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Sample records for checkpoint control determines

  1. Cell size checkpoint control by the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Su-Chiung; de los Reyes, Chris; Umen, James G

    2006-10-13

    Size control is essential for all proliferating cells, and is thought to be regulated by checkpoints that couple cell size to cell cycle progression. The aberrant cell-size phenotypes caused by mutations in the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor pathway are consistent with a role in size checkpoint control, but indirect effects on size caused by altered cell cycle kinetics are difficult to rule out. The multiple fission cell cycle of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii uncouples growth from division, allowing direct assessment of the relationship between size phenotypes and checkpoint function. Mutations in the C. reinhardtii RB homolog encoded by MAT3 cause supernumerous cell divisions and small cells, suggesting a role for MAT3 in size control. We identified suppressors of an mat3 null allele that had recessive mutations in DP1 or dominant mutations in E2F1, loci encoding homologs of a heterodimeric transcription factor that is targeted by RB-related proteins. Significantly, we determined that the dp1 and e2f1 phenotypes were caused by defects in size checkpoint control and were not due to a lengthened cell cycle. Despite their cell division defects, mat3, dp1, and e2f1 mutants showed almost no changes in periodic transcription of genes induced during S phase and mitosis, many of which are conserved targets of the RB pathway. Conversely, we found that regulation of cell size was unaffected when S phase and mitotic transcription were inhibited. Our data provide direct evidence that the RB pathway mediates cell size checkpoint control and suggest that such control is not directly coupled to the magnitude of periodic cell cycle transcription.

  2. "Isogaba Maware": quality control of genome DNA by checkpoints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitazono, A; Matsumoto, T

    1998-05-01

    Checkpoints maintain the interdependency of cell cycle events by permitting the onset of an event only after the completion of the preceding event. The DNA replication checkpoint induces a cell cycle arrest until the completion of the DNA replication. Similarly, the DNA damage checkpoint arrests cell cycle progression if DNA repair is incomplete. A number of genes that play a role in the two checkpoints have been identified through genetic studies in yeasts, and their homologues have been found in fly, mouse, and human. They form signaling cascades activated by a DNA replication block or DNA damage and subsequently generate the negative constraints on cell cycle regulators. The failure of these signaling cascades results in producing offspring that carry mutations or that lack a portion of the genome. In humans, defects in the checkpoints are often associated with cancer-prone diseases. Focusing mainly on the studies in budding and fission yeasts, we summarize the recent progress.

  3. Network support for system initiated checkpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip

    2013-01-29

    A system, method and computer program product for supporting system initiated checkpoints in parallel computing systems. The system and method generates selective control signals to perform checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node. The checkpointing is initiated by the system such that checkpoint data of a plurality of network nodes may be obtained even in the presence of user applications running on highly parallel computers that include ongoing user messaging activity.

  4. Cyclin F suppresses B-Myb activity to promote cell cycle checkpoint control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klein, Ditte Kjærsgaard; Hoffmann, Saskia; Ahlskog, Johanna K

    2015-01-01

    an important role in checkpoint control following ionizing radiation. Cyclin F-depleted cells initiate checkpoint signalling after ionizing radiation, but fail to maintain G2 phase arrest and progress into mitosis prematurely. Importantly, cyclin F suppresses the B-Myb-driven transcriptional programme...... that promotes accumulation of crucial mitosis-promoting proteins. Cyclin F interacts with B-Myb via the cyclin box domain. This interaction is important to suppress cyclin A-mediated phosphorylation of B-Myb, a key step in B-Myb activation. In summary, we uncover a regulatory mechanism linking the F-box protein...

  5. Developmental checkpoints and feedback circuits time insect maturation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rewitz, Kim Furbo; Yamanaka, Naoki; O'Connor, Michael B.

    2013-01-01

    as external cues, to time production and release of ecdysone. Based on results discussed here, we suggest that developmental progression to adulthood is controlled by checkpoints that regulate the genetic timing program enabling it to adapt to different environmental conditions. These checkpoints utilize...... a number of signaling pathways to modulate ecdysone production in the prothoracic gland. Release of ecdysone activates an autonomous cascade of both feedforward and feedback signals that determine the duration of the ecdysone pulse at each developmental transitions. Conservation of the genetic mechanisms...... that coordinate the juvenile-adult transition suggests that insights from the fruit fly Drosophila will provide a framework for future investigation of developmental timing in metazoans....

  6. Phosphorylation of Minichromosome Maintenance 3 (MCM3) by Checkpoint Kinase 1 (Chk1) Negatively Regulates DNA Replication and Checkpoint Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xiangzi; Mayca Pozo, Franklin; Wisotsky, Jacob N; Wang, Benlian; Jacobberger, James W; Zhang, Youwei

    2015-05-08

    Mechanisms controlling DNA replication and replication checkpoint are critical for the maintenance of genome stability and the prevention or treatment of human cancers. Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is a key effector protein kinase that regulates the DNA damage response and replication checkpoint. The heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex is the core component of mammalian DNA helicase and has been implicated in replication checkpoint activation. Here we report that Chk1 phosphorylates the MCM3 subunit of the MCM complex at Ser-205 under normal growth conditions. Mutating the Ser-205 of MCM3 to Ala increased the length of DNA replication track and shortened the S phase duration, indicating that Ser-205 phosphorylation negatively controls normal DNA replication. Upon replicative stress treatment, the inhibitory phosphorylation of MCM3 at Ser-205 was reduced, and this reduction was accompanied with the generation of single strand DNA, the key platform for ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) activation. As a result, the replication checkpoint is activated. Together, these data provide significant insights into the regulation of both normal DNA replication and replication checkpoint activation through the novel phosphorylation of MCM3 by Chk1. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  7. Measures to detect and control radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap at border checkpoints in Poland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smagala, G.

    1999-01-01

    The issue of radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap has never received a high priority in Poland and in the international community. Since the dissolution of the former Soviet Union a higher attention has been given to the problem. Poland which is located between the West and East Europe has the obligation to develop and implement an effective prevention and detection system. The reasons to increase national control and detection system at the border checkpoints in Poland are to avoid the following risks: post Chernobyl contamination transports of commodities; transport of contaminated metal scrap; transfer of radioactive waste for their disposal or utilization; high risk of becoming a transit country of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources. In order to avoid the above-mentioned risks, Poland initiated in 1990, a deployment of the portable radiation devices at the border checkpoints and, as of 1998, the number of installed instruments exceeded a hundred. This paper presents Poland's activities to detect contaminated scrap at its border checkpoints. (author)

  8. Cdk2 is required for p53-independent G2/M checkpoint control.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jon H Chung

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The activation of phase-specific cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks is associated with ordered cell cycle transitions. Among the mammalian Cdks, only Cdk1 is essential for somatic cell proliferation. Cdk1 can apparently substitute for Cdk2, Cdk4, and Cdk6, which are individually dispensable in mice. It is unclear if all functions of non-essential Cdks are fully redundant with Cdk1. Using a genetic approach, we show that Cdk2, the S-phase Cdk, uniquely controls the G(2/M checkpoint that prevents cells with damaged DNA from initiating mitosis. CDK2-nullizygous human cells exposed to ionizing radiation failed to exclude Cdk1 from the nucleus and exhibited a marked defect in G(2/M arrest that was unmasked by the disruption of P53. The DNA replication licensing protein Cdc6, which is normally stabilized by Cdk2, was physically associated with the checkpoint regulator ATR and was required for efficient ATR-Chk1-Cdc25A signaling. These findings demonstrate that Cdk2 maintains a balance of S-phase regulatory proteins and thereby coordinates subsequent p53-independent G(2/M checkpoint activation.

  9. ATM and checkpoint responses to DNA double strand breaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanna, K.K.

    2003-01-01

    DNA damage checkpoints can be classified into G1/S, intra-S and G2/M checkpoints, so named according to the cell cycle transitions that they regulate. DNA damage incurred during the G1 or G2 phase of the cell cycle leads to growth arrest at the G1/S and G2/M phase boundaries, respectively, whereas genotoxic stress during S phase results in the transient suppression of DNA synthesis. In mammals, ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) is a protein kinase that controls all checkpoint responses to DNA damage. ATM is a versatile kinase which uses various means to regulate a given checkpoint pathway. It has been shown to act upon several proteins within the same pathway, many times controlling several different modifications of the same protein or using several different targets to arrive at the same end point. Some of the ATM targets act as adaptors by recruiting additional substrates for ATM. ATM controls two types of responses in G1. The p53-dependent responses inhibit Cyclin/Cdk activity by transcriptional induction of p21, whereas p53-independent responses inhibit CDKs through degradation of Cdc25A to maintain CdK2 inhibitory phosphorylation. In regulating p53, ATM directly phosphorylates p53 on Ser15, which likely causes p53 transcriptional activation, concurrently activating other kinases that phosphorylate p53 at other sites such as Ser20, which reduces the ability of MDM2 to bind p53, thus promoting its stability. ATM further ensures p53 stability by phosphorylating MDM2. At least six ATM targets, namely CHK2, CHK1, NBS1, BRCA1, SMC1 and FANCD2, have been implicated in the control of S-phase checkpoint. Cdc25A is the downstream effector of CHK1 and CHK2, though the underlying mechanism for control of intra S-phase checkpoint by other targets remain obscure. G2 checkpoint prevents mitotic entry solely through inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2/Cdk1. Several ATM targets including CHK1, CHK2, BRCA1, MDC1 and p53BP1 have been implicated in the control of G2/M

  10. Asynchronous Checkpoint Migration with MRNet in the Scalable Checkpoint / Restart Library

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohror, K; Moody, A; de Supinski, B R

    2012-03-20

    Applications running on today's supercomputers tolerate failures by periodically saving their state in checkpoint files on stable storage, such as a parallel file system. Although this approach is simple, the overhead of writing the checkpoints can be prohibitive, especially for large-scale jobs. In this paper, we present initial results of an enhancement to our Scalable Checkpoint/Restart Library (SCR). We employ MRNet, a tree-based overlay network library, to transfer checkpoints from the compute nodes to the parallel file system asynchronously. This enhancement increases application efficiency by removing the need for an application to block while checkpoints are transferred to the parallel file system. We show that the integration of SCR with MRNet can reduce the time spent in I/O operations by as much as 15x. However, our experiments exposed new scalability issues with our initial implementation. We discuss the sources of the scalability problems and our plans to address them.

  11. ATM/Wip1 activities at chromatin control Plk1 re-activation to determine G2 checkpoint duration

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jaiswal, H.; Benada, Jan; Müllers, E.; Akopyan, K.; Burdová, Kamila; Koolmeister, T.; Helleday, T.; Medema, R.H.; Macůrek, Libor; Lindqvist, A.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 36, č. 14 (2017), s. 2161-2176 ISSN 0261-4189 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-18392S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : ATM * ATR * checkpoint recovery * G2 * Pik1 Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 9.792, year: 2016

  12. An ATM-independent S-phase checkpoint response involves CHK1 pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiang-Yang; Wang, Xiang; Hu, Baocheng; Guan, Jun; Iliakis, George; Wang, Ya

    2002-01-01

    After exposure to genotoxic stress, proliferating cells actively slow down the DNA replication through a S-phase checkpoint to provide time for repair. We report that in addition to the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent pathway that controls the fast response, there is an ATM-independent pathway that controls the slow response to regulate the S-phase checkpoint after ionizing radiation in mammalian cells. The slow response of S-phase checkpoint, which is resistant to wortmannin, sensitive to caffeine and UCN-01, and related to cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation, is much stronger in CHK1 overexpressed cells, and it could be abolished by Chk1 antisense oligonucleotides. These results provide evidence that the ATM-independent slow response of S-phase checkpoint involves CHK1 pathway.

  13. Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Replication Checkpoint Activation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bénédicte Recolin

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The major challenge of the cell cycle is to deliver an intact, and fully duplicated, genetic material to the daughter cells. To this end, progression of DNA synthesis is monitored by a feedback mechanism known as replication checkpoint that is untimely linked to DNA replication. This signaling pathway ensures coordination of DNA synthesis with cell cycle progression. Failure to activate this checkpoint in response to perturbation of DNA synthesis (replication stress results in forced cell division leading to chromosome fragmentation, aneuploidy, and genomic instability. In this review, we will describe current knowledge of the molecular determinants of the DNA replication checkpoint in eukaryotic cells and discuss a model of activation of this signaling pathway crucial for maintenance of genomic stability.

  14. Checkpointing for a hybrid computing node

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cher, Chen-Yong

    2016-03-08

    According to an aspect, a method for checkpointing in a hybrid computing node includes executing a task in a processing accelerator of the hybrid computing node. A checkpoint is created in a local memory of the processing accelerator. The checkpoint includes state data to restart execution of the task in the processing accelerator upon a restart operation. Execution of the task is resumed in the processing accelerator after creating the checkpoint. The state data of the checkpoint are transferred from the processing accelerator to a main processor of the hybrid computing node while the processing accelerator is executing the task.

  15. Direct and indirect control of the initiation of meiotic recombination by DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in budding yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilge Argunhan

    Full Text Available Meiotic recombination plays an essential role in the proper segregation of chromosomes at meiosis I in many sexually reproducing organisms. Meiotic recombination is initiated by the scheduled formation of genome-wide DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. The timing of DSB formation is strictly controlled because unscheduled DSB formation is detrimental to genome integrity. Here, we investigated the role of DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in the control of meiotic DSB formation using budding yeast. By using recombination defective mutants in which meiotic DSBs are not repaired, the effect of DNA damage checkpoint mutations on DSB formation was evaluated. The Tel1 (ATM pathway mainly responds to unresected DSB ends, thus the sae2 mutant background in which DSB ends remain intact was employed. On the other hand, the Mec1 (ATR pathway is primarily used when DSB ends are resected, thus the rad51 dmc1 double mutant background was employed in which highly resected DSBs accumulate. In order to separate the effect caused by unscheduled cell cycle progression, which is often associated with DNA damage checkpoint defects, we also employed the ndt80 mutation which permanently arrests the meiotic cell cycle at prophase I. In the absence of Tel1, DSB formation was reduced in larger chromosomes (IV, VII, II and XI whereas no significant reduction was found in smaller chromosomes (III and VI. On the other hand, the absence of Rad17 (a critical component of the ATR pathway lead to an increase in DSB formation (chromosomes VII and II were tested. We propose that, within prophase I, the Tel1 pathway facilitates DSB formation, especially in bigger chromosomes, while the Mec1 pathway negatively regulates DSB formation. We also identified prophase I exit, which is under the control of the DNA damage checkpoint machinery, to be a critical event associated with down-regulating meiotic DSB formation.

  16. Prevention of DNA Rereplication Through a Meiotic Recombination Checkpoint Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole A. Najor

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, unnatural stabilization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Sic1 during meiosis can trigger extra rounds of DNA replication. When programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs are generated but not repaired due to absence of DMC1, a pathway involving the checkpoint gene RAD17 prevents this DNA rereplication. Further genetic analysis has now revealed that prevention of DNA rereplication also requires MEC1, which encodes a protein kinase that serves as a central checkpoint regulator in several pathways including the meiotic recombination checkpoint response. Downstream of MEC1, MEK1 is required through its function to inhibit repair between sister chromatids. By contrast, meiotic recombination checkpoint effectors that regulate gene expression and cyclin-dependent kinase activity are not necessary. Phosphorylation of histone H2A, which is catalyzed by Mec1 and the related Tel1 protein kinase in response to DSBs, and can help coordinate activation of the Rad53 checkpoint protein kinase in the mitotic cell cycle, is required for the full checkpoint response. Phosphorylation sites that are targeted by Rad53 in a mitotic S phase checkpoint response are also involved, based on the behavior of cells containing mutations in the DBF4 and SLD3 DNA replication genes. However, RAD53 does not appear to be required, nor does RAD9, which encodes a mediator of Rad53, consistent with their lack of function in the recombination checkpoint pathway that prevents meiotic progression. While this response is similar to a checkpoint mechanism that inhibits initiation of DNA replication in the mitotic cell cycle, the evidence points to a new variation on DNA replication control.

  17. Sobriety checkpoints in Thailand: a review of effectiveness and developments over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ditsuwan, Vallop; Veerman, J Lennert; Bertram, Melanie; Vos, Theo

    2015-03-01

    This review describes the legal basis for and implementation of sobriety checkpoints in Thailand and identifies factors that influenced their historical development and effectiveness. The first alcohol and traffic injury control law in Thailand was implemented in 1934. The 0.05 g/100 mL blood alcohol concentration limit was set in 1994. Currently, 3 types of sobriety checkpoints are used: general police checkpoints, selective breath testing, and special event sobriety checkpoints. The authors found few reports on the strategies, frequencies, and outcomes for any of these types of checkpoints, despite Thailand having devoted many resources to their implementation. In Thailand and other low-middle income countries, it is necessary to address the country-specific barriers to successful enforcement (including political and logistical issues, lack of equipment, and absence of other supportive alcohol harm reduction measures) before sobriety checkpoints can be expected to be as effective as reported in high-income countries. © 2011 APJPH.

  18. An origin-deficient yeast artificial chromosome triggers a cell cycle checkpoint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Brabant, A J; Buchanan, C D; Charboneau, E; Fangman, W L; Brewer, B J

    2001-04-01

    Checkpoint controls coordinate entry into mitosis with the completion of DNA replication. Depletion of nucleotide precursors by treatment with the drug hydroxyurea triggers such a checkpoint response. However, it is not clear whether the signal for this hydroxyurea-induced checkpoint pathway is the presence of unreplicated DNA, or rather the persistence of single-stranded or damaged DNA. In a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) we have engineered an approximately 170 kb region lacking efficient replication origins that allows us to explore the specific effects of unreplicated DNA on cell cycle progression. Replication of this YAC extends the length of S phase and causes cells to engage an S/M checkpoint. In the absence of Rad9 the YAC becomes unstable, undergoing deletions within the origin-free region.

  19. Space Reclamation for Uncoordinated Checkpointing in Message-Passing Systems. Ph.D. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Min

    1993-01-01

    Checkpointing and rollback recovery are techniques that can provide efficient recovery from transient process failures. In a message-passing system, the rollback of a message sender may cause the rollback of the corresponding receiver, and the system needs to roll back to a consistent set of checkpoints called recovery line. If the processes are allowed to take uncoordinated checkpoints, the above rollback propagation may result in the domino effect which prevents recovery line progression. Traditionally, only obsolete checkpoints before the global recovery line can be discarded, and the necessary and sufficient condition for identifying all garbage checkpoints has remained an open problem. A necessary and sufficient condition for achieving optimal garbage collection is derived and it is proved that the number of useful checkpoints is bounded by N(N+1)/2, where N is the number of processes. The approach is based on the maximum-sized antichain model of consistent global checkpoints and the technique of recovery line transformation and decomposition. It is also shown that, for systems requiring message logging to record in-transit messages, the same approach can be used to achieve optimal message log reclamation. As a final topic, a unifying framework is described by considering checkpoint coordination and exploiting piecewise determinism as mechanisms for bounding rollback propagation, and the applicability of the optimal garbage collection algorithm to domino-free recovery protocols is demonstrated.

  20. Implication of the G2 checkpoint in the maintenance of genome integrity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piette, J.; Munoz, P.

    2000-01-01

    Checkpoints are surveillance mechanisms that block transitions, for instance in response to DNA damage. We summarize here here recent progress in the molecular characterization of the G 2 checkpoint which controls the entry into mitosis, and review new evidence which implicates de-regulated expression of checkpoint proteins and proteins involved in DNA damage repair in cancer development. These now exists good evidence that individuals who inherited mutations in genes involved in G 2 checkpoint and DNA damage repair are predisposed to the development of various types of cancer, their cells having a strong tendency to accumulate additional mutations. However, the occurrence of mutations of most of these genes in sporadic tumors has yet to be analysed more accurately. (authors)

  1. Genetic Control of the Trigger for the G2/M Checkpoint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hall, Eric J. [Columbia University; Smilenov, Lubomir B. [Columbia University; Young, Erik F. [Columbia University

    2013-10-01

    The work undertaken in this project addressed two seminal areas of low dose radiation biology that are poorly understood and controversial. These areas are the challenge to the linear-no-threshold (LNT) paradigm at low doses of radiation and, the fundamental elements of radiation bystander effect biology Genetic contributions to low dose checkpoint engagement: The LNT paradigm is an extrapolation of known, measured cancer induction endpoints. Importantly, data for lower doses is often not available. Debatably, radiation protection standards have been introduced which are prudently contingent on the adherence of cancer risk to the established trend seen at higher doses. Intriguing findings from other labs have hinted at separate DNA damage response programs that engage at low or high levels of radiation. Individual radiation sensitivity commensurate with hemizygosity for a radiation sensitivity gene has been estimated at 1-2% in the U.S.. Careful interrogation of the DNA damage response at low doses of radiation became important and served as the basis for this grant. Several genes were tested in combinations to determine if combined haploinsufficiency for multiple radiosensitizing genes could render a cell more sensitive to lower levels of acute radiation exposure. We measured a classical radiation response endpoint, cell cycle arrest prior to mitosis. Mouse embryo fibroblasts were used and provided a uniform, rapidly dividing and genetically manipulable population of study. Our system did not report checkpoint engagement at acute doses of gamma rays below 100 mGy. The system did report checkpoint engagement reproducibly at 500 mGy establishing a threshold for activation between 100 and 500 mGy. Engagement of the checkpoint was ablated in cells nullizygous for ATM but was otherwise unperturbed in cells combinatorially haploinsufficient for ATM and Rad9, ATM and PTEN or PTEN and Rad9. Taken together, these experiments tell us that, in a sensitive fibroblast culture

  2. Development of cell-cycle checkpoint therapy for solid tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamura, Kenji

    2015-12-01

    Cellular proliferation is tightly controlled by several cell-cycle checkpoint proteins. In cancer, the genes encoding these proteins are often disrupted and cause unrestrained cancer growth. The proteins are over-expressed in many malignancies; thus, they are potential targets for anti-cancer therapies. These proteins include cyclin-dependent kinase, checkpoint kinase, WEE1 kinase, aurora kinase and polo-like kinase. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors are the most advanced cell-cycle checkpoint therapeutics available. For instance, palbociclib (PD0332991) is a first-in-class, oral, highly selective inhibitor of CDK4/6 and, in combination with letrozole (Phase II; PALOMA-1) or with fulvestrant (Phase III; PALOMA-3), it has significantly prolonged progression-free survival, in patients with metastatic estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, in comparison with that observed in patients using letrozole, or fulvestrant alone, respectively. In this review, we provide an overview of the current compounds available for cell-cycle checkpoint protein-directed therapy for solid tumors. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Interactions of checkpoint-genes RAD9, RAD17, RAD24 and RAD53 determining radioresistance of Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koltovaya, N.A.; Nikulushkina, Yu.V.; Roshchina, M.P.; Devin, A.B.

    2007-01-01

    The mechanisms of genetic control of progress through the division cell cycle (checkpoint-control) in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been studied intensively. To investigate the role of checkpoint-genes RAD9, RAD17, RAD24, RAD53 in cell radioresistance we have investigated cell sensitivity of double mutants to γ-ray. Double mutants involving various combinations with rad9Δ show epistatic interactions, i.e. the sensitivity of the double mutants to γ-ray was no greater than that of more sensitive of the two single mutants. This suggests that all these genes govern the same pathway. This group of genes was named RAD9-epistasis group. It is interesting to note that the genes RAD9 and RAD53 have positive effect but RAD17 and RAD24 have negative effect on radiosensitivity of yeast cells. Interactions between mutations may differ depending on the agent γ-ray or UV-light, for example mutations rad9Δ and rad24Δ show additive effect for γ-ray and epistatic effect for UV-light

  4. Checkpointing for graceful degradation in distributed embedded systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sababha, Belal Hussein

    real-time embedded systems. As a case study, the BCS protocol was used to checkpoint the avionics of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Faults were injected during run-time causing one of the system's stability control tasks to fail. The system was able to recover in a very short time by restarting the affected task on a different processor with a correct state with a time delay that did not cause any instability.

  5. The Dynamical Mechanisms of the Cell Cycle Size Checkpoint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Shi-Fu; Yang Ling; Yan Jie; Liu Zeng-Rong

    2012-01-01

    Cell division must be tightly coupled to cell growth in order to maintain cell size, whereas the mechanisms of how initialization of mitosis is regulated by cell size remain to be elucidated. We develop a mathematical model of the cell cycle, which incorporates cell growth to investigate the dynamical properties of the size checkpoint in embryos of Xenopus laevis. We show that the size checkpoint is naturally raised from a saddle-node bifurcation, and in a mutant case, the cell loses its size control ability due to the loss of this saddle-node point

  6. NEK11: linking CHK1 and CDC25A in DNA damage checkpoint signaling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Claus Storgaard; Melixetian, Marina; Klein, Ditte Kjaersgaard

    2010-01-01

    The DNA damage induced G(2)/M checkpoint is an important guardian of the genome that prevents cell division when DNA lesions are present. The checkpoint prevents cells from entering mitosis by degrading CDC25A, a key CDK activator. CDC25A proteolysis is controlled by direct phosphorylation events...... is required for beta-TrCP mediated CDC25A polyubiquitylation and degradation. The activity of NEK11 is in turn controlled by CHK1 that activates NEK11 via phosphorylation on serine 273. Since inhibition of NEK11 activity forces checkpoint-arrested cells into mitosis and cell death, NEK11 is, like CHK1...

  7. RNA interference regulates the cell cycle checkpoint through the RNA export factor, Ptr1, in fission yeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iida, Tetsushi, E-mail: tiida@nig.ac.jp [Division of Cytogenetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8, Honcho, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Iida, Naoko [Division of Mutagenesis, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); Tsutsui, Yasuhiro [Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuda-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501 (Japan); Yamao, Fumiaki [Division of Mutagenesis, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); Kobayashi, Takehiko [Division of Cytogenetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan); The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540 (Japan)

    2012-10-12

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RNAi is linked to the cell cycle checkpoint in fission yeast. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ptr1 co-purifies with Ago1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The ptr1-1 mutation impairs the checkpoint but does not affect gene silencing. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ago1{sup +} and ptr1{sup +} regulate the cell cycle checkpoint via the same pathway. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mutations in ago1{sup +} and ptr1{sup +} lead to the nuclear accumulation of poly(A){sup +} RNAs. -- Abstract: Ago1, an effector protein of RNA interference (RNAi), regulates heterochromatin silencing and cell cycle arrest in fission yeast. However, the mechanism by which Ago1 controls cell cycle checkpoint following hydroxyurea (HU) treatment has not been elucidated. In this study, we show that Ago1 and other RNAi factors control cell cycle checkpoint following HU treatment via a mechanism independent of silencing. While silencing requires dcr1{sup +}, the overexpression of ago1{sup +} alleviated the cell cycle defect in dcr1{Delta}. Ago1 interacted with the mRNA export factor, Ptr1. The ptr1-1 mutation impaired cell cycle checkpoint but gene silencing was unaffected. Genetic analysis revealed that the regulation of cell cycle checkpoint by ago1{sup +} is dependent on ptr1{sup +}. Nuclear accumulation of poly(A){sup +} RNAs was detected in mutants of ago1{sup +} and ptr1{sup +}, suggesting there is a functional link between the cell cycle checkpoint and RNAi-mediated RNA quality control.

  8. Multiple functions of the S-phase checkpoint mediator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Katsunori

    2010-01-01

    There is mounting evidence that replication defects are the major source of spontaneous genomic instability in cells, and that S-phase checkpoints are the principal defense against such instability. The S-phase checkpoint mediator protein Mrc1/Claspin mediates the checkpoint response to replication stress by facilitating phosphorylation of effector kinase by a sensor kinase. In this review, the multiple functions and the regulation of the S-phase checkpoint mediator are discussed.

  9. Detailed Modeling and Evaluation of a Scalable Multilevel Checkpointing System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohror, Kathryn [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Moody, Adam [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Bronevetsky, Greg [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); de Supinski, Bronis R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2014-09-01

    High-performance computing (HPC) systems are growing more powerful by utilizing more components. As the system mean time before failure correspondingly drops, applications must checkpoint frequently to make progress. But, at scale, the cost of checkpointing becomes prohibitive. A solution to this problem is multilevel checkpointing, which employs multiple types of checkpoints in a single run. Moreover, lightweight checkpoints can handle the most common failure modes, while more expensive checkpoints can handle severe failures. We designed a multilevel checkpointing library, the Scalable Checkpoint/Restart (SCR) library, that writes lightweight checkpoints to node-local storage in addition to the parallel file system. We present probabilistic Markov models of SCR's performance. We show that on future large-scale systems, SCR can lead to a gain in machine efficiency of up to 35 percent, and reduce the load on the parallel file system by a factor of two. In addition, we predict that checkpoint scavenging, or only writing checkpoints to the parallel file system on application termination, can reduce the load on the parallel file system by 20 × on today's systems and still maintain high application efficiency.

  10. Immune checkpoint inhibitors for nonsmall cell lung cancer treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuh-Min Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Immune checkpoint inhibition with blocking antibodies that target cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4 and the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1 pathway [PD-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1] have demonstrated promise in a variety of malignancies. While ipilimumab has been approved as a CTLA-4 blocking antibody by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of advanced melanoma, it is still not approved for lung cancer treatment. In contrast, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, both PD-1 blocking antibodies, have been approved for second-line treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer in 2015 because of their high potency and long-lasting effects in some patient subgroups. Other PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies are also in active development phase. Treatment with such immune checkpoint inhibitors is associated with a unique pattern of immune-related adverse events or side effects. Combination approaches involving CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade or checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy or radiotherapy are being investigated to determine whether they may enhance the efficacy of treatment. Despite many challenges ahead, immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has already become a new and important treatment modality for lung cancer in the last decade following the discovery of targeted therapy.

  11. Efficient Incremental Checkpointing of Java Programs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lawall, Julia Laetitia; Muller, Gilles

    2000-01-01

    This paper investigates the optimization of language-level checkpointing of Java programs. First, we describe how to systematically associate incremental checkpoints with Java classes. While being safe, the genericness of this solution induces substantial execution overhead. Second, to solve...

  12. Keeping checkpoint/restart viable for exascale systems.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riesen, Rolf E.; Bridges, Patrick G. (IBM Research, Ireland, Mulhuddart, Dublin); Stearley, Jon R.; Laros, James H., III; Oldfield, Ron A.; Arnold, Dorian (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Pedretti, Kevin Thomas Tauke; Ferreira, Kurt Brian; Brightwell, Ronald Brian

    2011-09-01

    Next-generation exascale systems, those capable of performing a quintillion (10{sup 18}) operations per second, are expected to be delivered in the next 8-10 years. These systems, which will be 1,000 times faster than current systems, will be of unprecedented scale. As these systems continue to grow in size, faults will become increasingly common, even over the course of small calculations. Therefore, issues such as fault tolerance and reliability will limit application scalability. Current techniques to ensure progress across faults like checkpoint/restart, the dominant fault tolerance mechanism for the last 25 years, are increasingly problematic at the scales of future systems due to their excessive overheads. In this work, we evaluate a number of techniques to decrease the overhead of checkpoint/restart and keep this method viable for future exascale systems. More specifically, this work evaluates state-machine replication to dramatically increase the checkpoint interval (the time between successive checkpoint) and hash-based, probabilistic incremental checkpointing using graphics processing units to decrease the checkpoint commit time (the time to save one checkpoint). Using a combination of empirical analysis, modeling, and simulation, we study the costs and benefits of these approaches on a wide range of parameters. These results, which cover of number of high-performance computing capability workloads, different failure distributions, hardware mean time to failures, and I/O bandwidths, show the potential benefits of these techniques for meeting the reliability demands of future exascale platforms.

  13. Advances of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Tumor Immunotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Qiao

    2018-01-01

    Immune checkpoints are cell surface molecules that can fine-tune the immune responses, they are crucial for modulating the duration and amplitude of immune reactions while maintaining self-tolerance in order to minimize autoimmune responses. Numerous studies have demonstrated that tumors cells can directly express immune-checkpoint molecules, or induce many inhibitory molecules expression in the tumor microenvironment to inhibit the anti-tumor immunity. Releasing these brakes has emerged as an exciting strategy to cure cancer. In the past few years, clinical trials with therapeutic antibodies targeting to the checkpoint molecules CTLA-4 and PD-1 have rekindled the hope for cancer immunotherapy. In contrast to the conventional treatment, checkpoint inhibitors induce broad and durable antitumor responses. In the future, treatment may involve combination therapy to target different checkpoint molecules and stages of the adaptive immune responses. In this review, we summarized the recent advances of the study and development of other checkpoint molecules in tumor immunotherapy.

  14. The point of no return: The poly(A)-associated elongation checkpoint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tellier, Michael; Ferrer-Vicens, Ivan; Murphy, Shona

    2016-01-01

    Cyclin-dependent kinases play critical roles in transcription by RNA polymerase II (pol II) and processing of the transcripts. For example, CDK9 regulates transcription of protein-coding genes, splicing, and 3' end formation of the transcripts. Accordingly, CDK9 inhibitors have a drastic effect on the production of mRNA in human cells. Recent analyses indicate that CDK9 regulates transcription at the early-elongation checkpoint of the vast majority of pol II-transcribed genes. Our recent discovery of an additional CDK9-regulated elongation checkpoint close to poly(A) sites adds a new layer to the control of transcription by this critical cellular kinase. This novel poly(A)-associated checkpoint has the potential to powerfully regulate gene expression just before a functional polyadenylated mRNA is produced: the point of no return. However, many questions remain to be answered before the role of this checkpoint becomes clear. Here we speculate on the possible biological significance of this novel mechanism of gene regulation and the players that may be involved.

  15. The point of no return: The poly(A)-associated elongation checkpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tellier, Michael; Ferrer-Vicens, Ivan; Murphy, Shona

    2016-01-01

    abstract Cyclin-dependent kinases play critical roles in transcription by RNA polymerase II (pol II) and processing of the transcripts. For example, CDK9 regulates transcription of protein-coding genes, splicing, and 3′ end formation of the transcripts. Accordingly, CDK9 inhibitors have a drastic effect on the production of mRNA in human cells. Recent analyses indicate that CDK9 regulates transcription at the early-elongation checkpoint of the vast majority of pol II-transcribed genes. Our recent discovery of an additional CDK9-regulated elongation checkpoint close to poly(A) sites adds a new layer to the control of transcription by this critical cellular kinase. This novel poly(A)-associated checkpoint has the potential to powerfully regulate gene expression just before a functional polyadenylated mRNA is produced: the point of no return. However, many questions remain to be answered before the role of this checkpoint becomes clear. Here we speculate on the possible biological significance of this novel mechanism of gene regulation and the players that may be involved. PMID:26853452

  16. CDC28, NETI, and HFII are required for checkpoints in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koltovaya, N.A.; Kadyshevskaya, E.Yu.; Roshina, M.P.; Devin, A.B.

    2009-01-01

    The involvement of SRM genes selected as genes affecting genetic stability and radiosensitivity in a cell cycle arrest under the action of damaging agents was studied. It was shown that the srm5/cdc28-srm, srm8/netI-srm, and srmI2/hfiI-srm mutations prevent checkpoint activation by DNA damage, particularly the G 0 /S (srm5, srm8), G 1 /S (srm5, srm8, srm12), S (srm8, srm12) and S/G 2 (srm5) checkpoints. It seems that in budding yeast the CDC28, HFII/ADAI, and NETI genes mediate cellular response induced by DNA damage with checkpoint control. The well-known checkpoint-genes RAD9, RAD17, RAD24, and RAD53, and the genes CDC28, and NETI have been found to belong to one epistasis group named RAD9-group as regards cell sensitivity to γ radiation. An analysis of the radiosensitivity of double mutants has revealed that the mutation cdc-28-srm is hypostatic to each of mutations rad9Δ, and rad24Δ, and additive to rad17Δ. The mutation netI-srm is hypostatic to the mutations rad9Δ but additive to rad17Δ, rad24Δ, and rad53. The mutation hfiI-srm has an additive effect in compound with the mutations rad24Δ and rad9Δ. So, investigations of epistatic interactions have demonstrated a branched RAD9-dependent pathway. The analyzed genes can also participate in a minor mechanism involved in determining cell radiation sensitivity independently of the mentioned RAD9-dependent pathway

  17. Checkpointing and Recovery in Distributed and Database Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jiang

    2011-01-01

    A transaction-consistent global checkpoint of a database records a state of the database which reflects the effect of only completed transactions and not the results of any partially executed transactions. This thesis establishes the necessary and sufficient conditions for a checkpoint of a data item (or the checkpoints of a set of data items) to…

  18. Centromere replication timing determines different forms of genomic instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae checkpoint mutants during replication stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Wenyi; Bachant, Jeff; Collingwood, David; Raghuraman, M K; Brewer, Bonita J

    2009-12-01

    Yeast replication checkpoint mutants lose viability following transient exposure to hydroxyurea, a replication-impeding drug. In an effort to understand the basis for this lethality, we discovered that different events are responsible for inviability in checkpoint-deficient cells harboring mutations in the mec1 and rad53 genes. By monitoring genomewide replication dynamics of cells exposed to hydroxyurea, we show that cells with a checkpoint deficient allele of RAD53, rad53K227A, fail to duplicate centromeres. Following removal of the drug, however, rad53K227A cells recover substantial DNA replication, including replication through centromeres. Despite this recovery, the rad53K227A mutant fails to achieve biorientation of sister centromeres during recovery from hydroxyurea, leading to secondary activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), aneuploidy, and lethal chromosome segregation errors. We demonstrate that cell lethality from this segregation defect could be partially remedied by reinforcing bipolar attachment. In contrast, cells with the mec1-1 sml1-1 mutations suffer from severely impaired replication resumption upon removal of hydroxyurea. mec1-1 sml1-1 cells can, however, duplicate at least some of their centromeres and achieve bipolar attachment, leading to abortive segregation and fragmentation of incompletely replicated chromosomes. Our results highlight the importance of replicating yeast centromeres early and reveal different mechanisms of cell death due to differences in replication fork progression.

  19. Smurf2 as a novel mitotic regulator: From the spindle assembly checkpoint to tumorigenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moore Finola E

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The execution of the mitotic program with high fidelity is dependent upon precise spatiotemporal regulation of posttranslational protein modifications. For example, the timely polyubiquitination of critical mitotic regulators by Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C is essential for the metaphase to anaphase transition and mitotic exit. The spindle assembly checkpoint prevents unscheduled activity of APC/C-Cdc20 in early mitosis, allowing bipolar attachment of kinetochores to mitotic spindle and facilitating equal segregation of sister chromatids. The critical effector of the spindle checkpoint, Mitotic arrest deficient 2 (Mad2, is recruited to unattached kinetochores forming a complex with other regulatory proteins to efficiently and cooperatively inhibit APC/C-Cdc20. A weakened and/or dysfunctional spindle checkpoint has been linked to the development of genomic instability in both cell culture and animal models, and evidence suggests that aberrant regulation of the spindle checkpoint plays a critical role in human carcinogenesis. Recent studies have illuminated a network of both degradative and non-degradative ubiquitination events that regulate the metaphase to anaphase transition and mitotic exit. Within this context, our recent work showed that the HECT (Homologous to E6-AP C-terminus-family E3 ligase Smurf2 (Smad specific ubiquitin regulatory factor 2, known as a negative regulator of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β signaling, is required for a functional spindle checkpoint by promoting the functional localization and stability of Mad2. Here we discuss putative models explaining the role of Smurf2 as a new regulator in the spindle checkpoint. The dynamic mitotic localization of Smurf2 to the centrosome and other critical mitotic structures provides implications about mitotic checkpoint control dependent on various ubiquitination events. Finally, deregulated Smurf2 activity may contribute to carcinogenesis by

  20. Transparent checkpointing and process migration in a distributed system

    OpenAIRE

    2004-01-01

    A distributed system for creating a checkpoint for a plurality of processes running on the distributed system. The distributed system includes a plurality of compute nodes with an operating system executing on each compute node. A checkpoint library resides at the user level on each of the compute nodes, and the checkpoint library is transparent to the operating system residing on the same compute node and to the other compute nodes. Each checkpoint library uses a windowed messaging logging p...

  1. Role of the Checkpoint Clamp in DNA Damage Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihoko Kai

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available DNA damage occurs during DNA replication, spontaneous chemical reactions, and assaults by external or metabolism-derived agents. Therefore, all living cells must constantly contend with DNA damage. Cells protect themselves from these genotoxic stresses by activating the DNA damage checkpoint and DNA repair pathways. Coordination of these pathways requires tight regulation in order to prevent genomic instability. The checkpoint clamp complex consists of Rad9, Rad1 and Hus1 proteins, and is often called the 9-1-1 complex. This PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen-like donut-shaped protein complex is a checkpoint sensor protein that is recruited to DNA damage sites during the early stage of the response, and is required for checkpoint activation. As PCNA is required for multiple pathways of DNA metabolism, the checkpoint clamp has also been implicated in direct roles in DNA repair, as well as in coordination of the pathways. Here we discuss roles of the checkpoint clamp in DNA damage response (DDR.

  2. Checkpoint independence of most DNA replication origins in fission yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mickle, Katie L; Ramanathan, Sunita; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Chaudari, Amna; Yompakdee, Chulee; Scott, Donna; Leatherwood, Janet; Huberman, Joel A

    2007-12-19

    In budding yeast, the replication checkpoint slows progress through S phase by inhibiting replication origin firing. In mammals, the replication checkpoint inhibits both origin firing and replication fork movement. To find out which strategy is employed in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we used microarrays to investigate the use of origins by wild-type and checkpoint-mutant strains in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU), which limits the pool of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and activates the replication checkpoint. The checkpoint-mutant cells carried deletions either of rad3 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of ATR) or cds1 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of Chk2). Our microarray results proved to be largely consistent with those independently obtained and recently published by three other laboratories. However, we were able to reconcile differences between the previous studies regarding the extent to which fission yeast replication origins are affected by the replication checkpoint. We found (consistent with the three previous studies after appropriate interpretation) that, in surprising contrast to budding yeast, most fission yeast origins, including both early- and late-firing origins, are not significantly affected by checkpoint mutations during replication in the presence of HU. A few origins (approximately 3%) behaved like those in budding yeast: they replicated earlier in the checkpoint mutants than in wild type. These were located primarily in the heterochromatic subtelomeric regions of chromosomes 1 and 2. Indeed, the subtelomeric regions defined by the strongest checkpoint restraint correspond precisely to previously mapped subtelomeric heterochromatin. This observation implies that subtelomeric heterochromatin in fission yeast differs from heterochromatin at centromeres, in the mating type region, and in ribosomal DNA, since these regions replicated at least as efficiently in wild-type cells as in checkpoint

  3. Checkpoint independence of most DNA replication origins in fission yeast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mickle, Katie L; Ramanathan, Sunita; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Chaudari, Amna; Yompakdee, Chulee; Scott, Donna; Leatherwood, Janet; Huberman, Joel A

    2007-01-01

    Background In budding yeast, the replication checkpoint slows progress through S phase by inhibiting replication origin firing. In mammals, the replication checkpoint inhibits both origin firing and replication fork movement. To find out which strategy is employed in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we used microarrays to investigate the use of origins by wild-type and checkpoint-mutant strains in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU), which limits the pool of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and activates the replication checkpoint. The checkpoint-mutant cells carried deletions either of rad3 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of ATR) or cds1 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of Chk2). Results Our microarray results proved to be largely consistent with those independently obtained and recently published by three other laboratories. However, we were able to reconcile differences between the previous studies regarding the extent to which fission yeast replication origins are affected by the replication checkpoint. We found (consistent with the three previous studies after appropriate interpretation) that, in surprising contrast to budding yeast, most fission yeast origins, including both early- and late-firing origins, are not significantly affected by checkpoint mutations during replication in the presence of HU. A few origins (~3%) behaved like those in budding yeast: they replicated earlier in the checkpoint mutants than in wild type. These were located primarily in the heterochromatic subtelomeric regions of chromosomes 1 and 2. Indeed, the subtelomeric regions defined by the strongest checkpoint restraint correspond precisely to previously mapped subtelomeric heterochromatin. This observation implies that subtelomeric heterochromatin in fission yeast differs from heterochromatin at centromeres, in the mating type region, and in ribosomal DNA, since these regions replicated at least as efficiently in wild-type cells as in

  4. Checkpoint independence of most DNA replication origins in fission yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott Donna

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In budding yeast, the replication checkpoint slows progress through S phase by inhibiting replication origin firing. In mammals, the replication checkpoint inhibits both origin firing and replication fork movement. To find out which strategy is employed in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we used microarrays to investigate the use of origins by wild-type and checkpoint-mutant strains in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU, which limits the pool of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs and activates the replication checkpoint. The checkpoint-mutant cells carried deletions either of rad3 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of ATR or cds1 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of Chk2. Results Our microarray results proved to be largely consistent with those independently obtained and recently published by three other laboratories. However, we were able to reconcile differences between the previous studies regarding the extent to which fission yeast replication origins are affected by the replication checkpoint. We found (consistent with the three previous studies after appropriate interpretation that, in surprising contrast to budding yeast, most fission yeast origins, including both early- and late-firing origins, are not significantly affected by checkpoint mutations during replication in the presence of HU. A few origins (~3% behaved like those in budding yeast: they replicated earlier in the checkpoint mutants than in wild type. These were located primarily in the heterochromatic subtelomeric regions of chromosomes 1 and 2. Indeed, the subtelomeric regions defined by the strongest checkpoint restraint correspond precisely to previously mapped subtelomeric heterochromatin. This observation implies that subtelomeric heterochromatin in fission yeast differs from heterochromatin at centromeres, in the mating type region, and in ribosomal DNA, since these regions replicated at least as efficiently in wild

  5. Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Kidney Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0141 TITLE: Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor therapy in Kidney Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Hans-Joerg Hammers...SUBTITLE Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor therapy in Kidney Cancer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH- 15-1-0141 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...immune checkpoint inhibition in kidney cancer . The work is designed to test different strategies to induce or enhance the abscopal in a kidney cancer

  6. Template based parallel checkpointing in a massively parallel computer system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archer, Charles Jens [Rochester, MN; Inglett, Todd Alan [Rochester, MN

    2009-01-13

    A method and apparatus for a template based parallel checkpoint save for a massively parallel super computer system using a parallel variation of the rsync protocol, and network broadcast. In preferred embodiments, the checkpoint data for each node is compared to a template checkpoint file that resides in the storage and that was previously produced. Embodiments herein greatly decrease the amount of data that must be transmitted and stored for faster checkpointing and increased efficiency of the computer system. Embodiments are directed to a parallel computer system with nodes arranged in a cluster with a high speed interconnect that can perform broadcast communication. The checkpoint contains a set of actual small data blocks with their corresponding checksums from all nodes in the system. The data blocks may be compressed using conventional non-lossy data compression algorithms to further reduce the overall checkpoint size.

  7. Hypoxia‐induced alterations of G2 checkpoint regulators

    OpenAIRE

    Hasvold, Grete; Lund-Andersen, Christin; Lando, Malin; Patzke, Sebastian; Hauge, Sissel; Suo, ZhenHe; Lyng, Heidi; Syljuåsen, Randi G.

    2016-01-01

    Hypoxia promotes an aggressive tumor phenotype with increased genomic instability, partially due to downregulation of DNA repair pathways. However, genome stability is also surveilled by cell cycle checkpoints. An important issue is therefore whether hypoxia also can influence the DNA damage‐induced cell cycle checkpoints. Here, we show that hypoxia (24 h 0.2% O2) alters the expression of several G2 checkpoint regulators, as examined by microarray gene expression analysis and immunoblotting o...

  8. Berkeley lab checkpoint/restart (BLCR) for Linux clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hargrove, Paul H; Duell, Jason C

    2006-01-01

    This article describes the motivation, design and implementation of Berkeley Lab Checkpoint/Restart (BLCR), a system-level checkpoint/restart implementation for Linux clusters that targets the space of typical High Performance Computing applications, including MPI. Application-level solutions, including both checkpointing and fault-tolerant algorithms, are recognized as more time and space efficient than system-level checkpoints, which cannot make use of any application-specific knowledge. However, system-level checkpointing allows for preemption, making it suitable for responding to ''fault precursors'' (for instance, elevated error rates from ECC memory or network CRCs, or elevated temperature from sensors). Preemption can also increase the efficiency of batch scheduling; for instance reducing idle cycles (by allowing for shutdown without any queue draining period or reallocation of resources to eliminate idle nodes when better fitting jobs are queued), and reducing the average queued time (by limiting large jobs to running during off-peak hours, without the need to limit the length of such jobs). Each of these potential uses makes BLCR a valuable tool for efficient resource management in Linux clusters

  9. The Neurospora crassa UVS-3 epistasis group encodes homologues of the ATR/ATRIP checkpoint control system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazama, Yusuke; Ishii, Chizu; Schroeder, Alice L; Shimada, Hisao; Wakabayashi, Michiyoshi; Inoue, Hirokazu

    2008-02-01

    The mutagen sensitive uvs-3 and mus-9 mutants of Neurospora show mutagen and hydroxyurea sensitivity, mutator effects and duplication instability typical of recombination repair and DNA damage checkpoint defective mutants. To determine the nature of these genes we used cosmids from a genomic library to clone the uvs-3 gene by complementation for MMS sensitivity. Mutation induction by transposon insertion and RIP defined the coding sequence. RFLP analysis confirmed that this sequence maps in the area of uvs-3 at the left telomere of LG IV. Analysis of the cDNA showed that the UVS-3 protein contains an ORF of 969 amino acids with one intron. It is homologous to UvsD of Aspergillus nidulans, a member of the ATRIP family of checkpoint proteins. It retains the N' terminal coiled-coil motif followed by four basic amino acids typical of these proteins and shows the highest homology in this region. The uvsD cDNA partially complements the defects of the uvs-3 mutation. The uvs-3 mutant shows a higher level of micronuclei in conidia and failure to halt germination and nuclear division in the presence of hydroxyurea than wild type, suggesting checkpoint defects. ATRIP proteins bind tightly to ATR PI-3 kinase (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) proteins. Therefore, we searched the Neurospora genome sequence for homologues of the Aspergillus nidulans ATR, UvsB. A uvsB homologous sequence was present in the right arm of chromosome I where the mus-9 gene maps. A cosmid containing this genomic DNA complemented the mus-9 mutation. The putative MUS-9 protein is 2484 amino acids long with eight introns. Homology is especially high in the C-terminal 350 amino acids that correspond to the PI-3 kinase domain. In wild type a low level of constitutive mRNA is present for both genes. It is transiently induced upon UV exposure.

  10. Multiple Duties for Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Kinases in Meiosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, Adele L.; Wassmann, Katja

    2017-01-01

    Cell division in mitosis and meiosis is governed by evolutionary highly conserved protein kinases and phosphatases, controlling the timely execution of key events such as nuclear envelope breakdown, spindle assembly, chromosome attachment to the spindle and chromosome segregation, and cell cycle exit. In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) controls the proper attachment to and alignment of chromosomes on the spindle. The SAC detects errors and induces a cell cycle arrest in metaphase, preventing chromatid separation. Once all chromosomes are properly attached, the SAC-dependent arrest is relieved and chromatids separate evenly into daughter cells. The signaling cascade leading to checkpoint arrest depends on several protein kinases that are conserved from yeast to man. In meiosis, haploid cells containing new genetic combinations are generated from a diploid cell through two specialized cell divisions. Though apparently less robust, SAC control also exists in meiosis. Recently, it has emerged that SAC kinases have additional roles in executing accurate chromosome segregation during the meiotic divisions. Here, we summarize the main differences between mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, and explain why meiotic divisions pose special challenges for correct chromosome segregation. The less-known meiotic roles of the SAC kinases are described, with a focus on two model systems: yeast and mouse oocytes. The meiotic roles of the canonical checkpoint kinases Bub1, Mps1, the pseudokinase BubR1 (Mad3), and Aurora B and C (Ipl1) will be discussed. Insights into the molecular signaling pathways that bring about the special chromosome segregation pattern during meiosis will help us understand why human oocytes are so frequently aneuploid. PMID:29322045

  11. Multiple Duties for Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Kinases in Meiosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adele L. Marston

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Cell division in mitosis and meiosis is governed by evolutionary highly conserved protein kinases and phosphatases, controlling the timely execution of key events such as nuclear envelope breakdown, spindle assembly, chromosome attachment to the spindle and chromosome segregation, and cell cycle exit. In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC controls the proper attachment to and alignment of chromosomes on the spindle. The SAC detects errors and induces a cell cycle arrest in metaphase, preventing chromatid separation. Once all chromosomes are properly attached, the SAC-dependent arrest is relieved and chromatids separate evenly into daughter cells. The signaling cascade leading to checkpoint arrest depends on several protein kinases that are conserved from yeast to man. In meiosis, haploid cells containing new genetic combinations are generated from a diploid cell through two specialized cell divisions. Though apparently less robust, SAC control also exists in meiosis. Recently, it has emerged that SAC kinases have additional roles in executing accurate chromosome segregation during the meiotic divisions. Here, we summarize the main differences between mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, and explain why meiotic divisions pose special challenges for correct chromosome segregation. The less-known meiotic roles of the SAC kinases are described, with a focus on two model systems: yeast and mouse oocytes. The meiotic roles of the canonical checkpoint kinases Bub1, Mps1, the pseudokinase BubR1 (Mad3, and Aurora B and C (Ipl1 will be discussed. Insights into the molecular signaling pathways that bring about the special chromosome segregation pattern during meiosis will help us understand why human oocytes are so frequently aneuploid.

  12. Newly Emerging Immune Checkpoints: Promises for Future Cancer Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert J. Torphy

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Cancer immunotherapy has been a great breakthrough, with immune checkpoint inhibitors leading the way. Despite the clinical effectiveness of certain immune checkpoint inhibitors, the overall response rate remains low, and the effectiveness of immunotherapies for many tumors has been disappointing. There is substantial interest in looking for additional immune checkpoint molecules that may act as therapeutic targets for cancer. Recent advances during the last decade have identified several novel immune checkpoint targets, including lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3, B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA, programmed death-1 homolog (PD-1H, T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain (TIM-3/carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1, and the poliovirus receptor (PVR-like receptors. The investigations into these molecules have generated promising results in preclinical studies. Herein, we will summarize our current progress and understanding of these newly-characterized immune checkpoints and their potential application in cancer immunotherapy.

  13. Radiotherapy and immune checkpoint blockades: a snapshot in 2016

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koo, Tae Yool [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, In Ah [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    Immune checkpoint blockades including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been emerged as a promising anticancer therapy. Several immune checkpoint blockades have been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and have shown notable success in clinical trials for patients with advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Radiotherapy is a promising combination partner of immune checkpoint blockades due to its potent pro-immune effect. This review will cover the current issue and the future perspectives for combined with radiotherapy and immune checkpoint blockades based upon the available preclinical and clinical data.

  14. The DNA replication checkpoint directly regulates MBF-dependent G1/S transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Chaitali; Patel, Prasanta K; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Leatherwood, Janet; Rhind, Nicholas

    2008-10-01

    The DNA replication checkpoint transcriptionally upregulates genes that allow cells to adapt to and survive replication stress. Our results show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the replication checkpoint regulates the entire G(1)/S transcriptional program by directly regulating MBF, the G(1)/S transcription factor. Instead of initiating a checkpoint-specific transcriptional program, the replication checkpoint targets MBF to maintain the normal G(1)/S transcriptional program during replication stress. We propose a mechanism for this regulation, based on in vitro phosphorylation of the Cdc10 subunit of MBF by the Cds1 replication-checkpoint kinase. Replacement of two potential phosphorylation sites with phosphomimetic amino acids suffices to promote the checkpoint transcriptional program, suggesting that Cds1 phosphorylation directly regulates MBF-dependent transcription. The conservation of MBF between fission and budding yeast, and recent results implicating MBF as a target of the budding yeast replication checkpoint, suggests that checkpoint regulation of the MBF transcription factor is a conserved strategy for coping with replication stress. Furthermore, the structural and regulatory similarity between MBF and E2F, the metazoan G(1)/S transcription factor, suggests that this checkpoint mechanism may be broadly conserved among eukaryotes.

  15. The DNA Replication Checkpoint Directly Regulates MBF-Dependent G1/S Transcription▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Chaitali; Patel, Prasanta K.; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Leatherwood, Janet; Rhind, Nicholas

    2008-01-01

    The DNA replication checkpoint transcriptionally upregulates genes that allow cells to adapt to and survive replication stress. Our results show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the replication checkpoint regulates the entire G1/S transcriptional program by directly regulating MBF, the G1/S transcription factor. Instead of initiating a checkpoint-specific transcriptional program, the replication checkpoint targets MBF to maintain the normal G1/S transcriptional program during replication stress. We propose a mechanism for this regulation, based on in vitro phosphorylation of the Cdc10 subunit of MBF by the Cds1 replication-checkpoint kinase. Replacement of two potential phosphorylation sites with phosphomimetic amino acids suffices to promote the checkpoint transcriptional program, suggesting that Cds1 phosphorylation directly regulates MBF-dependent transcription. The conservation of MBF between fission and budding yeast, and recent results implicating MBF as a target of the budding yeast replication checkpoint, suggests that checkpoint regulation of the MBF transcription factor is a conserved strategy for coping with replication stress. Furthermore, the structural and regulatory similarity between MBF and E2F, the metazoan G1/S transcription factor, suggests that this checkpoint mechanism may be broadly conserved among eukaryotes. PMID:18662996

  16. Participation of SRM5/CDC28, SRM8/NET1 and SRM12/HF11 genes in activation of checkpoints of Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadyshevskaya, E.Yu.; Koltovaya, N.A.

    2007-01-01

    It is known that there are about twenty checkpoint genes in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We study participation of SRM genes selected as genes affecting genetic stability and radiosensitivity. It has been shown that srm5/cdc28-srm, srm8/net1-srm, srm12/hfil-srm mutations prevent checkpoint activation by DNA damage, particularly G0/S-checkpoint (srm5, srm8), G1/S-checkpoint (srm5, srm8, srm12), S-checkpoint (srm5, srm12) and G2-checkpoint (srm5). These data indicate, at least in budding yeast, CDC28/SRM5, HF11/ADA1/SRM12 and NET1/SRM8 genes mediate cellular response induced by DNA damage including checkpoint control

  17. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Matthias M; Fottner, Christian

    2018-01-01

    Well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are usually controlled by antiproliferative, local ablative and/or radionuclide therapies, whereas poorly differentiated NENs generally require cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, treatment options for patients with advanced/metastatic high-grade NENs remain limited. Review of the literature and international congress abstracts on the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy by checkpoint inhibition in advanced/metastatic NENs. Evidence points to an important role of immune phenomena in the pathogenesis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) protein and its ligand are mainly expressed in poorly differentiated NENs. Microsatellite instability and high mutational load are more pronounced in high-grade NENs and may predict response to immunotherapy. Clinical experience of immune checkpoint blockade mainly exists for Merkel cell carcinoma, a high-grade cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), which has led to approval of the anti-PD-1 antibody avelumab. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence for the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in large-cell lung NECs, ovarian NECs and others, including gastroenteropancreatic NENs. Currently, phase II studies investigate PDR001, pembrolizumab, combined durvalumab and tremelimumab, and avelumab treatment in patients with advanced/metastatic NENs. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising therapeutic option, especially in progressive NECs or high-grade NETs with high tumor burden, microsatellite instability, and/or mutational load. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  18. Immune mediated neuropathy following checkpoint immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yufan; Menzies, Alexander M; Long, Georgina V; Fernando, S L; Herkes, G

    2017-11-01

    Checkpoint immunotherapy has revolutionised cancer therapy and is now standard treatment for many malignancies including metastatic melanoma. Acute inflammatory neuropathies, often labelled as Guillain-Barre syndrome, are an uncommon but potentially severe complication of checkpoint immunotherapy with individual cases described but never characterised as a group. We describe a case of acute sensorimotor and autonomic neuropathy following a single dose of combination ipilimumab and nivolumab for metastatic melanoma. A literature search was performed, identifying 14 other cases of acute neuropathy following checkpoint immunotherapy, with the clinical, electrophysiological and laboratory features summarised. Most cases described an acute sensorimotor neuropathy (92%) with hyporeflexia (92%) that could occur from induction up till many weeks after the final dose of therapy. In contrast to Guillain-Barre syndrome, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis often shows a lymphocytic picture (50%) and the electrophysiology showed an axonal pattern (55%). Treatment was variable and often in combination. 11 cases received steroid therapy with only 1 death within this group, whereas of the 4 patients who did not receive steroid therapy there were 3 deaths. In conclusion checkpoint immunotherapy - induced acute neuropathies are distinct from and progress differently to Guillain-Barre syndrome. As with other immunotherapy related adverse events corticosteroid therapy should be initiated in addition to usual therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A phospho-proteomic screen identifies substrates of the checkpoint kinase Chk1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blasius, Melanie; Forment, Josep V; Thakkar, Neha

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The cell-cycle checkpoint kinase Chk1 is essential in mammalian cells due to its roles in controlling processes such as DNA replication, mitosis and DNA-damage responses. Despite its paramount importance, how Chk1 controls these functions remains unclear, mainly because very few Chk1...

  20. The DNA Replication Checkpoint Directly Regulates MBF-Dependent G1/S Transcription▿

    OpenAIRE

    Dutta, Chaitali; Patel, Prasanta K.; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Leatherwood, Janet; Rhind, Nicholas

    2008-01-01

    The DNA replication checkpoint transcriptionally upregulates genes that allow cells to adapt to and survive replication stress. Our results show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the replication checkpoint regulates the entire G1/S transcriptional program by directly regulating MBF, the G1/S transcription factor. Instead of initiating a checkpoint-specific transcriptional program, the replication checkpoint targets MBF to maintain the normal G1/S transcriptional program du...

  1. Orchestration of DNA Damage Checkpoint Dynamics across the Human Cell Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Hui Xiao; Poovey, Cere E; Privette, Ashley A; Grant, Gavin D; Chao, Hui Yan; Cook, Jeanette G; Purvis, Jeremy E

    2017-11-22

    Although molecular mechanisms that prompt cell-cycle arrest in response to DNA damage have been elucidated, the systems-level properties of DNA damage checkpoints are not understood. Here, using time-lapse microscopy and simulations that model the cell cycle as a series of Poisson processes, we characterize DNA damage checkpoints in individual, asynchronously proliferating cells. We demonstrate that, within early G1 and G2, checkpoints are stringent: DNA damage triggers an abrupt, all-or-none cell-cycle arrest. The duration of this arrest correlates with the severity of DNA damage. After the cell passes commitment points within G1 and G2, checkpoint stringency is relaxed. By contrast, all of S phase is comparatively insensitive to DNA damage. This checkpoint is graded: instead of halting the cell cycle, increasing DNA damage leads to slower S phase progression. In sum, we show that a cell's response to DNA damage depends on its exact cell-cycle position and that checkpoints are phase-dependent, stringent or relaxed, and graded or all-or-none. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Checkpoint independence of most DNA replication origins in fission yeast

    OpenAIRE

    Mickle, Katie L; Ramanathan, Sunita; Rosebrock, Adam; Oliva, Anna; Chaudari, Amna; Yompakdee, Chulee; Scott, Donna; Leatherwood, Janet; Huberman, Joel A

    2007-01-01

    Abstract Background In budding yeast, the replication checkpoint slows progress through S phase by inhibiting replication origin firing. In mammals, the replication checkpoint inhibits both origin firing and replication fork movement. To find out which strategy is employed in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we used microarrays to investigate the use of origins by wild-type and checkpoint-mutant strains in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU), which limits the pool of deoxyribonucleo...

  3. Combination approaches with immune checkpoint blockade in cancer therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maarten Swart

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In healthy individuals, immune checkpoint molecules prevent autoimmune responses and limit immune cell-mediated tissue damage. Tumors frequently exploit these molecules to evade eradication by the immune system. Over the past years, immune checkpoint blockade of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4 and programmed death-1 (PD-1 emerged as promising strategies to activate anti-tumor cytotoxic T cell responses. Although complete regression and long-term survival is achieved in some patients, not all patients respond. This review describes promising, novel combination approaches involving immune checkpoint blockade, aimed at increasing response-rates to the single treatments.

  4. Emodnet Med Sea Check-Point - Indicators for decision- maker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besnard, Sophie; Claverie, Vincent; Blanc, Frédérique

    2015-04-01

    The Emodnet Checkpoint projects aim is to assess the cost-effectiveness, reliability and utility of the existing monitoring at the sea basin level. This involves the development of monitoring system indicators and a GIS Platform to perform the assessment and make it available. Assessment or production of Check-Point information is made by developing targeted products based on the monitoring data and determining whether the products are meeting the needs of industry and public authorities. Check-point users are the research community, the 'institutional' policy makers for IMP and MSFD implementation, the 'intermediate users', i.e., users capable to understand basic raw data but that benefit from seeing the Checkpoint targeted products and the assessment of the fitness for purpose. We define assessment criteria aimed to characterize/depict the input datasets in terms of 3 territories capable to show performance and gaps of the present monitoring system, appropriateness, availability and fitness for purpose. • Appropriateness: What is made available to users? What motivate/decide them to select this observation rather than this one. • Availability: How this is made available to the user? Place to understand the readiness and service performance of the EU infrastructure • Fitness for use / fitness for purpose: Ability for non-expert user to appreciate the data exploitability (feedback on efficiency & reliability of marine data) For each territory (appropriateness, Availability and Fitness for purpose / for use), we define several indicators. For example, for Availability we define Visibility, Accessibility and Performance. And Visibility is itself defined by "Easily found" and "EU service". So these indicators can be classified according to their territory and sub-territory as seen above, but also according to the complexity to build them. Indicators are built from raw descriptors in 3 stages:  Stage 1: to give a neutral and basic status directly computed from

  5. Action-oriented use of ergonomic checkpoints for healthy work design in different settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kogi, Kazutaka

    2007-12-01

    Recent experiences in the action-oriented use of ergonomic checkpoints in different work settings are reviewed. The purpose is to know what features are useful for healthy work design adjusted to each local situation. Based on the review results, common features of ergonomic checkpoints used in participatory training programs for improving workplace conditions in small enterprises, construction sites, home work and agriculture in industrially developing countries in Asia are discussed. These checkpoints generally compile practical improvement options in a broad range of technical areas, such as materials handling, workstation design, physical environment and work organization. Usually, "action checklists" comprising the tiles of the checkpoints are used together. A clear focus is placed on readily applicable low-cost options. Three common features of these various checkpoints appear to be important. First, the checkpoints represent typical good practices in multiple areas. Second, each how-to section of these checkpoints presents simple improvements reflecting basic ergonomic principles. Examples of these principles include easy reach, fewer and faster transport, elbow-level work, coded displays, isolated or screened hazards and shared teamwork. Third, the illustrated checkpoints accompanied by corresponding checklists are used as group work tools in short-term training courses. Many practical improvements achieved are displayed in websites for inter-country work improvement networks. It is suggested to promote the use of locally adjusted checkpoints in various forms of participatory action-oriented training in small-scale workplaces and in agriculture particularly in industrially developing countries.

  6. Checkpoint responses to replication stalling: inducing tolerance and preventing mutagenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kai, Mihoko; Wang, Teresa S.-F

    2003-11-27

    Replication mutants often exhibit a mutator phenotype characterized by point mutations, single base frameshifts, and the deletion or duplication of sequences flanked by homologous repeats. Mutation in genes encoding checkpoint proteins can significantly affect the mutator phenotype. Here, we use fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) as a model system to discuss the checkpoint responses to replication perturbations induced by replication mutants. Checkpoint activation induced by a DNA polymerase mutant, aside from delay of mitotic entry, up-regulates the translesion polymerase DinB (Pol{kappa}). Checkpoint Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) complex, which is loaded onto chromatin by the Rad17-Rfc2-5 checkpoint complex in response to replication perturbation, recruits DinB onto chromatin to generate the point mutations and single nucleotide frameshifts in the replication mutator. This chain of events reveals a novel checkpoint-induced tolerance mechanism that allows cells to cope with replication perturbation, presumably to make possible restarting stalled replication forks. Fission yeast Cds1 kinase plays an essential role in maintaining DNA replication fork stability in the face of DNA damage and replication fork stalling. Cds1 kinase is known to regulate three proteins that are implicated in maintaining replication fork stability: Mus81-Eme1, a hetero-dimeric structure-specific endonuclease complex; Rqh1, a RecQ-family helicase involved in suppressing inappropriate recombination during replication; and Rad60, a protein required for recombinational repair during replication. These Cds1-regulated proteins are thought to cooperatively prevent mutagenesis and maintain replication fork stability in cells under replication stress. These checkpoint-regulated processes allow cells to survive replication perturbation by preventing stalled replication forks from degenerating into deleterious DNA structures resulting in genomic instability and cancer development.

  7. Checkpoint responses to replication stalling: inducing tolerance and preventing mutagenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kai, Mihoko; Wang, Teresa S.-F.

    2003-01-01

    Replication mutants often exhibit a mutator phenotype characterized by point mutations, single base frameshifts, and the deletion or duplication of sequences flanked by homologous repeats. Mutation in genes encoding checkpoint proteins can significantly affect the mutator phenotype. Here, we use fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) as a model system to discuss the checkpoint responses to replication perturbations induced by replication mutants. Checkpoint activation induced by a DNA polymerase mutant, aside from delay of mitotic entry, up-regulates the translesion polymerase DinB (Polκ). Checkpoint Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) complex, which is loaded onto chromatin by the Rad17-Rfc2-5 checkpoint complex in response to replication perturbation, recruits DinB onto chromatin to generate the point mutations and single nucleotide frameshifts in the replication mutator. This chain of events reveals a novel checkpoint-induced tolerance mechanism that allows cells to cope with replication perturbation, presumably to make possible restarting stalled replication forks. Fission yeast Cds1 kinase plays an essential role in maintaining DNA replication fork stability in the face of DNA damage and replication fork stalling. Cds1 kinase is known to regulate three proteins that are implicated in maintaining replication fork stability: Mus81-Eme1, a hetero-dimeric structure-specific endonuclease complex; Rqh1, a RecQ-family helicase involved in suppressing inappropriate recombination during replication; and Rad60, a protein required for recombinational repair during replication. These Cds1-regulated proteins are thought to cooperatively prevent mutagenesis and maintain replication fork stability in cells under replication stress. These checkpoint-regulated processes allow cells to survive replication perturbation by preventing stalled replication forks from degenerating into deleterious DNA structures resulting in genomic instability and cancer development

  8. A checkpoint compression study for high-performance computing systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibtesham, Dewan [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Computer Science; Ferreira, Kurt B. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Scalable System Software Dept.; Arnold, Dorian [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Computer Science

    2015-02-17

    As high-performance computing systems continue to increase in size and complexity, higher failure rates and increased overheads for checkpoint/restart (CR) protocols have raised concerns about the practical viability of CR protocols for future systems. Previously, compression has proven to be a viable approach for reducing checkpoint data volumes and, thereby, reducing CR protocol overhead leading to improved application performance. In this article, we further explore compression-based CR optimization by exploring its baseline performance and scaling properties, evaluating whether improved compression algorithms might lead to even better application performance and comparing checkpoint compression against and alongside other software- and hardware-based optimizations. Our results highlights are: (1) compression is a very viable CR optimization; (2) generic, text-based compression algorithms appear to perform near optimally for checkpoint data compression and faster compression algorithms will not lead to better application performance; (3) compression-based optimizations fare well against and alongside other software-based optimizations; and (4) while hardware-based optimizations outperform software-based ones, they are not as cost effective.

