the conducting membrane can be resolved but the current high temperature of operation and low power density currently makes SOFCs less applicable to portable applications. Available products are listed and the obstacles to market penetration are discussed. The main barriers are cost and the size/weight of fuel cells compared with batteries. Another key problem is the lack of a suitable fuel infrastructure.

  7. Identification and Characterization of Plasma Cells in Normal Human Bone Marrow by High-Resolution Flow Cytometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Terstappen, Leonardus Wendelinus Mathias Marie; Johnsen, Steen; Segers-Nolten, Gezina M.J.; Loken, Michael R.

    1990-01-01

    The low frequency of plasma cells and the lack of specific cell surface markers has been a major obstacle for a detailed characterization of plasma cells in normal human bone marrow. Multiparameter flow cytometry enabled the identification of plasma cells in normal bone marrow aspirates. The plasma

  8. Human NKCC2 cation–Cl– co-transporter complements lack of Vhc1 transporter in yeast vacuolar membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrezselyova, Silvia; Dominguez, Angel; Herynkova, Pavla; Macias, Juan F; Sychrova, Hana

    2013-10-01

    Cation–chloride co-transporters serve to transport Cl– and alkali metal cations. Whereas a large family of these exists in higher eukaryotes, yeasts only possess one cation–chloride co-transporter, Vhc1, localized to the vacuolar membrane. In this study, the human cation–chloride co-transporter NKCC2 complemented the phenotype of VHC1 deletion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its activity controlled the growth of salt-sensitive yeast cells in the presence of high KCl, NaCl and LiCl. A S. cerevisiae mutant lacking plasma-membrane alkali–metal cation exporters Nha1 and Ena1-5 and the vacuolar cation–chloride co-transporter Vhc1 is highly sensitive to increased concentrations of alkali–metal cations, and it proved to be a suitable model for characterizing the substrate specificity and transport activity of human wild-type and mutated cation–chloride co-transporters. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. The Rolf and Gertrud Dahlgren Prize for 2017 Awarded to Hans Walter Lack

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis, Ib

    2018-01-01

    The reasons for awarding the Rolf and Gertrud Dahlgren Prize to Hans Walter Lack are summarised and the prize described. It is also mentioned that Rosén's Linnaeus Medal in Gold was awarded to Arne Strid at the same ceremony.......The reasons for awarding the Rolf and Gertrud Dahlgren Prize to Hans Walter Lack are summarised and the prize described. It is also mentioned that Rosén's Linnaeus Medal in Gold was awarded to Arne Strid at the same ceremony....

  10. Sorafenib-induced defective autophagy promotes cell death by necroptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kharaziha, Pedram; Chioureas, Dimitris; Baltatzis, George; Fonseca, Pedro; Rodriguez, Patricia; Gogvadze, Vladimir; Lennartsson, Lena; Björklund, Ann-Charlotte; Zhivotovsky, Boris; Grandér, Dan; Egevad, Lars; Nilsson, Sten; Panaretakis, Theocharis

    2015-11-10

    Autophagy is one of the main cytoprotective mechanisms that cancer cells deploy to withstand the cytotoxic stress and survive the lethal damage induced by anti-cancer drugs. However, under specific conditions, autophagy may, directly or indirectly, induce cell death. In our study, treatment of the Atg5-deficient DU145 prostate cancer cells, with the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sorafenib, induces mitochondrial damage, autophagy and cell death. Molecular inhibition of autophagy by silencing ULK1 and Beclin1 rescues DU145 cells from cell death indicating that, in this setting, autophagy promotes cell death. Re-expression of Atg5 restores the lipidation of LC3 and rescues DU145 and MEF atg5-/- cells from sorafenib-induced cell death. Despite the lack of Atg5 expression and LC3 lipidation, DU145 cells form autophagosomes as demonstrated by transmission and immuno-electron microscopy, and the formation of LC3 positive foci. However, the lack of cellular content in the autophagosomes, the accumulation of long-lived proteins, the presence of GFP-RFP-LC3 positive foci and the accumulated p62 protein levels indicate that these autophagosomes may not be fully functional. DU145 cells treated with sorafenib undergo a caspase-independent cell death that is inhibited by the RIPK1 inhibitor, necrostatin-1. Furthermore, treatment with sorafenib induces the interaction of RIPK1 with p62, as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation and a proximity ligation assay. Silencing of p62 decreases the RIPK1 protein levels and renders necrostatin-1 ineffective in blocking sorafenib-induced cell death. In summary, the formation of Atg5-deficient autophagosomes in response to sorafenib promotes the interaction of p62 with RIPK leading to cell death by necroptosis.

  11. Alpha8 Integrin (Itga8 Signalling Attenuates Chronic Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Reducing Fibroblast Activation, Not by Interfering with Regulation of Cell Turnover.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ines Marek

    Full Text Available The α8 integrin (Itga8 chain contributes to the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis in renal glomerular cells. In unilateral ureteral obstruction Itga8 is de novo expressed in the tubulointerstitium and a deficiency of Itga8 results in more severe renal fibrosis after unilateral ureteral obstruction. We hypothesized that the increased tubulointerstitial damage after unilateral ureteral obstruction observed in mice deficient for Itga8 is associated with altered tubulointerstitial cell turnover and apoptotic mechanisms resulting from the lack of Itga8 in cells of the tubulointerstitium. Induction of unilateral ureteral obstruction was achieved by ligation of the right ureter in mice lacking Itga8. Unilateral ureteral obstruction increased proliferation and apoptosis rates of tubuloepithelial and interstitial cells, however, no differences were observed in the tubulointerstitium of mice lacking Itga8 and wild type controls regarding fibroblast or proliferating cell numbers as well as markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis after unilateral ureteral obstruction. In contrast, unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice lacking Itga8 led to more pronounced tubulointerstitial cell activation i.e. to the appearance of more phospho-SMAD2/3-positive cells and more α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells in the tubulointerstitium. Furthermore, a more severe macrophage and T-cell infiltration was observed in these animals compared to controls. Thus, Itga8 seems to attenuate tubulointerstitial fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction not via regulation of cell turnover, but via regulation of TGF-β signalling, fibroblast activation and/or immune cell infiltration.

  12. Mast cells play no role in the pathogenesis of postoperative ileus induced by intestinal manipulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Pinilla, Pedro J; Farro, Giovanna; Di Giovangiulio, Martina; Stakenborg, Nathalie; Némethova, Andrea; de Vries, Annick; Liston, Adrian; Feyerabend, Thorsten B; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Rodewald, Hans-Reimwer; Boeckxstaens, Guy E; Matteoli, Gianluca

    2014-01-01

    Intestinal manipulation (IM) during abdominal surgery results in intestinal inflammation leading to hypomotility or ileus. Mast cell activation is thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of postoperative ileus (POI). However, this conclusion was mainly drawn using mast cell-deficient mouse models with abnormal Kit signaling. These mice also lack interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) resulting in aberrant gastrointestinal motility even prior to surgery, compromising their use as model to study POI. To avoid these experimental weaknesses we took advantage of a newly developed knock-in mouse model, Cpa3(Cre/+) , devoid of mast cells but with intact Kit signaling. The role of mast cells in the development of POI and intestinal inflammation was evaluated assessing gastrointestinal transit and muscularis externa inflammation after IM in two strains of mice lacking mast cells, i.e. Kit(W-sh/W-sh) and Cpa3(Cre/+) mice, and by use of the mast cell stabilizer cromolyn. Kit(W-sh/W-sh) mice lack ICC networks and already revealed significantly delayed gastrointestinal transit even before surgery. IM did not further delay intestinal transit, but induced infiltration of myeloperoxidase positive cells, expression of inflammatory cytokines and recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils into the muscularis externa. On the contrary, Cpa3(Cre/+) mice have a normal network of ICC and normal gastrointestinal. Surprisingly, IM in Cpa3(Cre/+) mice caused delay in gut motility and intestinal inflammation as in wild type littermates mice (Cpa3(+/+) ). Furthermore, treatment with the mast cell inhibitor cromolyn resulted in an inhibition of mast cells without preventing POI. Here, we confirm that IM induced mast cell degranulation. However, our data demonstrate that mast cells are not required for the pathogenesis of POI in mice. Although there might be species differences between mouse and human, our results argue against mast cell inhibitors as a therapeutic approach to shorten POI.

  13. Population dynamics model for plasmid bearing and plasmid lacking ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Streptokinase production in bioreactor is well associated to cell population dynamics. It is an established fact that two types of cell populations are found to emerge from the initial pool of recombinant cell population. This phenomenon leads to an undesired loss in yield of the product. Primary metabolites, like acetic acid etc ...

  14. Regulation of promyogenic signal transduction by cell-cell contact and adhesion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauss, Robert S.

    2010-01-01

    Skeletal myoblast differentiation involves acquisition of the muscle-specific transcriptional program and morphological changes, including fusion into multinucleated myofibers. Differentiation is regulated by extracellular signaling cues, including cell-cell contact and adhesion. Cadherin and Ig adhesion receptors have been implicated in distinct but overlapping stages of myogenesis. N-cadherin signals through the Ig receptor Cdo to activate p38 MAP kinase, while the Ig receptor neogenin signals to activate FAK; both processes promote muscle-specific gene expression and myoblast fusion. M-cadherin activates Rac1 to enhance fusion. Specific Ig receptors (Kirre and Sns) are essential for myoblast fusion in Drosophila, also signaling through Rac, and vertebrate orthologs of Kirre and Sns have partially conserved function. Mice lacking specific cytoplasmic signaling factors activated by multiple receptors (e.g., Rac1) have strong muscle phenotypes in vivo. In contrast, mice lacking individual adhesion receptors that lie upstream of these factors have modest phenotypes. Redundancy among receptors may account for this. Many of the mammalian Ig receptors and cadherins associate with each other, and multivalent interactions within these complexes may require removal of multiple components to reveal dramatic defects in vivo. Nevertheless, it is possible that the murine adhesion receptors rate-limiting in vivo have not yet been identified or fully assessed.

  15. Regulation of promyogenic signal transduction by cell-cell contact and adhesion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krauss, Robert S., E-mail: Robert.Krauss@mssm.edu [Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 (United States)

    2010-11-01

    Skeletal myoblast differentiation involves acquisition of the muscle-specific transcriptional program and morphological changes, including fusion into multinucleated myofibers. Differentiation is regulated by extracellular signaling cues, including cell-cell contact and adhesion. Cadherin and Ig adhesion receptors have been implicated in distinct but overlapping stages of myogenesis. N-cadherin signals through the Ig receptor Cdo to activate p38 MAP kinase, while the Ig receptor neogenin signals to activate FAK; both processes promote muscle-specific gene expression and myoblast fusion. M-cadherin activates Rac1 to enhance fusion. Specific Ig receptors (Kirre and Sns) are essential for myoblast fusion in Drosophila, also signaling through Rac, and vertebrate orthologs of Kirre and Sns have partially conserved function. Mice lacking specific cytoplasmic signaling factors activated by multiple receptors (e.g., Rac1) have strong muscle phenotypes in vivo. In contrast, mice lacking individual adhesion receptors that lie upstream of these factors have modest phenotypes. Redundancy among receptors may account for this. Many of the mammalian Ig receptors and cadherins associate with each other, and multivalent interactions within these complexes may require removal of multiple components to reveal dramatic defects in vivo. Nevertheless, it is possible that the murine adhesion receptors rate-limiting in vivo have not yet been identified or fully assessed.

  16. Long-Term Oocyte-Like Cell Development in Cultures Derived from Neonatal Marmoset Monkey Ovary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bentolhoda Fereydouni

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We use the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus as a preclinical nonhuman primate model to study reproductive and stem cell biology. The neonatal marmoset monkey ovary contains numerous primitive premeiotic germ cells (oogonia expressing pluripotent stem cell markers including OCT4A (POU5F1. This is a peculiarity compared to neonatal human and rodent ovaries. Here, we aimed at culturing marmoset oogonia from neonatal ovaries. We established a culture system being stable for more than 20 passages and 5 months. Importantly, comparative transcriptome analysis of the cultured cells with neonatal ovary, embryonic stem cells, and fibroblasts revealed a lack of germ cell and pluripotency genes indicating the complete loss of oogonia upon initiation of the culture. From passage 4 onwards, however, the cultured cells produced large spherical, free-floating cells resembling oocyte-like cells (OLCs. OLCs strongly expressed several germ cell genes and may derive from the ovarian surface epithelium. In summary, our novel primate ovarian cell culture initially lacked detectable germ cells but then produced OLCs over a long period of time. This culture system may allow a deeper analysis of early phases of female primate germ cell development and—after significant refinement—possibly also the production of monkey oocytes.

  17. CD4(+) T cell-mediated control of a gamma-herpesvirus in B cell-deficient mice is mediated by IFN-gamma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jan Pravsgaard; Cardin, R D; Branum, K C

    1999-01-01

    The lack of B cells and antibody does not prevent mice from dealing effectively with a pathogenic gamma-herpesvirus. Both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells contribute to the control of virus replication in the respiratory tract, with the depletion of either lymphocyte subset leading to increased titers...... for direct interaction with virus-infected targets expressing MHC class II glycoproteins, suggesting that the IFN-gamma produced by these lymphocytes is functioning at short range. The numbers of latently infected cells in the spleens of carrier mice are also significantly increased by the concurrent...

  18. Alternative donor transplantation--"mixing and matching": the role of combined cord blood and haplo-identical donor transplantation (haplo-cord SCT) as a treatment strategy for patients lacking standard donors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongtao; van Besien, Koen

    2015-03-01

    In the past decade, haplo-cord stem cell transplantation (SCT) using myeloablative or reduced intensive conditioning regimens has been shown to result in reliable and fast engraftment of neutrophils and platelets comparable to HLA-matched donors and much faster than after cord stem cell transplant. Haplo-cord SCT also has a low incidence of early non-relapse mortality, low incidences of acute and chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), and excellent graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effects. Favorable long-term outcomes for high-risk patients with hematologic malignancies have been reported, including older patients. Haplo-cord SCT will likely overcome the limitations of cell dose during cord stem cell selection and might significantly expand the use of cord stem cell transplant in the adult population. The comparable survival outcomes of matched related donor (MRD), matched unrelated donor (MUD), and haplo-cord stem cell transplant strongly argue that haplo-cord SCT should be considered as effective alternative stem cell transplant for high-risk patients lacking standard donors. Further improvement in supportive care and incorporation of a better understanding of the human fetal immune development into the haplo-cord SCT are required to further improve this strategy.

  19. ABA renewal involves enhancements in both GluA2-lacking AMPA receptor activity and GluA1 phosphorylation in the lateral amygdala.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyungjoon Park

    Full Text Available Fear renewal, the context-specific relapse of fear following fear extinction, is a leading animal model of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD and fear-related disorders. Although fear extinction can diminish fear responses, this effect is restricted to the context where the extinction is carried out, and the extinguished fear strongly relapses when assessed in the original acquisition context (ABA renewal or in a context distinct from the conditioning and extinction contexts (ABC renewal. We have previously identified Ser831 phosphorylation of GluA1 subunit in the lateral amygdala (LA as a key molecular mechanism for ABC renewal. However, molecular mechanisms underlying ABA renewal remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that both the excitatory synaptic efficacy and GluA2-lacking AMPAR activity at thalamic input synapses onto the LA (T-LA synapses were enhanced upon ABA renewal. GluA2-lacking AMPAR activity was also increased during low-threshold potentiation, a potential cellular substrate of renewal, at T-LA synapses. The microinjection of 1-naphtylacetyl-spermine (NASPM, a selective blocker of GluA2-lacking AMPARs, into the LA attenuated ABA renewal, suggesting a critical role of GluA2-lacking AMPARs in ABA renewal. We also found that Ser831 phosphorylation of GluA1 in the LA was increased upon ABA renewal. We developed a short peptide mimicking the Ser831-containing C-tail region of GluA1, which can be phosphorylated upon renewal (GluA1S; thus, the phosphorylated GluA1S may compete with Ser831-phosphorylated GluA1. This GluA1S peptide blocked the low-threshold potentiation when dialyzed into a recorded neuron. The microinjection of a cell-permeable form of GluA1S peptide into the LA attenuated ABA renewal. In support of the GluA1S experiments, a GluA1D peptide (in which the serine at 831 is replaced with a phosphomimetic amino acid, aspartate attenuated ABA renewal when microinjected into the LA. These findings suggest that enhancements

  20. ABA renewal involves enhancements in both GluA2-lacking AMPA receptor activity and GluA1 phosphorylation in the lateral amygdala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kyungjoon; Song, Beomjong; Kim, Jeongyeon; Hong, Ingie; Song, Sangho; Lee, Junuk; Park, Sungmo; Kim, Jihye; An, Bobae; Lee, Hyun Woo; Lee, Seungbok; Kim, Hyun; Lee, Justin C; Lee, Sukwon; Choi, Sukwoo

    2014-01-01

    Fear renewal, the context-specific relapse of fear following fear extinction, is a leading animal model of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and fear-related disorders. Although fear extinction can diminish fear responses, this effect is restricted to the context where the extinction is carried out, and the extinguished fear strongly relapses when assessed in the original acquisition context (ABA renewal) or in a context distinct from the conditioning and extinction contexts (ABC renewal). We have previously identified Ser831 phosphorylation of GluA1 subunit in the lateral amygdala (LA) as a key molecular mechanism for ABC renewal. However, molecular mechanisms underlying ABA renewal remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that both the excitatory synaptic efficacy and GluA2-lacking AMPAR activity at thalamic input synapses onto the LA (T-LA synapses) were enhanced upon ABA renewal. GluA2-lacking AMPAR activity was also increased during low-threshold potentiation, a potential cellular substrate of renewal, at T-LA synapses. The microinjection of 1-naphtylacetyl-spermine (NASPM), a selective blocker of GluA2-lacking AMPARs, into the LA attenuated ABA renewal, suggesting a critical role of GluA2-lacking AMPARs in ABA renewal. We also found that Ser831 phosphorylation of GluA1 in the LA was increased upon ABA renewal. We developed a short peptide mimicking the Ser831-containing C-tail region of GluA1, which can be phosphorylated upon renewal (GluA1S); thus, the phosphorylated GluA1S may compete with Ser831-phosphorylated GluA1. This GluA1S peptide blocked the low-threshold potentiation when dialyzed into a recorded neuron. The microinjection of a cell-permeable form of GluA1S peptide into the LA attenuated ABA renewal. In support of the GluA1S experiments, a GluA1D peptide (in which the serine at 831 is replaced with a phosphomimetic amino acid, aspartate) attenuated ABA renewal when microinjected into the LA. These findings suggest that enhancements in both the

  1. Cells deficient in PARP-1 show an accelerated accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, but not AP sites, over the PARP-1-proficient cells exposed to MMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pachkowski, Brian F; Tano, Keizo; Afonin, Valeriy; Elder, Rhoderick H; Takeda, Shunichi; Watanabe, Masami; Swenberg, James A; Nakamura, Jun

    2009-12-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a base excision repair (BER) protein that binds to DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and subsequently synthesizes and transfers poly(ADP-ribose) polymers to various nuclear proteins. Numerous biochemical studies have implicated PARP-1 as a modulator of BER; however, the role of PARP-1 in BER in living cells remains unclear partly due to lack of accurate quantitation of BER intermediates existing in cells. Since DT40 cells, chicken B lymphocytes, naturally lack PARP-2, DT40 cells allow for the investigation of the PARP-1 null phenotype without confounding by PARP-2. To test the hypothesis that PARP-1 is necessary for efficient BER during methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) exposure in vertebrate cells, intact DT40 cells and their isogenic PARP-1 null counterparts were challenged with different exposure scenarios for phenotypic characterization. With chronic exposure, PARP-1 null cells exhibited sensitivity to MMS but with an acute exposure did not accumulate base lesions or AP sites to a greater extent than wild-type cells. However, an increase in SSB content in PARP-1 null cell DNA, as indicated by glyoxal gel electrophoresis under neutral conditions, suggested the presence of BER intermediates. These data suggest that during exposure, PARP-1 impacts the stage of BER after excision of the deoxyribosephosphate moiety from the 5' end of DNA strand breaks by polymerase beta.

  2. Mortalin antibody-conjugated quantum dot transfer from human mesenchymal stromal cells to breast cancer cells requires cell–cell interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pietilä, Mika [National Institute of Advanced industrial Sciences and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8562 (Japan); Lehenkari, Petri [Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Oulu, Aapistie 7, P.O. Box 5000, FIN-90014 (Finland); Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Surgery, University of Oulu and Clinical Research Centre, Department of Surgery and Intensive Care, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5a, P.O. Box 5000, FIN-90014 (Finland); Kuvaja, Paula [Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Oulu, Aapistie 7, P.O. Box 5000, FIN-90014 (Finland); Department of Pathology, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 50, FIN-90029 OYS, Oulu (Finland); Kaakinen, Mika [Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, FI-90014 (Finland); Kaul, Sunil C.; Wadhwa, Renu [National Institute of Advanced industrial Sciences and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8562 (Japan); Uemura, Toshimasa, E-mail: t.uemura@aist.go.jp [National Institute of Advanced industrial Sciences and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8562 (Japan)

    2013-11-01

    The role of tumor stroma in regulation of breast cancer growth has been widely studied. However, the details on the type of heterocellular cross-talk between stromal and breast cancer cells (BCCs) are still poorly known. In the present study, in order to investigate the intercellular communication between human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) and breast cancer cells (BCCs, MDA-MB-231), we recruited cell-internalizing quantum dots (i-QD) generated by conjugation of cell-internalizing anti-mortalin antibody and quantum dots (QD). Co-culture of illuminated and color-coded hMSCs (QD655) and BCCs (QD585) revealed the intercellular transfer of QD655 signal from hMSCs to BCCs. The amount of QD double positive BCCs increased gradually within 48 h of co-culture. We found prominent intercellular transfer of QD655 in hanging drop co-culture system and it was non-existent when hMSCs and BBCs cells were co-cultured in trans-well system lacking imminent cell–cell contact. Fluorescent and electron microscope analyses also supported that the direct cell-to-cell interactions may be required for the intercellular transfer of QD655 from hMSCs to BCCs. To the best of our knowledge, the study provides a first demonstration of transcellular crosstalk between stromal cells and BCCs that involve direct contact and may also include a transfer of mortalin, an anti-apoptotic and growth-promoting factor enriched in cancer cells.

  3. Automatic analysis of dividing cells in live cell movies to detect mitotic delays and correlate phenotypes in time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harder, Nathalie; Mora-Bermúdez, Felipe; Godinez, William J; Wünsche, Annelie; Eils, Roland; Ellenberg, Jan; Rohr, Karl

    2009-11-01

    Live-cell imaging allows detailed dynamic cellular phenotyping for cell biology and, in combination with small molecule or drug libraries, for high-content screening. Fully automated analysis of live cell movies has been hampered by the lack of computational approaches that allow tracking and recognition of individual cell fates over time in a precise manner. Here, we present a fully automated approach to analyze time-lapse movies of dividing cells. Our method dynamically categorizes cells into seven phases of the cell cycle and five aberrant morphological phenotypes over time. It reliably tracks cells and their progeny and can thus measure the length of mitotic phases and detect cause and effect if mitosis goes awry. We applied our computational scheme to annotate mitotic phenotypes induced by RNAi gene knockdown of CKAP5 (also known as ch-TOG) or by treatment with the drug nocodazole. Our approach can be readily applied to comparable assays aiming at uncovering the dynamic cause of cell division phenotypes.

  4. Lack of Prenylated Proteins, Autophagy Impairment and Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cell Model of Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Maura Tricarico

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency (MKD, is a hereditary disease due to mutations in mevalonate kinase gene (MVK. MKD has heterogeneous clinical phenotypes: the correlation between MVK mutations and MKD clinical phenotype is still to be fully elucidated. Deficiency of prenylated proteins has been hypothesized as possible MKD pathogenic mechanism. Based on this hypothesis and considering that neurologic impairment characterizes Mevalonic Aciduria (MA, the most severe form of MKD, we studied the effects of I268T and N301T MVK mutations on protein prenylation, autophagy and programmed cell death in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transfected, with the pCMV-6 plasmid containing MVK wild type and the two mutated sequences. Protein prenylation levels were evaluated using GFP-RhoA-F to assess farnesylation, and GFP-RhoA to evaluate geranylgeranylation; autophagy was measured by evaluating LC3 and p62 protein levels, while Annexin V-FITC and Propidium Iodide staining allowed apoptosis detection. Results: MVK mutants’ over-expression causes decreased levels of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation, and also increased LC3 lipidation in SH-SY5Y, with concomitant p62 accumulation. Treatment with bafilomycin A1 (an inhibitor of vacuolar H+-ATPase, a late autophagy inhibitor further increase LC3-II and p62 levels, suggesting that degradation of autophagolysosome could be impaired. SH-SY5Y, with both MVK mutants, showed apoptosis increase; the presence of N301T associated with augmented cell death. Conclusions: We hypothesize that mevalonate pathway impairment causes alteration of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation proteins and alteration of the autophagic flux; these changes can induce apoptosis, possibly more relevant in the presence of N301T mutation.

  5. Lack of Prenylated Proteins, Autophagy Impairment and Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cell Model of Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tricarico, Paola Maura; Romeo, Alessandra; Gratton, Rossella; Crovella, Sergio; Celsi, Fulvio

    2017-01-01

    Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency (MKD), is a hereditary disease due to mutations in mevalonate kinase gene (MVK). MKD has heterogeneous clinical phenotypes: the correlation between MVK mutations and MKD clinical phenotype is still to be fully elucidated. Deficiency of prenylated proteins has been hypothesized as possible MKD pathogenic mechanism. Based on this hypothesis and considering that neurologic impairment characterizes Mevalonic Aciduria (MA), the most severe form of MKD, we studied the effects of I268T and N301T MVK mutations on protein prenylation, autophagy and programmed cell death in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines. SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transfected, with the pCMV-6 plasmid containing MVK wild type and the two mutated sequences. Protein prenylation levels were evaluated using GFP-RhoA-F to assess farnesylation, and GFP-RhoA to evaluate geranylgeranylation; autophagy was measured by evaluating LC3 and p62 protein levels, while Annexin V-FITC and Propidium Iodide staining allowed apoptosis detection. MVK mutants' over-expression causes decreased levels of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation, and also increased LC3 lipidation in SH-SY5Y, with concomitant p62 accumulation. Treatment with bafilomycin A1 (an inhibitor of vacuolar H+-ATPase, a late autophagy inhibitor) further increase LC3-II and p62 levels, suggesting that degradation of autophagolysosome could be impaired. SH-SY5Y, with both MVK mutants, showed apoptosis increase; the presence of N301T associated with augmented cell death. We hypothesize that mevalonate pathway impairment causes alteration of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation proteins and alteration of the autophagic flux; these changes can induce apoptosis, possibly more relevant in the presence of N301T mutation. © 2017 The Author(s)Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Fetal growth retardation and lack of hypotaurine in ezrin knockout mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomohiro Nishimura

    Full Text Available Ezrin is a membrane-associated cytoplasmic protein that serves to link cell-membrane proteins with the actin-based cytoskeleton, and also plays a role in regulation of the functional activities of some transmembrane proteins. It is expressed in placental trophoblasts. We hypothesized that placental ezrin is involved in the supply of nutrients from mother to fetus, thereby influencing fetal growth. The aim of this study was firstly to clarify the effect of ezrin on fetal growth and secondly to determine whether knockout of ezrin is associated with decreased concentrations of serum and placental nutrients. Ezrin knockout mice (Ez(-/- were confirmed to exhibit fetal growth retardation. Metabolome analysis of fetal serum and placental extract of ezrin knockout mice by means of capillary electrophoresis-time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed a markedly decreased concentration of hypotaurine, a precursor of taurine. However, placental levels of cysteine and cysteine sulfinic acid (precursors of hypotaurine and taurine were not affected. Lack of hypotaurine in Ez(-/- mice was confirmed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Administration of hypotaurine to heterogenous dams significantly decreased the placenta-to-maternal plasma ratio of hypotaurine in wild-type fetuses but only slightly decreased it in ezrin knockout fetuses, indicating that the uptake of hypotaurine from mother to placenta is saturable and that disruption of ezrin impairs the uptake of hypotaurine by placental trophoblasts. These results indicate that ezrin is required for uptake of hypotaurine from maternal serum by placental trophoblasts, and plays an important role in fetal growth.

  7. Delicate balance among three types of T cells in concurrent regulation of tumor immunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izhak, Liat; Ambrosino, Elena; Kato, Shingo; Parish, Stanley T.; O’Konek, Jessica J.; Weber, Hannah; Xia, Zheng; Venzon, David; Berzofsky, Jay A.; Terabe, Masaki

    2013-01-01

    The nature of the regulatory cell types that dominate in any given tumor is not understood at present. Here we addressed this question for Tregs and type II NKT cells in syngeneic models of colorectal and renal cancer. In mice with both type I and type II NKT cells, or in mice with neither type of NKT cell, Treg depletion was sufficient to protect against tumor outgrowth. Surprisingly, in mice lacking only type I NKT cells, Treg blockade was insufficient for protection. Thus, we hypothesized that type II NKT cells may be neutralized by type I NKT cells, leaving Treg cells as the primary suppressor, whereas in mice lacking type I NKT cells, unopposed type II NKT cells could suppress tumor immunity even when Tregs were blocked. We confirmed this hypothesis in three ways by reconstituting type I NKT cells as well as selectively blocking or activating type II NKT cells with antibody or the agonist sulfatide, respectively. In this manner, we demonstrated that blockade of both type II NKT cells and Tregs is necessary to abrogate suppression of tumor immunity, but a third cell, the type I NKT cell, determines the balance between these regulatory mechanisms. As cancer patients often have deficient type I NKT cell function, managing this delicate balance among three T cell subsets may be critical for the success of immunotherapy of human cancer. PMID:23319803

  8. Stem cells and repair of lung injuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randell Scott H

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Fueled by the promise of regenerative medicine, currently there is unprecedented interest in stem cells. Furthermore, there have been revolutionary, but somewhat controversial, advances in our understanding of stem cell biology. Stem cells likely play key roles in the repair of diverse lung injuries. However, due to very low rates of cellular proliferation in vivo in the normal steady state, cellular and architectural complexity of the respiratory tract, and the lack of an intensive research effort, lung stem cells remain poorly understood compared to those in other major organ systems. In the present review, we concisely explore the conceptual framework of stem cell biology and recent advances pertinent to the lungs. We illustrate lung diseases in which manipulation of stem cells may be physiologically significant and highlight the challenges facing stem cell-related therapy in the lung.

  9. Are mast cells instrumental for fibrotic diseases?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine eOvered-Sayer

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF is a fatal lung disorder of unknown etiology characterised by accumulation of lung fibroblasts and extracellular matrix deposition, ultimately leading to compromised tissue architecture and lung function capacity. IPF has a heterogeneous clinical course; however the median survival after diagnosis is only 3-5 years. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry has made many attempts to find effective treatments for IPF, but the disease has so far defied all attempts at therapeutic intervention. Clinical trial failures may arise for many reasons, including disease heterogeneity, lack of readily measurable clinical end points other than overall survival, and, perhaps most of all, a lack of understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of the progression of IPF.The precise link between inflammation and fibrosis remains unclear, but it appears that immune cells can promote fibrosis by releasing fibrogenic factors. So far, however, therapeutic approaches targeting macrophages, neutrophils, or lymphocytes have failed to alter disease pathogenesis. A new cell to garner research interest in fibrosis is the mast cell. Increased numbers of mast cells have long been known to be present in pulmonary fibrosis and clinically correlations between mast cells and fibrosis have been reported. More recent data suggests that mast cells may contribute to the fibrotic process by stimulating fibroblasts resident in the lung, thus driving the pathogenesis of the disease. In this review, we will discuss the mast cell and its physiological role in tissue repair and remodelling, as well as its pathological role in fibrotic diseases such as IPF, where the process of tissue repair and remodelling is thought to be dysregulated.

  10. Children's Lack of Playtime Seen as Troubling Health, School Issue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Linda

    2008-01-01

    Teachers and parents are frequently warned that students in the United States are lacking the academic skills they need for the 21st century. But a growing contingent of educators, psychologists, and other professionals are voicing worries that today's children are also growing up without the chance to play. Test preparation in kindergarten,…

  11. Cell proliferation alterations in Chlorella cells under stress conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rioboo, Carmen; O'Connor, Jose Enrique; Prado, Raquel; Herrero, Concepcion; Cid, Angeles

    2009-01-01

    Very little is known about growth and proliferation in relation to the cell cycle regulation of algae. The lack of knowledge is even greater when referring to the potential toxic effects of pollutants on microalgal cell division. To assess the effect of terbutryn, a triazine herbicide, on the proliferation of the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris three flow cytometric approaches were used: (1) in vivo cell division using 5-,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) staining was measured, (2) the growth kinetics were determined by cytometric cell counting and (3) cell viability was evaluated with the membrane-impermeable double-stranded nucleic acid stain propidium iodide (PI). The results obtained in the growth kinetics study using CFSE to identify the microalgal cell progeny were consistent with those determined by cytometric cell counting. In all C. vulgaris cultures, each mother cell had undergone only one round of division through the 96 h of assay and the cell division occurred during the dark period. Cell division of the cultures exposed to the herbicide was asynchronous. Terbutryn altered the normal number of daughter cells (4 autospores) obtained from each mother cell. The number was only two in the cultures treated with 250 nM. The duration of the lag phase after the exposure to terbutryn could be dependent on the existence of a critical cell size to activate cytoplasmic division. Cell size, complexity and fluorescence of chlorophyll a of the microalgal cells presented a marked light/dark (day/night) cycle, except in the non-dividing 500 nM cultures, where terbutryn arrested cell division at the beginning of the cycle. Viability results showed that terbutryn has an algastatic effect in C. vulgaris cells at this concentration. The rapid and precise determination of cell proliferation by CFSE staining has allowed us to develop a model for assessing both the cell cycle of C. vulgaris and the in vivo effects of pollutants on growth and

  12. Cell proliferation alterations in Chlorella cells under stress conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rioboo, Carmen [Laboratorio de Microbiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de A Coruna, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15008 A Coruna (Spain); O' Connor, Jose Enrique [Laboratorio de Citomica, Unidad Mixta de Investigacion CIPF-UVEG, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Avda. Autopista del Saler, 16, 46013 Valencia (Spain); Prado, Raquel; Herrero, Concepcion [Laboratorio de Microbiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de A Coruna, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15008 A Coruna (Spain); Cid, Angeles, E-mail: cid@udc.es [Laboratorio de Microbiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de A Coruna, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15008 A Coruna (Spain)

    2009-09-14

    Very little is known about growth and proliferation in relation to the cell cycle regulation of algae. The lack of knowledge is even greater when referring to the potential toxic effects of pollutants on microalgal cell division. To assess the effect of terbutryn, a triazine herbicide, on the proliferation of the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris three flow cytometric approaches were used: (1) in vivo cell division using 5-,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) staining was measured, (2) the growth kinetics were determined by cytometric cell counting and (3) cell viability was evaluated with the membrane-impermeable double-stranded nucleic acid stain propidium iodide (PI). The results obtained in the growth kinetics study using CFSE to identify the microalgal cell progeny were consistent with those determined by cytometric cell counting. In all C. vulgaris cultures, each mother cell had undergone only one round of division through the 96 h of assay and the cell division occurred during the dark period. Cell division of the cultures exposed to the herbicide was asynchronous. Terbutryn altered the normal number of daughter cells (4 autospores) obtained from each mother cell. The number was only two in the cultures treated with 250 nM. The duration of the lag phase after the exposure to terbutryn could be dependent on the existence of a critical cell size to activate cytoplasmic division. Cell size, complexity and fluorescence of chlorophyll a of the microalgal cells presented a marked light/dark (day/night) cycle, except in the non-dividing 500 nM cultures, where terbutryn arrested cell division at the beginning of the cycle. Viability results showed that terbutryn has an algastatic effect in C. vulgaris cells at this concentration. The rapid and precise determination of cell proliferation by CFSE staining has allowed us to develop a model for assessing both the cell cycle of C. vulgaris and the in vivo effects of pollutants on growth and

  13. Individuals With OCD Lack Unrealistic Optimism Bias in Threat Estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zetsche, Ulrike; Rief, Winfried; Exner, Cornelia

    2015-07-01

    Overestimating the occurrence of threatening events has been highlighted as a central cognitive factor in the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study examined the different facets of this cognitive bias, its underlying mechanisms, and its specificity to OCD. For this purpose, threat estimation, probabilistic classification learning (PCL) and psychopathological measures were assessed in 23 participants with OCD, 30 participants with social phobia, and 31 healthy controls. Whereas healthy participants showed an optimistic expectation bias regarding positive and negative future events, OCD participants lacked such a bias. This lack of an optimistic expectation bias was not specific to OCD. Compared to healthy controls, OCD participants overestimated their personal risk for experiencing negative events, but did not differ from controls in their risk estimation regarding other people. Finally, OCD participants' biases in the prediction of checking-related events were associated with their impairments in learning probabilistic cue-outcome associations in a disorder-relevant context. In sum, the present results add to a growing body of research demonstrating that cognitive biases in OCD are context-dependent. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Lacking Community Out-Reach of Chinese Mining Investors in the Arctic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zeuthen, Jesper Willaing

    Lacking Community Out-Reach of Chinese Mining Investors in the Arctic Despite China’s bad reputation as a mining investor, in a context of dramatically falling mineral prices, Chinese investments seem to be needed in order to realize most new mining projects across the globe. In Greenland...... and Arctic Canada, potential Chinese investors have been met with even more suspicion than elsewhere. National governments are worried about what state owned Chinese investors will mean for their control over national resources while local governments and the public fear what Chinese investors will mean...... for labour conditions and local environment. They fear a lack of social corporate responsibility (CSR) from Chinese investors. This paper assumes that the possible interest in Arctic mineral resources by the Chinese state combined with a strong demand from Greenland and Canada would make the Arctic a most...