  9. Drosophila MOF controls Checkpoint protein2 and regulates genomic stability during early embryogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pushpavalli, Sreerangam N C V L; Sarkar, Arpita; Ramaiah, M Janaki; Chowdhury, Debabani Roy; Bhadra, Utpal; Pal-Bhadra, Manika

    2013-01-24

    In Drosophila embryos, checkpoints maintain genome stability by delaying cell cycle progression that allows time for damage repair or to complete DNA synthesis. Drosophila MOF, a member of MYST histone acetyl transferase is an essential component of male X hyperactivation process. Until recently its involvement in G2/M cell cycle arrest and defects in ionizing radiation induced DNA damage pathways was not well established. Drosophila MOF is highly expressed during early embryogenesis. In the present study we show that haplo-insufficiency of maternal MOF leads to spontaneous mitotic defects like mitotic asynchrony, mitotic catastrophe and chromatid bridges in the syncytial embryos. Such abnormal nuclei are eliminated and digested in the yolk tissues by nuclear fall out mechanism. MOF negatively regulates Drosophila checkpoint kinase 2 tumor suppressor homologue. In response to DNA damage the checkpoint gene Chk2 (Drosophila mnk) is activated in the mof mutants, there by causing centrosomal inactivation suggesting its role in response to genotoxic stress. A drastic decrease in the fall out nuclei in the syncytial embryos derived from mof¹/+; mnkp⁶/+ females further confirms the role of DNA damage response gene Chk2 to ensure the removal of abnormal nuclei from the embryonic precursor pool and maintain genome stability. The fact that mof mutants undergo DNA damage has been further elucidated by the increased number of single and double stranded DNA breaks. mof mutants exhibited genomic instability as evidenced by the occurance of frequent mitotic bridges in anaphase, asynchronous nuclear divisions, disruption of cytoskeleton, inactivation of centrosomes finally leading to DNA damage. Our findings are consistent to what has been reported earlier in mammals that; reduced levels of MOF resulted in increased genomic instability while total loss resulted in lethality. The study can be further extended using Drosophila as model system and carry out the interaction of MOF

  10. Drosophila MOF controls Checkpoint protein2 and regulates genomic stability during early embryogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushpavalli Sreerangam NCVL

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Drosophila embryos, checkpoints maintain genome stability by delaying cell cycle progression that allows time for damage repair or to complete DNA synthesis. Drosophila MOF, a member of MYST histone acetyl transferase is an essential component of male X hyperactivation process. Until recently its involvement in G2/M cell cycle arrest and defects in ionizing radiation induced DNA damage pathways was not well established. Results Drosophila MOF is highly expressed during early embryogenesis. In the present study we show that haplo-insufficiency of maternal MOF leads to spontaneous mitotic defects like mitotic asynchrony, mitotic catastrophe and chromatid bridges in the syncytial embryos. Such abnormal nuclei are eliminated and digested in the yolk tissues by nuclear fall out mechanism. MOF negatively regulates Drosophila checkpoint kinase 2 tumor suppressor homologue. In response to DNA damage the checkpoint gene Chk2 (Drosophila mnk is activated in the mof mutants, there by causing centrosomal inactivation suggesting its role in response to genotoxic stress. A drastic decrease in the fall out nuclei in the syncytial embryos derived from mof1/+; mnkp6/+ females further confirms the role of DNA damage response gene Chk2 to ensure the removal of abnormal nuclei from the embryonic precursor pool and maintain genome stability. The fact that mof mutants undergo DNA damage has been further elucidated by the increased number of single and double stranded DNA breaks. Conclusion mof mutants exhibited genomic instability as evidenced by the occurance of frequent mitotic bridges in anaphase, asynchronous nuclear divisions, disruption of cytoskeleton, inactivation of centrosomes finally leading to DNA damage. Our findings are consistent to what has been reported earlier in mammals that; reduced levels of MOF resulted in increased genomic instability while total loss resulted in lethality. The study can be further extended using

  11. Mutant p53 perturbs DNA replication checkpoint control through TopBP1 and Treslin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Kang; Lin, Fang-Tsyr; Graves, Joshua D; Lee, Yu-Ju; Lin, Weei-Chin

    2017-05-09

    Accumulating evidence supports the gain-of-function of mutant forms of p53 (mutp53s). However, whether mutp53 directly perturbs the DNA replication checkpoint remains unclear. Previously, we have demonstrated that TopBP1 forms a complex with mutp53s and mediates their gain-of-function through NF-Y and p63/p73. Akt phosphorylates TopBP1 and induces its oligomerization, which inhibits its ATR-activating function. Here we show that various contact and conformational mutp53s bypass Akt to induce TopBP1 oligomerization and attenuate ATR checkpoint response during replication stress. The effect on ATR response caused by mutp53 can be exploited in a synthetic lethality strategy, as depletion of another ATR activator, DNA2, in mutp53-R273H-expressing cancer cells renders cells hypersensitive to cisplatin. Expression of mutp53-R273H also makes cancer cells more sensitive to DNA2 depletion or DNA2 inhibitors. In addition to ATR-activating function during replication stress, TopBP1 interacts with Treslin in a Cdk-dependent manner to initiate DNA replication during normal growth. We find that mutp53 also interferes with TopBP1 replication function. Several contact, but not conformational, mutp53s enhance the interaction between TopBP1 and Treslin and promote DNA replication despite the presence of a Cdk2 inhibitor. Together, these data uncover two distinct mechanisms by which mutp53 enhances DNA replication: ( i ) Both contact and conformational mutp53s can bind TopBP1 and attenuate the checkpoint response to replication stress, and ( ii ) during normal growth, contact (but not conformational) mutp53s can override the Cdk2 requirement to promote replication by facilitating the TopBP1/Treslin interaction.

  12. Roles of nibrin and ATM/ATR kinases on the G2 checkpoint under endogenous or radio-induced DNA damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine Marcelain

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Checkpoint response to DNA damage involves the activation of DNA repair and G2 lengthening subpathways. The roles of nibrin (NBS1 and the ATM/ATR kinases in the G2 DNA damage checkpoint, evoked by endogenous and radio-induced DNA damage, were analyzed in control, A-T and NBS lymphoblast cell lines. Short-term responses to G2 treatments were evaluated by recording changes in the yield of chromosomal aberrations in the ensuing mitosis, due to G2 checkpoint adaptation, and also in the duration of G2 itself. The role of ATM/ATR in the G2 checkpoint pathway repairing chromosomal aberrations was unveiled by caffeine inhibition of both kinases in G2. In the control cell lines, nibrin and ATM cooperated to provide optimum G2 repair for endogenous DNA damage. In the A-T cells, ATR kinase substituted successfully for ATM, even though no G2 lengthening occurred. X-ray irradiation (0.4 Gy in G2 increased chromosomal aberrations and lengthened G2, in both mutant and control cells. However, the repair of radio-induced DNA damage took place only in the controls. It was associated with nibrin-ATM interaction, and ATR did not substitute for ATM. The absence of nibrin prevented the repair of both endogenous and radio-induced DNA damage in the NBS cells and partially affected the induction of G2 lengthening.

  13. Anaphase onset before complete DNA replication with intact checkpoint responses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torres-Rosell, Jordi; De Piccoli, Giacomo; Cordon-Preciado, Violeta

    2007-01-01

    Cellular checkpoints prevent mitosis in the presence of stalled replication forks. Whether checkpoints also ensure the completion of DNA replication before mitosis is unknown. Here, we show that in yeast smc5-smc6 mutants, which are related to cohesin and condensin, replication is delayed, most...

  14. A New Adaptive Checkpointing Strategy for Mobile Computing

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    MENChaoguang; ZUODecheng; YANGXiaozong

    2005-01-01

    Adaptive checkpointing strategy is an efficient recovery scheme, which is suitable for mobile computing system. However, all existing adaptive checkpointing schemes are not correct to recover system when failure occurs in some special period. In this paper, the issues that will lead to system inconsistency are first discussed and then a new adaptive strategy that can recover system to correct consistent state is proposed. Our algorithm improves system recovery performance because only failure process needs rollback through logging.

  15. The final checkpoint. Cancer as an adaptive evolutionary mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rumena Petkova

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The mechanisms for identification of DNA damage and repair usually manage DNA damage very efficiently. If damaged cells manage to bypass the checkpoints where the integrity of the genome is assessed and the decisions whether to proceed with the cell cycle are made, they may evade the imperative to stop dividing and to die. As a result, cancer may develop. Warding off the potential sequence-altering effects of DNA damage during the life of the individual or the existence span of the species is controlled by a set of larger checkpoints acting on a progressively increasing scale, from systematic removal of damaged cells from the proliferative pool by means of repair of DNA damage/programmed cell death through ageing to, finally, cancer. They serve different purposes and act at different levels of the life cycle, safeguarding the integrity of the genetic backup of the individual, the genetic diversity of the population, and, finally, the survival of the species and of life on Earth. In the light of the theory that cancer is the final checkpoint or the nature's manner to prevent complex organisms from living forever at the expense of genetic stagnation, the eventual failure of modern anti-cancer treatments is only to be expected. Nevertheless, the medicine of today and the near future has enough potential to slow down the progression to terminal cancer so that the life expectancy and the quality of life of cancer-affected individuals may be comparable to those of healthy aged individuals.

  16. Checkpoint inhibitors in advanced melanoma: effect on the field of immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'reilly, Aine; Larkin, James

    2017-07-01

    The success of the immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma has reinvigorated the field of immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now the standard of care in multiple cancer types including lung cancer, head and neck cancer, urothelial cancer and renal cell cancer. The field of immunotherapy is currently expanding rapidly and will be a focus of research and development for decades to come. Areas covered: This review covers the early development of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the changes that occurred in the drug development paradigm to facilitate the development of immunotherapy. The review will summarise the areas into which immune checkpoint inhibitors have been adopted and will review the data that supported this. Furthermore, we will discuss future developments in immunotherapy and the current landscape regarding maximising the potential of immunotherapy in clinical practice. Expert commentary: In the author's opinion, the potential of immunotherapy is vast. To date immune checkpoint inhibition has already delivered durable responses in a proportion of patients with cancer types which were previously universally lethal. The future of immunotherapy will rely upon the intelligent application of translational research to clinical practice, such that immunotherapy can be effective for a wider population and maintain its current growth.

  17. Attenuation of G2 cell cycle checkpoint control in human tumor cells is associated with increased frequencies of unrejoined chromosome breaks but not increased cytotoxicity following radiation exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwartz, J.L.; Cowan, J.; Grdina, D.J.

    1997-01-01

    The contribution of G 2 cell cycle checkpoint control to ionizing radiation responses was examined in ten human tumor cell lines. Most of the delay in cell cycle progression seen in the first cell cycle following radiation exposure was due to blocks in G 2 and there were large cell line-to-cell line variations in the length of the G 2 block. Longer delays were seen in cell lines that had mutations in p53. There was a highly significant inverse correlation between the length of G 2 delay and the frequency of unrejoined chromosome breaks seen as chromosome terminal deletions in mitosis, and observation that supports the hypothesis that the signal for G 2 delay in mammalian cells is an unrejoined chromosome break. There were also an inverse correlation between the length of G 2 delay and the level of chromosome aneuploidy in each cell line, suggesting that the G 2 and mitotic spindel checkpoints may be linked to each other. Attenuation in G 2 checkpoint control was not associated with alterations in either the frequency of induced chromosome rearrangements or cell survival following radiation exposure suggesting that chromosome rearrangements, the major radiation-induced lethal lesion in tumor cells, form before cells enters G 2 . Thus, agents that act solely to override G 2 arrest should produce little radiosensitization in human tumor cells

  18. Asynchronous Two-Level Checkpointing Scheme for Large-Scale Adjoints in the Spectral-Element Solver Nek5000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schanen, Michel; Marin, Oana; Zhang, Hong; Anitescu, Mihai

    2016-01-01

    Adjoints are an important computational tool for large-scale sensitivity evaluation, uncertainty quantification, and derivative-based optimization. An essential component of their performance is the storage/recomputation balance in which efficient checkpointing methods play a key role. We introduce a novel asynchronous two-level adjoint checkpointing scheme for multistep numerical time discretizations targeted at large-scale numerical simulations. The checkpointing scheme combines bandwidth-limited disk checkpointing and binomial memory checkpointing. Based on assumptions about the target petascale systems, which we later demonstrate to be realistic on the IBM Blue Gene/Q system Mira, we create a model of the expected performance of our checkpointing approach and validate it using the highly scalable Navier-Stokes spectralelement solver Nek5000 on small to moderate subsystems of the Mira supercomputer. In turn, this allows us to predict optimal algorithmic choices when using all of Mira. We also demonstrate that two-level checkpointing is significantly superior to single-level checkpointing when adjoining a large number of time integration steps. To our knowledge, this is the first time two-level checkpointing had been designed, implemented, tuned, and demonstrated on fluid dynamics codes at large scale of 50k+ cores.

  19. Immune-Checkpoint Blockade and Active Immunotherapy for Glioma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Brian J.; Pollack, Ian F.; Okada, Hideho

    2013-01-01

    Cancer immunotherapy has made tremendous progress, including promising results in patients with malignant gliomas. Nonetheless, the immunological microenvironment of the brain and tumors arising therein is still believed to be suboptimal for sufficient antitumor immune responses for a variety of reasons, including the operation of “immune-checkpoint” mechanisms. While these mechanisms prevent autoimmunity in physiological conditions, malignant tumors, including brain tumors, actively employ these mechanisms to evade from immunological attacks. Development of agents designed to unblock these checkpoint steps is currently one of the most active areas of cancer research. In this review, we summarize recent progresses in the field of brain tumor immunology with particular foci in the area of immune-checkpoint mechanisms and development of active immunotherapy strategies. In the last decade, a number of specific monoclonal antibodies designed to block immune-checkpoint mechanisms have been developed and show efficacy in other cancers, such as melanoma. On the other hand, active immunotherapy approaches, such as vaccines, have shown encouraging outcomes. We believe that development of effective immunotherapy approaches should ultimately integrate those checkpoint-blockade agents to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic approaches. With these agents available, it is going to be quite an exciting time in the field. The eventual success of immunotherapies for brain tumors will be dependent upon not only an in-depth understanding of immunology behind the brain and brain tumors, but also collaboration and teamwork for the development of novel trials that address multiple layers of immunological challenges in gliomas

  20. Immune-Checkpoint Blockade and Active Immunotherapy for Glioma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahn, Brian J. [Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Brain Tumor Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Pollack, Ian F. [Brain Tumor Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Okada, Hideho, E-mail: okadah@upmc.edu [Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Brain Tumor Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

    2013-11-01

    Cancer immunotherapy has made tremendous progress, including promising results in patients with malignant gliomas. Nonetheless, the immunological microenvironment of the brain and tumors arising therein is still believed to be suboptimal for sufficient antitumor immune responses for a variety of reasons, including the operation of “immune-checkpoint” mechanisms. While these mechanisms prevent autoimmunity in physiological conditions, malignant tumors, including brain tumors, actively employ these mechanisms to evade from immunological attacks. Development of agents designed to unblock these checkpoint steps is currently one of the most active areas of cancer research. In this review, we summarize recent progresses in the field of brain tumor immunology with particular foci in the area of immune-checkpoint mechanisms and development of active immunotherapy strategies. In the last decade, a number of specific monoclonal antibodies designed to block immune-checkpoint mechanisms have been developed and show efficacy in other cancers, such as melanoma. On the other hand, active immunotherapy approaches, such as vaccines, have shown encouraging outcomes. We believe that development of effective immunotherapy approaches should ultimately integrate those checkpoint-blockade agents to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic approaches. With these agents available, it is going to be quite an exciting time in the field. The eventual success of immunotherapies for brain tumors will be dependent upon not only an in-depth understanding of immunology behind the brain and brain tumors, but also collaboration and teamwork for the development of novel trials that address multiple layers of immunological challenges in gliomas.

  1. The pachytene checkpoint and its relationship to evolutionary patterns of polyploidization and hybrid sterility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X C; Barringer, B C; Barbash, D A

    2009-01-01

    Sterility is a commonly observed phenotype in interspecific hybrids. Sterility may result from chromosomal or genic incompatibilities, and much progress has been made toward understanding the genetic basis of hybrid sterility in various taxa. The underlying mechanisms causing hybrid sterility, however, are less well known. The pachytene checkpoint is a meiotic surveillance system that many organisms use to detect aberrant meiotic products, in order to prevent the production of defective gametes. We suggest that activation of the pachytene checkpoint may be an important mechanism contributing to two types of hybrid sterility. First, the pachytene checkpoint may form the mechanistic basis of some gene-based hybrid sterility phenotypes. Second, the pachytene checkpoint may be an important mechanism that mediates chromosomal-based hybrid sterility phenotypes involving gametes with non-haploid (either non-reduced or aneuploid) chromosome sets. Studies in several species suggest that the strength of the pachytene checkpoint is sexually dimorphic, observations that warrant future investigation into whether such variation may contribute to differences in patterns of sterility between male and female interspecific hybrids. In addition, plants seem to lack the pachytene checkpoint, which correlates with increased production of unreduced gametes and a higher incidence of polyploid species in plants versus animals. Although the pachytene checkpoint occurs in many animals and in fungi, at least some of the genes that execute the pachytene checkpoint are different among organisms. This finding suggests that the penetrance of the pachytene checkpoint, and even its presence or absence can evolve rapidly. The surprising degree of evolutionary flexibility in this meiotic surveillance system may contribute to the observed variation in patterns of hybrid sterility and in rates of polyploidization.

  2. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors in the era of precision medicine: What radiologists should know

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Braschi-Amirfarzan, Marta; Tirumani, Sree Harsha; Hodi, Frank Stephan Jr; Nishno, Mizuki [Dept. of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston (United States)

    2017-01-15

    Over the past five years immune-checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape of advanced solid and hematologic malignancies. The currently approved immune-checkpoint inhibitors include antibodies to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, programmed cell death (PD-1), and programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1 and PD-L2). Response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors is evaluated on imaging using the immune-related response criteria. Activation of immune system results in a unique toxicity profile termed immune-related adverse events. This article will review the molecular mechanism, clinical applications, imaging of immune-related response patterns and adverse events associated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

  3. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors in the era of precision medicine: What radiologists should know

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braschi-Amirfarzan, Marta; Tirumani, Sree Harsha; Hodi, Frank Stephan Jr; Nishno, Mizuki

    2017-01-01

    Over the past five years immune-checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape of advanced solid and hematologic malignancies. The currently approved immune-checkpoint inhibitors include antibodies to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, programmed cell death (PD-1), and programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1 and PD-L2). Response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors is evaluated on imaging using the immune-related response criteria. Activation of immune system results in a unique toxicity profile termed immune-related adverse events. This article will review the molecular mechanism, clinical applications, imaging of immune-related response patterns and adverse events associated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors

  4. The spindle assembly checkpoint: More than just keeping track of the spindle.

    OpenAIRE

    Lawrence, KS; Engebrecht, J

    2015-01-01

    Genome stability is essential for cell proliferation and survival. Consequently, genome integrity is monitored by two major checkpoints, the DNA damage response (DDR) and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). The DDR monitors DNA lesions in G1, S, and G2 stages of the cell cycle and the SAC ensures proper chromosome segregation in M phase. There have been extensive studies characterizing the roles of these checkpoints in response to the processes for which they are named; however, emerging e...

  5. The CD47-SIRPα signaling axis as an innate immune checkpoint in cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matlung, Hanke L; Szilagyi, Katka; Barclay, Neil A; van den Berg, Timo K

    2017-03-01

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including those targeting CTLA-4/B7 and the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory pathways, are now available for clinical use in cancer patients, with other interesting checkpoint inhibitors being currently in development. Most of these have the purpose to promote adaptive T cell-mediated immunity against cancer. Here, we review another checkpoint acting to potentiate the activity of innate immune cells towards cancer. This innate immune checkpoint is composed of what has become known as the 'don't-eat me' signal CD47, which is a protein broadly expressed on normal cells and often overexpressed on cancer cells, and its counter-receptor, the myeloid inhibitory immunoreceptor SIRPα. Blocking CD47-SIRPα interactions has been shown to promote the destruction of cancer cells by phagocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that targeting of the CD47-SIRPα axis may also promote antigen-presenting cell function and thereby stimulate adaptive T cell-mediated anti-cancer immunity. The development of CD47-SIRPα checkpoint inhibitors and the potential side effects that these may have are discussed. Collectively, this identifies the CD47-SIRPα axis as a promising innate immune checkpoint in cancer, and with data of the first clinical studies with CD47-SIRPα checkpoint inhibitors expected within the coming years, this is an exciting and rapidly developing field. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Top3 processes recombination intermediates and modulates checkpoint activity after DNA damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mankouri, Hocine W; Hickson, Ian D

    2006-01-01

    Mutation of TOP3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes poor growth, hyperrecombination, and a failure to fully activate DNA damage checkpoints in S phase. Here, we report that overexpression of a dominant-negative allele of TOP3, TOP3(Y356F), which lacks the catalytic (decatenation) activity of Top3......, the catalytic activity of Top3 is not required for DNA damage checkpoint activation, but it is required for normal S-phase progression after DNA damage. We also present evidence that the checkpoint-mediated cell cycle delay and persistence of X-shaped DNA molecules resulting from overexpression of TOP3(Y356F......) are downstream of Rad51 function. We propose that Top3 functions in S phase to both process homologous recombination intermediates and modulate checkpoint activity....

  7. Myasthenia triggered by immune checkpoint inhibitors: New case and literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Natalia L; Puwanant, Araya; Lu, Angela; Marks, Stanley M; Živković, Saša A

    2017-03-01

    Immune checkpoint molecules are potent regulators of immunologic homeostasis that prevent the development of autoimmunity while maintaining self-tolerance. Inhibitors of immune checkpoint molecules are used as immunotherapy in the treatment of melanoma and different types of refractory cancer, and can trigger various autoimmune complications including myositis and myasthenia gravis. We describe a case of generalized myasthenia gravis induced by pembrolizumab and review 11 other cases. Five patients also had elevated serum CK levels ranging from 1200 to 8729 IU/L, and biopsy showed myositis in one. Severity was highly variable as symptoms normalized spontaneously in one patient, but three others developed myasthenic crisis (including two with fatal outcomes). Steroids have been recommended as a preferred treatment of autoimmune complications of immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Myasthenia gravis should be considered when weakness, diplopia or bulbar symptoms are seen after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and additional studies are needed to characterize association with hyperCKemia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic bladder cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massari, Francesco; Di Nunno, Vincenzo; Cubelli, Marta; Santoni, Matteo; Fiorentino, Michelangelo; Montironi, Rodolfo; Cheng, Liang; Lopez-Beltran, Anto; Battelli, Nicola; Ardizzoni, Andrea

    2018-03-01

    Chemotherapy has represented the standard therapy for unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma for more than 20 years. The growing knowledge of the interaction between tumour and immune system has led to the advent of new classes of drugs, the immune-checkpoints inhibitors, which are intended to change the current scenario. To date, immunotherapy is able to improve the overall responses and survival. Moreover, thanks to its safety profile immune-checkpoint inhibitors could be proposed also to patients unfit for standard chemotherapy. No doubts that these agents have started a revolution expected for years, but despite this encouraging results it appears clear that not all subjects respond to these agents and requiring the development of reliable predictive response factors able to isolate patients who can more benefit from these treatments as well as new strategies aimed to improve immunotherapy clinical outcome. In this review we describe the active or ongoing clinical trials involving Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1), Programmed Death receptor 1 (PD-1) and Cytotoxic-T Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA 4) inhibitors in urothelial carcinoma focusing our attention on the developing new immune-agents and combination strategies with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Checkpoint inhibitors in endometrial cancer: preclinical rationale and clinical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittica, Gloria; Ghisoni, Eleonora; Giannone, Gaia; Aglietta, Massimo; Genta, Sofia; Valabrega, Giorgio

    2017-10-27

    Treatment of advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer (EC) is still an unmet need for oncologists and gynecologic oncologists. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network (TCGA) recently provided a new genomic classification, dividing EC in four subgroups. Two types of EC, the polymerase epsilon (POLE)-ultra-mutated and the microsatellite instability-hyper-mutated (MSI-H), are characterized by a high mutation rate providing the rationale for a potential activity of checkpoint inhibitors. We analyzed all available evidence supporting the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) in EC development and the therapeutic implications offered by immune checkpoint inhibitors in this setting. We performed a review on Pubmed with Mesh keywords 'endometrial cancer' and the name of each checkpoint inhibitor discussed in the article. The same search was operated on clinicaltrial.gov to identify ongoing clinical trials exploring PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axis in EC, particularly focusing on POLE-ultra-muted and MSI-H cancer types. POLE-ultra-mutated and MSI-H ECs showed an active TME expressing high number of neo-antigens and an elevated amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Preliminary results from a phase-1 clinical trial (KEYNOTE-028) demonstrated antitumor activity of Pembrolizumab in EC. Moreover, both Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab reported durable clinical responses in POLE-ultra-mutated patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are an attractive option in POLE-ultra-mutated and MSI-H ECs. Future investigations in these subgroups include combinations of checkpoints inhibitors with chemotherapy and small tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to enhance a more robust intra-tumoral immune response.

  10. A genetic screen identifies BRCA2 and PALB2 as key regulators of G2 checkpoint maintenance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Menzel, Tobias; Nähse-Kumpf, Viola; Kousholt, Arne Nedergaard

    2011-01-01

    To identify key connections between DNA-damage repair and checkpoint pathways, we performed RNA interference screens for regulators of the ionizing radiation-induced G2 checkpoint, and we identified the breast cancer gene BRCA2. The checkpoint was also abrogated following depletion of PALB2......, an interaction partner of BRCA2. BRCA2 and PALB2 depletion led to premature checkpoint abrogation and earlier activation of the AURORA A-PLK1 checkpoint-recovery pathway. These results indicate that the breast cancer tumour suppressors and homologous recombination repair proteins BRCA2 and PALB2 are main...

  11. Requirement for the Phospho-H2AX Binding Module of Crb2 in Double-Strand Break Targeting and Checkpoint Activation▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Steven L.; Arida, Ahmad R.; Phan, Funita P.

    2010-01-01

    Activation of DNA damage checkpoints requires the rapid accumulation of numerous factors to sites of genomic lesions, and deciphering the mechanisms of this targeting is central to our understanding of DNA damage response. Histone modification has recently emerged as a critical element for the correct localization of damage response proteins, and one key player in this context is the fission yeast checkpoint mediator Crb2. Accumulation of Crb2 at ionizing irradiation-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) requires two distinct histone marks, dimethylated H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me2) and phosphorylated H2AX (pH2AX). A tandem tudor motif in Crb2 directly binds H4K20me2, and this interaction is required for DSB targeting and checkpoint activation. Similarly, pH2AX is required for Crb2 localization to DSBs and checkpoint control. Crb2 can directly bind pH2AX through a pair of C-terminal BRCT repeats, but the functional significance of this binding has been unclear. Here we demonstrate that loss of its pH2AX-binding activity severely impairs the ability of Crb2 to accumulate at ionizing irradiation-induced DSBs, compromises checkpoint signaling, and disrupts checkpoint-mediated cell cycle arrest. These impairments are similar to that reported for abolition of pH2AX or mutation of the H4K20me2-binding tudor motif of Crb2. Intriguingly, a combined ablation of its two histone modification binding modules yields a strikingly additive reduction in Crb2 activity. These observations argue that binding of the Crb2 BRCT repeats to pH2AX is critical for checkpoint activity and provide new insight into the mechanisms of chromatin-mediated genome stability. PMID:20679488

  12. Requirement for the phospho-H2AX binding module of Crb2 in double-strand break targeting and checkpoint activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Steven L; Arida, Ahmad R; Phan, Funita P

    2010-10-01

    Activation of DNA damage checkpoints requires the rapid accumulation of numerous factors to sites of genomic lesions, and deciphering the mechanisms of this targeting is central to our understanding of DNA damage response. Histone modification has recently emerged as a critical element for the correct localization of damage response proteins, and one key player in this context is the fission yeast checkpoint mediator Crb2. Accumulation of Crb2 at ionizing irradiation-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) requires two distinct histone marks, dimethylated H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me2) and phosphorylated H2AX (pH2AX). A tandem tudor motif in Crb2 directly binds H4K20me2, and this interaction is required for DSB targeting and checkpoint activation. Similarly, pH2AX is required for Crb2 localization to DSBs and checkpoint control. Crb2 can directly bind pH2AX through a pair of C-terminal BRCT repeats, but the functional significance of this binding has been unclear. Here we demonstrate that loss of its pH2AX-binding activity severely impairs the ability of Crb2 to accumulate at ionizing irradiation-induced DSBs, compromises checkpoint signaling, and disrupts checkpoint-mediated cell cycle arrest. These impairments are similar to that reported for abolition of pH2AX or mutation of the H4K20me2-binding tudor motif of Crb2. Intriguingly, a combined ablation of its two histone modification binding modules yields a strikingly additive reduction in Crb2 activity. These observations argue that binding of the Crb2 BRCT repeats to pH2AX is critical for checkpoint activity and provide new insight into the mechanisms of chromatin-mediated genome stability.

  13. Attenuation of G{sub 2} cell cycle checkpoint control in human tumor cells is associated with increased frequencies of unrejoined chromosome breaks but not increased cytotoxicity following radiation exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwartz, J.L.; Cowan, J.; Grdina, D.J. [and others

    1997-08-01

    The contribution of G{sub 2} cell cycle checkpoint control to ionizing radiation responses was examined in ten human tumor cell lines. Most of the delay in cell cycle progression seen in the first cell cycle following radiation exposure was due to blocks in G{sub 2} and there were large cell line-to-cell line variations in the length of the G{sub 2} block. Longer delays were seen in cell lines that had mutations in p53. There was a highly significant inverse correlation between the length of G{sub 2} delay and the frequency of unrejoined chromosome breaks seen as chromosome terminal deletions in mitosis, and observation that supports the hypothesis that the signal for G{sub 2} delay in mammalian cells is an unrejoined chromosome break. There were also an inverse correlation between the length of G{sub 2} delay and the level of chromosome aneuploidy in each cell line, suggesting that the G{sub 2} and mitotic spindel checkpoints may be linked to each other. Attenuation in G{sub 2} checkpoint control was not associated with alterations in either the frequency of induced chromosome rearrangements or cell survival following radiation exposure suggesting that chromosome rearrangements, the major radiation-induced lethal lesion in tumor cells, form before cells enters G{sub 2}. Thus, agents that act solely to override G{sub 2} arrest should produce little radiosensitization in human tumor cells.

  14. Bir1 Deletion Causes Malfunction of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint and Apoptosis in Yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

    Cell division in yeast is a highly regulated and well studied event. Various checkpoints are placed throughout the cell cycle to ensure faithful segregation of sister chromatids. Unexpected events, such as DNA damage or oxidative stress, cause the activation of checkpoint(s) and cell cycle arrest. Malfunction of the checkpoints may induce cell death. We previously showed that under oxidative stress, the budding yeast cohesin Mcd1, a homolog of human Rad21, was cleaved by the caspase-like protease Esp1. The cleaved Mcd1 C-terminal fragment was then translocated to mitochondria, causing apoptotic cell death. In the present study, we demonstrated that Bir1 plays an important role in spindle assembly checkpoint and cell death. Similar to H 2 O 2 treatment, deletion of BIR1 using a BIR1-degron strain caused degradation of the securin Pds1, which binds and inactivates Esp1 until metaphase-anaphase transition in a normal cell cycle. BIR1 deletion caused an increase level of ROS and mis-location of Bub1, a major protein for spindle assembly checkpoint. In wild type, Bub1 was located at the kinetochores, but was primarily in the cytoplasm in bir1 deletion strain. When BIR1 was deleted, addition of nocodazole was unable to retain the Bub1 localization on kinetochores, further suggesting that Bir1 is required to activate and maintain the spindle assembly checkpoint. Our study suggests that the BIR1 function in cell cycle regulation works in concert with its anti-apoptosis function.

  15. Rad9 contribution to radiosensitivity and the G2 checkpoint in a DT40 cell line

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumano, Tomoyasu [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Medical Science

    2002-12-01

    In fission yeast, the rad9 (radiation sensitive) gene was cloned from a mutant that is sensitive to ionizing radiation, ultraviolet and hydroxyurea. This gene has also been shown to be required for a DNA damage checkpoint. Orthologues of the rad9 gene have recently been identified in higher eukaryote cells including human. Here we generated Rad9 knockout (Rad9-/-) cells from the chicken B lymphocyte line DT40 to examine the role of Rad9 in higher eukaryotes. First we isolated a part of the chicken Rad9 gene which was 54% identical with human Rad9 at the amino acid sequence level. Next we isolated genomic clones, determined exons and introns, and constructed targeting vectors designed to disrupt exon 1-3 of the chicken Rad9 gene by replacement with a drug-resistant gene. Successful targeted integration was verified by Southern blot analysis and the disruption of the Rad9 gene was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To analyze the radiosensitivity of these Rad9-/- cells, we monitored the clonogenic survival after various degrees of X-ray irradiation. Rad9-/- cells were more sensitive to X-rays than wild type cells at all dosages. However, these cells were less sensitive than ATM knockout (ATM-/-) cells that are known to be X-ray sensitive and that showed a defective checkpoint control. In contrast, Rad9-/- cells were markedly more sensitive to ultraviolet and hydroxyruea. In addition, we assessed the G2 checkpoint by measurement of the mitotic index that is the fraction of the accumulating number of cells in mitosis at various times after X-ray irradiation. While the number of mitotic wild type cells did not increase until 2 hrs after X-ray irradiation, the number of mitotic Rad9-/- cells showed an increase similar to that of ATM-/- cells. These results suggest that just as in fission yeast, in higher eukaryotes Rad9 also contributes to X-ray, ultraviolet and hydroxyurea sensitivity, and plays an important role in the G2 checkpoint

  16. Rad9 contribution to radiosensitivity and the G2 checkpoint in a DT40 cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumano, Tomoyasu

    2002-01-01

    In fission yeast, the rad9 (radiation sensitive) gene was cloned from a mutant that is sensitive to ionizing radiation, ultraviolet and hydroxyurea. This gene has also been shown to be required for a DNA damage checkpoint. Orthologues of the rad9 gene have recently been identified in higher eukaryote cells including human. Here we generated Rad9 knockout (Rad9-/-) cells from the chicken B lymphocyte line DT40 to examine the role of Rad9 in higher eukaryotes. First we isolated a part of the chicken Rad9 gene which was 54% identical with human Rad9 at the amino acid sequence level. Next we isolated genomic clones, determined exons and introns, and constructed targeting vectors designed to disrupt exon 1-3 of the chicken Rad9 gene by replacement with a drug-resistant gene. Successful targeted integration was verified by Southern blot analysis and the disruption of the Rad9 gene was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To analyze the radiosensitivity of these Rad9-/- cells, we monitored the clonogenic survival after various degrees of X-ray irradiation. Rad9-/- cells were more sensitive to X-rays than wild type cells at all dosages. However, these cells were less sensitive than ATM knockout (ATM-/-) cells that are known to be X-ray sensitive and that showed a defective checkpoint control. In contrast, Rad9-/- cells were markedly more sensitive to ultraviolet and hydroxyruea. In addition, we assessed the G2 checkpoint by measurement of the mitotic index that is the fraction of the accumulating number of cells in mitosis at various times after X-ray irradiation. While the number of mitotic wild type cells did not increase until 2 hrs after X-ray irradiation, the number of mitotic Rad9-/- cells showed an increase similar to that of ATM-/- cells. These results suggest that just as in fission yeast, in higher eukaryotes Rad9 also contributes to X-ray, ultraviolet and hydroxyurea sensitivity, and plays an important role in the G2 checkpoint

  17. CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR IMMUNE THERAPY: Systemic Indications and Ophthalmic Side Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalvin, Lauren A; Shields, Carol L; Orloff, Marlana; Sato, Takami; Shields, Jerry A

    2018-06-01

    To review immune checkpoint inhibitor indications and ophthalmic side effects. A literature review was performed using a PubMed search for publications between 1990 and 2017. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are designed to treat system malignancies by targeting one of three ligands, leading to T-cell activation for attack against malignant cells. These ligands (and targeted drug) include cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4, ipilimumab), programmed death protein 1 (PD-1, pembrolizumab, nivolumab), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1, atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab). These medications upregulate the immune system and cause autoimmune-like side effects. Ophthalmic side effects most frequently manifest as uveitis (1%) and dry eye (1-24%). Other side effects include myasthenia gravis (n = 19 reports), inflammatory orbitopathy (n = 11), keratitis (n = 3), cranial nerve palsy (n = 3), optic neuropathy (n = 2), serous retinal detachment (n = 2), extraocular muscle myopathy (n = 1), atypical chorioretinal lesions (n = 1), immune retinopathy (n = 1), and neuroretinitis (n = 1). Most inflammatory side effects are managed with topical or periocular corticosteroids, but advanced cases require systemic corticosteroids and cessation of checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Checkpoint inhibitors enhance the immune system by releasing inhibition on T cells, with risk of autoimmune-like side effects. Ophthalmologists should include immune-related adverse events in their differential when examining cancer patients with new ocular symptoms.

  18. How oocytes try to get it right: spindle checkpoint control in meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Touati, Sandra A; Wassmann, Katja

    2016-06-01

    The generation of a viable, diploid organism depends on the formation of haploid gametes, oocytes, and spermatocytes, with the correct number of chromosomes. Halving the genome requires the execution of two consecutive specialized cell divisions named meiosis I and II. Unfortunately, and in contrast to male meiosis, chromosome segregation in oocytes is error prone, with human oocytes being extraordinarily "meiotically challenged". Aneuploid oocytes, that are with the wrong number of chromosomes, give rise to aneuploid embryos when fertilized. In humans, most aneuploidies are lethal and result in spontaneous abortions. However, some trisomies survive to birth or even adulthood, such as the well-known trisomy 21, which gives rise to Down syndrome (Nagaoka et al. in Nat Rev Genet 13:493-504, 2012). A staggering 20-25 % of oocytes ready to be fertilized are aneuploid in humans. If this were not bad enough, there is an additional increase in meiotic missegregations as women get closer to menopause. A woman above 40 has a risk of more than 30 % of getting pregnant with a trisomic child. Worse still, in industrialized western societies, child birth is delayed, with women getting their first child later in life than ever. This trend has led to an increase of trisomic pregnancies by 70 % in the last 30 years (Nagaoka et al. in Nat Rev Genet 13:493-504, 2012; Schmidt et al. in Hum Reprod Update 18:29-43, 2012). To understand why errors occur so frequently during the meiotic divisions in oocytes, we review here the molecular mechanisms at works to control chromosome segregation during meiosis. An important mitotic control mechanism, namely the spindle assembly checkpoint or SAC, has been adapted to the special requirements of the meiotic divisions, and this review will focus on our current knowledge of SAC control in mammalian oocytes. Knowledge on how chromosome segregation is controlled in mammalian oocytes may help to identify risk factors important for questions

  19. Conformation-specific anti-Mad2 monoclonal antibodies for the dissection of checkpoint signaling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sedgwick, Garry G; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Lischetti, Tiziana

    2016-01-01

    The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis by delaying the activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in response to unattached kinetochores. The Mad2 protein is essential for a functional checkpoint because it binds directly t...

  20. T cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia display dysregulated expression of immune checkpoints and activation markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma, Marzia; Gentilcore, Giusy; Heimersson, Kia; Mozaffari, Fariba; Näsman-Glaser, Barbro; Young, Emma; Rosenquist, Richard; Hansson, Lotta; Österborg, Anders; Mellstedt, Håkan

    2017-03-01

    Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by impaired immune functions largely due to profound T-cell defects. T-cell functions also depend on co-signaling receptors, inhibitory or stimulatory, known as immune checkpoints, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1). Here we analyzed the T-cell phenotype focusing on immune checkpoints and activation markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients (n=80) with different clinical characteristics and compared them to healthy controls. In general, patients had higher absolute numbers of CD3 + cells and the CD8 + subset was particularly expanded in previously treated patients. Progressive patients had higher numbers of CD4 + and CD8 + cells expressing PD-1 compared to healthy controls, which was more pronounced in previously treated patients ( P =0.0003 and P =0.001, respectively). A significant increase in antigen-experienced T cells was observed in patients within both the CD4 + and CD8 + subsets, with a significantly higher PD-1 expression. Higher numbers of CD4 + and CD8 + cells with intracellular CTLA-4 were observed in patients, as well as high numbers of proliferating (Ki67 + ) and activated (CD69 + ) CD4 + and CD8 + cells, more pronounced in patients with active disease. The numbers of Th1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T cells were substantially increased in patients compared to controls ( P leukemia T cells display increased expression of immune checkpoints, abnormal subset distribution, and a higher proportion of proliferating cells compared to healthy T cells. Disease activity and previous treatment shape the T-cell profile of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in different ways. Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

  1. The amount of DNA damage needed to activate the radiation-induced G2 checkpoint varies between single cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tkacz-Stachowska, Kinga; Lund-Andersen, Christin; Velissarou, Angeliki; Myklebust, June H.; Stokke, Trond; Syljuåsen, Randi G.

    2011-01-01

    Background and purpose: The radiation-induced G2 checkpoint helps facilitate DNA repair before cell division. However, recent work has revealed that human cells often escape the G2 checkpoint with unrepaired DNA breaks. The purpose was to explore whether G2 checkpoint activation occurs according to a threshold level of DNA damage. Materials and methods: G2 checkpoint activation was assayed at 75–90 min and 24–48 h after X-ray irradiation of BJ diploid fibroblasts and U2OS osteosarcoma cells. Multiparameter flow cytometry with pacific blue barcoding, and flow cytometry-based sorting of phospho-H3 positive cells to microscope slides, were used to examine the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX in individual mitotic cells that had escaped the G2 checkpoint. Results: For all radiation doses and times tested, the number of γ-H2AX foci varied between individual mitotic cells. At 75 min the median levels of γ-H2AX in mitotic cells increased with higher radiation doses. At 24–48 h, following a prolonged G2 checkpoint, cells were more resistant to checkpoint re-activation by a second dose of radiation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that different amounts of DNA damage are needed to activate the G2 checkpoint in individual cells. Such single cell variation in checkpoint activation may potentially contribute to radiation-induced genomic instability.

  2. Targeting the Checkpoint to Kill Cancer Cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Benada, Jan; Macůrek, Libor

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 3 (2015), s. 1912-1937 ISSN 2218-273X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-34264S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : checkpoint * DNA damage response * cancer Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

  3. Spindle assembly checkpoint acquisition at the mid-blastula transition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maomao Zhang

    Full Text Available The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC maintains the fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis. Nonpathogenic cells lacking the SAC are typically only found in cleavage stage metazoan embryos, which do not acquire functional checkpoints until the mid-blastula transition (MBT. It is unclear how proper SAC function is acquired at the MBT, though several models exist. First, SAC acquisition could rely on transcriptional activity, which increases dramatically at the MBT. Embryogenesis prior to the MBT relies primarily on maternally loaded transcripts, and if SAC signaling components are not maternally supplied, the SAC would depend on zygotic transcription at the MBT. Second, checkpoint acquisition could depend on the Chk1 kinase, which is activated at the MBT to elongate cell cycles and is required for the SAC in somatic cells. Third, SAC function could depend on a threshold nuclear to cytoplasmic (N:C ratio, which increases during pre-MBT cleavage cycles and dictates several MBT events like zygotic transcription and cell cycle remodeling. Finally, the SAC could by regulated by a timer mechanism that coincides with other MBT events but is independent of them. Using zebrafish embryos we show that SAC acquisition at the MBT is independent of zygotic transcription, indicating that the checkpoint program is maternally supplied. Additionally, by precociously lengthening cleavage cycles with exogenous Chk1 activity, we show that cell cycle lengthening and Chk1 activity are not sufficient for SAC acquisition. Furthermore, we find that SAC acquisition can be uncoupled from the N:C ratio. Together, our findings indicate that SAC acquisition is regulated by a maternally programmed developmental timer.

  4. Analysis of Drug Development Paradigms for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jardim, Denis L; de Melo Gagliato, Débora; Giles, Francis J; Kurzrock, Razelle

    2018-04-15

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors have unique toxicities and response kinetics compared with cytotoxic and gene-targeted anticancer agents. We investigated the impact of innovative/accelerated immunotherapy drug development/approval models on the accuracy of safety and efficacy assessments by searching the FDA website. Initial phase I trials for each agent were reviewed and safety and efficacy data compared with that found in later trials leading to regulatory approvals of the same agents. As of June 2017, the FDA approved six checkpoint inhibitors for a variety of cancer types. All checkpoint inhibitors received a priority review status and access to at least two additional FDA special access programs, more often breakthrough therapy designation and accelerated approval. Median clinical development time (investigational new drug application to approval) was 60.77 months [avelumab had the shortest timeline (52.33 months)]. Response rates during early phase I trials (median = 16%) are higher than for phase I trials of other agents (with the exception of gene-targeted agents tested with a biomarker). Doses approved were usually not identical to doses recommended on phase I trials. Approximately 50% of types of immune-related and 43% of types of clinically relevant toxicities from later trials were identified in early-phase trials. Even so, treatment-related mortality remains exceedingly low in later studies (0.33% of patients). In conclusion, efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors appear to be reasonably predicted from the dose-finding portion of phase I trials, indicating that the fast-track development of these agents is safe and justified. Clin Cancer Res; 24(8); 1785-94. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  5. Effect of salt-inducible kinase 2 on checkpoint in response to γ-ray irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin Jiaojiao; Zhou Lijun; Wang Yu; Liu Xiaodan; Gu Yongqing; Zhou Pingkun

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the effect of salt-induced kinase 2 (SIK2) in the G_2/M checkpoint in response to ionizing radiation and the possible mechanism. Methods: HeLa cells were irradiated with "6"0Co γ-rays. The cell model of knockdown SIK2 expression was constrcuted by transfecting HeLa cells with a pSicoR-based lentivirus vector of expressing SIK2 shRNA by lipofectamin 2000. Western blot and flow cytometry were performed to measure the changes of SIK2 protein level and cell cycle distribution. The phosphorylated histone protein H3 on Ser 10 was used as a molecular marker of mitotic cells for detecting the function of G2/M checkpoint. Results: The expression level of SIK2 protein increased in HeLa cells after "6"0Co γ-ray irradiation. A cell model of knockdown SIK2 expression was successfully generated by transfecting the specific shRNA against SIK2. Depression of SIK2 significantly increased the cellular sensitivity at 1, 2, 4, 6 Gy post-irradiation (t = -3.445, -2.581, -3.251, -2.553, P < 0.05), and led cells to release earlier from the G_2/M boundary arrest compared to control cells at 5, 6 h post-irradiation(t = 4.341, 6.500, P < 0.05). Western blot analysis indicated that the irradiation-induced phosphorylated CHK2/T68 in SIK2 knock-down cells was earlier than that in control cells. Conclusions: salt-induced kinase 2 (SIK2) participates in the regulation of G_2/M checkpoint induced by ionizing radiation and affects cellular radiosensitivity. (authors)

  6. Localization of spindle checkpoint proteins in cells undergoing mitosis with unreplicated genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Mary Kathrine; Cooksey, Amanda M; Wise, Dwayne A

    2008-11-01

    CHO cells can be arrested with hydoxyurea at the beginning of the DNA synthesis phase of the cell cycle. Subsequent treatment with the xanthine, caffeine, induces cells to bypass the S-phase checkpoint and enter unscheduled mitosis [Schlegel and Pardee,1986, Science 232:1264-1266]. These treated cells build a normal spindle and distribute kinetochores, unattached to chromosomes, to their daughter cells [Brinkley et al.,1988, Nature 336:251-254; Zinkowski et al.,1991, J Cell Biol 113:1091-1110; Wise and Brinkley,1997, Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 36:291-302; Balczon et al.,2003, Chromosoma 112:96-102]. To investigate how these cells distribute kinetochores to daughter cells, we analyzed the spindle checkpoint components, Mad2, CENP-E, and the 3F3 phosphoepitope, using immunofluorescence and digital microscopy. Even though the kinetochores were unpaired and DNA was fragmented, the tension, alignment, and motor components of the checkpoint were found to be present and localized as predicted in prometaphase and metaphase. This unusual mitosis proves that a cell can successfully localize checkpoint proteins and divide even when kinetochores are unpaired and fragmented. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  7. Radiation-induced apoptosis and cell cycle checkpoints in human colorectal tumour cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Playle, L.C.

    2001-03-01

    The p53 tumour suppressor gene is mutated in 75% of colorectal carcinomas and is critical for DNA damage-induced G1 cell cycle arrest. Data presented in this thesis demonstrate that after treatment with Ionizing Radiation (IR), colorectal tumour cell lines with mutant p53 are unable to arrest at G1 and undergo cell cycle arrest at G2. The staurosporine derivative, UCN-01, was shown to abrogate the IR-induced G2 checkpoint in colorectal tumour cell lines. Furthermore, in some cell lines, abrogation of the G2 checkpoint was associated with radiosensitisation. Data presented in this study demonstrate that 2 out of 5 cell lines with mutant p53 were sensitised to IR by UCN-01. In order to determine whether radiosensitisation correlated with lack of functional p53, transfected derivatives of an adenoma-derived cell line were studied, in which endogenous wild type p53 was disrupted by expression of a dominant negative p53 mutant protein (and with a vector control). In both these cell lines UCN-01 abrogated the G2 arrest however this was not associated with radiosensitisation, indicating that radiosensitisation is a cell type-specific phenomenon. Although 2 colorectal carcinoma cell lines, with mutant p53, were sensitised to IR by UCN-01, the mechanisms of p53-independent IR-induced apoptosis in the colon are essentially unknown. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways (that is the JNK, p38 and ERK pathways) have been implicated in apoptosis in a range of cell systems and in IR-induced apoptosis in some cell types. Data presented in this study show that, although the MAPKs can be activated by the known activator anisomycin, there is no evidence of a role for MAPKs in IR-induced apoptosis in colorectal tumour cell lines, regardless of p53 status. In summary, some colorectal tumour cell lines with mutant p53 can be sensitised to IR-induced cell death by G2 checkpoint abrogation and this may be an important treatment strategy, however mechanisms of IR-induced p53

  8. The anaphase inhibitor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pds1p is a target of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen-Fix, O.; Koshland, D.

    1997-01-01

    Inhibition of DNA replication and physical DNA damage induce checkpoint responses that arrest cell cycle progression at two different stages. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the execution of both checkpoint responses requires the Mec1 and Rad53 proteins. This observation led to the suggestion that these checkpoint responses are mediated through a common signal transduction pathway. However, because the checkpoint-induced arrests occur at different cell cycle stages, the downstream effectors mediating these arrests are likely to be distinct. We have previously shown that the S. cerevisiae protein Pds1p is an anaphase inhibitor and is essential for cell cycle arrest in mitosis in the presence DNA damage. Herein we show that DNA damage, but not inhibition of DNA replication, induces the phosphorylation of Pds1p. Analyses of Pds1p phosphorylation in different checkpoint mutants reveal that in the presence of DNA damage, Pds1p is phosphorylated in a Mec1p- and Rad9p-dependent hut Rad53p-independent manner. Our data place Pds1p and Rad53p on parallel branches of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway. We suggest that Pds1p is a downstream target of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway and that it is involved in implementing the DNA damage checkpoint arrest specifically in mitosis

  9. Dpb11/TopBP1 plays distinct roles in DNA replication, checkpoint response and homologous recombination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Germann, Susanne Manuela; Østergaard, Vibe Hallundbæk; Haas, Caroline

    2011-01-01

    DPB11/TopBP1 is an essential evolutionarily conserved gene involved in initiation of DNA replication and checkpoint signaling. Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dpb11 forms nuclear foci that localize to sites of DNA damage in G1, S and G2 phase, a recruitment that is conserved for its...... and Tel1, and of the checkpoint mediator Rad9. In a site-directed mutagenesis screen, we identify a separation-of-function mutant, dpb11-PF, that is sensitive to DSB-inducing agents yet remains proficient for DNA replication and the S-phase checkpoint at the permissive temperature. The dpb11-PF mutant...... homologue TopBP1 in Gallus gallus. Damage-induced Dpb11 foci are distinct from Sld3 replication initiation foci. Further, Dpb11 foci are dependent on the checkpoint proteins Mec3 (9-1-1 complex) and Rad24, and require the C-terminal domain of Dpb11. Dpb11 foci are independent of the checkpoint kinases Mec1...

  10. Beyond CTLA-4 and PD-1, the Generation Z of Negative Checkpoint Regulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Mercier, Isabelle; Lines, J Louise; Noelle, Randolph J

    2015-01-01

    In the last two years, clinical trials with blocking antibodies to the negative checkpoint regulators CTLA-4 and PD-1 have rekindled the hope for cancer immunotherapy. Multiple negative checkpoint regulators protect the host against autoimmune reactions but also restrict the ability of T cells to effectively attack tumors. Releasing these brakes has emerged as an exciting strategy for cancer treatment. Conversely, these pathways can be manipulated to achieve durable tolerance for treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplantation. In the future, treatment may involve combination therapy to target multiple cell types and stages of the adaptive immune responses. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on the recently discovered negative checkpoint regulators, future targets for immunotherapy.

  11. Blocking CHK1 Expression Induces Apoptosis and Abrogates the G2 Checkpoint Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Luo

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chki is a checkpoint gene that is activated after DNA damage. It phosphorylates and inactivates the Cdc2 activating phosphatase Cdc25C. This in turn inactivates Cdc2, which leads to G2/M arrest. We report that blocking Chki expression by antisense or ribozymes in mammalian cells induces apoptosis and interferes with the G2/M arrest induced by adriamycin. The Chki inhibitor UCN-01 also blocks the G2 arrest after DNA damage and renders cells more susceptible to adriamycin. These results indicate that Chki is an essential gene for the checkpoint mechanism during normal cell proliferation as well as in the DNA damage response.

  12. Extending the Binomial Checkpointing Technique for Resilience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walther, Andrea; Narayanan, Sri Hari Krishna

    2016-10-10

    In terms of computing time, adjoint methods offer a very attractive alternative to compute gradient information, re- quired, e.g., for optimization purposes. However, together with this very favorable temporal complexity result comes a memory requirement that is in essence proportional with the operation count of the underlying function, e.g., if algo- rithmic differentiation is used to provide the adjoints. For this reason, checkpointing approaches in many variants have become popular. This paper analyzes an extension of the so-called binomial approach to cover also possible failures of the computing systems. Such a measure of precaution is of special interest for massive parallel simulations and adjoint calculations where the mean time between failure of the large scale computing system is smaller than the time needed to complete the calculation of the adjoint information. We de- scribe the extensions of standard checkpointing approaches required for such resilience, provide a corresponding imple- mentation and discuss numerical results.

  13. PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Associated Autoimmune Encephalitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Schneider

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To report first-hand narrative experience of autoimmune encephalitis and to briefly review currently available evidence of autoimmune encephalitis in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Setting: A case study is presented on the management of a patient who developed autoimmune encephalitis during nivolumab monotherapy occurring after 28 weeks on anti-PD-1 monotherapy (nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks for non-small cell lung cancer. Results: No substantial improvement was observed by antiepileptic treatment. After administration of 80 mg methylprednisolone, neurologic symptoms disappeared within 24 h and the patient fully recovered. Conclusions: Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment can lead to autoimmune encephalitis. Clinical trial data indicate a frequency of autoimmune encephalitis of ≥0.1 to <1% with a higher probability during combined or sequential anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD-1 therapy than during anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. Further collection of evidence and translational research is warranted.

  14. EMODnet MedSea Checkpoint for sustainable Blue Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moussat, Eric; Pinardi, Nadia; Manzella, Giuseppe; Blanc, Frederique

    2016-04-01

    Metadata standards for geographic information (ISO 19157 and ISO 19115 respectively). The fitness for use of the input datasets are assessed using 2 categories of criteria to determine how these datasets fits the user requirements which drive them to select a data source rather than another one and to show performance and gaps of the present monitoring systems : • Data appropriateness : what is made available to the user ?. • Data availability : how it is made available to the user? All information are stored in a GIS platform and made available with two types of interfaces: - Front-end interfaces with users, to present the input data used by all challenges, the innovative products generated by challenges and the assessment indicators. - Back-end interfaces to partners, to store the checkpoint descriptors of input data, specification to generate targeted products, catalogue information of products with associated checkpoint indicators linked to the input data The validation of the records is done at three levels, at technical level (GIS), at challenge level (use), and at sea basin level (synthesis of monitoring data adequacy including expert comments) to end with the production of a yearly Data Adequacy Report.

  15. Disruption of spindle checkpoint function in rats following 28 days of repeated administration of renal carcinogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Masayuki; Mizukami, Sayaka; Watanabe, Yousuke; Hasegawa-Baba, Yasuko; Onda, Nobuhiko; Yoshida, Toshinori; Shibutani, Makoto

    2016-02-01

    We previously reported that 28-day exposure to hepatocarcinogens that facilitate cell proliferation specifically alters the expression of G1/S checkpoint-related genes and proteins, induces aberrant early expression of ubiquitin D (UBD) at the G2 phase, and increases apoptosis in the rat liver, indicating G1/S and spindle checkpoint dysfunction. The present study aimed to determine the time of onset of carcinogen-specific cell-cycle disruption after repeated administration of renal carcinogens for up to 28 days. Rats were orally administered the renal carcinogens nitrofurantoin (NFT), 1-amino-2,4-dibromoantraquinone (ADAQ), and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) or the non-carcinogenic renal toxicants 1-chloro-2-propanol, triamterene, and carboxin for 3, 7 or 28 days. Both immunohistochemical single-molecule analysis and real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that carcinogen-specific expression changes were not observed after 28 days of administration. However, the renal carcinogens ADAQ and TCP specifically reduced the number of cells expressing phosphorylated-histone H3 at Ser10 in both UBD(+) cells and proliferating cells, suggestive of insufficient UBD expression at the M phase and early transition of proliferating cells from the M phase, without increasing apoptosis, after 28 days of administration. In contrast, NFT, which has marginal carcinogenic potential, did not induce such cellular responses. These results suggest that it may take 28 days to induce spindle checkpoint dysfunction by renal carcinogens; however, induction of apoptosis may not be essential. Thus, induction of spindle checkpoint dysfunction may be dependent on carcinogenic potential of carcinogen examined, and marginal carcinogens may not exert sufficient responses even after 28 days of administration.

  16. Beyond CTLA-4 and PD-1, the generation Z of negative checkpoint regulators.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle eLe Mercier

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available In the last two years, clinical trials with blocking antibodies to the negative checkpoint regulators CTLA-4 and PD-1 have rekindled the hope for cancer immunotherapy. Multiple negative checkpoint regulators protect the host against autoimmune reactions but also restrict the ability of T cells to effectively attack tumors. Releasing these brakes has emerged as an exciting strategy for cancer treatment. Conversely, these pathways can be manipulated to achieve durable tolerance for treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplantation. In the future, treatment may involve combination therapy to target multiple cell types and stages of the adaptive immune responses. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on the recently discovered negative checkpoint regulators, future targets for immunotherapy.

  17. Rituximab does not reset defective early B cell tolerance checkpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamberlain, Nicolas; Massad, Christopher; Oe, Tyler; Cantaert, Tineke; Herold, Kevan C.; Meffre, Eric

    2015-01-01

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients show abnormalities in early B cell tolerance checkpoints, resulting in the accumulation of large numbers of autoreactive B cells in their blood. Treatment with rituximab, an anti-CD20 mAb that depletes B cells, has been shown to preserve β cell function in T1D patients and improve other autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. However, it remains largely unknown how anti–B cell therapy thwarts autoimmunity in these pathologies. Here, we analyzed the reactivity of Abs expressed by single, mature naive B cells from 4 patients with T1D before and 52 weeks after treatment to determine whether rituximab resets early B cell tolerance checkpoints. We found that anti–B cell therapy did not alter the frequencies of autoreactive and polyreactive B cells, which remained elevated in the blood of all patients after rituximab treatment. Moreover, the limited proliferative history of autoreactive B cells after treatment revealed that these clones were newly generated B cells and not self-reactive B cells that had escaped depletion and repopulated the periphery through homeostatic expansion. We conclude that anti–B cell therapy may provide a temporary dampening of autoimmune processes through B cell depletion. However, repletion with autoreactive B cells may explain the relapse that occurs in many autoimmune patients after anti–B cell therapy. PMID:26642366

  18. Molecular basis of APC/C regulation by the spindle assembly checkpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ziguo; Yang, Jing; Maslen, Sarah; Skehel, Mark; Barford, David

    2016-01-01

    In the dividing eukaryotic cell the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures each daughter cell inherits an identical set of chromosomes. The SAC coordinates the correct attachment of sister chromatid kinetochores to the mitotic spindle with activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), the E3 ubiquitin ligase that initiates chromosome separation. In response to unattached kinetochores, the SAC generates the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), a multimeric assembly that inhibits the APC/C, delaying chromosome segregation. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy we determined the near-atomic resolution structure of an APC/C-MCC complex (APC/CMCC). We reveal how degron-like sequences of the MCC subunit BubR1 block degron recognition sites on Cdc20, the APC/C coactivator subunit (Cdc20APC/C) responsible for substrate interactions. BubR1 also obstructs binding of UbcH10 (APC/C’s initiating E2) to repress APC/C ubiquitination activity. Conformational variability of the complex allows for UbcH10 association, and we show from a structure of APC/CMCC in complex with UbcH10 how the Cdc20 subunit intrinsic to the MCC (Cdc20MCC) is ubiquitinated, a process that results in APC/C reactivation when the SAC is silenced. PMID:27509861

  19. The emerging role of immune checkpoint based approaches in AML and MDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boddu, Prajwal; Kantarjian, Hagop; Garcia-Manero, Guillermo; Allison, James; Sharma, Padmanee; Daver, Naval

    2018-04-01

    The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors represents a major breakthrough in the field of cancer therapeutics. Pursuant to their success in melanoma and numerous solid tumor malignancies, these agents are being investigated in hematological malignancies including acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Although AML/MDS have traditionally been considered to be less immunogenic than solid tumor malignancies, recent pre-clinical models suggest a therapeutic role for immune checkpoint inhibition in these diseases. CTLA-4 inhibition may be especially effective in treating late post-allogeneic stem cell transplant relapse of AML in patients with limited or no graft versus host disease. Immune checkpoint inhibition, specifically PD-1 inhibition, demonstrated limited single agent efficacy in patients with relapsed AML and with MDS post-hypomethylating therapy. Rationally designed combinations of PD-1 inhibitors with standard anti-leukemic therapy are needed. Hypomethylating agents such as azacitidine, up-regulate PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 in patients with AML/MDS and up-regulation of these genes was associated with the emergence of resistance. The combination of azacitidine and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition may be a potential mechanism to prevent or overcome resistance to 5-azacitidine. A number of such combinations are being evaluated in clinical trials with early encouraging results. Immune checkpoint inhibition is also an attractive option to improve relapse-free survival or eliminate minimal residual disease post induction and consolidation by enhancing T-cell surveillance in patients with high-risk AML. The ongoing clinical trials with checkpoint inhibitors in AML/MDS will improve our understanding of the immunobiology of these diseases and guide us to the most appropriate application of these agents in the therapy of AML/MDS.

  20. A novel ATM-dependent checkpoint defect distinct from loss of function mutation promotes genomic instability in melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spoerri, Loredana; Brooks, Kelly; Chia, KeeMing; Grossman, Gavriel; Ellis, Jonathan J; Dahmer-Heath, Mareike; Škalamera, Dubravka; Pavey, Sandra; Burmeister, Bryan; Gabrielli, Brian

    2016-05-01

    Melanomas have high levels of genomic instability that can contribute to poor disease prognosis. Here, we report a novel defect of the ATM-dependent cell cycle checkpoint in melanoma cell lines that promotes genomic instability. In defective cells, ATM signalling to CHK2 is intact, but the cells are unable to maintain the cell cycle arrest due to elevated PLK1 driving recovery from the arrest. Reducing PLK1 activity recovered the ATM-dependent checkpoint arrest, and over-expressing PLK1 was sufficient to overcome the checkpoint arrest and increase genomic instability. Loss of the ATM-dependent checkpoint did not affect sensitivity to ionizing radiation demonstrating that this defect is distinct from ATM loss of function mutations. The checkpoint defective melanoma cell lines over-express PLK1, and a significant proportion of melanomas have high levels of PLK1 over-expression suggesting this defect is a common feature of melanomas. The inability of ATM to impose a cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage increases genomic instability. This work also suggests that the ATM-dependent checkpoint arrest is likely to be defective in a higher proportion of cancers than previously expected. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. PD-1 checkpoint inhibition: Toxicities and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Andrew W; Gill, David M; Agarwal, Neeraj; Maughan, Benjamin L

    2017-12-01

    With the recent approval of 5 PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for a number of malignancies, PD-1 axis inhibition is drastically changing the treatment landscape of immunotherapy in cancer. As PD-1/PD-L1 are involved in peripheral immune tolerance, inhibition of this immune checkpoint has led to novel immune-related adverse events including colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, rash, and endocrinopathies among many others. In this seminar, we will analyze the incidence of immune-related adverse events for nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab. Then, we will discuss the specific management of the most common immune-mediated adverse events including colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, rash, endocrinopathies, nephritis, and neurologic toxicities. Immune-related adverse events are frequently treated with immunosuppressive medication such as steroids and mycofenolate mofetil. There are specific immune-related adverse events which are frequently seen by the treating oncologist from checkpoint inhibitors. It is essential to understand the recommended treatment options to minimize toxicity and mortality from this important class of anti-neoplastic therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Covering Resilience: A Recent Development for Binomial Checkpointing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walther, Andrea; Narayanan, Sri Hari Krishna

    2016-09-12

    In terms of computing time, adjoint methods offer a very attractive alternative to compute gradient information, required, e.g., for optimization purposes. However, together with this very favorable temporal complexity result comes a memory requirement that is in essence proportional with the operation count of the underlying function, e.g., if algorithmic differentiation is used to provide the adjoints. For this reason, checkpointing approaches in many variants have become popular. This paper analyzes an extension of the so-called binomial approach to cover also possible failures of the computing systems. Such a measure of precaution is of special interest for massive parallel simulations and adjoint calculations where the mean time between failure of the large scale computing system is smaller than the time needed to complete the calculation of the adjoint information. We describe the extensions of standard checkpointing approaches required for such resilience, provide a corresponding implementation and discuss first numerical results.

  3. Lyn tyrosine kinase promotes silencing of ATM-dependent checkpoint signaling during recovery from DNA double-strand breaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukumoto, Yasunori; Kuki, Kazumasa; Morii, Mariko; Miura, Takahito; Honda, Takuya; Ishibashi, Kenichi; Hasegawa, Hitomi; Kubota, Sho; Ide, Yudai; Yamaguchi, Noritaka; Nakayama, Yuji; Yamaguchi, Naoto

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Inhibition of Src family kinases decreased γ-H2AX signal. • Inhibition of Src family increased ATM-dependent phosphorylation of Chk2 and Kap1. • shRNA-mediated knockdown of Lyn increased phosphorylation of Kap1 by ATM. • Ectopic expression of Src family kinase suppressed ATM-mediated Kap1 phosphorylation. • Src is involved in upstream signaling for inactivation of ATM signaling. - Abstract: DNA damage activates the DNA damage checkpoint and the DNA repair machinery. After initial activation of DNA damage responses, cells recover to their original states through completion of DNA repair and termination of checkpoint signaling. Currently, little is known about the process by which cells recover from the DNA damage checkpoint, a process called checkpoint recovery. Here, we show that Src family kinases promote inactivation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent checkpoint signaling during recovery from DNA double-strand breaks. Inhibition of Src activity increased ATM-dependent phosphorylation of Chk2 and Kap1. Src inhibition increased ATM signaling both in G2 phase and during asynchronous growth. shRNA knockdown of Lyn increased ATM signaling. Src-dependent nuclear tyrosine phosphorylation suppressed ATM-mediated Kap1 phosphorylation. These results suggest that Src family kinases are involved in upstream signaling that leads to inactivation of the ATM-dependent DNA damage checkpoint

  4. Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimada, Midori [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Yamamoto, Ayumu [Department of Chemistry, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Sizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Aiba, Hirofumi [Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, School of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Murakami, Hiroshi, E-mail: hmura@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan)

    2009-10-23

    The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2{sup +}. The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

  5. Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimada, Midori; Yamamoto, Ayumu; Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi; Aiba, Hirofumi; Murakami, Hiroshi

    2009-01-01

    The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2 + . The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

  6. Nek2A destruction marks APC/C activation at the prophase-to-prometaphase transition by spindle-checkpoint-restricted Cdc20.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boekhout, Michiel; Wolthuis, Rob

    2015-04-15

    Nek2 isoform A (Nek2A) is a presumed substrate of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome containing Cdc20 (APC/C(Cdc20)). Nek2A, like cyclin A, is degraded in mitosis while the spindle checkpoint is active. Cyclin A prevents spindle checkpoint proteins from binding to Cdc20 and is recruited to the APC/C in prometaphase. We found that Nek2A and cyclin A avoid being stabilized by the spindle checkpoint in different ways. First, enhancing mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) formation by nocodazole treatment inhibited the degradation of geminin and cyclin A, whereas Nek2A disappeared at a normal rate. Second, depleting Cdc20 effectively stabilized cyclin A but not Nek2A. Nevertheless, Nek2A destruction crucially depended on Cdc20 binding to the APC/C. Third, in contrast to cyclin A, Nek2A was recruited to the APC/C before the start of mitosis. Interestingly, the spindle checkpoint very effectively stabilized an APC/C-binding mutant of Nek2A, which required the Nek2A KEN box. Apparently, in cells, the spindle checkpoint primarily prevents Cdc20 from binding destruction motifs. Nek2A disappearance marks the prophase-to-prometaphase transition, when Cdc20, regardless of the spindle checkpoint, activates the APC/C. However, Mad2 depletion accelerated Nek2A destruction, showing that spindle checkpoint release further increases APC/C(Cdc20) catalytic activity. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  7. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy: The 2014 Tang prize in biopharmaceutical science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya-Shan Chen

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The first Tang Prize for Biopharmaceutical Science has been awarded to Prof. James P. Allison and Prof. Tasuku Honjo for their contributions leading to an entirely new way to treat cancer by blocking the molecules cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4 and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1 that turn off immune response. The treatment, called "immune checkpoint blockade therapy," has opened a new therapeutic era. Here the discoveries of the immune checkpoints and how they contribute to the maintenance of self-tolerance, as well as how to protect tissues from the excess immune responses causing damage are reviewed. The efforts made by Prof. Allison and Prof. Honjo for developing the most promising approaches to activate therapeutic antitumor immunity are also summarized. Since these certain immune checkpoint pathways appear to be one of the major mechanisms resulting in immune escape of tumors, the presence of anti-CTLA-4 and/or anti-PD-1 should contribute to removal of the inhibition signals for T cell activation. Subsequently, it will enhance specific T cell activation and, therefore, strengthen antitumor immunity.