  15. Using low-risk factors to generate non-integrated human induced pluripotent stem cells from urine-derived cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Linli; Chen, Yuehua; Guan, Chunyan; Zhao, Zhiju; Li, Qiang; Yang, Jianguo; Mo, Jian; Wang, Bin; Wu, Wei; Yang, Xiaohui; Song, Libing; Li, Jun

    2017-11-02

    Because the lack of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) induction system with optimal safety and efficiency limits the application of these cells, development of such a system is important. To create such an induction system, we screened a variety of reprogrammed plasmid combinations and multiple compounds and then verified the system's feasibility using urine cells from different individuals. We also compared large-scale iPSC chromosomal variations and expression of genes associated with genomic stability between this system and the traditional episomal system using karyotype and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses. We developed a high-efficiency episomal system, the 6F/BM1-4C system, lacking tumorigenic factors for human urine-derived cell (hUC) reprogramming. This system includes six low-risk factors (6F), Oct4, Glis1, Klf4, Sox2, L-Myc, and the miR-302 cluster. Transfected hUCs were treated with four compounds (4C), inhibitor of lysine-demethylase1, methyl ethyl ketone, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, and histone deacetylase, within a short time period. Comparative analysis revealed significantly decreased chromosomal variation in iPSCs and significantly increased Sirt1 expression compared with iPSCs induced using the traditional episomal system. The 6F/BM1-4C system effectively induces reprogramming of urine cells in samples obtained from different individuals. iPSCs induced using the 6F/BM1-4C system are more stable at the cytogenetic level and have potential value for clinical application.

  16. New small molecules targeting apoptosis and cell viability in osteosarcoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doris Maugg

    Full Text Available Despite the option of multimodal therapy in the treatment strategies of osteosarcoma (OS, the most common primary malignant bone tumor, the standard therapy has not changed over the last decades and still involves multidrug chemotherapy and radical surgery. Although successfully applied in many patients a large number of patients eventually develop recurrent or metastatic disease in which current therapeutic regimens often lack efficacy. Thus, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In this study, we performed a phenotypic high-throughput screening campaign using a 25,000 small-molecule diversity library to identify new small molecules selectively targeting osteosarcoma cells. We could identify two new small molecules that specifically reduced cell viability in OS cell lines U2OS and HOS, but affected neither hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 nor primary human osteoblasts (hOB. In addition, the two compounds induced caspase 3 and 7 activity in the U2OS cell line. Compared to conventional drugs generally used in OS treatment such as doxorubicin, we indeed observed a greater sensitivity of OS cell viability to the newly identified compounds compared to doxorubicin and staurosporine. The p53-negative OS cell line Saos-2 almost completely lacked sensitivity to compound treatment that could indicate a role of p53 in the drug response. Taken together, our data show potential implications for designing more efficient therapies in OS.

  17. Usher protein functions in hair cells and photoreceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosgrove, Dominic; Zallocchi, Marisa

    2014-01-01

    The 10 different genes associated with the deaf/blind disorder, Usher syndrome, encode a number of structurally and functionally distinct proteins, most expressed as multiple isoforms/protein variants. Functional characterization of these proteins suggests a role in stereocilia development in cochlear hair cells, likely owing to adhesive interactions in hair bundles. In mature hair cells, homodimers of the Usher cadherins, cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15, interact to form a structural fiber, the tip link, and the linkages that anchor the taller stereocilia's actin cytoskeleton core to the shorter adjacent stereocilia and the elusive mechanotransduction channels, explaining the deafness phenotype when these molecular interactions are perturbed. The conundrum is that photoreceptors lack a synonymous mechanotransduction apparatus, and so a common theory for Usher protein function in the two neurosensory cell types affected in Usher syndrome is lacking. Recent evidence linking photoreceptor cell dysfunction in the shaker 1 mouse model for Usher syndrome to light-induced protein translocation defects, combined with localization of an Usher protein interactome at the periciliary region of the photoreceptors suggests Usher proteins might regulate protein trafficking between the inner and outer segments of photoreceptors. A distinct Usher protein complex is trafficked to the ribbon synapses of hair cells, and synaptic defects have been reported in Usher mutants in both hair cells and photoreceptors. This review aims to clarify what is known about Usher protein function at the synaptic and apical poles of hair cells and photoreceptors and the prospects for identifying a unifying pathobiological mechanism to explain deaf/blindness in Usher syndrome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Male-like sexual behavior of female mouse lacking fucose mutarotase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim Dae-sik

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutarotases are recently characterized family of enzymes that are involved in the anomeric conversions of monosaccharides. The mammalian fucose mutarotase (FucM was reported in cultured cells to facilitate fucose utilization and incorporation into protein by glycosylation. However, the role of this enzyme in animal has not been elucidated. Results We generated a mutant mouse specifically lacking the fucose mutarotase (FucM gene. The FucM knockout mice displayed an abnormal sexual receptivity with a drastic reduction in lordosis score, although the animals were fertile due to a rare and forced intromission by a typical male. We examined the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv of the preoptic region in brain and found that the mutant females showed a reduction in tyrosine hydoxylase positive neurons compared to that of a normal female. Furthermore, the mutant females exhibited a masculine behavior, such as mounting to a normal female partner as well as showing a preference to female urine. We found a reduction of fucosylated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP in a mutant embryo relative to that of a wild-type embryo. Conclusions The observation that FucM-/- female mouse exhibits a phenotypic similarity to a wild-type male in terms of its sexual behavior appears to be due to the neurodevelopmental changes in preoptic area of mutant brain resembling a wild-type male. Since the previous studies indicate that AFP plays a role in titrating estradiol that are required to consolidate sexual preference of female mice, we speculate that the reduced level of AFP in FucM-/- mouse, presumably resulting from the reduced fucosylation, is responsible for the male-like sexual behavior observed in the FucM knock-out mouse.

  19. DNA crosslinking and cytotoxicity in normal and transformed human cells treated with antitumor nitrosoureas.

    OpenAIRE

    Erickson, L C; Bradley, M O; Ducore, J M; Ewig, R A; Kohn, K W

    1980-01-01

    Normal (IMR-90) and simian virus 40-transformed (VA-13) human embryo cells were treated with antitumor nitrosoureas, and the effects on cell viability and cell DNA were compared. All six nitrosoureas tested were more toxic to VA-13 cells than to IMR-90 cells as measured by decrease in cell proliferation or in colony formation. The nitrosoureas capable of generating alkylisocyanates produced a smaller difference between the cell types than did derivatives lacking this capacity. DNA damage was ...

  20. NKp46 defines ovine cells that have characteristics corresponding to NK cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Connelley Timothy

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Natural killer (NK cells are well recognized as playing a key role in innate immune defence through cytokine production and cytotoxic activity; additionally recent studies have identified several novel NK cell functions. The ability to study NK cells in the sheep has been restricted due to a lack of specific reagents. We report the generation of a monoclonal antibody specific for ovine NKp46, a receptor which in a number of mammals is expressed exclusively in NK cells. Ovine NKp46+ cells represent a population that is distinct from CD4+ and γδ+ T-cells, B-cells and cells of the monocytic lineage. The NKp46+ cells are heterogenous with respect to expression of CD2 and CD8 and most, but not all, express CD16 - characteristics consistent with NK cell populations in other species. We demonstrate that in addition to populations in peripheral blood and secondary lymphoid organs, ovine NKp46+ populations are also situated at the mucosal surfaces of the lung, gastro-intestinal tract and non-gravid uterus. Furthermore, we show that purified ovine NKp46+ populations cultured in IL-2 and IL-15 have cytotoxic activity that could be enhanced by ligation of NKp46 in re-directed lysis assays. Therefore we conclude that ovine NKp46+ cells represent a population that by phenotype, tissue distribution and function correspond to NK cells and that NKp46 is an activating receptor in sheep as in other species.

  1. Histone h1 depletion impairs embryonic stem cell differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunzhe; Cooke, Marissa; Panjwani, Shiraj; Cao, Kaixiang; Krauth, Beth; Ho, Po-Yi; Medrzycki, Magdalena; Berhe, Dawit T; Pan, Chenyi; McDevitt, Todd C; Fan, Yuhong

    2012-01-01

    Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are known to possess a relatively open chromatin structure; yet, despite efforts to characterize the chromatin signatures of ESCs, the role of chromatin compaction in stem cell fate and function remains elusive. Linker histone H1 is important for higher-order chromatin folding and is essential for mammalian embryogenesis. To investigate the role of H1 and chromatin compaction in stem cell pluripotency and differentiation, we examine the differentiation of embryonic stem cells that are depleted of multiple H1 subtypes. H1c/H1d/H1e triple null ESCs are more resistant to spontaneous differentiation in adherent monolayer culture upon removal of leukemia inhibitory factor. Similarly, the majority of the triple-H1 null embryoid bodies (EBs) lack morphological structures representing the three germ layers and retain gene expression signatures characteristic of undifferentiated ESCs. Furthermore, upon neural differentiation of EBs, triple-H1 null cell cultures are deficient in neurite outgrowth and lack efficient activation of neural markers. Finally, we discover that triple-H1 null embryos and EBs fail to fully repress the expression of the pluripotency genes in comparison with wild-type controls and that H1 depletion impairs DNA methylation and changes of histone marks at promoter regions necessary for efficiently silencing pluripotency gene Oct4 during stem cell differentiation and embryogenesis. In summary, we demonstrate that H1 plays a critical role in pluripotent stem cell differentiation, and our results suggest that H1 and chromatin compaction may mediate pluripotent stem cell differentiation through epigenetic repression of the pluripotency genes.

  2. Less initial rejoining of X-ray-induced DNA double-strand breaks in cells of a small cell (U-1285) compared to a large cell (U-1810) lung carcinoma cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cedervall, B.; Sirzea, F.; Brodin, O.; Lewensohn, R.

    1994-01-01

    Cells of a small cell lung carcinoma cell line, U-1285, and an undifferentiated large cell lung carcinoma cell line, U-1810, differ in radiosensitivity in parallel to the clinical radiosensitivity of the kind of tumors from which they are derived. The surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF2) was 0.25 that of U-1285 cells and 0.88 that of U-1810 cells. We investigated the induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by X rays and DSB rejoining in these cell lines. To estimate the number of DSBs we used a model adapted for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The induction levels were of the same magnitude. These levels of induction do not correlate with radiosensitivity as measured by cell survival assays. Rejoining of DSBs after doses in the range of 0.50 Gy was followed for 0,15,30,60 and 120 min. We found a difference in the velocity of repair during the first hour after irradiation which is parallel to the differences in radiosensitivity. Thus U-1810 cells exhibit a fast component of repair, with about half of the DSBs being rejoined during the first 15 min, whereas U-1285 cells lack such a fast component, with only about 5% of the DSBs being rejoined after the same time. In addition there was a numerical albeit not statistical difference at 120 min, with more residual DSBs in the U-1285 cells compared to the U-1810 cells. 36 refs., 5 figs

  3. The Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells (Nfat) Transcription Factor Nfatp (Nfatc2) Is a Repressor of Chondrogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranger, Ann M.; Gerstenfeld, Louis C.; Wang, Jinxi; Kon, Tamiyo; Bae, Hyunsu; Gravallese, Ellen M.; Glimcher, Melvin J.; Glimcher, Laurie H.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factors regulate gene expression in lymphocytes and control cardiac valve formation. Here, we report that NFATp regulates chondrogenesis in the adult animal. In mice lacking NFATp, resident cells in the extraarticular connective tissues spontaneously differentiate to cartilage. These cartilage cells progressively differentiate and the tissue undergoes endochondral ossification, recapitulating the development of endochondral bone. Proliferation of already existing articular cartilage cells also occurs in some older animals. At both sites, neoplastic changes in the cartilage cells occur. Consistent with these data, NFATp expression is regulated in mesenchymal stem cells induced to differentiate along a chondrogenic pathway. Lack of NFATp in articular cartilage cells results in increased expression of cartilage markers, whereas overexpression of NFATp in cartilage cell lines extinguishes the cartilage phenotype. Thus, NFATp is a repressor of cartilage cell growth and differentiation and also has the properties of a tumor suppressor. PMID:10620601

  4. Single-cell analysis reveals early manifestation of cancerous phenotype in pre-malignant esophageal cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiangxin Wang

    Full Text Available Cellular heterogeneity plays a pivotal role in a variety of functional processes in vivo including carcinogenesis. However, our knowledge about cell-to-cell diversity and how differences in individual cells manifest in alterations at the population level remains very limited mainly due to the lack of appropriate tools enabling studies at the single-cell level. We present a study on changes in cellular heterogeneity in the context of pre-malignant progression in response to hypoxic stress. Utilizing pre-malignant progression of Barrett's esophagus (BE as a disease model system we studied molecular mechanisms underlying the progression from metaplastic to dysplastic (pre-cancerous stage. We used newly developed methods enabling measurements of cell-to-cell differences in copy numbers of mitochondrial DNA, expression levels of a set of mitochondrial and nuclear genes involved in hypoxia response pathways, and mitochondrial membrane potential. In contrast to bulk cell studies reported earlier, our study shows significant differences between metaplastic and dysplastic BE cells in both average values and single-cell parameter distributions of mtDNA copy numbers, mitochondrial function, and mRNA expression levels of studied genes. Based on single-cell data analysis, we propose that mitochondria may be one of the key factors in pre-malignant progression in BE.

  5. Do semantic standards lack quality? A survey among 34 semantic standards

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Folmer, E.J.A.; Oude Luttighuis, P.H.W.M.; Hillegersberg, J. van

    2011-01-01

    The adoption of standards to improve interoperability in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and other sectors could save billions. While interoperability standards have been created for a number of industries, problems persist, suggesting a lack of quality of the standards themselves. The issue

  6. Do semantic standards lack quality? A survey among 34 semantic standards.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Folmer, Erwin Johan Albert; Oude Luttighuis, Paul; van Hillegersberg, Jos

    2011-01-01

    The adoption of standards to improve interoperability in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and other sectors could save billions. While interoperability standards have been created for a number of industries, problems persist, suggesting a lack of quality of the standards themselves. The issue

  7. Cell differentiation through tissue elasticity-coupled, myosin-driven remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zajac, Allison L; Discher, Dennis E

    2008-12-01

    Cells may lack eyes to see and ears to hear, but cells do seem to have a sense of 'touch' that allows them to feel their microenvironment. This is achieved in part through contractility coupled adhesion to physically flexible 'soft' tissue. Here we summarize some of the known variations in elasticity of solid tissue and review some of the long-term effects of cells 'feeling' this elasticity, focusing on differentiation processes of both committed cell types and stem cells. We then highlight what is known of molecular remodeling in cells under stress on short time scales. Key roles for forces generated by ubiquitous and essential myosin-II motors in feedback remodeling are emphasized throughout.

  8. Identification of dendritic cells, B cell and T cell subsets in Tasmanian devil lymphoid tissue; evidence for poor immune cell infiltration into devil facial tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howson, Lauren J; Morris, Katrina M; Kobayashi, Takumi; Tovar, Cesar; Kreiss, Alexandre; Papenfuss, Anthony T; Corcoran, Lynn; Belov, Katherine; Woods, Gregory M

    2014-05-01

    The Tasmanian devil is under threat of extinction due to the transmissible devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). This fatal tumor is an allograft that does not induce an immune response, raising questions about the activity of Tasmanian devil immune cells. T and B cell analysis has been limited by a lack of antibodies, hence the need to produce such reagents. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that CD4, CD8, IgM, and IgG were closely related to other marsupials. Monoclonal antibodies were produced against CD4, CD8, IgM, and IgG by generating bacterial fusion proteins. These, and commercial antibodies against CD1a and CD83, identified T cells, B cells and dendritic cells by immunohistochemistry. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were identified in pouch young thymus, adult lymph nodes, spleen, bronchus- and gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Their anatomical distribution was characteristic of mammalian lymphoid tissues with more CD4(+) than CD8(+) cells in lymph nodes and splenic white pulp. IgM(+) and IgG(+) B cells were identified in adult lymph nodes, spleen, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue and gut-associated lymphoid tissue, with more IgM(+) than IgG(+) cells. Dendritic cells were identified in lymph node, spleen and skin. This distribution is consistent with eutherian mammals and other marsupials, indicating they have the immune cell subsets for an anti-tumor immunity. Devil facial tumor disease tumors contained more CD8(+) than CD4(+) cells, but in low numbers. There were also low numbers of CD1a(+) and MHC class II(+) cells, but no CD83(+) IgM(+) or IgG(+) B cells, consistent with poor immune cell infiltration. © 2014 The Authors. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Distinct requirements for activation of NKT and NK cells during viral infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyznik, Aaron J; Verma, Shilpi; Wang, Qiao; Kronenberg, Mitchell; Benedict, Chris A

    2014-04-15

    NK cells are key regulators of innate defense against mouse CMV (MCMV). Like NK cells, NKT cells also produce high levels of IFN-γ rapidly after MCMV infection. However, whether similar mechanisms govern activation of these two cell types, as well as the significance of NKT cells for host resistance, remain unknown. In this article, we show that, although both NKT and NK cells are activated via cytokines, their particular cytokine requirements differ significantly in vitro and in vivo. IL-12 is required for NKT cell activation in vitro but is not sufficient, whereas NK cells have the capacity to be activated more promiscuously in response to individual cytokines from innate cells. In line with these results, GM-CSF-derived dendritic cells activated only NK cells upon MCMV infection, consistent with their virtual lack of IL-12 production, whereas Flt3 ligand-derived dendritic cells produced IL-12 and activated both NK and NKT cells. In vivo, NKT cell activation was abolished in IL-12(-/-) mice infected with MCMV, whereas NK cells were still activated. In turn, splenic NK cell activation was more IL-18 dependent. The differential requirements for IL-12 and IL-18 correlated with the levels of cytokine receptor expression by NK and NKT cells. Finally, mice lacking NKT cells showed reduced control of MCMV, and depleting NK cells further enhanced viral replication. Taken together, our results show that NKT and NK cells have differing requirements for cytokine-mediated activation, and both can contribute nonredundantly to MCMV defense, revealing that these two innate lymphocyte subsets function together to fine-tune antiviral responses.

  10. Cell Competition Drives the Formation of Metastatic Tumors in a Drosophila Model of Epithelial Tumor Formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eichenlaub, Teresa; Cohen, Stephen M; Herranz, Héctor

    2016-01-01

    . The mechanisms that allow for ongoing cell competition during adult life could, in principle, contribute to tumorigenesis. However, direct evidence supporting this hypothesis has been lacking. Here, we provide evidence that cell competition drives tumor formation in a Drosophila model of epithelial cancer. Cells...

  11. Cancer stem cell definitions and terminology : the devil is in the details

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Valent, Peter; Bonnet, Dominique; De Maria, Ruggero; Lapidot, Tsvee; Copland, Mhairi; Melo, Junia V.; Chomienne, Christine; Ishikawa, Fumihiko; Schuringa, Jan Jacob; Stassi, Giorgio; Huntly, Brian; Herrmann, Harald; Soulier, Jean; Roesch, Alexander; Schuurhuis, Gerrit Jan; Woehrer, Stefan; Arock, Michel; Zuber, Johannes; Cerny-Reiterer, Sabine; Johnsen, Hans E.; Andreeff, Michael; Eaves, Connie

    The cancer stem cell (CSC) concept has important therapeutic implications, but its investigation has been hampered both by a lack of consistency in the terms used for these cells and by how they are defined. Evidence of their heterogeneous origins, frequencies and their genomic, as well as their

  12. Yeast Cells Lacking the CIT1-encoded Mitochondrial Citrate Synthase Are Hypersusceptible to Heat- or Aging-induced Apoptosis

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Yong Joo; Hoe, Kwang Lae; Maeng, Pil Jae

    2007-01-01

    In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the initial reaction of the tricarboxylic acid cycle is catalyzed by the mitochondrial citrate synthase Cit1. The function of Cit1 has previously been studied mainly in terms of acetate utilization and metabolon construction. Here, we report the relationship between the function of Cit1 and apoptosis. Yeast cells with cit1 deletion showed a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype, and they displayed a rapid loss in viability associated with typical apoptotic hallma...

  13. The Lack of Motivation to Pursue Postsecondary Education among Hmong Students: A Grounded Theory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Xang

    2015-01-01

    In rural areas, a lack of motivation to pursue a postsecondary degree continues to affect Hmong students at the postsecondary education level. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory research was to create a model based on the exploration of the lack of motivation to pursue postsecondary education among Hmong high school students.…

  14. Factors associated with lack of prenatal care in a large municipality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Quadrado da Rosa

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To analyze the factors associated with a lack of prenatal care in a large municipality in southern Brazil. METHODS In this case-control age-matched study, 716 women were evaluated; of these, 179 did not receive prenatal care and 537 received prenatal care (controls. These women were identified using the Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (Live Birth Information System of Pelotas, RS, Southern Brazil, between 2009 and 2010. Multivariate analysis was performed using conditional logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (OR. RESULTS In the final model, the variables associated with a lack of prenatal care were the level of education, particularly when it was lesser than four years [OR 4.46; 95% confidence interval (CI 1.92;10.36], being single (OR 3.61; 95%CI 1.85;7.04, and multiparity (OR 2.89; 95%CI 1.72;4.85. The prevalence of a lack of prenatal care among administrative regions varied between 0.7% and 3.9%. CONCLUSIONS The risk factors identified must be considered when planning actions for the inclusion of women in prenatal care by both the central management and healthcare teams. These indicated the municipal areas with greater deficits in prenatal care. The reorganization of the actions to identify women with risk factors in the community can be considered to be a starting point of this process. In addition, the integration of the activities of local programs that target the mother and child is essential to constantly identify pregnant women without prenatal care.

  15. PRMT7 Preserves Satellite Cell Regenerative Capacity

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    Roméo Sébastien Blanc

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Regeneration of skeletal muscle requires the continued presence of quiescent muscle stem cells (satellite cells, which become activated in response to injury. Here, we report that whole-body protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT7−/− adult mice and mice conditionally lacking PRMT7 in satellite cells using Pax7-CreERT2 both display a significant reduction in satellite cell function, leading to defects in regenerative capacity upon muscle injury. We show that PRMT7 is preferentially expressed in activated satellite cells and, interestingly, PRMT7-deficient satellite cells undergo cell-cycle arrest and premature cellular senescence. These defects underlie poor satellite cell stem cell capacity to regenerate muscle and self-renew after injury. PRMT7-deficient satellite cells express elevated levels of the CDK inhibitor p21CIP1 and low levels of its repressor, DNMT3b. Restoration of DNMT3b in PRMT7-deficient cells rescues PRMT7-mediated senescence. Our findings define PRMT7 as a regulator of the DNMT3b/p21 axis required to maintain muscle stem cell regenerative capacity.

  16. Reincarnation and the Lack of Imagination in Philosophy

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    Mikel Burley

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available It has been observed, by D. Z. Phillips among others, that philosophy suffers from a “lack of imagination”. That is, philosophers often fail to see possibilities of sense in forms of life and discourse due to narrow habits of thinking. This is especially problematic in the philosophy of religion, not least when cross-cultural modes of inquiry are called for. This article examines the problem in relation to the philosophical investigation of reincarnation beliefs in particular. As a remedial strategy, I argue for increased attention both to ethnographic sources and to the articulation of distinctively religious moral visions that reincarnation-talk facilitates.

  17. Lym-1 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Exhibit Potent Anti-Tumor Effects against B-Cell Lymphoma

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    Long Zheng

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs recognizing CD19 epitopes have produced remarkable anti-tumor effects in patients with B-cell malignancies. However, cancer cells lacking recognized epitopes can emerge, leading to relapse and death. Thus, CAR T cells targeting different epitopes on different antigens could improve immunotherapy. The Lym-1 antibody targets a conformational epitope of Human Leukocyte Antigen-antigen D Related (HLA-DR on the surface of human B-cell lymphomas. Lym-1 CAR T cells were thus generated for evaluation of cytotoxic activity towards lymphoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Human T cells from healthy donors were transduced to express a Lym-1 CAR, and assessed for epitope-driven function in culture and towards Raji xenografts in NOD-scidIL2Rgammanull (NSG mice. Lym-1 CAR T cells exhibited epitope-driven activation and lytic function against human B-cell lymphoma cell lines in culture and mediated complete regression of Raji/Luciferase-Green fluorescent protein (Raji/Luc-GFP in NSG mice with similar or better reactivity than CD19 CAR T cells. Lym-1 CAR transduction of T cells is a promising immunotherapy for patients with Lym-1 epitope positive B-cell malignancies.

  18. Non-cell-autonomous stimulation of stem cell proliferation following ablation of Tcf3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yi, Fei; Merrill, Bradley J.

    2010-01-01

    A combination of cell intrinsic factors and extracellular signals determine whether mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) divide, self-renew, and differentiate. Here, we report a new interaction between cell intrinsic aspects of the canonical Wnt/Tcf/β-catenin signaling pathway and extracellular Lif/Jak/Stat3 stimulation that combines to promote self-renewal and proliferation of ESC. Mutant ESC lacking the Tcf3 transcriptional repressor continue to self-renew in the absence of exogenous Lif and through pharmacological inhibition of Lif/Jak/Stat3 signaling; however, proliferation rates of TCF3-/- ESC were significantly decreased by inhibiting Jak/Stat3 activity. Cell mixing experiments showed that stimulation of Stat3 phosphorylation in TCF3-/- ESC was mediated through secretion of paracrine acting factors, but did not involve elevated Lif or LifR transcription. The new interaction between Wnt and Lif/Jak/Stat3 signaling pathways has potential for new insights into the growth of tumors caused by aberrant activity of Wnt/Tcf/β-catenin signaling.

  19. Five reasons for the lack of nursing students' motivation to learn public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudo, Yasushi; Hayashi, Sachiko; Yoshimura, Emiko; Tsunoda, Masashi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shibuya, Akitaka; Aizawa, Yoshiharu

    2013-11-01

    Prevention is better than cure. Public health plays an important role in promoting prevent medicine. To obtain the abilities to provide appropriate nursing services, learning public health is necessary for students who want to become registered nurses. When teachers teach public health to nursing students, it is important to motivate them to learn it. Therefore, we investigated the reasons for the lack of motivation to learn public health by conducting a questionnaire survey. The subjects were female nursing students in 29 vocational schools in Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures of Japan that allow graduation after a 3-year study period. We asked the students whether or not they had completed the subject of public health and analyzed those students who answered affirmatively. We analyzed 1,553 respondents whose average age was 22.6 ± 5.2 years (range, 18 to 45). Using factor analysis, we discovered the 5 reasons that lead to the lack of nursing students' motivation to learn public health: "Difficulties acquiring knowledge of public health," "Inappropriate attitudes of public health teachers," "Thinking lightly about the national examination in the field of public health," "Lack of understanding the importance of learning public health," and "Future plans that do not specialize in public health." Using multiple linear regression analysis, these 5 reasons were significant predictors for the lack of students' motivation. Older students also had significantly less motivation to learn public health than did younger students. When teachers instruct their students, they should teach public health better with the present knowledge.

  20. Impact of Autologous and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas

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    Peter Reimer

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Peripheral T/NK-cell lymphomas (PTCLs are rare malignancies characterized by poor prognosis. So far, no standard therapy has been established, due to the lack of randomised studies. High-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT-autoSCT have shown good feasibility with low toxicity in retrospective studies. In relapsing and refractory PTCL several comparison analyses suggest similar efficacy for PTCL when compared with aggressive B-cell lymphoma. In the upfront setting, prospective data show promising results with a long-lasting overall survival in a relevant subset of patients. Achieving a complete remission at transplantation seems to be the most important prognostic factor. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT has been investigated only as salvage treatment. Especially when using reduced intensity conditioning regimen, eligible patients seem to benefit from this approach. To define the role for upfront stem cell transplantation a randomised trial by the German High-Grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group comparing HDT-autoSCT and alloSCT will be initiated this year.

  1. Uveal Melanoma Cell Lines: Where do they come from? (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jager, Martine J; Magner, J Antonio Bermudez; Ksander, Bruce R; Dubovy, Sander R

    2016-08-01

    To determine whether some of the most often used uveal melanoma cell lines resemble their original tumor. Analysis of the literature, patient charts, histopathology, mutations, chromosome status, HLA type, and expression of melanocyte markers on cell lines and their primary tumors. We examined five cell lines and the primary tumors from which they were derived. Four of the five examined primary tumors were unusual: one occupied the orbit, two were recurrences after prior irradiation, and one developed in an eye with a nevus of Ota. One cell line did not contain the GNA11 mutation, but it was present in the primary tumor. Three of the primary tumors had monosomy 3 (two of these lacked BAP1 expression); however, all five cell lines showed disomy 3 and BAP1 expression. All of the cell lines had gain of 8q. Two cell lines lacked expression of melanocyte markers, although these were present in the corresponding primary tumor. All cell lines could be traced back to their original uveal melanoma. Four of the five primary tumors were unusual. Cell lines often differed from their primary tumor in chromosome status and melanocyte markers. However, their specific chromosome aberrations and capacity to continue proliferation characterize them as uveal melanoma cell lines.

  2. Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-mediated generation of knockin human pluripotent stem cells lacking undesired mutations at the targeted locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merkle, Florian T; Neuhausser, Werner M; Santos, David; Valen, Eivind; Gagnon, James A; Maas, Kristi; Sandoe, Jackson; Schier, Alexander F; Eggan, Kevin

    2015-05-12

    The CRISPR-Cas9 system has the potential to revolutionize genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), but its advantages and pitfalls are still poorly understood. We systematically tested the ability of CRISPR-Cas9 to mediate reporter gene knockin at 16 distinct genomic sites in hPSCs. We observed efficient gene targeting but found that targeted clones carried an unexpectedly high frequency of insertion and deletion (indel) mutations at both alleles of the targeted gene. These indels were induced by Cas9 nuclease, as well as Cas9-D10A single or dual nickases, and often disrupted gene function. To overcome this problem, we designed strategies to physically destroy or separate CRISPR target sites at the targeted allele and developed a bioinformatic pipeline to identify and eliminate clones harboring deleterious indels at the other allele. This two-pronged approach enables the reliable generation of knockin hPSC reporter cell lines free of unwanted mutations at the targeted locus. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Multinuclear giant cell formation is enhanced by down-regulation of Wnt signaling in gastric cancer cell line, AGS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Shi-Mun; Kim, Rockki; Ryu, Jae-Hyun; Jho, Eek-Hoon; Song, Ki-Joon; Jang, Shyh-Ing; Kee, Sun-Ho

    2005-01-01

    AGS cells, which were derived from malignant gastric adenocarcinoma tissue, lack E-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion but have a high level of nuclear β-catenin, which suggests altered Wnt signal. In addition, approximately 5% of AGS cells form multinuclear giant cells in the routine culture conditions, while taxol treatment causes most AGS cells to become giant cells. The observation of reduced nuclear β-catenin levels in giant cells induced by taxol treatment prompted us to investigate the relationship between Wnt signaling and giant cell formation. After overnight serum starvation, the shape of AGS cells became flattened, and this morphological change was accompanied by decrease in Myc expression and an increase in the giant cell population. Lithium chloride treatment, which inhibits GSK3β activity, reversed these serum starvation effects, which suggests an inverse relationship between Wnt signaling and giant cell formation. Furthermore, the down-regulation of Wnt signaling caused by the over-expression of ICAT, E-cadherin, and Axin enhanced giant cell formation. Therefore, down-regulation of Wnt signaling may be related to giant cell formation, which is considered to be a survival mechanism against induced cell death

  4. Endothelial progenitor cell-based neovascularization : implications for therapy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krenning, Guido; van Luyn, Marja J. A.; Harmsen, Martin C.

    Ischemic cardiovascular events are a major cause of death globally. Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-based approaches can result in improvement of vascular perfusion and might offer clinical benefit. However, although functional improvement is observed, the lack of long-term engraftment of EPCs

  5. Delicate balance among three types of T cells in concurrent regulation of tumor immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izhak, Liat; Ambrosino, Elena; Kato, Shingo; Parish, Stanley T; O'Konek, Jessica J; Weber, Hannah; Xia, Zheng; Venzon, David; Berzofsky, Jay A; Terabe, Masaki

    2013-03-01

    The nature of the regulatory cell types that dominate in any given tumor is not understood at present. Here, we addressed this question for regulatory T cells (Treg) and type II natural killer T (NKT) cells in syngeneic models of colorectal and renal cancer. In mice with both type I and II NKT cells, or in mice with neither type of NKT cell, Treg depletion was sufficient to protect against tumor outgrowth. Surprisingly, in mice lacking only type I NKT cells, Treg blockade was insufficient for protection. Thus, we hypothesized that type II NKT cells may be neutralized by type I NKT cells, leaving Tregs as the primary suppressor, whereas in mice lacking type I NKT cells, unopposed type II NKT cells could suppress tumor immunity even when Tregs were blocked. We confirmed this hypothesis in 3 ways by reconstituting type I NKT cells as well as selectively blocking or activating type II NKT cells with antibody or the agonist sulfatide, respectively. In this manner, we showed that blockade of both type II NKT cells and Tregs is necessary to abrogate suppression of tumor immunity, but a third cell, the type I NKT cell, determines the balance between these regulatory mechanisms. As patients with cancer often have deficient type I NKT cell function, managing this delicate balance among 3 T-cell subsets may be critical for the success of immunotherapy for human cancer. ©2012 AACR.

  6. Cell therapy worldwide: an incipient revolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Mahendra; Mason, Chris; Solomon, Susan

    2015-01-01

    The regenerative medicine field is large, diverse and active worldwide. A variety of different organizational and product models have been successful, and pioneering entrepreneurs have shown both what can work and, critically, what does not. Evolving regulations, novel funding mechanisms combined with new technological breakthroughs are keeping the field in a state of flux. The field struggles to cope with the lack of infrastructure and investment, it nevertheless has evolved from its roots in human stem cell therapy and tissue and organ transplants to a field composed of a variety of products from multiple cell sources with approval for use in numerous countries. Currently, tens of thousands of patients have been treated with some kind of cell therapy.

  7. Mice lacking the synaptic adhesion molecule Neph2/Kirrel3 display moderate hyperactivity and defective novel object preference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su Yeon eChoi

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Synaptic adhesion molecules regulate diverse aspects of neuronal synapse development, including synapse specificity, formation, and maturation. Neph2, also known as Kirrel3, is an immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecule implicated in intellectual disability, neurocognitive delay associated with Jacobsen syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders. We here report mice lacking Neph2 (Neph2–/– mice display moderate hyperactivity in a familiar but not novel environment and novel object recognition deficit with normal performances in Morris water maze spatial learning and memory, contextual fear conditioning and extinction, and pattern separation tests. These mice show normal levels of anxiety-like behaviors, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. At the synapse level, Neph2–/– dentate gyrus granule cells exhibit unaltered dendritic spine density and spontaneous excitatory synaptic transmission. These results suggest that Neph2 is important for normal locomotor activity and object recognition memory.

  8. Perspectives on Regulatory T Cell Therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Probst-Kepper, Michael; Kröger, Andrea; Garritsen, Henk S P; Buer, Jan

    2009-01-01

    Adoptive transfer in animal models clearly indicate an essential role of CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T (T(reg)) cells in prevention and treatment of autoimmune and graft-versus-host disease. Thus, T(reg) cell therapies and development of drugs that specifically enhance T(reg) cell function and development represent promising tools to establish dominant tolerance. So far, lack of specific markers to differentiate human T(reg) cells from activated CD4+ CD25+ effector T cells, which also express FOXP3 at different levels, hampered such an approach. Recent identification of the orphan receptor glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP or LRRC32) as T(reg) cell-specific key molecule that dominantly controls FOXP3 via a positive feedback loop opens up new perspectives for molecular and cellular therapies. This brief review focuses on the role of GARP as a safeguard of a complex regulatory network of human T(reg) cells and its implications for regulatory T cell therapies in autoimmunity and graft-versus-host disease.

  9. Lack of color integration in visual short-term memory binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parra, Mario A; Cubelli, Roberto; Della Sala, Sergio

    2011-10-01

    Bicolored objects are retained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) less efficiently than unicolored objects. This is unlike shape-color combinations, whose retention in VSTM does not differ from that observed for shapes only. It is debated whether this is due to a lack of color integration and whether this may reflect the function of separate memory mechanisms. Participants judged whether the colors of bicolored objects (each with an external and an internalcolor) were the same or different across two consecutive screens. Colors had to be remembered either individually or in combination. In Experiment 1, external colors in the combined colors condition were remembered better than the internal colors, and performance for both was worse than that in the individual colors condition. The lack of color integration observed in Experiment 1 was further supported by a reduced capacity of VSTM to retain color combinations, relative to individual colors (Experiment 2). An additional account was found in Experiment 3, which showed spared color-color binding in the presence of impaired shape-color binding in a brain-damaged patient, thus suggesting that these two memory mechanisms are different.

  10. Cells deficient in PARP-1 show an accelerated accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, but not AP sites, over the PARP-1-proficient cells exposed to MMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pachkowski, Brian F. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Tano, Keizo [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori (Japan); Afonin, Valeriy [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Elder, Rhoderick H. [School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Greater Manchester (United Kingdom); Takeda, Shunichi [Department of Radiation Genetics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan); Watanabe, Masami [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori (Japan); Swenberg, James A. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Nakamura, Jun, E-mail: ynakamur@email.unc.edu [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

    2009-12-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a base excision repair (BER) protein that binds to DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and subsequently synthesizes and transfers poly(ADP-ribose) polymers to various nuclear proteins. Numerous biochemical studies have implicated PARP-1 as a modulator of BER; however, the role of PARP-1 in BER in living cells remains unclear partly due to lack of accurate quantitation of BER intermediates existing in cells. Since DT40 cells, chicken B lymphocytes, naturally lack PARP-2, DT40 cells allow for the investigation of the PARP-1 null phenotype without confounding by PARP-2. To test the hypothesis that PARP-1 is necessary for efficient BER during methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) exposure in vertebrate cells, intact DT40 cells and their isogenic PARP-1 null counterparts were challenged with different exposure scenarios for phenotypic characterization. With chronic exposure, PARP-1 null cells exhibited sensitivity to MMS but with an acute exposure did not accumulate base lesions or AP sites to a greater extent than wild-type cells. However, an increase in SSB content in PARP-1 null cell DNA, as indicated by glyoxal gel electrophoresis under neutral conditions, suggested the presence of BER intermediates. These data suggest that during exposure, PARP-1 impacts the stage of BER after excision of the deoxyribosephosphate moiety from the 5' end of DNA strand breaks by polymerase {beta}.