  8. Preferential radiosensitization of G1 checkpoint--deficient cells by methylxanthines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, Kenneth J.; Wiens, Linda W.; Demers, G. William; Galloway, Denise A.; Le, Tiep; Rice, Glenn C.; Bianco, James A.; Singer, Jack W.; Groudine, Mark

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a checkpoint-based strategy for preferential radiosensitization of human tumors with deficient and/or mutant p53. Methods and Materials: A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines differing in their expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene were produced by transduction with the E6 oncogene from human papilloma virus type 16. The cells expressing E6 (E6+) lack a G1 arrest in response to ionizing radiation, are deficient in p53 and p21 expression, and exhibit a fivefold greater clonogenic survival following 10 Gy radiation. Results: Postirradiation incubation with millimolar concentrations of the methylxanthine pentoxifylline (PTX) results in preferential radiosensitization of the E6+ cells compared to the LXSN+ vector transduced controls. There is a threefold sensitization of the LXSN+ cells and a 15-fold sensitization of the E6+ cells, which results in equal clonogenic survival of the two lines. Flow cytometry reveals PTX abrogation of the radiation induced G2 arrest for both cell lines. PTX also prolongs G1 transit for both cell lines. Preliminary results are presented using a novel methylxanthine, lisofylline (LSF), which has similar cell cycle effects on G1 and G2 and achieves differential radiosensitization at micromolar concentrations that are sustainable in humans. Conclusions: This checkpoint-based strategy is a promising approach for achieving preferential radiosensitization of p53- tumors relative to p53+ normal tissues

  9. Dynein Light Intermediate Chain 2 Facilitates the Metaphase to Anaphase Transition by Inactivating the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sagar P Mahale

    Full Text Available The multi-functional molecular motor cytoplasmic dynein performs diverse essential roles during mitosis. The mechanistic importance of the dynein Light Intermediate Chain homologs, LIC1 and LIC2 is unappreciated, especially in the context of mitosis. LIC1 and LIC2 are believed to exist in distinct cytoplasmic dynein complexes as obligate subunits. LIC1 had earlier been reported to be required for metaphase to anaphase progression by inactivating the kinetochore-microtubule attachment-sensing arm of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. However, the functional importance of LIC2 during mitosis remains elusive. Here we report prominent novel roles for the LIC2 subunit of cytoplasmic dynein in regulating the spindle assembly checkpoint. LIC2 depletion in mammalian cells led to prolonged metaphase arrest in the presence of an active SAC and also to stretched kinetochores, thus implicating it in SAC inactivation. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy of SAC components revealed accumulation of both attachment- and tension-sensing checkpoint proteins at metaphase kinetochores upon LIC2 depletion. These observations support a stronger and more diverse role in checkpoint inactivation for LIC2 in comparison to its close homolog LIC1. Our study uncovers a novel functional hierarchy during mitotic checkpoint inactivation between the closely related but homologous LIC subunits of cytoplasmic dynein. These subtle functional distinctions between dynein subpopulations could be exploited to study specific aspects of the spindle assembly checkpoint, which is a key mediator of fidelity in eukaryotic cell division.

  10. Immunogenic Chemotherapy Sensitizes Renal Cancer to Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Preclinical Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Shujin

    2017-07-11

    BACKGROUND Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the most common malignant cancers of males worldwide. For advanced RCC patients, there still is no effective therapy. Immune checkpoint blockade therapies have shown benefits for many cancers, but previous clinical trials of immune checkpoint blockade therapies in RCC patients achieved only modest results. MATERIAL AND METHODS We explored the effects of combining chemotherapy with immune checkpoint blockade therapy in RCC xenograft mouse models. We also studied the potential mechanisms by which chemotherapy might enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy, both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Our results showed that many commonly used chemotherapy agents can induce immunogenic marker release in RCC cell lines. Importantly, the RCC xenograft mouse model mice who received the combination treatment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies (Abs) had longer survival times compared to those who received 5-FU or anti-PD-L1 Abs alone. Also, increased key cytokines that promote tumor immunity, such as IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, as well as tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells, were also increased after the combination treatment. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that 5-FU can sensitize RCC to anti-PD-L1 treatment by releasing the immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.

  11. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: An Innovation in Immunotherapy for the Treatment and Management of Patients with Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dine, Jennifer; Gordon, RuthAnn; Shames, Yelena; Kasler, Mary Kate; Barton-Burke, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    Cancer survival rates are generally increasing in the United States. These trends have been partially attributed to improvement in therapeutic strategies. Cancer immunotherapy is an example of one of the newer strategies used to fight cancer, which primes or activates the immune system to produce antitumor effects. The first half of this review paper concisely describes the cell mechanisms that control antitumor immunity and the major immunotherapeutic strategies developed to target these mechanisms. The second half of the review discusses in greater depth immune checkpoint inhibitors that have recently demonstrated tremendous promise for the treatment of diverse solid tumor types, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and others. More specifically, the mechanisms of action, side effects, and patient and family management and education concerns are discussed to provide oncology nurses up-to-date information relevant to caring for cancer-affected patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Future directions for cancer immunotherapy are considered.

  12. Mad2 binding to Mad1 and Cdc20, rather than oligomerization, is required for the spindle checkpoint

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sironi, L; Melixetian, M; Faretta, M

    2001-01-01

    Mad2 is a key component of the spindle checkpoint, a device that controls the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. The ability of Mad2 to form oligomers in vitro has been correlated with its ability to block the cell cycle upon injection into Xenopus embryos. Here we show that Mad2 forms...

  13. SPARC: Demonstrate burst-buffer-based checkpoint/restart on ATS-1.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oldfield, Ron A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ulmer, Craig D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Widener, Patrick [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ward, H. Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2018-01-01

    Recent high-performance computing (HPC) platforms such as the Trinity Advanced Technology System (ATS-1) feature burst buffer resources that can have a dramatic impact on an application’s I/O performance. While these non-volatile memory (NVM) resources provide a new tier in the storage hierarchy, developers must find the right way to incorporate the technology into their applications in order to reap the benefits. Similar to other laboratories, Sandia is actively investigating ways in which these resources can be incorporated into our existing libraries and workflows without burdening our application developers with excessive, platform-specific details. This FY18Q1 milestone summaries our progress in adapting the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code (SPARC) in Sandia’s ATDM program to leverage Trinity’s burst buffers for checkpoint/restart operations. We investigated four different approaches with varying tradeoffs in this work: (1) simply updating job script to use stage-in/stage out burst buffer directives, (2) modifying SPARC to use LANL’s hierarchical I/O (HIO) library to store/retrieve checkpoints, (3) updating Sandia’s IOSS library to incorporate the burst buffer in all meshing I/O operations, and (4) modifying SPARC to use our Kelpie distributed memory library to store/retrieve checkpoints. Team members were successful in generating initial implementation for all four approaches, but were unable to obtain performance numbers in time for this report (reasons: initial problem sizes were not large enough to stress I/O, and SPARC refactor will require changes to our code). When we presented our work to the SPARC team, they expressed the most interest in the second and third approaches. The HIO work was favored because it is lightweight, unobtrusive, and should be portable to ATS-2. The IOSS work is seen as a long-term solution, and is favored because all I/O work (including checkpoints) can be deferred to a single library.

  14. The Pch2 AAA+ ATPase promotes phosphorylation of the Hop1 meiotic checkpoint adaptor in response to synaptonemal complex defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herruzo, Esther; Ontoso, David; González-Arranz, Sara; Cavero, Santiago; Lechuga, Ana; San-Segundo, Pedro A

    2016-09-19

    Meiotic cells possess surveillance mechanisms that monitor critical events such as recombination and chromosome synapsis. Meiotic defects resulting from the absence of the synaptonemal complex component Zip1 activate a meiosis-specific checkpoint network resulting in delayed or arrested meiotic progression. Pch2 is an evolutionarily conserved AAA+ ATPase required for the checkpoint-induced meiotic block in the zip1 mutant, where Pch2 is only detectable at the ribosomal DNA array (nucleolus). We describe here that high levels of the Hop1 protein, a checkpoint adaptor that localizes to chromosome axes, suppress the checkpoint defect of a zip1 pch2 mutant restoring Mek1 activity and meiotic cell cycle delay. We demonstrate that the critical role of Pch2 in this synapsis checkpoint is to sustain Mec1-dependent phosphorylation of Hop1 at threonine 318. We also show that the ATPase activity of Pch2 is essential for its checkpoint function and that ATP binding to Pch2 is required for its localization. Previous work has shown that Pch2 negatively regulates Hop1 chromosome abundance during unchallenged meiosis. Based on our results, we propose that, under checkpoint-inducing conditions, Pch2 also possesses a positive action on Hop1 promoting its phosphorylation and its proper distribution on unsynapsed chromosome axes. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  15. Caffeine stabilizes Cdc25 independently of Rad3 in S chizosaccharomyces pombe contributing to checkpoint override

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alao, John P; Sjölander, Johanna J; Baar, Juliane; Özbaki-Yagan, Nejla; Kakoschky, Bianca; Sunnerhagen, Per

    2014-01-01

    Cdc25 is required for Cdc2 dephosphorylation and is thus essential for cell cycle progression. Checkpoint activation requires dual inhibition of Cdc25 and Cdc2 in a Rad3-dependent manner. Caffeine is believed to override activation of the replication and DNA damage checkpoints by inhibiting Rad3-related proteins in both S chizosaccharomyces pombe and mammalian cells. In this study, we have investigated the impact of caffeine on Cdc25 stability, cell cycle progression and checkpoint override. Caffeine induced Cdc25 accumulation in S . pombe independently of Rad3. Caffeine delayed cell cycle progression under normal conditions but advanced mitosis in cells treated with replication inhibitors and DNA-damaging agents. In the absence of Cdc25, caffeine inhibited cell cycle progression even in the presence of hydroxyurea or phleomycin. Caffeine induces Cdc25 accumulation in S . pombe by suppressing its degradation independently of Rad3. The induction of Cdc25 accumulation was not associated with accelerated progression through mitosis, but rather with delayed progression through cytokinesis. Caffeine-induced Cdc25 accumulation appears to underlie its ability to override cell cycle checkpoints. The impact of Cdc25 accumulation on cell cycle progression is attenuated by Srk1 and Mad2. Together our findings suggest that caffeine overrides checkpoint enforcement by inducing the inappropriate nuclear localization of Cdc25. PMID:24666325

  16. Cenp-meta is required for sustained spindle checkpoint

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Rubin

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Cenp-E is a kinesin-like motor protein required for efficient end-on attachment of kinetochores to the spindle microtubules. Cenp-E immunodepletion in Xenopus mitotic extracts results in the loss of mitotic arrest and massive chromosome missegregation, whereas its depletion in mammalian cells leads to chromosome segregation defects despite the presence of a functional spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. Cenp-meta has previously been reported to be the Drosophila homolog of vertebrate Cenp-E. In this study, we show that cenp-metaΔ mutant neuroblasts arrest in mitosis when treated with colchicine. cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a mitotic delay. Yet, despite the persistence of the two checkpoint proteins Mad2 and BubR1 on unattached kinetochores, these cells eventually enter anaphase and give rise to highly aneuploid daughter cells. Indeed, we find that cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a slow but continuous degradation of cyclin B, which eventually triggers the mitotic exit observed. Thus, our data provide evidence for a role of Cenp-meta in sustaining the SAC response.

  17. Mechanism-based screen for G1/S checkpoint activators identifies a selective activator of EIF2AK3/PERK signalling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockwell, Simon R; Platt, Georgina; Barrie, S Elaine; Zoumpoulidou, Georgia; Te Poele, Robert H; Aherne, G Wynne; Wilson, Stuart C; Sheldrake, Peter; McDonald, Edward; Venet, Mathilde; Soudy, Christelle; Elustondo, Frédéric; Rigoreau, Laurent; Blagg, Julian; Workman, Paul; Garrett, Michelle D; Mittnacht, Sibylle

    2012-01-01

    Human cancers often contain genetic alterations that disable G1/S checkpoint control and loss of this checkpoint is thought to critically contribute to cancer generation by permitting inappropriate proliferation and distorting fate-driven cell cycle exit. The identification of cell permeable small molecules that activate the G1/S checkpoint may therefore represent a broadly applicable and clinically effective strategy for the treatment of cancer. Here we describe the identification of several novel small molecules that trigger G1/S checkpoint activation and characterise the mechanism of action for one, CCT020312, in detail. Transcriptional profiling by cDNA microarray combined with reverse genetics revealed phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha (EIF2A) through the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha kinase 3 (EIF2AK3/PERK) as the mechanism of action of this compound. While EIF2AK3/PERK activation classically follows endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signalling that sets off a range of different cellular responses, CCT020312 does not trigger these other cellular responses but instead selectively elicits EIF2AK3/PERK signalling. Phosphorylation of EIF2A by EIF2A kinases is a known means to block protein translation and hence restriction point transit in G1, but further supports apoptosis in specific contexts. Significantly, EIF2AK3/PERK signalling has previously been linked to the resistance of cancer cells to multiple anticancer chemotherapeutic agents, including drugs that target the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway and taxanes. Consistent with such findings CCT020312 sensitizes cancer cells with defective taxane-induced EIF2A phosphorylation to paclitaxel treatment. Our work therefore identifies CCT020312 as a novel small molecule chemical tool for the selective activation of EIF2A-mediated translation control with utility for proof-of-concept applications in EIF2A-centered therapeutic approaches, and as a chemical starting point for

  18. Caenorhabditis elegans histone methyltransferase MET-2 shields the male X chromosome from checkpoint machinery and mediates meiotic sex chromosome inactivation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula M Checchi

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Meiosis is a specialized form of cellular division that results in the precise halving of the genome to produce gametes for sexual reproduction. Checkpoints function during meiosis to detect errors and subsequently to activate a signaling cascade that prevents the formation of aneuploid gametes. Indeed, asynapsis of a homologous chromosome pair elicits a checkpoint response that can in turn trigger germline apoptosis. In a heterogametic germ line, however, sex chromosomes proceed through meiosis with unsynapsed regions and are not recognized by checkpoint machinery. We conducted a directed RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans to identify regulatory factors that prevent recognition of heteromorphic sex chromosomes as unpaired and uncovered a role for the SET domain histone H3 lysine 9 histone methyltransferase (HMTase MET-2 and two additional HMTases in shielding the male X from checkpoint machinery. We found that MET-2 also mediates the transcriptional silencing program of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI but not meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC, suggesting that these processes are distinct. Further, MSCI and checkpoint shielding can be uncoupled, as double-strand breaks targeted to an unpaired, transcriptionally silenced extra-chromosomal array induce checkpoint activation in germ lines depleted for met-2. In summary, our data uncover a mechanism by which repressive chromatin architecture enables checkpoint proteins to distinguish between the partnerless male X chromosome and asynapsed chromosomes thereby shielding the lone X from inappropriate activation of an apoptotic program.

  19. Differential impact of diverse anticancer chemotherapeutics on the Cdc25A-degradation checkpoint pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agner, Jeppe; Falck, Jacob; Lukas, Jiri; Bartek, Jiri

    2005-01-01

    When exposed to DNA-damaging insults such as ionizing radiation (IR) or ultraviolet light (UV), mammalian cells activate checkpoint pathways to halt cell cycle progression or induce cell death. Here we examined the ability of five commonly used anticancer drugs with different mechanisms of action to activate the Chk1/Chk2-Cdc25A-CDK2/cyclin E cell cycle checkpoint pathway, previously shown to be induced by IR or UV. Whereas exposure of human cells to topoisomerase inhibitors camptothecin, etoposide, or adriamycin resulted in rapid (within 1 h) activation of the pathway including degradation of the Cdc25A phosphatase and inhibition of cyclin E/CDK2 kinase activity, taxol failed to activate this checkpoint even after a prolonged treatment. Unexpectedly, although the alkylating agent cisplatin also induced degradation of Cdc25A (albeit delayed, after 8-12 h), cyclin E/CDK2 activity was elevated and DNA synthesis continued, a phenomena that correlated with increased E2F1 protein levels and consequently enhanced expression of cyclin E. These results reveal a differential impact of various classes of anticancer chemotherapeutics on the Cdc25A-degradation pathway, and indicate that the kinetics of checkpoint induction, and the relative balance of key components within the DNA damage response network may dictate whether the treated cells arrest their cell cycle progression

  20. Immuno-oncologic Approaches: CAR-T Cells and Checkpoint Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gay, Francesca; D'Agostino, Mattia; Giaccone, Luisa; Genuardi, Mariella; Festuccia, Moreno; Boccadoro, Mario; Bruno, Benedetto

    2017-08-01

    Advances in understanding myeloma biology have shown that disease progression is not only the consequence of intrinsic tumor changes but also of interactions between the tumor and the microenvironment in which the cancer grows. The immune system is an important component of the tumor microenvironment in myeloma, and acting on the immune system is an appealing new treatment strategy. There are 2 ways to act toward immune cells and boost antitumor immunity: (1) to increase antitumor activity (acting on T and NK cytotoxic cells), and (2) to reduce immunosuppression (acting on myeloid-derived stem cells and T regulatory cells). Checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapy (ACT) are 2 of the main actors, together with monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulatory agents, in the immune-oncologic approach. The aim of checkpoint inhibitors is to release the brakes that block the action of the immune system against the tumor. Anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1-Ligand, as well as anti-CTLA4 and KIR are currently under evaluation, as single agents or in combination, with the best results achieved so far with combination of anti-PD-1 and immunomodulatory agents. The aim of ACT is to create an immune effector specific against the tumor. Preliminary results on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, first against CD19, and more recently against B-cell maturation antigen, have shown to induce durable responses in heavily pretreated patients. This review focuses on the most recent clinical results available on the use of checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cells in myeloma, in the context of the new immune-oncologic approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Nucleotide Selectivity at a Preinsertion Checkpoint of T7 RNA Polymerase Transcription Elongation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    E, Chao; Duan, Baogen; Yu, Jin

    2017-04-20

    Nucleotide selection is crucial for transcription fidelity control, in particular, for viral T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) lack of proofreading activity. It has been recognized that multiple kinetic checkpoints exist prior to full nucleotide incorporation. In this work, we implemented intensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to quantify how strong the nucleotide selection is at the initial checkpoint of an elongation cycle of T7 RNAP. The incoming nucleotides bind into a preinsertion site where a critical tyrosine residue locates nearby to assist the nucleotide selection. We calculated the relative binding free energy between a noncognate nucleotide and a cognate one at a preinsertion configuration via alchemical simulations, showing that a small selection free energy or the binding free energy difference (∼3 k B T) exists between the two nucleotides. Indeed, another preinsertion configuration favored by the noncognate nucleotides was identified, which appears to be off path for further nucleotide insertion and additionally assists the nucleotide selection. By chemical master equation (CME) approach, we show that the small selection free energy at the preinsertion site along with the off-path noncognate nucleotide filtering can help substantially to reduce the error rate and to maintain the elongation rate high in the T7 RNAP transcription.

  2. ALDH1A1 maintains ovarian cancer stem cell-like properties by altered regulation of cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair network signaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erhong Meng

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH expressing cells have been characterized as possessing stem cell-like properties. We evaluated ALDH+ ovarian cancer stem cell-like properties and their role in platinum resistance. METHODS: Isogenic ovarian cancer cell lines for platinum sensitivity (A2780 and platinum resistant (A2780/CP70 as well as ascites from ovarian cancer patients were analyzed for ALDH+ by flow cytometry to determine its association to platinum resistance, recurrence and survival. A stable shRNA knockdown model for ALDH1A1 was utilized to determine its effect on cancer stem cell-like properties, cell cycle checkpoints, and DNA repair mediators. RESULTS: ALDH status directly correlated to platinum resistance in primary ovarian cancer samples obtained from ascites. Patients with ALDHHIGH displayed significantly lower progression free survival than the patients with ALDHLOW cells (9 vs. 3 months, respectively p<0.01. ALDH1A1-knockdown significantly attenuated clonogenic potential, PARP-1 protein levels, and reversed inherent platinum resistance. ALDH1A1-knockdown resulted in dramatic decrease of KLF4 and p21 protein levels thereby leading to S and G2 phase accumulation of cells. Increases in S and G2 cells demonstrated increased expression of replication stress associated Fanconi Anemia DNA repair proteins (FANCD2, FANCJ and replication checkpoint (pS317 Chk1 were affected. ALDH1A1-knockdown induced DNA damage, evidenced by robust induction of γ-H2AX and BAX mediated apoptosis, with significant increases in BRCA1 expression, suggesting ALDH1A1-dependent regulation of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair networks in ovarian cancer stem-like cells. CONCLUSION: This data suggests that ovarian cancer cells expressing ALDH1A1 may maintain platinum resistance by altered regulation of cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair network signaling.

  3. A tumor suppressor role of the Bub3 spindle checkpoint protein after apoptosis inhibition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moutinho-Santos, Tatiana

    2013-01-01

    Most solid tumors contain aneuploid cells, indicating that the mitotic checkpoint is permissive to the proliferation of chromosomally aberrant cells. However, mutated or altered expression of mitotic checkpoint genes accounts for a minor proportion of human tumors. We describe a Drosophila melanogaster tumorigenesis model derived from knocking down spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) genes and preventing apoptosis in wing imaginal discs. Bub3-deficient tumors that were also deficient in apoptosis displayed neoplastic growth, chromosomal aneuploidy, and high proliferative potential after transplantation into adult flies. Inducing aneuploidy by knocking down CENP-E and preventing apoptosis does not induce tumorigenesis, indicating that aneuploidy is not sufficient for hyperplasia. In this system, the aneuploidy caused by a deficient SAC is not driving tumorigenesis because preventing Bub3 from binding to the kinetochore does not cause hyperproliferation. Our data suggest that Bub3 has a nonkinetochore-dependent function that is consistent with its role as a tumor suppressor. PMID:23609535

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Use of common time base for checkpointing and rollback recovery in a distributed system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramanathan, Parameswaran; Shin, Kang G.

    1993-01-01

    An approach to checkpointing and rollback recovery in a distributed computing system using a common time base is proposed. A common time base is established in the system using a hardware clock synchronization algorithm. This common time base is coupled with the idea of pseudo-recovery points to develop a checkpointing algorithm that has the following advantages: reduced wait for commitment for establishing recovery lines, fewer messages to be exchanged, and less memory requirement. These advantages are assessed quantitatively by developing a probabilistic model.

  7. Synthesis of Fault-Tolerant Embedded Systems with Checkpointing and Replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Izosimov, Viacheslav; Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru

    2006-01-01

    We present an approach to the synthesis of fault-tolerant hard real-time systems for safety-critical applications. We use checkpointing with rollback recovery and active replication for tolerating transient faults. Processes are statically scheduled and communications are performed using the time...

  8. Cell cycle checkpoints: reversible when possible, irreversible when needed

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krenning, L.

    2015-01-01

    Cell cycle checkpoints are reversible in nature, and can prevent progression into the next cell cycle phase if needed. In the case of DNA damage, cells can prevent progression from G1 into S phase, and from G2 into mitosis in the presence of DNA double strand breaks. Following DNA repair, these

  9. Implementing forward recovery using checkpointing in distributed systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Junsheng; Fuchs, W. K.; Abraham, Jacob A.

    1991-01-01

    The paper describes the implementation of a forward recovery scheme using checkpoints and replicated tasks. The implementation is based on the concept of lookahead execution and rollback validation. In the experiment, two tasks are selected for the normal execution and one for rollback validation. It is shown that the recovery strategy has nearly error-free execution time and an average redundancy lower than TMR.

  10. Checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Polk, Anne; Svane, Inge-Marie; Andersson, Michael

    2018-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: An increasing number of compounds directed against immune checkpoints are currently under clinical development. In this review we summarize current research in breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A computer-based literature search was carried out using PubMed and EMBASE; data...... reported at international meetings and clinicaltrials.gov were included as well. RESULTS: The obtained overall response rate of PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy varied from 5 to 30% in heavily pretreated triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The median duration of progression free survival and overall survival were...... and induce long standing anti-tumor immunity in a subgroup of breast cancer patients. However, the identification of predictive biomarkers is crucial for further development of this treatment modality....

  11. [Sea urchin embryo, DNA-damaged cell cycle checkpoint and the mechanisms initiating cancer development].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellé, Robert; Le Bouffant, Ronan; Morales, Julia; Cosson, Bertrand; Cormier, Patrick; Mulner-Lorillon, Odile

    2007-01-01

    Cell division is an essential process for heredity, maintenance and evolution of the whole living kingdom. Sea urchin early development represents an excellent experimental model for the analysis of cell cycle checkpoint mechanisms since embryonic cells contain a functional DNA-damage checkpoint and since the whole sea urchin genome is sequenced. The DNA-damaged checkpoint is responsible for an arrest in the cell cycle when DNA is damaged or incorrectly replicated, for activation of the DNA repair mechanism, and for commitment to cell death by apoptosis in the case of failure to repair. New insights in cancer biology lead to two fundamental concepts about the very first origin of cancerogenesis. Cancers result from dysfunction of DNA-damaged checkpoints and cancers appear as a result of normal stem cell (NCS) transformation into a cancer stem cell (CSC). The second aspect suggests a new definition of "cancer", since CSC can be detected well before any clinical evidence. Since early development starts from the zygote, which is a primary stem cell, sea urchin early development allows analysis of the early steps of the cancerization process. Although sea urchins do not develop cancers, the model is alternative and complementary to stem cells which are not easy to isolate, do not divide in a short time and do not divide synchronously. In the field of toxicology and incidence on human health, the sea urchin experimental model allows assessment of cancer risk from single or combined molecules long before any epidemiologic evidence is available. Sea urchin embryos were used to test the worldwide used pesticide Roundup that contains glyphosate as the active herbicide agent; it was shown to activate the DNA-damage checkpoint of the first cell cycle of development. The model therefore allows considerable increase in risk evaluation of new products in the field of cancer and offers a tool for the discovery of molecular markers for early diagnostic in cancer biology

  12. Checkpoint-dependent RNR induction promotes fork restart after replicative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morafraile, Esther C; Diffley, John F X; Tercero, José Antonio; Segurado, Mónica

    2015-01-20

    The checkpoint kinase Rad53 is crucial to regulate DNA replication in the presence of replicative stress. Under conditions that interfere with the progression of replication forks, Rad53 prevents Exo1-dependent fork degradation. However, although EXO1 deletion avoids fork degradation in rad53 mutants, it does not suppress their sensitivity to the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU). In this case, the inability to restart stalled forks is likely to account for the lethality of rad53 mutant cells after replication blocks. Here we show that Rad53 regulates replication restart through the checkpoint-dependent transcriptional response, and more specifically, through RNR induction. Thus, in addition to preventing fork degradation, Rad53 prevents cell death in the presence of HU by regulating RNR-expression and localization. When RNR is induced in the absence of Exo1 and RNR negative regulators, cell viability of rad53 mutants treated with HU is increased and the ability of replication forks to restart after replicative stress is restored.

  13. Replicative stress and alterations in cell cycle checkpoint controls following acetaminophen hepatotoxicity restrict liver regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, Preeti; Sharma, Yogeshwar; Gupta, Priya; Gupta, Sanjeev

    2018-03-05

    Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity is a leading cause of hepatic failure with impairments in liver regeneration producing significant mortality. Multiple intracellular events, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, inflammation, etc., signify acetaminophen toxicity, although how these may alter cell cycle controls has been unknown and was studied for its significance in liver regeneration. Assays were performed in HuH-7 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, primary human hepatocytes and tissue samples from people with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. Cellular oxidative stress, DNA damage and cell proliferation events were investigated by mitochondrial membrane potential assays, flow cytometry, fluorescence staining, comet assays and spotted arrays for protein expression after acetaminophen exposures. In experimental groups with acetaminophen toxicity, impaired mitochondrial viability and substantial DNA damage were observed with rapid loss of cells in S and G2/M and cell cycle restrictions or even exit in the remainder. This resulted from altered expression of the DNA damage regulator, ATM and downstream transducers, which imposed G1/S checkpoint arrest, delayed entry into S and restricted G2 transit. Tissues from people with acute liver failure confirmed hepatic DNA damage and cell cycle-related lesions, including restrictions of hepatocytes in aneuploid states. Remarkably, treatment of cells with a cytoprotective cytokine reversed acetaminophen-induced restrictions to restore cycling. Cell cycle lesions following mitochondrial and DNA damage led to failure of hepatic regeneration in acetaminophen toxicity but their reversibility offers molecular targets for treating acute liver failure. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Interprofessional Collaboration with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: the Roles of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Neurology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seery, Virginia

    2017-11-01

    To discuss immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and identify opportunities for interprofessional collaboration in the management of toxicities in the areas of gastroenterology, endocrinology, and neurology. Published research and education articles in oncology, nursing, and various specialties. The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors is expanding; timely management of toxicity is critical for positive patient outcomes. There are many opportunities for interprofessional collaboration in the diagnosis and treatment of immune-related adverse events. Nurses play key roles in recognizing immune-related adverse events, providing patient education, and helping to facilitate interprofessional collaboration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The subunits of the S-phase checkpoint complex Mrc1/Tof1/Csm3: dynamics and interdependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uzunova, Sonya Dimitrova; Zarkov, Alexander Stefanov; Ivanova, Anna Marianova; Stoynov, Stoyno Stefanov; Nedelcheva-Veleva, Marina Nedelcheva

    2014-01-01

    The S-phase checkpoint aims to prevent cells from generation of extensive single-stranded DNA that predisposes to genome instability. The S. cerevisiae complex Tof1/Csm3/Mrc1 acts to restrain the replicative MCM helicase when DNA synthesis is prohibited. Keeping the replication machinery intact allows restart of the replication fork when the block is relieved. Although the subunits of the Tof1/Csm3/Mrc1 complex are well studied, the impact of every single subunit on the triple complex formation and function needs to be established. This work studies the cellular localization and the chromatin binding of GFP-tagged subunits when the complex is intact and when a subunit is missing. We demonstrate that the complex is formed in cell nucleus, not the cytoplasm, as Tof1, Csm3 and Mrc1 enter the nucleus independently from one another. Via in situ chromatin binding assay we show that a Tof1-Csm3 dimer formation and chromatin binding is required to ensure the attachment of Mrc1 to chromatin. Our study indicates that the translocation into the nucleus is not the process to regulate the timing of chromatin association of Mrc1. We also studied the nuclear behavior of Mrc1 subunit in the process of adaptation to the presence hydroxyurea. Our results indicate that after prolonged HU incubation, cells bypass the S-phase checkpoint and proceed throughout the cell cycle. This process is accompanied by Mrc1 chromatin detachment and Rad53 dephosphorylation. In S. cerevisiae the subunits of the S-phase checkpoint complex Mrc1/Tof1/Csm3 independently enter the cell nucleus, where a Tof1-Csm3 dimer is formed to ensure the chromatin binding of Mrc1 and favor DNA replication and S-phase checkpoint fork arrest. In the process of adaptation to the presence of hydroxyurea Mrc1 is detached from chromatin and Rad53 checkpoint activity is diminished in order to allow S-phase checkpoint escape and completion of the cell cycle.

  16. DNA damage checkpoint kinase ATM regulates germination and maintains genome stability in seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waterworth, Wanda M; Footitt, Steven; Bray, Clifford M; Finch-Savage, William E; West, Christopher E

    2016-08-23

    Genome integrity is crucial for cellular survival and the faithful transmission of genetic information. The eukaryotic cellular response to DNA damage is orchestrated by the DNA damage checkpoint kinases ATAXIA TELANGIECTASIA MUTATED (ATM) and ATM AND RAD3-RELATED (ATR). Here we identify important physiological roles for these sensor kinases in control of seed germination. We demonstrate that double-strand breaks (DSBs) are rate-limiting for germination. We identify that desiccation tolerant seeds exhibit a striking transcriptional DSB damage response during germination, indicative of high levels of genotoxic stress, which is induced following maturation drying and quiescence. Mutant atr and atm seeds are highly resistant to aging, establishing ATM and ATR as determinants of seed viability. In response to aging, ATM delays germination, whereas atm mutant seeds germinate with extensive chromosomal abnormalities. This identifies ATM as a major factor that controls germination in aged seeds, integrating progression through germination with surveillance of genome integrity. Mechanistically, ATM functions through control of DNA replication in imbibing seeds. ATM signaling is mediated by transcriptional control of the cell cycle inhibitor SIAMESE-RELATED 5, an essential factor required for the aging-induced delay to germination. In the soil seed bank, seeds exhibit increased transcript levels of ATM and ATR, with changes in dormancy and germination potential modulated by environmental signals, including temperature and soil moisture. Collectively, our findings reveal physiological functions for these sensor kinases in linking genome integrity to germination, thereby influencing seed quality, crucial for plant survival in the natural environment and sustainable crop production.

  17. Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as a Potential Strategy to Enhance the Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassetta, Luca; Kitamura, Takanori

    2018-01-01

    Inhibition of immune checkpoint pathways in CD8 + T cell is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of solid tumors that has shown significant anti-tumor effects and is now approved by the FDA to treat patients with melanoma and lung cancer. However the response to this therapy is limited to a certain fraction of patients and tumor types, for reasons still unknown. To ensure success of this treatment, CD8 + T cells, the main target of the checkpoint inhibitors, should exert full cytotoxicity against tumor cells. However recent studies show that tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) can impede this process by different mechanisms. In this mini-review we will summarize recent studies showing the effect of TAM targeting on immune checkpoint inhibitors efficacy. We will also discuss on the limitations of the current strategies as well on the future scientific challenges for the progress of the tumor immunology field.

  18. Strategies to overcome HBV-specific T cell exhaustion: checkpoint inhibitors and metabolic re-programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisicaro, Paola; Boni, Carolina; Barili, Valeria; Laccabue, Diletta; Ferrari, Carlo

    2018-01-29

    HBV-specific T cells play a key role in antiviral protection and failure to control HBV is associated with severely dysfunctional T cell responses. Therefore, functional T cell reconstitution represents a potential way to treat chronically infected patients. The growing understanding of the dysregulated transcriptional/epigenetic and metabolic programs underlying T cell exhaustion allows to envisage functional T cell reconstitution strategies based on the combined/sequential use of compounds able to induce decline of antigen load, checkpoint modulation, metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming with possible boosting of functionally restored responses by specific vaccines. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Immunotherapy targeting immune check-point(s) in brain metastases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Giacomo, Anna Maria; Valente, Monica; Covre, Alessia; Danielli, Riccardo; Maio, Michele

    2017-08-01

    Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed to different immune check-point(s) is showing a significant clinical impact in a growing number of human tumors of different histotype, both in terms of disease response and long-term survival patients. In this rapidly changing scenario, treatment of brain metastases remains an high unmeet medical need, and the efficacy of immunotherapy in these highly dismal clinical setting remains to be largely demonstrated. Nevertheless, up-coming observations are beginning to suggest a clinical potential of cancer immunotherapy also in brain metastases, regardless the underlying tumor histotype. These observations remain to be validated in larger clinical trials eventually designed also to address the efficacy of therapeutic mAb to immune check-point(s) within multimodality therapies for brain metastases. Noteworthy, the initial proofs of efficacy on immunotherapy in central nervous system metastases are already fostering clinical trials investigating its therapeutic potential also in primary brain tumors. We here review ongoing immunotherapeutic approaches to brain metastases and primary brain tumors, and the foreseeable strategies to overcome their main biologic hurdles and clinical challenges. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Geography of Deterrence: Exploring the Small Area Effects of Sobriety Checkpoints on Alcohol-Impaired Collision Rates within a City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunn, Samuel; Newby, William

    2011-01-01

    This article examines alcohol-impaired collision metrics around nine sobriety checkpoint locations in Indianapolis, Indiana, before and after implementation of 22 checkpoints, using a pre/post examination, a pre/post nonequivalent comparison group analysis, and an interrupted time series approach. Traffic safety officials used geographical…

  1. Parallelization and checkpointing of GPU applications through program transformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solano-Quinde, Lizandro Damian [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2012-01-01

    GPUs have emerged as a powerful tool for accelerating general-purpose applications. The availability of programming languages that makes writing general-purpose applications for running on GPUs tractable have consolidated GPUs as an alternative for accelerating general purpose applications. Among the areas that have benefited from GPU acceleration are: signal and image processing, computational fluid dynamics, quantum chemistry, and, in general, the High Performance Computing (HPC) Industry. In order to continue to exploit higher levels of parallelism with GPUs, multi-GPU systems are gaining popularity. In this context, single-GPU applications are parallelized for running in multi-GPU systems. Furthermore, multi-GPU systems help to solve the GPU memory limitation for applications with large application memory footprint. Parallelizing single-GPU applications has been approached by libraries that distribute the workload at runtime, however, they impose execution overhead and are not portable. On the other hand, on traditional CPU systems, parallelization has been approached through application transformation at pre-compile time, which enhances the application to distribute the workload at application level and does not have the issues of library-based approaches. Hence, a parallelization scheme for GPU systems based on application transformation is needed. Like any computing engine of today, reliability is also a concern in GPUs. GPUs are vulnerable to transient and permanent failures. Current checkpoint/restart techniques are not suitable for systems with GPUs. Checkpointing for GPU systems present new and interesting challenges, primarily due to the natural differences imposed by the hardware design, the memory subsystem architecture, the massive number of threads, and the limited amount of synchronization among threads. Therefore, a checkpoint/restart technique suitable for GPU systems is needed. The goal of this work is to exploit higher levels of parallelism and

  2. TAM receptor tyrosine kinases as emerging targets of innate immune checkpoint blockade for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akalu, Yemsratch T; Rothlin, Carla V; Ghosh, Sourav

    2017-03-01

    Cancer immunotherapy utilizing T-cell checkpoint inhibitors has shown tremendous clinical success. Yet, this mode of treatment is effective in only a subset of patients. Unresponsive patients tend to have non-T-cell-inflamed tumors that lack markers associated with the activation of adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Notably, elimination of cancer cells by T cells is critically dependent on the optimal activity of innate immune cells. Therefore, identifying new targets that regulate innate immune cell function and promote the engagement of adaptive tumoricidal responses is likely to lead to the development of improved therapies against cancer. Here, we review the TAM receptor tyrosine kinases-TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK-as an emerging class of innate immune checkpoints that participate in key steps of anti-tumoral immunity. Namely, TAM-mediated efferocytosis, negative regulation of dendritic cell activity, and dysregulated production of chemokines collectively favor the escape of malignant cells. Hence, disabling TAM signaling may promote engagement of adaptive immunity and complement T-cell checkpoint blockade. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Cloud object store for checkpoints of high performance computing applications using decoupling middleware

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bent, John M.; Faibish, Sorin; Grider, Gary

    2016-04-19

    Cloud object storage is enabled for checkpoints of high performance computing applications using a middleware process. A plurality of files, such as checkpoint files, generated by a plurality of processes in a parallel computing system are stored by obtaining said plurality of files from said parallel computing system; converting said plurality of files to objects using a log structured file system middleware process; and providing said objects for storage in a cloud object storage system. The plurality of processes may run, for example, on a plurality of compute nodes. The log structured file system middleware process may be embodied, for example, as a Parallel Log-Structured File System (PLFS). The log structured file system middleware process optionally executes on a burst buffer node.

  4. The fission yeast spindle orientation checkpoint: a model that generates tension?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gachet, Yannick; Reyes, Céline; Goldstone, Sherilyn; Tournier, Sylvie

    2006-10-15

    In all eukaryotes, the alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of cell polarity is essential for accurate chromosome segregation as well as for the establishment of cell fate, and thus morphogenesis, during development. Studies in invertebrates, higher eukaryotes and yeast suggest that astral microtubules interact with the cell cortex to position the spindle. These microtubules are thought to impose pushing or pulling forces on the spindle poles to affect the rotation or movement of the spindle. In the fission yeast model, where cell division is symmetrical, spindle rotation is dependent on the interaction of astral microtubules with the cortical actin cytoskeleton. In these cells, a bub1-dependent mitotic checkpoint, the spindle orientation checkpoint (SOC), is activated when the spindles fail to align with the cell polarity axis. In this paper we review the mechanism that orientates the spindle during mitosis in fission yeast, and discuss the consequences of misorientation on metaphase progression. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Immune checkpoint inhibitors: the new frontier in non–small cell lung cancer treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    El-Osta HE

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Hazem El-Osta, Kamran Shahid, Glenn M Mills, Prakash Peddi Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA Abstract: Lung cancer is the major cause for cancer-related death in the US. Although advances in chemotherapy and targeted therapy have improved the outcome of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, its prognosis remains dismal. A deeper understanding of the complex interaction between the immune system and tumor microenvironment has identified immune checkpoint inhibitors as new avenue of immunotherapy. Rather than acting directly on the tumor, these therapies work by removing the inhibition exerted by tumor cell or other immune cells on the immune system, promoting antitumoral immune response. To date, two programmed death-1 inhibitors, namely nivolumab and pembrolizumab, have received the US Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer that failed platinum-based chemotherapy. This manuscript provides a brief overview of the pathophysiology of cancer immune evasion, summarizes pertinent data on completed and ongoing clinical trials involving checkpoint inhibitors, discusses the different strategies to optimize their function, and outlines various challenges that are faced in this promising yet evolving field. Keywords: checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy, nivolumab, non-small-cell lung cancer, pembrolizumab, programmed death-1, programmed death ligand-1

  6. Pch2 acts through Xrs2 and Tel1/ATM to modulate interhomolog bias and checkpoint function during meiosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsuan-Chung Ho

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Proper segregation of chromosomes during meiosis requires the formation and repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs to form crossovers. Repair is biased toward using the homolog as a substrate rather than the sister chromatid. Pch2 is a conserved member of the AAA(+-ATPase family of proteins and is implicated in a wide range of meiosis-specific processes including the recombination checkpoint, maturation of the chromosome axis, crossover control, and synapsis. We demonstrate a role for Pch2 in promoting and regulating interhomolog bias and the meiotic recombination checkpoint in response to unprocessed DSBs through the activation of axial proteins Hop1 and Mek1 in budding yeast. We show that Pch2 physically interacts with the putative BRCT repeats in the N-terminal region of Xrs2, a member of the MRX complex that acts at sites of unprocessed DSBs. Pch2, Xrs2, and the ATM ortholog Tel1 function in the same pathway leading to the phosphorylation of Hop1, independent of Rad17 and the ATR ortholog Mec1, which respond to the presence of single-stranded DNA. An N-terminal deletion of Xrs2 recapitulates the pch2Δ phenotypes for signaling unresected breaks. We propose that interaction with Xrs2 may enable Pch2 to remodel chromosome structure adjacent to the site of a DSB and thereby promote accessibility of Hop1 to the Tel1 kinase. In addition, Xrs2, like Pch2, is required for checkpoint-mediated delay conferred by the failure to synapse chromosomes.

  7. Unique cytologic features of thyroiditis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for malignant melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor E. Angell

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Blockade of immune checkpoint molecules to reverse cancer-induced immune suppression can improve anti-tumor immune responses in cancer patients. Monoclonal antibodies targeting two such molecules, Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4 have shown clinical benefit in the treatment of advanced malignancies, including metastatic melanoma. Adverse effects of these immune checkpoint inhibitors include immune-related adverse events (irAE, of which one of the most common is autoimmune thyroiditis. Though thyroiditis is increasingly recognized, there are no reports of the pathological findings that occur in immunotherapy-induced thyroiditis. We present a case of immunotherapy-induced thyroiditis demonstrating its unique cytopathologic features. A 51-year-old woman with metastatic melanoma was found to have a suppressed TSH and elevated free thyroxine concentration 14 days after starting treatment with nivolumab (PD-1 antagonist plus ipilimumab (CTLA-4 antagonist therapy. A thyroid biopsy was performed based on ultrasound findings and cytopathology revealed unique features including abundant clusters of necrotic cells, lymphocytes and CD163-positive histiocytes. This case reports cytopathologic features found in immune checkpoint inhibitor related thyroiditis. These appear to be unique findings and may help inform future research regarding the pathophysiology and mechanisms of this condition.

  8. A Comprehensive Review of US FDA-Approved Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Urothelial Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu-Shun Hsu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Few effective treatment options are available for patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC after unsuccessful first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. To date, immune checkpoint inhibitors are novel therapeutic agents for UC treatment. From May 2016 to May 2017, five anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies received accelerated or regular approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC. The present comprehensive review presents the background information of these five US FDA-approved anticancer agents to provide a basic but concise understanding of these agents for advanced studies. We summarize their immune checkpoint mechanisms, clinical efficacy, recommended usage protocols, adverse events, and the limitations of the PD-L1 biomarker assays.

  9. A Novel Antagonist of the Immune Checkpoint Protein Adenosine A2a Receptor Restores Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Activity in the Context of the Tumor Microenvironment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie Mediavilla-Varela

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Therapeutic strategies targeting immune checkpoint proteins have led to significant responses in patients with various tumor types. The success of these studies has led to the development of various antibodies/inhibitors for the different checkpoint proteins involved in immune evasion of the tumor. Adenosine present in high concentrations in the tumor microenvironment activates the immune checkpoint adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR, leading to the suppression of antitumor responses. Inhibition of this checkpoint has the potential to enhance antitumor T-cell responsiveness. METHODS: We developed a novel A2aR antagonist (PBF-509 and tested its antitumor response in vitro, in a mouse model, and in non-small cell lung cancer patient samples. RESULTS: Our studies showed that PBF-509 is highly specific to the A2aR as well as inhibitory of A2aR function in an in vitro model. In a mouse model, we found that lung metastasis was decreased after treatment with PBF-509 compared with its control. Furthermore, freshly resected tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from lung cancer patients showed increased A2aR expression in CD4+ cells and variable expression in CD8+ cells. Ex vivo studies showed an increased responsiveness of human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes when PBF-509 was combined with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies demonstrate that inhibition of the A2aR using the novel inhibitor PBF-509 could lead to novel immunotherapeutic strategies in non-small cell lung cancer.

  10. Central Tolerance Blockade to Augment Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Melanoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    expressed at higher levels in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) than in cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs), addition of anti-RANKL antibody...relative Aire expression by quantitative RT-PCR in cultured thymic tissue . 12-15 90% Subtask 3. Culture human thymus sections with OPG-Fc or vehicle...PCR in cultured thymic tissue . 15-18 90% ACURO approval 13-14 100% Major Task 1. Effect of concurrent anti-RANKL and checkpoint inhibitor

  11. Grp/DChk1 is required for G(2)-M checkpoint activation in Drosophila S2 cells, whereas Dmnk/DChk2 is dispensable

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, HI; Uyetake, L; Lemstra, W; Brunsting, JF; Su, TT; Kampinga, HH; Sibon, OCM

    2005-01-01

    Cell-cycle checkpoints are signal-transduction pathways required to maintain genomic stability in dividing cells. Previously, it was reported that two kinases essential for checkpoint signalling, Chk1 and Chk2 are structurally conserved. In contrast to yeast, Xenopus and mammals, the Chk1- and

  12. Comparative Analysis of Immune Checkpoint Molecules and Their Potential Role in the Transmissible Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew S. Flies

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Immune checkpoint molecules function as a system of checks and balances that enhance or inhibit immune responses to infectious agents, foreign tissues, and cancerous cells. Immunotherapies that target immune checkpoint molecules, particularly the inhibitory molecules programmed cell death 1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4, have revolutionized human oncology in recent years, yet little is known about these key immune signaling molecules in species other than primates and rodents. The Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease is caused by transmissible cancers that have resulted in a massive decline in the wild Tasmanian devil population. We have recently demonstrated that the inhibitory checkpoint molecule PD-L1 is upregulated on Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii facial tumor cells in response to the interferon-gamma cytokine. As this could play a role in immune evasion by tumor cells, we performed a thorough comparative analysis of checkpoint molecule protein sequences among Tasmanian devils and eight other species. We report that many of the key signaling motifs and ligand-binding sites in the checkpoint molecules are highly conserved across the estimated 162 million years of evolution since the last common ancestor of placental and non-placental mammals. Specifically, we discovered that the CTLA-4 (MYPPPY ligand-binding motif and the CTLA-4 (GVYVKM inhibitory domain are completely conserved across all nine species used in our comparative analysis, suggesting that the function of CTLA-4 is likely conserved in these species. We also found that cysteine residues for intra- and intermolecular disulfide bonds were also highly conserved. For instance, all 20 cysteine residues involved in disulfide bonds in the human 4-1BB molecule were also present in devil 4-1BB. Although many key sequences were conserved, we have also identified immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch

  13. The impact of aviation checkpoint queues on optimizing security screening effectiveness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Adrian J., E-mail: ajlee@citeri.or [Central Illinois Technology and Education Research Institute, 2312 Connie Drive, Springfield, IL 62704-8722 (United States); Jacobson, Sheldon H., E-mail: shj@illinois.ed [Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 201 N. Goodwin Ave. M/C 258, Urbana, IL 61801-2302 (United States)

    2011-08-15

    Passenger screening at aviation security checkpoints is a critical component in protecting airports and aircraft from terrorist threats. Recent developments in screening device technology have increased the ability to detect these threats; however, the average amount of time it takes to screen a passenger still remains a concern. This paper models the queueing process for a multi-level airport checkpoint security system, where multiple security classes are formed through subsets of specialized screening devices. An optimal static assignment policy is obtained which minimizes the steady-state expected amount of time a passenger spends in the security system. Then, an optimal dynamic assignment policy is obtained through a transient analysis that balances the expected number of true alarms with the expected amount of time a passenger spends in the security system. Performance of a two-class system is compared to that of a selective security system containing primary and secondary levels of screening. The key contribution is that the resulting optimal assignment policies increase security and passenger throughput by efficiently and effectively utilizing available screening resources.

  14. The impact of aviation checkpoint queues on optimizing security screening effectiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Adrian J.; Jacobson, Sheldon H.

    2011-01-01

    Passenger screening at aviation security checkpoints is a critical component in protecting airports and aircraft from terrorist threats. Recent developments in screening device technology have increased the ability to detect these threats; however, the average amount of time it takes to screen a passenger still remains a concern. This paper models the queueing process for a multi-level airport checkpoint security system, where multiple security classes are formed through subsets of specialized screening devices. An optimal static assignment policy is obtained which minimizes the steady-state expected amount of time a passenger spends in the security system. Then, an optimal dynamic assignment policy is obtained through a transient analysis that balances the expected number of true alarms with the expected amount of time a passenger spends in the security system. Performance of a two-class system is compared to that of a selective security system containing primary and secondary levels of screening. The key contribution is that the resulting optimal assignment policies increase security and passenger throughput by efficiently and effectively utilizing available screening resources.

  15. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A New Opportunity in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Mittica

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC is the leading cause of death for gynecological cancer. The standard treatment for advanced stage is the combination of optimal debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. Nevertheless, recurrence is frequent (around 70% and prognosis is globally poor. New therapeutic agents are needed to improve survival. Since EOC is strongly immunogenic, immune checkpoint inhibitors are under evaluation for their capacity to contrast the “turn off” signals expressed by the tumor to escape the immune system and usually responsible for self-tolerance maintenance. This article reviews the literature on anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and anti-PD-L2 antibodies in EOC and highlights their possible lines of development. Further studies are needed to better define the prognostic role of the immune checkpoint inhibitors, to identify predictors of response and the optimal clinical setting in EOC.

  16. Fission Yeast Apc15 Stabilizes MCC-Cdc20-APC/C Complexes, Ensuring Efficient Cdc20 Ubiquitination and Checkpoint Arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Karen M; Paldi, Flora; Hardwick, Kevin G

    2017-04-24

    During mitosis, cells must segregate the replicated copies of their genome to their daughter cells with extremely high fidelity. Segregation errors lead to an abnormal chromosome number (aneuploidy), which typically results in disease or cell death [1]. Chromosome segregation and anaphase onset are initiated through the action of the multi-subunit E3 ubiquitin ligase known as the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C [2]). The APC/C is inhibited by the spindle checkpoint in the presence of kinetochore attachment defects [3, 4]. Here we demonstrate that two non-essential APC/C subunits (Apc14 and Apc15) regulate association of spindle checkpoint proteins, in the form of the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), with the APC/C. apc14Δ mutants display increased MCC association with the APC/C and are unable to silence the checkpoint efficiently. Conversely, apc15Δ mutants display reduced association between the MCC and APC/C, are defective in poly-ubiquitination of Cdc20, and are checkpoint defective. In vitro reconstitution studies have shown that human MCC-APC/C can contain two molecules of Cdc20 [5-7]. Using a yeast strain expressing two Cdc20 genes with different epitope tags, we show by co-immunoprecipitation that this is true in vivo. MCC binding to the second molecule of Cdc20 is mediated via the C-terminal KEN box in Mad3. Somewhat surprisingly, complexes containing both molecules of Cdc20 accumulate in apc15Δ cells, and the implications of this observation are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Monitoring of scrap loads at Gorzia border checkpoints: A thirty months experience and some suggestions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabretto, M.

    1999-01-01

    The following topics are highlighted: personnel training, assistance from foreign scrap suppliers, and computerized database. It is suggested that when selecting personnel for this job, major attention should be paid to their attitudes; the personnel should be given very good training, teaching them also how to make controls manually; expert physicist' support should be available within a very short time; each monitoring checkpoint should have its local electronic database; periodical exchange and updating of information should be practised on the standardization of methods of detection, of levels of attention and alarm, of statistics among the people in charge of EU and non-EU countries. (P.A.)

  18. Avelumab: combining immune checkpoint inhibition and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Gerhard; Rath, Barbara

    2017-04-01

    Immune checkpoint inhibition holds great promise for selected tumors. The human monoclonal antibody (mAB) avelumab is directed to programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and is supposed to inhibit the immunosuppressive PD-L1/PD-1 interaction and, furthermore, effect antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) lysis of tumor cells. Areas covered: This article presents an overview of the current means to activate the antitumor immune defense by targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 with mABs and their possible role in ADCC-mediated tumor cell elimination. Expert opinion: Avelumab contains a Fc region which can bind cognate receptors on immune effector cells and induce ADCC-mediated tumor cell lysis, in contrast to other mABs directed to PD-1/PD-L1 which lack the ability to trigger ADCC due to belonging to the IgG4 subclass or possessing a mutated Fc region. Preclinical and clinical data indicate that avelumab can be safely administered to cancer patients with a toxicity profile comparable to other mABs and without lysis of PD-L1-positive activated immune cells. This antibody yielded durable responses in a phase II trial in advanced Merkel cell carcinoma patients. Tumor cell lysis by avelumab prevents cells from resorting to alternative checkpoints as shown by targeting PD-1 and the upregulation of TIM-3.

  19. Study of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint in irradiated mammary epithelial cells overexpressing Cul-4A gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Anu; Yang, L.-X.; Chen, L.-C.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: Members of the cullin gene family are known to be involved in cell cycle control. One of the cullin genes, Cul-4A, is amplified and overexpressed in breast cancer cells. This study investigates the effect of Cul-4A overexpression upon G2/M cell cycle checkpoint after DNA damage induced by either ionizing or nonionizing radiation. Methods and Materials: The normal mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A was stably transfected with full-length Cul-4A cDNA. Independent clones of MCF10A cells that overexpress Cul-4A proteins were selected and treated with either 8 Gy of ionizing radiation or 7 J/M 2 of UV radiation. The profile of cell cycle progression and the accumulation of several cell cycle proteins were analyzed. Results: We found that overexpression of Cul-4A in MCF10A cells abrogated the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint in response to DNA damage induced by ionizing irradiation, but not to DNA damage induced by nonionizing radiation. Analysis of cell cycle proteins showed that after ionizing irradiation, p53 accumulated in the mock-transfected MCF10A cells, but not in the Cul-4A transfectants. Conclusion: Our results suggest a role for Cul-4A in tumorigenesis and/or tumor progression, possibly through disruption of cell cycle control

  20. The internal Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 facilitates both spindle assembly checkpoint signalling and silencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lischetti, Tiziana; Zhang, Gang; Sedgwick, Garry G

    2014-01-01

    Improperly attached kinetochores activate the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and by an unknown mechanism catalyse the binding of two checkpoint proteins, Mad2 and BubR1, to Cdc20 forming the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC). Here, to address the functional role of Cdc20 kinetochore localization...... in the SAC, we delineate the molecular details of its interaction with kinetochores. We find that BubR1 recruits the bulk of Cdc20 to kinetochores through its internal Cdc20 binding domain (IC20BD). We show that preventing Cdc20 kinetochore localization by removal of the IC20BD has a limited effect...... on the SAC because the IC20BD is also required for efficient SAC silencing. Indeed, the IC20BD can disrupt the MCC providing a mechanism for its role in SAC silencing. We thus uncover an unexpected dual function of the second Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 in promoting both efficient SAC signalling and SAC...

  1. A link between mitotic entry and membrane growth suggests a novel model for cell size control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasia, Steph D; Nguyen, Duy Linh; Thai, Vu; Meloy, Melissa; MacDonough, Tracy; Kellogg, Douglas R

    2012-04-02

    Addition of new membrane to the cell surface by membrane trafficking is necessary for cell growth. In this paper, we report that blocking membrane traffic causes a mitotic checkpoint arrest via Wee1-dependent inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdk1. Checkpoint signals are relayed by the Rho1 GTPase, protein kinase C (Pkc1), and a specific form of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A(Cdc55)). Signaling via this pathway is dependent on membrane traffic and appears to increase gradually during polar bud growth. We hypothesize that delivery of vesicles to the site of bud growth generates a signal that is proportional to the extent of polarized membrane growth and that the strength of the signal is read by downstream components to determine when sufficient growth has occurred for initiation of mitosis. Growth-dependent signaling could explain how membrane growth is integrated with cell cycle progression. It could also control both cell size and morphogenesis, thereby reconciling divergent models for mitotic checkpoint function.

  2. Deficiency of the Arabidopsis helicase RTEL1 triggers a SOG1-dependent replication checkpoint in response to DNA cross-links.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhubing; Cools, Toon; Kalhorzadeh, Pooneh; Heyman, Jefri; De Veylder, Lieven

    2015-01-01

    To maintain genome integrity, DNA replication is executed and regulated by a complex molecular network of numerous proteins, including helicases and cell cycle checkpoint regulators. Through a systematic screening for putative replication mutants, we identified an Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of human Regulator of Telomere Length 1 (RTEL1), which functions in DNA replication, DNA repair, and recombination. RTEL1 deficiency retards plant growth, a phenotype including a prolonged S-phase duration and decreased cell proliferation. Genetic analysis revealed that rtel1 mutant plants show activated cell cycle checkpoints, specific sensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, and increased homologous recombination, but a lack of progressive shortening of telomeres, indicating that RTEL1 functions have only been partially conserved between mammals and plants. Surprisingly, RTEL1 deficiency induces tolerance to the deoxynucleotide-depleting drug hydroxyurea, which could be mimicked by DNA cross-linking agents. This resistance does not rely on the essential replication checkpoint regulator WEE1 but could be blocked by a mutation in the SOG1 transcription factor. Taken together, our data indicate that RTEL1 is required for DNA replication and that its deficiency activates a SOG1-dependent replication checkpoint. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  3. Checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy: Cross reactivity of a CTLA-4 antibody and IDO-inhibitor L-1MT in pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Al-Shatrawi, Zina Adil; Frøsig, Thomas Mørch; Jungersen, Gregers

    a non-specific activation of porcine T cells. This will be further investigated to provide the basis for in vivo studies investigating checkpoint inhibitor blockade in combination with other cancer immunotherapies. Eventually our goal is to establish pigs as an alternative large animal model......Blockade of checkpoint inhibitors has recently shown very convincing results in the treatment of cancer. One key target is CTLA-4, which has been demonstrated to be a potent negative regulator of lymphocyte activation. The treatment with the FDA-approved fully human CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody...... Ipilimumab increases anticancer T-cell reactivity and overall survival of metastatic cancer patients. Indole-amine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is another checkpoint inhibitor which suppresses T-cell immunity by the depletion of tryptophan in the T-cell microenvironment, and also inhibition of IDO by L-1...

  4. In vitro analysis of the role of replication protein A (RPA) and RPA phosphorylation in ATR-mediated checkpoint signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsey-Boltz, Laura A; Reardon, Joyce T; Wold, Marc S; Sancar, Aziz

    2012-10-19

    Replication protein A (RPA) plays essential roles in DNA metabolism, including replication, checkpoint, and repair. Recently, we described an in vitro system in which the phosphorylation of human Chk1 kinase by ATR (ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related) is dependent on RPA bound to single-stranded DNA. Here, we report that phosphorylation of other ATR targets, p53 and Rad17, has the same requirements and that RPA is also phosphorylated in this system. At high p53 or Rad17 concentrations, RPA phosphorylation is inhibited and, in this system, RPA with phosphomimetic mutations cannot support ATR kinase function, whereas a non-phosphorylatable RPA mutant exhibits full activity. Phosphorylation of these ATR substrates depends on the recruitment of ATR and the substrates by RPA to the RPA-ssDNA complex. Finally, mutant RPAs lacking checkpoint function exhibit essentially normal activity in nucleotide excision repair, revealing RPA separation of function for checkpoint and excision repair.

  5. In Vitro Analysis of the Role of Replication Protein A (RPA) and RPA Phosphorylation in ATR-mediated Checkpoint Signaling*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsey-Boltz, Laura A.; Reardon, Joyce T.; Wold, Marc S.; Sancar, Aziz

    2012-01-01

    Replication protein A (RPA) plays essential roles in DNA metabolism, including replication, checkpoint, and repair. Recently, we described an in vitro system in which the phosphorylation of human Chk1 kinase by ATR (ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related) is dependent on RPA bound to single-stranded DNA. Here, we report that phosphorylation of other ATR targets, p53 and Rad17, has the same requirements and that RPA is also phosphorylated in this system. At high p53 or Rad17 concentrations, RPA phosphorylation is inhibited and, in this system, RPA with phosphomimetic mutations cannot support ATR kinase function, whereas a non-phosphorylatable RPA mutant exhibits full activity. Phosphorylation of these ATR substrates depends on the recruitment of ATR and the substrates by RPA to the RPA-ssDNA complex. Finally, mutant RPAs lacking checkpoint function exhibit essentially normal activity in nucleotide excision repair, revealing RPA separation of function for checkpoint and excision repair. PMID:22948311

  6. Loss of p53 induces M-phase retardation following G2 DNA damage checkpoint abrogation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minemoto, Yuzuru; Uchida, Sanae; Ohtsubo, Motoaki; Shimura, Mari; Sasagawa, Toshiyuki; Hirata, Masato; Nakagama, Hitoshi; Ishizaka, Yukihito; Yamashita, Katsumi

    2003-04-01

    Most cell lines that lack functional p53 protein are arrested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle due to DNA damage. When the G2 checkpoint is abrogated, these cells are forced into mitotic catastrophe. A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells, in which p53 was eliminated with the HPV16 E6 gene, exhibited efficient arrest in the G2 phase when treated with adriamycin. Administration of caffeine to G2-arrested cells induced a drastic change in cell phenotype, the nature of which depended on the status of p53. Flow cytometric and microscopic observations revealed that cells that either contained or lacked p53 resumed their cell cycles and entered mitosis upon caffeine treatment. However, transit to the M phase was slower in p53-negative cells than in p53-positive cells. Consistent with these observations, CDK1 activity was maintained at high levels, along with stable cyclin B1, in p53-negative cells. The addition of butyrolactone I, which is an inhibitor of CDK1 and CDK2, to the p53-negative cells reduced the floating round cell population and induced the disappearance of cyclin B1. These results suggest a relationship between the p53 pathway and the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of mitotic cyclins and possible cross-talk between the G2-DNA damage checkpoint and the mitotic checkpoint.

  7. Altered G1 checkpoint control determines adaptive survival responses to ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boothman, David A.; Meyers, Mark; Odegaard, Eric; Wang, Meizhi

    1996-01-01

    Adaptive survival responses (ASRs) are observed when cells become more resistant to a high dose of a cytotoxic agent after repeated low dose exposures to that agent or another genotoxic agent. Confluent (G 0 /G 1 ) human normal (GM2936B, GM2937A, AG2603, IMR-90), cancer-prone (XPV2359), and neoplastic (U1-Mel, HEp-2, HTB-152) cells were primed with repeated low doses of X-rays (ranging from 0.05-10 cGy/day for 4 days), then challenged with a high dose (290-450 cGy) on day 5. U1-Mel and HEp-2 cells showed greater than 2-fold transient survival enhancement when primed with 1-10 cGy. ASRs in U1-Mel or HEp-2 cells were blocked by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. Increases in cyclins A and D1 mRNAs were noted in primed compared to unirradiated U1-Mel and HEp-2 cells; however, only cyclin A protein levels increased. Cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein levels were constitutively elevated in HEp-2 and U1-Mel cells, compared to the other human normal and neoplastic cells examined, and were not altered by low or high doses of radiation. Low dose primed U1-Mel cells entered S-phase 4-6 h faster than unprimed U1-Mel cells upon low-density replating. Similar responses in terms of survival recovery, transcript and protein induction, and altered cell cycle regulation were not observed in the other human normal, cancer-prone or neoplastic cells examined. We hypothesize that only certain human cells can adapt to ionizing radiation by progressing to a point later in G 1 (the A point) where DNA repair processes and radioresistance can be induced. ASRs in human cells correlated well with constitutively elevated levels of PCNA and cyclin D1, as well as inducibility of cyclin A. We propose that a protein complex composed of cyclin D1, PCNA, and possibly cyclin A may play a role in cell cycle regulation and DNA repair, which determine ASRs in human cells

  8. Clinical features, predictive correlates, and pathophysiology of immune-related adverse events in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments in cancer: a short review

    OpenAIRE

    Yoest, Jennifer M

    2017-01-01

    Jennifer M Yoest Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Abstract: Identification and characterization of T-cell regulatory mechanisms, or checkpoints, have led to a wave of drug development aimed at inhibiting these targets to “remove the brakes” of the immune system. This class of anticancer therapeutics, termed immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has harnessed the potential of the body’s own immune system to reco...

  9. The kinetochore proteins CENP-E and CENP-F directly and specifically interact with distinct BUB mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciossani, Giuseppe; Overlack, Katharina; Petrovic, Arsen; Huis In 't Veld, Pim J; Koerner, Carolin; Wohlgemuth, Sabine; Maffini, Stefano; Musacchio, Andrea

    2018-05-10

    The segregation of chromosomes during cell division relies on the function of the kinetochores, protein complexes that physically connect chromosomes with microtubules of the spindle. The metazoan proteins, centromere protein E (CENP-E) and CENP-F, are components of a fibrous layer of mitotic kinetochores named the corona. Several of their features suggest that CENP-E and CENP-F are paralogs: they are very large (comprising approximately 2700 and 3200 residues, respectively), contain abundant predicted coiled-coil structures, are C-terminally prenylated, and are endowed with microtubule-binding sites at their termini. Moreover, CENP-E contains an ATP-hydrolyzing motor domain that promotes microtubule plus end-directed motion. Here, we show that both CENP-E and CENP-F are recruited to mitotic kinetochores independently of the main corona constituent, the Rod-Zwilch-ZW10 (RZZ) complex. We identified specific interactions of CENP-F and CENP-E with budding uninhibited by benzimidazole 1 (BUB1) and BUB1-related (BUBR1) mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases, respectively, paralogous proteins involved in mitotic checkpoint control and chromosome alignment. Whereas BUBR1 was dispensable for kinetochore localization of CENP-E, BUB1 was stringently required for CENP-F localization. Through biochemical reconstitution, we demonstrated that the CENP-E-BUBR1 and CENP-F-BUB1 interactions are direct and require similar determinants, a dimeric coiled-coil in CENP-E or CENP-F and a kinase domain in BUBR1 or BUB1. Our findings are consistent with the existence of structurally similar BUB1-CENP-F and BUBR1-CENP-E complexes, supporting the notion that CENP-E and CENP-F are evolutionarily related. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Requirement of Sequences outside the Conserved Kinase Domain of Fission Yeast Rad3p for Checkpoint Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, Carolyn Riley; Evans, Sarah Tyler; Carr, Antony M.; Enoch, Tamar

    1999-01-01

    The fission yeast Rad3p checkpoint protein is a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related family of protein kinases, which includes human ATMp. Mutation of the ATM gene is responsible for the disease ataxia-telangiectasia. The kinase domain of Rad3p has previously been shown to be essential for function. Here, we show that although this domain is necessary, it is not sufficient, because the isolated kinase domain does not have kinase activity in vitro and cannot complement a rad3 deletion strain. Using dominant negative alleles of rad3, we have identified two sites N-terminal to the conserved kinase domain that are essential for Rad3p function. One of these sites is the putative leucine zipper, which is conserved in other phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related family members. The other is a novel motif, which may also mediate Rad3p protein–protein interactions. PMID:10512862

  11. Targeting cytokine signaling checkpoint CIS activates NK cells to protect from tumor initiation and metastasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putz, Eva M.; Guillerey, Camille; Kos, Kevin; Stannard, Kimberley; Miles, Kim; Delconte, Rebecca B.; Nicholson, Sandra E.; Huntington, Nicholas D.; Smyth, Mark J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The cytokine-induced SH2-containing protein CIS belongs to the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein family. Here, we show the critical role of CIS in suppressing natural killer (NK) cell control of tumor initiation and metastasis. Cish-deficient mice were highly resistant to methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma formation and protected from lung metastasis of B16F10 melanoma and RM-1 prostate carcinoma cells. In contrast, the growth of primary subcutaneous tumors, including those expressing the foreign antigen OVA, was unchanged in Cish-deficient mice. The combination of Cish deficiency and relevant targeted and immuno-therapies such as combined BRAF and MEK inhibitors, immune checkpoint blockade antibodies, IL-2 and type I interferon revealed further improved control of metastasis. The data clearly indicate that targeting CIS promotes NK cell antitumor functions and CIS holds great promise as a novel target in NK cell immunotherapy. PMID:28344878

  12. Phenotypic characterization of autoreactive B cells--checkpoints of B cell tolerance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annett M Jacobi

    Full Text Available DNA-reactive B cells play a central role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; DNA antibodies precede clinical disease and in established disease correlate with renal inflammation and contribute to dendritic cell activation and high levels of type 1 interferon. A number of central and peripheral B cell tolerance mechanisms designed to control the survival, differentiation and activation of autoreactive B cells are thought to be disturbed in patients with SLE. The characterization of DNA-reactive B cells has, however, been limited by their low frequency in peripheral blood. Using a tetrameric configuration of a peptide mimetope of DNA bound by pathogenic anti-DNA antibodies, we can identify B cells producing potentially pathogenic DNA-reactive antibodies. We, therefore, characterized the maturation and differentiation states of peptide, (ds double stranded DNA cross-reactive B cells in the peripheral blood of lupus patients and correlated these with clinical disease activity. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of tetramer-binding B cells in SLE patients compared to healthy controls. We demonstrated the existence of a novel tolerance checkpoint at the transition of antigen-naïve to antigen-experienced. We further demonstrate that patients with moderately active disease have more autoreactive B cells in both the antigen-naïve and antigen-experienced compartments consistent with greater impairment in B cell tolerance in both early and late checkpoints in these patients than in patients with quiescent disease. This methodology enables us to gain insight into the development and fate of DNA-reactive B cells in individual patients with SLE and paves the way ultimately to permit better and more customized therapies.