  11. Calcium Signaling in Taste Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medler, Kathryn F.

    2014-01-01

    The sense of taste is a common ability shared by all organisms and is used to detect nutrients as well as potentially harmful compounds. Thus taste is critical to survival. Despite its importance, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms generating and regulating responses to taste stimuli. All taste responses depend on calcium signals to generate appropriate responses which are relayed to the brain. Some taste cells have conventional synapses and rely on calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels. Other taste cells lack these synapses and depend on calcium release to formulate an output signal through a hemichannel. Beyond establishing these characteristics, few studies have focused on understanding how these calcium signals are formed. We identified multiple calcium clearance mechanisms that regulate calcium levels in taste cells as well as a calcium influx that contributes to maintaining appropriate calcium homeostasis in these cells. Multiple factors regulate the evoked taste signals with varying roles in different cell populations. Clearly, calcium signaling is a dynamic process in taste cells and is more complex than has previously been appreciated. PMID:25450977

  12. Single-cell analysis of growth and cell division of the anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anouchka eFievet

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding basic bacterial cell cycle properties such as cell growth and cell division. While characterization and regulation of bacterial cell cycle is quite well documented in the case of fast growing aerobic model organisms, no data has been so far reported for anaerobic bacteria. This lack of information in anaerobic microorganisms can mainly be explained by the absence of molecular and cellular tools such as single cell microscopy and fluorescent probes usable for anaerobes and essential to study cellular events and/or subcellular localization of the actors involved in cell cycle.In this study, single-cell microscopy has been adapted to study for the first time, in real time, the cell cycle of a bacterial anaerobe, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH. This single-cell analysis provides mechanistic insights into the cell division cycle of DvH, which seems to be governed by the recently discussed so-called incremental model that generates remarkably homogeneous cell sizes. Furthermore, cell division was reversibly blocked during oxygen exposure. This may constitute a strategy for anaerobic cells to cope with transient exposure to oxygen that they may encounter in their natural environment, thereby contributing to their aerotolerance. This study lays the foundation for the first molecular, single-cell assay that will address factors that cannot otherwise be resolved in bulk assays and that will allow visualization of a wide range of molecular mechanisms within living anaerobic cells.

  13. Ordered patterns of cell shape and orientational correlation during spontaneous cell migration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusuke T Maeda

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the absence of stimuli, most motile eukaryotic cells move by spontaneously coordinating cell deformation with cell movement in the absence of stimuli. Yet little is known about how cells change their own shape and how cells coordinate the deformation and movement. Here, we investigated the mechanism of spontaneous cell migration by using computational analyses. METHODOLOGY: We observed spontaneously migrating Dictyostelium cells in both a vegetative state (round cell shape and slow motion and starved one (elongated cell shape and fast motion. We then extracted regular patterns of morphological dynamics and the pattern-dependent systematic coordination with filamentous actin (F-actin and cell movement by statistical dynamic analyses. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We found that Dictyostelium cells in both vegetative and starved states commonly organize their own shape into three ordered patterns, elongation, rotation, and oscillation, in the absence of external stimuli. Further, cells inactivated for PI3-kinase (PI3K and/or PTEN did not show ordered patterns due to the lack of spatial control in pseudopodial formation in both the vegetative and starved states. We also found that spontaneous polarization was achieved in starved cells by asymmetric localization of PTEN and F-actin. This breaking of the symmetry of protein localization maintained the leading edge and considerably enhanced the persistence of directed migration, and overall random exploration was ensured by switching among the different ordered patterns. Our findings suggest that Dictyostelium cells spontaneously create the ordered patterns of cell shape mediated by PI3K/PTEN/F-actin and control the direction of cell movement by coordination with these patterns even in the absence of external stimuli.

  14. Lack of effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics in DARPP-32 and NCS-1 levels in PC12 cells overexpressing NCS-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reis Helton J

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Schizophrenia is the major psychiatry disorder, which the exact cause remains unknown. However, it is well known that dopamine-mediated neurotransmission imbalance is associated with this pathology and the main target of antipsychotics is the dopamine receptor D2. Recently, it was described alteration in levels of two dopamine signaling related proteins in schizophrenic prefrontal cortex (PFC: Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1 (NCS-1 and DARPP-32. NCS-1, which is upregulated in PFC of schizophrenics, inhibits D2 internalization. DARPP-32, which is decreased in PFC of schizophrenics, is a key downstream effector in transducing dopamine signaling. We previously demonstrated that antipsychotics do not change levels of both proteins in rat's brain. However, since NCS-1 and DARPP-32 levels are not altered in wild type rats, we treated wild type PC12 cells (PC12 WT and PC12 cells stably overexpressing NCS-1 (PC12 Clone with antipsychotics to investigate if NCS-1 upregulation modulates DARPP-32 expression in response to antipsychotics treatment. Results We chronically treated both PC12 WT and PC12 Clone cells with typical (Haloperidol or atypical (Clozapine and Risperidone antipsychotics for 14 days. Using western blot technique we observed that there is no change in NCS-1 and DARPP-32 protein levels in both PC12 WT and PC12 Clone cells after typical and atypical antipsychotic treatments. Conclusions Because we observed no alteration in NCS-1 and DARPP-32 levels in both PC12 WT and Clone cells treated with typical or atypical antipsychotics, we suggest that the alteration in levels of both proteins in schizophrenic's PFC is related to psychopathology but not with antipsychotic treatment.

  15. Surface topography of hairy cell leukemia cells compared to other leukemias as seen by scanning electron microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polliack, Aaron; Tadmor, Tamar

    2011-06-01

    This short review deals with the ultrastructural surface architecture of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) compared to other leukemic cells, as seen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The development of improved techniques for preparing blood cells for SEM in the 1970s readily enabled these features to be visualized more accurately. This review returns us to the earlier history of SEM, when the surface topography of normal and neoplastic cells was visualized and reported for the first time, in an era before the emergence and use of monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, now used routinely to define cells by their immunophenotype. Surface microvilli are characteristic for normal and leukemic lymphoid cells, myelo-monocytic cells lack microvilli and show surface ruffles, while leukemic plasma and myeloma cells and megakaryocytes display large surface blebs. HCL cell surfaces are complex and typically 'hybrid' in nature, displaying both lymphoid and monocytic features with florid ruffles of varying sizes interspersed with clumps of short microvilli cytoplasm. The surface features of other leukemic cells and photomicrographs of immuno-SEM labeling of cells employing antibodies and colloidal gold, reported more than 20 years ago, are shown.

  16. Unicellular cyanobacteria with a new mode of life: the lack of photosynthetic oxygen evolution allows nitrogen fixation to proceed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bothe, Hermann; Tripp, H James; Zehr, Jonathan P

    2010-10-01

    Some unicellular N(2)-fixing cyanobacteria have recently been found to lack a functional photosystem II of photosynthesis. Such organisms, provisionally termed UCYN-A, of the oceanic picoplanktion are major contributors to the global marine N-input by N(2)-fixation. Since their photosystem II is inactive, they can perform N(2)-fixation during the day. UCYN-A organisms cannot be cultivated as yet. Their genomic analysis indicates that they lack genes coding for enzymes of the Calvin cycle, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and for the biosynthesis of several amino acids. The carbon source in the ocean that allows them to thrive in such high abundance has not been identified. Their genomic analysis implies that they metabolize organic carbon by a new mode of life. These unicellular N(2)-fixing cyanobacteria of the oceanic picoplankton are evolutionarily related to spheroid bodies present in diatoms of the family Epithemiaceae, such as Rhopalodia gibba. More recently, spheroid bodies were ultimately proven to be related to cyanobacteria and to express nitrogenase. They have been reported to be completely inactive in all photosynthetic reactions despite the presence of thylakoids. Sequence data show that R. gibba and its spheroid bodies are an evolutionarily young symbiosis that might serve as a model system to unravel early events in the evolution of chloroplasts. The cell metabolism of UCYN-A and the spheroid bodies may be related to that of the acetate photoassimilating green alga Chlamydobotrys.

  17. Study of cancer cell lines with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)/vibrational absorption (VA) spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uceda Otero, E. P.; Eliel, G. S. N.; Fonseca, E. J. S.

    2013-01-01

    In this work we have used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) / vibrational absorption (VA) spectroscopy to study two cancer cell lines: the Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) human cervix carcinoma and 5637 human bladder carcinoma cell lines. Our goal is to experimentally investigate biochemical changes...

  18. Lack of Melanopsin Is Associated with Extreme Weight Loss in Mice upon Dietary Challenge.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Didem Göz Aytürk

    Full Text Available Metabolic disorders have been established as major risk factors for ocular complications and poor vision. However, little is known about the inverse possibility that ocular disease may cause metabolic dysfunction. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the metabolic consequences of a robust dietary challenge in several mouse models suffering from retinal mutations. To this end, mice null for melanopsin (Opn4-/-, the photopigment of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs, were subjected to five weeks of a ketogenic diet. These mice lost significantly more weight than wild-type controls or mice lacking rod and cone photoreceptors (Pde6brd1/rd1. Although ipRGCs are critical for proper circadian entrainment, and circadian misalignment has been implicated in metabolic pathology, we observed no differences in entrainment between Opn4-/- and control mice. Additionally, we observed no differences in any tested metabolic parameter between these mouse strains. Further studies are required to establish the mechanism giving rise to this dramatic phenotype observed in melanopsin-null mice. We conclude that the causality between ocular disease and metabolic disorders merits further investigation due to the popularity of diets that rely on the induction of a ketogenic state. Our study is a first step toward understanding retinal pathology as a potential cause of metabolic dysfunction.

  19. Analysis of the lack of scientific and technological talents of high-level women in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wang

    2017-08-01

    The growth and development of high-level female scientific and technological talents has become a global problem, facing severe challenges. The lack of high-level women in science and technology has become a global problem. How to recruit and help female scientists and technological talents grow raises awareness from the industry. To find out the main reasons for the lack of high-level female scientific and technological talent. This paper analyses the impact of gender discrimination on the lack of high-level female scientific and technological talents, the impact of disciplinary differences on female roles. The main reasons are: women’s natural disadvantage of mathematical thinking; female birth, the traditional culture on the role of women and the impact of values.

  20. Forecastable and Guidable Bubble-Propelled Microplate Motors for Cell Transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Narisu; Zhang, Bin; Gai, Meiyu; Zheng, Ce; Frueh, Johannes; He, Qiang

    2017-06-01

    Cell transport is important to renew body functions and organs with stem cells, or to attack cancer cells with immune cells. The main hindrances of this method are the lack of understanding of cell motion as well as proper transport systems. In this publication, bubble-propelled polyelectrolyte microplates are used for controlled transport and guidance of HeLa cells. Cells survive attachment on the microplates and up to 22 min in 5% hydrogen peroxide solution. They can be guided by a magnetic field whereby increased friction of cells attached to microplates decreases the speed by 90% compared to pristine microplates. The motion direction of the cell-motor system is easier to predict due to the cell being opposite to the bubbles. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. The hypoxic tumour cell in radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trott, K.R.; Gesellschaft fuer Strahlen- und Umweltforschung m.b.H., Neuherberg/Muenchen

    1976-01-01

    In most tumours there is a disproportion between the tumour cells and vascular connective tissue. A lack of oxygen depending on extent and duration, leads to changes of the metabolism and of the proliferative properties of the cells, to an increase of radiation resistance and to a reduction of the ability to recover from radiation injuries. Finally with longer duration, hypoxy leads to cell killing. As a result of irradiation, a reoxygenation of a part of the previous hypoxic tumour cell occurs more or less quickly. The time and topographic changes of these factors are involved in a complex manner in the radiotherapy of malignant tumours and essentially share the responsibility regarding the curative success of radiotherapy. (orig./LH) [de

  2. DNA mismatch repair gene MLH1 induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuhara, Shinichiro; Chang, Inik; Mitsui, Yozo; Chiyomaru, Takeshi; Yamamura, Soichiro; Majid, Shahana; Saini, Sharanjot; Hirata, Hiroshi; Deng, Guoren; Gill, Ankurpreet; Wong, Darryn K; Shiina, Hiroaki; Nonomura, Norio; Dahiya, Rajvir; Tanaka, Yuichiro

    2014-11-30

    Mismatch repair (MMR) enzymes have been shown to be deficient in prostate cancer (PCa). MMR can influence the regulation of tumor development in various cancers but their role on PCa has not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to determine the functional effects of the mutL-homolog 1 (MLH1) gene on growth of PCa cells. The DU145 cell line has been established as MLH1-deficient and thus, this cell line was utilized to determine effects of MLH1 by gene expression. Lack of MLH1 protein expression was confirmed by Western blotting in DU145 cells whereas levels were high in normal PWR-1E and RWPE-1 prostatic cells. MLH1-expressing stable transfectant DU145 cells were then created to characterize the effects this MMR gene has on various growth properties. Expression of MLH1 resulted in decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion properties. Lack of cell growth in vivo also indicated a tumor suppressive effect by MLH1. Interestingly, MLH1 caused an increase in apoptosis along with phosphorylated c-Abl, and treatment with MLH1 siRNAs countered this effect. Furthermore, inhibition of c-Abl with STI571 also abrogated the effect on apoptosis caused by MLH1. These results demonstrate MLH1 protects against PCa development by inducing c-Abl-mediated apoptosis.

  3. Preferential Ty1 retromobility in mother cells and nonquiescent stationary phase cells is associated with increased concentrations of total Gag or processed Gag and is inhibited by exposure to a high concentration of calcium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peifer, Andrew C; Maxwell, Patrick H

    2018-03-21

    Retrotransposons are abundant mobile DNA elements in eukaryotic genomes that are more active with age in diverse species. Details of the regulation and consequences of retrotransposon activity during aging remain to be determined. Ty1 retromobility in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is more frequent in mother cells compared to daughter cells, and we found that Ty1 was more mobile in nonquiescent compared to quiescent subpopulations of stationary phase cells. This retromobility asymmetry was absent in mutant strains lacking BRP1 that have reduced expression of the essential Pma1p plasma membrane proton pump, lacking the mRNA decay gene LSM1 , and in cells exposed to a high concentration of calcium. Mother cells had higher levels of Ty1 Gag protein than daughters. The proportion of protease-processed Gag decreased as cells transitioned to stationary phase, processed Gag was the dominant form in nonquiescent cells, but was virtually absent from quiescent cells. Treatment with calcium reduced total Gag levels and the proportion of processed Gag, particularly in mother cells. We also found that Ty1 reduced the fitness of proliferating but not stationary phase cells. These findings may be relevant to understanding regulation and consequences of retrotransposons during aging in other organisms, due to conserved impacts and regulation of retrotransposons.

  4. Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Polyglutamine Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendonça, Liliana S; Onofre, Isabel; Miranda, Catarina Oliveira; Perfeito, Rita; Nóbrega, Clévio; de Almeida, Luís Pereira

    2018-01-01

    Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a family of neurodegenerative disorders with very heterogeneous clinical presentations, although with common features such as progressive neuronal death. Thus, at the time of diagnosis patients might present an extensive and irreversible neuronal death demanding cell replacement or support provided by cell-based therapies. For this purpose stem cells, which include diverse populations ranging from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), to fetal stem cells, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have remarkable potential to promote extensive brain regeneration and recovery in neurodegenerative disorders. This regenerative potential has been demonstrated in exciting pre and clinical assays. However, despite these promising results, several drawbacks are hampering their successful clinical implementation. Problems related to ethical issues, quality control of the cells used and the lack of reliable models for the efficacy assessment of human stem cells. In this chapter the main advantages and disadvantages of the available sources of stem cells as well as their efficacy and potential to improve disease outcomes are discussed.

  5. Myeloid cells in circulation and tumor microenvironment of breast cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toor, Salman M; Syed Khaja, Azharuddin Sajid; El Salhat, Haytham; Faour, Issam; Kanbar, Jihad; Quadri, Asif A; Albashir, Mohamed; Elkord, Eyad

    2017-06-01

    Pathological conditions including cancers lead to accumulation of a morphological mixture of highly immunosuppressive cells termed as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). The lack of conclusive markers to identify human MDSC, due to their heterogeneous nature and close phenotypical and functional proximity with other cell subsets, made it challenging to identify these cells. Nevertheless, expansion of MDSC has been reported in periphery and tumor microenvironment of various cancers. The majority of studies on breast cancers were performed on murine models and hence limited literature is available on the relation of MDSC accumulation with clinical settings in breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate levels and phenotypes of myeloid cells in peripheral blood (n = 23) and tumor microenvironment of primary breast cancer patients (n = 7), compared with blood from healthy donors (n = 21) and paired non-tumor normal breast tissues from the same patients (n = 7). Using multicolor flow cytometric assays, we found that breast cancer patients had significantly higher levels of tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells, which comprised of granulocytes (P = 0.022) and immature cells that lack the expression of markers for fully differentiated monocytes or granulocytes (P = 0.016). Importantly, this expansion was not reflected in the peripheral blood. The immunosuppressive potential of these cells was confirmed by expression of Arginase 1 (ARG1), which is pivotal for T-cell suppression. These findings are important for developing therapeutic modalities to target mechanisms employed by immunosuppressive cells that generate an immune-permissive environment for the progression of cancer.

  6. Direct chromosome-length haplotyping by single-cell sequencing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Porubský, David; Sanders, Ashley D; van Wietmarschen, Niek; Falconer, Ester; Hills, Mark; Spierings, Diana C J; Bevova, Marianna R; Guryev, Victor; Lansdorp, Peter Michael

    Haplotypes are fundamental to fully characterize the diploid genome of an individual, yet methods to directly chart the unique genetic makeup of each parental chromosome are lacking. Here we introduce single-cell DNA template strand sequencing (Strand-seq) as a novel approach to phasing diploid

  7. Enhanced periodontal tissue regeneration by periodontal cell implantation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yu, N.; Oortgiesen, D.A.W.; Bronckers, A.L.J.J.; Yang, F.; Walboomers, X.F.; Jansen, J.A.

    2013-01-01

    Aim Due to a lack of regenerative potential, current treatments for periodontal defects do not always provide satisfactory clinical results. Previously, the implantation of a biomaterial scaffold-cell construct has been suggested as a clinically achievable approach. In this study, it was aimed to

  8. Mast cells play no role in the pathogenesis of postoperative ileus induced by intestinal manipulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J Gomez-Pinilla

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Intestinal manipulation (IM during abdominal surgery results in intestinal inflammation leading to hypomotility or ileus. Mast cell activation is thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of postoperative ileus (POI. However, this conclusion was mainly drawn using mast cell-deficient mouse models with abnormal Kit signaling. These mice also lack interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC resulting in aberrant gastrointestinal motility even prior to surgery, compromising their use as model to study POI. To avoid these experimental weaknesses we took advantage of a newly developed knock-in mouse model, Cpa3(Cre/+ , devoid of mast cells but with intact Kit signaling. DESIGN: The role of mast cells in the development of POI and intestinal inflammation was evaluated assessing gastrointestinal transit and muscularis externa inflammation after IM in two strains of mice lacking mast cells, i.e. Kit(W-sh/W-sh and Cpa3(Cre/+ mice, and by use of the mast cell stabilizer cromolyn. RESULTS: Kit(W-sh/W-sh mice lack ICC networks and already revealed significantly delayed gastrointestinal transit even before surgery. IM did not further delay intestinal transit, but induced infiltration of myeloperoxidase positive cells, expression of inflammatory cytokines and recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils into the muscularis externa. On the contrary, Cpa3(Cre/+ mice have a normal network of ICC and normal gastrointestinal. Surprisingly, IM in Cpa3(Cre/+ mice caused delay in gut motility and intestinal inflammation as in wild type littermates mice (Cpa3(+/+ . Furthermore, treatment with the mast cell inhibitor cromolyn resulted in an inhibition of mast cells without preventing POI. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we confirm that IM induced mast cell degranulation. However, our data demonstrate that mast cells are not required for the pathogenesis of POI in mice. Although there might be species differences between mouse and human, our results argue against mast

  9. Parental lack of care and overprotection. Longitudinal associations with DSM-III-R disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overbeek, Geertjan; ten Have, Margreet; Vollebergh, Wilma; de Graaf, Ron

    2007-02-01

    This study served to replicate and extend the findings from the National Comorbidity Survey [Enns MW, Cox BJ, Clara I (2002) Psychol Med 32:997-1008], in examining associations between recalled parental bonding and the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in adulthood. Data were used from 4,796 adults aged 18-64, who had participated in three waves (i.e., 1996, 1997, and 1999) of a large-scale Dutch epidemiological study. Parental lack of care and overprotection were significantly associated with both prevalence and incidence of DSM-III-R disorders. However, the impact of parental bonding was modest, explaining only 1-5% of the variance in the occurrence and onset of psychopathology. Chi-square tests demonstrated there were no differences between the impact of paternal and maternal rearing behaviors on mental disorders, or between lack of care and overprotection in the prediction of mental disorders. Overall, individuals' recollections of parental lack of care and overprotection appear to be non-specifically, modestly related to the prevalence and incidence of DSM-III-R disorders in adults from the general population. Future research may examine indirect or mediated links between parental bonding and (clinical diagnoses of) mental health problems.

  10. Coalitional Games, Excessive Competition and a Lack of Trust: an Experimental Aproach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawid Ners

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The article tackles the issues of the effectiveness and rationality of making choices in the conditions of competition and cooperation. It confronts the economic theory of rational choice with the empirical results from an experiment. The aim of the article is to show that excessive competition and a lack of trust cause limitation of rational choice in coalitional games. In the experiment conducted for this study purposes, a public good was used to construct a situation in which making a huge coalition is the winning strategy. Despite this fact, the research proves that under competition supported by uncertainty, which results from the lack of trust, the decision making entities behave far less rationally than the game theory would suggest. People competing with each other often take decisions irrationally.

  11. Induction of non-responsiveness in human allergen-specific type 2 T helper cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yssel, H; Fasler, S; Lamb, J; de Vries, J E

    1994-12-01

    Activation of allergen-reactive human T helper (Th)2 cells in the absence of professional antigen-presenting cells, induces non-responsiveness or anergy in these cells in vitro. This induction of anergy is accompanied by phenotypic modulation and altered cytokine production. Furthermore, peptide-treated Th2 cells fail to provide B-cell help for IgE synthesis. Recent studies indicate that impaired signal transduction via the T-cell receptor may account for the lack of responsiveness to antigenic stimulation. Here, we review present knowledge on the cell biology of non-responsive or anergic Th2 cells.

  12. Using the cost-effectiveness of allogeneic islet transplantation to inform induced pluripotent stem cell-derived β-cell therapy reimbursement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archibald, Peter R T; Williams, David J

    2015-11-01

    In the present study a cost-effectiveness analysis of allogeneic islet transplantation was performed and the financial feasibility of a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived β-cell therapy was explored. Previously published cost and health benefit data for islet transplantation were utilized to perform the cost-effectiveness and sensitivity analyses. It was determined that, over a 9-year time horizon, islet transplantation would become cost saving and 'dominate' the comparator. Over a 20-year time horizon, islet transplantation would incur significant cost savings over the comparator (GB£59,000). Finally, assuming a similar cost of goods to islet transplantation and a lack of requirement for immunosuppression, a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived β-cell therapy would dominate the comparator over an 8-year time horizon.

  13. Granular cell tumor in an endangered Puerto Rican Amazon parrot (Amazon vittata)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quist, C.F.; Latimer, K.S.; Goldade, S.L.; Rivera, A.; Dein, F.J.

    1999-01-01

    A 3 cm diameter mass from the metacarpus of a Puerto Rican Amazon parrot was diagnosed as a granular cell tumour based on light microscopy. The cytoplasmic granules were periodic-acid Schiff positive and diastase resistant. Ultrastructural characteristics of the cells included convoluted nuclei and the presence of numerous cytoplasmic tertiary lysosomes. This is only the second granular cell tumour reported in a bird. We speculate that most granular cell tumours are derived from cells that are engaged in some type of cellular degradative process, creating a similar morphologic appearance, but lacking a uniform histogenesis.

  14. A selective splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toki, Yasumichi; Sasaki, Katsunori; Tanaka, Hiroki; Yamamoto, Masayo; Hatayama, Mayumi; Ito, Satoshi; Ikuta, Katsuya; Shindo, Motohiro; Hasebe, Takumu; Nakajima, Shunsuke; Sawada, Koji; Fujiya, Mikihiro; Torimoto, Yoshihiro; Ohtake, Takaaki; Kohgo, Yutaka

    2016-01-01

    Hepcidin is a main regulator of iron metabolism, of which abnormal expression affects intestinal absorption and reticuloendothelial sequestration of iron by interacting with ferroportin. It is also noted that abnormal iron accumulation is one of the key factors to facilitate promotion and progression of cancer including hepatoma. By RT-PCR/agarose gel electrophoresis of hepcidin mRNA in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HLF, a smaller mRNA band was shown in addition to the wild-type hepcidin mRNA. From sequencing analysis, this additional band was a selective splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA lacking exon 2 of HAMP gene, producing the transcript that encodes truncated peptide lacking 20 amino acids at the middle of preprohepcidin. In the present study, we used the digital PCR, because such a small amount of variant mRNA was difficult to quantitate by the conventional RT-PCR amplification. Among seven hepatoma-derived cell lines, six cell lines have significant copy numbers of this variant mRNA, but not in one cell line. In the transient transfection analysis of variant-type hepcidin cDNA, truncated preprohepcidin has a different character comparing with native preprohepcidin: its product is insensitive to digestion, and secreted into the medium as a whole preprohepcidin form without maturation. Loss or reduction of function of HAMP gene by aberrantly splicing may be a suitable phenomenon to obtain the proliferating advantage of hepatoma cells. - Highlights: • An aberrant splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA lacking exon 2 of HAMP gene. • Absolute quantification of hepcidin mRNA by digital PCR amplification. • Hepatoma-derived cell lines have significant copies of variant-type hepcidin mRNA. • Truncated preprohepcidin is secreted from cells without posttranslational cleavage.

  15. A selective splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toki, Yasumichi [Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Sasaki, Katsunori, E-mail: k-sasaki@asahikawa-med.ac.jp [Department of Gastrointestinal Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Tanaka, Hiroki [Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Yamamoto, Masayo; Hatayama, Mayumi; Ito, Satoshi; Ikuta, Katsuya; Shindo, Motohiro; Hasebe, Takumu; Nakajima, Shunsuke; Sawada, Koji; Fujiya, Mikihiro [Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Torimoto, Yoshihiro [Oncology Center, Asahikawa Medical University Hospital, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Ohtake, Takaaki; Kohgo, Yutaka [Department of Gastroenterology, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital, Tochigi 329-2763 (Japan)

    2016-08-05

    Hepcidin is a main regulator of iron metabolism, of which abnormal expression affects intestinal absorption and reticuloendothelial sequestration of iron by interacting with ferroportin. It is also noted that abnormal iron accumulation is one of the key factors to facilitate promotion and progression of cancer including hepatoma. By RT-PCR/agarose gel electrophoresis of hepcidin mRNA in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HLF, a smaller mRNA band was shown in addition to the wild-type hepcidin mRNA. From sequencing analysis, this additional band was a selective splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA lacking exon 2 of HAMP gene, producing the transcript that encodes truncated peptide lacking 20 amino acids at the middle of preprohepcidin. In the present study, we used the digital PCR, because such a small amount of variant mRNA was difficult to quantitate by the conventional RT-PCR amplification. Among seven hepatoma-derived cell lines, six cell lines have significant copy numbers of this variant mRNA, but not in one cell line. In the transient transfection analysis of variant-type hepcidin cDNA, truncated preprohepcidin has a different character comparing with native preprohepcidin: its product is insensitive to digestion, and secreted into the medium as a whole preprohepcidin form without maturation. Loss or reduction of function of HAMP gene by aberrantly splicing may be a suitable phenomenon to obtain the proliferating advantage of hepatoma cells. - Highlights: • An aberrant splicing variant of hepcidin mRNA lacking exon 2 of HAMP gene. • Absolute quantification of hepcidin mRNA by digital PCR amplification. • Hepatoma-derived cell lines have significant copies of variant-type hepcidin mRNA. • Truncated preprohepcidin is secreted from cells without posttranslational cleavage.

  16. Myogenic Precursors from iPS Cells for Skeletal Muscle Cell Replacement Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isart Roca

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of adult myogenic stem cells as a cell therapy for skeletal muscle regeneration has been attempted for decades, with only moderate success. Myogenic progenitors (MP made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs are promising candidates for stem cell therapy to regenerate skeletal muscle since they allow allogenic transplantation, can be produced in large quantities, and, as compared to adult myoblasts, present more embryonic-like features and more proliferative capacity in vitro, which indicates a potential for more self-renewal and regenerative capacity in vivo. Different approaches have been described to make myogenic progenitors either by gene overexpression or by directed differentiation through culture conditions, and several myopathies have already been modeled using iPSC-MP. However, even though results in animal models have shown improvement from previous work with isolated adult myoblasts, major challenges regarding host response have to be addressed and clinically relevant transplantation protocols are lacking. Despite these challenges we are closer than we think to bringing iPSC-MP towards clinical use for treating human muscle disease and sporting injuries.

  17. SAP expression in invariant NKT cells is required for cognate help to support B-cell responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detre, Cynthia; Keszei, Marton; Garrido-Mesa, Natividad; Kis-Toth, Katalin; Castro, Wilson; Agyemang, Amma F; Veerapen, Natacha; Besra, Gurdyal S; Carroll, Michael C; Tsokos, George C; Wang, Ninghai; Leadbetter, Elizabeth A; Terhorst, Cox

    2012-07-05

    One of the manifestations of X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) is progressive agammaglobulinemia, caused by the absence of a functional signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM)-associated protein (SAP) in T, invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells and NK cells. Here we report that α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) activated NKT cells positively regulate antibody responses to haptenated protein antigens at multiple checkpoints, including germinal center formation and affinity maturation. Whereas NKT cell-dependent B cell responses were absent in SAP(-/-).B6 mice that completely lack NKT cells, the small number of SAP-deficient NKT cells in SAP(-/-).BALB/c mice adjuvated antibody production, but not the germinal center reaction. To test the hypothesis that SAP-deficient NKT cells can facilitate humoral immunity, SAP was deleted after development in SAP(fl/fl).tgCreERT2.B6 mice. We find that NKT cell intrinsic expression of SAP is dispensable for noncognate helper functions, but is critical for providing cognate help to antigen-specific B cells. These results demonstrate that SLAM-family receptor-regulated cell-cell interactions are not limited to T-B cell conjugates. We conclude that in the absence of SAP, several routes of NKT cell-mediated antibody production are still accessible. The latter suggests that residual NKT cells in XLP patients might contribute to variations in dysgammaglobulinemia.

  18. Properties of acatalasic cells growing in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krooth, R S; Howell, R R; Hamilton, H B

    1961-07-19

    Acatalasia, a disease due to homozygosity for a Mendelian gene, is characterized by the absence of the enzyme catalase from the tissues of the human body. Red cells from heterozygotes have enzyme activities about one-half normal. In this report, the development of cell lines from skin biopsies of an affected homozygote, a heterozygote and eight control patients is described. The cell type is the euploid fibroblast. It was found that acatalasic cells lacked the enzyme, even after growing for many months in a medium rich in catalase. The control lines all had mean catalase activity double or more that of the heterozygous line. Selection experiments, measuring growth of cells exposed for 20 minutes to varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, did not provide a system for preferentially eliminating acatalastic cells. Certain other experiments were performed bearing on the enzymatic defect in this disease. 23 references, 7 figures, 6 tables.

  19. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced apoptotic dendritic cells as a novel therapy for atherosclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frodermann, Vanessa; van Puijvelde, Gijs H M; Wierts, Laura; Lagraauw, H Maxime; Foks, Amanda C; van Santbrink, Peter J; Bot, Ilze; Kuiper, Johan; de Jager, Saskia C A

    2015-01-01

    Modulation of immune responses may form a powerful approach to treat atherosclerosis. It was shown that clearance of apoptotic cells results in tolerance induction to cleared Ags by dendritic cells (DCs); however, this seems impaired in atherosclerosis because Ag-specific tolerance is lacking. This

  20. Molecular mechanisms controlling pavement cell shape in Arabidopsis leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Pingping; Hou, Suiwen; Guo, Guangqin

    2009-08-01

    Pavement cells have an interlocking jigsaw puzzle-shaped leaf surface pattern. Twenty-three genes involved in the pavement cell morphogenesis were discovered until now. The mutations of these genes through various means lead to pavement cell shape defects, such as loss or lack of interdigitation, the reduction of lobing, gaps between lobe and neck regions in pavement cells, and distorted trichomes. These phenotypes are affected by the organization of microtubules and microfilaments. Microtubule bands are considered corresponding with the neck regions of the cell, while lobe formation depends on patches of microfilaments. The pathway of Rho of plant (ROP) GTPase signaling cascades regulates overall activity of the cytoskeleton in pavement cells. Some other proteins, in addition to the ROPs, SCAR/WAVE, and ARP2/3 complexes, are also involved in the pavement cell morphogenesis.

  1. Small molecule probes for plant cell wall polysaccharide imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian eWallace

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Plant cell walls are composed of interlinked polymer networks consisting of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins, proteins, and lignin. The ordered deposition of these components is a dynamic process that critically affects the development and differentiation of plant cells. However, our understanding of cell wall synthesis and remodeling, as well as the diverse cell wall architectures that result from these processes, has been limited by a lack of suitable chemical probes that are compatible with live-cell imaging. In this review, we summarize the currently available molecular toolbox of probes for cell wall polysaccharide imaging in plants, with particular emphasis on recent advances in small molecule-based fluorescent probes. We also discuss the potential for further development of small molecule probes for the analysis of cell wall architecture and dynamics.

  2. Neoantigen landscape dynamics during human melanoma-T cell interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Verdegaal, Els M. E.; De Miranda, Noel F. C. C.; Visser, Marten

    2016-01-01

    Recognition of neoantigens that are formed as a consequence of DNA damage is likely to form a major driving force behind the clinical activity of cancer immunotherapies such as T-cell checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell therapy. Therefore, strategies to selectively enhance T-cell reactivity...... against genetically defined neoantigens are currently under development. In mouse models, T-cell pressure can sculpt the antigenicity of tumours, resulting in the emergence of tumours that lack defined mutant antigens. However, whether the T-cell-recognized neoantigen repertoire in human cancers...... by overall reduced expression of the genes or loss of the mutant alleles. Notably, loss of expression of T-cell-recognized neoantigens was accompanied by development of neoantigen-specific T-cell reactivity in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. These data demonstrate the dynamic interactions between cancer...

  3. Single-cell transcriptomics uncovers distinct molecular signatures of stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giustacchini, Alice; Thongjuea, Supat; Barkas, Nikolaos; Woll, Petter S; Povinelli, Benjamin J; Booth, Christopher A G; Sopp, Paul; Norfo, Ruggiero; Rodriguez-Meira, Alba; Ashley, Neil; Jamieson, Lauren; Vyas, Paresh; Anderson, Kristina; Segerstolpe, Åsa; Qian, Hong; Olsson-Strömberg, Ulla; Mustjoki, Satu; Sandberg, Rickard; Jacobsen, Sten Eirik W; Mead, Adam J

    2017-06-01

    Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics are ideally placed to unravel intratumoral heterogeneity and selective resistance of cancer stem cell (SC) subpopulations to molecularly targeted cancer therapies. However, current single-cell RNA-sequencing approaches lack the sensitivity required to reliably detect somatic mutations. We developed a method that combines high-sensitivity mutation detection with whole-transcriptome analysis of the same single cell. We applied this technique to analyze more than 2,000 SCs from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) throughout the disease course, revealing heterogeneity of CML-SCs, including the identification of a subgroup of CML-SCs with a distinct molecular signature that selectively persisted during prolonged therapy. Analysis of nonleukemic SCs from patients with CML also provided new insights into cell-extrinsic disruption of hematopoiesis in CML associated with clinical outcome. Furthermore, we used this single-cell approach to identify a blast-crisis-specific SC population, which was also present in a subclone of CML-SCs during the chronic phase in a patient who subsequently developed blast crisis. This approach, which might be broadly applied to any malignancy, illustrates how single-cell analysis can identify subpopulations of therapy-resistant SCs that are not apparent through cell-population analysis.