  13. Constitutive Cdk2 activity promotes aneuploidy while altering the spindle assembly and tetraploidy checkpoints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jahn, Stephan C; Corsino, Patrick E; Davis, Bradley J

    2013-01-01

    instability. Expression of these complexes in the MCF10A cell line leads to retinoblastoma protein (Rb) hyperphosphorylation, a subsequent increase in proliferation rate, and increased expression of the spindle assembly checkpoint protein Mad2. This results in a strengthening of the spindle assembly...

  14. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies for metastatic melanoma: A network meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasquali, Sandro; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna; Rossi, Carlo Riccardo; Mocellin, Simone

    2017-03-01

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies, two new class of drugs for treatment of metastatic melanoma, have not been compared in randomized controlled trials (RCT). We quantitatively summarized the evidence and compared immune and targeted therapies in terms of both efficacy and toxicity. A comprehensive search for RCTs of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies was conducted to August 2016. Using a network meta-analysis approach, treatments were compared with each other and ranked based on their effectiveness (as measured by the impact on progression-free survival [PFS]) and acceptability (the inverse of high grade toxicity). Twelve RCTs enrolling 6207 patients were included. Network meta-analysis generated 15 comparisons. Combined BRAF and MEK inhibitors were associated with longer PFS as compared to anti-CTLA4 (HR: 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-0.41) and anti-PD1 antibodies alone (HR: 0.38; CI: 0.20-0.72). However, anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies were less toxic than anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibodies (RR: 0.65; CI: 0.40-0.78) and their combination significantly increased toxicity compared to either single agent anti-CTLA4 (RR: 2.06; CI: 1.45-2.93) or anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies (RR: 3.67; CI: 2.27-5.96). Consistently, ranking analysis suggested that the combination of targeted therapies is the most effective strategy, whereas single agent anti-PD1 antibodies have the best acceptability. The GRADE level of evidence quality for these findings was moderate to low. The simultaneous inhibition of BRAF and MEK appears the most effective treatment for melanomas harboring BRAF V600 mutation, although anti-PD1 antibodies appear to be less toxic. Further research is needed to increase the quality of evidence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Biological significance of the focus on DNA damage checkpoint factors remained after irradiation of ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamauchi, Motohiro; Suzuki, Keiji

    2005-01-01

    This paper reviews recent reports on the focus formation and participation to checkpoint of (such phosphorylated (P-d) as below) ATM and H2AX, MDC1, 53BP1 and NBS1, and discusses their role in DNA damage checkpoint induction mainly around authors' studies. When the cell is irradiated by ionizing radiation, the subtype histone like H2AX is P-d and the formed focus', seen in the nucleus on immuno-fluorographic observation, represents the P-d H2AX at the damaged site of DNA. The role of P-d ATM (the product of causative gene of ataxia-telangiectasia mutation, a protein kinase) has been first shown by laser beam irradiation. Described are discussions on the roles and functions after irradiation in focus formation and DNA damage checkpoint of P-d H2AX (a specific histone product by the radiation like γ-ray as above), P-d ATM, MDC1 (a mediator of DNA damage check point protein 1), 53BP1, (a p53 binding protein) and NBS1 (the product of the causative gene of Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome). Authors have come to point out the remained focal size increase as implications of the efficient repair of damaged DNA, and the second cycled p53 accumulation, of tumor suppression. Thus evaluation of biological significance of these aspects, scarcely noted hitherto, is concluded important. (S.I.)

  16. In-silico modeling of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bashar Ibrahim

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available The Mitotic Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ((MSAC is an evolutionary conserved mechanism that ensures the correct segregation of chromosomes by restraining cell cycle progression from entering anaphase until all chromosomes have made proper bipolar attachments to the mitotic spindle. Its malfunction can lead to cancer.We have constructed and validated for the human (MSAC mechanism an in silico dynamical model, integrating 11 proteins and complexes. The model incorporates the perspectives of three central control pathways, namely Mad1/Mad2 induced Cdc20 sequestering based on the Template Model, MCC formation, and APC inhibition. Originating from the biochemical reactions for the underlying molecular processes, non-linear ordinary differential equations for the concentrations of 11 proteins and complexes of the (MSAC are derived. Most of the kinetic constants are taken from literature, the remaining four unknown parameters are derived by an evolutionary optimization procedure for an objective function describing the dynamics of the APC:Cdc20 complex. MCC:APC dissociation is described by two alternatives, namely the "Dissociation" and the "Convey" model variants. The attachment of the kinetochore to microtubuli is simulated by a switching parameter silencing those reactions which are stopped by the attachment. For both, the Dissociation and the Convey variants, we compare two different scenarios concerning the microtubule attachment dependent control of the dissociation reaction. Our model is validated by simulation of ten perturbation experiments.Only in the controlled case, our models show (MSAC behaviour at meta- to anaphase transition in agreement with experimental observations. Our simulations revealed that for (MSAC activation, Cdc20 is not fully sequestered; instead APC is inhibited by MCC binding.

  17. Design Optimization of Time- and Cost-Constrained Fault-Tolerant Embedded Systems with Checkpointing and Replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pop, Paul; Izosimov, Viacheslav; Eles, Petru

    2009-01-01

    We present an approach to the synthesis of fault-tolerant hard real-time systems for safety-critical applications. We use checkpointing with rollback recovery and active replication for tolerating transient faults. Processes and communications are statically scheduled. Our synthesis approach deci...

  18. Characterization of a putative spindle assembly checkpoint kinase Mps1, suggests its involvement in cell division, morphogenesis and oxidative stress tolerance in Candida albicans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohan Kamthan

    Full Text Available In Saccharomyces cerevisiae MPS1 is one of the major protein kinase that governs the spindle checkpoint pathway. The S. cerevisiae structural homolog of opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans CaMPS1, is indispensable for the cell viability. The essentiality of Mps1 was confirmed by Homozygote Trisome test. To determine its biological function in this pathogen conditional mutant was generated through regulatable MET3 promoter. Examination of heterozygous and conditional (+Met/Cys mps1 mutants revealed a mitosis specific arrest phenotype, where mutants showed large buds with undivided nuclei. Flowcytometry analysis revealed abnormal ploidy levels in mps1 mutant. In presence of anti-microtubule drug Nocodazole, mps1 mutant showed a dramatic loss of viability suggesting a role of Mps1 in Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC activation. These mutants were also defective in microtubule organization. Moreover, heterozygous mutant showed defective in-vitro yeast to hyphae morphological transition. Growth defect in heterozygous mutant suggest haploinsufficiency of this gene. qRT PCR analysis showed around 3 fold upregulation of MPS1 in presence of serum. This expression of MPS1 is dependent on Efg1 and is independent of other hyphal regulators like Ras1 and Tpk2. Furthermore, mps1 mutants were also sensitive to oxidative stress. Heterozygous mps1 mutant did not undergo morphological transition and showed 5-Fold reduction in colony forming units in response to macrophage. Thus, the vital checkpoint kinase, Mps1 besides cell division also has a role in morphogenesis and oxidative stress tolerance, in this pathogenic fungus.

  19. Predictors of responses to immune checkpoint blockade in advanced melanoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacquelot, N; Roberti, M P; Enot, D P

    2017-01-01

    Immune checkpoint blockers (ICB) have become pivotal therapies in the clinical armamentarium against metastatic melanoma (MMel). Given the frequency of immune related adverse events and increasing use of ICB, predictors of response to CTLA-4 and/or PD-1 blockade represent unmet clinical needs....... Using a systems biology-based approach to an assessment of 779 paired blood and tumor markers in 37 stage III MMel patients, we analyzed association between blood immune parameters and the functional immune reactivity of tumor-infiltrating cells after ex vivo exposure to ICB. Based on this assay, we...

  20. Neuromuscular complications of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolb, Noah A; Trevino, Christopher R; Waheed, Waqar; Sobhani, Fatemeh; Landry, Kara K; Thomas, Alissa A; Hehir, Mike

    2018-01-17

    Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICPI) therapy unleashes the body's natural immune system to fight cancer. ICPIs improve overall cancer survival, however, the unbridling of the immune system may induce a variety of immune-related adverse events. Neuromuscular immune complications are rare but they can be severe. Myasthenia gravis and inflammatory neuropathy are the most common neuromuscular adverse events but a variety of others including inflammatory myopathy are reported. The pathophysiologic mechanism of these autoimmune disorders may differ from that of non-ICPI-related immune diseases. Accordingly, while the optimal treatment for ICPI-related neuromuscular disorders generally follows a traditional paradigm, there are important novel considerations in selecting appropriate immunosuppressive therapy. This review presents 2 new cases, a summary of neuromuscular ICPI complications, and an approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. Muscle Nerve, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Genetic variation in the major mitotic checkpoint genes associated with chromosomal aberrations in healthy humans

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Försti, A.; Frank, Ch.; Smolková, B.; Kazimírová, A.; Barančoková, M.; Vymetálková, Veronika; Kroupa, M.; Naccarati, Alessio; Vodičková, Ludmila; Buchancová, J.; Dusinská, M.; Musak, L.; Vodička, Pavel; Hemminki, K.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 380, č. 2 (2016), s. 442-446 ISSN 0304-3835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-14789S Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : chromosomal integrity * cytogenetics * spindle checkpoint Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 6.375, year: 2016

  2. A Review of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for the Management of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanna, Kirollos S

    2017-11-01

    Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the second most common malignancy of the genitourinary system and the sixth most common cancer in the United States. The overall incidence of UC appears to be on the decline, but death rates have remained stable. Stage IV metastatic disease is associated with only a 5% survival rate at 5 years. Gemcitabine and cisplatin combinations or dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin are the preferred regimens for individuals with advance, metastatic disease and a good performance status and organ function. Second-line therapies in this setting are limited. During the course of 1 year, five immune checkpoint inhibitors were approved for treatment of cancers in the locally advanced or metastatic setting: atezolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, avelumab, and pembrolizumab. Immunotherapies have played a significant role in the treatment of various cancers and have continued to expand. It is of utmost importance that practitioners include checkpoint inhibitors as treatment options for UC. Based on the limited data, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab may be the drugs of choice, as they are supported by the most influential data to date; however, further research is warranted. Ongoing clinical trials will further assess the benefits of inducing cellular immunity in the treatment of UC. These therapies mark a new landscape in the treatment of UC. In this article, the available data on immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic UC and their place in therapy are reviewed. © 2017 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

  3. The effect of tributyltin chloride on Caenorhabditis elegans germline is mediated by a conserved DNA damage checkpoint pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Zhe; Tian, Huimin; Chu, Hongran; Wu, Jianjian; Li, Yingying; Wang, Yanhai

    2014-03-21

    Tributyltin (TBT), one of the environmental pollutants, has been shown to impact the reproduction of animals. However, due to the lack of appropriate animal model, analysis of the affected molecular pathways in germ cells is lagging and has been particularly challenging. In the present study, we investigated the effects of tributyltin chloride (TBTCL) on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans germline. We show that exposure of C. elegans to TBTCL causes significantly elevated level of sterility and embryonic lethality. TBTCL exposure results in an increased number of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks in germ cells, subsequently leading to activated DNA damage checkpoint. Exposing C. elegans to TBTCL causes dose- and time-dependent germline apoptosis. This apoptotic response was blocked in loss-of-function mutants of hus-1 (op241), mrt-2 (e2663) and p53/cep-1 (gk138), indicating that checkpoints and p53 are essential for mediating TBTCL-induced germ cell apoptosis. Moreover, TBTCL exposure can inhibit germ cell proliferation, which is also mediated by the conserved checkpoint pathway. We thereby propose that TBT exhibits its effects on the germline by inducing DNA damage and impaired maintenance of genomic integrity. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  4. rad-Dependent response of the chk1-encoded protein kinase at the DNA damage checkpoint

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Walworth, N.C.; Bernards, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    Exposure of eukaryotic cells to agents that generate DNA damage results in transient arrest of progression through the cell cycle. In fission yeast, the DNA damage checkpoint associated with cell cycle arrest before mitosis requires the protein kinase p56chk1. DNA damage induced by ultraviolet

  5. Clinical characteristics of patient selection and imaging predictors of outcome in solid tumors treated with checkpoint-inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossi, Sabrina; Toschi, Luca; Castello, Angelo; Grizzi, Fabio; Mansi, Luigi; Lopci, Egesta

    2017-01-01

    The rapidly evolving knowledge on tumor immunology and the continuous implementation of immunotherapy in cancer have recently led to the FDA and EMA approval of several checkpoint inhibitors as immunotherapic agents in clinical practice. Anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, and anti-PDL-1 antibodies are becoming standard of care in advanced melanoma, as well as in relapsed or metastatic lung and kidney cancer, demonstrating higher and longer response compared to standard chemotherapy. These encouraging results have fostered the evaluation of these antibodies either alone or in combination with other therapies in several dozen clinical trials for the treatment of multiple tumor types. However, not all patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, hence, specific biomarkers are necessary to guide and monitor therapy. The utility of PD-L1 expression as a biomarker has varied in different clinical trials, but, to date, no consensus has been reached on whether PD-L1 expression is an ideal marker for response and patient selection; approximately 20-25% of patients will respond to immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors despite a negative PD-L1 staining. On the other hand, major issues concern the evaluation of objective response in patients treated with immunotherapy. Pure morphological criteria as commonly used in solid tumors (i.e. RECIST) are not sufficient because change in size is not an early and reliable marker of tumor response to biological therapies. Thus, the scientific community has required a continuous adaptation of immune-related response criteria (irRC) to overcome the problem. In this context, metabolic information and antibody-based imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) have been investigated, providing a powerful approach for an optimal stratification of patients at staging and during the evaluation of the response to therapy. In the present review we provide an overview on the clinical characteristics of patient selection when using imaging

  6. Clinical characteristics of patient selection and imaging predictors of outcome in solid tumors treated with checkpoint-inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rossi, Sabrina; Toschi, Luca [Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Medical Oncology, Rozzano (Italy); Castello, Angelo [Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Nuclear Medicine, Rozzano (Italy); Grizzi, Fabio [Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Immunology and Inflammation, Rozzano (Italy); Mansi, Luigi [Seconda Universita di Napoli, Nuclear Medicine, Naples (Italy); Lopci, Egesta [Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Nuclear Medicine, Rozzano (Italy); Humanitas Cancer Center, Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Nuclear Medicine, Rozzano, MI (Italy)

    2017-12-15

    The rapidly evolving knowledge on tumor immunology and the continuous implementation of immunotherapy in cancer have recently led to the FDA and EMA approval of several checkpoint inhibitors as immunotherapic agents in clinical practice. Anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, and anti-PDL-1 antibodies are becoming standard of care in advanced melanoma, as well as in relapsed or metastatic lung and kidney cancer, demonstrating higher and longer response compared to standard chemotherapy. These encouraging results have fostered the evaluation of these antibodies either alone or in combination with other therapies in several dozen clinical trials for the treatment of multiple tumor types. However, not all patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, hence, specific biomarkers are necessary to guide and monitor therapy. The utility of PD-L1 expression as a biomarker has varied in different clinical trials, but, to date, no consensus has been reached on whether PD-L1 expression is an ideal marker for response and patient selection; approximately 20-25% of patients will respond to immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors despite a negative PD-L1 staining. On the other hand, major issues concern the evaluation of objective response in patients treated with immunotherapy. Pure morphological criteria as commonly used in solid tumors (i.e. RECIST) are not sufficient because change in size is not an early and reliable marker of tumor response to biological therapies. Thus, the scientific community has required a continuous adaptation of immune-related response criteria (irRC) to overcome the problem. In this context, metabolic information and antibody-based imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) have been investigated, providing a powerful approach for an optimal stratification of patients at staging and during the evaluation of the response to therapy. In the present review we provide an overview on the clinical characteristics of patient selection when using imaging

  7. Hepatic neuregulin 4 signaling defines an endocrine checkpoint for steatosis-to-NASH progression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Liang; Chen, Zhimin; Xia, Houjun; Li, Siming; Zhang, Yanqiao; Kobberup, Sune; Zou, Weiping; Lin, Jiandie D.

    2017-01-01

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by progressive liver injury, inflammation, and fibrosis; however, the mechanisms that govern the transition from hepatic steatosis, which is relatively benign, to NASH remain poorly defined. Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) is an adipose tissue–enriched endocrine factor that elicits beneficial metabolic effects in obesity. Here, we show that Nrg4 is a key component of an endocrine checkpoint that preserves hepatocyte health and counters diet-induced NASH in mice. Nrg4 deficiency accelerated liver injury, fibrosis, inflammation, and cell death in a mouse model of NASH. In contrast, transgenic expression of Nrg4 in adipose tissue alleviated diet-induced NASH. Nrg4 attenuated hepatocyte death in a cell-autonomous manner by blocking ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of c-FLIPL, a negative regulator of cell death. Adeno-associated virus–mediated (AAV-mediated) rescue of hepatic c-FLIPL expression in Nrg4-deficent mice functionally restored the brake for steatosis to NASH transition. Thus, hepatic Nrg4 signaling serves as an endocrine checkpoint for steatosis-to-NASH progression by activating a cytoprotective pathway to counter stress-induced liver injury. PMID:29106384

  8. Requirement for PLK1 kinase activity in the maintenance of a robust spindle assembly checkpoint

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisling O'Connor

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available During mitotic arrest induced by microtubule targeting drugs, the weakening of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC allows cells to progress through the cell cycle without chromosome segregation occurring. PLK1 kinase plays a major role in mitosis and emerging evidence indicates that PLK1 is also involved in establishing the checkpoint and maintaining SAC signalling. However, mechanistically, the role of PLK1 in the SAC is not fully understood, with several recent reports indicating that it can cooperate with either one of the major checkpoint kinases, Aurora B or MPS1. In this study, we assess the role of PLK1 in SAC maintenance. We find that in nocodazole-arrested U2OS cells, PLK1 activity is continuously required for maintaining Aurora B protein localisation and activity at kinetochores. Consistent with published data we find that upon PLK1 inhibition, phosphoThr3-H3, a marker of Haspin activity, is reduced. Intriguingly, Aurora B inhibition causes PLK1 to relocalise from kinetochores into fewer and much larger foci, possibly due to incomplete recruitment of outer kinetochore proteins. Importantly, PLK1 inhibition, together with partial inhibition of Aurora B, allows efficient SAC override to occur. This phenotype is more pronounced than the phenotype observed by combining the same PLK1 inhibitors with partial MPS1 inhibition. We also find that PLK1 inhibition does not obviously cooperate with Haspin inhibition to promote SAC override. These results indicate that PLK1 is directly involved in maintaining efficient SAC signalling, possibly by cooperating in a positive feedback loop with Aurora B, and that partially redundant mechanisms exist which reinforce the SAC.

  9. Checkpoint Inhibition: Programmed Cell Death 1 and Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand Inhibitors in Hodgkin Lymphoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villasboas, Jose Caetano; Ansell, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a lymphoid malignancy characterized by a reactive immune infiltrate surrounding relatively few malignant cells. In this scenario, active immune evasion seems to play a central role in allowing tumor progression. Immune checkpoint inhibitor pathways are normal mechanisms of T-cell regulation that suppress immune effector function following an antigenic challenge. Hodgkin lymphoma cells are able to escape immune surveillance by co-opting these mechanisms. The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway in particular is exploited in HL as the malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells express on their surface cognate ligands (PD-L1/L2) for the PD-1 receptor and thereby dampen the T-cell-mediated antitumoral response. Monoclonal antibodies that interact with and disrupt the PD-1:PD-L1/L2 axis have now been developed and tested in early-phase clinical trials in patients with advanced HL with encouraging results. The remarkable clinical activity of PD-1 inhibitors in HL highlights the importance of immune checkpoint pathways as therapeutic targets in HL. In this review, we discuss the rationale for targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 in the treatment of HL. We will evaluate the published clinical data on the different agents and highlight the safety profile of this class of agents. We discuss the available evidence on the use of biomarkers as predictors of response to checkpoint blockade and summarize the areas under active investigation in the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for the treatment of HL.

  10. Incorporation of Immune Checkpoint Blockade into Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR-Ts): Combination or Built-In CAR-T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Dok Hyun; Osborn, Mark J; Tolar, Jakub; Kim, Chong Jai

    2018-01-24

    Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represents the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved gene therapy and these engineered cells function with unprecedented efficacy in the treatment of refractory CD19 positive hematologic malignancies. CAR translation to solid tumors is also being actively investigated; however, efficacy to date has been variable due to tumor-evolved mechanisms that inhibit local immune cell activity. To bolster the potency of CAR-T cells, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with immune-checkpoint blockade is a promising strategy. The impact of this approach on hematological malignancies is in its infancy, and in this review we discuss CAR-T cells and their synergy with immune-checkpoint blockade.

  11. Incorporation of Immune Checkpoint Blockade into Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR-Ts: Combination or Built-In CAR-T

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dok Hyun Yoon

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cell therapy represents the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved gene therapy and these engineered cells function with unprecedented efficacy in the treatment of refractory CD19 positive hematologic malignancies. CAR translation to solid tumors is also being actively investigated; however, efficacy to date has been variable due to tumor-evolved mechanisms that inhibit local immune cell activity. To bolster the potency of CAR-T cells, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with immune-checkpoint blockade is a promising strategy. The impact of this approach on hematological malignancies is in its infancy, and in this review we discuss CAR-T cells and their synergy with immune-checkpoint blockade.

  12. Checkpoint kinase 1-induced phosphorylation of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine transferase regulates the intermediate filament network during cytokinesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhe; Li, Xueyan; Nai, Shanshan; Geng, Qizhi; Liao, Ji; Xu, Xingzhi; Li, Jing

    2017-12-01

    Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is a kinase instrumental for orchestrating DNA replication, DNA damage checkpoints, the spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. Despite Chk1's pivotal role in multiple cellular processes, many of its substrates remain elusive. Here, we identified O- linked β- N -acetylglucosamine ( O -GlcNAc)-transferase (OGT) as one of Chk1's substrates. We found that Chk1 interacts with and phosphorylates OGT at Ser-20, which not only stabilizes OGT, but also is required for cytokinesis. Phospho-specific antibodies of OGT-pSer-20 exhibited specific signals at the midbody of the cell, consistent with midbody localization of OGT as reported previously. Moreover, phospho-deficient OGT (S20A) cells attenuated cellular O -GlcNAcylation levels and also reduced phosphorylation of Ser-71 in the cytoskeletal protein vimentin, a modification critical for severing vimentin filament during cytokinesis. Consequently, elongated vimentin bridges were observed in cells depleted of OGT via an si OGT- based approach. Lastly, expression of plasmids resistant to si OGT efficiently rescued the vimentin bridge phenotype, but the OGT-S20A rescue plasmids did not. Our results suggest a Chk1-OGT-vimentin pathway that regulates the intermediate filament network during cytokinesis. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. DNA Checkpoint and Repair Factors Are Nuclear Sensors for Intracellular Organelle Stresses—Inflammations and Cancers Can Have High Genomic Risks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huihong Zeng

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Under inflammatory conditions, inflammatory cells release reactive oxygen species (ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS which cause DNA damage. If not appropriately repaired, DNA damage leads to gene mutations and genomic instability. DNA damage checkpoint factors (DDCF and DNA damage repair factors (DDRF play a vital role in maintaining genomic integrity. However, how DDCFs and DDRFs are modulated under physiological and pathological conditions are not fully known. We took an experimental database analysis to determine the expression of 26 DNA DDCFs and 42 DNA DDRFs in 21 human and 20 mouse tissues in physiological/pathological conditions. We made the following significant findings: (1 Few DDCFs and DDRFs are ubiquitously expressed in tissues while many are differentially regulated.; (2 the expression of DDCFs and DDRFs are modulated not only in cancers but also in sterile inflammatory disorders and metabolic diseases; (3 tissue methylation status, pro-inflammatory cytokines, hypoxia regulating factors and tissue angiogenic potential can determine the expression of DDCFs and DDRFs; (4 intracellular organelles can transmit the stress signals to the nucleus, which may modulate the cell death by regulating the DDCF and DDRF expression. Our results shows that sterile inflammatory disorders and cancers increase genomic instability, therefore can be classified as pathologies with a high genomic risk. We also propose a new concept that as parts of cellular sensor cross-talking network, DNA checkpoint and repair factors serve as nuclear sensors for intracellular organelle stresses. Further, this work would lead to identification of novel therapeutic targets and new biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of metabolic diseases, inflammation, tissue damage and cancers.

  14. The Interaction between Checkpoint Kinase 1 (Chk1) and the Minichromosome Maintenance (MCM) Complex Is Required for DNA Damage-induced Chk1 Phosphorylation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xiangzi; Aslanian, Aaron; Fu, Kang; Tsuji, Toshiya; Zhang, Youwei

    2014-01-01

    Chk1 is an essential mediator of the DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoint. However, how exactly Chk1 transduces the checkpoint signaling is not fully understood. Here we report the identification of the heterohexamic minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex that interacts with Chk1 by mass spectrometry. The interaction between Chk1 and the MCM complex was reduced by DNA damage treatment. We show that the MCM complex, at least partially, contributes to the chromatin association of Chk1, allowing for immediate phosphorylation of Chk1 by ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) in the presence of DNA damage. Further, phosphorylation of Chk1 at ATR sites reduces the interaction between Chk1 and the MCM complex, facilitating chromatin release of phosphorylated Chk1, a critical step in the initiation and amplification of cell cycle checkpoint. Together, these data provide novel insights into the activation of Chk1 in response to DNA damage. PMID:25049228

  15. ProAtlantic - The Atlantic Checkpoint - Data Availability and Adequacy in the Atlantic Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, F.

    2017-12-01

    DG MAREs Atlantic Checkpoint is a basin scale wide monitoring system assessment activity based upon targeted end-user applications. It is designed to be a benchmark for the assessment of hydrographic, geological, habitat, climate and fisheries data existence and availability in the Atlantic basin. DG MAREs Atlantic Checkpoint service will be delivered by the ProAtlantic project. The objective of this project is to investigate, through appropriate methodologies in the framework of 11 key marine challenges, how current international and national data providers - e.g. EMODNet, Copernicus - meet the requirements of the stakeholders and deliver fit for purpose data. By so doing, the main thematic and geographic gaps will be readily identified in the Atlantic basin for future consideration by DG MARE. For each challenge, specific web products in the form of maps, metadata, spreadsheets and reports will be delivered. These products are not an end by themselves but rather a means of showing whether data were available, let alone accessible. For example, the Fisheries Impact Challenge outputs include data grids (VMS/Seabed) and data adequacy reports. Production of gridded data layers in order to show the extent of fisheries impact on the seafloor involved the identification, acquisition and collation of data sources for the required data types (VMS/Seabed/Habitats Data) in the Atlantic basin. The resulting spatial coverage of these grids indicates the relatively low level of data availability and adequacy across the Atlantic basin. Aside from the data delivered by programmes such as EMODNet and Copernicus, there are a lot of initiatives by regional bodies such as OSPAR and ICES that consist of assembling and disseminating data to address specific issues. Several international projects have delivered research, data collection, and networking around several of the Atlantic Checkpoint challenge topics, namely MPAs, renewable energy assessment, seabed mapping, oil spill

  16. Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Small Cell Lung Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Maryann R; Alrajhi, Abdullah M; Durand, Cheryl R

    Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 13% of all lung cancer diagnoses each year. SCLC is characterized by a rapid doubling time, early metastatic spread, and an unfavorable prognosis overall. Most patients with SCLC will respond to initial treatment; however, the majority will experience a disease recurrence and response to second-line therapies is poor. Immune checkpoint inhibitors may be an option given the success in other diseases. A literature search was conducted using Medline (1946-July week 1, 2017) and Embase (1996-2017 week 28) with the search terms small cell lung cancer combined with nivolumab or ipilimumab or pembrolizumab or atezolizumab or tremelimumab or durvalumab. Five clinical trials, including extended follow-up for 2, that evaluated immune checkpoint inhibitors in limited stage or extensive stage SCLC were included. In 2 phase 2 trials, ipilimumab was added to upfront chemotherapy. In both trials, an improvement in progression-free survival was seen. Toxicity, when combined with a platinum and etoposide, was significant. In a confirmatory phase 3 trial, ipilimumab did not prolong overall survival when added to first-line chemotherapy. Overall, response rates were similar between the placebo and ipilimumab groups. A phase 1/2 trial evaluated nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab in recurrent SCLC. Results revealed that nivolumab monotherapy and the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab were relatively safe and had antitumor activity. Pembrolizumab has been evaluated in a multicohort, phase 1b trial. Preliminary data showed a durable response in the second-line setting. Given the lack of overall survival data and significant toxicity associated with the combination of ipilimumab with first-line chemotherapy, this treatment is not a reasonable option at this time. Nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab is a valid option for recurrent SCLC.

  17. A case of pembrolizumab-induced type-1 diabetes mellitus and discussion of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chae, Young Kwang; Chiec, Lauren; Mohindra, Nisha; Gentzler, Ryan; Patel, Jyoti; Giles, Francis

    2017-01-01

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, and nivolumab, now FDA-approved for use in treating several types of cancer, have been associated with immune-related adverse effects. Specifically, the antibodies targeting the programmed-cell death-1 immune checkpoint, pembrolizumab and nivolumab, have been rarely reported to induce the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Here we describe a case of a patient who developed antibody-positive type 1 diabetes mellitus following treatment with pembrolizumab in combination with systemic chemotherapy for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung. We will also provide a brief literature review of other rarely reported cases of type 1 diabetes presenting after treatment with pembrolizumab and nivolumab, as well as discussion regarding potential mechanisms of this adverse effect and its importance as these drugs continue to become even more widespread.

  18. Wip1 phosphatase is associated with chromatin and dephosphorylates gammaH2AX to promote checkpoint inhibition

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Macůrek, Libor; Lindqvist, A.; Voets, O.; Kool, J.; Vos, H.R.; Medema, R.H.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 29, č. 15 (2010), s. 2281-2291 ISSN 0950-9232 R&D Projects: GA ČR GPP305/10/P420 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : DNA damage * checkpoint * phosphatase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.414, year: 2010

  19. Using ergonomics checkpoints to support a participatory ergonomics intervention in an industrially developing country (IDC)--a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helali, Faramarz

    2009-01-01

    To achieve ergonomics awareness in 3 subsidiary companies, an intervention team was formed. The aims of this study were to implement basic ergonomics through a participatory ergonomics intervention process that can support a continuous learning process and lead to an improvement in health and safety as well as in the work systems in the organization. The findings of this study (i.e., method, continuous learning and integration) were key to making the participatory ergonomics intervention successful. Furthermore, 4 issues of the ergonomics checkpoints (i.e., work schedules, work tasks, healthy work organization and learning) for assessing the work system were found suitable for both changing work schedules and for improving the work system. This paper describes the result of this project and also the experiences gained and the conclusions reached from using the International Labour Office's ergonomics checkpoints in the industries of industrially developing country.

  20. Vaccination targeting human HER3 alters the phenotype of infiltrating T cells and responses to immune checkpoint inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osada, Takuya; Morse, Michael A; Hobeika, Amy; Diniz, Marcio A; Gwin, William R; Hartman, Zachary; Wei, Junping; Guo, Hongtao; Yang, Xiao-Yi; Liu, Cong-Xiao; Kaneko, Kensuke; Broadwater, Gloria; Lyerly, H Kim

    2017-01-01

    Expression of human epidermal growth factor family member 3 (HER3), a critical heterodimerization partner with EGFR and HER2, promotes more aggressive biology in breast and other epithelial malignancies. As such, inhibiting HER3 could have broad applicability to the treatment of EGFR- and HER2-driven tumors. Although lack of a functional kinase domain limits the use of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, HER3 contains antigenic targets for T cells and antibodies. Using novel human HER3 transgenic mouse models of breast cancer, we demonstrate that immunization with recombinant adenoviral vectors encoding full length human HER3 (Ad-HER3-FL) induces HER3-specific T cells and antibodies, alters the T cell infiltrate in tumors, and influences responses to immune checkpoint inhibitions. Both preventative and therapeutic Ad-HER3-FL immunization delayed tumor growth but were associated with both intratumoral PD-1 expressing CD8 + T cells and regulatory CD4 + T cell infiltrates. Immune checkpoint inhibition with either anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies increased intratumoral CD8 + T cell infiltration and eliminated tumor following preventive vaccination with Ad-HER3-FL vaccine. The combination of dual PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA4 blockade slowed the growth of tumor in response to Ad-HER3-FL in the therapeutic model. We conclude that HER3-targeting vaccines activate HER3-specific T cells and induce anti-HER3 specific antibodies, which alters the intratumoral T cell infiltrate and responses to immune checkpoint inhibition.

  1. Oncogene-induced senescence is part of the tumorigenesis barrier imposed by DNA damage checkpoints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartkova, Jirina; Rezaei, Nousin; Liontos, Michalis

    2006-01-01

    Recent studies have indicated the existence of tumorigenesis barriers that slow or inhibit the progression of preneoplastic lesions to neoplasia. One such barrier involves DNA replication stress, which leads to activation of the DNA damage checkpoint and thereby to apoptosis or cell cycle arrest...... and senescence markers cosegregate closely. Thus, senescence in human preneoplastic lesions is a manifestation of oncogene-induced DNA replication stress and, together with apoptosis, provides a barrier to malignant progression....

  2. Silencing of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase sensitizes lung cancer cells to radiation through the abrogation of DNA damage checkpoint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakadate, Yusuke [Shien-Lab, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 (Japan); Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Kodera, Yasuo; Kitamura, Yuka [Shien-Lab, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 (Japan); Tachibana, Taro [Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Tamura, Tomohide [Division of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 (Japan); Koizumi, Fumiaki, E-mail: fkoizumi@ncc.go.jp [Division of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 (Japan)

    2013-11-29

    Highlights: •Radiosensitization by PARG silencing was observed in multiple lung cancer cells. •PAR accumulation was enhanced by PARG silencing after DNA damage. •Radiation-induced G2/M arrest and checkpoint activation were impaired by PARG siRNA. -- Abstract: Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is a major enzyme that plays a role in the degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR). PARG deficiency reportedly sensitizes cells to the effects of radiation. In lung cancer, however, it has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated whether PARG siRNA contributes to an increased radiosensitivity using 8 lung cancer cell lines. Among them, the silencing of PARG induced a radiosensitizing effect in 5 cell lines. Radiation-induced G2/M arrest was largely suppressed by PARG siRNA in PC-14 and A427 cells, which exhibited significantly enhanced radiosensitivity in response to PARG knockdown. On the other hand, a similar effect was not observed in H520 cells, which did not exhibit a radiosensitizing effect. Consistent with a cell cycle analysis, radiation-induced checkpoint signals were not well activated in the PC-14 and A427 cells when treated with PARG siRNA. These results suggest that the increased sensitivity to radiation induced by PARG knockdown occurs through the abrogation of radiation-induced G2/M arrest and checkpoint activation in lung cancer cells. Our findings indicate that PARG could be a potential target for lung cancer treatments when used in combination with radiotherapy.

  3. Structural Biology of the Immune Checkpoint Receptor PD-1 and Its Ligands PD-L1/PD-L2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zak, Krzysztof M.; Grudnik, Przemyslaw; Magiera, Katarzyna; Dömling, Alexander; Dubin, Grzegorz; Holak, Tad A.

    2017-01-01

    Cancer cells can avoid and suppress immune responses through activation of inhibitory immune checkpoint proteins, such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. Blocking the activities of these proteins with monoclonal antibodies, and thus restoring T cell function, has delivered breakthrough therapies against

  4. Agencies Should Assess Vulnerabilities and Improve Guidance for Protecting Export-Controlled Information at Companies

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2006-01-01

    .... Commerce's and State's export control requirements and processes provide physical checkpoints on the means and methods companies use to export-controlled goods to help them ensure such exports...

  5. Acute inflammatory thyromegaly following checkpoint inhibition: A new imaging entity?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erik H. Middlebrooks, MD

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Immune checkpoint blockade (CPB utilizing such agents as ipilimumab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab has revolutionized melanoma therapy and has seen continued utilization in numerous other malignancies in recent years. However, these agents come at the price of inflammatory immune-related adverse events. Despite the increasing recognition of biochemical thyroid dysfunction associated with CPB, information regarding potential imaging findings is sparse. We describe the first 2 cases of acute thyroiditis following CPB presenting as diffuse thyromegaly documented by computed tomography, ultrasound, and iodine uptake imaging. Given the rise in the use of CPB, it is important for radiologists to recognize potential imaging manifestations of therapy immune-related adverse events to avoid erroneous diagnosis and to prompt the biochemical investigation of thyroid function.

  6. C/EBPα Expression is Partially Regulated by C/EBPβ in Response to DNA Damage and C/EBPα Deficient Fibroblasts Display an Impaired G1 Checkpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan, Rakesh; Thompson, Elizabeth A.; Yoon, Kyungsil; Smart, Robert C.

    2009-01-01

    We observed that C/EBPα is highly inducible in primary fibroblasts by DNA damaging agents that induce strand breaks, alkylate and crosslink DNA as well as those that produce bulky DNA lesions. Fibroblasts deficient in C/EBPα (C/EBPα-/-) display an impaired G1 checkpoint as evidenced by inappropriate entry into S-phase in response to DNA damage and these cells also display an enhanced G1 to S transition in response to mitogens. The induction of C/EBPα by DNA damage in fibroblasts does not require p53. EMSA analysis of nuclear extracts prepared from UVB- and MNNG-treated fibroblasts revealed increased binding of C/EBPβ to a C/EBP consensus sequence and ChIP analysis revealed increased C/EBPβ binding to the C/EBPα promoter. To determine whether C/EBPβ has a role in the regulation of C/EBPα we treated C/EBPβ-/- fibroblasts with UVB or MNNG. We observed C/EBPα induction was impaired in both UVB- and MNNG- treated C/EBPβ-/- fibroblasts. Our study reveals a novel role for C/EBPβ in the regulation of C/EBPα in response to DNA damage and provides definitive genetic evidence that C/EBPα has a critical role in the DNA damage G1 checkpoint. PMID:19581927

  7. Structural basis of a novel PD-L1 nanobody for immune checkpoint blockade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fei; Wei, Hudie; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Bai, Yu; Wang, Pilin; Wu, Jiawei; Jiang, Xiaoyong; Wang, Yugang; Cai, Haiyan; Xu, Ting; Zhou, Aiwu

    2017-01-01

    The use of antibodies to target immune checkpoints, particularly PD-1/PD-L1, has made a profound impact in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we identified KN035, an anti-PD-L1 nanobody that can strongly induce T-cell responses and inhibit tumor growth. The crystal structures of KN035 complexed with PD-L1 and free PD-L1, solved here at 1.7 and 2.7 Å resolution, respectively, show that KN035 competes with PD-1 (programmed death protein 1) for the same flat surface on PD-L1, mainly through a single surface loop of 21 amino acids. This loop forms two short helices and develops key hydrophobic and ionic interactions with PD-L1 residues, such as Ile54, Tyr56 and Arg113, which are also involved in PD-1 binding. The detailed mutagenesis study identified the hotspot residues of the PD-L1 surface and provides an explanation for the stronger (~1 000-fold) binding of KN035 to PD-L1 than PD-1 and its lack of binding to PD-L2. Overall, this study reveals how a single immunoglobulin-variable scaffold of KN035 or PD-1 can bind to a flat protein surface through either a single surface loop or beta-sheet strands; and provides a basis for designing new immune checkpoint blockers and generating bi-specific antibodies for combination therapy.

  8. Leptin Regulation of Gonadotrope Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptors As a Metabolic Checkpoint and Gateway to Reproductive Competence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela K. Odle

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The adipokine leptin signals the body’s nutritional status to the brain, and particularly, the hypothalamus. However, leptin receptors (LEPRs can be found all throughout the body and brain, including the pituitary. It is known that leptin is permissive for reproduction, and mice that cannot produce leptin (Lep/Lep are infertile. Many studies have pinpointed leptin’s regulation of reproduction to the hypothalamus. However, LEPRs exist at all levels of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. We have previously shown that deleting the signaling portion of the LEPR specifically in gonadotropes impairs fertility in female mice. Our recent studies have targeted this regulation to the control of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR expression. The hypotheses presented here are twofold: (1 cyclic regulation of pituitary GnRHR levels sets up a target metabolic checkpoint for control of the reproductive axis and (2 multiple checkpoints are required for the metabolic signaling that regulates the reproductive axis. Here, we emphasize and explore the relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary with regard to the regulation of GnRHR. The original data we present strengthen these hypotheses and build on our previous studies. We show that we can cause infertility in 70% of female mice by deleting all isoforms of LEPR specifically in gonadotropes. Our findings implicate activin subunit (InhBa mRNA as a potential leptin target in gonadotropes. We further show gonadotrope-specific upregulation of GnRHR protein (but not mRNA levels following leptin stimulation. In order to try and understand this post-transcriptional regulation, we tested candidate miRNAs (identified with in silico analysis that may be binding the Gnrhr mRNA. We show significant upregulation of one of these miRNAs in our gonadotrope-Lepr-null females. The evidence provided here, combined with our previous work, lay the foundation for metabolically regulated post

  9. Checkpoint-based forward recovery using lookahead execution and rollback validation in parallel and distributed systems. Ph.D. Thesis, 1992

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Junsheng

    1994-01-01

    This thesis studies a forward recovery strategy using checkpointing and optimistic execution in parallel and distributed systems. The approach uses replicated tasks executing on different processors for forwared recovery and checkpoint comparison for error detection. To reduce overall redundancy, this approach employs a lower static redundancy in the common error-free situation to detect error than the standard N Module Redundancy scheme (NMR) does to mask off errors. For the rare occurrence of an error, this approach uses some extra redundancy for recovery. To reduce the run-time recovery overhead, look-ahead processes are used to advance computation speculatively and a rollback process is used to produce a diagnosis for correct look-ahead processes without rollback of the whole system. Both analytical and experimental evaluation have shown that this strategy can provide a nearly error-free execution time even under faults with a lower average redundancy than NMR.

  10. NDR1 modulates the UV-induced DNA-damage checkpoint and nucleotide excision repair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jeong-Min; Choi, Ji Ye [Department of Biological Science, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Joo Mi [Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Jin Woong; Leem, Sun-Hee; Koh, Sang Seok [Department of Biological Science, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Tae-Hong, E-mail: thkang@dau.ac.kr [Department of Biological Science, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-05

    Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is the sole mechanism of UV-induced DNA lesion repair in mammals. A single round of NER requires multiple components including seven core NER factors, xeroderma pigmentosum A–G (XPA–XPG), and many auxiliary effector proteins including ATR serine/threonine kinase. The XPA protein helps to verify DNA damage and thus plays a rate-limiting role in NER. Hence, the regulation of XPA is important for the entire NER kinetic. We found that NDR1, a novel XPA-interacting protein, modulates NER by modulating the UV-induced DNA-damage checkpoint. In quiescent cells, NDR1 localized mainly in the cytoplasm. After UV irradiation, NDR1 accumulated in the nucleus. The siRNA knockdown of NDR1 delayed the repair of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in both normal cells and cancer cells. It did not, however, alter the expression levels or the chromatin association levels of the core NER factors following UV irradiation. Instead, the NDR1-depleted cells displayed reduced activity of ATR for some set of its substrates including CHK1 and p53, suggesting that NDR1 modulates NER indirectly via the ATR pathway. - Highlights: • NDR1 is a novel XPA-interacting protein. • NDR1 accumulates in the nucleus in response to UV irradiation. • NDR1 modulates NER (nucleotide excision repair) by modulating the UV-induced DNA-damage checkpoint response.

  11. The tumor suppressor homolog in fission yeast, myh1+, displays a strong interaction with the checkpoint gene rad1+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jansson, Kristina; Warringer, Jonas; Farewell, Anne; Park, Han-Oh; Hoe, Kwang-Lae; Kim, Dong-Uk; Hayles, Jacqueline; Sunnerhagen, Per

    2008-01-01

    The DNA glycosylase MutY is strongly conserved in evolution, and homologs are found in most eukaryotes and prokaryotes examined. This protein is implicated in repair of oxidative DNA damage, in particular adenine mispaired opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine. Previous investigations in Escherichia coli, fission yeast, and mammalian cells show an association of mutations in MutY homologs with a mutator phenotype and carcinogenesis. Eukaryotic MutY homologs physically associate with several proteins with a role in replication, DNA repair, and checkpoint signaling, specifically the trimeric 9-1-1 complex. In a genetic investigation of the fission yeast MutY homolog, myh1 + , we show that the myh1 mutation confers a moderately increased UV sensitivity alone and in combination with mutations in several DNA repair genes. The myh1 rad1, and to a lesser degree myh1 rad9, double mutants display a synthetic interaction resulting in enhanced sensitivity to DNA damaging agents and hydroxyurea. UV irradiation of myh1 rad1 double mutants results in severe chromosome segregation defects and visible DNA fragmentation, and a failure to activate the checkpoint. Additionally, myh1 rad1 double mutants exhibit morphological defects in the absence of DNA damaging agents. We also found a moderate suppression of the slow growth and UV sensitivity of rhp51 mutants by the myh1 mutation. Our results implicate fission yeast Myh1 in repair of a wider range of DNA damage than previously thought, and functionally link it to the checkpoint pathway

  12. Checkpoint blockade in combination with cancer vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Michael A; Lyerly, H Kim

    2015-12-16

    Checkpoint blockade, prevention of inhibitory signaling that limits activation or function of tumor antigen-specific T cells responses, is revolutionizing the treatment of many poor prognosis malignancies. Indeed monoclonal antibodies that modulate signaling through the inhibitory molecules CTLA-4 and PD-1 are now clinically available; however, many tumors, demonstrate minimal response suggesting the need for combinations with other therapeutic strategies. Because an inadequate frequency of activated tumor antigen-specific T cells in the tumor environment, the so-called non-inflamed phenotype, is observed in some malignancies, other rationale partners are modalities that lead to enhanced T cell activation (vaccines, cytokines, toll-like receptor agonists, and other anticancer therapies such as chemo-, radio- or targeted therapies that lead to release of antigen from tumors). This review will focus on preclinical and clinical data supporting the use of cancer vaccines with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. Preliminary preclinical data demonstrate enhanced antitumor activity although the results in human studies are less clear. Broader combinations of multiple immune modulators are now under study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Immune Checkpoint Molecules on Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Their Association with Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Human Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinzia Solinas

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available There is an exponentially growing interest in targeting immune checkpoint molecules in breast cancer (BC, particularly in the triple-negative subtype where unmet treatment needs remain. This study was designed to analyze the expression, localization, and prognostic role of PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA-4, LAG3, and TIM3 in primary BC. Gene expression analysis using the METABRIC microarray dataset found that all six immune checkpoint molecules are highly expressed in basal-like and HER2-enriched compared to the other BC molecular subtypes. Flow cytometric analysis of fresh tissue homogenates from untreated primary tumors show that PD-1 is principally expressed on CD4+ or CD8+ T cells and CTLA-4 is expressed on CD4+ T cells. The global proportion of PD-L1+, PD-L2+, LAG3+, and TIM3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL was low and detectable in only a small number of tumors. Immunohistochemically staining fixed tissues from the same tumors was employed to score TIL and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS. PD-L1+, PD-L2+, LAG3+, and TIM3+ cells were detected in some TLS in a pattern that resembles secondary lymphoid organs. This observation suggests that TLS are important sites of immune activation and regulation, particularly in tumors with extensive baseline immune infiltration. Significantly improved overall survival was correlated with PD-1 expression in the HER2-enriched and PD-L1 or CTLA-4 expression in basal-like BC. PD-1 and CTLA-4 proteins were most frequently detected on TIL, which supports the correlations observed between their gene expression and improved long-term outcome in basal-like and HER2-enriched BC. PD-L1 expression by tumor or immune cells is uncommon in BC. Overall, the data presented here distinguish PD-1 as a marker of T cell activity in both the T and B cell areas of BC associated TLS. We found that immune checkpoint molecule expression parallels the extent of TIL and TLS, although there is a noteworthy amount of heterogeneity

  14. Characterization of a cancer cell line that expresses a splicing variant form of 53BP1: Separation of checkpoint and repair functions in 53BP1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwabuchi, Kuniyoshi; Matsui, Tadashi; Hashimoto, Mitsumasa; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa; Kurihara, Takayuki; Date, Takayasu

    2008-01-01

    53BP1 plays important roles in checkpoint signaling and repair for DNA double-strand breaks. We found that a colon cancer cell line, SW48, expressed a splicing variant form of 53BP1, which lacks the residues corresponding to exons 10 and 11. Activation of ATM and phosphorylation of ATM and ATR targets occurred in SW48 cells in response to X-irradiation, and these X-ray-induced responses were not enhanced by expression of full-length 53BP1 in SW48 cells, indicating that this splicing variant fully activates the major checkpoint signaling in SW48 cells. In contrast, the expression of full-length 53BP1 in SW48 cells promoted the repair of X-ray-induced DNA damage, evidenced by faster disappearance of X-ray-induced γ-H2AX foci, a marker for DNA damage, and less residual chromosomal aberrations after X-irradiation. We conclude that the two major roles of 53BP1, the checkpoint signaling and repair for DNA damage, can be functionally separated

  15. Drosophila Polo regulates the spindle assembly checkpoint through Mps1-dependent BubR1 phosphorylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conde, Carlos; Osswald, Mariana; Barbosa, João; Moutinho-Santos, Tatiana; Pinheiro, Diana; Guimarães, Sofia; Matos, Irina; Maiato, Helder; Sunkel, Claudio E

    2013-06-12

    Maintenance of genomic stability during eukaryotic cell division relies on the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) that prevents mitotic exit until all chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle. Polo is a mitotic kinase proposed to be involved in SAC function, but its role has remained elusive. We demonstrate that Polo and Aurora B functional interdependency comprises a positive feedback loop that promotes Mps1 kinetochore localization and activity. Expression of constitutively active Polo restores normal Mps1 kinetochore levels even after Aurora B inhibition, highlighting a role for Polo in Mps1 recruitment to unattached kinetochores downstream of Aurora B. We also show that Mps1 kinetochore localization is required for BubR1 hyperphosphorylation and formation of the 3F3/2 phosphoepitope. This is essential to allow recruitment of Cdc20 to unattached kinetochores and the assembly of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-inhibitory complexes to levels that ensure long-term SAC activity. We propose a model in which Polo controls Mps1-dependent BubR1 phosphorylation to promote Cdc20 kinetochore recruitment and sustained SAC function.

  16. Pemodelan Molekul Turunan p-Metoksi sinnamoil Hidrazida Sebagai Inhibitor Checkpoint Kinase 1 dan Inhibitor Aromatase secara In silico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galih Satrio Putra

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The development of anticancer drugs from ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC derivatives continues to obtain compounds that have high ability of cancer cells apoptosis and minimal side effects. p-Methoxycinnamoyl hydrazide derivate compounds from EPMC structure modification were docked into the ligand-binding pocket of Check point kinase 1 enzymes (2YWP and the aromatase enzyme (3S7S using software Molegro Virtual Docker (MVD Ver.5.5. We compared the Rerank score of native ligand with derivate compounds of p-Methoxycinnamoyl hydrazide. Rerank scores of compounds 4b and 4c (-99.98 Kcal/mol and -99.80 Kcal/mol were lower than the native ligand A42 in inhibiting the enzyme checkpoint kinase 1. Rerank values of p-Methoxycinnamoyl hydrazide derivate compounds were greater than the native ligand EXM in inhibiting the enzyme aromatase. p-Methoxycinnamoyl hydrazide derivate compounds, especially compounds 4b and 4c, had anticancer mechanism by inhibiting the enzyme pathway checkpoint kinase 1 and had not activity in inhibiting the aromatase enzyme.

  17. The human papillomavirus type 58 E7 oncoprotein modulates cell cycle regulatory proteins and abrogates cell cycle checkpoints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Weifang; Li Jing; Kanginakudru, Sriramana; Zhao Weiming; Yu Xiuping; Chen, Jason J.

    2010-01-01

    HPV type 58 (HPV-58) is the third most common HPV type in cervical cancer from Eastern Asia, yet little is known about how it promotes carcinogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that HPV-58 E7 significantly promoted the proliferation and extended the lifespan of primary human keratinocytes (PHKs). HPV-58 E7 abrogated the G1 and the postmitotic checkpoints, although less efficiently than HPV-16 E7. Consistent with these observations, HPV-58 E7 down-regulated the cellular tumor suppressor pRb to a lesser extent than HPV-16 E7. Similar to HPV-16 E7 expressing PHKs, Cdk2 remained active in HPV-58 E7 expressing PHKs despite the presence of elevated levels of p53 and p21. Interestingly, HPV-58 E7 down-regulated p130 more efficiently than HPV-16 E7. Our study demonstrates a correlation between the ability of down-regulating pRb/p130 and abrogating cell cycle checkpoints by HPV-58 E7, which also correlates with the biological risks of cervical cancer progression associated with HPV-58 infection.

  18. Prognostic utility of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: a review and meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sacdalan DB

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Danielle Benedict Sacdalan,1 Josephine Anne Lucero,2 Dennis Lee Sacdalan1 1Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila and Philippine General Hospital, Manila, Philippines; 2Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila and Philippine General Hospital, Manila, Philippines Introduction: Systemic inflammation is associated with prognosis in solid tumors. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR is a marker for the general immune response to various stress stimuli. Studies have shown correlation of NLR to outcomes in immune checkpoint blockade, peripheral neutrophil count to intratumor neutrophil population, and NLR to intratumoral levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Studies have shown elevated peripheral blood regulator T cells accompanied by elevated NLR are associated with poor outcomes further highlighting the importance of inflammation in the prognosis of cancer patients.Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of published articles on the utility of baseline NLR in predicting outcomes in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs using Review Manager, version 5.3. Seven studies on the prognostic utility of NLR in ICI treatment were included in this analysis. For outcomes of interest, the hazard ratios (HRs were computed. Subgroup analyses were planned based on type of malignancy and type of immune checkpoint inhibitor.Results/discussion: A high NLR resulted in worse overall survival (OS (HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.29–2.87; p=0.001 and progression-free survival (PFS; HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.38–2.01; p<0.00001 across types of malignancies studied (melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and genitourinary cancer. Subgroup analysis across different types of malignancies treated with ICI showed similar results for OS and PFS. The single study on genitourinary cancers also showed worse OS and PFS (OS: HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.29–2.87; p=0.001 and PFS: HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 0.97–3

  19. Asymmetric cell division during T cell development controls downstream fate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Kim; Shimoni, Raz; Charnley, Mirren; Ludford-Menting, Mandy J.; Hawkins, Edwin D.; Ramsbottom, Kelly; Oliaro, Jane; Izon, David; Ting, Stephen B.; Reynolds, Joseph; Lythe, Grant; Molina-Paris, Carmen; Melichar, Heather; Robey, Ellen; Humbert, Patrick O.; Gu, Min

    2015-01-01

    During mammalian T cell development, the requirement for expansion of many individual T cell clones, rather than merely expansion of the entire T cell population, suggests a possible role for asymmetric cell division (ACD). We show that ACD of developing T cells controls cell fate through differential inheritance of cell fate determinants Numb and α-Adaptin. ACD occurs specifically during the β-selection stage of T cell development, and subsequent divisions are predominantly symmetric. ACD is controlled by interaction with stromal cells and chemokine receptor signaling and uses a conserved network of polarity regulators. The disruption of polarity by deletion of the polarity regulator, Scribble, or the altered inheritance of fate determinants impacts subsequent fate decisions to influence the numbers of DN4 cells arising after the β-selection checkpoint. These findings indicate that ACD enables the thymic microenvironment to orchestrate fate decisions related to differentiation and self-renewal. PMID:26370500

  20. Checkpoint Kinase 1 Expression Predicts Poor Prognosis in Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebili, Henry Okuchukwu; Iyawe, Victoria O; Adeleke, Kikelomo Rachel; Salami, Babatunde Abayomi; Banjo, Adekunbiola Aina; Nolan, Chris; Rakha, Emad; Ellis, Ian; Green, Andrew; Agboola, Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson

    2018-02-01

    Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHEK1), a DNA damage sensor and cell death pathway stimulator, is regarded as an oncogene in tumours, where its activities are considered essential for tumourigenesis and the survival of cancer cells treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In breast cancer, CHEK1 expression has been associated with an aggressive tumour phenotype, the triple-negative breast cancer subtype, an aberrant response to tamoxifen, and poor prognosis. However, the relevance of CHEK1 expression has, hitherto, not been investigated in an indigenous African population. We therefore aimed to investigate the clinicopathological, biological, and prognostic significance of CHEK1 expression in a cohort of Nigerian breast cancer cases. Tissue microarrays of 207 Nigerian breast cancer cases were tested for CHEK1 expression using immunohistochemistry. The clinicopathological, molecular, and prognostic characteristics of CHEK1-positive tumours were determined using the Chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses in SPSS Version 16. Nuclear expression of CHEK1 was present in 61% of breast tumours and was associated with tumour size, triple-negative cancer, basal-like phenotype, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, p53 over-expression, DNA homologous repair pathway dysfunction, and poor prognosis. The rate expression of CHEK1 is high in Nigerian breast cancer cases and is associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis.

  1. Loss of yeast peroxiredoxin Tsa1p induces genome instability through activation of the DNA damage checkpoint and elevation of dNTP levels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hei-Man Vincent Tang

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Peroxiredoxins are a family of antioxidant enzymes critically involved in cellular defense and signaling. Particularly, yeast peroxiredoxin Tsa1p is thought to play a role in the maintenance of genome integrity, but the underlying mechanism is not understood. In this study, we took a genetic approach to investigate the cause of genome instability in tsa1Delta cells. Strong genetic interactions of TSA1 with DNA damage checkpoint components DUN1, SML1, and CRT1 were found when mutant cells were analyzed for either sensitivity to DNA damage or rate of spontaneous base substitutions. An elevation in intracellular dNTP production was observed in tsa1Delta cells. This was associated with constitutive activation of the DNA damage checkpoint as indicated by phosphorylation of Rad9/Rad53p, reduced steady-state amount of Sml1p, and induction of RNR and HUG1 genes. In addition, defects in the DNA damage checkpoint did not modulate intracellular level of reactive oxygen species, but suppressed the mutator phenotype of tsa1Delta cells. On the contrary, overexpression of RNR1 exacerbated this phenotype by increasing dNTP levels. Taken together, our findings uncover a new role of TSA1 in preventing the overproduction of dNTPs, which is a root cause of genome instability.

  2. The tumor suppressor homolog in fission yeast, myh1{sup +}, displays a strong interaction with the checkpoint gene rad1{sup +}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jansson, Kristina; Warringer, Jonas; Farewell, Anne [Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Lundberg Laboratory, Goeteborg University, P.O. Box 462, Goeteborg SE-405 30 (Sweden); Park, Han-Oh [Bioneer Corporation, 49-3, Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejon 306-220 (Korea, Republic of); Hoe, Kwang-Lae; Kim, Dong-Uk [Functional Genomics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yusong, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Hayles, Jacqueline [Cell Cycle Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, 44 Lincoln' s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX (United Kingdom); Sunnerhagen, Per [Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Lundberg Laboratory, Goeteborg University, P.O. Box 462, Goeteborg SE-405 30 (Sweden)], E-mail: per.sunnerhagen@cmb.gu.se

    2008-09-26

    The DNA glycosylase MutY is strongly conserved in evolution, and homologs are found in most eukaryotes and prokaryotes examined. This protein is implicated in repair of oxidative DNA damage, in particular adenine mispaired opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine. Previous investigations in Escherichia coli, fission yeast, and mammalian cells show an association of mutations in MutY homologs with a mutator phenotype and carcinogenesis. Eukaryotic MutY homologs physically associate with several proteins with a role in replication, DNA repair, and checkpoint signaling, specifically the trimeric 9-1-1 complex. In a genetic investigation of the fission yeast MutY homolog, myh1{sup +}, we show that the myh1 mutation confers a moderately increased UV sensitivity alone and in combination with mutations in several DNA repair genes. The myh1 rad1, and to a lesser degree myh1 rad9, double mutants display a synthetic interaction resulting in enhanced sensitivity to DNA damaging agents and hydroxyurea. UV irradiation of myh1 rad1 double mutants results in severe chromosome segregation defects and visible DNA fragmentation, and a failure to activate the checkpoint. Additionally, myh1 rad1 double mutants exhibit morphological defects in the absence of DNA damaging agents. We also found a moderate suppression of the slow growth and UV sensitivity of rhp51 mutants by the myh1 mutation. Our results implicate fission yeast Myh1 in repair of a wider range of DNA damage than previously thought, and functionally link it to the checkpoint pathway.

  3. The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Is Not Essential for Viability of Human Cells with Genetically Lowered APC/C Activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wild, Thomas; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Narita, Takeo

    2016-01-01

    The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which inhibits the APC/C, are essential determinants of mitotic timing and faithful division of genetic material. Activation of the APC/C is known to depend on two APC/C-interacting E2 ubiquitin......-conjugating enzymes-UBE2C and UBE2S. We show that APC/C activity in human cells is tuned by the combinatorial use of three E2s, namely UBE2C, UBE2S, and UBE2D. Genetic deletion of UBE2C and UBE2S, individually or in combination, leads to discriminative reduction in APC/C function and sensitizes cells to UBE2D...... depletion. Reduction of APC/C activity results in loss of switch-like metaphase-to-anaphase transition and, strikingly, renders cells insensitive to chemical inhibition of MPS1 and genetic ablation of MAD2, both of which are essential for the SAC. These results provide insights into the regulation of APC...

  4. Immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small-cell lung cancer: does that represent a 'new frontier'?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilotto, Sara; Kinspergher, Stefania; Peretti, Umberto; Calio, Anna; Carbognin, Luisa; Ferrara, Roberto; Brunelli, Matteo; Chilosi, Marco; Tortora, Giampaolo; Bria, Emilio

    2015-01-01

    Advances in the interpretation and understanding of cancer behaviour, particularly of its ability to evade the host immunosurveillance, deregulating the balance between inhibitory and stimulatory factors, led to the development of an innovative category of immunotherapeutic agents, currently under investigation. Although the disappointing data deriving from the employment of vaccines in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), more promising results have been obtained in the early phase trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors. This review delineates the main features of the available immunotherapeutic agents, focusing the discussion on immune checkpoint inhibitors, those that have already demonstrated a relevant clinical activity (such as Ipilimumab and Nivolumab) and those molecules still in early development phase. Moreover, we underline the possible emerging issues deriving from the progressive diffusion of Immuno-Oncology into the standard clinical practice. The careful and accurate identification and management of immune-related toxicities, the validation of more reliable immune response criteria and the increasing research of potential predictive biomarkers are key points of discussion. The perspective is that immunotherapy might represent an effective 'magic bullet', able to change the treatment paradigm of NSCLC, particularly of those subgroups featured by a heavily mutant cancer (squamous histology and smokers), where the immunologic agents contribute in cancer development and progression seems to be strong and, concurrently, the efficacy of standard therapies particularly limited.

  5. Structure of a Blinkin-BUBR1 complex reveals an interaction crucial for kinetochore-mitotic checkpoint regulation via an unanticipated binding Site

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bolanos-Garcia, Victor M; Lischetti, Tiziana; Matak-Vinković, Dijana

    2011-01-01

    The maintenance of genomic stability relies on the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which ensures accurate chromosome segregation by delaying the onset of anaphase until all chromosomes are properly bioriented and attached to the mitotic spindle. BUB1 and BUBR1 kinases are central for this proc...

  6. Phyllanthus emblica Fruit Extract Activates Spindle Assembly Checkpoint, Prevents Mitotic Aberrations and Genomic Instability in Human Colon Epithelial NCM460 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xihan Guo

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The fruit of Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (PE has been widely consumed as a functional food and folk medicine in Southeast Asia due to its remarkable nutritional and pharmacological effects. Previous research showed PE delays mitotic progress and increases genomic instability (GIN in human colorectal cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the similar effects of PE by the biomarkers related to spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC, mitotic aberrations and GIN in human NCM460 normal colon epithelial cells. Cells were treated with PE and harvested differently according to the biomarkers observed. Frequencies of micronuclei (MN, nucleoplasmic bridge (NPB and nuclear bud (NB in cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay were used as indicators of GIN. Mitotic aberrations were assessed by the biomarkers of chromosome misalignment, multipolar division, chromosome lagging and chromatin bridge. SAC activity was determined by anaphase-to- metaphase ratio (AMR and the expression of core SAC gene budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles related 1 (BubR1. Compared with the control, PE-treated cells showed (1 decreased incidences of MN, NPB and NB (p < 0.01; (2 decreased frequencies of all mitotic aberration biomarkers (p < 0.01; and (3 decreased AMR (p < 0.01 and increased BubR1 expression (p < 0.001. The results revealed PE has the potential to protect human normal colon epithelial cells from mitotic and genomic damages partially by enhancing the function of SAC.

  7. CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL FLOW OF PANIFICATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gigel PARASCHIV

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Bread and panification products are intended for direct human consumption and underlying nutritional pyramid, it can affect the consumers health in case of biological, chemical or physical contamination, immediate or delayed, by noxious accumulation in the human organism. Only by rigorous compliance of the production rules throughout the technological process can ensure the quality and food safety of these products. If the risk can be prevented, eliminated or reduce to an acceptable level, as a result of a control actions made at that stage, it is considered a Critical Control Point (CCP. There can be checkpoints where it can exert a control action. Thus, the checkpoint is represented by any stage in which the risk factors, biological, chemical or physical, can be controlled in order to prevent, disrupt or reduce them to an acceptable level. This paper is referring to the control points on the technological flow of the bread fabrication, in all phases of this technological flow, laying stress on that points (or phases which can affect security and food safety, through the influence of parameters of any kind on the quality of finished products.

  8. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Case Series, Review of the Literature, and Optimal Management

    OpenAIRE

    Kapke, Jonathan; Shaheen, Zachary; Kilari, Deepak; Knudson, Paul; Wong, Stuart

    2017-01-01

    With the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors into clinical practice, various autoimmune toxicities have been described. Antibodies targeting the receptor:ligand pairing of programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) and its cognate ligand programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in rare reports have been associated with autoimmune diabetes mellitus. We report 2 cases of rapid-onset, insulin-dependent, type 1 diabetes mellitus in the setting of administration of nivolumab, a fully human monoclonal an...

  9. Resistance to checkpoint blockade therapy through inactivation of antigen presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sade-Feldman, Moshe; Jiao, Yunxin J; Chen, Jonathan H; Rooney, Michael S; Barzily-Rokni, Michal; Eliane, Jean-Pierre; Bjorgaard, Stacey L; Hammond, Marc R; Vitzthum, Hans; Blackmon, Shauna M; Frederick, Dennie T; Hazar-Rethinam, Mehlika; Nadres, Brandon A; Van Seventer, Emily E; Shukla, Sachet A; Yizhak, Keren; Ray, John P; Rosebrock, Daniel; Livitz, Dimitri; Adalsteinsson, Viktor; Getz, Gad; Duncan, Lyn M; Li, Bo; Corcoran, Ryan B; Lawrence, Donald P; Stemmer-Rachamimov, Anat; Boland, Genevieve M; Landau, Dan A; Flaherty, Keith T; Sullivan, Ryan J; Hacohen, Nir

    2017-10-26

    Treatment with immune checkpoint blockade (CPB) therapies often leads to prolonged responses in patients with metastatic melanoma, but the common mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to these agents remain incompletely characterized and have yet to be validated in large cohorts. By analyzing longitudinal tumor biopsies from 17 metastatic melanoma patients treated with CPB therapies, we observed point mutations, deletions or loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), an essential component of MHC class I antigen presentation, in 29.4% of patients with progressing disease. In two independent cohorts of melanoma patients treated with anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1, respectively, we find that B2M LOH is enriched threefold in non-responders (~30%) compared to responders (~10%) and associated with poorer overall survival. Loss of both copies of B2M is found only in non-responders. B2M loss is likely a common mechanism of resistance to therapies targeting CTLA4 or PD1.

  10. Mitosis-specific phosphorylation of PML at T409 regulates spindle checkpoint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, J; Liu, J

    2016-08-31

    During mitosis, Promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs) change dramatically in morphology and composition, but little is known about function of PML in mitosis. Here, we show that PML is phosphorylated at T409 (PML p409) in a mitosis-specific manner. More importantly, PML p409 contributes to maintain the duration of pro-metaphase and regulates spindle checkpoint. Deficient PML p409 caused a shortening of pro-metaphase and challenged the nocodazole-triggered mitotic arrest. T409A mutation led to a higher frequency of misaligned chromosomes on metaphase plate, and subsequently death in late mitosis. In addition, inhibition of PML p409 repressed growth of tumor cells, suggesting that PML p409 is a potential target for cancer therapy. Collectively, our study demonstrated an important phosphorylated site of PML, which contributed to explore the role of PML in mitosis.

  11. Early programming and late-acting checkpoints governing the development of CD4 T cell memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhume, Kunal; McKinstry, K Kai

    2018-04-27

    CD4 T cells contribute to protection against pathogens through numerous mechanisms. Incorporating the goal of memory CD4 T cell generation into vaccine strategies thus offers a powerful approach to improve their efficacy, especially in situations where humoral responses alone cannot confer long-term immunity. These threats include viruses such as influenza that mutate coat proteins to avoid neutralizing antibodies, but that are targeted by T cells that recognize more conserved protein epitopes shared by different strains. A major barrier in the design of such vaccines is that the mechanisms controlling the efficiency with which memory cells form remain incompletely understood. Here, we discuss recent insights into fate decisions controlling memory generation. We focus on the importance of three general cues: interleukin-2, antigen, and costimulatory interactions. It is increasingly clear that these signals have a powerful influence on the capacity of CD4 T cells to form memory during two distinct phases of the immune response. First, through 'programming' that occurs during initial priming, and second, through 'checkpoints' that operate later during the effector stage. These findings indicate that novel vaccine strategies must seek to optimize cognate interactions, during which interleukin-2-, antigen, and costimulation-dependent signals are tightly linked, well beyond initial antigen encounter to induce robust memory CD4 T cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  12. p53 functions as a cell cycle control protein in osteosarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diller, L; Kassel, J; Nelson, C E; Gryka, M A; Litwak, G; Gebhardt, M; Bressac, B; Ozturk, M; Baker, S J; Vogelstein, B

    1990-11-01

    Mutations in the p53 gene have been associated with a wide range of human tumors, including osteosarcomas. Although it has been shown that wild-type p53 can block the ability of E1a and ras to cotransform primary rodent cells, it is poorly understood why inactivation of the p53 gene is important for tumor formation. We show that overexpression of the gene encoding wild-type p53 blocks the growth of osteosarcoma cells. The growth arrest was determined to be due to an inability of the transfected cells to progress into S phase. This suggests that the role of the p53 gene as an antioncogene may be in controlling the cell cycle in a fashion analogous to the check-point control genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

  13. p53 functions as a cell cycle control protein in osteosarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diller, L; Kassel, J; Nelson, C E; Gryka, M A; Litwak, G; Gebhardt, M; Bressac, B; Ozturk, M; Baker, S J; Vogelstein, B

    1990-01-01

    Mutations in the p53 gene have been associated with a wide range of human tumors, including osteosarcomas. Although it has been shown that wild-type p53 can block the ability of E1a and ras to cotransform primary rodent cells, it is poorly understood why inactivation of the p53 gene is important for tumor formation. We show that overexpression of the gene encoding wild-type p53 blocks the growth of osteosarcoma cells. The growth arrest was determined to be due to an inability of the transfected cells to progress into S phase. This suggests that the role of the p53 gene as an antioncogene may be in controlling the cell cycle in a fashion analogous to the check-point control genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Images PMID:2233717

  14. Alterations of the spindle checkpoint pathway in clinicopathologically aggressive CpG island methylator phenotype clear cell renal cell carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Eri; Gotoh, Masahiro; Tian, Ying; Sakamoto, Hiromi; Ono, Masaya; Matsuda, Akio; Takahashi, Yoriko; Miyata, Sayaka; Totsuka, Hirohiko; Chiku, Suenori; Komiyama, Motokiyo; Fujimoto, Hiroyuki; Matsumoto, Kenji; Yamada, Tesshi; Yoshida, Teruhiko; Kanai, Yae

    2015-12-01

    CpG-island methylator phenotype (CIMP)-positive clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) are characterized by accumulation of DNA hypermethylation of CpG islands, clinicopathological aggressiveness and poor patient outcome. The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular pathways participating in CIMP-positive renal carcinogenesis. Genome (whole-exome and copy number), transcriptome and proteome (two-dimensional image converted analysis of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) analyses were performed using tissue specimens of 87 CIMP-negative and 14 CIMP-positive clear cell RCCs and corresponding specimens of non-cancerous renal cortex. Genes encoding microtubule-associated proteins, such as DNAH2, DNAH5, DNAH10, RP1 and HAUS8, showed a 10% or higher incidence of genetic aberrations (non-synonymous single-nucleotide mutations and insertions/deletions) in CIMP-positive RCCs, whereas CIMP-negative RCCs lacked distinct genetic characteristics. MetaCore pathway analysis of CIMP-positive RCCs revealed that alterations of mRNA or protein expression were significantly accumulated in six pathways, all participating in the spindle checkpoint, including the "The metaphase checkpoint (p = 1.427 × 10(-6))," "Role of Anaphase Promoting Complex in cell cycle regulation (p = 7.444 × 10(-6))" and "Spindle assembly and chromosome separation (p = 9.260 × 10(-6))" pathways. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that mRNA expression levels for genes included in such pathways, i.e., AURKA, AURKB, BIRC5, BUB1, CDC20, NEK2 and SPC25, were significantly higher in CIMP-positive than in CIMP-negative RCCs. All CIMP-positive RCCs showed overexpression of Aurora kinases, AURKA and AURKB, and this overexpression was mainly attributable to increased copy number. These data suggest that abnormalities of the spindle checkpoint pathway participate in CIMP-positive renal carcinogenesis, and that AURKA and AURKB may be potential therapeutic targets in more aggressive CIMP-positive RCCs.

  15. Cell cycle controls: potential targets for chemical carcinogens?

    OpenAIRE

    Afshari, C A; Barrett, J C

    1993-01-01

    The progression of the cell cycle is controlled by the action of both positive and negative growth regulators. The key players in this activity include a family of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, which are themselves regulated by other kinases and phosphatases. Maintenance of balanced cell cycle controls may be directly linked to genomic stability. Loss of the check-points involved in cell cycle control may result in unrepaired DNA damage during DNA synthesis or mitosis leading to genet...

  16. Multicenter Evaluation of the Tolerability of Combined Treatment With PD-1 and CTLA-4 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Palliative Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bang, Andrew [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Wilhite, Tyler J. [Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Pike, Luke R.G. [Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Cagney, Daniel N.; Aizer, Ayal A.; Taylor, Allison; Spektor, Alexander; Krishnan, Monica [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Ott, Patrick A. [Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Balboni, Tracy A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Hodi, F. Stephen [Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Schoenfeld, Jonathan D., E-mail: jdschoenfeld@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Purpose: To analyze immune-related adverse events (ir-AEs) in patients treated with radiation and immune checkpoint blockade. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed records from patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, or renal cell cancer who received at least 1 cycle of a CTLA-4 or PD-1 inhibitor and radiation. Immune-related adverse events, defined using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0, were tabulated in relation to treatment variables, and associations with sequencing and timing were assessed. Results: We identified 133 patients, of whom 28 received a CTLA-4 inhibitor alone, 88 received a PD-1 inhibitor alone, and 17 received both classes of inhibitors either sequentially (n=13) or concurrently (n=4). Fifty-six patients received radiation within 14 days of an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Forty-six patients experienced at least 1 ir-AE (34.6%). Patients receiving both CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors experienced more any-grade ir-AEs as compared with either individually (71% vs 29%, P=.0008). Any-grade ir-AEs occurred in 39% of patients in whom radiation was administered within 14 days of immunotherapy, compared with 23% of other patients (P=.06) and more often in patients who received higher equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) EQD2 (P=.01). However, most toxicities were mild. There were no associations between site irradiated and specific ir-AEs. Conclusions: Our data suggest the combination of focal palliative radiation and CTLA-4 and/or PD-1 inhibitors is well tolerated, with manageable ir-AEs that did not seem to be associated with the particular site irradiated. Although conclusions are limited by the heterogeneity of patients and treatments, and future confirmatory studies are needed, this information can help guide clinical practice for patients receiving immune checkpoint therapy who require palliative radiation therapy.

  17. Zwint-1 is required for spindle assembly checkpoint function and kinetochore-microtubule attachment during oocyte meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo Seo, Dong; Yeop You, Seung; Chung, Woo-Jae; Cho, Dong-Hyung; Kim, Jae-Sung; Su Oh, Jeong

    2015-10-21

    The key step for faithful chromosome segregation during meiosis is kinetochore assembly. Defects in this process result in aneuploidy, leading to miscarriages, infertility and various birth defects. However, the roles of kinetochores in homologous chromosome segregation during meiosis are ill-defined. Here we found that Zwint-1 is required for homologous chromosome segregation during meiosis. Knockdown of Zwint-1 accelerated the first meiosis by abrogating the kinetochore recruitment of Mad2, leading to chromosome misalignment and a high incidence of aneuploidy. Although Zwint-1 knockdown did not affect Aurora C kinase activity, the meiotic defects following Zwint-1 knockdown were similar to those observed with ZM447439 treatment. Importantly, the chromosome misalignment following Aurora C kinase inhibition was not restored after removing the inhibitor in Zwint-1-knockdown oocytes, whereas the defect was rescued after the inhibitor washout in the control oocytes. These results suggest that Aurora C kinase-mediated correction of erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachment is primarily regulated by Zwint-1. Our results provide the first evidence that Zwint-1 is required to correct erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachment and regulate spindle checkpoint function during meiosis.

  18. The Checkpoint Kinase 1 Inhibitor Prexasertib Induces Regression of Preclinical Models of Human Neuroblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowery, Caitlin D; VanWye, Alle B; Dowless, Michele; Blosser, Wayne; Falcon, Beverly L; Stewart, Julie; Stephens, Jennifer; Beckmann, Richard P; Bence Lin, Aimee; Stancato, Louis F

    2017-08-01

    Purpose: Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a key regulator of the DNA damage response and a mediator of replication stress through modulation of replication fork licensing and activation of S and G 2 -M cell-cycle checkpoints. We evaluated prexasertib (LY2606368), a small-molecule CHK1 inhibitor currently in clinical testing, in multiple preclinical models of pediatric cancer. Following an initial assessment of prexasertib activity, this study focused on the preclinical models of neuroblastoma. Experimental Design: We evaluated the antiproliferative activity of prexasertib in a panel of cancer cell lines; neuroblastoma cell lines were among the most sensitive. Subsequent Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses measured DNA damage and DNA repair protein activation. Prexasertib was investigated in several cell line-derived xenograft mouse models of neuroblastoma. Results: Within 24 hours, single-agent prexasertib promoted γH2AX-positive double-strand DNA breaks and phosphorylation of DNA damage sensors ATM and DNA-PKcs, leading to neuroblastoma cell death. Knockdown of CHK1 and/or CHK2 by siRNA verified that the double-strand DNA breaks and cell death elicited by prexasertib were due to specific CHK1 inhibition. Neuroblastoma xenografts rapidly regressed following prexasertib administration, independent of starting tumor volume. Decreased Ki67 and increased immunostaining of endothelial and pericyte markers were observed in xenografts after only 6 days of exposure to prexasertib, potentially indicating a swift reduction in tumor volume and/or a direct effect on tumor vasculature. Conclusions: Overall, these data demonstrate that prexasertib is a specific inhibitor of CHK1 in neuroblastoma and leads to DNA damage and cell death in preclinical models of this devastating pediatric malignancy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4354-63. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  19. Ethical control and cultural change (in cultural dreams begin organizational responsibilities)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S.J. Magala (Slawomir)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractEthical control is based on transparent access to the accounts of responsible behaviour on the part of individual and organizational actors. It is usually linked to the idea of a checkpoint: where celibate rules, no sexual interaction can be allowed. However, organizing and managing

  20. Akt Kinase-Mediated Checkpoint of cGAS DNA Sensing Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gil Ju Seo

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Upon DNA stimulation, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS synthesizes the second messenger cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP that binds to the STING, triggering antiviral interferon-β (IFN-β production. However, it has remained undetermined how hosts regulate cGAS enzymatic activity after the resolution of DNA immunogen. Here, we show that Akt kinase plays a negative role in cGAS-mediated anti-viral immune response. Akt phosphorylated the S291 or S305 residue of the enzymatic domain of mouse or human cGAS, respectively, and this phosphorylation robustly suppressed its enzymatic activity. Consequently, expression of activated Akt led to the reduction of cGAMP and IFN-β production and the increase of herpes simplex virus 1 replication, whereas treatment with Akt inhibitor augmented cGAS-mediated IFN-β production. Furthermore, expression of the phosphorylation-resistant cGAS S291A mutant enhanced IFN-β production upon DNA stimulation, HSV-1 infection, and vaccinia virus infection. Our study identifies an Akt kinase-mediated checkpoint to fine-tune hosts’ immune responses to DNA stimulation.

  1. The Aurora B kinase in chromosome biorientation and spindle checkpoint signalling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronica eKrenn

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Aurora B, a member of the Aurora family of serine/threonine protein kinases, is a key player in chromosome segregation. As part of a macromolecular complex known as the chromosome passenger complex, Aurora B concentrates early during mitosis in the proximity of centromeres and kinetochores, the sites of attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. There, it contributes to a number of processes that impart fidelity to cell division, including kinetochore stabilization, kinetochore-microtubule attachment, and the regulation of a surveillance mechanism named the spindle assembly checkpoint. In the regulation of these processes, Aurora B is the fulcrum of a remarkably complex network of interactions that feed back on its localization and activation state. In this review we discuss the multiple roles of Aurora B during mitosis, focusing in particular on its role at centromeres and kinetochores. Many details of the network of interactions at these locations remain poorly understood, and we focus here on several crucial outstanding questions.

  2. Aurora-B Mediated ATM Serine 1403 Phosphorylation Is Required For Mitotic ATM Activation and the Spindle Checkpoint

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Chunying; Tang, Xi; Guo, Xiaojing; Niikura, Yohei; Kitagawa, Katsumi; Cui, Kemi; Wong, Stephen T.C.; Fu, Li; Xu, Bo

    2011-01-01

    The ATM kinase plays a critical role in the maintenance of genetic stability. ATM is activated in response to DNA damage and is essential for cell cycle checkpoints. Here, we report that ATM is activated in mitosis in the absence of DNA damage. We demonstrate that mitotic ATM activation is dependent on the Aurora-B kinase and that Aurora-B phosphorylates ATM on serine 1403. This phosphorylation event is required for mitotic ATM activation. Further, we show that loss of ATM function results in...

  3. An Archaeosome-Adjuvanted Vaccine and Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Combination Significantly Enhances Protection from Murine Melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felicity C. Stark

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Archaeosomes constitute archaeal lipid vesicle vaccine adjuvants that evoke a strong CD8+ T cell response to antigenic cargo. Therapeutic treatment of murine B16-ovalbumin (B16-OVA melanoma with archaeosome-OVA eliminates small subcutaneous solid tumors; however, they eventually resurge despite an increased frequency of circulating and tumor infiltrating OVA-CD8+ T cells. Herein, a number of different approaches were evaluated to improve responses, including dose number, interval, and the combination of vaccine with checkpoint inhibitors. Firstly, we found that tumor protection could not be enhanced by repetitive and/or delayed boosting to maximize the CD8+ T cell number and/or phenotype. The in vivo cytotoxicity of vaccine-induced OVA-CD8+ T cells was impaired in tumor-bearing mice. Additionally, tumor-infiltrating OVA-CD8+ T cells had an increased expression of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1 compared to other organ compartments, suggesting impaired function. Combination therapy of tumor-bearing mice with the vaccine archaeosome-OVA, and α-CTLA-4 administered concurrently as well as α-PD-1 and an α-PD-L1 antibody administered starting 9 days after tumor challenge given on a Q3Dx4 schedule (days 9, 12, 15 and 18, significantly enhanced survival. Following multi-combination therapy ~70% of mice had rapid tumor recession, with no detectable tumor mass after >80 days in comparison to a median survival of 17–22 days for untreated or experimental groups receiving single therapies. Overall, archaeosomes offer a powerful platform for delivering cancer antigens when used in combination with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies.

  4. MK3 modulation affects BMI1-dependent and independent cell cycle check-points.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peggy Prickaerts

    Full Text Available Although the MK3 gene was originally found deleted in some cancers, it is highly expressed in others. The relevance of MK3 for oncogenesis is currently not clear. We recently reported that MK3 controls ERK activity via a negative feedback mechanism. This prompted us to investigate a potential role for MK3 in cell proliferation. We here show that overexpression of MK3 induces a proliferative arrest in normal diploid human fibroblasts, characterized by enhanced expression of replication stress- and senescence-associated markers. Surprisingly, MK3 depletion evokes similar senescence characteristics in the fibroblast model. We previously identified MK3 as a binding partner of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1 proteins. In the current study we show that MK3 overexpression results in reduced cellular EZH2 levels and concomitant loss of epigenetic H3K27me3-marking and PRC1/chromatin-occupation at the CDKN2A/INK4A locus. In agreement with this, the PRC1 oncoprotein BMI1, but not the PCR2 protein EZH2, bypasses MK3-induced senescence in fibroblasts and suppresses P16INK4A expression. In contrast, BMI1 does not rescue the MK3 loss-of-function phenotype, suggesting the involvement of multiple different checkpoints in gain and loss of MK3 function. Notably, MK3 ablation enhances proliferation in two different cancer cells. Finally, the fibroblast model was used to evaluate the effect of potential tumorigenic MK3 driver-mutations on cell proliferation and M/SAPK signaling imbalance. Taken together, our findings support a role for MK3 in control of proliferation and replicative life-span, in part through concerted action with BMI1, and suggest that the effect of MK3 modulation or mutation on M/SAPK signaling and, ultimately, proliferation, is cell context-dependent.

  5. Disruption of murine mp29/Syf2/Ntc31 gene results in embryonic lethality with aberrant checkpoint response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Hsin Chen

    Full Text Available Human p29 is a putative component of spliceosomes, but its role in pre-mRNA is elusive. By siRNA knockdown and stable overexpression, we demonstrated that human p29 is involved in DNA damage response and Fanconi anemia pathway in cultured cells. In this study, we generated p29 knockout mice (mp29(GT/GT using the mp29 gene trap embryonic stem cells to study the role of mp29 in DNA damage response in vivo. Interruption of mp29 at both alleles resulted in embryonic lethality. Embryonic abnormality occurred as early as E6.5 in mp29(GT/GT mice accompanied with decreased mRNA levels of α-tubulin and Chk1. The reduction of α-tubulin and Chk1 mRNAs is likely due to an impaired post-transcriptional event. An aberrant G2/M checkpoint was found in mp29 gene trap embryos when exposed to aphidicolin and UV light. This embryonic lethality was rescued by crossing with mp29 transgenic mice. Additionally, the knockdown of zfp29 in zebrafish resulted in embryonic death at 72 hours of development postfertilization (hpf. A lower level of acetylated α-tubulin was also observed in zfp29 morphants. Together, these results illustrate an indispensable role of mp29 in DNA checkpoint response during embryonic development.

  6. Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE7 selects miR390 through multiple checkpoints during RISC assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endo, Yayoi; Iwakawa, Hiro-oki; Tomari, Yukihide

    2013-07-01

    Plant ARGONAUTE7 (AGO7) assembles RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) specifically with miR390 and regulates the auxin-signalling pathway via production of TAS3 trans-acting siRNAs (tasiRNAs). However, how AGO7 discerns miR390 among other miRNAs remains unclear. Here, we show that the 5' adenosine of miR390 and the central region of miR390/miR390* duplex are critical for the specific interaction with AGO7. Furthermore, despite the existence of mismatches in the seed and central regions of the duplex, cleavage of the miR390* strand is required for maturation of AGO7-RISC. These findings suggest that AGO7 uses multiple checkpoints to select miR390, thereby circumventing promiscuous tasiRNA production.

  7. Fission yeast strains with circular chromosomes require the 9-1-1 checkpoint complex for the viability in response to the anti-cancer drug 5-fluorodeoxyuridine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossain Mohammad Shamim

    Full Text Available Thymidine kinase converts 5-fluorodeoxyuridine to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate, which causes disruption of deoxynucleotide triphosphate ratios. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe does not express endogenous thymidine kinase but 5-fluorodeoxyuridine inhibits growth when exogenous thymidine kinase is expressed. Unexpectedly, we found that 5-fluorodeoxyuridine causes S phase arrest even without thymidine kinase expression. DNA damage checkpoint proteins such as the 9-1-1 complex were required for viability in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. We also found that strains with circular chromosomes, due to loss of pot1+, which have higher levels of replication stress, were more sensitive to loss of the 9-1-1 complex in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. Thus, our results suggest that strains carrying circular chromosomes exhibit a greater dependence on DNA damage checkpoints to ensure viability in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine compared to stains that have linear chromosomes.

  8. Fission yeast strains with circular chromosomes require the 9-1-1 checkpoint complex for the viability in response to the anti-cancer drug 5-fluorodeoxyuridine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamim, Hossain Mohammad; Minami, Yukako; Tanaka, Daiki; Ukimori, Shinobu; Murray, Johanne M; Ueno, Masaru

    2017-01-01

    Thymidine kinase converts 5-fluorodeoxyuridine to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate, which causes disruption of deoxynucleotide triphosphate ratios. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe does not express endogenous thymidine kinase but 5-fluorodeoxyuridine inhibits growth when exogenous thymidine kinase is expressed. Unexpectedly, we found that 5-fluorodeoxyuridine causes S phase arrest even without thymidine kinase expression. DNA damage checkpoint proteins such as the 9-1-1 complex were required for viability in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. We also found that strains with circular chromosomes, due to loss of pot1+, which have higher levels of replication stress, were more sensitive to loss of the 9-1-1 complex in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. Thus, our results suggest that strains carrying circular chromosomes exhibit a greater dependence on DNA damage checkpoints to ensure viability in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine compared to stains that have linear chromosomes.

  9. RAD9, RAD17; RAD24, and RAD53 control one pathway of resistance to γ irradiation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koltovaya, N.A.; Nikulushkina, Yu.V.; Roshina, M.P.; Devin, A.B.

    2009-01-01

    Mechanisms for the genetic control of the cell cycle transition (checkpoint control) have been studied in more detail in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To clarify tho role of the RAD9, RAD17, RAD24, and RAD53 checkpoint genes in cell radioresistance, diploid double mutants were analyzed for cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation. All mutations in combination with rad9Δ were shown to manifest the epistatic type of interaction. Our results suggest that the RAD9, RAD17, RAD24, and RAD53 checkpoint genes belong to a single epistasis group called the RAD9 group and participate in the same pathway. RAD9 and RAD53 have a positive effect on sensitivity to γ irradiation, whereas RAD17 and RAD24 have a negative effect. For haploid interactions between mutations may differ in the case of γ or UV irradiation, mutations - for example, rad9Δ and rad24Δ - were shown to have an additive effect in the first case and epistatic - in the second. The analyzed genes can also participate in minor mechanisms of radioresistance that are relatively independent of the above major mechanism

  10. Akt Kinase-Mediated Checkpoint of cGAS DNA Sensing Pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Gil Ju; Yang, Aerin; Tan, Brandon; Kim, Sungyoon; Liang, Qiming; Choi, Younho; Yuan, Weiming; Feng, Pinghui; Park, Hee-Sung; Jung, Jae U

    2015-10-13

    Upon DNA stimulation, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) synthesizes the second messenger cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) that binds to the STING, triggering antiviral interferon-β (IFN-β) production. However, it has remained undetermined how hosts regulate cGAS enzymatic activity after the resolution of DNA immunogen. Here, we show that Akt kinase plays a negative role in cGAS-mediated anti-viral immune response. Akt phosphorylated the S291 or S305 residue of the enzymatic domain of mouse or human cGAS, respectively, and this phosphorylation robustly suppressed its enzymatic activity. Consequently, expression of activated Akt led to the reduction of cGAMP and IFN-β production and the increase of herpes simplex virus 1 replication, whereas treatment with Akt inhibitor augmented cGAS-mediated IFN-β production. Furthermore, expression of the phosphorylation-resistant cGAS S291A mutant enhanced IFN-β production upon DNA stimulation, HSV-1 infection, and vaccinia virus infection. Our study identifies an Akt kinase-mediated checkpoint to fine-tune hosts' immune responses to DNA stimulation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. DW-MRI as a Predictive Biomarker of Radiosensitization of GBM through Targeted Inhibition of Checkpoint Kinases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Terence M; Galbán, Stefanie; Li, Fei; Heist, Kevin A; Galbán, Craig J; Lawrence, Theodore S; Holland, Eric C; Thomae, Tami L; Chenevert, Thomas L; Rehemtulla, Alnawaz; Ross, Brian D

    2013-04-01

    The inherent treatment resistance of glioblastoma (GBM) can involve multiple mechanisms including checkpoint kinase (Chk1/2)-mediated increased DNA repair capability, which can attenuate the effects of genotoxic chemotherapies and radiation. The goal of this study was to evaluate diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) as a biomarker for Chk1/2 inhibitors in combination with radiation for enhancement of treatment efficacy in GBM. We evaluated a specific small molecule inhibitor of Chk1/2, AZD7762, in combination with radiation using in vitro human cell lines and in vivo using a genetically engineered GBM mouse model. DW-MRI and T1-contrast MRI were used to follow treatment effects on intracranial tumor cellularity and growth rates, respectively. AZD7762 inhibited clonal proliferation in a panel of GBM cell lines and increased radiosensitivity in p53-mutated GBM cell lines to a greater extent compared to p53 wild-type cells. In vivo efficacy of AZD7762 demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on GBM tumor growth rate and a reduction in tumor cellularity based on DW-MRI scans along with enhancement of radiation efficacy. DW-MRI was found to be a useful imaging biomarker for the detection of radiosensitization through inhibition of checkpoint kinases. Chk1/2 inhibition resulted in antiproliferative activity, prevention of DNA damage-induced repair, and radiosensitization in preclinical GBM tumor models, both in vitro and in vivo. The effects were found to be maximal in p53-mutated GBM cells. These results provide the rationale for integration of DW-MRI in clinical translation of Chk1/2 inhibition with radiation for the treatment of GBM.

  12. Mitotic catastrophe occurs in the absence of apoptosis in p53-null cells with a defective G1 checkpoint.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michalis Fragkos

    Full Text Available Cell death occurring during mitosis, or mitotic catastrophe, often takes place in conjunction with apoptosis, but the conditions in which mitotic catastrophe may exhibit features of programmed cell death are still unclear. In the work presented here, we studied mitotic cell death by making use of a UV-inactivated parvovirus (adeno-associated virus; AAV that has been shown to induce a DNA damage response and subsequent death of p53-defective cells in mitosis, without affecting the integrity of the host genome. Osteosarcoma cells (U2OSp53DD that are deficient in p53 and lack the G1 cell cycle checkpoint respond to AAV infection through a transient G2 arrest. We found that the infected U2OSp53DD cells died through mitotic catastrophe with no signs of chromosome condensation or DNA fragmentation. Moreover, cell death was independent of caspases, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF, autophagy and necroptosis. These findings were confirmed by time-lapse microscopy of cellular morphology following AAV infection. The assays used readily revealed apoptosis in other cell types when it was indeed occurring. Taken together the results indicate that in the absence of the G1 checkpoint, mitotic catastrophe occurs in these p53-null cells predominantly as a result of mechanical disruption induced by centrosome overduplication, and not as a consequence of a suicide signal.

  13. Cancer immunogenomic approach to neoantigen discovery in a checkpoint blockade responsive murine model of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zolkind, Paul; Przybylski, Dariusz; Marjanovic, Nemanja; Nguyen, Lan; Lin, Tianxiang; Johanns, Tanner; Alexandrov, Anton; Zhou, Liye; Allen, Clint T.; Miceli, Alexander P.; Schreiber, Robert D.; Artyomov, Maxim; Dunn, Gavin P.; Uppaluri, Ravindra

    2018-01-01

    Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are an ideal immunotherapy target due to their high mutation burden and frequent infiltration with lymphocytes. Preclinical models to investigate targeted and combination therapies as well as defining biomarkers to guide treatment represent an important need in the field. Immunogenomics approaches have illuminated the role of mutation-derived tumor neoantigens as potential biomarkers of response to checkpoint blockade as well as representing therapeutic vaccines. Here, we aimed to define a platform for checkpoint and other immunotherapy studies using syngeneic HNSCC cell line models (MOC2 and MOC22), and evaluated the association between mutation burden, predicted neoantigen landscape, infiltrating T cell populations and responsiveness of tumors to anti-PD1 therapy. We defined dramatic hematopoietic cell transcriptomic alterations in the MOC22 anti-PD1 responsive model in both tumor and draining lymph nodes. Using a cancer immunogenomics pipeline and validation with ELISPOT and tetramer analysis, we identified the H-2Kb-restricted ICAM1P315L (mICAM1) as a neoantigen in MOC22. Finally, we demonstrated that mICAM1 vaccination was able to protect against MOC22 tumor development defining mICAM1 as a bona fide neoantigen. Together these data define a pre-clinical HNSCC model system that provides a foundation for future investigations into combination and novel therapeutics. PMID:29423108

  14. Modeling the Aneuploidy Control of Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Zhong

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aneuploidy has long been recognized to be associated with cancer. A growing body of evidence suggests that tumorigenesis, the formation of new tumors, can be attributed to some extent to errors occurring at the mitotic checkpoint, a major cell cycle control mechanism that acts to prevent chromosome missegregation. However, so far no statistical model has been available quantify the role aneuploidy plays in determining cancer. Methods We develop a statistical model for testing the association between aneuploidy loci and cancer risk in a genome-wide association study. The model incorporates quantitative genetic principles into a mixture-model framework in which various genetic effects, including additive, dominant, imprinting, and their interactions, are estimated by implementing the EM algorithm. Results Under the new model, a series of hypotheses tests are formulated to explain the pattern of the genetic control of cancer through aneuploid loci. Simulation studies were performed to investigate the statistical behavior of the model. Conclusions The model will provide a tool for estimating the effects of genetic loci on aneuploidy abnormality in genome-wide studies of cancer cells.

  15. The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Is Not Essential for Viability of Human Cells with Genetically Lowered APC/C Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Thomas; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Narita, Takeo; Schou, Julie; Nilsson, Jakob; Choudhary, Chunaram

    2016-03-01

    The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which inhibits the APC/C, are essential determinants of mitotic timing and faithful division of genetic material. Activation of the APC/C is known to depend on two APC/C-interacting E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes-UBE2C and UBE2S. We show that APC/C activity in human cells is tuned by the combinatorial use of three E2s, namely UBE2C, UBE2S, and UBE2D. Genetic deletion of UBE2C and UBE2S, individually or in combination, leads to discriminative reduction in APC/C function and sensitizes cells to UBE2D depletion. Reduction of APC/C activity results in loss of switch-like metaphase-to-anaphase transition and, strikingly, renders cells insensitive to chemical inhibition of MPS1 and genetic ablation of MAD2, both of which are essential for the SAC. These results provide insights into the regulation of APC/C activity and demonstrate that the essentiality of the SAC is imposed by the strength of the APC/C. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Clonal neoantigens elicit T cell immunoreactivity and sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGranahan, Nicholas; Furness, Andrew J. S.; Rosenthal, Rachel; Ramskov, Sofie; Lyngaa, Rikke; Saini, Sunil Kumar; Jamal-Hanjani, Mariam; Wilson, Gareth A.; Birkbak, Nicolai J.; Hiley, Crispin T.; Watkins, Thomas B. K.; Shafi, Seema; Murugaesu, Nirupa; Mitter, Richard; Akarca, Ayse U.; Linares, Joseph; Marafioti, Teresa; Henry, Jake Y.; Van Allen, Eliezer M.; Miao, Diana; Schilling, Bastian; Schadendorf, Dirk; Garraway, Levi A.; Makarov, Vladimir; Rizvi, Naiyer A.; Snyder, Alexandra; Hellmann, Matthew D.; Merghoub, Taha; Wolchok, Jedd D.; Shukla, Sachet A.; Wu, Catherine J.; Peggs, Karl S.; Chan, Timothy A.; Hadrup, Sine R.; Quezada, Sergio A.; Swanton, Charles

    2016-01-01

    As tumors grow, they acquire mutations, some of which create neoantigens that influence the response of patients to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We explored the impact of neoantigen intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) on antitumor immunity. Through integrated analysis of ITH and neoantigen burden, we demonstrate a relationship between clonal neoantigen burden and overall survival in primary lung adenocarcinomas. CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes reactive to clonal neoantigens were identified in early-stage non–small cell lung cancer and expressed high levels of PD-1. Sensitivity to PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade in patients with advanced NSCLC and melanoma was enhanced in tumors enriched for clonal neoantigens. T cells recognizing clonal neoantigens were detectable in patients with durable clinical benefit. Cytotoxic chemotherapy–induced subclonal neoantigens, contributing to an increased mutational load, were enriched in certain poor responders. These data suggest that neoantigen heterogeneity may influence immune surveillance and support therapeutic developments targeting clonal neoantigens. PMID:26940869

  17. The Level of Europium-154 Contaminating Samarium-153-EDTMP Activates the Radiation Alarm System at the US Homeland Security Checkpoints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Najeeb Al Hallak

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available 153Sm-EDTMP is a radiopharmaceutical composed of EDTMP (ethylenediamine-tetramethylenephosphonate and Samarium-153 [1]. 153Sm-EDTMP has an affinity for skeletal tissue and concentrates in areas with increased bone turnover; thus, it is successfully used in relieving pain related to diffuse bone metastases [1]. The manufacturing process of 153Sm-EDTMP leads to contamination with 154Eu (Europium-154 [2]. A previous study only alluded to the retention of 154Eu in the bones after receiving treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP [2]. Activation of the alarm at security checkpoints after 153Sm-EDTMP therapy has not been previously reported. Two out of 15 patients who received 153Sm-EDTMP at Roger Maris Cancer Center (Fargo, N. Dak., USA activated the radiation activity sensors while passing through checkpoints; one at a US airport and the other while crossing theAmerican-Canadian border. We assume that the 154Eu which remained in the patients’ bones activated the sensors. Methods: In order to investigate this hypothesis, we obtained the consent from 3 of our 15 patients who received 153Sm-EDTMP within the previous 4 months to 2 years, including the patient who had activated the radiation alarm at the airport. The patients were scanned with a handheld detector and a gamma camera for energies from 511 keV to 1.3 MeV. Results: All three patients exhibited identical spectral images, and further analysis showed that the observed spectra are the result of 154Eu emissions. Conclusion: Depending on the detection thresholds and windows used by local and federal authorities, the remaining activity of 154Eu retained in patients who received 153Sm-EDTMP could be sufficient enough to increase the count rates above background levels and activate the sensors. At Roger Maris Cancer Center, patients are now informed of the potential consequences of 153Sm-EDTMP therapy prior to initiating treatment. In addition, patients treated with 153Sm-EDTMP at Roger Maris Cancer Center

  18. C/EBPα regulates CRL4Cdt2-mediated degradation of p21 in response to UVB-induced DNA damage to control the G1/S checkpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Jonathan R; Bereman, Michael S; Nepomuceno, Angelito I; Thompson, Elizabeth A; Muddiman, David C; Smart, Robert C

    2014-01-01

    The bZIP transcription factor, C/EBPα is highly inducible by UVB and other DNA damaging agents in keratinocytes. C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes fail to undergo cell cycle arrest in G1 in response to UVB-induced DNA damage and mice lacking epidermal C/EBPα are highly susceptible to UVB-induced skin cancer. The mechanism through which C/EBPα regulates the cell cycle checkpoint in response to DNA damage is unknown. Here we report untreated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes have normal levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21, however, UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes fail to up-regulate nuclear p21 protein levels despite normal up-regulation of Cdkn1a mRNA levels. UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes displayed a 4-fold decrease in nuclear p21 protein half-life due to the increased proteasomal degradation of p21 via the E3 ubiquitin ligase CRL4Cdt2. Cdt2 is the substrate recognition subunit of CRL4Cdt2 and Cdt2 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes. Knockdown of Cdt2 restored p21 protein levels in UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes. Lastly, the failure to accumulate p21 in response to UVB in C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes resulted in decreased p21 interactions with critical cell cycle regulatory proteins, increased CDK2 activity, and inappropriate entry into S-phase. These findings reveal C/EBPα regulates G1/S cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage via the control of CRL4Cdt2 mediated degradation of p21. PMID:25483090

  19. Pharmacometrics and systems pharmacology of immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in cancer translational medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujit Nair

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Nivolumab, a fully human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4 monoclonal antibody (mAb that targets the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1 inhibitory receptor expressed on lymphocytes and dendritic cells, has been approved for metastatic melanoma, advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. In this review, pharmacology and pharmacometrics systems of this immunopharmaceutical are discussed. Mechanistic actions of T-cell biology with respect to both “priming phase” (anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (anti-CTLA-4 mAb; ipilimumab and “effector phase” (anti-PD-1 mAb; nivolumab was discussed, respectively. Key pharmacometric variables in anticancer efficacy of nivolumab such as target engagement, metabolism, pharmacology systems and clearance are elucidated with an emphasis on current knowledge from pre-clinical as well as phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials information, including the data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2015 and European Cancer Congress 2015. Nivolumab biomarkers, safety, and synergistic combination immunotherapies are delineated. Nivolumab, administered via intravenous infusion, has an acceptable safety profile and good efficacy. Indeed, the way forward to leverage maximum benefits for the cancer patient may be to synergize anti-PD-1 blockade with complementary targets in immune checkpoint pathways or other oncogenic signal transduction pathways. The encouraging results with nivolumab lend credence to the promise of immune checkpoint blockade as a therapeutic strategy that has been come-of-age in clinical oncology. Of necessity, the burden of “financial toxicity” on cancer patients and families must be factored in considering nivolumab therapy. The problem of ligand PD-L1 being a weak biomarker in clinical practice was discussed. Appropriate patient selection methods including immunopharmacogenomics may be used to identify those patients who are most

  20. Identification of a novel EGF-sensitive cell cycle checkpoint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, Francesca; Zhang Huihua; Burgess, Antony W.

    2007-01-01

    The site of action of growth factors on mammalian cell cycle has been assigned to the boundary between the G1 and S phases. We show here that Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is also required for mitosis. BaF/3 cells expressing the EGFR (BaF/wtEGFR) synthesize DNA in response to EGF, but arrest in S-phase. We have generated a cell line (BaF/ERX) with defective downregulation of the EGFR and sustained activation of EGFR signalling pathways: these cells undergo mitosis in an EGF-dependent manner. The transit of BaF/ERX cells through G2/M strictly requires activation of EGFR and is abolished by AG1478. This phenotype is mimicked by co-expression of ErbB2 in BaF/wtEGFR cells, and abolished by inhibition of the EGFR kinase, suggesting that sustained signalling of the EGFR, through impaired downregulation of the EGFR or heterodimerization, is required for completion of the cycle. We have confirmed the role of EGFR signalling in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle using a human tumor cell line which overexpresses the EGFR and is dependent on EGFR signalling for growth. These findings unmask an EGF-sensitive checkpoint, helping to understand the link between sustained EGFR signalling, proliferation and the acquisition of a radioresistant phenotype in cancer cells

  1. Spindle assembly checkpoint protein expression correlates with cellular proliferation and shorter time to recurrence in ovarian cancer.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McGrogan, Barbara

    2014-07-01

    Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is the most lethal of the gynecological malignancies, often presenting at an advanced stage. Treatment is hampered by high levels of drug resistance. The taxanes are microtubule stabilizing agents, used as first-line agents in the treatment of OC that exert their apoptotic effects through the spindle assembly checkpoint. BUB1-related protein kinase (BUBR1) and mitotic arrest deficient 2 (MAD2), essential spindle assembly checkpoint components, play a key role in response to taxanes. BUBR1, MAD2, and Ki-67 were assessed on an OC tissue microarray platform representing 72 OC tumors of varying histologic subtypes. Sixty-one of these patients received paclitaxel and platinum agents combined; 11 received platinum alone. Overall survival was available for all 72 patients, whereas recurrence-free survival (RFS) was available for 66 patients. Increased BUBR1 expression was seen in serous carcinomas, compared with other histologies (P = .03). Increased BUBR1 was significantly associated with tumors of advanced stage (P = .05). Increased MAD2 and BUBR1 expression also correlated with increased cellular proliferation (P < .0002 and P = .02, respectively). Reduced MAD2 nuclear intensity was associated with a shorter RFS (P = .03), in ovarian tumors of differing histologic subtype (n = 66). In this subgroup, for those women who received paclitaxel and platinum agents combined (n = 57), reduced MAD2 intensity also identified women with a shorter RFS (P < .007). For the entire cohort of patients, irrespective of histologic subtype or treatment, MAD2 nuclear intensity retained independent significance in a multivariate model, with tumors showing reduced nuclear MAD2 intensity identifying patients with a poorer RFS (P = .05).

  2. Evaluation of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors: Is there a role for positron emission tomography?

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Matteo Bauckneht; Roberta Piva; Gianmario Sambuceti; Francesco Grossi; Silvia Morbelli

    2017-01-01

    Strategies targeting intracellular negative regulators such as immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICPIs) have demonstrated significant antitumor activity across a wide range of solid tumors. In the clinical practice, the radiological effect of immunotherapeutic agents has raised several more relevant and complex challenges for the determination of their imaging-based response at single patient level. Accordingly, it has been suggested that the conventional Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors assessment alone, based on dimensional evaluation provided by computed tomography(CT), tends to underestimate the benefit of ICPIs at least in a subset of patients, supporting the need of immunerelated response criteria. Different from CT, very few data are available for the evaluation of immunotherapy by means of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography(FDG-PET). Moreover, since the antineoplastic activity of ICPIs is highly related to the activation of T cells against cancer cells, FDG accumulation might cause false-positive findings. Yet, discrimination between benign and malignant processes represents a huge challenge for FDG-PET in this clinical setting. Consequently, it might be of high interest to test the complex and variegated response to ICPIs by means of PET and thus it is worthwhile to ask if a similar introduction of immune-related PET-based criteria could be proposed in the future. Finally, PET might offer a new insight into the biology and pathophysiology of ICPIs thanks to a growing number of non-invasive immunediagnostic approaches based on non-FDG tracers.

  3. Centromeric DNA replication reconstitution reveals DNA loops and ATR checkpoint suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aze, Antoine; Sannino, Vincenzo; Soffientini, Paolo; Bachi, Angela; Costanzo, Vincenzo

    2016-06-01

    Half of the human genome is made up of repetitive DNA. However, mechanisms underlying replication of chromosome regions containing repetitive DNA are poorly understood. We reconstituted replication of defined human chromosome segments using bacterial artificial chromosomes in Xenopus laevis egg extract. Using this approach we characterized the chromatin assembly and replication dynamics of centromeric alpha-satellite DNA. Proteomic analysis of centromeric chromatin revealed replication-dependent enrichment of a network of DNA repair factors including the MSH2-6 complex, which was required for efficient centromeric DNA replication. However, contrary to expectations, the ATR-dependent checkpoint monitoring DNA replication fork arrest could not be activated on highly repetitive DNA due to the inability of the single-stranded DNA binding protein RPA to accumulate on chromatin. Electron microscopy of centromeric DNA and supercoil mapping revealed the presence of topoisomerase I-dependent DNA loops embedded in a protein matrix enriched for SMC2-4 proteins. This arrangement suppressed ATR signalling by preventing RPA hyper-loading, facilitating replication of centromeric DNA. These findings have important implications for our understanding of repetitive DNA metabolism and centromere organization under normal and stressful conditions.

  4. The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint in Arabidopsis Is Rapidly Shut Off during Severe Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komaki, Shinichiro; Schnittger, Arp

    2017-10-23

    The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) in animals and yeast assures equal segregation of chromosomes during cell division. The prevalent occurrence of polyploidy in flowering plants together with the observation that many plants can be readily forced to double their genomes by application of microtubule drugs raises the question of whether plants have a proper SAC. Here, we provide a functional framework of the core SAC proteins in Arabidopsis. We reveal that Arabidopsis will delay mitosis in a SAC-dependent manner if the spindle is perturbed. However, we also show that the molecular architecture of the SAC is unique in plants. Moreover, the SAC is short-lived and cannot stay active for more than 2 hr, after which the cell cycle is reset. This resetting opens the possibility for genome duplications and raises the hypothesis that a rapid termination of a SAC-induced mitotic arrest provides an adaptive advantage for plants impacting plant genome evolution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. As we age: Does slippage of quality control in the immune system lead to collateral damage?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Ludmila; Pawelec, Graham

    2015-09-01

    The vertebrate adaptive immune system is remarkable for its possession of a very broad range of antigen receptors imbuing the system with exquisite specificity, in addition to the phagocytic and inflammatory cells of the innate system shared with invertebrates. This system requires strict control both at the level of the generation the cells carrying these receptors and at the level of their activation and effector function mediation in order to avoid autoimmunity and mitigate immune pathology. Thus, quality control checkpoints are built into the system at multiple nodes in the response, relying on clonal selection and regulatory networks to maximize pathogen-directed effects and minimize collateral tissue damage. However, these checkpoints are compromised with age, resulting in poorer immune control manifesting as tissue-damaging autoimmune and inflammatory phenomena which can cause widespread systemic disease, paradoxically compounding the problems associated with increased susceptibility to infectious disease and possibly cancer in the elderly. Better understanding the reasons for slippage of immune control will pave the way for developing rational strategies for interventions to maintain appropriate immunity while reducing immunopathology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus latency associated nuclear antigen protein release the G2/M cell cycle blocks by modulating ATM/ATR mediated checkpoint pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Kumar

    Full Text Available The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infects the human population and maintains latency stage of viral life cycle in a variety of cell types including cells of epithelial, mesenchymal and endothelial origin. The establishment of latent infection by KSHV requires the expression of an unique repertoire of genes among which latency associated nuclear antigen (LANA plays a critical role in the replication of the viral genome. LANA regulates the transcription of a number of viral and cellular genes essential for the survival of the virus in the host cell. The present study demonstrates the disruption of the host G2/M cell cycle checkpoint regulation as an associated function of LANA. DNA profile of LANA expressing human B-cells demonstrated the ability of this nuclear antigen in relieving the drug (Nocodazole induced G2/M checkpoint arrest. Caffeine suppressed nocodazole induced G2/M arrest indicating involvement of the ATM/ATR. Notably, we have also shown the direct interaction of LANA with Chk2, the ATM/ATR signalling effector and is responsible for the release of the G2/M cell cycle block.

  7. [Prospect and Current Situation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors 
in First-line Treatment in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haiyang; Yu, Xiaoqing; Fan, Yun

    2017-06-20

    With the breakthroughs achieved of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitors monotherapy as first-line and second-line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the treatment strategy is gradually evolving and optimizing. Immune combination therapy expands the benefit population and improves the curative effect. A series of randomized phase III trials are ongoing. In this review, we discuss the prospect and current situation of immune checkpoint inhibitors in first-line treatment in advanced NSCLC patients.

  8. Upregulated ATM gene expression and activated DNA crosslink-induced damage response checkpoint in Fanconi anemia: implications for carcinogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Nihrane, Abdallah; Aglipay, Jason; Sironi, Juan; Arkin, Steven; Lipton, Jeffrey M; Ouchi, Toru; Liu, Johnson M

    2008-01-01

    Fanconi anemia (FA) predisposes to hematopoietic failure, birth defects, leukemia, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) and cervix. The FA/BRCA pathway includes 8 members of a core complex and 5 downstream gene products closely linked with BRCA1 or BRCA2. Precancerous lesions are believed to trigger the DNA damage response (DDR), and we focused on the DDR in FA and its putative role as a checkpoint barrier to cancer. In primary fibroblasts with mutations in the core complex FANCA protein, we discovered that basal expression and phosphorylation of ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) and p53 induced by irradiation (IR) or mitomycin C (MMC) were upregulated. This heightened response appeared to be due to increased basal levels of ATM in cultured FANCA-mutant cells, highlighting the new observation that ATM can be regulated at the transcriptional level in addition to its well-established activation by autophosphorylation. Functional analysis of this response using gamma-H2AX foci as markers of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) demonstrated abnormal persistence of only MMC- and not IR-induced foci. Thus, we describe a processing defect that leads to general DDR upregulation but specific persistence of DNA crosslinker-induced damage response foci. Underscoring the significance of these findings, we found resistance to DNA crosslinker-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a TP53-mutant, patient-derived HNSCC cell line, whereas a lymphoblastoid cell line derived from this same individual was not mutated at TP53 and retained DNA crosslinker sensitivity. Our results suggest that cancer in FA may arise from selection for cells that escape from a chronically activated DDR checkpoint.

  9. Human CAR T cells with cell-intrinsic PD-1 checkpoint blockade resist tumor-mediated inhibition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherkassky, Leonid; Morello, Aurore; Villena-Vargas, Jonathan; Feng, Yang; Dimitrov, Dimiter S.; Jones, David R.; Sadelain, Michel; Adusumilli, Prasad S.

    2016-01-01

    Following immune attack, solid tumors upregulate coinhibitory ligands that bind to inhibitory receptors on T cells. This adaptive resistance compromises the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies, which redirect T cells to solid tumors. Here, we investigated whether programmed death-1–mediated (PD-1–mediated) T cell exhaustion affects mesothelin-targeted CAR T cells and explored cell-intrinsic strategies to overcome inhibition of CAR T cells. Using an orthotopic mouse model of pleural mesothelioma, we determined that relatively high doses of both CD28- and 4-1BB–based second-generation CAR T cells achieved tumor eradication. CAR-mediated CD28 and 4-1BB costimulation resulted in similar levels of T cell persistence in animals treated with low T cell doses; however, PD-1 upregulation within the tumor microenvironment inhibited T cell function. At lower doses, 4-1BB CAR T cells retained their cytotoxic and cytokine secretion functions longer than CD28 CAR T cells. The prolonged function of 4-1BB CAR T cells correlated with improved survival. PD-1/PD-1 ligand [PD-L1] pathway interference, through PD-1 antibody checkpoint blockade, cell-intrinsic PD-1 shRNA blockade, or a PD-1 dominant negative receptor, restored the effector function of CD28 CAR T cells. These findings provide mechanistic insights into human CAR T cell exhaustion in solid tumors and suggest that PD-1/PD-L1 blockade may be an effective strategy for improving the potency of CAR T cell therapies. PMID:27454297

  10. Effects and Mechanisms of Checkpoint Inhibitors (CTLA-4, PD-1 and PD-L1 Inhibitors as New Immunotherapeutic Agents for Bladder Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serdar Çelik

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Since intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG began to be used for bladder cancer, our understanding of the importance of immune mechanisms in bladder cancer has steadily grown. With developments in immunotherapy in recent years, the use of new immunotherapeutic agents for bladder cancer, especially chemotherapy-resistant invasive and metastatic cancers, has opened the way for research in this area. Of these new therapeutic agents, this article reviews studies published on PubMed or listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website as of December 2017 regarding the effects and mechanisms of action of checkpoint inhibitors [cytotoxic t-lymphocyte associated protein-4, programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD-1 and PD-1 ligand inhibitors] on bladder cancer. Because checkpoint inhibitors were first used for chemotherapy-resistant bladder cancer after identification of positive expression in tumor cells and especially in tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells, significant objective response rates and survival advantages have been reported. Research continues regarding the use of these agents as first- and second-line treatment for metastatic disease in combination with chemotherapy; their efficacy in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and bladder-preserving approaches to muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC disease, and their use in non-muscle-invasize bladder cancer (NMIBC, especially BCG-refractory disease. Depending on the results of these ongoing studies, immunotherapy may direct the treatment of bladder cancer in the future.

  11. Acute symptomatic hypocalcemia from immune checkpoint therapy-induced hypoparathyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Win, Myint Aung; Thein, Kyaw Zin; Qdaisat, Aiham; Yeung, Sai-Ching Jim

    2017-07-01

    Ipilimumab (a monoclonal antibody against CTLA-4) and nivolumab (a humanized antibody against PD-1) target these immune checkpoint pathways and are used for treatment of melanoma and an increasing number of other cancers. However, they may cause immune-related adverse effects (IRAEs). Although many endocrinopathies are known to be IRAEs, primary hypoparathyroidism with severe hypocalcemia has never been reported. This is the first case of hypoparathyroidism as an IRAE presenting to an Emergency Department with acute hypocalcemia. A 73-year-old man with metastatic melanoma presented to the Emergency Department for the chief complaints of imbalance, general muscle weakness, abdominal pain and tingling in extremities. He had wide spread metastasis, and begun immunotherapy with concurrent ipilimumab and nivolumab 1.5months ago. At presentation, he had ataxia, paresthesia in the hands and feet, and abdominal cramping. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was unremarkable. He was found to be hypocalcemic with undetectable plasma parathyroid hormone. He was admitted for treatment of symptomatic hypocalcemia and was diagnosed with primary hypoparathyroidism. Shortly afterwards, he had thyrotoxicosis manifesting as tachycardia and anxiety, followed by development of primary hypothyroidism. At 4months after the Emergency Department visit, his parathyroid function and thyroid function had not recovered, and required continued thyroid hormone replacement and calcium and vitamin D treatment for hypocalcemia. Primary hypoparathyroidism caused by ipilimumab and nivolumab may acute manifest with severe symptomatic hypocalcemia. Emergency care providers should be aware of hypoparathyroidism as a new IRAE in this new era of immuno-oncology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. A plant cyclin B2 is degraded early in mitosis and its ectopic expression shortens G2-phase and alleviates the DNA-damage checkpoint

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Weingartner, M.; Pelayo, H. R.; Binarová, Pavla; Zwerger, K.; Melikant, B.; Torre, C.; Heberle-Bors, E.; Bogre, L.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 116, č. 3 (2003), s. 487-498 ISSN 0021-9533 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A081 Grant - others:GA Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia(ES) BMC2001-2195; Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council(AU) 111/P133340 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5020903 Keywords : cyclin B * mitosis * checkpoint Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 7.250, year: 2003

  13. A Phase 1 Trial of an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor plus Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy in Patients with Inoperable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    with Inoperable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Karen Kelly, MD CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: University of California...Inhibitor plus Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy in Patients with Inoperable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-2-0063...immune checkpoint inhibitor MPDL3280A (atezolizumab) in early stage inoperable non-small cell lung cancer . The trial is comprised of a traditional 3 + 3

  14. A direct role of Mad1 in the spindle assembly checkpoint beyond Mad2 kinetochore recruitment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kruse, Thomas; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Sedgwick, Garry G

    2014-01-01

    in the SAC beyond recruitment of C-Mad2 to kinetochores has not yet been addressed. Here, we show that Mad1 is required for mitotic arrest even when C-Mad2 is artificially recruited to kinetochores, indicating that it has indeed an additional function in promoting the checkpoint. The C-terminal globular...... domain of Mad1 and conserved residues in this region are required for this unexpected function of Mad1........ The conversion of O-Mad2 into C-Mad2 at unattached kinetochores is thought to be a key step in activating the SAC. The "template model" proposes that this is achieved by the recruitment of soluble O-Mad2 to C-Mad2 bound at kinetochores through its interaction with Mad1. Whether Mad1 has additional roles...

  15. 31 CFR 50.8 - Procedure for requesting determinations of controlling influence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... determinations of controlling influence. 50.8 Section 50.8 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of... determinations of controlling influence. (a) An insurer or insurers not having control over another insurer under... controlling influence under § 50.5(c)(4)(i) through (iv) or otherwise to request a determination of...

  16. Downregulation of BTLA on NKT Cells Promotes Tumor Immune Control in a Mouse Model of Mammary Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekar, Divya; Govene, Luisa; Del Río, María-Luisa; Sirait-Fischer, Evelyn; Fink, Annika F; Brüne, Bernhard; Rodriguez-Barbosa, José I; Weigert, Andreas

    2018-03-07

    Natural Killer T cells (NKT cells) are emerging as critical regulators of pro- and anti-tumor immunity, both at baseline and in therapeutic settings. While type I NKT cells can promote anti-tumor immunity, their activity in the tumor microenvironment may be limited by negative regulators such as inhibitory immune checkpoints. We observed dominant expression of B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) on type I NKT cells in polyoma middle T oncogene-driven (PyMT) murine autochthonous mammary tumors. Other immune checkpoint receptors, such as programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) were equally distributed among T cell populations. Interference with BTLA using neutralizing antibodies limited tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in the PyMT model in a therapeutic setting, correlating with an increase in type I NKT cells and expression of cytotoxic marker genes. While therapeutic application of an anti-PD-1 antibody increased the number of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and elevated IL-12 expression, tumor control was not established. Expression of ZBTB16, the lineage-determining transcription factor of type I NKT cells, was correlated with a favorable patient prognosis in the METABRIC dataset, and BTLA levels were instrumental to further distinguish prognosis in patents with high ZBTB16 expression. Taken together, these data support a role of BTLA on type I NKT cells in limiting anti-tumor immunity.

  17. Downregulation of BTLA on NKT Cells Promotes Tumor Immune Control in a Mouse Model of Mammary Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Divya Sekar

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Natural Killer T cells (NKT cells are emerging as critical regulators of pro- and anti-tumor immunity, both at baseline and in therapeutic settings. While type I NKT cells can promote anti-tumor immunity, their activity in the tumor microenvironment may be limited by negative regulators such as inhibitory immune checkpoints. We observed dominant expression of B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA on type I NKT cells in polyoma middle T oncogene-driven (PyMT murine autochthonous mammary tumors. Other immune checkpoint receptors, such as programmed cell death 1 (PD-1 were equally distributed among T cell populations. Interference with BTLA using neutralizing antibodies limited tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in the PyMT model in a therapeutic setting, correlating with an increase in type I NKT cells and expression of cytotoxic marker genes. While therapeutic application of an anti-PD-1 antibody increased the number of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and elevated IL-12 expression, tumor control was not established. Expression of ZBTB16, the lineage-determining transcription factor of type I NKT cells, was correlated with a favorable patient prognosis in the METABRIC dataset, and BTLA levels were instrumental to further distinguish prognosis in patents with high ZBTB16 expression. Taken together, these data support a role of BTLA on type I NKT cells in limiting anti-tumor immunity.

  18. PD-L1 inhibition with avelumab for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaiser, Maria Rita; Bongiorno, Michelle; Brownell, Isaac

    2018-04-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer that lacks durable responses to traditional chemotherapy. Areas covered: After MCC was shown to be an immunogenic tumor, small trials revealed high objective response rates to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. The JAVELIN Merkel 200 (NCT02155647) trial tested the use of avelumab, a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1, in metastatic MCC. Avelumab recently became the first approved drug for metastatic MCC. Expert commentary: By conducting broad phase I studies assessing the safety of avelumab and a small phase II study demonstrating efficacy in this rare orphan tumor type, avelumab gained accelerated approval for the treatment of metastatic MCC. Additional studies are needed to determine how the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) competent Fc region of avelumab contributes to disease control. Remaining questions: Longer follow-up will determine the durability of checkpoint blockade in controlling metastatic MCC. Additional studies will assess the utility and safety of adjuvant checkpoint blockade in patients with excised MCC. How to increase response rates by combining PD-1/PD-L1 blockade with other treatment approaches needs to be explored. In addition, treatment options for MCC patients who fail or do not respond to avelumab need to be identified.

  19. Defect in radiation signal transduction in ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavin, M.F.

    1994-01-01

    Exposure of mammalian cells to ionizing radiation causes a delay in progression through the cycle at several checkpoints. Cells from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) ignore these checkpoint controls postirradiation. The tumour suppressor gene product p53 plays a key role at the G 1 /S checkpoint preventing the progression of cells into S phase. The induction of p53 by radiation is reduced and/or delayed in A-T cells, which appears to account for the failure of delay at the G 1 /S checkpoint. We have investigated further this defect in radiation signal transduction in A-T. While the p53 response was defective after radiation, agents that interfered with cell cycle progression such as mimosine, aphidicolin and deprivation of serum led to a normal p53 response in A-T cells. None of these agents caused breaks in DNA, as determined by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, in order to elicit the response. Since this pathway is mediated by protein kinases, we investigated the activity of several of these enzymes in control and A-T cells. Ca +2 -dependent and -independent protein kinase C activities were increased by radiation to the same extent in the two cell types, a variety of serine/threonine protein kinase activities were approximately the same and anti-tyrosine antibodies failed to reveal any differences in protein phosphorylation between A-T and control cells. (author)

  20. The architecture of the BubR1 tetratricopeptide tandem repeat defines a protein motif underlying mitotic checkpoint-kinetochore communication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bolanos-Garcia, Victor M; Nilsson, Jakob; Blundell, Tom L

    2012-01-01

    advance to anaphase before every chromosome is properly attached to microtubules of the mitotic spindle. The architecture of the KNL1-BubR1 complex reveals important features of the molecular recognition between SAC components and the kinetochore. The interaction is important for a functional SAC...... as substitution of BubR1 residues engaged in KNL1 binding impaired the SAC and BubR1 recruitment into checkpoint complexes in stable cell lines. Here we discuss the implications of the disorder-to-order transition of KNL1 upon BubR1 binding for SAC signaling and propose a mechanistic model of how BUBs binding may...

  1. Adrenergic Signaling: A Targetable Checkpoint Limiting Development of the Antitumor Immune Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Guanxi; Chen, Minhui; Bucsek, Mark J.; Repasky, Elizabeth A.; Hylander, Bonnie L.

    2018-01-01

    An immune response must be tightly controlled so that it will be commensurate with the level of response needed to protect the organism without damaging normal tissue. The roles of cytokines and chemokines in orchestrating these processes are well known, but although stress has long been thought to also affect immune responses, the underlying mechanisms were not as well understood. Recently, the role of nerves and, specifically, the sympathetic nervous system, in regulating immune responses is being revealed. Generally, an acute stress response is beneficial but chronic stress is detrimental because it suppresses the activities of effector immune cells while increasing the activities of immunosuppressive cells. In this review, we first discuss the underlying biology of adrenergic signaling in cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system. We then focus on the effects of chronic adrenergic stress in promoting tumor growth, giving examples of effects on tumor cells and immune cells, explaining the methods commonly used to induce stress in preclinical mouse models. We highlight how this relates to our observations that mandated housing conditions impose baseline chronic stress on mouse models, which is sufficient to cause chronic immunosuppression. This problem is not commonly recognized, but it has been shown to impact conclusions of several studies of mouse physiology and mouse models of disease. Moreover, the fact that preclinical mouse models are chronically immunosuppressed has critical ramifications for analysis of any experiments with an immune component. Our group has found that reducing adrenergic stress by housing mice at thermoneutrality or treating mice housed at cooler temperatures with β-blockers reverses immunosuppression and significantly improves responses to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. These observations are clinically relevant because there are numerous retrospective epidemiological studies concluding that cancer patients who were

  2. Loss of the Greatwall Kinase Weakens the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Kasim Diril

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The Greatwall kinase/Mastl is an essential gene that indirectly inhibits the phosphatase activity toward mitotic Cdk1 substrates. Here we show that although Mastl knockout (MastlNULL MEFs enter mitosis, they progress through mitosis without completing cytokinesis despite the presence of misaligned chromosomes, which causes chromosome segregation defects. Furthermore, we uncover the requirement of Mastl for robust spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC maintenance since the duration of mitotic arrest caused by microtubule poisons in MastlNULL MEFs is shortened, which correlates with premature disappearance of the essential SAC protein Mad1 at the kinetochores. Notably, MastlNULL MEFs display reduced phosphorylation of a number of proteins in mitosis, which include the essential SAC kinase MPS1. We further demonstrate that Mastl is required for multi-site phosphorylation of MPS1 as well as robust MPS1 kinase activity in mitosis. In contrast, treatment of MastlNULL cells with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA rescues the defects in MPS1 kinase activity, mislocalization of phospho-MPS1 as well as Mad1 at the kinetochore, and premature SAC silencing. Moreover, using in vitro dephosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that Mastl promotes persistent MPS1 phosphorylation by inhibiting PP2A/B55-mediated MPS1 dephosphorylation rather than affecting Cdk1 kinase activity. Our findings establish a key regulatory function of the Greatwall kinase/Mastl->PP2A/B55 pathway in preventing premature SAC silencing.

  3. Loss of the Greatwall Kinase Weakens the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diril, M Kasim; Bisteau, Xavier; Kitagawa, Mayumi; Caldez, Matias J; Wee, Sheena; Gunaratne, Jayantha; Lee, Sang Hyun; Kaldis, Philipp

    2016-09-01

    The Greatwall kinase/Mastl is an essential gene that indirectly inhibits the phosphatase activity toward mitotic Cdk1 substrates. Here we show that although Mastl knockout (MastlNULL) MEFs enter mitosis, they progress through mitosis without completing cytokinesis despite the presence of misaligned chromosomes, which causes chromosome segregation defects. Furthermore, we uncover the requirement of Mastl for robust spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintenance since the duration of mitotic arrest caused by microtubule poisons in MastlNULL MEFs is shortened, which correlates with premature disappearance of the essential SAC protein Mad1 at the kinetochores. Notably, MastlNULL MEFs display reduced phosphorylation of a number of proteins in mitosis, which include the essential SAC kinase MPS1. We further demonstrate that Mastl is required for multi-site phosphorylation of MPS1 as well as robust MPS1 kinase activity in mitosis. In contrast, treatment of MastlNULL cells with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA) rescues the defects in MPS1 kinase activity, mislocalization of phospho-MPS1 as well as Mad1 at the kinetochore, and premature SAC silencing. Moreover, using in vitro dephosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that Mastl promotes persistent MPS1 phosphorylation by inhibiting PP2A/B55-mediated MPS1 dephosphorylation rather than affecting Cdk1 kinase activity. Our findings establish a key regulatory function of the Greatwall kinase/Mastl->PP2A/B55 pathway in preventing premature SAC silencing.

  4. Immune Checkpoint Function of CD85j in CD8 T Cell Differentiation and Aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire E. Gustafson

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Aging is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection and a failure to control latent viruses thought to be driven, at least in part, by alterations in CD8 T cell function. The aging T cell repertoire is characterized by an accumulation of effector CD8 T cells, many of which express the negative regulatory receptor CD85j. To define the biological significance of CD85j expression on CD8 T cells and to address the question whether presence of CD85j in older individuals is beneficial or detrimental for immune function, we examined the specific attributes of CD8 T cells expressing CD85j as well as the functional role of CD85j in antigen-specific CD8 T cell responses during immune aging. Here, we show that CD85j is mainly expressed by terminally differentiated effector (TEMRAs CD8 T cells, which increase with age, in cytomegalovirus (CMV infection and in males. CD85j+ CMV-specific cells demonstrate clonal expansion. However, TCR diversity is similar between CD85j+ and CD85j− compartments, suggesting that CD85j does not directly impact the repertoire of antigen-specific cells. Further phenotypic and functional analyses revealed that CD85j identifies a specific subset of CMV-responsive CD8 T cells that coexpress a marker of senescence (CD57 but retain polyfunctional cytokine production and expression of cytotoxic mediators. Blocking CD85j binding enhanced proliferation of CMV-specific CD8 T cells upon antigen stimulation but did not alter polyfunctional cytokine production. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CD85j characterizes a population of “senescent,” but not exhausted antigen-specific effector CD8 T cells and indicates that CD85j is an important checkpoint regulator controlling expansion of virus-specific T cells during aging. Inhibition of CD85j activity may be a mechanism to promote stronger CD8 T cell effector responses during immune aging.

  5. Genetic analysis of the spindle checkpoint genes san-1, mdf-2, bub-3 and the CENP-F homologues hcp-1 and hcp-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moore Landon L

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The spindle checkpoint delays the onset of anaphase until all sister chromatids are aligned properly at the metaphase plate. To investigate the role san-1, the MAD3 homologue, has in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos we used RNA interference (RNAi to identify genes synthetic lethal with the viable san-1(ok1580 deletion mutant. Results The san-1(ok1580 animal has low penetrating phenotypes including an increased incidence of males, larvae arrest, slow growth, protruding vulva, and defects in vulva morphogenesis. We found that the viability of san-1(ok1580 embryos is significantly reduced when HCP-1 (CENP-F homologue, MDF-1 (MAD-1 homologue, MDF-2 (MAD-2 homologue or BUB-3 (predicted BUB-3 homologue are reduced by RNAi. Interestingly, the viability of san-1(ok1580 embryos is not significantly reduced when the paralog of HCP-1, HCP-2, is reduced. The phenotype of san-1(ok1580;hcp-1(RNAi embryos includes embryonic and larval lethality, abnormal organ development, and an increase in abnormal chromosome segregation (aberrant mitotic nuclei, anaphase bridging. Several of the san-1(ok1580;hcp-1(RNAi animals displayed abnormal kinetochore (detected by MPM-2 and microtubule structure. The survival of mdf-2(RNAi;hcp-1(RNAi embryos but not bub-3(RNAi;hcp-1(RNAi embryos was also compromised. Finally, we found that san-1(ok1580 and bub-3(RNAi, but not hcp-1(RNAi embryos, were sensitive to anoxia, suggesting that like SAN-1, BUB-3 has a functional role as a spindle checkpoint protein. Conclusion Together, these data suggest that in the C. elegans embryo, HCP-1 interacts with a subset of the spindle checkpoint pathway. Furthermore, the fact that san-1(ok1580;hcp-1(RNAi animals had a severe viability defect whereas in the san-1(ok1580;hcp-2(RNAi and san-1(ok1580;hcp-2(ok1757 animals the viability defect was not as severe suggesting that hcp-1 and hcp-2 are not completely redundant.

  6. Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Pedro J; Silva, Marlene N; Mata, Jutta; Palmeira, António L; Markland, David

    2012-03-02

    This article explores the topics of motivation and self-regulation in the context of weight management and related behaviors. We focus on the role of a qualitative approach to address motivation--not only considering the level but also type of motivation--in weight control and related behaviors. We critically discuss the operationalization of motivation in current weight control programs, present a complementary approach to understanding motivation based on self-determination theory, and review empirical findings from weight control studies that have used self-determination theory measures and assessed their association with weight outcomes. Weight loss studies which used Motivational Interviewing (MI) are also reviewed, considering MI's focus on enhancing internal motivation. We hypothesize that current weight control interventions may have been less successful with weight maintenance in part due to their relative disregard of qualitative dimensions of motivation, such as level of perceived autonomy, often resulting in a motivational disconnect between weight loss and weight-related behaviors. We suggest that if individuals fully endorse weight loss-related behavioral goals and feel not just competent but also autonomous about reaching them, as suggested by self-determination theory, their efforts are more likely to result in long-lasting behavior change.