  4. Development and scale-up of the production process of NovoCell fuel cells; Desenvolvimento e 'scale-up' do processo de producao de celulas a combustivel NovoCell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azevedo, Dayse Caldas de; Souza, Adler de; Ferreira, Valdemar Stelita [NovoCell Sistemas de Energia S.A., Santa Barbara D' Oeste, SP (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    Fuel cells present the potentiality to substitute the engines of internal combustion in vehicles and to supply energy for stationary use. This potentiality, however, not yet reflected in its introduction in the market with regular lines of production, because of its high cost and lack of criteria that demonstrate its reliability and durability. These subjects are the main goals of the programs of development of fuel cells worldwide. NovoCell is a Brazilian company whose objective is to develop and to produce hydrogen/air fuel cells for stationary generation. All the project is guided by the use of technologies/processes and materials that allow production in large scale and to a competitive cost, giving support to a continuous program of innovation and development of the product. In this work the technological solutions developed by the company are presented. (author)

  5. Garcinol from Garcinia indica Downregulates Cancer Stem-like Cell Biomarker ALDH1A1 in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer A549 Cells through DDIT3 Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinhan; Wang, Liwen; Ho, Chi-Tang; Zhang, Kunsheng; Liu, Qiang; Zhao, Hui

    2017-05-10

    Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the predominant type of lung cancer. Patients with NSCLC show high mortality rates because of failure to clean up cancer stem cells (CSCs). The anticancer activity of phytochemical garcinol has been identified in various cancer cell models. However, the effect of garcinol on NSCLC cell lines is still lacking. Of the NSCLC cell lines we tested, A549 cells were the most sensitive to garcinol. Interestingly, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family Member A1 (ALDH1A1) was preferentially expressed in A549 cells and downregulated by the addition of garcinol. We also found that garcinol enriched DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3) and then altered DDIT3-CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins beta (C/EBPβ) interaction resulting in a decreased binding of C/EBPβ to the endogenous ALDH1A1 promoter. Furthermore, garcinol's inhibition of ALDH1A1 was identified in a xenograft mice model. Garcinol repressed ALDH1A1 transcription in A549 cells through alterations in the interaction between DDIT3 and C/EBPβ. Garcinol could be a potential dietary phytochemical candidate for NSCLCs patients whose tumors harbored high ALDH1A1 expression.

  6. Anhydrobiosis in yeast: cell wall mannoproteins are important for yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae resistance to dehydration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovikova, Diana; Teparić, Renata; Mrša, Vladimir; Rapoport, Alexander

    2016-08-01

    The state of anhydrobiosis is linked with the reversible delay of metabolism as a result of strong dehydration of cells, and is widely distributed in nature. A number of factors responsible for the maintenance of organisms' viability in these conditions have been revealed. This study was directed to understanding how changes in cell wall structure may influence the resistance of yeasts to dehydration-rehydration. Mutants lacking various cell wall mannoproteins were tested to address this issue. It was revealed that mutants lacking proteins belonging to two structurally and functionally unrelated groups (proteins non-covalently attached to the cell wall, and Pir proteins) possessed significantly lower cell resistance to dehydration-rehydration than the mother wild-type strain. At the same time, the absence of the GPI-anchored cell wall protein Ccw12 unexpectedly resulted in an increase of cell resistance to this treatment; this phenomenon is explained by the compensatory synthesis of chitin. The results clearly indicate that the cell wall structure/composition relates to parameters strongly influencing yeast viability during the processes of dehydration-rehydration, and that damage to cell wall proteins during yeast desiccation can be an important factor leading to cell death. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Stem Cells as In Vitro Model of Parkinson's Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia L. Martínez-Morales

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Progress in understanding neurodegenerative cell biology in Parkinson's disease (PD has been hampered by a lack of predictive and relevant cellular models. In addition, the lack of an adequate in vitro human neuron cell-based model has been an obstacle for the uncover of new drugs for treating PD. The ability to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs from PD patients and a refined capacity to differentiate these iPSCs into DA neurons, the relevant disease cell type, promises a new paradigm in drug development that positions human disease pathophysiology at the core of preclinical drug discovery. Disease models derived from iPSC that manifest cellular disease phenotypes have been established for several monogenic diseases, but iPSC can likewise be used for phenotype-based drug screens in complex diseases for which the underlying genetic mechanism is unknown. Here, we highlight recent advances as well as limitations in the use of iPSC technology for modelling PD “in a dish” and for testing compounds against human disease phenotypes in vitro. We discuss how iPSCs are being exploited to illuminate disease pathophysiology, identify novel drug targets, and enhance the probability of clinical success of new drugs.

  8. L-Dopa decarboxylase expression profile in human cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalatsa, Ioanna; Nikolouzou, Eleftheria; Fragoulis, Emmanuel G; Vassilacopoulou, Dido

    2011-02-01

    L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) catalyses the decarboxylation of L-Dopa. It has been shown that the DDC gene undergoes alternative splicing within its 5'-untranslated region (UTR), in a tissue-specific manner, generating identical protein products. The employment of two alternative 5'UTRs is thought to be responsible for tissue-specific expression of the human DDC mRNA. In this study, we focused on the investigation of the nature of the mRNA expression in human cell lines of neural and non-neural origin. Our results show the expression of a neural-type DDC mRNA splice variant, lacking exon 3 in all cell lines studied. Co-expression of the full length non-neural DDC mRNA and the neural-type DDC splice variant lacking exon 3 was detected in all cell lines. The alternative DDC protein isoform, Alt-DDC, was detected in SH-SY5Y and HeLa cells. Our findings suggest that the human DDC gene undergoes complex processing, leading to the formation of multiple mRNA isoforms. The study of the significance of this phenomenon of multiple DDC mRNA isoforms could provide us with new information leading to the elucidation of the complex biological pathways that the human enzyme is involved in.

  9. Lung metastasis fails in MMTV-PyMT oncomice lacking S100A4 due to a T-cell deficiency in primary tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grum-Schwensen, Birgitte; Klingelhöfer, Jörg; Grigorian, Mariam

    2010-01-01

    significantly reduced the metastatic burden in lungs of PyMT-induced mammary tumors. In S100A4(+/+) PyMT mice, massive leukocyte infiltration at the site of the growing tumor at the stage of malignant transition was associated with increased concentration of extracellular S100A4 in the tumor microenvironment......Interactions between tumor and stroma cells are essential for the progression of cancer from its initial growth at a primary site to its metastasis to distant organs. The metastasis-stimulating protein S100A4 exerts its function as a stroma cell-derived factor. Genetic depletion of S100A4...... monolayers. In vivo, the presence of S100A4(+/+), but not S100A4(-/-), fibroblasts significantly stimulated the attraction of T lymphocytes to the site of the growing tumor. Increased levels of T cells were also observed in the premetastatic lungs of tumor-bearing mice primed to metastasize by S100A4...

  10. Stem Cell Therapies for Treating Diabetes: Progress and Remaining Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sneddon, Julie B; Tang, Qizhi; Stock, Peter; Bluestone, Jeffrey A; Roy, Shuvo; Desai, Tejal; Hebrok, Matthias

    2018-06-01

    Restoration of insulin independence and normoglycemia has been the overarching goal in diabetes research and therapy. While whole-organ and islet transplantation have become gold-standard procedures in achieving glucose control in diabetic patients, the profound lack of suitable donor tissues severely hampers the broad application of these therapies. Here, we describe current efforts aimed at generating a sustainable source of functional human stem cell-derived insulin-producing islet cells for cell transplantation and present state-of-the-art efforts to protect such cells via immune modulation and encapsulation strategies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. Single-cell regulome data analysis by SCRAT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Zhicheng; Zhou, Weiqiang; Ji, Hongkai

    2017-09-15

    Emerging single-cell technologies (e.g. single-cell ATAC-seq, DNase-seq or ChIP-seq) have made it possible to assay regulome of individual cells. Single-cell regulome data are highly sparse and discrete. Analyzing such data is challenging. User-friendly software tools are still lacking. We present SCRAT, a Single-Cell Regulome Analysis Toolbox with a graphical user interface, for studying cell heterogeneity using single-cell regulome data. SCRAT can be used to conveniently summarize regulatory activities according to different features (e.g. gene sets, transcription factor binding motif sites, etc.). Using these features, users can identify cell subpopulations in a heterogeneous biological sample, infer cell identities of each subpopulation, and discover distinguishing features such as gene sets and transcription factors that show different activities among subpopulations. SCRAT is freely available at https://zhiji.shinyapps.io/scrat as an online web service and at https://github.com/zji90/SCRAT as an R package. hji@jhu.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  12. Stem Cell Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming eLi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM is a common chronic disease in children, characterized by a loss of  cells, which results in defects in insulin secretion and hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia causes diabetic complications, including diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy. Curative therapies mainly include diet and insulin administration. Although hyperglycemia can be improved by insulin administration, exogenous insulin injection cannot successfully mimic the insulin secretion from normal  cells, which keeps blood glucose levels within the normal range all the time. Islet and pancreas transplantation achieves better glucose control, but there is a lack of organ donors. Cell based therapies have also been attempted to treat T1DM. Stem cells such as embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and tissue stem cells (TSCs such as bone marrow-, adipose tissue- and cord blood-derived stem cells, have been shown to generate insulin-producing cells. In this review, we summarize the most-recently available information about T1DM and the use of TSCs to treat T1DM.

  13. Adhesion to the host cell surface is sufficient to mediate Listeria monocytogenes entry into epithelial cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega, Fabian E.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Chavez, Natalie; Radhakrishnan, Prathima; Gloerich, Martijn; Bianchini, Julie; Siemers, Kathleen; Luckett, William S.; Lauer, Peter; Nelson, W. James; Theriot, Julie A.

    2017-01-01

    The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell–cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin–mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required. PMID:28877987

  14. B-Cell-Specific Diversion of Glucose Carbon Utilization Reveals a Unique Vulnerability in B Cell Malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Gang; Chan, Lai N; Klemm, Lars; Braas, Daniel; Chen, Zhengshan; Geng, Huimin; Zhang, Qiuyi Chen; Aghajanirefah, Ali; Cosgun, Kadriye Nehir; Sadras, Teresa; Lee, Jaewoong; Mirzapoiazova, Tamara; Salgia, Ravi; Ernst, Thomas; Hochhaus, Andreas; Jumaa, Hassan; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Weinstock, David M; Graeber, Thomas G; Müschen, Markus

    2018-04-05

    B cell activation during normal immune responses and oncogenic transformation impose increased metabolic demands on B cells and their ability to retain redox homeostasis. While the serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) was identified as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer, our genetic studies revealed an essential role of PP2A in B cell tumors. Thereby, PP2A redirects glucose carbon utilization from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to salvage oxidative stress. This unique vulnerability reflects constitutively low PPP activity in B cells and transcriptional repression of G6PD and other key PPP enzymes by the B cell transcription factors PAX5 and IKZF1. Reflecting B-cell-specific transcriptional PPP-repression, glucose carbon utilization in B cells is heavily skewed in favor of glycolysis resulting in lack of PPP-dependent antioxidant protection. These findings reveal a gatekeeper function of the PPP in a broad range of B cell malignancies that can be efficiently targeted by small molecule inhibition of PP2A and G6PD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Feathers and fins: non-mammalian models for hair cell regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brignull, Heather R; Raible, David W; Stone, Jennifer S

    2009-06-24

    Death of mechanosensory cells in the inner ear results in two profound disabilities: hearing loss and balance disorders. Although mammals lack the capacity to regenerate hair cells, recent studies in mice and other rodents have offered valuable insight into strategies for stimulating hair cell regeneration in mammals. Investigations of model organisms that retain the ability to form new hair cells after embryogenesis, such as fish and birds, are equally important and have provided clues as to the cellular and molecular mechanisms that may block hair cell regeneration in mammals. Here, we summarize studies on hair cell regeneration in the chicken and the zebrafish, discuss specific advantages of each model, and propose future directions for the use of non-mammalian models in understanding hair cell regeneration.

  16. The putative bZIP transcription factor BzpN slows proliferation and functions in the regulation of cell density by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan E Phillips

    Full Text Available The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN(- cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation.

  17. The Putative bZIP Transcripton Factor BzpN Slows Proliferation and Functions in the Regulation of Cell Density by Autocrine Signals in Dictyostelium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Jonathan E.; Huang, Eryong; Shaulsky, Gad; Gomer, Richard H.

    2011-01-01

    The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN− cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation. PMID:21760904

  18. The putative bZIP transcription factor BzpN slows proliferation and functions in the regulation of cell density by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Jonathan E; Huang, Eryong; Shaulsky, Gad; Gomer, Richard H

    2011-01-01

    The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN(-) cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation.

  19. When Is an Alveolar Type 2 Cell an Alveolar Type 2 Cell? A Conundrum for Lung Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beers, Michael F; Moodley, Yuben

    2017-07-01

    Generating mature, differentiated, adult lung cells from pluripotent cells, such as induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells, offers the hope of both generating disease-specific in vitro models and creating definitive and personalized therapies for a host of debilitating lung parenchymal and airway diseases. With the goal of advancing lung-regenerative medicine, several groups have developed and reported on protocols using defined media, coculture with mesenchymal components, or sequential treatments mimicking lung development, to obtain distal lung epithelial cells from stem cell precursors. However, there remains significant controversy about the degree of differentiation of these cells compared with their primary counterparts, coupled with a lack of consistency or uniformity in assessing the resultant phenotypes. Given the inevitable, exponential expansion of these approaches and the probable, but yet-to-emerge second and higher generation techniques to create such assets, we were prompted to pose the question, what makes a lung epithelial cell a lung epithelial cell? More specifically for this Perspective, we also posed the question, what are the minimum features that constitute an alveolar type (AT) 2 epithelial cell? In addressing this, we summarize a body of work spanning nearly five decades, amassed by a series of "lung epithelial cell biology pioneers," which carefully describes well characterized molecular, functional, and morphological features critical for discriminately assessing an AT2 phenotype. Armed with this, we propose a series of core criteria to assist the field in confirming that cells obtained following a differentiation protocol are indeed mature and functional AT2 epithelial cells.

  20. Cellular plasticity enables adaptation to unforeseen cell-cycle rewiring challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katzir, Yair; Stolovicki, Elad; Stern, Shay; Braun, Erez

    2012-01-01

    The fundamental dynamics of the cell cycle, underlying cell growth and reproduction, were previously found to be robust under a wide range of environmental and internal perturbations. This property was commonly attributed to its network structure, which enables the coordinated interactions among hundreds of proteins. Despite significant advances in deciphering the components and autonomous interactions of this network, understanding the interfaces of the cell cycle with other major cellular processes is still lacking. To gain insight into these interfaces, we used the process of genome-rewiring in yeast by placing an essential metabolic gene HIS3 from the histidine biosynthesis pathway, under the exclusive regulation of different cell-cycle promoters. In a medium lacking histidine and under partial inhibition of the HIS3p, the rewired cells encountered an unforeseen multitasking challenge; the cell-cycle regulatory genes were required to regulate the essential histidine-pathway gene in concert with the other metabolic demands, while simultaneously driving the cell cycle through its proper temporal phases. We show here that chemostat cell populations with rewired cell-cycle promoters adapted within a short time to accommodate the inhibition of HIS3p and stabilized a new phenotypic state. Furthermore, a significant fraction of the population was able to adapt and grow into mature colonies on plates under such inhibiting conditions. The adapted state was shown to be stably inherited across generations. These adaptation dynamics were accompanied by a non-specific and irreproducible genome-wide transcriptional response. Adaptation of the cell-cycle attests to its multitasking capabilities and flexible interface with cellular metabolic processes and requirements. Similar adaptation features were found in our previous work when rewiring HIS3 to the GAL system and switching cells from galactose to glucose. Thus, at the basis of cellular plasticity is the emergence of a yet

  1. Does the SBCT Intelligence Structure Need a Dedicated ACE/Fusion Cell?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Sisemore, James

    2004-01-01

    ... a dedicated division level fusion cell. This question is considered because of the doctrinal lack of a Stryker Division headquarters to serve as the link between a SBCT and a corps headquarters...

  2. Erythropoietin may reduce the risk of germ cell loss in boys with cryptorchidism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cortes, Dina; Visfeldt, J; Thorup, J M

    2001-01-01

    In boys with cryptorchidism older than 2 years a testicular biopsy at time of orchiopexy shows lack of germ cells in 10-40% of the cases. The number of spermatogonia per tubule is prognostic for subsequent fertility potential. A biopsy without germ cells is associated with 33-100% risk of inferti...

  3. Capillary Electrophoretic Technologies for Single Cell Metabolomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapainis, Theodore E.

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the functioning of the brain is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the full complement of neurotransmitters and neuromodulatory compounds. Single cell measurements aid in the discovery of neurotransmitters used by small subsets of neurons that would be diluted below detection limits or masked by ubiquitous compounds when working with…

  4. Vinculin promotes cell spreading by mechanically coupling integrins to the cytoskeleton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezzell, R. M.; Goldmann, W. H.; Wang, N.; Parasharama, N.; Ingber, D. E.

    1997-01-01

    Mouse F9 embryonic carcinoma 5.51 cells that lack the cytoskeletal protein vinculin spread poorly on extracellular matrix compared with wild-type F9 cells or two vinculin-transfected clones (5.51Vin3 and Vin4; Samuels et al., 1993, J. Cell Biol. 121, 909-921). In the present study, we used this model system to determine how the presence of vinculin promotes cytoskeletal alterations and associated changes in cell shape. Microscopic analysis of cell spreading at early times, revealed that 5.51 cells retained the ability to form filopodia; however, they could not form lamellipodia, assemble stress fibers, or efficiently spread over the culture substrate. Detergent (Triton X-100) studies revealed that these major differences in cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization did not result from differences in levels of total polymerized or cross-linked actin. Biochemical studies showed that 5.51 cells, in addition to lacking vinculin, exhibited slightly reduced levels of alpha-actinin and paxillin in their detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton. The absence of vinculin correlated with a decrease in the mechanical stiffness of the integrin-cytoskeleton linkage, as measured using cell magnetometry. Furthermore, when vinculin was replaced by transfection in 5.51Vin3 and 5.51Vin4 cells, the levels of cytoskeletal-associated alpha-actinin and paxillin, the efficiency of transmembrane mechanical coupling, and the formation of actin stress fibers were all restored to near wild-type levels. These findings suggest that vinculin may promote cell spreading by stabilizing focal adhesions and transferring mechanical stresses that drive cytoskeletal remodeling, rather than by altering the total level of actin polymerization or cross-linking.

  5. Mechanisms of Transendothelial Migration of Primary Human Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Cells from ER+, Her2+, and Triple-Negative Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    expressing vascular endothelial cells; M, CD68-expressing macrophages. Scale bars, 300 mm (left) and 50 mm (right). (B and C) Scatter plots of relative...by low-power scanning using the following criteria: high density of tumor, adequacy of tumor, lack of necrosis or inflammation, and lack of artifacts...marker of metastatic outcome in patients1–5. Each TMEM site is comprised of a Mena over-expressing tumor cell, a peri- vascular macrophage and an

  6. The transcriptional landscape of hematopoietic stem cell ontogeny

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinney-Freeman, Shannon; Cahan, Patrick; Li, Hu; Lacadie, Scott A.; Huang, Hsuan-Ting; Curran, Matthew; Loewer, Sabine; Naveiras, Olaia; Kathrein, Katie L.; Konantz, Martina; Langdon, Erin M.; Lengerke, Claudia; Zon, Leonard I.; Collins, James J.; Daley, George Q.

    2012-01-01

    Transcriptome analysis of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and their progeny has revealed mechanisms of blood differentiation and leukemogenesis, but a similar analysis of HSC development is lacking. Here, we acquired the transcriptomes of developing HSC purified from >2500 murine embryos and adult mice. We found that embryonic hematopoietic elements clustered into three distinct transcriptional states characteristic of the definitive yolk sac, HSCs undergoing specification, and definitive HSCs. We applied a network biology-based analysis to reconstruct the gene regulatory networks of sequential stages of HSC development and functionally validated candidate transcriptional regulators of HSC ontogeny by morpholino-mediated knock-down in zebrafish embryos. Moreover, we found that HSCs from in vitro differentiated embryonic stem cells closely resemble definitive HSC, yet lack a Notch-signaling signature, likely accounting for their defective lymphopoiesis. Our analysis and web resource (http://hsc.hms.harvard.edu) will enhance efforts to identify regulators of HSC ontogeny and facilitate the engineering of hematopoietic specification. PMID:23122293

  7. Circumvention of regulatory CD4(+) T cell activity during cross-priming strongly enhances T cell-mediated immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heit, Antje; Gebhardt, Friedemann; Lahl, Katharina; Neuenhahn, Michael; Schmitz, Frank; Anderl, Florian; Wagner, Hermann; Sparwasser, Tim; Busch, Dirk H; Kastenmüller, Kathrin

    2008-06-01

    Immunization with purified antigens is a safe and practical vaccination strategy but is generally unable to induce sustained CD8(+) T cell-mediated protection against intracellular pathogens. Most efforts to improve the CD8(+) T cell immunogenicity of these vaccines have focused on co-administration of adjuvant to support cross-presentation and dendritic cell maturation. In addition, it has been shown that CD4(+) T cell help during the priming phase contributes to the generation of protective CD8(+) memory T cells. In this report we demonstrate that the depletion of CD4(+) T cells paradoxically enhances long-lasting CD8-mediated protective immunity upon protein vaccination. Functional and genetic in vivo inactivation experiments attribute this enhancement primarily to MHC class II-restricted CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Treg), which appear to physiologically suppress the differentiation process towards long-living effector memory T cells. Since, in functional terms, this suppression by Treg largely exceeds the positive effects of conventional CD4(+) T cell help, even the absence of all CD4(+) T cells or lack of MHC class II-mediated interactions on priming dendritic cells result in enhanced CD8(+) T cell immunogenicity. These findings have important implications for the improvement of vaccines against intracellular pathogens or tumors, especially in patients with highly active Treg.

  8. APRIL facilitates viral-induced erythroleukemia but is dispensable for T cell immunity and lymphomagenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hardenberg, Gijs; Fernandez, Leticia; Hendriks, Jenny; Chebli, Karim; Jacquet, Chantal; Sitbon, Marc; Hahne, Michel; Medema, Jan Paul

    2008-01-01

    The TNF family member, a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), has been suggested to act as a costimulatory molecule in T cell responses. However, studies addressing this role in vivo are largely lacking. Here, we evaluated the effects of APRIL on physiological T cell responses in vivo. Although

  9. Genetic and proteomic evidences support the localization of yeast enolase in the cell surface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    López-Villar, Elena; Monteoliva, Lucía; Larsen, Martin Røssel

    2006-01-01

    Although enolase, other glycolytic enzymes, and a variety of cytoplasmic proteins lacking an N-terminal secretion signal have been widely described as located at the cell surface in yeast and in mammalian cells, their presence in this external location is still controversial. Here, we report that...

  10. Exosomes from Cardiomyocyte Progenitor Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stimulate Angiogenesis Via EMMPRIN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vrijsen, Krijn R; Maring, Janita A; Chamuleau, Steven A J; Verhage, Vera; Mol, Emma A; Deddens, Janine C; Metz, Corina H G; Lodder, Kirsten; van Eeuwijk, Esther C M; van Dommelen, Susan M; Doevendans, Pieter A; Smits, Anke M; Goumans, Marie-José; Sluijter, Joost P G

    2016-10-01

    To date, cellular transplantation therapy has not yet fulfilled its high expectations for cardiac repair. A major limiting factor is lack of long-term engraftment of the transplanted cells. Interestingly, transplanted cells can positively affect their environment via secreted paracrine factors, among which are extracellular vesicles, including exosomes: small bi-lipid-layered vesicles containing proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs. An exosome-based therapy will therefore relay a plethora of effects, without some of the limiting factors of cell therapy. Since cardiomyocyte progenitor cells (CMPC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) induce vessel formation and are frequently investigated for cardiac-related therapies, the pro-angiogenic properties of CMPC and MSC-derived exosome-like vesicles are investigated. Both cell types secrete exosome-like vesicles, which are efficiently taken up by endothelial cells. Endothelial cell migration and vessel formation are stimulated by these exosomes in in vitro models, mediated via ERK/Akt-signaling. Additionally, these exosomes stimulated blood vessel formation into matrigel plugs. Analysis of pro-angiogenic factors revealed high levels of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN). Knockdown of EMMPRIN on CMPCs leads to a diminished pro-angiogenic effect, both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, CMPC and MSC exosomes have powerful pro-angiogenic effects, and this effect is largely mediated via the presence of EMMPRIN on exosomes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Lack of relationship between TIMP-1 tumour cell immunoreactivity, treatment efficacy and prognosis in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steffensen, Karina Dahl; Waldstrøm, Marianne; Christensen, Rikke Kølby

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) is a natural inhibitor of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which are proteolytic enzymes involved in degradation of extracellular matrix thereby favoring tumour cell invasion and metastasis. TIMP-1 activity in tumour tissue may ther...... immunoreactivity in tumour tissue from patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer did not correlate with patient survival or response to combination platinum/cyclophosphamide therapy.......BACKGROUND: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) is a natural inhibitor of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which are proteolytic enzymes involved in degradation of extracellular matrix thereby favoring tumour cell invasion and metastasis. TIMP-1 activity in tumour tissue may...... therefore play an essential role in the progression of a malignant tumour.The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate TIMP-1 protein immunoreactivity in tissue from primary ovarian cancer patients and associate these findings with the course of the disease including response to treatment...

  12. Plant virus cell-to-cell movement is not dependent on the transmembrane disposition of its movement protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Gil, Luis; Sánchez-Navarro, Jesús A; Cruz, Antonio; Pallás, Vicente; Pérez-Gil, Jesús; Mingarro, Ismael

    2009-06-01

    The cell-to-cell transport of plant viruses depends on one or more virus-encoded movement proteins (MPs). Some MPs are integral membrane proteins that interact with the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, but a detailed understanding of the interaction between MPs and biological membranes has been lacking. The cell-to-cell movement of the Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is facilitated by a single MP of the 30K superfamily. Here, using a myriad of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we show that the PNRSV MP contains only one hydrophobic region (HR) that interacts with the membrane interface, as opposed to being a transmembrane protein. We also show that a proline residue located in the middle of the HR constrains the structural conformation of this region at the membrane interface, and its replacement precludes virus movement.

  13. Utilization of Cell-Transfer Technique for Molecular Testing on Hematoxylin-Eosin-Stained Sections: A Viable Option for Small Biopsies That Lack Tumor Tissues in Paraffin Block.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Howard H; Jovonovich, Stephen M; Randolph, Melissa; Post, Kristin M; Sen, Joyashree D; Curless, Kendra; Cheng, Liang

    2016-12-01

    - In some instances the standard method of doing molecular testing from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded block is not possible because of limited tissue. Tumor cell-enriched cell-transfer technique has been proven useful for performing immunocytochemistry and molecular testing on cytologic smears. - To establish the cell-transfer technique as a viable option for isolating tumor cells from hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-stained slides. - Molecular testing was performed by using the cell-transfer technique on 97 archived H&E-stained slides from a variety of different tumors. Results were compared to the conventional method of molecular testing. - Polymerase chain reaction-based molecular testing via the cell-transfer technique was successfully performed on 82 of 97 samples (85%). This included 39 of 47 cases for EGFR, 10 of 11 cases for BRAF, and 33 of 39 cases for KRAS mutations. Eighty-one of 82 cell-transfer technique samples (99%) showed agreement with previous standard method results, including 4 mutations and 35 wild-type alleles for EGFR, 4 mutations and 6 wild-type alleles for BRAF, and 11 mutations and 21 wild-type alleles for KRAS. There was only 1 discrepancy: a cell-transfer technique with a false-negative >KRAS result (wild type versus G12C). - Molecular testing performed on H&E-stained sections via cell-transfer technique is useful when tissue from cell blocks and small surgical biopsy samples is exhausted and the only available material for testing is on H&E-stained slides.

  14. Protecting genomic integrity in somatic cells and embryonic stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Y.; Cervantes, R.B.; Tichy, E.; Tischfield, J.A.; Stambrook, P.J.

    2007-01-01

    Mutation frequencies at some loci in mammalian somatic cells in vivo approach 10 -4 . The majority of these events occur as a consequence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) due to mitotic recombination. Such high levels of DNA damage in somatic cells, which can accumulate with age, will cause injury and, after a latency period, may lead to somatic disease and ultimately death. This high level of DNA damage is untenable for germ cells, and by extrapolation for embryonic stem (ES) cells, that must recreate the organism. ES cells cannot tolerate such a high frequency of damage since mutations will immediately impact the altered cell, and subsequently the entire organism. Most importantly, the mutations may be passed on to future generations. ES cells, therefore, must have robust mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genomes. We have examined two such mechanisms. Firstly, we have shown that mutation frequencies and frequencies of mitotic recombination in ES cells are about 100-fold lower than in adult somatic cells or in isogenic mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). A second complementary protective mechanism eliminates those ES cells that have acquired a mutational burden, thereby maintaining a pristine population. Consistent with this hypothesis, ES cells lack a G1 checkpoint, and the two known signaling pathways that mediate the checkpoint are compromised. The checkpoint kinase, Chk2, which participates in both pathways is sequestered at centrosomes in ES cells and does not phosphorylate its substrates (i.e. p53 and Cdc25A) that must be modified to produce a G1 arrest. Ectopic expression of Chk2 does not rescue the p53-mediated pathway, but does restore the pathway mediated by Cdc25A. Wild type ES cells exposed to ionizing radiation do not accumulate in G1 but do so in S-phase and in G2. ES cells that ectopically express Chk2 undergo cell cycle arrest in G1 as well as G2, and appear to be protected from apoptosis

  15. Rapid and selective expansion of nonclonotypic T cells in regulatory T cell-deficient, foreign antigen-specific TCR-transgenic scurfy mice: antigen-dependent expansion and TCR analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Rahul; Ju, Angela Chiao-Ying; Kung, John T; Fu, Shu Man; Ju, Shyr-Te

    2008-11-15

    Foreign Ag-specific TCR-transgenic (Tg) mice contain a small fraction of T cells bearing the endogenous Vbeta and Valpha chains as well as a population expressing an intermediate level of Tg TCR. Importantly, these minor nonclonotypic populations contain > or = 99% of the CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) and, despite low overall Treg expression, peripheral tolerance is maintained. In the OT-II TCR (OVA-specific, Vbeta5(high)Valpha2(high)) Tg scurfy (Sf) mice (OT-II Sf) that lack Treg, nonclonotypic T cells markedly expanded in the periphery but not in the thymus. Expanded T cells expressed memory/effector phenotype and were enriched in blood and inflamed lungs. In contrast, Vbeta5(high)Valpha2(high) clonotypic T cells were not expanded, displayed the naive phenotype, and found mainly in the lymph nodes. Importantly, Vbeta5(neg) T cells were able to transfer multiorgan inflammation in Rag1(-/-) recipients. T cells bearing dual TCR (dual Vbeta or dual Valpha) were demonstrated frequently in the Vbeta5(int) and Valpha2(int) populations. Our study demonstrated that in the absence of Treg, the lack of peripheral expansion of clonotypic T cells is due to the absence of its high-affinity Ag OVA. Thus, the rapid expansion of nonclonotypic T cells in OT-II Sf mice must require Ag (self and foreign) with sufficient affinity. Our study has implications with respect to the roles of Ag and dual TCR in the selection and regulation of Treg and Treg-controlled Ag-dependent T cell expansion in TCR Tg and TCR Tg Sf mice, respectively.

  16. Lacking Ketohexokinase-A Exacerbates Renal Injury in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doke, Tomohito; Ishimoto, Takuji; Hayasaki, Takahiro; Ikeda, Satsuki; Hasebe, Masako; Hirayama, Akiyoshi; Soga, Tomoyoshi; Kato, Noritoshi; Kosugi, Tomoki; Tsuboi, Naotake; Lanaspa, Miguel A; Johnson, Richard J; Kadomatsu, Kenji; Maruyama, Shoichi

    2018-03-28

    Ketohexokinase (KHK), a primary enzyme in fructose metabolism, has two isoforms, namely, KHK-A and KHK-C. Previously, we reported that renal injury was reduced in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice which lacked both isoforms. Although both isoforms express in kidney, it has not been elucidated whether each isoform plays distinct roles in the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The aim of the study is to elucidate the role of KHK-A for DKD progression. Diabetes was induced by five consecutive daily intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) in C57BL/6 J wild-type mice, mice lacking KHK-A alone (KHK-A KO), and mice lacking both KHK-A and KHK-C (KHK-A/C KO). At 35 weeks, renal injury, inflammation, hypoxia, and oxidative stress were examined. Metabolomic analysis including polyol pathway, fructose metabolism, glycolysis, TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle, and NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) metabolism in kidney and urine was done. Diabetic KHK-A KO mice developed severe renal injury compared to diabetic wild-type mice, and this was associated with further increases of intrarenal fructose, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), TCA cycle intermediates levels, and severe inflammation. In contrast, renal injury was prevented in diabetic KHK-A/C KO mice compared to both wild-type and KHK-A KO diabetic mice. Further, diabetic KHK-A KO mice contained decreased renal NAD + level with the increase of renal hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha expression despite having increased renal nicotinamide (NAM) level. These results suggest that KHK-C might play a deleterious role in DKD progression through endogenous fructose metabolism, and that KHK-A plays a unique protective role against the development of DKD. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. ATP Release from Chemotherapy-Treated Dying Leukemia Cells Elicits an Immune Suppressive Effect by Increasing Regulatory T Cells and Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecciso, Mariangela; Ocadlikova, Darina; Sangaletti, Sabina; Trabanelli, Sara; De Marchi, Elena; Orioli, Elisa; Pegoraro, Anna; Portararo, Paola; Jandus, Camilla; Bontadini, Andrea; Redavid, Annarita; Salvestrini, Valentina; Romero, Pedro; Colombo, Mario P; Di Virgilio, Francesco; Cavo, Michele; Adinolfi, Elena; Curti, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    Chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death can favor dendritic cell (DC) cross-priming of tumor-associated antigens for T cell activation thanks to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns, including ATP. Here, we tested the hypothesis that in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), ATP release, along with its well-known immune stimulatory effect, may also contribute to the generation of an immune suppressive microenvironment. In a cohort of AML patients, undergoing combined daunorubicin and cytarabine chemotherapy, a population of T regulatory cells (Tregs) with suppressive phenotype, expressing the immune checkpoint programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), was significantly increased. Moving from these results, initial in vitro data showed that daunorubicin was more effective than cytarabine in modulating DC function toward Tregs induction and such difference was correlated with the higher capacity of daunorubicin to induce ATP release from treated AML cells. DCs cultured with daunorubicin-treated AML cells upregulated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which induced anti-leukemia Tregs. These data were confirmed in vivo as daunorubicin-treated mice show an increase in extracellular ATP levels with increased number of Tregs, expressing PD-1 and IDO1 + CD39 + DCs. Notably, daunorubicin failed to induce Tregs and tolerogenic DCs in mice lacking the ATP receptor P2X7. Our data indicate that ATP release from chemotherapy-treated dying cells contributes to create an immune suppressive microenvironment in AML.

  18. Regional heterogeneity of endothelial cells in the porcine vortex vein system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Priscilla Ern Zhi; Yu, Paula K; Cringle, Stephen J; Morgan, William H; Yu, Dao-Yi

    2013-09-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate whether region-dependent endothelial heterogeneity is present within the porcine vortex vein system. The superior temporal vortex vein in young adult pig eyes were dissected out and cannulated. The intact vortex vein system down to the choroidal veins was then perfused with labels for f-actin and nucleic acid. The endothelial cells within the choroidal veins, pre-ampulla, anterior portion of the ampulla, mid-ampulla, posterior portion of the ampulla, post-ampulla, intra-scleral canal and the extra-ocular vortex vein regions were studied in detail using a confocal microscopy technique. The endothelial cell and nuclei length, width, area and perimeter were measured and compared between the different regions. Significant regional differences in the endothelial cell and nuclei length, width, area and perimeter were observed throughout the porcine vortex vein system. Most notably, very narrow and elongated endothelia were found in the post-ampulla region. A lack of smooth muscle cells was noted in the ampulla region compared to other regions. Heterogeneity in endothelial cell morphology is present throughout the porcine vortex vein system and there is a lack of smooth muscle cells in the ampulla region. This likely reflects the highly varied haemodynamic conditions and potential blood flow control mechanisms in different regions of the vortex vein system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. DNA polymerase η modulates replication fork progression and DNA damage responses in platinum-treated human cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokol, Anna M.; Cruet-Hennequart, Séverine; Pasero, Philippe; Carty, Michael P.

    2013-11-01

    Human cells lacking DNA polymerase η (polη) are sensitive to platinum-based cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Using DNA combing to directly investigate the role of polη in bypass of platinum-induced DNA lesions in vivo, we demonstrate that nascent DNA strands are up to 39% shorter in human cells lacking polη than in cells expressing polη. This provides the first direct evidence that polη modulates replication fork progression in vivo following cisplatin and carboplatin treatment. Severe replication inhibition in individual platinum-treated polη-deficient cells correlates with enhanced phosphorylation of the RPA2 subunit of replication protein A on serines 4 and 8, as determined using EdU labelling and immunofluorescence, consistent with formation of DNA strand breaks at arrested forks in the absence of polη. Polη-mediated bypass of platinum-induced DNA lesions may therefore represent one mechanism by which cancer cells can tolerate platinum-based chemotherapy.

  20. Cell-cycle phase specificity of chloroethylnitrosoureas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linfoot, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    Although the cancer chemotherapeutic agent 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) is considered a non-cell cycle phase specific drug, it has been shown to produce differential cell killing in G 1 , S, and G 2 /M phase cells, with S phase cells appearing relatively resistant. Studies of cell cycle phase specific cell killing produced by nitrosoureas with different chemical reactivities, clearly indicated that the ability of compounds to cross-link DNA was important in determining their phase specificity. Cells that lacked guanine O 6 -alkytransferase activity showed similar patterns of BCNU phase specificity regardless of their intrinsic sensitivity to BCNU. DNA inter-strand cross-linking, as measured by alkaline elution, was similar in cells exposed to BCNU in G 1 or S phase. 3 H [1-chloroethyl-1nitrosourea] binding to DNA was the same in G 1 , S and G 2 /M phase cells indicating that phase-specific differences in drug uptake and intracellular drug dose were not responsible for phase specific cell kill. These studies suggest that cross-link lesions, other than DNA inter-strand cross-links, and/or effects on DNA repair, other than guanine O 6 -alkyltransferase, are additional important determinants of BCNU phase specific cell killing