  7. Immunotherapy (excluding checkpoint inhibitors) for stage I to III non-small cell lung cancer treated with surgery or radiotherapy with curative intent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jianwei; Li, Rui; Tiselius, Eva; Roudi, Raheleh; Teghararian, Olivia; Suo, Chen; Song, Huan

    2017-12-16

    Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common lung cancer, accounting for approximately 80% to 85% of all cases. For patients with localised NSCLC (stages I to III), it has been speculated that immunotherapy may be helpful for reducing postoperative recurrence rates, or improving the clinical outcomes of current treatment for unresectable tumours. While several new agents have now entered phase III clinical trials, we felt a systematic review was needed to address the question of the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy in patients with stages I to III NSCLC. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy (excluding checkpoint inhibitors) in patients with localised NSCLC (stages I to III) who received surgery or radiotherapy with curative intent. We searched the following databases (from inception to 20 January 2017): CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL, and five trial registers. We also manually checked abstracts or reports from relevant conference proceedings and the reference lists of included trials. We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in adults (≥ 18 years) with histologically-confirmed early-stage (stages I to III) NSCLC after surgical resection, and those with unresectable locally advanced stage III NSCLC who had received radiotherapy with curative intent. For patients who had received primary surgical treatment, postoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy was allowed if it was used for both experimental and control groups. Two review authors independently selected eligible trials, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We used survival analysis to pool time-to-event data, expressing the intervention effect as a hazard ratio (HR). We calculated risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data, and mean differences for continuous data, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Due to clinical heterogeneity (immunotherapeutic agents with different underlying mechanisms), we used random-effects models for our meta-analyses. We

  8. Contribution of market value chain to the control of African swine fever in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siamupa, C; Saasa, N; Phiri, A M

    2018-01-01

    African swine fever (ASF) is a worldwide disease of pigs endemic in most sub-Saharan African countries. Zambia has been experiencing outbreaks of ASF for many years because the disease is endemic in the eastern part of the country, with incursion into the central part of Lusaka Province. The latest outbreaks of ASF in Lusaka occurred in 2013 with substantial pig mortalities, loss in trade, and cost of control measures and compensation of affected farmers. The aims of the study were to identify market value chain-related factors that were associated with ASF outbreaks and assess why these outbreaks are becoming frequent despite control measures being put in place. Using a mixed-method design, participants involved in the value chain were purposively sampled. Some pig farmers were included using a respondent-driven technique. Farmers came from Lusaka, Chilanga, Kafue, and Chongwe districts. Other participants included district veterinary officers, veterinary assistants, police officers, and veterinary staff manning veterinary checkpoints, abattoir and processing plant managers, meat inspectors, market chairpersons, and traders. Semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and direct observations were used to collect data to come up with narrations, tables, and flow charts. In assessing the contribution of the value chain in ASF, aspects of ASF screening, market availability and procedures, knowledge on ASF transmission, occurrence of ASF outbreak, and regulation of pig movement were investigated. Despite government ASF control measures being applied, the following were noted: (1) low awareness levels of ASF transmission among pig farmers and traders; (2) only 50% of farmers had their animals screened for ASF before sale; (3) all the markets did not have the pork inspected; (4) laxity in enforcing livestock movement control because of inadequate police and veterinary staff manning checkpoints; (5) lack of enforcement of meat inspection and food safety

  9. Dual personality of Mad1: regulation of nuclear import by a spindle assembly checkpoint protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cairo, Lucas V; Ptak, Christopher; Wozniak, Richard W

    2013-01-01

    Nuclear transport is a dynamic process that can be modulated in response to changes in cellular physiology. We recently reported that the transport activity of yeast nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) is altered in response to kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) interaction defects. Specifically, KT detachment from MTs activates a signaling pathway that prevents the nuclear import of cargos by the nuclear transport factor Kap121p. This loss of Kap121p-mediated import is thought to influence the nuclear environment, including the phosphorylation state of nuclear proteins. A key regulator of this process is the spindle assembly checkpoint protein Mad1p. In response to unattached KTs, Mad1p dynamically cycles between NPCs and KTs. This cycling appears to induce NPC molecular rearrangements that prevent the nuclear import of Kap121p-cargo complexes. Here, we discuss the underlying mechanisms and the physiological relevance of Mad1p cycling and the inhibition of Kap121p-mediated nuclear import, focusing on outstanding questions within the pathway.

  10. Adventures in Scaffold Morphing: Discovery of Fused Ring Heterocyclic Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bin; Vasbinder, Melissa M; Hird, Alexander W; Su, Qibin; Wang, Haixia; Yu, Yan; Toader, Dorin; Lyne, Paul D; Read, Jon A; Breed, Jason; Ioannidis, Stephanos; Deng, Chun; Grondine, Michael; DeGrace, Nancy; Whitston, David; Brassil, Patrick; Janetka, James W

    2018-02-08

    Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors are potential cancer therapeutics that can be utilized for enhancing the efficacy of DNA damaging agents. Multiple small molecule CHK1 inhibitors from different chemical scaffolds have been developed and evaluated in clinical trials in combination with chemotherapeutics and radiation treatment. Scaffold morphing of thiophene carboxamide ureas (TCUs), such as AZD7762 (1) and a related series of triazoloquinolines (TZQs), led to the identification of fused-ring bicyclic CHK1 inhibitors, 7-carboxamide thienopyridines (7-CTPs), and 7-carboxamide indoles. X-ray crystal structures reveal a key intramolecular noncovalent sulfur-oxygen interaction in aligning the hinge-binding carboxamide group to the thienopyridine core in a coplanar fashion. An intramolecular hydrogen bond to an indole NH was also effective in locking the carboxamide in the preferred bound conformation to CHK1. Optimization on the 7-CTP series resulted in the identification of lead compound 44, which displayed respectable drug-like properties and good in vitro and in vivo potency.

  11. Cell-cycle dependent expression of a translocation-mediated fusion oncogene mediates checkpoint adaptation in rhabdomyosarcoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ken Kikuchi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most commonly occurring soft-tissue sarcoma in childhood. Most rhabdomyosarcoma falls into one of two biologically distinct subgroups represented by alveolar or embryonal histology. The alveolar subtype harbors a translocation-mediated PAX3:FOXO1A fusion gene and has an extremely poor prognosis. However, tumor cells have heterogeneous expression for the fusion gene. Using a conditional genetic mouse model as well as human tumor cell lines, we show that that Pax3:Foxo1a expression is enriched in G2 and triggers a transcriptional program conducive to checkpoint adaptation under stress conditions such as irradiation in vitro and in vivo. Pax3:Foxo1a also tolerizes tumor cells to clinically-established chemotherapy agents and emerging molecularly-targeted agents. Thus, the surprisingly dynamic regulation of the Pax3:Foxo1a locus is a paradigm that has important implications for the way in which oncogenes are modeled in cancer cells.

  12. The flavonoid eupatorin inactivates the mitotic checkpoint leading to polyploidy and apoptosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salmela, Anna-Leena [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Pouwels, Jeroen; Kukkonen-Macchi, Anu [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Waris, Sinikka; Toivonen, Pauliina [Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Jaakkola, Kimmo [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Maeki-Jouppila, Jenni [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Drug Discovery Graduate School, University of Turku (Finland); Kallio, Lila, E-mail: lila.kallio@vtt.fi [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Kallio, Marko J. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Centre of Excellence for Translational Genome-Scale Biology, P.O. Box 106, Academy of Finland (Finland)

    2012-03-10

    The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a conserved mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome distribution in mitosis by preventing anaphase onset until the correct bipolar microtubule-kinetochore attachments are formed. Errors in SAC function may contribute to tumorigenesis by inducing numerical chromosome anomalies (aneuploidy). On the other hand, total disruption of SAC can lead to massive genomic imbalance followed by cell death, a phenomena that has therapeutic potency. We performed a cell-based high-throughput screen with a compound library of 2000 bioactives for novel SAC inhibitors and discovered a plant-derived phenolic compound eupatorin (3 Prime ,5-dihydroxy-4 Prime ,6,7-trimethoxyflavone) as an anti-mitotic flavonoid. The premature override of the microtubule drug-imposed mitotic arrest by eupatorin is dependent on microtubule-kinetochore attachments but not interkinetochore tension. Aurora B kinase activity, which is essential for maintenance of normal SAC signaling, is diminished by eupatorin in cells and in vitro providing a mechanistic explanation for the observed forced mitotic exit. Eupatorin likely has additional targets since eupatorin treatment of pre-mitotic cells causes spindle anomalies triggering a transient M phase delay followed by impaired cytokinesis and polyploidy. Finally, eupatorin potently induces apoptosis in multiple cancer cell lines and suppresses cancer cell proliferation in organotypic 3D cell culture model.

  13. Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teixeira Pedro J

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This article explores the topics of motivation and self-regulation in the context of weight management and related behaviors. We focus on the role of a qualitative approach to address motivation - not only considering the level but also type of motivation - in weight control and related behaviors. We critically discuss the operationalization of motivation in current weight control programs, present a complementary approach to understanding motivation based on self-determination theory, and review empirical findings from weight control studies that have used self-determination theory measures and assessed their association with weight outcomes. Weight loss studies which used Motivational Interviewing (MI are also reviewed, considering MI's focus on enhancing internal motivation. We hypothesize that current weight control interventions may have been less successful with weight maintenance in part due to their relative disregard of qualitative dimensions of motivation, such as level of perceived autonomy, often resulting in a motivational disconnect between weight loss and weight-related behaviors. We suggest that if individuals fully endorse weight loss-related behavioral goals and feel not just competent but also autonomous about reaching them, as suggested by self-determination theory, their efforts are more likely to result in long-lasting behavior change.

  14. Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    This article explores the topics of motivation and self-regulation in the context of weight management and related behaviors. We focus on the role of a qualitative approach to address motivation - not only considering the level but also type of motivation - in weight control and related behaviors. We critically discuss the operationalization of motivation in current weight control programs, present a complementary approach to understanding motivation based on self-determination theory, and review empirical findings from weight control studies that have used self-determination theory measures and assessed their association with weight outcomes. Weight loss studies which used Motivational Interviewing (MI) are also reviewed, considering MI's focus on enhancing internal motivation. We hypothesize that current weight control interventions may have been less successful with weight maintenance in part due to their relative disregard of qualitative dimensions of motivation, such as level of perceived autonomy, often resulting in a motivational disconnect between weight loss and weight-related behaviors. We suggest that if individuals fully endorse weight loss-related behavioral goals and feel not just competent but also autonomous about reaching them, as suggested by self-determination theory, their efforts are more likely to result in long-lasting behavior change. PMID:22385818

  15. Checkpoint Kinase Rad53 Couples Leading- and Lagging-Strand DNA Synthesis under Replication Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Haiyun; Yu, Chuanhe; Devbhandari, Sujan; Sharma, Sushma; Han, Junhong; Chabes, Andrei; Remus, Dirk; Zhang, Zhiguo

    2017-10-19

    The checkpoint kinase Rad53 is activated during replication stress to prevent fork collapse, an essential but poorly understood process. Here we show that Rad53 couples leading- and lagging-strand synthesis under replication stress. In rad53-1 cells stressed by dNTP depletion, the replicative DNA helicase, MCM, and the leading-strand DNA polymerase, Pol ε, move beyond the site of DNA synthesis, likely unwinding template DNA. Remarkably, DNA synthesis progresses further along the lagging strand than the leading strand, resulting in the exposure of long stretches of single-stranded leading-strand template. The asymmetric DNA synthesis in rad53-1 cells is suppressed by elevated levels of dNTPs in vivo, and the activity of Pol ε is compromised more than lagging-strand polymerase Pol δ at low dNTP concentrations in vitro. Therefore, we propose that Rad53 prevents the generation of excessive ssDNA under replication stress by coordinating DNA unwinding with synthesis of both strands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced gastrointestinal and hepatic injury: pathologists' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karamchandani, Dipti M; Chetty, Runjan

    2018-04-27

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are a relatively new class of 'miracle' dugs that have revolutionised the treatment and prognosis of some advanced-stage malignancies, and have increased the survival rates significantly. This class of drugs includes cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 inhibitors such as ipilimumab; programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab and avelumab; and programmed cell death protein ligand-1 inhibitors such as atezolizumab. These drugs stimulate the immune system by blocking the coinhibitory receptors on the T cells and lead to antitumoural response. However, a flip side of these novel drugs is immune-related adverse events (irAEs), secondary to immune-mediated process due to disrupted self-tolerance. The irAEs in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract/liver may result in diarrhoea, colitis or hepatitis. An accurate diagnosis of CPI-induced colitis and/or hepatitis is essential for optimal patient management. As we anticipate greater use of these drugs in the future given the significant clinical response, pathologists need to be aware of the spectrum of histological findings that may be encountered in GI and/or liver biopsies received from these patients, as well as differentiate them from its histopathological mimics. This present review discusses the clinical features, detailed histopathological features, management and the differential diagnosis of the luminal GI and hepatic irAEs that may be encountered secondary to CPI therapy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  17. Calreticulin reveals a critical Ca2+ checkpoint in cardiac myofibrillogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jian; Pucéat, Michel; Perez-Terzic, Carmen; Mery, Annabelle; Nakamura, Kimitoshi; Michalak, Marek; Krause, Karl-Heinz; Jaconi, Marisa E.

    2002-01-01

    Calreticulin (crt) is an ubiquitously expressed and multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein that regulates diverse vital cell functions, including Ca2+ storage in the ER and protein folding. Calreticulin deficiency in mice is lethal in utero due to defects in heart development and function. Herein, we used crt − / − embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiated in vitro into cardiac cells to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure of knockout embryos. After 8 d of differentiation, beating areas were prominent in ES-derived wild-type (wt) embryoid bodies (EBs), but not in ES-derived crt − / − EBs, despite normal expression levels of cardiac transcription factors. Crt − / − EBs exhibited a severe decrease in expression and a lack of phosphorylation of ventricular myosin light chain 2 (MLC2v), resulting in an impaired organization of myofibrils. Crt − / − phenotype could be recreated in wt cells by chelating extracellular or cytoplasmic Ca2+ with EGTA or BAPTA, or by inhibiting Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs). An imposed ionomycin-triggered cystolic-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) elevation restored the expression, phosphorylation, and insertion of MLC2v into sarcomeric structures and in turn the myofibrillogenesis. The transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor C2 failed to accumulate into nuclei of crt − / − cardiac cells in the absence of ionomycin-triggered [Ca2+]c increase. We conclude that the absence of calreticulin interferes with myofibril formation. Most importantly, calreticulin deficiency revealed the importance of a Ca2+-dependent checkpoint critical for early events during cardiac myofibrillogenesis. PMID:12105184

  18. Perturbing engine performance measurements to determine optimal engine control settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Li; Lee, Donghoon; Yilmaz, Hakan; Stefanopoulou, Anna

    2014-12-30

    Methods and systems for optimizing a performance of a vehicle engine are provided. The method includes determining an initial value for a first engine control parameter based on one or more detected operating conditions of the vehicle engine, determining a value of an engine performance variable, and artificially perturbing the determined value of the engine performance variable. The initial value for the first engine control parameter is then adjusted based on the perturbed engine performance variable causing the engine performance variable to approach a target engine performance variable. Operation of the vehicle engine is controlled based on the adjusted initial value for the first engine control parameter. These acts are repeated until the engine performance variable approaches the target engine performance variable.

  19. Parallel reorganization of protein function in the spindle checkpoint pathway through evolutionary paths in the fitness landscape that appear neutral in laboratory experiments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex N Nguyen Ba

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Regulatory networks often increase in complexity during evolution through gene duplication and divergence of component proteins. Two models that explain this increase in complexity are: 1 adaptive changes after gene duplication, such as resolution of adaptive conflicts, and 2 non-adaptive processes such as duplication, degeneration and complementation. Both of these models predict complementary changes in the retained duplicates, but they can be distinguished by direct fitness measurements in organisms with short generation times. Previously, it has been observed that repeated duplication of an essential protein in the spindle checkpoint pathway has occurred multiple times over the eukaryotic tree of life, leading to convergent protein domain organization in its duplicates. Here, we replace the paralog pair in S. cerevisiae with a single-copy protein from a species that did not undergo gene duplication. Surprisingly, using quantitative fitness measurements in laboratory conditions stressful for the spindle-checkpoint pathway, we find no evidence that reorganization of protein function after gene duplication is beneficial. We then reconstruct several evolutionary intermediates from the inferred ancestral network to the extant one, and find that, at the resolution of our assay, there exist stepwise mutational paths from the single protein to the divergent pair of extant proteins with no apparent fitness defects. Parallel evolution has been taken as strong evidence for natural selection, but our results suggest that even in these cases, reorganization of protein function after gene duplication may be explained by neutral processes.

  20. Automated controlled-potential coulometric determination of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knight, C.H.; Clegg, D.E.; Wright, K.D.; Cassidy, R.M.

    1982-06-01

    A controlled-potential coulometer has been automated in our laboratory for routine determination of uranium in solution. The CRNL-designed automated system controls degassing, prereduction, and reduction of the sample. The final result is displayed on a digital coulometer readout. Manual and automated modes of operation are compared to show the precision and accuracy of the automated system. Results are also shown for the coulometric titration of typical uranium-aluminum alloy samples

  1. Ionizing radiation induces mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production accompanied by upregulation of mitochondrial electron transport chain function and mitochondrial content under control of the cell cycle checkpoint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamori, Tohru; Yasui, Hironobu; Yamazumi, Masayuki; Wada, Yusuke; Nakamura, Yoshinari; Nakamura, Hideo; Inanami, Osamu

    2012-07-15

    Whereas ionizing radiation (Ir) instantaneously causes the formation of water radiolysis products that contain some reactive oxygen species (ROS), ROS are also suggested to be released from biological sources in irradiated cells. It is now becoming clear that these ROS generated secondarily after Ir have a variety of biological roles. Although mitochondria are assumed to be responsible for this Ir-induced ROS production, it remains to be elucidated how Ir triggers it. Therefore, we conducted this study to decipher the mechanism of Ir-induced mitochondrial ROS production. In human lung carcinoma A549 cells, Ir (10 Gy of X-rays) induced a time-dependent increase in the mitochondrial ROS level. Ir also increased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial ATP production, suggesting upregulation of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function after Ir. Although we found that Ir slightly enhanced mitochondrial ETC complex II activity, the complex II inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid failed to reduce Ir-induced mitochondrial ROS production. Meanwhile, we observed that the mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial DNA level were upregulated after Ir, indicating that Ir increased the mitochondrial content of the cell. Because irradiated cells are known to undergo cell cycle arrest under control of the checkpoint mechanisms, we examined the relationships between cell cycle and mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level. We found that the cells in the G2/M phase had a higher mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level than cells in the G1 or S phase, regardless of whether the cells were irradiated. We also found that Ir-induced accumulation of the cells in the G2/M phase led to an increase in cells with a high mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level. This suggested that Ir upregulated mitochondrial ETC function and mitochondrial content, resulting in mitochondrial ROS production, and that

  2. Transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)-dependent checkpoint in the survival of dendritic cells promotes immune homeostasis and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yanyan; Huang, Gonghua; Vogel, Peter; Neale, Geoffrey; Reizis, Boris; Chi, Hongbo

    2012-02-07

    Homeostatic control of dendritic cell (DC) survival is crucial for adaptive immunity, but the molecular mechanism is not well defined. Moreover, how DCs influence immune homeostasis under steady state remains unclear. Combining DC-specific and -inducible deletion systems, we report that transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is an essential regulator of DC survival and immune system homeostasis and function. Deficiency of TAK1 in CD11c(+) cells induced markedly elevated apoptosis, leading to the depletion of DC populations, especially the CD8(+) and CD103(+) DC subsets in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues, respectively. TAK1 also contributed to DC development by promoting the generation of DC precursors. Prosurvival signals from Toll-like receptors, CD40 and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) are integrated by TAK1 in DCs, which in turn mediated activation of downstream NF-κB and AKT-Foxo pathways and established a gene-expression program. TAK1 deficiency in DCs caused a myeloid proliferative disorder characterized by expansion of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes, disrupted T-cell homeostasis, and prevented effective T-cell priming and generation of regulatory T cells. Moreover, TAK1 signaling in DCs was required to prevent myeloid proliferation even in the absence of lymphocytes, indicating a previously unappreciated regulatory mechanism of DC-mediated control of myeloid cell-dependent inflammation. Therefore, TAK1 orchestrates a prosurvival checkpoint in DCs that affects the homeostasis and function of the immune system.

  3. Quality assessment of a placental perfusion protocol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mathiesen, Line; Mose, Tina; Mørck, Thit Juul

    2010-01-01

    mlh(-1) from the fetal reservoir) when adding 2 (n=7) and 20mg (n=9) FITC-dextran/100ml fetal perfusion media. Success rate of the Copenhagen placental perfusions is provided in this study, including considerations and quality control parameters. Three checkpoints suggested to determine success rate...

  4. Arabidopsis pdr2 reveals a phosphate-sensitive checkpoint in root development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ticconi, Carla A; Delatorre, Carla A; Lahner, Brett; Salt, David E; Abel, Steffen

    2004-03-01

    Plants have evolved complex strategies to maintain phosphate (Pi) homeostasis and to maximize Pi acquisition when the macronutrient is limiting. Adjustment of root system architecture via changes in meristem initiation and activity is integral to the acclimation process. However, the mechanisms that monitor external Pi status and interpret the nutritional signal remain to be elucidated. Here, we present evidence that the Pi deficiency response, pdr2, mutation disrupts local Pi sensing. The sensitivity and amplitude of metabolic Pi-starvation responses, such as Pi-responsive gene expression or accumulation of anthocyanins and starch, are enhanced in pdr2 seedlings. However, the most conspicuous alteration of pdr2 is a conditional short-root phenotype that is specific for Pi deficiency and caused by selective inhibition of root cell division followed by cell death below a threshold concentration of about 0.1 mm external Pi. Measurements of general Pi uptake and of total phosphorus (P) in root tips exclude a defect in high-affinity Pi acquisition. Rescue of root meristem activity in Pi-starved pdr2 by phosphite (Phi), a non-metabolizable Pi analog, and divided-root experiments suggest that pdr2 disrupts sensing of low external Pi availability. Thus, PDR2 is proposed to function at a Pi-sensitive checkpoint in root development, which monitors environmental Pi status, maintains and fine-tunes meristematic activity, and finally adjusts root system architecture to maximize Pi acquisition.

  5. Determinants of podoconiosis, a case control study | Feleke ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The sample size was calculated using Epi-info soft ware: 95% CI, 85% power, control to case ratio of 2:1, expected frequency of barefoot among controls 50%, odds ratio of 1.5 and non-response rate of 10% yielding 1148 study participants. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of Podoconiosis.

  6. Cell division control by the Chromosomal Passenger Complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waal, Maike S. van der; Hengeveld, Rutger C.C.; Horst, Armando van der; Lens, Susanne M.A., E-mail: s.m.a.lens@umcutrecht.nl

    2012-07-15

    The Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC) consisting of Aurora B kinase, INCENP, Survivin and Borealin, is essential for genomic stability by controlling multiple processes during both nuclear and cytoplasmic division. In mitosis it ensures accurate segregation of the duplicated chromosomes by regulating the mitotic checkpoint, destabilizing incorrectly attached spindle microtubules and by promoting the axial shortening of chromosomal arms in anaphase. During cytokinesis the CPC most likely prevents chromosome damage by imposing an abscission delay when a chromosome bridge connects the two daughter cells. Moreover, by controlling proper cytoplasmic division, the CPC averts tetraploidization. This review describes recent insights on how the CPC is capable of conducting its various functions in the dividing cell to ensure chromosomal stability.

  7. Leveraging the checkpoint-restart technique for optimizing CPU efficiency of ATLAS production applications on opportunistic platforms

    CERN Document Server

    Cameron, David; The ATLAS collaboration

    2017-01-01

    Data processing applications of the ATLAS experiment, such as event simulation and reconstruction, spend considerable amount of time in the initialization phase. This phase includes loading a large number of shared libraries, reading detector geometry and condition data from external databases, building a transient representation of the detector geometry and initializing various algorithms and services. In some cases the initialization step can take as long as 10-15 minutes. Such slow initialization, being inherently serial, has a significant negative impact on overall CPU efficiency of the production job, especially when the job is executed on opportunistic, often short-lived, resources such as commercial clouds or volunteer computing. In order to improve this situation, we can take advantage of the fact that ATLAS runs large numbers of production jobs with similar configuration parameters (e.g. jobs within the same production task). This allows us to checkpoint one job at the end of its configuration step a...

  8. Inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 sensitizes lung cancer brain metastases to radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Heekyoung; Yoon, Su Jin; Jin, Juyoun; Choi, Seung Ho; Seol, Ho Jun; Lee, Jung-Il

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The most important therapeutic tool in brain metastasis is radiation therapy. → Radiosensitivity of cancer cells was enhanced with treatment of Chk1 inhibitor. → Depletion of Chk1 in cancer cells showed an enhancement of sensitivity to radiation. → Chk1 can be a good target for enhancement of radiosensitivity. -- Abstract: The most important therapeutic tool in brain metastasis is radiation therapy. However, resistance to radiation is a possible cause of recurrence or treatment failure. Recently, signal pathways about DNA damage checkpoints after irradiation have been noticed. We investigated the radiosensitivity can be enhanced with treatment of Chk1 inhibitor, AZD7762 in lung cancer cell lines and xenograft models of lung cancer brain metastasis. Clonogenic survival assays showed enhancement of radiosensitivity with AZD7762 after irradiation of various doses. AZD7762 increased ATR/ATM-mediated Chk1 phosphorylation and stabilized Cdc25A, suppressed cyclin A expression in lung cancer cell lines. In xenograft models of lung cancer (PC14PE6) brain metastasis, AZD7762 significantly prolonged the median survival time in response to radiation. Depletion of Chk1 using shRNA also showed an enhancement of sensitivity to radiation in PC14PE6 cells. The results of this study support that Chk1 can be a good target for enhancement of radiosensitivity.

  9. The bacterial cell cycle checkpoint protein Obg and its role in programmed cell death

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liselot Dewachter

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The phenomenon of programmed cell death (PCD, in which cells initiate their own demise, is not restricted to multicellular organisms. Unicellular organisms, both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, also possess pathways that mediate PCD. We recently identified a PCD mechanism in Escherichia coli that is triggered by a mutant isoform of the essential GTPase ObgE (Obg of E. coli. Importantly, the PCD pathway mediated by mutant Obg (Obg* differs fundamentally from other previously described bacterial PCD pathways and thus constitutes a new mode of PCD. ObgE was previously proposed to act as a cell cycle checkpoint protein able to halt cell division. The implication of ObgE in the regulation of PCD further increases the similarity between this protein and eukaryotic cell cycle regulators that are capable of doing both. Moreover, since Obg is conserved in eukaryotes, the elucidation of this cell death mechanism might contribute to the understanding of PCD in higher organisms. Additionally, if Obg*-mediated PCD is conserved among different bacterial species, it will be a prime target for the development of innovative antibacterials that artificially induce this pathway.

  10. Determination of chromosomes that control physiological traits ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determination of chromosomes that control physiological traits associated with salt tolerance in barley at the seedling stage. ... The phenotypic traits under study included: chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fo, Fv, Fv/Fm), proline and carbohydrate rates, relative water content (RWC) and dry and wet weight of ...

  11. Methods of determining information needs for control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borkowski, Z.

    1980-01-01

    Work has begun in the Main Data Center in the field of mining (Poland) on estimation in improvement of methods of determining information requirements necessary for control. Existing methods are briefly surveyed. Their imperfection is shown. The complexity of characteristics for this problem is pointed out.

  12. Evidence for a transketolase-mediated metabolic checkpoint governing biotrophic growth in rice cells by the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessie Fernandez

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae threatens global food security through the widespread destruction of cultivated rice. Foliar infection requires a specialized cell called an appressorium that generates turgor to force a thin penetration hypha through the rice cuticle and into the underlying epidermal cells, where the fungus grows for the first days of infection as a symptomless biotroph. Understanding what controls biotrophic growth could open new avenues for developing sustainable blast intervention programs. Here, using molecular genetics and live-cell imaging, we dismantled M. oryzae glucose-metabolizing pathways to reveal that the transketolase enzyme, encoded by TKL1, plays an essential role in facilitating host colonization during rice blast disease. In the absence of transketolase, Δtkl1 mutant strains formed functional appressoria that penetrated rice cuticles successfully and developed invasive hyphae (IH in rice cells from primary hyphae. However, Δtkl1 could not undertake sustained biotrophic growth or cell-to-cell movement. Transcript data and observations using fluorescently labeled histone H1:RFP fusion proteins indicated Δtkl1 mutant strains were alive in host cells but were delayed in mitosis. Mitotic delay could be reversed and IH growth restored by the addition of exogenous ATP, a metabolite depleted in Δtkl1 mutant strains. We show that ATP might act via the TOR signaling pathway, and TOR is likely a downstream target of activation for TKL1. TKL1 is also involved in controlling the migration of appressorial nuclei into primary hyphae in host cells. When taken together, our results indicate transketolase has a novel role in mediating--via ATP and TOR signaling--an in planta-specific metabolic checkpoint that controls nuclear migration from appressoria into primary hyphae, prevents mitotic delay in early IH and promotes biotrophic growth. This work thus provides new information about the metabolic strategies employed by M

  13. Modulation of dendritic cell and T cell cross-talk during aging: The potential role of checkpoint inhibitory molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, Joanne K; Mamotte, Cyril D S; Jackaman, Connie; Nelson, Delia J

    2017-09-01

    Dendritic cells (DCs) undergo continuous changes throughout life, and there is evidence that elderly DCs have a reduced capacity to stimulate T cells, which may contribute to impaired anti-tumour immune responses in elderly people with cancer. Changes in checkpoint inhibitory molecules/pathways during aging may be one mechanism that impairs the ability of elderly DCs to activate T cells. However, little is currently known regarding the combined effects of aging and cancer on DC and T cell inhibitory molecules/pathways. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the influence of aging and cancer on key DC and T cell inhibitory molecules/pathways, the potential underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to their modulation, and the possibility of therapeutically targeting inhibitory molecules in elderly cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. When the genome plays dice: circumvention of the spindle assembly checkpoint and near-random chromosome segregation in multipolar cancer cell mitoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisselsson, David; Håkanson, Ulf; Stoller, Patrick; Marti, Dominik; Jin, Yuesheng; Rosengren, Anders H; Stewénius, Ylva; Kahl, Fredrik; Panagopoulos, Ioannis

    2008-04-02

    Normal cell division is coordinated by a bipolar mitotic spindle, ensuring symmetrical segregation of chromosomes. Cancer cells, however, occasionally divide into three or more directions. Such multipolar mitoses have been proposed to generate genetic diversity and thereby contribute to clonal evolution. However, this notion has been little validated experimentally. Chromosome segregation and DNA content in daughter cells from multipolar mitoses were assessed by multiphoton cross sectioning and fluorescence in situ hybridization in cancer cells and non-neoplastic transformed cells. The DNA distribution resulting from multipolar cell division was found to be highly variable, with frequent nullisomies in the daughter cells. Time-lapse imaging of H2B/GFP-labelled multipolar mitoses revealed that the time from the initiation of metaphase to the beginning of anaphase was prolonged and that the metaphase plates often switched polarity several times before metaphase-anaphase transition. The multipolar metaphase-anaphase transition was accompanied by a normal reduction of cellular cyclin B levels, but typically occurred before completion of the normal separase activity cycle. Centromeric AURKB and MAD2 foci were observed frequently to remain on the centromeres of multipolar ana-telophase chromosomes, indicating that multipolar mitoses were able to circumvent the spindle assembly checkpoint with some sister chromatids remaining unseparated after anaphase. Accordingly, scoring the distribution of individual chromosomes in multipolar daughter nuclei revealed a high frequency of nondisjunction events, resulting in a near-binomial allotment of sister chromatids to the daughter cells. The capability of multipolar mitoses to circumvent the spindle assembly checkpoint system typically results in a near-random distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells. Spindle multipolarity could thus be a highly efficient generator of genetically diverse minority clones in transformed cell

  15. Case report on the role of radiofrequency-assisted spleen-preserving surgery for splenic metastasis in the era of check-point inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudan, Satvinder; Kumar, Jayant; Mafalda, Neves C; Kusano, Tomokazu; Reccia, Isabella; Zanallato, Artur; Dalgleish, Angus; Habib, Nagy

    2017-12-01

    An isolated splenic metastasis is a rare phenomenon noted in advanced stage melanoma. We report the role of radiofrequency (RF) -based splenic-preserving splenectomy in a patient with a solitary splenic metastasis from advanced stage melanoma that was managed with checkpoint inhibitors. We report a case of a 60-year-old man who presented with multiple lung metastases and a solitary splenic metastasis with advanced stage melanoma following excision of primary from his trunk 2.3 years back. Considering the diagnosis of advanced stage melanoma with multiple lung metastases and a solitary splenic metastasis, and its ongoing progressive nature. This case was discussed in the tumour board meeting. A decision was made to commence treatment with immunotherapy in the form of PD-1 inhibitor (programmed cell death 1 receptor) pembrolizumab. Follow-up restaging computer tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and chest showed a significant reduction in the lung and chest wall lesions, but the splenic lesion remained unchanged. Given the lack of response to treatment in the splenic metastasis and the significant decrease in lung metastases, the multidisciplinary team decided that a partial splenectomy combined with continued immunotherapy treatment would be appropriate as the success of immunotherapy was imminent within the splenic preservation. The postoperative recovery was smooth and the patient was discharged from hospital on the sixth postoperative day with normal platelets and white blood cells. The histopathological analysis of the resected specimen showed a metastatic melanoma with negative margins.At 10-month follow-up after the splenic resection the patient had not experienced further tumour recurrences. Spleen-preserving resection for an isolated, solitary splenic metastasis of melanoma is a feasible approach as it not only preserves the ongoing efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors by preserving the physiological T cell milieu, but the immunomodulation properties of RF can

  16. When the genome plays dice: circumvention of the spindle assembly checkpoint and near-random chromosome segregation in multipolar cancer cell mitoses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Gisselsson

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Normal cell division is coordinated by a bipolar mitotic spindle, ensuring symmetrical segregation of chromosomes. Cancer cells, however, occasionally divide into three or more directions. Such multipolar mitoses have been proposed to generate genetic diversity and thereby contribute to clonal evolution. However, this notion has been little validated experimentally. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Chromosome segregation and DNA content in daughter cells from multipolar mitoses were assessed by multiphoton cross sectioning and fluorescence in situ hybridization in cancer cells and non-neoplastic transformed cells. The DNA distribution resulting from multipolar cell division was found to be highly variable, with frequent nullisomies in the daughter cells. Time-lapse imaging of H2B/GFP-labelled multipolar mitoses revealed that the time from the initiation of metaphase to the beginning of anaphase was prolonged and that the metaphase plates often switched polarity several times before metaphase-anaphase transition. The multipolar metaphase-anaphase transition was accompanied by a normal reduction of cellular cyclin B levels, but typically occurred before completion of the normal separase activity cycle. Centromeric AURKB and MAD2 foci were observed frequently to remain on the centromeres of multipolar ana-telophase chromosomes, indicating that multipolar mitoses were able to circumvent the spindle assembly checkpoint with some sister chromatids remaining unseparated after anaphase. Accordingly, scoring the distribution of individual chromosomes in multipolar daughter nuclei revealed a high frequency of nondisjunction events, resulting in a near-binomial allotment of sister chromatids to the daughter cells. CONCLUSION: The capability of multipolar mitoses to circumvent the spindle assembly checkpoint system typically results in a near-random distribution of chromosomes to daughter cells. Spindle multipolarity could thus be a highly efficient

  17. Tousled-like kinase-dependent phosphorylation of Rad9 plays a role in cell cycle progression and G2/M checkpoint exit.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Kelly

    Full Text Available Genomic integrity is preserved by checkpoints, which act to delay cell cycle progression in the presence of DNA damage or replication stress. The heterotrimeric Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1 complex is a PCNA-like clamp that is loaded onto DNA at structures resulting from damage and is important for initiating and maintaining the checkpoint response. Rad9 possesses a C-terminal tail that is phosphorylated constitutively and in response to cell cycle position and DNA damage. Previous studies have identified tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1 as a kinase that may modify Rad9. Here we show that Rad9 is phosphorylated in a TLK-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo, and that T355 within the C-terminal tail is the primary targeted residue. Phosphorylation of Rad9 at T355 is quickly reduced upon exposure to ionizing radiation before returning to baseline later in the damage response. We also show that TLK1 and Rad9 interact constitutively, and that this interaction is enhanced in chromatin-bound Rad9 at later stages of the damage response. Furthermore, we demonstrate via siRNA-mediated depletion that TLK1 is required for progression through S-phase in normally cycling cells, and that cells lacking TLK1 display a prolonged G2/M arrest upon exposure to ionizing radiation, a phenotype that is mimicked by over-expression of a Rad9-T355A mutant. Given that TLK1 has previously been shown to be transiently inactivated upon phosphorylation by Chk1 in response to DNA damage, we propose that TLK1 and Chk1 act in concert to modulate the phosphorylation status of Rad9, which in turn serves to regulate the DNA damage response.

  18. Piperine causes G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in melanoma cells through checkpoint kinase-1 activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neel M Fofaria

    Full Text Available In this study, we determined the cytotoxic effects of piperine, a major constituent of black and long pepper in melanoma cells. Piperine treatment inhibited the growth of SK MEL 28 and B16 F0 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. The growth inhibitory effects of piperine were mediated by cell cycle arrest of both the cell lines in G1 phase. The G1 arrest by piperine correlated with the down-regulation of cyclin D1 and induction of p21. Furthermore, this growth arrest by piperine treatment was associated with DNA damage as indicated by phosphorylation of H2AX at Ser139, activation of ataxia telangiectasia and rad3-related protein (ATR and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1. Pretreatment with AZD 7762, a Chk1 inhibitor not only abrogated the activation of Chk1 but also piperine mediated G1 arrest. Similarly, transfection of cells with Chk1 siRNA completely protected the cells from G1 arrest induced by piperine. Piperine treatment caused down-regulation of E2F1 and phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb. Apoptosis induced by piperine was associated with down-regulation of XIAP, Bid (full length and cleavage of Caspase-3 and PARP. Furthermore, our results showed that piperine treatment generated ROS in melanoma cells. Blocking ROS by tiron protected the cells from piperine mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These results suggest that piperine mediated ROS played a critical role in inducing DNA damage and activation of Chk1 leading to G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

  19. Mutant p53 transfection of astrocytic cells results in altered cell cycle control, radiation sensitivity, and tumorigenicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanady, Kirk E.; Mei Su; Proulx, Gary; Malkin, David M.; Pardo, Francisco S.

    1995-01-01

    Introduction: Alterations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are one of the most frequent genetic alterations in malignant gliomas. An understanding of the molecular genetic events leading to glial tumor progression would aid in designing therapeutic vectors for controlling these challenging tumor types. We investigated whether mutations in coding exons of the p53 gene result in functional changes altering cell cycle 'checkpoint' control and the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of glial cells. Methods: An astrocytic cell line was derived from a low grade astrocytoma and characterized to be of human karyotype and GFAP positivity. Additionally, the cellular population has never formed tumors in immune-deficient mice. At early passage ( 2 as parameters. Cell kinetic analyses after 2, 5, and 10 Gy of ionizing radiation were conducted using propidium iodide FACS analyses. Results: Overall levels of p53 expression were increased 5-10 fold in the transfected cellular populations. Astrocytic cellular populations transfected with mutant p53 revealed a statistically significant increase in levels of resistance to ionizing radiation in vitro (2-tailed test, SF2, MID). Astrocytic cellular populations transfected with mutant p53, unlike the parental cells, were tumorigenic in SCID mice. Cell kinetic analyses indicated that the untransfected cell line demonstrated dose dependent G1 and G2 arrests. Following transfection, however, the resultant cellular population demonstrated a predominant G2 arrest. Conclusions: Astrocytic cellular populations derived from low grade astrocytomas, are relatively radiation sensitive, non-tumorigenic, and have intact cell cycle ''checkpoints.'' Cellular populations resulting upon transfection of parental cells with a dominant negative p53 mutation, are relatively radiation resistant, when compared to both parental and mock-transfected cells. Transfected cells demonstrate abnormalities of cell cycle control at the G1/S checkpoint, increases in levels

  20. Determinants of Effective Internal Control System in Nigerian Banks ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of Effective Internal Control System in Nigerian Banks. ... (21) chief internal auditors of selected recapitalized banks currently operating in Port Harcourt. ... can be carried out, high level ethical standards should be enshrined in Nigerian banks to make internal control more effective. ... HOW TO USE AJOL.

  1. Quantitative evaluation of infection control models in the prevention of nosocomial transmission of SARS virus to healthcare workers: implication to nosocomial viral infection control for healthcare workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Muh-Yong; Lu, Yun-Ching; Huang, Pi-Hsiang; Chen, Chen-Ming; Chen, Yee-Chun; Lin, Yusen E

    2010-07-01

    Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring emerging infections while caring for patients, as has been shown in the recent SARS and swine flu epidemics. Using SARS as an example, we determined the effectiveness of infection control measures (ICMs) by logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM), a quantitative methodology that can test a hypothetical model and validates causal relationships among ICMs. Logistic regression showed that installing hand wash stations in the emergency room (p = 0.012, odds ratio = 1.07) was the only ICM significantly associated with the protection of HCWs from acquiring the SARS virus. The structural equation modelling results showed that the most important contributing factor (highest proportion of effectiveness) was installation of a fever screening station outside the emergency department (51%). Other measures included traffic control in the emergency department (19%), availability of an outbreak standard operation protocol (12%), mandatory temperature screening (9%), establishing a hand washing setup at each hospital checkpoint (3%), adding simplified isolation rooms (3%), and a standardized patient transfer protocol (3%). Installation of fever screening stations outside of the hospital and implementing traffic control in the emergency department contributed to 70% of the effectiveness in the prevention of SARS transmission. Our approach can be applied to the evaluation of control measures for other epidemic infectious diseases, including swine flu and avian flu.

  2. Human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncoprotein engages but does not abrogate the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Yueyang [Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Munger, Karl, E-mail: kmunger@rics.bwh.harvard.edu [Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

    2012-10-10

    The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis by censoring kinetochore-microtubule interactions. It is frequently rendered dysfunctional during carcinogenesis causing chromosome missegregation and genomic instability. There are conflicting reports whether the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein drives chromosomal instability by abolishing the SAC. Here we report that degradation of mitotic cyclins is impaired in cells with HPV16 E7 expression. RNAi-mediated depletion of Mad2 or BubR1 indicated the involvement of the SAC, suggesting that HPV16 E7 expression causes sustained SAC engagement. Mutational analyses revealed that HPV16 E7 sequences that are necessary for retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein binding as well as sequences previously implicated in binding the nuclear and mitotic apparatus (NuMA) protein and in delocalizing dynein from the mitotic spindle contribute to SAC engagement. Importantly, however, HPV16 E7 does not markedly compromise the SAC response to microtubule poisons.

  3. Molecular Checkpoint Decisions Made by Subverted Vascular Niche Transform Indolent Tumor Cells into Chemoresistant Cancer Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Zhongwei; Scandura, Joseph M; Inghirami, Giorgio G; Shido, Koji; Ding, Bi-Sen; Rafii, Shahin

    2017-01-09

    Tumor-associated endothelial cells (TECs) regulate tumor cell aggressiveness. However, the core mechanism by which TECs confer stem cell-like activity to indolent tumors is unknown. Here, we used in vivo murine and human tumor models to identify the tumor-suppressive checkpoint role of TEC-expressed insulin growth factor (IGF) binding protein-7 (IGFBP7/angiomodulin). During tumorigenesis, IGFBP7 blocks IGF1 and inhibits expansion and aggresiveness of tumor stem-like cells (TSCs) expressing IGF1 receptor (IGF1R). However, chemotherapy triggers TECs to suppress IGFBP7, and this stimulates IGF1R + TSCs to express FGF4, inducing a feedforward FGFR1-ETS2 angiocrine cascade that obviates TEC IGFBP7. Thus, loss of IGFBP7 and upregulation of IGF1 activates the FGF4-FGFR1-ETS2 pathway in TECs and converts naive tumor cells to chemoresistant TSCs, thereby facilitating their invasiveness and progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Clinical trial aims to study immunotherapy for central nervous system tumors | Center for Cancer Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    A new clinical trial aims to determine whether nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, can improve control of cancer for patients with several types of tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord and the cause of most CNS tumors in adults is unknown. Learn more...

  5. Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control

    OpenAIRE

    Teixeira, Pedro J; Silva, Marlene N; Mata, Jutta; Palmeira, António L; Markland, David

    2012-01-01

    Abstract This article explores the topics of motivation and self-regulation in the context of weight management and related behaviors. We focus on the role of a qualitative approach to address motivation - not only considering the level but also type of motivation - in weight control and related behaviors. We critically discuss the operationalization of motivation in current weight control programs, present a complementary approach to understanding motivation based on self-determination theor...

  6. Determinants of human resource investment in internal controls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Hag Choi

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Using the unique reporting environment in Korea, this study investigates the determinants of human resource investment in internal controls for 1352 listed firms disclosing the number of personnel who are in charge of internal control-related tasks (IC personnel from 2005 to 2008. We find that the number of IC personnel within a firm and several key departments increase with firm size, number of employees, complexity and for Chaebols, and decrease in rapidly growing firms. Additional analysis reveals that the factors influencing internal control systems have an accentuated effect on firms with relatively larger firm size.

  7. Mik1 levels accumulate in S phase and may mediate an intrinsic link between S phase and mitosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, P U; Bentley, N J; Martinho, R G

    2000-01-01

    is independent of the Rad3- and Cds1-dependent checkpoint controls. In response to perturbed S phase, Rad3-Cds1 checkpoint controls are required to maintain high levels of Mik1, probably indirectly by extending the S phase period, where Mik1 is stable. In addition, we find that Mik1 protein can be moderately...

  8. RPA mediates recombination repair during replication stress and is displaced from DNA by checkpoint signalling in human cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sleeth, Kate M; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard; Issaeva, Natalia

    2007-01-01

    The replication protein A (RPA) is involved in most, if not all, nuclear metabolism involving single-stranded DNA. Here, we show that RPA is involved in genome maintenance at stalled replication forks by the homologous recombination repair system in humans. Depletion of the RPA protein inhibited...... the formation of RAD51 nuclear foci after hydroxyurea-induced replication stalling leading to persistent unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). We demonstrate a direct role of RPA in homology directed recombination repair. We find that RPA is dispensable for checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) activation...... and that RPA directly binds RAD52 upon replication stress, suggesting a direct role in recombination repair. In addition we show that inhibition of Chk1 with UCN-01 decreases dissociation of RPA from the chromatin and inhibits association of RAD51 and RAD52 with DNA. Altogether, our data suggest a direct role...

  9. Is there a role for immune checkpoint blockade with ipilimumab in prostate cancer?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cha, Edward; Small, Eric J

    2013-01-01

    Treatment for advanced prostate cancer has and will continue to grow increasingly complex, owing to the introduction of multiple new therapeutic approaches with the potential to substantially improve outcomes for this disease. Agents that modulate the patient's immune system to fight prostate cancer – immunotherapeutics – are among the most exciting of these new approaches. The addition of antigen-specific immunotherapy to the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has paved the way for additional research that seeks to augment the activity of the immune system itself. The monoclonal antibody ipilimumab, approved in over 40 countries to treat advanced melanoma and currently under phase 2 and 3 investigation in prostate cancer, is thought to act by augmenting immune responses to tumors through blockade of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4, an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule. Ipilimumab has been studied in seven phase 1 and 2 clinical trials that evaluated various doses, schedules, and combinations across the spectrum of patients with advanced prostate cancer. The CRPC studies of ipilimumab to date suggest that the agent is active in prostate cancer as monotherapy or in combination with radiotherapy, docetaxel, or other immunotherapeutics, and that the adverse event profile is as expected given the safety data in advanced melanoma. The ongoing phase 3 program will further characterize the risk/benefit profile of ipilimumab in chemotherapy-naïve and -pretreated CRPC

  10. Self-Determination and American Indian Education: An Illusion of Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senese, Guy

    1986-01-01

    Self-determination and community control of education as envisioned in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 have been severely compromised, the author maintains. Flaws in the law and its administration are discussed. (MT)

  11. Epigenetic inactivation of CHFR in human tumors

    OpenAIRE

    Toyota, Minoru; Sasaki, Yasushi; Satoh, Ayumi; Ogi, Kazuhiro; Kikuchi, Takefumi; Suzuki, Hiromu; Mita, Hiroaki; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Itoh, Fumio; Issa, Jean-Pierre J.; Jair, Kam-Wing; Schuebel, Kornel E.; Imai, Kohzoh; Tokino, Takashi

    2003-01-01

    Cell-cycle checkpoints controlling the orderly progression through mitosis are frequently disrupted in human cancers. One such checkpoint, entry into metaphase, is regulated by the CHFR gene encoding a protein possessing forkhead-associated and RING finger domains as well as ubiquitin–ligase activity. Although defects in this checkpoint have been described, the molecular basis and prevalence of CHFR inactivation in human tumors are still not fully understood. To address this question, w...

  12. G2 checkpoint abrogator abates the antagonistic interaction between antimicrotubule drugs and radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sui Meihua; Zhang Hongfang; Di Xiaoyun; Chang Jinjia; Shen Youqing; Fan Weimin

    2012-01-01

    Background and purpose: We previously demonstrated that radiation may arrest tumor cells at G2 phase, which in turn prevents the cytotoxicity of antimicrotubule drugs and results in antagonistic interaction between these two modalities. Herein we tested whether G2 abrogators would attenuate the above antagonistic interaction and improve the therapeutic efficacy of combination therapy between radiation and antimicrotubule drugs. Materials and methods: Breast cancer BCap37 and epidermoid carcinoma KB cell lines were administered with radiation, UCN-01 (a model drug of G2 abrogator), paclitaxel or vincristine, alone or in combinations. The antitumor activities of single and combined treatments were analyzed by a series of cytotoxic, apoptotic, cell cycle, morphological and biochemical assays. Results: UCN-01 significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of radiation, antimitotic drugs, and their combined treatments in vitro. Further investigations demonstrated that UCN-01 attenuated radiation-induced G2 arrest, and subsequently repressed the inhibitory effect of radiation on drug-induced mitotic arrest and apoptosis. Conclusions: This is the first report demonstrating that G2 checkpoint abrogation represses the inhibitory effect of radiation on antimicrotubule drugs, which may be implicated in cancer combination therapy. Considering that G2 abrogators are under extensive evaluation for cancer treatment, our findings provide valuable information for this class of promising compounds.

  13. The Aurora-B-dependent NoCut checkpoint prevents damage of anaphase bridges after DNA replication stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral, Nuno; Vendrell, Alexandre; Funaya, Charlotta; Idrissi, Fatima-Zahra; Maier, Michael; Kumar, Arun; Neurohr, Gabriel; Colomina, Neus; Torres-Rosell, Jordi; Geli, María-Isabel; Mendoza, Manuel

    2016-05-01

    Anaphase chromatin bridges can lead to chromosome breakage if not properly resolved before completion of cytokinesis. The NoCut checkpoint, which depends on Aurora B at the spindle midzone, delays abscission in response to chromosome segregation defects in yeast and animal cells. How chromatin bridges are detected, and whether abscission inhibition prevents their damage, remain key unresolved questions. We find that bridges induced by DNA replication stress and by condensation or decatenation defects, but not dicentric chromosomes, delay abscission in a NoCut-dependent manner. Decatenation and condensation defects lead to spindle stabilization during cytokinesis, allowing bridge detection by Aurora B. NoCut does not prevent DNA damage following condensin or topoisomerase II inactivation; however, it protects anaphase bridges and promotes cellular viability after replication stress. Therefore, the molecular origin of chromatin bridges is critical for activation of NoCut, which plays a key role in the maintenance of genome stability after replicative stress.

  14. Cations analysis by controlled potential coulometry. Pt. 2. Zirconium and thorium determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harto Castano, A.; Sanchez Batanero, P.

    1982-01-01

    A controlled-potential coulometry method for determination of zirconium and thorium has been carried out. This method is based on the reduction of potassium ferricyanide in presence of zirconium and thorium ions in acidic media. Stoechiometric coefficients of the solid products have been determined by intensity-controlled coulometry and chemical analysis. Application range and accuracy of the coulometric method has been established and applied to determination of Zr(IV) and Th(IV) in ores [fr

  15. The fidelity of synaptonemal complex assembly is regulated by a signaling mechanism that controls early meiotic progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Nicola; Ferrandiz, Nuria; Barroso, Consuelo; Tognetti, Silvia; Lightfoot, James; Telecan, Oana; Encheva, Vesela; Faull, Peter; Hanni, Simon; Furger, Andre; Snijders, Ambrosius P; Speck, Christian; Martinez-Perez, Enrique

    2014-11-24

    Proper chromosome segregation during meiosis requires the assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC) between homologous chromosomes. However, the SC structure itself is indifferent to homology, and poorly understood mechanisms that depend on conserved HORMA-domain proteins prevent ectopic SC assembly. Although HORMA-domain proteins are thought to regulate SC assembly as intrinsic components of meiotic chromosomes, here we uncover a key role for nuclear soluble HORMA-domain protein HTP-1 in the quality control of SC assembly. We show that a mutant form of HTP-1 impaired in chromosome loading provides functionality of an HTP-1-dependent checkpoint that delays exit from homology search-competent stages until all homolog pairs are linked by the SC. Bypassing of this regulatory mechanism results in premature meiotic progression and licensing of homology-independent SC assembly. These findings identify nuclear soluble HTP-1 as a regulator of early meiotic progression, suggesting parallels with the mode of action of Mad2 in the spindle assembly checkpoint. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A plasma cell differentiation quality control ablates B cell clones with biallelic Ig rearrangements and truncated Ig production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srour, Nivine; Chemin, Guillaume; Tinguely, Aurélien; Ashi, Mohamad Omar; Oruc, Zéliha; Péron, Sophie; Sirac, Christophe; Cogné, Michel; Delpy, Laurent

    2016-01-11

    Aberrantly rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) alleles are frequent. They are usually considered sterile and innocuous as a result of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. However, alternative splicing can yield internally deleted proteins from such nonproductively V(D)J-rearranged loci. We show that nonsense codons from variable (V) Igκ exons promote exon-skipping and synthesis of V domain-less κ light chains (ΔV-κLCs). Unexpectedly, such ΔV-κLCs inhibit plasma cell (PC) differentiation. Accordingly, in wild-type mice, rearrangements encoding ΔV-κLCs are rare in PCs, but frequent in B cells. Likewise, enforcing expression of ΔV-κLCs impaired PC differentiation and antibody responses without disturbing germinal center reactions. In addition, PCs expressing ΔV-κLCs synthesize low levels of Ig and are mostly found among short-lived plasmablasts. ΔV-κLCs have intrinsic toxic effects in PCs unrelated to Ig assembly, but mediated by ER stress-associated apoptosis, making PCs producing ΔV-κLCs highly sensitive to proteasome inhibitors. Altogether, these findings demonstrate a quality control checkpoint blunting terminal PC differentiation by eliminating those cells expressing nonfunctionally rearranged Igκ alleles. This truncated Ig exclusion (TIE) checkpoint ablates PC clones with ΔV-κLCs production and exacerbated ER stress response. The TIE checkpoint thus mediates selection of long-lived PCs with limited ER stress supporting high Ig secretion, but with a cost in terms of antigen-independent narrowing of the repertoire. © 2016 Srour et al.

  17. Controlling Relations in Baseline Conditional Discriminations as Determinants of Stimulus Equivalence

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Rose, Julio C.; Hidalgo, Matheus; Vasconcellos, Mariliz

    2013-01-01

    Variation in baseline controlling relations is suggested as one of the factors determining variability in stimulus equivalence outcomes. This study used single- comparison trials attempting to control such controlling relations. Four children learned AB, BC, and CD conditional discriminations, with 2 samples and 2 comparison stimuli. In Condition…

  18. DETERMINATION OF BRAKING OPTIMAL MODE OF CONTROLLED CUT OF DESIGN GROUP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. S. Dorosh

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The application of automation systems of breaking up process on the gravity hump is the efficiency improvement of their operation, absolute provision of trains breaking up safety demands, as well as improvement of hump staff working conditions. One of the main tasks of the indicated systems is the assurance of cuts reliable separation at all elements of their rolling route to the classification track. This task is a sophisticated optimization problem and has not received a final decision. Therefore, the task of determining the cuts braking mode is quite relevant. The purpose of this research is to find the optimal braking mode of control cut of design group. Methodology. In order to achieve the purpose is offered to use the direct search methods in the work, namely the Box complex method. This method does not require smoothness of the objective function, takes into account its limitations and does not require calculation of the function derivatives, and uses only its value. Findings. Using the Box method was developed iterative procedure for determining the control cut optimal braking mode of design group. The procedure maximizes the smallest controlled time interval in the group. To evaluate the effectiveness of designed procedure the series of simulation experiments of determining the control cut braking mode of design group was performed. The results confirmed the efficiency of the developed optimization procedure. Originality. The author formalized the task of optimizing control cut braking mode of design group, taking into account the cuts separation of design group at all elements (switches, retarders during cuts rolling to the classification track. The problem of determining the optimal control cut braking mode of design group was solved. The developed braking mode ensures cuts reliable separation of the group not only at the switches but at the retarders of brake position. Practical value. The developed procedure can be

  19. Morphogenesis checkpoint kinase Swe1 is the executor of lipolysis-dependent cell-cycle progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauhan, Neha; Visram, Myriam; Cristobal-Sarramian, Alvaro; Sarkleti, Florian; Kohlwein, Sepp D

    2015-03-10

    Cell growth and division requires the precise duplication of cellular DNA content but also of membranes and organelles. Knowledge about the cell-cycle-dependent regulation of membrane and storage lipid homeostasis is only rudimentary. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that the breakdown of triacylglycerols (TGs) is regulated in a cell-cycle-dependent manner, by activation of the Tgl4 lipase by the major cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc28. The lipases Tgl3 and Tgl4 are required for efficient cell-cycle progression during the G1/S (Gap1/replication phase) transition, at the onset of bud formation, and their absence leads to a cell-cycle delay. We now show that defective lipolysis activates the Swe1 morphogenesis checkpoint kinase that halts cell-cycle progression by phosphorylation of Cdc28 at tyrosine residue 19. Saturated long-chain fatty acids and phytosphingosine supplementation rescue the cell-cycle delay in the Tgl3/Tgl4 lipase-deficient strain, suggesting that Swe1 activity responds to imbalanced sphingolipid metabolism, in the absence of TG degradation. We propose a model by which TG-derived sphingolipids are required to activate the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A(Cdc55)) to attenuate Swe1 phosphorylation and its inhibitory effect on Cdc28 at the G1/S transition of the cell cycle.

  20. A Framework for Collateral Risk Control Determination

    OpenAIRE

    Didier Cossin; Zhijiang Huang; Daniel Aunon-Nerin; Fer nando González

    2002-01-01

    This paper derives a general framework for collateral risk control determination in repurchase transactions or repos. The objective is to treat consistently heterogeneous collateral so that the collateral taker has a similar risk exposure whatever the collateral pledged. The framework measures the level of risk with the probability of incurring a loss higher than a pre-specified level given two well-known parameters used to manage the intrinsic risk of collateral: marking to market and haircu...

  1. Management of Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brahmer, Julie R; Lacchetti, Christina; Schneider, Bryan J; Atkins, Michael B; Brassil, Kelly J; Caterino, Jeffrey M; Chau, Ian; Ernstoff, Marc S; Gardner, Jennifer M; Ginex, Pamela; Hallmeyer, Sigrun; Holter Chakrabarty, Jennifer; Leighl, Natasha B; Mammen, Jennifer S; McDermott, David F; Naing, Aung; Nastoupil, Loretta J; Phillips, Tanyanika; Porter, Laura D; Puzanov, Igor; Reichner, Cristina A; Santomasso, Bianca D; Seigel, Carole; Spira, Alexander; Suarez-Almazor, Maria E; Wang, Yinghong; Weber, Jeffrey S; Wolchok, Jedd D; Thompson, John A

    2018-02-14

    Purpose To increase awareness, outline strategies, and offer guidance on the recommended management of immune-related adverse events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICPi) therapy. Methods A multidisciplinary, multi-organizational panel of experts in medical oncology, dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, pulmonology, endocrinology, urology, neurology, hematology, emergency medicine, nursing, trialist, and advocacy was convened to develop the clinical practice guideline. Guideline development involved a systematic review of the literature and an informal consensus process. The systematic review focused on guidelines, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and case series published from 2000 through 2017. Results The systematic review identified 204 eligible publications. Much of the evidence consisted of systematic reviews of observational data, consensus guidelines, case series, and case reports. Due to the paucity of high-quality evidence on management of immune-related adverse events, recommendations are based on expert consensus. Recommendations Recommendations for specific organ system-based toxicity diagnosis and management are presented. While management varies according to organ system affected, in general, ICPi therapy should be continued with close monitoring for grade 1 toxicities, with the exception of some neurologic, hematologic, and cardiac toxicities. ICPi therapy may be suspended for most grade 2 toxicities, with consideration of resuming when symptoms revert to grade 1 or less. Corticosteroids may be administered. Grade 3 toxicities generally warrant suspension of ICPis and the initiation of high-dose corticosteroids (prednisone 1 to 2 mg/kg/d or methylprednisolone 1 to 2 mg/kg/d). Corticosteroids should be tapered over the course of at least 4 to 6 weeks. Some refractory cases may require infliximab or other immunosuppressive therapy. In general, permanent discontinuation of ICPis is

  2. SUV2, which encodes an ATR-related cell cycle checkpoint and putative plant ATRIP, is required for aluminium-dependent root growth inhibition in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sjogren, Caroline A; Larsen, Paul B

    2017-09-01

    A suppressor mutagenesis screen was conducted in order to identify second site mutations that could reverse the extreme hypersensitivity to aluminium (Al) seen for the Arabidopsis mutant, als3-1. From this screen, it was found that a loss-of-function mutation in the previously described SUV2 (SENSITIVE TO UV 2), which encodes a putative plant ATRIP homologue that is a component of the ATR-dependent cell checkpoint response, reversed the als3-1 phenotype. This included prevention of hallmarks associated with als3-1 including Al-dependent terminal differentiation of the root tip and transition to endoreduplication. From this analysis, SUV2 was determined to be required for halting cell cycle progression and triggering loss of the quiescent centre (QC) following exposure to Al. In conjunction with this, SUV2 was found to have a similar role as ATR, ALT2 and SOG1 in Al-dependent stoppage of root growth, all of which are required for promotion of expression of a suite of genes that likely are part of an Al-dependent DNA damage transcriptional response. This work argues that these Al response factors work together to detect Al-dependent damage and subsequently activate a DNA damage response pathway that halts the cell cycle and subsequently promotes QC differentiation and entrance into endocycling. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Determination of the control rod worth for research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldama, D.L.; Gual, M.R.

    2000-01-01

    Nowadays there is a big interest in developing neutronic analysis methods for research reactor and particularly for the determination of the control rods worth under different operation conditions and core configurations. The reactivity associated with the control rods is of interest in the shutdown margin and in calculations of possible abnormal conditions related to reactivity accidents. For theses studies several computer codes have been developed. The present work is aimed at the validation of the calculation methods of the Nuclear Technology Center of Cuba. For this purpose, in order to evaluate the safety of this type of installations, the reactivity worth of the control rods of the cylindrical configuration of the Brazilian critical assembly IPEN/MB-01 is determined. These calculations, however, are a relatively complex task that requires the use of three-dimensional models. Because of this, the validation of the calculation methods used for this purpose is of great importance. In fact, it is one of the requirements called upon by the quality assurance programs for the development, maintenance and utilization of the calculation codes used in safety analysis. For the calculation of control rod worth the lattice code WIMS-D/4 [8] and the diffusion code SNAP-3D [9] were used. This work presents the obtained results and gives a comparison with the experimental values

  4. [Immune checkpoint inhibitors (antibodies to PD1 and PD-L1), a new therapeutic weapon against non-small cell bronchial carcinoma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berghmans, T; Grigoriu, B; Sculier, J P; Meert, A P

    2018-02-01

    Classical therapeutic strategy for advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, without activable oncogenic driver mutation, has been based mainly on cytotoxic chemotherapy with modest benefits in terms of increased survival. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the immune system led to the development of antibodies directed against immune checkpoints such as PD-L1. The first encouraging clinical data from phase I studies assessing anti-PD1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies have been confirmed in randomised phase III trials. These new drugs now constitute a standard second-line treatment for metastatic tumours and in the future, at least for pembrolizumab, in the first line. Their adjuvant role after locoregional treatment with curative intent is currently under investigation. Copyright © 2017 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Inhibition of clathrin by pitstop 2 activates the spindle assembly checkpoint and induces cell death in dividing HeLa cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smith Charlotte M

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background During metaphase clathrin stabilises the mitotic spindle kinetochore(K-fibres. Many anti-mitotic compounds target microtubule dynamics. Pitstop 2™ is the first small molecule inhibitor of clathrin terminal domain and inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We investigated its effects on a second function for clathrin in mitosis. Results Pitstop 2 did not impair clathrin recruitment to the spindle but disrupted its function once stationed there. Pitstop 2 trapped HeLa cells in metaphase through loss of mitotic spindle integrity and activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint, phenocopying clathrin depletion and aurora A kinase inhibition. Conclusions Pitstop 2 is therefore a new tool for investigating clathrin spindle dynamics. Pitstop 2 reduced viability in dividing HeLa cells, without affecting dividing non-cancerous NIH3T3 cells, suggesting that clathrin is a possible novel anti-mitotic drug target.

  6. Epigenetic inactivation of CHFR in human tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toyota, Minoru; Sasaki, Yasushi; Satoh, Ayumi; Ogi, Kazuhiro; Kikuchi, Takefumi; Suzuki, Hiromu; Mita, Hiroaki; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Itoh, Fumio; Issa, Jean-Pierre J; Jair, Kam-Wing; Schuebel, Kornel E; Imai, Kohzoh; Tokino, Takashi

    2003-06-24

    Cell-cycle checkpoints controlling the orderly progression through mitosis are frequently disrupted in human cancers. One such checkpoint, entry into metaphase, is regulated by the CHFR gene encoding a protein possessing forkhead-associated and RING finger domains as well as ubiquitin-ligase activity. Although defects in this checkpoint have been described, the molecular basis and prevalence of CHFR inactivation in human tumors are still not fully understood. To address this question, we analyzed the pattern of CHFR expression in a number of human cancer cell lines and primary tumors. We found CpG methylation-dependent silencing of CHFR expression in 45% of cancer cell lines, 40% of primary colorectal cancers, 53% of colorectal adenomas, and 30% of primary head and neck cancers. Expression of CHFR was precisely correlated with both CpG methylation and deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 in the CpG-rich regulatory region. Moreover, CpG methylation and thus silencing of CHFR depended on the activities of two DNA methyltransferases, DNMT1 and DNMT3b, as their genetic inactivation restored CHFR expression. Finally, cells with CHFR methylation had an intrinsically high mitotic index when treated with microtubule inhibitor. This means that cells in which CHFR was epigenetically inactivated constitute loss-of-function alleles for mitotic checkpoint control. Taken together, these findings shed light on a pathway by which mitotic checkpoint is bypassed in cancer cells and suggest that inactivation of checkpoint genes is much more widespread than previously suspected.

  7. Augmenting Plant Immune Responses and Biological Control by Microbial Determinants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sang Moo Lee

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Plant have developed sophisticated defence mechanisms against microbial pathogens. The recent accumulated information allow us to understand the nature of plant immune responses followed by recognition of microbial factors/determinants through cutting-edge genomics and multi-omics techniques. However, the practical approaches to sustain plant health using enhancement of plant immunity is yet to be fully appreciated. Here, we overviewed the general concept and representative examples on the plant immunity. The fungal, bacterial, and viral determinants that was previously reported as the triggers of plant immune responses are introduced and described as the potential protocol of biological control. Specifically, the role of chitin, glucan, lipopolysaccharides/extracellular polysaccharides, microbe/pathogen-associated molecular pattern, antibiotics, mimic-phytohormones, N-acyl homoserine lactone, harpin, vitamins, and volatile organic compounds are considered. We hope that this review stimulates scientific community and farmers to broaden their knowledge on the microbial determinant-based biological control and to apply the technology on the integrated pest management program.

  8. Self-Determination as a Moderator of Demands and Control: Implications for Employee Strain and Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Stacey L.; Jimmieson, Nerina L.; Amiot, Catherine E.

    2010-01-01

    Does job control act as a stress-buffer when employees' type and level of work self-determination is taken into account? It was anticipated that job control would only be stress-buffering for employees high in self-determined and low in non-self-determined work motivation. In contrast, job control would be stress-exacerbating for employees who…

  9. Lithologic and hydrologic controls of mixed alluvial-bedrock channels in flood-prone fluvial systems: bankfull and macrochannels in the Llano River watershed, central Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Frank T.; Hudson, Paul F.; Asquith, William H.

    2015-01-01

    The rural and unregulated Llano River watershed located in central Texas, USA, has a highly variable flow regime and a wide range of instantaneous peak flows. Abrupt transitions in surface lithology exist along the main-stem channel course. Both of these characteristics afford an opportunity to examine hydrologic, lithologic, and sedimentary controls on downstream changes in channel morphology. Field surveys of channel topography and boundary composition are coupled with sediment analyses, hydraulic computations, flood-frequency analyses, and geographic information system mapping to discern controls on channel geometry (profile, pattern, and shape) and dimensions along the mixed alluvial-bedrock Llano River and key tributaries. Four categories of channel classification in a downstream direction include: (i) uppermost ephemeral reaches, (ii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed channels in Cretaceous carbonate sedimentary zones, (iii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed or bedrock channels in Paleozoic sedimentary zones, and (iv) straight, braided, or multithread mixed alluvial–bedrock channels with sandy beds in Precambrian igneous and metamorphic zones. Principal findings include: (i) a nearly linear channel profile attributed to resistant bedrock incision checkpoints; (ii) statistically significant correlations of both alluvial sinuosity and valley confinement to relatively high f (mean depth) hydraulic geometry values; (iii) relatively high b (width) hydraulic geometry values in partly confined settings with sinuous channels upstream from a prominent incision checkpoint; (iv) different functional flow categories including frequently occurring events (< 1.5-year return periods) that mobilize channel-bed material and less frequent events that determine bankfull channel (1.5- to 3-year return periods) and macrochannel (10- to 40-year return periods) dimensions; (v) macrochannels with high f values (most ≤ 0.45) that develop at sites with unit stream power values in excess

  10. Determination of plutonium in nuclear fuel materials by controlled potential coulometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambolikar, A.S.; Pillai, Jisha S.; Sharma, M.K.; Kamat, J.V.; Aggarwal, S.K.

    2011-01-01

    Accurate knowledge of Pu content in nuclear fuel materials is an important requirement for the purpose of chemical quality control, nuclear material accounting and process control. Biamperometry and potentiometry techniques are widely employed for the determination of Pu. These redox electroanalytical based methods are capable of meeting the requirements of high accuracy and precision using milligram amounts of the analyte. However, use of chemical reagents to carry out redox reactions in these methodologies generates radioactive liquid waste which needs to be processed to recover plutonium. In coulometric technique, change in the oxidation state of an electro active species is carried out by charge transfer on an electrode surface, hence chemical reagents as well as chemical standards required for the redox titration based methods are eliminated and analytical waste generated is free from metallic impurities. Therefore the determination of Pu in nuclear fuel materials by coulometry is an attractive option. In view of this, controlled potential coulometric methods have been developed in our laboratory for variety of applications at different stages of nuclear fuel cycle. In the early stage of coulometry developments in our laboratory, coulometers procured from EG and G Princeton Applied Research Corporation were employed. After prolong use, these instruments were showing ageing and hence indigenously built controlled potential coulometer was procured. Performance evaluation studies of these coulometers were reported from our laboratory for the determination of uranium and plutonium in working chemical assay standards. In this paper, we present studies carried out on the determination of plutonium in Pu-alloy and (U, Pu) C samples employing the same indigenous coulometer

  11. Using Positive Deviance for Determining Successful Weight-Control Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuckey, Heather L.; Boan, Jarol; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.; Miller-Day, Michelle; Lehman, Erik B.; Sciamanna, Christopher N.

    2013-01-01

    Based on positive deviance (examining the practices of successful individuals), we identified five primary themes from 36 strategies that help to maintain long-term weight loss (weight control) in 61 people. We conducted in-depth interviews to determine what successful individuals did and/or thought about regularly to control their weight. The themes included weight-control practices related to (a) nutrition: increase water, fruit, and vegetable intake, and consistent meal timing and content; (b) physical activity: follow and track an exercise routine at least 3×/week; (c) restraint: practice restraint by limiting and/or avoiding unhealthy foods; (d) self-monitor: plan meals, and track calories/weight progress; and (e) motivation: participate in motivational programs and cognitive processes that affect weight-control behavior. Using the extensive data involving both the practices and practice implementation, we used positive deviance to create a comprehensive list of practices to develop interventions for individuals to control their weight. PMID:20956609

  12. Optimising measles virus-guided radiovirotherapy with external beam radiotherapy and specific checkpoint kinase 1 inhibition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Touchefeu, Yann; Khan, Aadil A.; Borst, Gerben; Zaidi, Shane H.; McLaughlin, Martin; Roulstone, Victoria; Mansfield, David; Kyula, Joan; Pencavel, Tim; Karapanagiotou, Eleni M.; Clayton, Jamie; Federspiel, Mark J.; Russell, Steve J.; Garrett, Michelle; Collins, Ian; Harrington, Kevin J.

    2013-01-01

    Background and purpose: We previously reported a therapeutic strategy comprising replication-defective NIS-expressing adenovirus combined with radioiodide, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and DNA repair inhibition. We have now evaluated NIS-expressing oncolytic measles virus (MV-NIS) combined with NIS-guided radioiodide, EBRT and specific checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibition in head and neck and colorectal models. Materials and methods: Anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects of individual agents and their combinations were measured by MTS, clonogenic and Western analysis. Viral gene expression was measured by radioisotope uptake and replication by one-step growth curves. Potential synergistic interactions were tested in vitro by Bliss independence analysis and in in vivo therapeutic studies. Results: EBRT and MV-NIS were synergistic in vitro. Furthermore, EBRT increased NIS expression in infected cells. SAR-020106 was synergistic with EBRT, but also with MV-NIS in HN5 cells. MV-NIS mediated 131 I-induced cytotoxicity in HN5 and HCT116 cells and, in the latter, this was enhanced by SAR-020106. In vivo studies confirmed that MV-NIS, EBRT and Chk1 inhibition were effective in HCT116 xenografts. The quadruplet regimen of MV-NIS, virally-directed 131 I, EBRT and SAR-020106 had significant anti-tumour activity in HCT116 xenografts. Conclusion: This study strongly supports translational and clinical research on MV-NIS combined with radiation therapy and radiosensitising agents

  13. Inhibition of CDK7 bypasses spindle assembly checkpoint via premature cyclin B degradation during oocyte meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, HaiYang; Jo, Yu-Jin; Sun, Tian-Yi; Namgoong, Suk; Cui, Xiang-Shun; Oh, Jeong Su; Kim, Nam-Hyung

    2016-12-01

    To ensure accurate chromosome segregation, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) delays anaphase onset by preventing the premature activation of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) until all kinetochores are attached to the spindle. Although an escape from mitosis in the presence of unsatisfied SAC has been shown in several cancer cells, it has not been reported in oocyte meiosis. Here, we show that CDK7 activity is required to prevent a bypass of SAC during meiosis I in mouse oocytes. Inhibition of CDK7 using THZ1 accelerated the first meiosis, leading to chromosome misalignment, lag of chromosomes during chromosome segregation, and a high incidence of aneuploidy. Notably, this acceleration occurred in the presence of SAC proteins including Mad2 and Bub3 at the kinetochores. However, inhibition of APC/C-mediated cyclin B degradation blocked the THZ1-induced premature polar body extrusion. Moreover, chromosomal defects mediated by THZ1 were rescued when anaphase onset was delayed. Collectively, our results show that CDK7 activity is required to prevent premature anaphase onset by suppressing the bypass of SAC, thus ensuring chromosome alignment and proper segregation. These findings reveal new roles of CDK7 in the regulation of meiosis in mammalian oocytes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Histone dosage regulates DNA damage sensitivity in a checkpoint-independent manner by the homologous recombination pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Dun; Burkhart, Sarah Lyn; Singh, Rakesh Kumar; Kabbaj, Marie-Helene Miquel; Gunjan, Akash

    2012-01-01

    In eukaryotes, multiple genes encode histone proteins that package genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and regulate its accessibility. Because of their positive charge, ‘free’ (non-chromatin associated) histones can bind non-specifically to the negatively charged DNA and affect its metabolism, including DNA repair. We have investigated the effect of altering histone dosage on DNA repair in budding yeast. An increase in histone gene dosage resulted in enhanced DNA damage sensitivity, whereas deletion of a H3–H4 gene pair resulted in reduced levels of free H3 and H4 concomitant with resistance to DNA damaging agents, even in mutants defective in the DNA damage checkpoint. Studies involving the repair of a HO endonuclease-mediated DNA double-strand break (DSB) at the MAT locus show enhanced repair efficiency by the homologous recombination (HR) pathway on a reduction in histone dosage. Cells with reduced histone dosage experience greater histone loss around a DSB, whereas the recruitment of HR factors is concomitantly enhanced. Further, free histones compete with the HR machinery for binding to DNA and associate with certain HR factors, potentially interfering with HR-mediated repair. Our findings may have important implications for DNA repair, genomic stability, carcinogenesis and aging in human cells that have dozens of histone genes. PMID:22850743

  15. Exposure to methyl tert-butyl ether, benzene, and total hydrocarbons at the Singapore-Malaysia causeway immigration checkpoint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, C.; Ong, H.Y.; Kok, P.W. [and others

    1996-12-31

    The primary aim of this study was to determine the extent and levels of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automobile emissions in a group of immigration officers at a busy cross-border checkpoint. A majority (80%) of the workers monitored were exposed to benzene at levels between 0.01 and 0.5 ppm, with only 1.2% exceeding the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration occupational exposure limit of 1 ppm. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of 8-hr time-weighted average exposure were 0.03 ppm, 0.9 ppm, and 2.46 ppm for methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), benzene, and total hydrocarbons (THC), respectively. The highest time-weighted average concentrations measured were 1.05 ppm for MTBE, 2.01 ppm for benzene, and 34 ppm for THC. It was found that motorbikes emitted a more significant amount of pollutants compared with motor cars. On average, officers at the motorcycle booths were exposed to four to five times higher levels of VOCs (GMs of 0.07 ppm, 0.23 ppm, and 4.7 ppm for MTBE, benzene, and THC) than their counterparts at the motor car booths (GMs of 0.01 ppm, 0.05 ppm, and 1.5 ppm). The airborne concentrations of all three pollutants correlated with the flow of vehicle traffic. Close correlations were also noted for the concentrations in ambient air for the three pollutants measured. Benzene and MTBE had a correlation coefficient of 0.97. The overall findings showed that the concentrations of various VOCs were closely related to the traffic density, suggesting that they were from a common source, such as exhaust emissions from the vehicles. The results also indicated that although benzene, MTBE, and THC are known to be volatile, a significant amount could still be detected in the ambient environment, thus contributing to our exposure to these compounds. 4 refs., 6 figs.

  16. AE-C attitude determination and control prelaunch analysis and operations plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werking, R. D.; Headrick, R. D.; Manders, C. F.; Woolley, R. D.

    1973-01-01

    A description of attitude control support being supplied by the Mission and Data Operations Directorate is presented. Included are descriptions of the computer programs being used to support the missions for attitude determination, prediction, and control. In addition, descriptions of the operating procedures which will be used to accomplish mission objectives are provided.

  17. Comparison of checkpoint responses triggered by DNA polymerase inhibition versus DNA damaging agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, J.-S.; Kuo, S.-R.; Melendy, Thomas

    2003-01-01

    To better understand the different cellular responses to replication fork pausing versus blockage, early DNA damage response markers were compared after treatment of cultured mammalian cells with agents that either inhibit DNA polymerase activity (hydroxyurea (HU) or aphidicolin) or selectively induce S-phase DNA damage responses (the DNA alkylating agents, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and adozelesin). These agents were compared for their relative abilities to induce phosphorylation of Chk1, H2AX, and replication protein A (RPA), and intra-nuclear focalization of γ-H2AX and RPA. Treatment by aphidicolin and HU resulted in phosphorylation of Chk1, while HU, but not aphidicolin, induced focalization of γ-H2AX and RPA. Surprisingly, pre-treatment with aphidicolin to stop replication fork progression, did not abrogate HU-induced γ-H2AX and RPA focalization. This suggests that HU may act on the replication fork machinery directly, such that fork progression is not required to trigger these responses. The DNA-damaging fork-blocking agents, adozelesin and MMS, both induced phosphorylation and focalization of H2AX and RPA. Unlike adozelesin and HU, the pattern of MMS-induced RPA focalization did not match the BUdR incorporation pattern and was not blocked by aphidicolin, suggesting that MMS-induced damage is not replication fork-dependent. In support of this, MMS was the only reagent used that did not induce phosphorylation of Chk1. These results indicate that induction of DNA damage checkpoint responses due to adozelesin is both replication fork and fork progression dependent, induction by HU is replication fork dependent but progression independent, while induction by MMS is independent of both replication forks and fork progression

  18. Comparison of checkpoint responses triggered by DNA polymerase inhibition versus DNA damaging agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, J.-S.; Kuo, S.-R.; Melendy, Thomas

    2003-11-27

    To better understand the different cellular responses to replication fork pausing versus blockage, early DNA damage response markers were compared after treatment of cultured mammalian cells with agents that either inhibit DNA polymerase activity (hydroxyurea (HU) or aphidicolin) or selectively induce S-phase DNA damage responses (the DNA alkylating agents, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and adozelesin). These agents were compared for their relative abilities to induce phosphorylation of Chk1, H2AX, and replication protein A (RPA), and intra-nuclear focalization of {gamma}-H2AX and RPA. Treatment by aphidicolin and HU resulted in phosphorylation of Chk1, while HU, but not aphidicolin, induced focalization of {gamma}-H2AX and RPA. Surprisingly, pre-treatment with aphidicolin to stop replication fork progression, did not abrogate HU-induced {gamma}-H2AX and RPA focalization. This suggests that HU may act on the replication fork machinery directly, such that fork progression is not required to trigger these responses. The DNA-damaging fork-blocking agents, adozelesin and MMS, both induced phosphorylation and focalization of H2AX and RPA. Unlike adozelesin and HU, the pattern of MMS-induced RPA focalization did not match the BUdR incorporation pattern and was not blocked by aphidicolin, suggesting that MMS-induced damage is not replication fork-dependent. In support of this, MMS was the only reagent used that did not induce phosphorylation of Chk1. These results indicate that induction of DNA damage checkpoint responses due to adozelesin is both replication fork and fork progression dependent, induction by HU is replication fork dependent but progression independent, while induction by MMS is independent of both replication forks and fork progression.

  19. Social Welfare Control in Mobile Crowdsensing Using Zero-Determinant Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Qin; Wang, Shengling; Bie, Rongfang; Cheng, Xiuzhen

    2017-05-03

    As a promising paradigm, mobile crowdsensing exerts the potential of widespread sensors embedded in mobile devices. The greedy nature of workers brings the problem of low-quality sensing data, which poses threats to the overall performance of a crowdsensing system. Existing works often tackle this problem with additional function components. In this paper, we systematically formulate the problem into a crowdsensing interaction process between a requestor and a worker, which can be modeled by two types of iterated games with different strategy spaces. Considering that the low-quality data submitted by the workers can reduce the requestor's payoff and further decrease the global income, we turn to controlling the social welfare in the games. To that aim, we take advantage of zero-determinant strategy, based on which we propose two social welfare control mechanisms under both game models. Specifically, we consider the requestor as the controller of the games and, with proper parameter settings for the to-be-adopted zero-determinant strategy, social welfare can be optimized to the desired level no matter what strategy the worker adopts. Simulation results demonstrate that the requestor can achieve the maximized social welfare and keep it stable by using our proposed mechanisms.

  20. The determination of capital controls: Which role do exchange rate regimes play?

    OpenAIRE

    von Hagen, Jürgen; Zhou, Jizhong

    2003-01-01

    This paper investigates the role of exchange rate regime choices in the determination of capital controls in transition economies. We first use a simultaneous equations model to allow direct interactions between decisions on capital controls and on exchange rate regimes. We find that exchange rate regime choices strongly influence the imposition or removal of capital controls, but the feed-back effect is weak. We further estimate a single equation model for capital controls with exchange rate...

  1. Dietary flavonoid fisetin induces a forced exit from mitosis by targeting the mitotic spindle checkpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmela, Anna-Leena; Pouwels, Jeroen; Varis, Asta; Kukkonen, Anu M.; Toivonen, Pauliina; Halonen, Pasi K.; Perälä, Merja; Kallioniemi, Olli; Gorbsky, Gary J.; Kallio, Marko J.

    2009-01-01

    Fisetin is a natural flavonol present in edible vegetables, fruits and wine at 2–160 μg/g concentrations and an ingredient in nutritional supplements with much higher concentrations. The compound has been reported to exert anticarcinogenic effects as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity via its ability to act as an inhibitor of cell proliferation and free radical scavenger, respectively. Our cell-based high-throughput screen for small molecules that override chemically induced mitotic arrest identified fisetin as an antimitotic compound. Fisetin rapidly compromised microtubule drug-induced mitotic block in a proteasome-dependent manner in several human cell lines. Moreover, in unperturbed human cancer cells fisetin caused premature initiation of chromosome segregation and exit from mitosis without normal cytokinesis. To understand the molecular mechanism behind these mitotic errors, we analyzed the consequences of fisetin treatment on the localization and phoshorylation of several mitotic proteins. Aurora B, Bub1, BubR1 and Cenp-F rapidly lost their kinetochore/centromere localization and others became dephosphorylated upon addition of fisetin to the culture medium. Finally, we identified Aurora B kinase as a novel direct target of fisetin. The activity of Aurora B was significantly reduced by fisetin in vitro and in cells, an effect that can explain the observed forced mitotic exit, failure of cytokinesis and decreased cell viability. In conclusion, our data propose that fisetin perturbs spindle checkpoint signaling, which may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of the compound. PMID:19395653

  2. How to determine control of growth rate in a chemostat. Using metabolic control analysis to resolve the paradox

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Snoep, Jacky L.; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal; Groeneveld, Philip

    1994-01-01

    how, paradoxically, one can determine control of growth rate, of growth yield and of other fluxes in a chemostat. We develop metabolic control analysis for the chemostat. this analysis does not depend on the particular way in which specific growth rate varies with the concentration of the growth...

  3. MO-FG-BRA-04: Leveraging the Abscopal Effect Via New Design Radiotherapy Biomaterials Loaded with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, Y; Cifter, G; Altundal, Y; Moreau, M; Sajo, E [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Sinha, N [Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA (United States); Makrigiorgos, G [Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (United States); Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Ngwa, W [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (United States); Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Studies show that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of a primary tumor in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) could Result in an immune-mediated regression of metastasis outside the radiation field, a phenomenon known as abscopal effect. However toxicities due to repeated systematic administration of ICI have been shown to be a major obstacle in clinical trials. Towards overcoming these toxicity limitations, we investigate a potential new approach whereby the ICI are administered via sustained in-situ release from radiotherapy (RT) biomaterials (e.g. fiducials) coated with a polymer containing the ICI. Methods: New design RT biomaterials were prepared by coating commercially available spacers/fiducials with a biocompatible polymer (PLGA) film containing fluorescent nanoparticles of size needed to load the ICI. The release of the nanoparticles was investigated in-vitro. Meanwhile, an experimentally determined in- vivo nanoparticle diffusion coefficient was employed in analytic calculations based on Fick’s second law to estimate the time for achieving the concentrations of ICI in the tumor draining lymph node (TDLN) that are needed to engender the abscopal effect during SBRT. The ICI investigated here was anti-CTLA-4 antibody (ipilimumab) at approved FDA concentrations. Results: Our in -vitro study results showed that RT biomaterials could be designed to achieve burst release of nanoparticles within one day. Meanwhile, our calculations indicate that for a 2 to 4 cm tumor it would take 4–22 days, respectively, following burst release, for the required concentration of ICI nanoparticles to accumulate in the TDLN during SBRT. Conclusion: Current investigations combining RT and immunotherapy involve repeated intravenous administration of ICI leading to significant systemic toxicities. Our preliminary results highlight a potential new approach for sustained in-situ release of the ICI from new design RT biomaterials. These results

  4. MO-FG-BRA-04: Leveraging the Abscopal Effect Via New Design Radiotherapy Biomaterials Loaded with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao, Y; Cifter, G; Altundal, Y; Moreau, M; Sajo, E; Sinha, N; Makrigiorgos, G; Ngwa, W

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Studies show that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of a primary tumor in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) could Result in an immune-mediated regression of metastasis outside the radiation field, a phenomenon known as abscopal effect. However toxicities due to repeated systematic administration of ICI have been shown to be a major obstacle in clinical trials. Towards overcoming these toxicity limitations, we investigate a potential new approach whereby the ICI are administered via sustained in-situ release from radiotherapy (RT) biomaterials (e.g. fiducials) coated with a polymer containing the ICI. Methods: New design RT biomaterials were prepared by coating commercially available spacers/fiducials with a biocompatible polymer (PLGA) film containing fluorescent nanoparticles of size needed to load the ICI. The release of the nanoparticles was investigated in-vitro. Meanwhile, an experimentally determined in- vivo nanoparticle diffusion coefficient was employed in analytic calculations based on Fick’s second law to estimate the time for achieving the concentrations of ICI in the tumor draining lymph node (TDLN) that are needed to engender the abscopal effect during SBRT. The ICI investigated here was anti-CTLA-4 antibody (ipilimumab) at approved FDA concentrations. Results: Our in -vitro study results showed that RT biomaterials could be designed to achieve burst release of nanoparticles within one day. Meanwhile, our calculations indicate that for a 2 to 4 cm tumor it would take 4–22 days, respectively, following burst release, for the required concentration of ICI nanoparticles to accumulate in the TDLN during SBRT. Conclusion: Current investigations combining RT and immunotherapy involve repeated intravenous administration of ICI leading to significant systemic toxicities. Our preliminary results highlight a potential new approach for sustained in-situ release of the ICI from new design RT biomaterials. These results

  5. Accuracy Investigation of Creating Orthophotomaps Based on Images Obtained by Applying Trimble-UX5 UAV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hlotov, Volodymyr; Hunina, Alla; Siejka, Zbigniew

    2017-06-01

    The main purpose of this work is to confirm the possibility of making largescale orthophotomaps applying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Trimble- UX5. A planned altitude reference of the studying territory was carried out before to the aerial surveying. The studying territory has been marked with distinctive checkpoints in the form of triangles (0.5 × 0.5 × 0.2 m). The checkpoints used to precise the accuracy of orthophotomap have been marked with similar triangles. To determine marked reference point coordinates and check-points method of GNSS in real-time kinematics (RTK) measuring has been applied. Projecting of aerial surveying has been done with the help of installed Trimble Access Aerial Imaging, having been used to run out the UX5. Aerial survey out of the Trimble UX5 UAV has been done with the help of the digital camera SONY NEX-5R from 200m and 300 m altitude. These aerial surveying data have been calculated applying special photogrammetric software Pix 4D. The orthophotomap of the surveying objects has been made with its help. To determine the precise accuracy of the got results of aerial surveying the checkpoint coordinates according to the orthophotomap have been set. The average square error has been calculated according to the set coordinates applying GNSS measurements. A-priori accuracy estimation of spatial coordinates of the studying territory using the aerial surveying data have been calculated: mx=0.11 m, my=0.15 m, mz=0.23 m in the village of Remeniv and mx=0.26 m, my=0.38 m, mz=0.43 m in the town of Vynnyky. The accuracy of determining checkpoint coordinates has been investigated using images obtained out of UAV and the average square error of the reference points. Based on comparative analysis of the got results of the accuracy estimation of the made orthophotomap it can be concluded that the value the average square error does not exceed a-priori accuracy estimation. The possibility of applying Trimble UX5 UAV for making large

  6. Ermenilerin Kontrol Noktası: İskenderun Limanı Alexandretta Port - Checkpoint For Armenians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naim ÜRKMEZ

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The period of Yavuz Sultan Selim and the Ottoman Empire’s entering Alexandretta until the first half of the 19th century had identity of a very small village. Right to the end of the century, the industry revolution’s impact and trading goods’ large amount of transport means gained importance starting especially in the city of Aleppo and then in one of South Anatolia’s natural ports as of the day the preliminary plan came out. After the 1890’s the increase of Armenian activities in Anatolia and the outbreak of revolts in many other places parallel the Ottoman government’s large forces’ involvement to prevent and be able to keep Armenian rebels under control, taking various measures. Abdul Hamid II started under this negative initiative; the Sultan tried to resist in various ways. From these measures in any of the provinces of Aleppo, Mamuretülaziz, Adana, Kayseri, Bitlis, Van, Diyarbekir, or Erzurum, Armenians living in the diaspora and connecting supplier port, as in Alexandretta, have a checkpoint facility. Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s direction of the facility is seen at the checkpoint from the dock outside rising or Anatolia geography’s various residential areas incoming Armenian travelers often reserved monthly lists. In addition to this, England in the grip of Cyprus was able to check Armenians’ entries into Anatolia set by a weapons and bombs training field. It is understood that this matter is elaborated on further in books prepared from lists. These books will come to light with the acceleration of the classification of records. Yavuz Sultan Selim döneminde Osmanlı hâkimiyetine giren İskenderun, 19. yüzyılın ilk yarısına kadar çok küçük bir köy hüviyetinde kalmıştır. Yüzyılın sonuna doğru sanayi devriminin etkisi ve ticari emtianın çokça taşınması vesilesi ile önem kazanmaya başlayan şehir özellikle Halep ve ardı ile Güney Anadolu’nun doğal bir limanı olarak gün geçtikçe ön plana

  7. Determination of dilution and quality control of total and anti ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To determine the correct dilution and Quality control commercial ELISA of total and anti-measles antibodies for HIV infected pregnant women. Design: A laboratory based study. Setting: The University of Nairobi, Department of Paediatrics laboratory. Subjects: HIV infected pregnant women enrolled and exposed to ...

  8. Adaptive online state-of-charge determination based on neuro-controller and neural network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen Yanqing, E-mail: network_hawk@126.co [Department of Automation, Chongqing Industry Polytechnic College, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing 400050 (China)

    2010-05-15

    This paper presents a novel approach using adaptive artificial neural network based model and neuro-controller for online cell State of Charge (SOC) determination. Taking cell SOC as model's predictive control input unit, radial basis function neural network, which can adjust its structure to prediction error with recursive least square algorithm, is used to simulate battery system. Besides that, neuro-controller based on Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and modified PID controller is used to decide the control input of battery system, i.e., cell SOC. Finally this algorithm is applied for the SOC determination of lead-acid batteries, and results of lab tests on physical cells, compared with model prediction, are presented. Results show that the ANN based battery system model adaptively simulates battery system with great accuracy, and the predicted SOC simultaneously converges to the real value quickly within the error of +-1 as time goes on.

  9. Persistence of the cell-cycle checkpoint kinase Wee1 in SadA- and SadB-deficient neurons disrupts neuronal polarity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Myriam; Lutter, Daniela; Püschel, Andreas W

    2010-01-15

    Wee1 is well characterized as a cell-cycle checkpoint kinase that regulates the entry into mitosis in dividing cells. Here we identify a novel function of Wee1 in postmitotic neurons during the establishment of distinct axonal and dendritic compartments, which is an essential step during neuronal development. Wee1 is expressed in unpolarized neurons but is downregulated after neurons have extended an axon. Suppression of Wee1 impairs the formation of minor neurites but does not interfere with axon formation. However, neuronal polarity is disrupted when neurons fail to downregulate Wee1. The kinases SadA and SadB (Sad kinases) phosphorylate Wee1 and are required to initiate its downregulation in polarized neurons. Wee1 expression persists in neurons that are deficient in SadA and SadB and disrupts neuronal polarity. Knockdown of Wee1 rescues the Sada(-/-);Sadb(-/-) mutant phenotype and restores normal polarity in these neurons. Our results demonstrate that the regulation of Wee1 by SadA and SadB kinases is essential for the differentiation of polarized neurons.

  10. Design, dynamics and control of an Adaptive Singularity-Free Control Moment Gyroscope actuator for microspacecraft Attitude Determination and Control System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, Sasi Prabhakaran

    how they lead to CMG singularities, are described. General ideas on control of the angular momentum of the spacecraft using changes in the momentum variables of a finite number of ASCMGs, are provided. Control schemes for agile and precise attitude maneuvers using ASCMG cluster in the absence of external torques and when the total angular momentum of the spacecraft is zero, is presented for both constant speed and variable speed modes. A Geometric Variational Integrator (GVI) that preserves the geometry of the state space and the conserved norm of the total angular momentum is constructed for numerical simulation and microcontroller implementation of the control scheme. The GVI is obtained by discretizing the Lagrangian of the rnultibody systems, in which the rigid body attitude is globally represented on the Lie group of rigid body rotations. Hardware and software architecture of a novel spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) based on commercial smartphones and a bare minimum hardware prototype of an ASCMG using low cost COTS components is also described. A lightweight, dynamics model-free Variational Attitude Estimator (VAE) suitable for smartphone implementation is employed for attitude determination and the attitude control is performed by ASCMG actuators. The VAE scheme presented here is implemented and validated onboard an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platform and the real time performance is analyzed. On-board sensing, data acquisition, data uplink/downlink, state estimation and real-time feedback control objectives can be performed using this novel spacecraft ADCS. The mechatronics realization of the attitude determination through variational attitude estimation scheme and control implementation using ASCMG actuators are presented here. Experimental results of the attitude estimation (filtering) scheme using smartphone sensors as an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) on the Hardware In the Loop (HIL) simulator testbed are given. These

  11. FEEDBACK AND LOGISTICS CONTROLLING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehesne Berek Szilvia

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The following things led to that the feedback, the supervision and improvement of the processes have become more pronounced: continuous rise in the importance of logistics; increase in complexity of its content; its activity becoming more complex. These activities are necessary for the optimum information supply. The intensification of market competition requires the corporations to possess exact and up-to-date information about their activities. Complexity of the logistics system presumes a parallel application of an effective feedback, supervision and management system simultaneously with the given logistics system. The indispensability of logistics is also proved by the fact that it can be found sporadically (in the form of logistics departments or in a complex way in case of each organization. The logistical approach means a huge support in the management since it contains the complexity, the handling as a unit in order to ensure a harmony of the different corporate departments and part activities. In addition to the professional application of a logistics system, there is an opportunity to coordinate the relations inside an organization as well as between the organizations and to handle them as a unit. The sine qua non of the success of logistical processes is a harmony of the devices applied. The controlling system is a device for feeding back the processes of a corporate system. By means of the checkpoints intercalated into the processes, the logistics controlling provides information for the leadership which contributes even more to the complex approach of logistics system. By dint of the logistics controlling, the monitoring and coordination of every logistical part activity become possible with the help of information supply ensured by the logistics controlling. The logistics controlling reviews, assesses and coordinates; these activities have an effect on the cost and income management. Its reason is to be searched in the built

  12. Altered mitochondrial quality control signaling in muscle of old gastric cancer patients with cachexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marzetti, Emanuele; Lorenzi, Maria; Landi, Francesco; Picca, Anna; Rosa, Fausto; Tanganelli, Fabiana; Galli, Marco; Doglietto, Giovanni Battista; Pacelli, Fabio; Cesari, Matteo; Bernabei, Roberto; Calvani, Riccardo; Bossola, Maurizio

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in the loss of muscle featuring both aging and cancer cachexia (CC). Whether mitochondrial quality control (MQC) is altered in skeletal myocytes of old patients with CC is unclear. The present investigation therefore sought to preliminarily characterize MQC pathways in muscle of old gastric cancer patients with cachexia. The study followed a case-control cross-sectional design. Intraoperative biopsies of the rectus abdominis muscle were obtained from 18 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (nine with CC and nine non-cachectic) and nine controls, and assayed for the expression of a set of MQC mediators. The mitofusin 2 expression was reduced in cancer patients compared with controls, independent of CC. Fission protein 1 was instead up-regulated in CC patients relative to the other groups. The mitophagy regulators PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 and Parkin were both down-regulated in cancer patients compared with controls. The ratio between the protein content of the lipidated and non-lipidated forms of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B was lower in CC patients relative to controls and non-cachectic cancer patients. Finally, the expression of autophagy-associated protein 7, lysosome-associated membrane protein 2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, and mitochondrial transcription factor A was unvarying among groups. Collectively, our findings indicate that, in old patients with gastric cancer, cachexia is associated with derangements of the muscular MQC axis at several checkpoints: mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial tagging for disposal, and mitophagy signaling. Further investigations are needed to corroborate these preliminary findings and determine whether MQC pathways may become target for future interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Determination of an Optimal Control Strategy for a Generic Surface Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-18

    TERMS Autonomous Vehicles Boundary Value Problem Dynamic Programming Surface Vehicles Optimal Control Path Planning 16...to follow prescribed motion trajectories. In particular, for autonomous vehicles , this motion trajectory is given by the determination of the

  14. Requirement of the Mre11 complex and exonuclease 1 for activation of the Mec1 signaling pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakada, Daisuke; Hirano, Yukinori; Sugimoto, Katsunori

    2004-11-01

    The large protein kinases, ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM-Rad3-related (ATR), orchestrate DNA damage checkpoint pathways. In budding yeast, ATM and ATR homologs are encoded by TEL1 and MEC1, respectively. The Mre11 complex consists of two highly related proteins, Mre11 and Rad50, and a third protein, Xrs2 in budding yeast or Nbs1 in mammals. The Mre11 complex controls the ATM/Tel1 signaling pathway in response to double-strand break (DSB) induction. We show here that the Mre11 complex functions together with exonuclease 1 (Exo1) in activation of the Mec1 signaling pathway after DNA damage and replication block. Mec1 controls the checkpoint responses following UV irradiation as well as DSB induction. Correspondingly, the Mre11 complex and Exo1 play an overlapping role in activation of DSB- and UV-induced checkpoints. The Mre11 complex and Exo1 collaborate in producing long single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) tails at DSB ends and promote Mec1 association with the DSBs. The Ddc1-Mec3-Rad17 complex associates with sites of DNA damage and modulates the Mec1 signaling pathway. However, Ddc1 association with DSBs does not require the function of the Mre11 complex and Exo1. Mec1 controls checkpoint responses to stalled DNA replication as well. Accordingly, the Mre11 complex and Exo1 contribute to activation of the replication checkpoint pathway. Our results provide a model in which the Mre11 complex and Exo1 cooperate in generating long ssDNA tracts and thereby facilitate Mec1 association with sites of DNA damage or replication block.

  15. 75 FR 37453 - Notice of Issuance of Final Determination Concerning Dimmer and Fan Speed Switch Controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-29

    ... Determination Concerning Dimmer and Fan Speed Switch Controls AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection... country of origin of certain dimmer and fan speed switch controls which may be offered to the United... determination CBP concluded that Mexico is the country of origin of the dimmer and fan speed switch controls for...

  16. Feedback Control of Sex Determination by Dosage Compensation Revealed through Caenorhabditis Elegans Sdc-3 Mutations

    OpenAIRE

    DeLong, L.; Plenefisch, J. D.; Klein, R. D.; Meyer, B. J.

    1993-01-01

    In Caenorhabditis elegans, sex determination and dosage compensation are coordinately controlled through a group of genes that respond to the primary sex determination signal. Here we describe a new gene, sdc-3, that also controls these processes. In contrast to previously described genes, the sex determination and dosage compensation activities of sdc-3 are separately mutable, indicating that they function independently. Paradoxically, the sdc-3 null phenotype fails to reveal the role of sdc...

  17. The accuracy of survival time prediction for patients with glioma is improved by measuring mitotic spindle checkpoint gene expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Bie

    Full Text Available Identification of gene expression changes that improve prediction of survival time across all glioma grades would be clinically useful. Four Affymetrix GeneChip datasets from the literature, containing data from 771 glioma samples representing all WHO grades and eight normal brain samples, were used in an ANOVA model to screen for transcript changes that correlated with grade. Observations were confirmed and extended using qPCR assays on RNA derived from 38 additional glioma samples and eight normal samples for which survival data were available. RNA levels of eight major mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC genes (BUB1, BUB1B, BUB3, CENPE, MAD1L1, MAD2L1, CDC20, TTK significantly correlated with glioma grade and six also significantly correlated with survival time. In particular, the level of BUB1B expression was highly correlated with survival time (p<0.0001, and significantly outperformed all other measured parameters, including two standards; WHO grade and MIB-1 (Ki-67 labeling index. Measurement of the expression levels of a small set of SAC genes may complement histological grade and other clinical parameters for predicting survival time.

  18. The Feasibility and Safety of Surgery in Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra W. Elias

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI are revolutionizing care for cancer patients. The list of malignancies for which the Food and Drug Administration is granting approval is rapidly increasing. Furthermore, there is a concomitant increase in clinical trials incorporating ICI. However, the safety of ICI in patients undergoing surgery remains unclear. Herein, we assessed the safety of ICI in the perioperative setting at a single center. We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent planned surgery while receiving ICI in the perioperative setting from 2012 to 2016. We collected 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality utilizing the Clavien–Dindo classification system. We identified 17 patients who received perioperative ICI in 22 operations. Patients were diagnosed with melanoma (n = 14, renal cell carcinoma (n = 2, and urothelial carcinoma (n = 1. Therapies included pembrolizumab (n = 10, ipilimumab (n = 5, atezolizumab (n = 5, and ipilimumab/nivolumab (n = 2. Procedures included cutaneous/subcutaneous resection (n = 6, lymph node resection (n = 5, small bowel resection (n = 5, abdominal wall resection (n = 3, other abdominal surgery (n = 3, orthopedic surgery (n = 1, hepatic resection (n = 1, and neurosurgery (n = 2. There were no Grade III–IV Clavien–Dindo complications. There was one death secondary to ventricular fibrillation in the setting of coronary artery disease. ICI appear safe in the perioperative setting, involving multiple different types of surgery, and likely do not need to be stopped in the perioperative setting. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

  19. Indoor Smartphone Navigation Using a Combination of Wi-Fi and Inertial Navigation with Intelligent Checkpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofer, H.; Retscher, G.

    2017-09-01

    For Wi-Fi positioning location fingerprinting is one of the most commonly employed localization technique. To achieve an acceptable level of positioning accuracy on the few meter level, i.e., to provide at least room resolution in buildings, such an approach is very labour consuming as it requires a high density of reference points. Thus, the novel approach developed aims at a significant reduction of workload for the training phase. The basic idea is to intelligently choose waypoints along possible users' trajectories in the indoor environment. These waypoints are termed intelligent checkpoints (iCPs) and serve as reference points for the fingerprinting localization approach. They are selected along the trajectories in such a way that they define a logical sequence with their ascending order. Thereby, the iCPs are located, for instance, at doors at entrances to buildings, rooms, along corridors, etc., or in low density along the trajectory to provide a suitable absolute user localization. Continuous positioning between these iCPs is obtained with the help of the smartphones' inertial sensors. While walking along a selected trajectory to the destination a dynamic recognition of the iCPs is performed and the drift of the inertial sensors is reduced as the iCP recognition serves as absolute position update. Conducted experiments in a multi-storey office building have shown that positioning accuracy of around 2.0 m are achievable which goes along with a reduction of workload by three quarter using this novel approach. The iCP concept and performance are presented and demonstrated in this paper.

  20. Taxifolin enhances andrographolide-induced mitotic arrest and apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells via spindle assembly checkpoint activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhong Rong Zhang

    Full Text Available Andrographolide (Andro suppresses proliferation and triggers apoptosis in many types of cancer cells. Taxifolin (Taxi has been proposed to prevent cancer development similar to other dietary flavonoids. In the present study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of the addition of Andro alone and Andro and Taxi together on human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells were assessed. Andro inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation by mitotic arrest and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Although the effect of Taxi alone on DU145 cell proliferation was not significant, the combined use of Taxi with Andro significantly potentiated the anti-proliferative effect of increased mitotic arrest and apoptosis by enhancing the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase, and caspases-7 and -9. Andro together with Taxi enhanced microtubule polymerization in vitro, and they induced the formation of twisted and elongated spindles in the cancer cells, thus leading to mitotic arrest. In addition, we showed that depletion of MAD2, a component in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC, alleviated the mitotic block induced by the two compounds, suggesting that they trigger mitotic arrest by SAC activation. This study suggests that the anti-cancer activity of Andro can be significantly enhanced in combination with Taxi by disrupting microtubule dynamics and activating the SAC.

  1. Taxifolin Enhances Andrographolide-Induced Mitotic Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Prostate Cancer Cells via Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Matthew Man-Kin; Chiu, Sung-Kay; Cheung, Hon-Yeung

    2013-01-01

    Andrographolide (Andro) suppresses proliferation and triggers apoptosis in many types of cancer cells. Taxifolin (Taxi) has been proposed to prevent cancer development similar to other dietary flavonoids. In the present study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of the addition of Andro alone and Andro and Taxi together on human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells were assessed. Andro inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation by mitotic arrest and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Although the effect of Taxi alone on DU145 cell proliferation was not significant, the combined use of Taxi with Andro significantly potentiated the anti-proliferative effect of increased mitotic arrest and apoptosis by enhancing the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and caspases-7 and -9. Andro together with Taxi enhanced microtubule polymerization in vitro, and they induced the formation of twisted and elongated spindles in the cancer cells, thus leading to mitotic arrest. In addition, we showed that depletion of MAD2, a component in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), alleviated the mitotic block induced by the two compounds, suggesting that they trigger mitotic arrest by SAC activation. This study suggests that the anti-cancer activity of Andro can be significantly enhanced in combination with Taxi by disrupting microtubule dynamics and activating the SAC. PMID:23382917

  2. A Novel Low-Overhead Recovery Approach for Distributed Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Gupta

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We have addressed the complex problem of recovery for concurrent failures in distributed computing environment. We have proposed a new approach in which we have effectively dealt with both orphan and lost messages. The proposed checkpointing and recovery approaches enable each process to restart from its recent checkpoint and hence guarantee the least amount of recomputation after recovery. It also means that a process needs to save only its recent local checkpoint. In this regard, we have introduced two new ideas. First, the proposed value of the common checkpointing interval is such that it enables an initiator process to log the minimum number of messages sent by each application process. Second, the determination of the lost messages is always done a priori by an initiator process; besides it is done while the normal distributed application is running. This is quite meaningful because it does not delay the recovery approach in any way.

  3. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of motif N from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dbf4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, Lindsay A.; Duong, Andrew; Prasad, Ajai A.; Duncker, Bernard P.; Guarné, Alba

    2009-01-01

    To understand the role of the Cdc7–Dbf4 complex in checkpoint responses, a fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dbf4 encompassing motif N was isolated, overproduced and crystallized. The Cdc7–Dbf4 complex plays an instrumental role in the initiation of DNA replication and is a target of replication-checkpoint responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cdc7 is a conserved serine/threonine kinase whose activity depends on association with its regulatory subunit, Dbf4. A conserved sequence near the N-terminus of Dbf4 (motif N) is necessary for the interaction of Cdc7–Dbf4 with the checkpoint kinase Rad53. To understand the role of the Cdc7–Dbf4 complex in checkpoint responses, a fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dbf4 encompassing motif N was isolated, overproduced and crystallized. A complete native data set was collected at 100 K from crystals that diffracted X-rays to 2.75 Å resolution and structure determination is currently under way

  4. Current Diagnosis and Management of Immune Related Adverse Events (irAEs Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivek Kumar

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The indications of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs are set to rise further with the approval of newer agent like atezolimumab for use in patients with advanced stage urothelial carcinoma. More frequent use of ICIs has improved our understanding of their unique side effects, which are known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs. The spectrum of irAEs has expanded beyond more common manifestations such as dermatological, gastrointestinal and endocrine effects to rarer presentations involving nervous, hematopoietic and urinary systems. There are new safety data accumulating on ICIs in patients with previously diagnosed autoimmune conditions. It is challenging for clinicians to continuously update their working knowledge to diagnose and manage these events successfully. If diagnosed timely, the majority of events are completely reversible, and temporary immunosuppression with glucocorticoids, infliximab or other agents is warranted only in the most severe grade illnesses. The same principles of management will possibly apply as newer anti- cytotoxic T lymphocytes-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4 and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies are introduced. The current focus of research is for prophylaxis and for biomarkers to predict the onset of these toxicities. In this review we summarize the irAEs of ICIs and emphasize their growing spectrum and their management algorithms, to update oncology practitioners.

  5. A semi-physical simulation platform of attitude determination and control system for satellite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanjin Yu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available A semi-physical simulation platform for attitude determination and control system is proposed to verify the attitude estimator and controller on ground. A simulation target, a host PC, many attitude sensors, and actuators compose the simulation platform. The simulation target is composed of a central processing unit board with VxWorks operating system and many input/output boards connected via Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect bus. The executable programs in target are automatically generated from the simulation models in Simulink based on Real-Time Workshop of MATLAB. A three-axes gyroscope, a three-axes magnetometer, a sun sensor, a star tracer, three flywheels, and a Global Positioning System receiver are connected to the simulation target, which formulates the attitude control cycle of a satellite. The simulation models of the attitude determination and control system are described in detail. Finally, the semi-physical simulation platform is used to demonstrate the availability and rationality of the control scheme of a micro-satellite. Comparing the results between the numerical simulation in Simulink and the semi-physical simulation, the semi-physical simulation platform is available and the control scheme successfully achieves three-axes stabilization.

  6. Chromatin compaction by condensin I, intra-kinetochore stretch and tension, and anaphase onset, in collective spindle assembly checkpoint interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsson, Leif

    2014-01-01

    The control mechanism in mitosis and meiosis by which cells decide to inhibit or allow segregation, the so-called spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), increases the fidelity of chromosome segregation. It acts like a clockwork mechanism which measures time in units of stable attachments of microtubules (MTs) to kinetochores (the order parameter). Stable MT–kinetochore attachments mediate poleward forces and ‘unstable’ attachments, acting alone or together with motor proteins on kinetochores via chromosomes, antipoleward forces. Stable and unstable attachments could be separated, and the non-equilibrium integrated MT mediated force acting on stably attached kinetochores was derived in a collective interaction (Matsson 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 502101), in which kinetochores were treated as rigid protein complexes. As forces and tension in that model became equally distributed in all bioriented sister chromatid (SC) pairs, segregation was inhibited without need of a ‘wait-anaphase’ signal. In this generalization, the kinetochore is divided into an inner chromatin proximal complex and an outer MT proximal complex, and the integrated MT mediated force is divided into an integrated poleward and an integrated antipoleward force. The model also describes the collective interaction of condensin I with chromatin, which together with the MT mediated dynamics yields the putative in vivo tension in kinetochores and centromeric and pericentromeric chromatin, as a non-linear function of the order parameter. Supported by the compaction force and an increased stiffness in chromatin towards the end of metaphase, the two opposing integrated MT mediated poleward forces, together with metaphase oscillations, induce a swift and synchronized anaphase onset by first increasing the intra-kinetochore stretch. This increase lowers the SAC energy threshold, making a cleavage by separase of all cohesin tethering SC pairs in anaphase energetically possible, thereby reducing the

  7. Determination of curve 1/M profile as a function of control rod bank position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, Valmir; Martinez, Aquilino Senra; Silva, Fernando Carvalho da

    2002-01-01

    Determination of the subcritical multiplication curve profile (1/M) as a function of control rod bank position is of paramount importance to the development of a system which allows to foresee and also anticipate determination of criticality of a PWR reactor core. This work aims at determining this profile. For that, the 3D- two group-diffusion equations for a subcritical PWR reactor core with external neutron source is solved for different control rod bank positions. Results obtained are compared with the results from the corresponding eigenvalue problem, in order to verify how the external neutron source interferes with the reactor criticality search. (author)

  8. DUBbing Cancer: Deubiquitylating Enzymes Involved in Epigenetics, DNA Damage and the Cell Cycle As Therapeutic Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto-Fernandez, Adan; Kessler, Benedikt M

    2016-01-01

    Controlling cell proliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancer. A number of critical checkpoints ascertain progression through the different stages of the cell cycle, which can be aborted when perturbed, for instance by errors in DNA replication and repair. These molecular checkpoints are regulated by a number of proteins that need to be present at the right time and quantity. The ubiquitin system has emerged as a central player controlling the fate and function of such molecules such as cyclins, oncogenes and components of the DNA repair machinery. In particular, proteases that cleave ubiquitin chains, referred to as deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), have attracted recent attention due to their accessibility to modulation by small molecules. In this review, we describe recent evidence of the critical role of DUBs in aspects of cell cycle checkpoint control, associated DNA repair mechanisms and regulation of transcription, representing pathways altered in cancer. Therefore, DUBs involved in these processes emerge as potentially critical targets for the treatment of not only hematological, but potentially also solid tumors.

  9. DUBbing cancer: Deubiquitylating enzymes involved in epigenetics, DNA damage and the cell cycle as therapeutic targets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benedikt M Kessler

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Controlling cell proliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancer. A number of critical checkpoints ascertain progression through the different stages of the cell cycle, which can be aborted when perturbed, for instance by errors in DNA replication and repair. These molecular checkpoints are regulated by a number of proteins that need to be present at the right time and quantity. The ubiquitin system has emerged as a central player controlling the fate and function of such molecules such as cyclins, oncogenes and components of the DNA repair machinery. In particular, proteases that cleave ubiquitin chains, referred to as deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs, have attracted recent attention due to their accessibility to modulation by small molecules. In this review, we describe recent evidence of the critical role of DUBs in aspects of cell cycle checkpoint control, associated DNA repair mechanisms and regulation of transcription, representing pathways altered in cancer. Therefore, DUBs involved in these processes emerge as potentially critical targets for the treatment of not only hematological, but potentially also solid tumors.

  10. Possibilities and limits of the reactivity determination of control rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buenemann, D.

    1975-01-01

    Basic physical facts of the reactivity determination of control rods are presented. A survey of currrently applied methods is given, and the drawbacks of the various methods are pointed out. Special problems are presented by the interpretation of highly subcritical assemblies which are not really important in practical reactor operation but desirable for a consistant comparison between theory and experiments. (orig./AK) [de

  11. Determination of acceleration for belt conveyor speed control in transient operation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    He, D.; Pang, Y.; Lodewijks, G.

    2016-01-01

    Speed control has been found a feasible mean to reduce the energy consumption of belt conveyors. However, the current research has not taken the determination of the acceleration in transient operation into account sufficiently. With respect to the belt tension rating, demanded safety factor and the

  12. A New Dual-purpose Quality Control Dosimetry Protocol for Diagnostic Reference-level Determination in Computed Tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohrabi, Mehdi; Parsi, Masoumeh; Sina, Sedigheh

    2018-05-17

    A diagnostic reference level is an advisory dose level set by a regulatory authority in a country as an efficient criterion for protection of patients from unwanted medical exposure. In computed tomography, the direct dose measurement and data collection methods are commonly applied for determination of diagnostic reference levels. Recently, a new quality-control-based dose survey method was proposed by the authors to simplify the diagnostic reference-level determination using a retrospective quality control database usually available at a regulatory authority in a country. In line with such a development, a prospective dual-purpose quality control dosimetry protocol is proposed for determination of diagnostic reference levels in a country, which can be simply applied by quality control service providers. This new proposed method was applied to five computed tomography scanners in Shiraz, Iran, and diagnostic reference levels for head, abdomen/pelvis, sinus, chest, and lumbar spine examinations were determined. The results were compared to those obtained by the data collection and quality-control-based dose survey methods, carried out in parallel in this study, and were found to agree well within approximately 6%. This is highly acceptable for quality-control-based methods according to International Atomic Energy Agency tolerance levels (±20%).

  13. COMPLEMENTARY SEX DETERMINATION IN HYMENOPTERAN PARASITOIDS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WUZhishan; KeithR.Hopper; PaulJ.Ode; RogerW.Fuester; CHENJia-hua; GeorgeE.Heimpel

    2003-01-01

    In haplodiploid Hymenoptera, unfertilized eggs produce haploid males while fertilized eggs lead to diploid females under most circumstances. Diploid males can also be produced from fertilization under a system of sex determination known as complementary sex determination (CSD). Under single-locus CSD, sex is determined by multiple alleles at a single sex locus. Individuals heterozygous at the sex locus are female while hemizygous and homozygous individuals develop as haploid and diploid males, respectively. In multiple-locus CSD, two or more loci, each with two or more alleles, determine sex. Diploid individuals are female if one or more sex loci are het-erozygous, while a diploid is male only if homozygous at all sex loci. Diploid males are known to occur in 43 hym-enopteran species and single-locus CSD has been demonstrated in 22 of these species. Diploid males are either developmentally inviable or sterile, so their production constitutes a genetic load. Because diploid male production is more likely under inbreeding, CSD is a form of inbreeding depression. It is crucial to preserve the diversity of sex alleles and reduce the loss of genetic variation in biological control. In the parasitoid species with single-locus CSD, certain precautionary procedures can prevent negative effects of single-locus CSD on biological control.

  14. The feasibility of using neural networks for determination of control rod elevation in a PWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garis, N.S.; Temesvari, E.; Pazsit, I.

    1996-08-01

    This paper presents the results of a preliminary study on using neural networks for determination of the axial position of control rods in PWRs. The method is based on the dependence of the axial flux profile on control rod elevation in a reactor. This flux profile can be measured by e.g. a moveable detector in an operating plant. However, in this preliminary study the flux profile is only calculated using an advanced core code for several axial positions of a partially inserted control rod. The calculated fluxes with corresponding positions of the control rod are used for training a neural network. Using the trained network it is then possible to determine the unknown axial position of a control rod elevation from the corresponding axial flux profile. 10 refs

  15. Improvement of Antitumor Therapies Based on Vaccines and Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors by Counteracting Tumor-Immunostimulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Chiarella

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Immune-checkpoint inhibitors and antitumor vaccines may produce both tumor-inhibitory and tumor-stimulatory effects on growing tumors depending on the stage of tumor growth at which treatment is initiated. These paradoxical results are not necessarily incompatible with current tumor immunology but they might better be explained assuming the involvement of the phenomenon of tumor immunostimulation. This phenomenon was originally postulated on the basis that the immune response (IR evoked in Winn tests by strong chemical murine tumors was not linear but biphasic, with strong IR producing inhibition and weak IR inducing stimulation of tumor growth. Herein, we extended those former observations to weak spontaneous murine tumors growing in pre-immunized, immune-competent and immune-depressed mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the interaction of specifical T cells and target tumor cells at low stimulatory ratios enhanced the production of chemokines aimed to recruit macrophages at the tumor site, which, upon activation of toll-like receptor 4 and p38 signaling pathways, would recruit and activate more macrophages and other inflammatory cells which would produce growth-stimulating signals leading to an accelerated tumor growth. On this basis, the paradoxical effects achieved by immunological therapies on growing tumors could be explained depending upon where the therapy-induced IR stands on the biphasic IR curve at each stage of tumor growth. At stages where tumor growth was enhanced (medium and large-sized tumors, counteraction of the tumor-immunostimulatory effect with anti-inflammatory strategies or, more efficiently, with selective inhibitors of p38 signaling pathways enabled the otherwise tumor-promoting immunological strategies to produce significant inhibition of tumor growth.

  16. Differential immune microenvironments and response to immune checkpoint blockade amongst molecular subtypes of murine medulloblastoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Christina D.; Flores, Catherine; Yang, Changlin; Pinheiro, Elaine M.; Yearley, Jennifer H.; Sayour, Elias J.; Pei, Yanxin; Moore, Colin; McLendon, Roger E.; Huang, Jianping; Sampson, John H.; Wechsler-Reya, Robert; Mitchell, Duane A.

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE Despite significant strides in the identification and characterization of potential therapeutic targets for medulloblastoma (MB), the role of the immune system and its interplay with the tumor microenvironment within these tumors are poorly understood. To address this, we adapted two syngeneic animal models of human Sonic Hedgehog (SHH)-driven and Group 3 MB for preclinical evaluation in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. METHODS AND RESULTS Multicolor flow cytometric analyses were used to phenotype and characterize immune infiltrating cells within established cerebellar tumors. We observed significantly higher percentages of dendritic cells, infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid derived suppressor cells and tumor-associated macrophages in murine SHH model tumors compared with Group 3 tumors. However, murine Group 3 tumors had higher percentages of CD8+ PD-1+ T cells within the CD3 population. PD-1 blockade conferred superior antitumor efficacy in animals bearing intracranial Group 3 tumors compared to SHH group tumors, indicating that immunologic differences within the tumor microenvironment can be leveraged as potential targets to mediate antitumor efficacy. Further analysis of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody localization revealed binding to PD-1+ peripheral T cells, but not tumor infiltrating lymphocytes within the brain tumor microenvironment. Peripheral PD-1 blockade additionally resulted in a marked increase in CD3+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS This is the first immunologic characterization of preclinical models of molecular subtypes of MB and demonstration that response to immune checkpoint blockade differs across subtype classification. Our findings also suggest that effective anti-PD-1 blockade does not require that systemically administered antibodies penetrate the brain tumor microenvironment. PMID:26405194

  17. Regulation of cell cycle checkpoint kinase WEE1 by miR-195 in malignant melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharya, A; Schmitz, U; Wolkenhauer, O; Schönherr, M; Raatz, Y; Kunz, M

    2013-06-27

    WEE1 kinase has been described as a major gate keeper at the G2 cell cycle checkpoint and to be involved in tumour progression in different malignant tumours. Here we analysed the expression levels of WEE1 in a series of melanoma patient samples and melanoma cell lines using immunoblotting, quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. WEE1 expression was significantly downregulated in patient samples of metastatic origin as compared with primary melanomas and in melanoma cell lines of high aggressiveness as compared with cell lines of low aggressiveness. Moreover, there was an inverse correlation between the expression of WEE1 and WEE1-targeting microRNA miR-195. Further analyses showed that transfection of melanoma cell lines with miR-195 indeed reduced WEE1 mRNA and protein expression in these cells. Reporter gene analysis confirmed direct targeting of the WEE1 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) by miR-195. Overexpression of miR-195 in SK-Mel-28 melanoma cells was accompanied by WEE1 reduction and significantly reduced stress-induced G2-M cell cycle arrest, which could be restored by stable overexpression of WEE1. Moreover, miR-195 overexpression and WEE1 knockdown, respectively, increased melanoma cell proliferation. miR-195 overexpression also enhanced migration and invasiveness of melanoma cells. Taken together, the present study shows that WEE1 expression in malignant melanoma is directly regulated by miR-195. miR-195-mediated downregulation of WEE1 in metastatic lesions may help to overcome cell cycle arrest under stress conditions in the local tissue microenvironment to allow unrestricted growth of tumour cells.

  18. Differential Immune Microenvironments and Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade among Molecular Subtypes of Murine Medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Christina D; Flores, Catherine; Yang, Changlin; Pinheiro, Elaine M; Yearley, Jennifer H; Sayour, Elias J; Pei, Yanxin; Moore, Colin; McLendon, Roger E; Huang, Jianping; Sampson, John H; Wechsler-Reya, Robert; Mitchell, Duane A

    2016-02-01

    Despite significant strides in the identification and characterization of potential therapeutic targets for medulloblastoma, the role of the immune system and its interplay with the tumor microenvironment within these tumors are poorly understood. To address this, we adapted two syngeneic animal models of human Sonic Hedgehog (SHH)-driven and group 3 medulloblastoma for preclinical evaluation in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. Multicolor flow cytometric analyses were used to phenotype and characterize immune infiltrating cells within established cerebellar tumors. We observed significantly higher percentages of dendritic cells, infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and tumor-associated macrophages in murine SHH model tumors compared with group 3 tumors. However, murine group 3 tumors had higher percentages of CD8(+) PD-1(+) T cells within the CD3 population. PD-1 blockade conferred superior antitumor efficacy in animals bearing intracranial group 3 tumors compared with SHH group tumors, indicating that immunologic differences within the tumor microenvironment can be leveraged as potential targets to mediate antitumor efficacy. Further analysis of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody localization revealed binding to PD-1(+) peripheral T cells, but not tumor infiltrating lymphocytes within the brain tumor microenvironment. Peripheral PD-1 blockade additionally resulted in a marked increase in CD3(+) T cells within the tumor microenvironment. This is the first immunologic characterization of preclinical models of molecular subtypes of medulloblastoma and demonstration that response to immune checkpoint blockade differs across subtype classification. Our findings also suggest that effective anti-PD-1 blockade does not require that systemically administered antibodies penetrate the brain tumor microenvironment. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  19. Method of determining remedial control actions for a power system in an insecure state

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    A method of determining remedial control actions for a power system in an insecure and unstable operating condition is provided. The power system has a plurality of generators injecting power into a network and each generator has a generator injection impedance and a stability boundary in the inj......A method of determining remedial control actions for a power system in an insecure and unstable operating condition is provided. The power system has a plurality of generators injecting power into a network and each generator has a generator injection impedance and a stability boundary...

  20. High rate of complete responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma previously exposed to epigenetic therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo Falchi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Options for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL after brentuximab vedotin (Bv and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT are limited. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI are active in this population but rarely induce complete response (CR. Ten patients with R/R cHL after ASCT and Bv received pembrolizumab (n = 8 or nivolumab (n = 2. Five had been previously exposed to 5-azacitidine on a phase 1 study. Among nine evaluable patients, seven (78% achieved CR, one partial response, and one reduction of tumor burden. All five patients who had received 5-azacitidine prior to ICI achieved CR, while only two of four who did not receive prior 5-azacitidine achieved CR. At a median follow-up of 9.9 months [0.5–14.3], eight patients are alive and five are still receiving treatment. We documented an unprecedented CR rate after ICI in patients with R/R cHL. We hypothesize that hypomethylating agents might have an immune priming effect and enhance the efficacy of ICI.

  1. DNA damage response and spindle assembly checkpoint function throughout the cell cycle to ensure genomic integrity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine S Lawrence

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Errors in replication or segregation lead to DNA damage, mutations, and aneuploidies. Consequently, cells monitor these events and delay progression through the cell cycle so repair precedes division. The DNA damage response (DDR, which monitors DNA integrity, and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC, which responds to defects in spindle attachment/tension during metaphase of mitosis and meiosis, are critical for preventing genome instability. Here we show that the DDR and SAC function together throughout the cell cycle to ensure genome integrity in C. elegans germ cells. Metaphase defects result in enrichment of SAC and DDR components to chromatin, and both SAC and DDR are required for metaphase delays. During persistent metaphase arrest following establishment of bi-oriented chromosomes, stability of the metaphase plate is compromised in the absence of DDR kinases ATR or CHK1 or SAC components, MAD1/MAD2, suggesting SAC functions in metaphase beyond its interactions with APC activator CDC20. In response to DNA damage, MAD2 and the histone variant CENPA become enriched at the nuclear periphery in a DDR-dependent manner. Further, depletion of either MAD1 or CENPA results in loss of peripherally associated damaged DNA. In contrast to a SAC-insensitive CDC20 mutant, germ cells deficient for SAC or CENPA cannot efficiently repair DNA damage, suggesting that SAC mediates DNA repair through CENPA interactions with the nuclear periphery. We also show that replication perturbations result in relocalization of MAD1/MAD2 in human cells, suggesting that the role of SAC in DNA repair is conserved.

  2. Low-Dose Radiation Cataract and Genetic Determinants of Radiosensitivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kleiman, Norman Jay [Columbia University

    2013-11-30

    The lens of the eye is one of the most radiosensitive tissues in the body. Ocular ionizing radiation exposure results in characteristic, dose related, progressive lens changes leading to cataract formation. While initial, early stages of lens opacification may not cause visual disability, the severity of such changes progressively increases with dose until vision is impaired and cataract extraction surgery may be required. Because of the transparency of the eye, radiation induced lens changes can easily be followed non-invasively over time. Thus, the lens provides a unique model system in which to study the effects of low dose ionizing radiation exposure in a complex, highly organized tissue. Despite this observation, considerable uncertainties remain surrounding the relationship between dose and risk of developing radiation cataract. For example, a growing number of human epidemiological findings suggest significant risk among various groups of occupationally and accidentally exposed individuals and confidence intervals that include zero dose. Nevertheless, questions remain concerning the relationship between lens opacities, visual disability, clinical cataract, threshold dose and/or the role of genetics in determining radiosensitivity. Experimentally, the response of the rodent eye to radiation is quite similar to that in humans and thus animal studies are well suited to examine the relationship between radiation exposure, genetic determinants of radiosensitivity and cataractogenesis. The current work has expanded our knowledge of the low-dose effects of X-irradiation or high-LET heavy ion exposure on timing and progression of radiation cataract and has provided new information on the genetic, molecular, biochemical and cell biological features which contribute to this pathology. Furthermore, findings have indicated that single and/or multiple haploinsufficiency for various genes involved in DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint control, such as Atm, Brca1 or Rad9

  3. Radiation-induced genetic instability: no association with changes in radiosensitivity or cell cycle checkpoints in C3H 10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crompton, N.E.A.; Emery, G.C.; Shi Yuquan; Sigg, M.; Blattmann, H.

    1998-01-01

    We investigated various phenotypic characteristics of radiation-induced morphologically transformed C3H 10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts. The cells were treated with 8 Gy x-rays, and type II/III foci were isolated. Cell lines were developed from these foci, and subsequently clones were established from these focal lines. The clones were examined for DNA content, radiosensitivity and inducible cell cycle arrests. Besides the morphological changes associated with the transformed state, the major difference between the isolated focal lines or derived clones and the parental C3H 10T1/2 line was one of ploidy. The transformed cells often displayed aneuploid and multiple polyploid populations. No change in the radiosensitivity of the transformed cells was observed. Furthermore, the two major radiation- and staurosporine-induced G1 and G2 cell cycle arrests observed in the parental cell line were also observed in the morphological transformants, suggesting that checkpoint function was normal. (orig.)

  4. Social status determinants of control in individuals' accounts of their mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Erin J; Kroska, Amy

    2002-09-01

    We examine the determinants of patients' accounts of their own mental illness. In particular, we examine the factors that affect the likelihood of attributing one's own mental illness to controllable factors rather than non-controllable factors. Our quantitative measure of attributional control is derived from the coding of in-depth interviews with people with severe mental illness seeking treatment for the first time (N = 144). We find that those who occupy positions of social disadvantage (particularly African-American males and those who receive public assistance) are less likely to attribute their illness to controllable sources, suggesting that personal mental illness attributions are systematically related to a person's social location. We outline the significance of these findings for research on the psychological consequences of mental illness attributions.

  5. Determinants of Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Case-Control Study in Gedaref State, Sudan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabienne Nackers

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Improving knowledge on local determinants of visceral leishmaniasis (VL is crucial to guide the development of relevant control strategies. This study aimed to identify individual and household level determinants of primary VL in 24 highly endemic villages of Tabarak Allah hospital's catchment area, Gedaref State, Sudan.From September 2012 to July 2013, in an unmatched case-control design, 198 patients with primary VL were compared to 801 controls free of VL symptoms and with a negative VL rapid test. Using random spatial sampling, controls were selected with a distribution of age, sex and village of residence proportionate to the distribution of the target population. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire.Children and men were at higher risk of VL. Reporting VL patient(s in the household in the previous year was the strongest VL risk factor. In a multivariate analysis, VL risk increased with household size, sleep location (outside the yard, not in the farm, evening outdoor activities in the rainy season (playing, watching TV, radio listening, use of ground nut oil as animal repellent and of smoke of Acacia seyal as indoor repellent, presence of dogs in the yard at night, Acacia nilotica in the yard's immediate surroundings and of a forest at eye range. VL risk appeared to decrease with the use of drinking water sources other than the village water tank, a buffer distance from the adjacent house yard, and with the presence of animals other than dogs in the yard at night. In contrast with previous studies, housing factors, mosquito-net use, black cotton soil, ethnicity, socioeconomic index, presence of Balanites aegyptica and Azadirachta indica in the yard were not independent VL determinants.Although these results do not provide evidence of causality, they provide useful suggestions for guiding further intervention studies on VL preventive measures.

  6. A comprehensive complex systems approach to the study and analysis of mammalian cell cycle control system in the presence of DNA damage stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abroudi, Ali; Samarasinghe, Sandhya; Kulasiri, Don

    2017-09-21

    Not many models of mammalian cell cycle system exist due to its complexity. Some models are too complex and hard to understand, while some others are too simple and not comprehensive enough. Moreover, some essential aspects, such as the response of G1-S and G2-M checkpoints to DNA damage as well as the growth factor signalling, have not been investigated from a systems point of view in current mammalian cell cycle models. To address these issues, we bring a holistic perspective to cell cycle by mathematically modelling it as a complex system consisting of important sub-systems that interact with each other. This retains the functionality of the system and provides a clearer interpretation to the processes within it while reducing the complexity in comprehending these processes. To achieve this, we first update a published ODE mathematical model of cell cycle with current knowledge. Then the part of the mathematical model relevant to each sub-system is shown separately in conjunction with a diagram of the sub-system as part of this representation. The model sub-systems are Growth Factor, DNA damage, G1-S, and G2-M checkpoint signalling. To further simplify the model and better explore the function of sub-systems, they are further divided into modules. Here we also add important new modules of: chk-related rapid cell cycle arrest, p53 modules expanded to seamlessly integrate with the rapid arrest module, Tyrosine phosphatase modules that activate Cyc_Cdk complexes and play a crucial role in rapid and delay arrest at both G1-S and G2-M, Tyrosine Kinase module that is important for inactivating nuclear transport of CycB_cdk1 through Wee1 to resist M phase entry, Plk1-Related module that is crucial in activating Tyrosine phosphatases and inactivating Tyrosine kinase, and APC-Related module to show steps in CycB degradation. This multi-level systems approach incorporating all known aspects of cell cycle allowed us to (i) study, through dynamic simulation of an ODE model

  7. Determination Of Adaptive Control Parameter Using Fuzzy Logic Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omur Can Ozguney

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The robot industry has developed along with the increasing the use of robots in industry. This has led to increase the studies on robots. The most important part of these studies is that the robots must be work with minimum tracking trajectory error. But it is not easy for robots to track the desired trajectory because of the external disturbances and parametric uncertainty. Therefore adaptive and robust controllers are used to decrease tracking error. The aim of this study is to increase the tracking performance of the robot and minimize the trajectory tracking error. For this purpose adaptive control law for robot manipulator is identified and fuzzy logic controller is applied to find the accurate values for adaptive control parameter. Based on the Lyapunov theory stability of the uncertain system is guaranteed. In this study robot parameters are assumed to be unknown. This controller is applied to a robot model and the results of simulations are given. Controller with fuzzy logic and without fuzzy logic are compared with each other. Simulation results show that the fuzzy logic controller has improved the results.

  8. Daughter-specific transcription factors regulate cell size control in budding yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Talia, Stefano; Wang, Hongyin; Skotheim, Jan M; Rosebrock, Adam P; Futcher, Bruce; Cross, Frederick R

    2009-10-01

    In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle.

  9. Daughter-Specific Transcription Factors Regulate Cell Size Control in Budding Yeast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Talia, Stefano; Wang, Hongyin; Skotheim, Jan M.; Rosebrock, Adam P.; Futcher, Bruce; Cross, Frederick R.

    2009-01-01

    In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle. PMID:19841732

  10. Daughter-specific transcription factors regulate cell size control in budding yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Di Talia

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available In budding yeast, asymmetric cell division yields a larger mother and a smaller daughter cell, which transcribe different genes due to the daughter-specific transcription factors Ace2 and Ash1. Cell size control at the Start checkpoint has long been considered to be a main regulator of the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, resulting in longer G1 in the smaller daughter cells. Our recent data confirmed this concept using quantitative time-lapse microscopy. However, it has been proposed that daughter-specific, Ace2-dependent repression of expression of the G1 cyclin CLN3 had a dominant role in delaying daughters in G1. We wanted to reconcile these two divergent perspectives on the origin of long daughter G1 times. We quantified size control using single-cell time-lapse imaging of fluorescently labeled budding yeast, in the presence or absence of the daughter-specific transcriptional regulators Ace2 and Ash1. Ace2 and Ash1 are not required for efficient size control, but they shift the domain of efficient size control to larger cell size, thus increasing cell size requirement for Start in daughters. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Ace2 and Ash1 are direct transcriptional regulators of the G1 cyclin gene CLN3. Quantification of cell size control in cells expressing titrated levels of Cln3 from ectopic promoters, and from cells with mutated Ace2 and Ash1 sites in the CLN3 promoter, showed that regulation of CLN3 expression by Ace2 and Ash1 can account for the differential regulation of Start in response to cell size in mothers and daughters. We show how daughter-specific transcriptional programs can interact with intrinsic cell size control to differentially regulate Start in mother and daughter cells. This work demonstrates mechanistically how asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in cell-type-specific regulation of the cell cycle.

  11. Quantifying direct effects of social determinants of health on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Rebekah J; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Martin-Harris, Bonnie; Egede, Leonard E

    2015-02-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate if self-care is the pathway through which social determinants of health impact diabetes outcomes by analyzing the direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors on self-care and glycemic control. Six hundred fifteen adults were recruited from two primary care clinics in the southeastern United States. A series of confirmatory factor analyses identified the latent factors underlying social status, psychosocial determinants (psychological distress, self-efficacy, and social support), and self-care (diet, exercise, foot care, glucose testing, and medication adherence). Structured equation modeling investigated the relationship among social determinants, self-care and glycemic control. Latent variables were created for diabetes self-care, psychological distress, self-efficacy, social support, and social status. The final model [χ(2)(275)=450.07, Psocial support (r=0.14, P=0.01), and higher self-efficacy (r=0.47, Psocial support (r=0.10, P=0.02), and higher self-efficacy (r=-0.37, Psocial determinants of health variables were included in the model, self-care was no longer significantly associated with glycemic control (r=0.01, P=0.83). This study suggests a direct relationship between psychosocial determinants of health and glycemic control. Although associated with self-care, the relationship between social determinants of health and glycemic control is not mediated by self-care. Development of interventions should take psychosocial factors into account as independent influences on diabetes outcomes, rather than as indirect influences via self-care behavior.

  12. A method to determine the dampening system of control rod drop mechanism for PWR reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trindade, C.E.; Mattos, J.R.L. de; Perrotta, J.A.

    1988-08-01

    A method to determine the Control Assembly damping drop system (dashpot/guide tube) was developed. It's presented a theoretical model, an experimental device and the procedures to determine this system, which is used in PWR reactors. (author) [pt

  13. The determinants of the block premium and of private benefits of control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albuquerque, R.A.; Schroth, E.J.

    2008-01-01

    We study the determinants of private benefits of control in negotiated block transactions. We estimate the block pricing model in Burkart, Gromb, and Panunzi (2000) explicitly dealing with the existence of both block premia and block discounts in the data. We find evidence that the occurrence of

  14. The G2/M DNA damage checkpoint inhibits mitosis through Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 in Aspergillus nidulans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, X S; Fincher, R R; Tang, A; Osmani, S A

    1997-01-02

    It is possible to cause G2 arrest in Aspergillus nidulans by inactivating either p34cdc2 or NIMA. We therefore investigated the negative control of these two mitosis-promoting kinases after DNA damage. DNA damage caused rapid Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 and transient cell cycle arrest but had little effect on the activity of NIMA. Dividing cells deficient in Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 were sensitive to both MMS and UV irradiation and entered lethal premature mitosis with damaged DNA. However, non-dividing quiescent conidiospores of the Tyr15 mutant strain were not sensitive to DNA damage. The UV and MMS sensitivity of cells unable to tyrosine phosphorylate p34cdc2 is therefore caused by defects in DNA damage checkpoint regulation over mitosis. Both the nimA5 and nimT23 temperature-sensitive mutations cause an arrest in G2 at 42 degrees C. Addition of MMS to nimT23 G2-arrested cells caused a marked delay in their entry into mitosis upon downshift to 32 degrees C and this delay was correlated with a long delay in the dephosphorylation and activation of p34cdc2. Addition of MMS to nimA5 G2-arrested cells caused inactivation of the H1 kinase activity of p34cdc2 due to an increase in its Tyr15 phosphorylation level and delayed entry into mitosis upon return to 32 degrees C. However, if Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 was prevented then its H1 kinase activity was not inactivated upon MMS addition to nimA5 G2-arrested cells and they rapidly progressed into a lethal mitosis upon release to 32 degrees C. Thus, Tyr15 phosphorylation of p34cdc2 in G2 arrests initiation of mitosis after DNA damage in A. nidulans.

  15. In Silico Exploration of 1,7-Diazacarbazole Analogs as Checkpoint Kinase 1 Inhibitors by Using 3D QSAR, Molecular Docking Study, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong Gao

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1 is an important serine/threonine kinase with a self-protection function. The combination of Chk1 inhibitors and anti-cancer drugs can enhance the selectivity of tumor therapy. In this work, a set of 1,7-diazacarbazole analogs were identified as potent Chk1 inhibitors through a series of computer-aided drug design processes, including three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. The optimal QSAR models showed significant cross-validated correlation q2 values (0.531, 0.726, fitted correlation r2 coefficients (higher than 0.90, and standard error of prediction (less than 0.250. These results suggested that the developed models possess good predictive ability. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were applied to highlight the important interactions between the ligand and the Chk1 receptor protein. This study shows that hydrogen bonding and electrostatic forces are key interactions that confer bioactivity.

  16. Fire environment determination in the LaSalle NPP control room

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Usher, J.L.; Boccio, J.L.; Singhal, A.K.; Tam, L.T.

    1986-01-01

    One objective of NRC's Fire Protection Research Program (FPRP) is to improve the modeling of environments caused by fires in typical nuclear power plant enclosures. A three-dimensional fluid dynamics computer code (PHOENICS) has been adapted as a field-model fire code (SAFFIRE) for this purpose. The model has been applied to simulate two distinct fires in the control room of the LaSalle County power plant. The environments determined illustrate hazardous potential for both personnel and equipment.

  17. PCP-B class pollen coat proteins are key regulators of the hydration checkpoint in Arabidopsis thaliana pollen-stigma interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ludi; Clarke, Lisa A; Eason, Russell J; Parker, Christopher C; Qi, Baoxiu; Scott, Rod J; Doughty, James

    2017-01-01

    The establishment of pollen-pistil compatibility is strictly regulated by factors derived from both male and female reproductive structures. Highly diverse small cysteine-rich proteins (CRPs) have been found to play multiple roles in plant reproduction, including the earliest stages of the pollen-stigma interaction. Secreted CRPs found in the pollen coat of members of the Brassicaceae, the pollen coat proteins (PCPs), are emerging as important signalling molecules that regulate the pollen-stigma interaction. Using a combination of protein characterization, expression and phylogenetic analyses we identified a novel class of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen-borne CRPs, the PCP-Bs (for pollen coat protein B-class) that are related to embryo surrounding factor (ESF1) developmental regulators. Single and multiple PCP-B mutant lines were utilized in bioassays to assess effects on pollen hydration, adhesion and pollen tube growth. Our results revealed that pollen hydration is severely impaired when multiple PCP-Bs are lost from the pollen coat. The hydration defect also resulted in reduced pollen adhesion and delayed pollen tube growth in all mutants studied. These results demonstrate that AtPCP-Bs are key regulators of the hydration 'checkpoint' in establishment of pollen-stigma compatibility. In addition, we propose that interspecies diversity of PCP-Bs may contribute to reproductive barriers in the Brassicaceae. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Analysis of redox relationships in the plant cell cycle: determinations of ascorbate, glutathione and poly (ADPribose)polymerase (PARP) in plant cell cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foyer, Christine H; Pellny, Till K; Locato, Vittoria; De Gara, Laura

    2008-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and low molecular weight antioxidants, such as glutathione and ascorbate, are powerful signaling molecules that participate in the control of plant growth and development, and modulate progression through the mitotic cell cycle. Enhanced reactive oxygen species accumulation or low levels of ascorbate or glutathione cause the cell cycle to arrest and halt progression especially through the G1 checkpoint. Plant cell suspension cultures have proved to be particularly useful tools for the study of cell cycle regulation. Here we provide effective and accurate methods for the measurement of changes in the cellular ascorbate and glutathione pools and the activities of related enzymes such poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase during mitosis and cell expansion, particularly in cell suspension cultures. These methods can be used in studies seeking to improve current understanding of the roles of redox controls on cell division and cell expansion.

  19. [Analysis of population survey for determining the factors associated with the control diabetes mellitus in Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Romieu, Alfonso Claudio; Elnecavé-Olaiz, Alejandro; Huerta-Uribe, Nidia; Reynoso-Noverón, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    Determine the influence of nutritional counseling, exercise, access to social healthcare and drugs, and the quality of medical care on the control of diabetics. The information and blood samples were obtained in 2005. Glycemic control was defined as good if HbA1c was ≤7.0%, poor from 7.01%-9.50% and very poor if HbA1c >9.5%. Binary logistic regression models were used to determine the association of these factors with HbA1c>9.5%. Thirty percent of the patients with a medical diagnosis of diabetes had adequate metabolic control. Nutritional guidance was associated with an increase in the degree of control. A majority of diabetics have poor or very poor glycemic control. Strengthening the quality of and access to medical care for these patients is urgently needed.

  20. A haploid genetic screen identifies the G1/S regulatory machinery as a determinant of Wee1 inhibitor sensitivity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijink, Anne Margriet; Blomen, Vincent A.; Bisteau, Xavier; Degener, Fabian; Matsushita, Felipe Yu; Kaldis, Philipp; Foijer, Floris; van Vugt, Marcel A. T. M.

    2015-01-01

    The Wee1 cell cycle checkpoint kinase prevents premature mitotic entry by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases. Chemical inhibitors of Wee1 are currently being tested clinically as targeted anticancer drugs. Wee1 inhibition is thought to be preferentially cytotoxic in p53-defective cancer cells.

  1. Motivational "spill-over" during weight control: increased self-determination and exercise intrinsic motivation predict eating self-regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mata, Jutta; Silva, Marlene N; Vieira, Paulo N; Carraça, Eliana V; Andrade, Ana M; Coutinho, Sílvia R; Sardinha, Luis B; Teixeira, Pedro J

    2009-11-01

    Successful weight management relies on at least two health behaviors, eating and exercise. However, little is known about their interaction on a motivational and behavioral level. Based on the Hierarchical Model of Motivation the authors examined whether exercise-specific motivation can transfer to eating regulation during a lifestyle weight control program. The authors further investigated whether general, treatment-related, and exercise motivation underlie the relation between increased exercise and improved eating regulation. Overweight/obese women participated in a 1-year randomized controlled trial (N = 239). The intervention focused on promoting physical activity and internal motivation for exercise and weight loss, following Self-Determination Theory. The control group received general health education. General and exercise specific self-determination, eating self-regulation variables, and physical activity behavior. General self-determination and more autonomous exercise motivation predicted eating self-regulation over 12 months. Additionally, general and exercise self-determination fully mediated the relation between physical activity and eating self-regulation. Increased general self-determination and exercise motivation seem to facilitate improvements in eating self-regulation during weight control in women. These motivational mechanisms also underlie the relationship between improvements in exercise behavior and eating regulation. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  2. Performance evaluation of indigenous controlled potential coulometer for the determination of uranium and plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, H.S.; Jisha, V.; Noronha, D.M.; Sharma, M.K.; Aggarwal, S.K.

    2007-09-01

    We have carried out performance evaluation of indigenously manufactured controlled potential coulometer for the determination of uranium and plutonium respectively in Rb 2 U(SO 4 ) 3 and K 4 Pu(SO 4 ) 4 chemical assay standards. The coulometric results obtained on uranium determination showed an insignificant difference as compared with the biamperometric results at 95% and 99.9% confidence levels while for plutonium determination showed a difference of -0.4% at 95% with respect to expected value. The results obtained show that indigenous coulometer is suitable for uranium and plutonium determination in chemical assay standards. (author)

  3. Aven-mediated checkpoint kinase control regulates proliferation and resistance to chemotherapy in conventional osteosarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranski, Zuzanna; Booij, Tijmen H; Cleton-Jansen, Anne-Marie; Price, Leo S; van de Water, Bob; Bovée, Judith V M G; Hogendoorn, Pancras C W; Danen, Erik H J

    2015-07-01

    Conventional high-grade osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone sarcoma, with relatively high incidence in young people. In this study we found that expression of Aven correlates inversely with metastasis-free survival in osteosarcoma patients and is increased in metastases compared to primary tumours. Aven is an adaptor protein that has been implicated in anti-apoptotic signalling and serves as an oncoprotein in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In osteosarcoma cells, silencing Aven triggered G2 cell-cycle arrest; Chk1 protein levels were attenuated and ATR-Chk1 DNA damage response signalling in response to chemotherapy was abolished in Aven-depleted osteosarcoma cells, while ATM, Chk2 and p53 activation remained intact. Osteosarcoma is notoriously difficult to treat with standard chemotherapy, and we examined whether pharmacological inhibition of the Aven-controlled ATR-Chk1 response could sensitize osteosarcoma cells to genotoxic compounds. Indeed, pharmacological inhibitors targeting Chk1/Chk2 or those selective for Chk1 synergized with standard chemotherapy in 2D cultures. Likewise, in 3D extracellular matrix-embedded cultures, Chk1 inhibition led to effective sensitization to chemotherapy. Together, these findings implicate Aven in ATR-Chk1 signalling and point towards Chk1 inhibition as a strategy to sensitize human osteosarcomas to chemotherapy. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Determinants of the incidence of childhood asthma: a two-stage case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martel, Marie-Josée; Rey, Evelyne; Malo, Jean-Luc; Perreault, Sylvie; Beauchesne, Marie-France; Forget, Amélie; Blais, Lucie

    2009-01-15

    Extensive literature exists on potential risk factors for childhood asthma. To the authors' knowledge, no investigators have yet attempted to disentangle the effects of those determinants within a single study setting. The authors aimed to evaluate the independent effects of 47 potential determinants (from the prenatal, perinatal, and childhood periods) of asthma development in children within the first 10 years of life. From a Canadian birth cohort of 26,265 children (1990-2002), a 2-stage case-control study was conducted. In the first stage, 20 controls per case were selected from 3 administrative databases. In the second stage, selected mothers were mailed questionnaires for assessment of additional determinants. Increased risks of childhood asthma were found for > or =1 previous diagnosis of bronchopulmonary disease and atopic dermatitis in the child, oxygen administration after birth, prescription of antibiotics within the first 6 months of life, male gender, asthma during pregnancy, use of antibiotics during pregnancy, maternal receipt of social aid, paternal asthma, and asthma in siblings. Protective effects included use of intranasal corticosteroids during pregnancy, having a wood-burning fireplace, having pets in the home prior to the index date, breastfeeding, and day-care attendance. This study allowed the authors to identify, within a single setting, the most influential determinants of childhood asthma among 47 predictors assessed for the prenatal, perinatal, and childhood periods.

  5. The co-repressor SMRT delays DNA damage-induced caspase activation by repressing pro-apoptotic genes and modulating the dynamics of checkpoint kinase 2 activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Scafoglio

    Full Text Available Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2 is a major regulator of DNA damage response and can induce alternative cellular responses: cell cycle arrest and DNA repair or programmed cell death. Here, we report the identification of a new role of Chk2 in transcriptional regulation that also contributes to modulating the balance between survival and apoptosis following DNA damage. We found that Chk2 interacts with members of the NCoR/SMRT transcriptional co-regulator complexes and serves as a functional component of the repressor complex, being required for recruitment of SMRT on the promoter of pro-apoptotic genes upon DNA damage. Thus, the co-repressor SMRT exerts a critical protective action against genotoxic stress-induced caspase activation, repressing a functionally important cohort of pro-apoptotic genes. Amongst them, SMRT is responsible for basal repression of Wip1, a phosphatase that de-phosphorylates and inactivates Chk2, thus affecting a feedback loop responsible for licensing the correct timing of Chk2 activation and the proper execution of the DNA repair process.

  6. Controlling quark mass determinations non-perturbatively in three-flavour QCD

    CERN Document Server

    Campos, Isabel

    2017-01-01

    The determination of quark masses from lattice QCD simulations requires a non-perturbative renormalization procedure and subsequent scale evolution to high energies, where a conversion to the commonly used MS-bar scheme can be safely established. We present our results for the non-perturbative running of renormalized quark masses in Nf=3 QCD between the electroweak and a hadronic energy scale, where lattice simulations are at our disposal. Recent theoretical advances in combination with well-established techniques allows to follow the scale evolution to very high statistical accuracy, and full control of systematic effects.

  7. CONSERVED ROLES FOR CYTOSKELETAL COMPONENTS IN DETERMINING LATERALITY

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDowell, Gary S.; Lemire, Joan M.; Paré, Jean-Francois; Cammarata, Garrett; Lowery, Laura Anne; Levin, Michael

    2016-01-01

    SUMMARY Consistently-biased left-right (LR) patterning is required for the proper placement of organs including the heart and viscera. The LR axis is especially fascinating as an example of multi-scale pattern formation, since here chiral events at the subcellular level are integrated and amplified into asymmetric transcriptional cascades and ultimately into the anatomical patterning of the entire body. In contrast to the other two body axes, there is considerable controversy about the earliest mechanisms of embryonic laterality. Many molecular components of asymmetry have not been widely tested among phyla with diverse bodyplans, and it is unknown whether parallel (redundant) pathways may exist that could reverse abnormal asymmetry states at specific checkpoints in development. To address conservation of the early steps of LR patterning, we used the Xenopus laevis (frog) embryo to functionally test a number of protein targets known to direct asymmetry in plants, fruit fly, and rodent. Using the same reagents that randomize asymmetry in Arabidopsis, Drosophila, and mouse embryos, we show that manipulation of the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton immediately post-fertilization, but not later, results in laterality defects in Xenopus embryos. Moreover, we observed organ-specific randomization effects and a striking dissociation of organ situs from effects on the expression of left side control genes, which parallel data from Drosophila and mouse. Remarkably, some early manipulations that disrupt laterality of transcriptional asymmetry determinants can be subsequently “rescued” by the embryo, resulting in normal organ situs. These data reveal the existence of novel corrective mechanisms, demonstrate that asymmetric expression of Nodal is not a definitive marker of laterality, and suggest the existence of amplification pathways that connect early cytoskeletal processes to control of organ situs bypassing Nodal. Counter to alternative models of symmetry breaking

  8. Cycle-time determination and process control of sequencing batch membrane bioreactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krampe, J

    2013-01-01

    In this paper a method to determine the cycle time for sequencing batch membrane bioreactors (SBMBRs) is introduced. One of the advantages of SBMBRs is the simplicity of adapting them to varying wastewater composition. The benefit of this flexibility can only be fully utilised if the cycle times are optimised for the specific inlet load conditions. This requires either proactive and ongoing operator adjustment or active predictive instrument-based control. Determination of the cycle times for conventional sequencing batch reactor (SBR) plants is usually based on experience. Due to the higher mixed liquor suspended solids concentrations in SBMBRs and the limited experience with their application, a new approach to calculate the cycle time had to be developed. Based on results from a semi-technical pilot plant, the paper presents an approach for calculating the cycle time in relation to the influent concentration according to the Activated Sludge Model No. 1 and the German HSG (Hochschulgruppe) Approach. The approach presented in this paper considers the increased solid contents in the reactor and the resultant shortened reaction times. This allows for an exact calculation of the nitrification and denitrification cycles with a tolerance of only a few minutes. Ultimately the same approach can be used for a predictive control strategy and for conventional SBR plants.

  9. DNA damage and polyploidization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Jeremy; Poon, Randy Y C

    2010-01-01

    A growing body of evidence indicates that polyploidization triggers chromosomal instability and contributes to tumorigenesis. DNA damage is increasingly being recognized for its roles in promoting polyploidization. Although elegant mechanisms known as the DNA damage checkpoints are responsible for halting the cell cycle after DNA damage, agents that uncouple the checkpoints can induce unscheduled entry into mitosis. Likewise, defects of the checkpoints in several disorders permit mitotic entry even in the presence of DNA damage. Forcing cells with damaged DNA into mitosis causes severe chromosome segregation defects, including lagging chromosomes, chromosomal fragments and chromosomal bridges. The presence of these lesions in the cleavage plane is believed to abort cytokinesis. It is postulated that if cytokinesis failure is coupled with defects of the p53-dependent postmitotic checkpoint pathway, cells can enter S phase and become polyploids. Progress in the past several years has unraveled some of the underlying principles of these pathways and underscored the important role of DNA damage in polyploidization. Furthermore, polyploidization per se may also be an important determinant of sensitivity to DNA damage, thereby may offer an opportunity for novel therapies.

  10. The effect of PD-L1 testing on the cost-effectiveness and economic impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the second-line treatment of NSCLC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, P N; Perry, L A; Penny-Dimri, J; Babiker, H; Tadokoro, H; de Mello, R A; Lopes, G L

    2017-09-01

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors improve outcomes compared with chemotherapy in lung cancer. Tumor PD-L1 receptor expression is being studied as a predictive biomarker. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness and economic impact of second-line treatment with nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab with and without the use of PD-L1 testing for patient selection. We developed a decision-analytic model to determine the cost-effectiveness of PD-L1 assessment and second-line immunotherapy versus docetaxel. The model used outcomes data from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and drug acquisition costs from the United States. Thereafter, we used epidemiologic data to estimate the economic impact of the treatment. We included four RCTs (2 with nivolumab, 1 with pembrolizumab, and 1 with atezolizumab). The incremental quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for nivolumab was 0.417 among squamous tumors and 0.287 among non-squamous tumors and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were $155 605 and $187 685, respectively. The QALY gain in the base case for atezolizumab was 0.354 and the ICER was $215 802. Compared with treating all patients, the selection of patients by PD-L1 expression improved incremental QALY by up to 183% and decreased the ICER by up to 65%. Pembrolizumab was studied only in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1. The QALY gain was 0.346 and the ICER was $98 421. Patient selection also reduced the budget impact of immunotherapy. The use of PD-L1 expression as a biomarker increases cost-effectiveness of immunotherapy but also diminishes the number of potential life-years saved. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Lithologic and hydrologic controls of mixed alluvial-bedrock channels in flood-prone fluvial systems: bankfull and macrochannels in the Llano River watershed, central Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Frank T.; Hudson, Paul F.; Asquith, William H.

    2015-01-01

    The rural and unregulated Llano River watershed located in central Texas, USA, has a highly variable flow regime and a wide range of instantaneous peak flows. Abrupt transitions in surface lithology exist along the main-stem channel course. Both of these characteristics afford an opportunity to examine hydrologic, lithologic, and sedimentary controls on downstream changes in channel morphology. Field surveys of channel topography and boundary composition are coupled with sediment analyses, hydraulic computations, flood-frequency analyses, and geographic information system mapping to discern controls on channel geometry (profile, pattern, and shape) and dimensions along the mixed alluvial-bedrock Llano River and key tributaries. Four categories of channel classification in a downstream direction include: (i) uppermost ephemeral reaches, (ii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed channels in Cretaceous carbonate sedimentary zones, (iii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed or bedrock channels in Paleozoic sedimentary zones, and (iv) straight, braided, or multithread mixed alluvial–bedrock channels with sandy beds in Precambrian igneous and metamorphic zones. Principal findings include: (i) a nearly linear channel profile attributed to resistant bedrock incision checkpoints; (ii) statistically significant correlations of both alluvial sinuosity and valley confinement to relatively high f (mean depth) hydraulic geometry values; (iii) relatively high b (width) hydraulic geometry values in partly confined settings with sinuous channels upstream from a prominent incision checkpoint; (iv) different functional flow categories including frequently occurring events (high f values (most ≤ 0.45) that develop at sites with unit stream power values in excess of 200 watts per square meter (W/m2); and (vi) downstream convergence of hydraulic geometry exponents for bankfull and macrochannels, explained by co-increases of flood magnitude and noncohesive sandy sediments that collectively

  12. NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-PHAM-01-0677 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-PHAM-01-0677 ref|NP_055456.2| mediator of DNA-damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapien...tor with BRCT domains 1 emb|CAI17440.1| mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapiens] emb|CAI18195.1| mediator... of DNA damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapiens] gb|EAX03321.1| mediator of DNA ...damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapiens] emb|CAQ06814.1| mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapiens] emb|CAQ06770.1| mediator... of DNA damage checkpoint 1 [Homo sapiens] emb|CAQ07572.1| mediator of DNA damage checkpoi

  13. Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Determinants of Glycemic Control Across the Entire Glucose Tolerance Continuum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Solomon, Thomas P. J.; Malin, Steven K.; Karstoft, Kristian

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) is associated with glycemic control, yet the relationship between VO2max and the underlying determinants of glycemic control is less clear. Our aim was to determine whether VO2max is associated with insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and the disp...... fitness and compromised pancreatic β-cell compensation across the entire glucose tolerance continuum provides additional evidence highlighting the importance of fitness in protection against the onset of a fundamental pathophysiological event that leads to type 2 diabetes....

  14. Understanding Self-Controlled Motor Learning Protocols through the Self-Determination Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanli, Elizabeth A; Patterson, Jae T; Bray, Steven R; Lee, Timothy D

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the present review was to provide a theoretical understanding of the learning advantages underlying a self-controlled practice context through the tenets of the self-determination theory (SDT). Three micro-theories within the macro-theory of SDT (Basic psychological needs theory, Cognitive Evaluation Theory, and Organismic Integration Theory) are used as a framework for examining the current self-controlled motor learning literature. A review of 26 peer-reviewed, empirical studies from the motor learning and medical training literature revealed an important limitation of the self-controlled research in motor learning: that the effects of motivation have been assumed rather than quantified. The SDT offers a basis from which to include measurements of motivation into explanations of changes in behavior. This review suggests that a self-controlled practice context can facilitate such factors as feelings of autonomy and competence of the learner, thereby supporting the psychological needs of the learner, leading to long term changes to behavior. Possible tools for the measurement of motivation and regulation in future studies are discussed. The SDT not only allows for a theoretical reinterpretation of the extant motor learning research supporting self-control as a learning variable, but also can help to better understand and measure the changes occurring between the practice environment and the observed behavioral outcomes.

  15. Understanding self-controlled motor learning protocols through the self determination theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Ann Sanli

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the present review was to provide a theoretical understanding of the learning advantages underlying a self-controlled practice context through the tenets of the self-determination theory (SDT. Three micro theories within the macro theory of SDT (Basic psychological needs theory, Cognitive Evaluation Theory & Organismic Integration Theory are used as a framework for examining the current self-controlled motor learning literature. A review of 26 peer-reviewed, empirical studies from the motor learning and medical training literature revealed an important limitation of the self-controlled research in motor learning: that the effects of motivation have been assumed rather than quantified. The SDT offers a basis from which to include measurements of motivation into explanations of changes in behavior. This review suggests that a self-controlled practice context can facilitate such factors as feelings of autonomy and competence of the learner, thereby supporting the psychological needs of the learner, leading to long term changes to behavior. Possible tools for the measurement of motivation and regulation in future studies are discussed. The SDT not only allows for a theoretical reinterpretation of the extant motor learning research supporting self-control as a learning variable, but also can help to better understand and measure the changes occurring between the practice environment and the observed behavioral outcomes.

  16. Loss minimization control and efficiency determination of electric drives in traction applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Windisch, Thomas; Hofmann, Wilfried [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Elektrische Maschinen und Antriebe

    2012-11-01

    High-power electric drives in automotive traction applications consume a large part of the disposable electric energy. For this reason the energy efficiency of the drives is of great importance for range and fuel consumption of the hybrid electric vehicle. The paper describes two possible drives with different electric motors from a control point of view. The electric power losses in the drive system are determined depending on the operating point of the machine. With these loss characteristics the control of the drives is optimized to produce minimal losses. Finally the energy efficiency for a realistic urban bus drive cycle is calculated to compare the two types. (orig.)

  17. KinD is a checkpoint protein linking spore formation to extracellular-matrix production in Bacillus subtilis biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Claudio; Vlamakis, Hera; Guzman, Alejandra; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-05-18

    Bacillus subtilis cells form multicellular biofilm communities in which spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression occurs, leading to differentiation of multiple coexisting cell types. These cell types include matrix-producing and sporulating cells. Extracellular matrix production and sporulation are linked in that a mutant unable to produce matrix is delayed for sporulation. Here, we show that the delay in sporulation is not due to a growth advantage of the matrix-deficient mutant under these conditions. Instead, we show that the link between matrix production and sporulation is through the Spo0A signaling pathway. Both processes are regulated by the phosphorylated form of the master transcriptional regulator Spo0A. When cells have low levels of phosphorylated Spo0A (Spo0A~P), matrix genes are expressed; however, at higher levels of Spo0A~P, sporulation commences. We have found that Spo0A~P levels are maintained at low levels in the matrix-deficient mutant, thereby delaying expression of sporulation-specific genes. This is due to the activity of one of the components of the Spo0A phosphotransfer network, KinD. A deletion of kinD suppresses the sporulation defect of matrix mutants, while its overproduction delays sporulation. Our data indicate that KinD displays a dual role as a phosphatase or a kinase and that its activity is linked to the presence of extracellular matrix in the biofilms. We propose a novel role for KinD in biofilms as a checkpoint protein that regulates the onset of sporulation by inhibiting the activity of Spo0A until matrix, or a component therein, is sensed.

  18. Transition in Survival From Low-Dose Hyper-Radiosensitivity to Increased Radioresistance Is Independent of Activation of ATM SER1981 Activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krueger, Sarah A.; Collis, Spencer J.; Joiner, Michael C.; Wilson, George D.; Marples, Brian

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The molecular basis of low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) is only partially understood. The aim of this study was to define the roles of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) activity and the downstream ATM-dependent G 2 -phase cell cycle checkpoint in overcoming HRS and triggering radiation resistance. Methods and Materials: Survival was measured using a high-resolution clonogenic assay. ATM Ser1981 activation was measured by Western blotting. The role of ATM was determined in survival experiments after molecular (siRNA) and chemical (0.4 mM caffeine) inhibition and chemical (20 μg/mL chloroquine, 15 μM genistein) activation 4-6 h before irradiation. Checkpoint responsiveness was assessed in eight cell lines of differing HRS status using flow cytometry to quantify the progression of irradiated (0-2 Gy) G 2 -phase cells entering mitosis, using histone H3 phosphorylation analysis. Results: The dose-response pattern of ATM activation was concordant with the transition from HRS to radioresistance. However, ATM activation did not play a primary role in initiating increased radioresistance. Rather, a relationship was discovered between the function of the downstream ATM-dependent early G 2 -phase checkpoint and the prevalence and overcoming of HRS. Four cell lines that exhibited HRS failed to show low-dose ( 2 -phase checkpoint. These data suggest that clinical exploitation of HRS could be achieved by combining radiotherapy with chemotherapeutic agents that modulate this cell cycle checkpoint

  19. Organ Size Control Is Dominant over Rb Family Inactivation to Restrict Proliferation In Vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ursula Ehmer

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In mammals, a cell’s decision to divide is thought to be under the control of the Rb/E2F pathway. We previously found that inactivation of the Rb family of cell cycle inhibitors (Rb, p107, and p130 in quiescent liver progenitors leads to uncontrolled division and cancer initiation. Here, we show that, in contrast, deletion of the entire Rb gene family in mature hepatocytes is not sufficient for their long-term proliferation. The cell cycle block in Rb family mutant hepatocytes is independent of the Arf/p53/p21 checkpoint but can be abrogated upon decreasing liver size. At the molecular level, we identify YAP, a transcriptional regulator involved in organ size control, as a factor required for the sustained expression of cell cycle genes in hepatocytes. These experiments identify a higher level of regulation of the cell cycle in vivo in which signals regulating organ size are dominant regulators of the core cell cycle machinery.

  20. 40 CFR 63.3555 - How do I determine the outlet THC emissions and add-on control device emission destruction or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true How do I determine the outlet THC.../outlet Concentration Option § 63.3555 How do I determine the outlet THC emissions and add-on control... section to determine either the outlet THC emissions or add-on control device emission destruction or...

  1. A case study: application of statistical process control tool for determining process capability and sigma level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chopra, Vikram; Bairagi, Mukesh; Trivedi, P; Nagar, Mona

    2012-01-01

    Statistical process control is the application of statistical methods to the measurement and analysis of variation process. Various regulatory authorities such as Validation Guidance for Industry (2011), International Conference on Harmonisation ICH Q10 (2009), the Health Canada guidelines (2009), Health Science Authority, Singapore: Guidance for Product Quality Review (2008), and International Organization for Standardization ISO-9000:2005 provide regulatory support for the application of statistical process control for better process control and understanding. In this study risk assessments, normal probability distributions, control charts, and capability charts are employed for selection of critical quality attributes, determination of normal probability distribution, statistical stability, and capability of production processes, respectively. The objective of this study is to determine tablet production process quality in the form of sigma process capability. By interpreting data and graph trends, forecasting of critical quality attributes, sigma process capability, and stability of process were studied. The overall study contributes to an assessment of process at the sigma level with respect to out-of-specification attributes produced. Finally, the study will point to an area where the application of quality improvement and quality risk assessment principles for achievement of six sigma-capable processes is possible. Statistical process control is the most advantageous tool for determination of the quality of any production process. This tool is new for the pharmaceutical tablet production process. In the case of pharmaceutical tablet production processes, the quality control parameters act as quality assessment parameters. Application of risk assessment provides selection of critical quality attributes among quality control parameters. Sequential application of normality distributions, control charts, and capability analyses provides a valid statistical

  2. Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Nikitaras, Nikitas

    2010-06-01

    This study used self-determination theory (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.) to examine predictors of body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviours in a sample of 350 Greek adolescent girls. A process model was tested which proposed that perceptions of parental autonomy support and two life goals (health and image) would predict adolescents' degree of satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. In turn, psychological need satisfaction was hypothesised to negatively predict body image concerns (i.e. drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction) and, indirectly, unhealthy weight control behaviours. The predictions of the model were largely supported indicating that parental autonomy support and adaptive life goals can indirectly impact upon the extent to which female adolescents engage in unhealthy weight control behaviours via facilitating the latter's psychological need satisfaction.

  3. Application of statistical process control and process capability analysis procedures in orbiter processing activities at the Kennedy Space Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safford, Robert R.; Jackson, Andrew E.; Swart, William W.; Barth, Timothy S.

    1994-01-01

    Successful ground processing at KSC requires that flight hardware and ground support equipment conform to specifications at tens of thousands of checkpoints. Knowledge of conformance is an essential requirement for launch. That knowledge of conformance at every requisite point does not, however, enable identification of past problems with equipment, or potential problem areas. This paper describes how the introduction of Statistical Process Control and Process Capability Analysis identification procedures into existing shuttle processing procedures can enable identification of potential problem areas and candidates for improvements to increase processing performance measures. Results of a case study describing application of the analysis procedures to Thermal Protection System processing are used to illustrate the benefits of the approaches described in the paper.

  4. A generic approach for photogrammetric survey using a six-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tahar, K N; Mohd, W M N W; Ahmad, A; Akib, W A A W M

    2014-01-01

    This paper discusses a rapid production of slope mapping using multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The objective of this study is to determine the accuracy of the photogrammetric results based on novel method of multi-rotor UAV images as well as to analyze the slope error distribution that are obtained from the UAV images. This study only concentrates on multi-rotor UAV which also known as Hexacopter. An operator can control the speed of multi-rotor UAV during flight mission. Several ground control points and checkpoints were established using Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK- GPS) at the slope area. Ground control points were used in exterior orientation during image processing in sequence to transform image coordinates into local coordinate system. Checkpoints were established at the slope area for accuracy assessment. A digital camera, Sony NEX-5N was used for image acquisition of slope area from UAV platforms. The digital camera was mounted vertically at the bottom of UAV and captured the images at an altitude. All acquired images went through photogrammetric processing including interior orientation, exterior orientation and bundle adjustment using photogrammetric software. Photogrammetric results such as digital elevation model, and digital orthophoto including slope map were assessed. UAV is able to acquire data within short period of time with low budget compared to the previous methods such as satellite images and airborne laser scanner. Analysis on slope analysis and error distribution analysis are discussed in this paper to determine the quality of slope map in the area of interest. In summary, multi-rotor UAV is suited in slope mapping studies

  5. Genetic interactions between the chromosome axis-associated protein Hop1 and homologous recombination determinants in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Simon David; Jarosinska, Olga Dorota; Lorenz, Alexander

    2018-03-17

    Hop1 is a component of the meiosis-specific chromosome axis and belongs to the evolutionarily conserved family of HORMA domain proteins. Hop1 and its orthologs in higher eukaryotes are a major factor in promoting double-strand DNA break formation and inter-homolog recombination. In budding yeast and mammals, they are also involved in a meiotic checkpoint kinase cascade monitoring the completion of double-strand DNA break repair. We used the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which lacks a canonical synaptonemal complex to test whether Hop1 has a role beyond supporting the generation of double-strand DNA breaks and facilitating inter-homolog recombination events. We determined how mutants of homologous recombination factors genetically interact with hop1, studied the role(s) of the HORMA domain of Hop1, and characterized a bio-informatically predicted interactor of Hop1, Aho1 (SPAC688.03c). Our observations indicate that in fission yeast, Hop1 does require its HORMA domain to support wild-type levels of meiotic recombination and localization to meiotic chromatin. Furthermore, we show that hop1∆ only weakly interacts genetically with mutants of homologous recombination factors, and in fission yeast likely has no major role beyond break formation and promoting inter-homolog events. We speculate that after the evolutionary loss of the synaptonemal complex, Hop1 likely has become less important for modulating recombination outcome during meiosis in fission yeast, and that this led to a concurrent rewiring of genetic pathways controlling meiotic recombination.

  6. Position automatic determination technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-10-01

    This book tells of method of position determination and characteristic, control method of position determination and point of design, point of sensor choice for position detector, position determination of digital control system, application of clutch break in high frequency position determination, automation technique of position determination, position determination by electromagnetic clutch and break, air cylinder, cam and solenoid, stop position control of automatic guide vehicle, stacker crane and automatic transfer control.

  7. Determining the energy performance of manually controlled solar shades: A stochastic model based co-simulation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, Jian

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Driving factor for adjustment of manually controlled solar shades was determined. • A stochastic model for manual solar shades was constructed using Markov method. • Co-simulation with Energyplus was carried out in BCVTB. • External shading even manually controlled should be used prior to LOW-E windows. • Previous studies on manual solar shades may overestimate energy savings. - Abstract: Solar shading devices play a significant role in reducing building energy consumption and maintaining a comfortable indoor condition. In this paper, a typical office building with internal roller shades in hot summer and cold winter zone was selected to determine the driving factor of control behavior of manual solar shades. Solar radiation was determined as the major factor in driving solar shading adjustment based on field measurements and logit analysis and then a stochastic model for manually adjusted solar shades was constructed by using Markov method. This model was used in BCVTB for further co-simulation with Energyplus to determine the impact of the control behavior of solar shades on energy performance. The results show that manually adjusted solar shades, whatever located inside or outside, have a relatively high energy saving performance than clear-pane windows while only external shades perform better than regularly used LOW-E windows. Simulation also indicates that using an ideal assumption of solar shade adjustment as most studies do in building simulation may lead to an overestimation of energy saving by about 16–30%. There is a need to improve occupants’ actions on shades to more effectively respond to outdoor conditions in order to lower energy consumption, and this improvement can be easily achieved by using simple strategies as a guide to control manual solar shades

  8. 40 CFR 63.496 - Back-end process provisions-procedures to determine compliance using control or recovery devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... boiler or process heater. (iii) The control efficiency of the boiler or process heater shall be calculated using Equation 29. ER05SE96.027 where: R=Control efficiency of boiler or process heater, percent..., the control efficiency of the boiler or process heater shall be determined using the procedures in...

  9. Determining the potential productivity of food crops in controlled environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugbee, Bruce

    1992-01-01

    The quest to determine the maximum potential productivity of food crops is greatly benefitted by crop growth models. Many models have been developed to analyze and predict crop growth in the field, but it is difficult to predict biological responses to stress conditions. Crop growth models for the optimal environments of a Controlled Environment Life Support System (CELSS) can be highly predictive. This paper discusses the application of a crop growth model to CELSS; the model is used to evaluate factors limiting growth. The model separately evaluates the following four physiological processes: absorption of PPF by photosynthetic tissue, carbon fixation (photosynthesis), carbon use (respiration), and carbon partitioning (harvest index). These constituent processes determine potentially achievable productivity. An analysis of each process suggests that low harvest index is the factor most limiting to yield. PPF absorption by plant canopies and respiration efficiency are also of major importance. Research concerning productivity in a CELSS should emphasize: (1) the development of gas exchange techniques to continuously monitor plant growth rates and (2) environmental techniques to reduce plant height in communities.

  10. Control of gynaecological radiotherapy by serial tumormarker determinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, R.K.; Atzinger, A.; Breit, A.

    1990-01-01

    In 149 collum and 45 corpus carcinomas tumormarker concentrations in serum have been measured before, during and sex to eight weeks after termination of radiotherapy. For the collum carcinomas (average of FIGO I to IV) the sensitivity of CEA was found to be 51%, SCC 67%, CEA+SCC 80%. In corpus carcinomas CEA had low sensitivity and could not readily be used for therapy monitoring. However, in a number of cases CA125 was a good substitute. Six to eight weeks after termination of radiotherapy the average tumormarker levels have been declined by comparison with the pretherapeutical values (100%): For the collum carcinoma CEA droped to 39%, SCC to 57%; for the corpus carcinoma CEA to 72%, CA 125 to 81%. The highest diagnostic information was gained by comparison of post-therapeutical tumormarker levels with cut off values optained from healthy women of the same age group. After treatment in 29 of 106 collum carcinomas CEA and or SCC levels did still exceed these cut off values. In eleven cases this marker elevation was due to paraaortic lymphnode metastases, in seven cases a lokal tumor residue was discovered and in six cases general metastases. In corpus carcinomas the main reason for posttherapeutical elevated CA125 values also were paraaortic lymphnode metastases. Thus, the use of serial tumormarker determination for control of gynecological radiotherapy is helpful tool in early detecting local tumorresidues and metastases. The decision making for further radiotherapeutical measures will be much easier, if accompaniing tumormarker determinations have been done during primary radiotherapy. (orig./MG) [de

  11. ASIL determination for motorbike's Electronics Throttle Control System (ETCS) mulfunction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaman Rokhani, Fakhrul; Rahman, Muhammad Taqiuddin Abdul; Ain Kamsani, Noor; Sidek, Roslina Mohd; Saripan, M. Iqbal; Samsudin, Khairulmizam; Khair Hassan, Mohd

    2017-11-01

    Electronics Throttle Control System (ETCS) is the principal electronic unit in all fuel injection engine motorbike, augmenting the engine performance efficiency in comparison to the conventional carburetor based engine. ETCS is regarded as a safety-critical component, whereby ETCS malfunction can cause unintended acceleration or deceleration event, which can be hazardous to riders. In this study, Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment, an ISO26262 functional safety standard analysis has been applied on motorbike's ETCS to determine the required automotive safety integrity level. Based on the analysis, the established automotive safety integrity level can help to derive technical and functional safety measures for ETCS development.

  12. Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer Mission Attitude Determination and Control Concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bladt, Jeff; Deininger, William D.; Kalinowski, William C.; Boysen, Mary; Bygott, Kyle; Guy, Larry; Pentz, Christina; Seckar, Chris; Valdez, John; Wedmore, Jeffrey; hide

    2018-01-01

    The goal of the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Mission is to expand understanding of high-energy astrophysical processes and sources, in support of NASA's first science objective in Astrophysics: "Discover how the universe works." X-ray polarimetry is the focus of the IXPE science mission. Polarimetry uniquely probes physical anisotropies-ordered magnetic fields, aspheric matter distributions, or general relativistic coupling to black-hole spin-that are not otherwise measurable. The IXPE Observatory consists of Spacecraft and Payload modules. The Payload includes three polarization sensitive, X-ray detector units (DU), each paired with its corresponding grazing incidence mirror module assemblies (MMA). A deployable boom provides the correct separation (focal length) between the DUs and MMAs. These Payload elements are supported by the IXPE Spacecraft. A star tracker is mounted directly with the deployed Payload to minimize alignment errors between the star tracker line of sight (LoS) and Payload LoS. Stringent pointing requirements coupled with a flexible structure and a non-collocated attitude sensor-actuator configuration requires a thorough analysis of control-structure interactions. A non-minimum phase notch filter supports robust control loop stability margins. This paper summarizes the IXPE mission science objectives and Observatory concepts, and then it describes IXPE attitude determination and control implementation. IXPE LoS pointing accuracy, control loop stability, and angular momentum management are discussed.

  13. TNF-alpha impairs the S-G2/M cell cycle checkpoint and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer repair in premalignant skin cells: Role of the PI3K-Akt pathway

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faurschou, A.; Gniadecki, R.; Calay, D.

    2008-01-01

    Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is induced by UVB radiation and has been implicated in the early stages of skin carcinogenesis. Here, we show that in normal keratinocytes and the transformed keratinocyte cell lines, HaCaT and A431, TNF-alpha stimulates protein kinase B/Akt, which results...... cycling. TNF-alpha enhanced apoptosis less potently and did not increase the level of CPD or stimulate cell cycle progression in normal keratinocytes. Our data suggest that TNF-alpha overrides the G2/M checkpoint in premalignant skin cells and allows for some cells containing unrepaired CPD to enter...... in activation of the survival complex mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) and inhibition of the proapoptotic proteins Bad and Fox03a. In UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells (10-20 mJ cm(-2)), TNF-alpha increased the proportion of cycling cells and enhanced the rate of apoptosis. A significantly higher...

  14. Influenza vaccination of cancer patients during PD-1 blockade induces serological protection but may raise the risk for immune-related adverse events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Läubli, Heinz; Balmelli, Catharina; Kaufmann, Lukas; Stanczak, Michal; Syedbasha, Mohammedyaseen; Vogt, Dominik; Hertig, Astrid; Müller, Beat; Gautschi, Oliver; Stenner, Frank; Zippelius, Alfred; Egli, Adrian; Rothschild, Sacha I

    2018-05-22

    Immune checkpoint inhibiting antibodies were introduced into routine clinical practice for cancer patients. Checkpoint blockade has led to durable remissions in some patients, but may also induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Lung cancer patients show an increased risk for complications, when infected with influenza viruses. Therefore, vaccination is recommended. However, the efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination during checkpoint blockade and its influence on irAEs is unclear. Similarly, the influence of vaccinations on T cell-mediated immune reactions in patients during PD-1 blockade remains poorly defined. We vaccinated 23 lung cancer patients and 11 age-matched healthy controls using a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine to investigate vaccine-induced immunity and safety during checkpoint blockade. We did not observe significant differences between patients and healthy controls in vaccine-induced antibody titers against all three viral antigens. Influenza vaccination resulted in protective titers in more than 60% of patients/participants. In cancer patients, the post-vaccine frequency of irAEs was 52.2% with a median time to occurrence of 3.2 months after vaccination. Six of 23 patients (26.1%) showed severe grade 3/4 irAEs. This frequency of irAEs might be higher than the rate previously published in the literature and the rate observed in a non-study population at our institution (all grades 25.5%, grade 3/4 9.8%). Although this is a non-randomized trial with a limited number of patients, the increased rate of immunological toxicity is concerning. This finding should be studied in a larger patient population.

  15. Toxic effect of silica nanoparticles on endothelial cells through DNA damage response via Chk1-dependent G2/M checkpoint.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junchao Duan

    Full Text Available Silica nanoparticles have become promising carriers for drug delivery or gene therapy. Endothelial cells could be directly exposed to silica nanoparticles by intravenous administration. However, the underlying toxic effect mechanisms of silica nanoparticles on endothelial cells are still poorly understood. In order to clarify the cytotoxicity of endothelial cells induced by silica nanoparticles and its mechanisms, cellular morphology, cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH release were observed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs as assessing cytotoxicity, resulted in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Silica nanoparticles-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS generation caused oxidative damage followed by the production of malondialdehyde (MDA as well as the inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px. Both necrosis and apoptosis were increased significantly after 24 h exposure. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP decreased obviously in a dose-dependent manner. The degree of DNA damage including the percentage of tail DNA, tail length and Olive tail moment (OTM were markedly aggravated. Silica nanoparticles also induced G2/M arrest through the upregulation of Chk1 and the downregulation of Cdc25C, cyclin B1/Cdc2. In summary, our data indicated that the toxic effect mechanisms of silica nanoparticles on endothelial cells was through DNA damage response (DDR via Chk1-dependent G2/M checkpoint signaling pathway, suggesting that exposure to silica nanoparticles could be a potential hazards for the development of cardiovascular diseases.

  16. The placebo effect and its determinants in fibromyalgia: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Zou, Kun; Abdullah, Natasya; Whiteside, Nicola; Sarmanova, Aliya; Doherty, Michael; Zhang, Weiya

    2017-07-01

    The aims of this study were to determine whether placebo treatment in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is effective for fibromyalgia and to identify possible determinants of the magnitude of any such placebo effect. A systematic literature search was undertaken for RCTs in people with fibromyalgia that included a placebo and/or a no-treatment (observation only or waiting list) control group. Placebo effect size (ES) for pain and other outcomes was measured as the improvement of each outcome from baseline divided by the standard deviation of the change from baseline. This effect was compared with changes in the no-treatment control groups. Meta-analysis was undertaken to combine data from different studies. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify possible determinants of the placebo ES. A total of 3912 studies were identified from the literature search. After scrutiny, 229 trials met the inclusion criteria. Participants who received placebo in the RCTs experienced significantly better improvements in pain, fatigue, sleep quality, physical function, and other main outcomes than those receiving no treatment. The ES of placebo for pain relief was clinically moderate (0.53, 95%CI 0.48 to 0.57). The ES increased with increasing strength of the active treatment, increasing participant age and higher baseline pain severity, but decreased in RCTS with more women and with longer duration of fibromyalgia. In addition, placebo treatment in RCTs is effective in fibromyalgia. A number of factors (expected strength of treatment, age, gender, disease duration) appear to influence the magnitude of the placebo effect in this condition.

  17. Targeting neddylation induces DNA damage and checkpoint activation and sensitizes chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells to alkylating agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paiva, C; Godbersen, J C; Berger, A; Brown, J R; Danilov, A V

    2015-07-09

    Microenvironment-mediated upregulation of the B-cell receptor (BCR) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling in CLL cells resident in the lymph node and bone marrow promotes apoptosis evasion and clonal expansion. We recently reported that MLN4924 (pevonedistat), an investigational agent that inhibits the NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE), abrogates stromal-mediated NF-κB pathway activity and CLL cell survival. However, the NAE pathway also assists degradation of multiple other substrates. MLN4924 has been shown to induce DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, but the importance of this mechanism in primary neoplastic B cells has not been studied. Here we mimicked the lymph node microenvironment using CD40 ligand (CD40L)-expressing stroma and interleukin-21 (IL-21) to find that inducing proliferation of the primary CLL cells conferred enhanced sensitivity to NAE inhibition. Treatment of the CD40-stimulated CLL cells with MLN4924 resulted in deregulation of Cdt1, a DNA replication licensing factor, and cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27. This led to DNA damage, checkpoint activation and G2 arrest. Alkylating agents bendamustine and chlorambucil enhanced MLN4924-mediated DNA damage and apoptosis. These events were more prominent in cells stimulated with IL-21 compared with CD40L alone, indicating that, following NAE inhibition, the culture conditions were able to direct CLL cell fate from an NF-κB inhibition to a Cdt1 induction program. Our data provide insight into the biological consequences of targeting NAE in CLL and serves as further rationale for studying the clinical activity of MLN4924 in CLL, particularly in combination with alkylating agents.

  18. Labour Court Karlsruhe, decision of October 15, 1985 (co-determination in matters of security control)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    In its decision of October 15, 1985, the Labour Court of Karlsruhe deals with the order for security controls in nuclear research centres. The co-determination of the works council in this field is excluded, if the operator is obliged by the licensing authority to carry out these controls pursuant to the operating licence according to sec. 7 and sec. 17 of the Atomic Energy Act. (WG) [de

  19. Resurrecting social infrastructure as a determinant of urban tuberculosis control in Delhi, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Shivani; Sharma, Nandini; Joshi, Kulanand; Aggarwal, Nishi; Kannan, Anjur Tupil

    2014-01-17

    The key to universal coverage in tuberculosis (TB) management lies in community participation and empowerment of the population. Social infrastructure development generates social capital and addresses the crucial social determinants of TB, thereby improving program performance. Recently, there has been renewed interest in the concept of social infrastructure development for TB control in developing countries. This study aims to revive this concept and highlight the fact that documentation on ways to operationalize urban TB control is required from a holistic development perspective. Further, it explains how development of social infrastructure impacts health and development outcomes, especially with respect to TB in urban settings. A wide range of published Government records pertaining to social development parameters and TB program surveillance, between 2001 and 2011 in Delhi, were studied. Social infrastructure development parameters like human development index along with other indicators reflecting patient profile and habitation in urban settings were selected as social determinants of TB. These include adult literacy rates, per capita income, net migration rates, percentage growth in slum population, and percentage of urban population living in one-room dwelling units. The impact of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program on TB incidence was assessed as an annual decline in new TB cases notified under the program. Univariate linear regression was employed to examine the interrelationship between social development parameters and TB program outcomes. The decade saw a significant growth in most of the social development parameters in the State. TB program performance showed 46% increment in lives saved among all types of TB cases per 100,000 population. The 7% reduction in new TB case notifications from the year 2001 to 2011, translates to a logarithmic decline of 5.4 new TB cases per 100,000 population. Except per capita income, literacy, and net

  20. Determination of uranium by controlled-potential coulometry with platinum electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eppis, M.R.; Adelfang, P.

    1990-01-01

    In this work it was investigated the process by which is possible to determine uranium by means of a controlled-potential coulometry with a platinum electrode, using a reversible method, in presence of Pu(III) or Fe(II), that permits to analyze uranium and plutonium jointly with the same work electrode. The method has been adapted to be used in a standard electrochemical cell, without any modification. The determination occurs in five stages: 1) Uranium and iron reduction, with an electrolysis at -250mV vs standard calomel electrode (S.C.E.). 2) Electrolysis at +200 mV vs S.C.E. to remove the hydrogen generated in the former stage. 3) Oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) and Fe(II) to Fe(III) by an electrolysis at +650 mV vs S.C.E. 4) Reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) at +200 mV vs S.C.E. 5) A new oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) at +650 mV vs S.C.E. By difference between the integrated charge in the steps 3) and 5), the integrated charge corresponding to the uranium oxidation is obtained. It was necessary to determine: a) the potential and the time that is necessary to apply to realize quantitative electrochemical reduction of uranium. b) the dependence of the U/Fe concentration ratios. c) the weight of U contained in the aliqout and its influence on the method. The accuracy and precision of the method was studied and results with a standard deviation of 0.03% was obtained. Moreover, the method presents the following advantages: a) it is possible to determine U and Pu on the same aliquot; b) the process is reversible; c) the use of mercury in glove-box is avoided. (Author) [es

  1. New technique for determining unavailability of computer controlled safety systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fryer, M.O.; Bruske, S.Z.

    1984-04-01

    The availability of a safety system for a fusion reactor is determined. A fusion reactor processes tritium and requires an Emergency Tritium Cleanup (ETC) system for accidental tritium releases. The ETC is computer controlled and because of its complexity, is an excellent candidate for this analysis. The ETC system unavailability, for preliminary untested software, is calculated based on different assumptions about operator response. These assumptions are: (a) the operator shuts down the system after the first indication of plant failure; (b) the operator shuts down the system after following optimized failure verification procedures; or (c) the operator is taken out of the decision process, and the computer uses the optimized failure verification procedures

  2. FBH1 Catalyzes Regression of Stalled Replication Forks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasper Fugger

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available DNA replication fork perturbation is a major challenge to the maintenance of genome integrity. It has been suggested that processing of stalled forks might involve fork regression, in which the fork reverses and the two nascent DNA strands anneal. Here, we show that FBH1 catalyzes regression of a model replication fork in vitro and promotes fork regression in vivo in response to replication perturbation. Cells respond to fork stalling by activating checkpoint responses requiring signaling through stress-activated protein kinases. Importantly, we show that FBH1, through its helicase activity, is required for early phosphorylation of ATM substrates such as CHK2 and CtIP as well as hyperphosphorylation of RPA. These phosphorylations occur prior to apparent DNA double-strand break formation. Furthermore, FBH1-dependent signaling promotes checkpoint control and preserves genome integrity. We propose a model whereby FBH1 promotes early checkpoint signaling by remodeling of stalled DNA replication forks.

  3. Organ size control is dominant over Rb family inactivation to restrict proliferation in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehmer, Ursula; Zmoos, Anne-Flore; Auerbach, Raymond K; Vaka, Dedeepya; Butte, Atul J; Kay, Mark A; Sage, Julien

    2014-07-24

    In mammals, a cell's decision to divide is thought to be under the control of the Rb/E2F pathway. We previously found that inactivation of the Rb family of cell cycle inhibitors (Rb, p107, and p130) in quiescent liver progenitors leads to uncontrolled division and cancer initiation. Here, we show that, in contrast, deletion of the entire Rb gene family in mature hepatocytes is not sufficient for their long-term proliferation. The cell cycle block in Rb family mutant hepatocytes is independent of the Arf/p53/p21 checkpoint but can be abrogated upon decreasing liver size. At the molecular level, we identify YAP, a transcriptional regulator involved in organ size control, as a factor required for the sustained expression of cell cycle genes in hepatocytes. These experiments identify a higher level of regulation of the cell cycle in vivo in which signals regulating organ size are dominant regulators of the core cell cycle machinery. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Evolution of checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of metastatic gastric cancers: Current status and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taieb, Julien; Moehler, Markus; Boku, Narikazu; Ajani, Jaffer A; Yañez Ruiz, Eduardo; Ryu, Min-Hee; Guenther, Silke; Chand, Vikram; Bang, Yung-Jue

    2018-05-01

    Standard treatment options for patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC) are associated with limited efficacy and some toxicity. Recently, immunotherapy with antibodies that inhibit the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction has emerged as a new treatment option. This manuscript reviews early-phase and late-phase trials of immunotherapy in advanced GC/GEJC. Searches for studies of immunotherapy in GC/GEJC were performed using PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and abstract databases for select annual congresses. Findings were interpreted based on expert opinion. Monotherapy with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, including pembrolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab, durvalumab, and atezolizumab, has shown interesting objective response rates (ORRs; 7-26%) across varying GC/GEJC populations, with ORRs potentially higher in PD-L1 + vs PD-L1 - tumors. Safety profiles compare favorably with chemotherapy, with grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurring in 5-17%. Based on a large phase 2 study, pembrolizumab was approved in the United States for third-line treatment of patients with PD-L1 + GC/GEJC. In a phase 3 trial, third-line or later nivolumab increased overall survival vs placebo in an Asian population, leading to regulatory approval in Japan, although other completed phase 3 trials did not show superiority for pembrolizumab or avelumab monotherapy vs chemotherapy. Other trials in advanced GC/GEJC are assessing various anti-PD-1/PD-L1-based strategies, including administration in first-line and later-line settings and as combination (with chemotherapy or agents targeting other immune checkpoint proteins, eg, CTLA-4, LAG-3, and IDO) or switch-maintenance regimens. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies have shown encouraging clinical activity in advanced GC/GEJC. Results from ongoing phase 3 trials are needed to further evaluate the potential roles of these agents within the continuum of care. Copyright

  5. Microsatellite Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem Design and Implementation: Software-in-the-Loop Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ho-Nien Shou

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the development of a microsatellite attitude determination and control subsystem (ADCS and verification of its functionality by software-in-the-loop (SIL method. The role of ADCS is to provide attitude control functions, including the de-tumbling and stabilizing the satellite angular velocity, and as well as estimating the orbit and attitude information during the satellite operation. In Taiwan, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT, dedicating for students to design experimental low earth orbit micro-satellite, called AFITsat. For AFITsat, the operation of the ADCS consists of three modes which are initialization mode, detumbling mode, and normal mode, respectively. During the initialization mode, ADCS collects the early orbit measurement data from various sensors so that the data can be downlinked to the ground station for further analysis. As particularly emphasized in this paper, during the detumbling mode, ADCS implements the thrusters in plus-wide modulation control method to decrease the satellite angular velocity. ADCS provides the attitude determination function for the estimation of the satellite state, during normal mode. The three modes of microsatellite adopted Kalman filter algorithm estimate microsatellite attitude. This paper will discuss using the SIL validation ADCS function and verify its feasibility.

  6. Determinants of blood pressure control amongst hypertensive patients in Northwest Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teshome, Destaw Fetene; Demssie, Amsalu Feleke; Zeleke, Berihun Megabiaw

    2018-01-01

    Controlling blood pressure (BP) leads to significant reduction in cardiovascular risks and associated deaths. In Ethiopia, data is scarce about the level and determinants of optimal BP control among hypertensive patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of optimal BP control among hypertensive patients attending at a district hospital. A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 392 hypertensive patients who were on treatment and follow-up at a district hospital. A structured questionnaire adopted from WHO approach was prepared to collect the data. Medication adherence was measured by the four-item Morisky Green Levine Scale, with a score ≥3 defined as "good adherence". Blood pressure was measured, and optimal BP control was 0DEFined as systolic BP < 140 mmHg and diastolic BP<90 mmHg. Both binary and multivariable logistic regressions models were fitted to identify correlates of optimal BP control. All statistical tests were two-sided and a p values <0.05 was considered for statistical significance. The mean age of the participants was 58 years (SD±13 years). Over half (53.8%) were females. Three quarters (77.3%) of the participants were adherent to their medications. The overall proportion of participants with optimally controlled BP was 42.9%.Female sex (Adjusted Odd Ratio(AOR) = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.26), age older than 60 years (AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.18, 7.40), consumption of vegetables on most days of the week (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.25, 3.73), physical activity (AOR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.39, 9.83), and taking less than three drugs per day (AOR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.51, 6.14) were positively associated with optimally controlled BP. Poor adherence to medications (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.35), having asthma comorbidity (AOR = 0.33, 95% CI:0.12, 0.88) and use of top added salt on a plate (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI:0.11, 0.36) were negatively associated with optimal BP control. A higher proportion of hypertensive patients

  7. How early studies on secreted and membrane protein quality control gave rise to the ER associated degradation (ERAD) pathway: the early history of ERAD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needham, Patrick G; Brodsky, Jeffrey L

    2013-11-01

    All newly synthesized proteins are subject to quality control check-points, which prevent aberrant polypeptides from harming the cell. For proteins that ultimately reside in the cytoplasm, components that also reside in the cytoplasm were known for many years to mediate quality control. Early biochemical and genetic data indicated that misfolded proteins were selected by molecular chaperones and then targeted to the proteasome (in eukaryotes) or to proteasome-like particles (in bacteria) for degradation. What was less clear was how secreted and integral membrane proteins, which in eukaryotes enter the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), were subject to quality control decisions. In this review, we highlight early studies that ultimately led to the discovery that secreted and integral membrane proteins also utilize several components that constitute the cytoplasmic quality control machinery. This component of the cellular quality control pathway is known as ER associated degradation, or ERAD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Functional and structural diversity of endoplasmic reticulum. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Possibility of using radioactivity control measurements for determining contamination paths in nutritional vectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garnier, A.

    1966-01-01

    The object of the report is to study the possibility of using results of radioactivity controls for determining the paths followed by contamination in nutritional vectors; these are necessary for calculating protection norms. Radioactive contamination of a nutritional vector is expressed in terms of parameters which suggest that a certain number of criteria may be used for choosing the results which are to be exploited. An actual example of a 'vertical' study based on results of measurements made purely for control purposes shows the difficulties which may be encountered. A list of the results obtained by the control networks set up in the Community Countries, either for the atmosphere, for milk, or for other foodstuffs, shows that these networks are not at the present organised in such a way as to make such a study possible. It appears desirable that a large part of the work carried out by the control Services be oriented in such a way as to yield the complementary information required for experimental studies of radioactive contamination transfers. (author) [fr

  9. Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory

    OpenAIRE

    Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Ntoumanis, Nikos

    2009-01-01

    This study used self-determination theory (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.) to examine predictors of body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviours in a sample of 350 Greek adolescent girls. A process model was tested which proposed that perceptions of parental autonomy support and two life goals (health and image) would predict adolescents' degree of sa...

  10. Scrap supply in Bosnian after war situation - sources, quality, regulation and control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pihura, Dervis

    1999-01-01

    Before the war, the Bosnian foundry and steel industry were supplied with scrap partly from domestic sources but mainly from foreign market. The annual steel production before the war recorded 130,000 tonnes of casting and 2,000.000 tonnes of crude steel. Most of the scrap was imported to secure and stabilize the production. During and after the war, despite a significant loss of production, efforts have been made to return to the normal production level in many ways. In the wake of the war, there has been a growing concern over the import of radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap or low quality raw materials which are uncontrolled or of unidentified sources. In this regard, it is urgently required to establish an effective system to prevent from, to detect and to control the flow of the radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap. The system should be established in such a way that all sorts of radioactive metallurgical elements should be controlled and prevented from use in all the metallurgical manufacturing processes, ferrous and non-ferrous alike. The coverage of control should start from the border or (air) port checkpoint where the flow of the scrap begins to the final steel product. The control system should take a form of internationally common and acceptable standards and regulations. Equipments and measurement techniques should also be internationally common. (author)

  11. Outside-in control -Does plant cell wall integrity regulate cell cycle progression?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gigli-Bisceglia, Nora; Hamann, Thorsten

    2018-04-13

    During recent years it has become accepted that plant cell walls are not inert objects surrounding all plant cells but are instead highly dynamic, plastic structures. They are involved in a large number of cell biological processes and contribute actively to plant growth, development and interaction with environment. Therefore, it is not surprising that cellular processes can control plant cell wall integrity while, simultaneously, cell wall integrity can influence cellular processes. In yeast and animal cells such a bi-directional relationship also exists between the yeast/animal extra-cellular matrices and the cell cycle. In yeast, the cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism and a dedicated plasmamembrane integrity checkpoint are mediating this relationship. Recent research has yielded insights into the mechanism controlling plant cell wall metabolism during cytokinesis. However, knowledge regarding putative regulatory pathways controlling adaptive modifications in plant cell cycle activity in response to changes in the state of the plant cell wall are not yet identified. In this review, we summarize similarities and differences in regulatory mechanisms coordinating extra cellular matrices and cell cycle activity in animal and yeast cells, discuss the available evidence supporting the existence of such a mechanism in plants and suggest that the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism might also control cell cycle activity in plant cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  12. Diverse microRNAs with convergent functions regulate tumorigenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Min-Yan; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Tao

    2016-02-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several biological processes, including tumorigenesis. In order to comprehend the roles of miRNAs in cancer, various screens were performed to investigate the changes in the expression levels of miRNAs that occur in different types of cancer. The present review focuses on the results of five recent screens, whereby a number of overlapping miRNAs were identified to be downregulated or differentially regulated, whereas no miRNAs were observed to be frequently upregulated. Furthermore, the majority of the miRNAs that were common to >1 screen were involved in signaling networks, including wingless-related integration site, receptor tyrosine kinase and transforming growth factor-β, or in cell cycle checkpoint control. The present review will discuss the aforementioned miRNAs implicated in cell cycle checkpoint control and signaling networks.

  13. Direct microcomputer controlled determination of zinc in human serum by flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Kirsten Wiese; Nielsen, Bent; Jensen, Arne

    1986-01-01

    A procedure is described for the direct determination of zinc in human serum by fully automated, microcomputer controlled flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (Fl-AAS). The Fl system is pumpless, using the negative pressure created by the nebuliser. It only consists of a three-way valve......, programmable from the microcomputer, to control the sample volume. No pre-treatment of the samples is necessary. The limit of detection is 0.14 mg l–1, and only small amounts of serum (

  14. The formation of nuclear export control in Azerbaijan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garibov, A.A.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: The controlling process of exporting and importing on Azerbaijan borders is being carried out by two state organizations. 1.Border Guard Department; 2.Azerbaijan State Customs Committee. The officers of these organizations have no enough necessary experience and knowledge dealing with the legal and illegal trafficking. There were not special educational institutions in order to train personals for both of these organizations made newly. So there's difference between the professions of the majority of the employees, that's why some of the employees follow the instructions linking to the normative documents while passing the border. When trafficking nuclear and dual-use items officially the controller and other employees should look through the list of all and know them how to behave and to make official, the characteristic parameters of the materials, and the instruction of monitoring. In order to realize all works pointed, the employees of Border Guard Department and Customs Control Check Points have to attend special courses. The employees of both organizations are frequently changed that's why studying courses are to be organized. The analysis of studying considered that will be realized shows mainly there may be two student groups. Mainly, the Institute of Radiation Problems of ANAS (Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences) as the expert laboratory takes part in. On the borders of Azerbaijan Republic the dual-use items and equipment having the type of isotope sources being utilized in the technological process are mainly being transported. In the materials presented the results and the solution of the problems dealing with realizing the controlling expert system of nuclear materials in the existing control checkpoints due to the international standards have been given

  15. Reducing Violence in Non-Controlling Ways: A Change Program Based on Self Determination Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assor, Avi; Feinberg, Ofra; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Kaplan, Haya

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents and examines the first school change program focusing on violence and caring based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2012). The program aimed at promoting teachers' capacity to cope with violence and enhance caring without becoming more controlling. Comparisons of the effects of a 22-month-long program in three…

  16. ERK1/2 signaling plays an important role in topoisomerase II poison-induced G2/M checkpoint activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolb, Ryan H; Greer, Patrick M; Cao, Phu T; Cowan, Kenneth H; Yan, Ying

    2012-01-01

    Topo II poisons, which target topoisomerase II (topo II) to generate enzyme mediated DNA damage, have been commonly used for anti-cancer treatment. While clinical evidence demonstrate a capability of topo II poisons in inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, accumulating evidence also show that topo II poison treatment frequently results in cell cycle arrest in cancer cells, which was associated with subsequent resistance to these treatments. Results in this report indicate that treatment of MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells with topo II poisons resulted in an increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and an subsequent induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK1/2 activation using specific inhibitors markedly attenuated the topo II poison-induced G2/M arrest and diminished the topo II poison-induced activation of ATR and Chk1 kinases. Moreover, decreased expression of ATR by specific shRNA diminished topo II poison-induced G2/M arrest but had no effect on topo II poison-induced ERK1/2 activation. In contrast, inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling had little, if any, effect on topo II poison-induced ATM activation. In addition, ATM inhibition by either incubation of cells with ATM specific inhibitor or transfection of cells with ATM specific siRNA did not block topo II poison-induced G2/M arrest. Ultimately, inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling greatly enhanced topo II poison-induced apoptosis. These results implicate a critical role for ERK1/2 signaling in the activation of G2/M checkpoint response following topo II poison treatment, which protects cells from topo II poison-induced apoptosis.

  17. Acute Oncology Care: A narrative review of the acute management of neutropenic sepsis and immune-related toxicities of checkpoint inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Thomas; Ahn, Shin; Rice, Terry W; Cooksley, Tim

    2017-11-01

    Cancer care has become increasingly specialized and advances in therapy have resulted in a larger number of patients receiving care. There has been a significant increase in the number of patients presenting with cancer related emergencies including treatment toxicities and those directly related to the malignancy. Suspected neutropenic sepsis is an acute medical emergency and empirical antibiotic therapy should be administered immediately. The goal of empirical therapy is to cover the most likely pathogens that will cause life-threatening infections in neutropenic patients. Patients with febrile neutropenia are a heterogeneous group with only a minority of treated patients developing significant medical complications. Outpatient management of low risk febrile neutropenia patients identified by the MASCC score is a safe and effective strategy. Immunotherapy with "checkpoint inhibitors" has significantly improved outcomes for patients with metastatic melanoma and evidence of benefit in a wide range of malignancies is developing. Despite these clinical benefits a number of immune related adverse events have been recognised which can affect virtually all organ systems and are potentially fatal. The timing of the onset of the adverse events is dependent on the organ system affected and unlike anti-neoplastic therapy can be delayed significantly after initiation or completion of therapy. The field of Acute Oncology is changing rapidly. Alongside, the traditional challenge of neutropenic sepsis there are many emerging toxicities. Further research into the optimal management, strategies and pathways of acutely unwell patients with cancer is required. Copyright © 2017 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1 pathway is down-regulated in synovium at various stages of rheumatoid arthritis disease progression.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Guo, Yanxia

    2018-01-01

    Immune checkpoint blockade with therapeutic anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 (Ipilimumab) and anti-programmed death (PD)-1 (Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab) antibodies alone or in combination has shown remarkable efficacy in multiple cancer types, concomitant with immune-related adverse events, including arthralgia and inflammatory arthritis (IA) in some patients. Herein, using Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antagonist)-responsive genes along with transcriptomics of synovial tissue from multiple stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease progression, we have interrogated the activity status of PD-1 pathway during RA development. We demonstrate that the expression of PD-1 was increased in early and established RA synovial tissue compared to normal and OA synovium, whereas that of its ligands, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2, was increased at all the stages of RA disease progression, namely arthralgia, IA\\/undifferentiated arthritis, early RA and established RA. Further, we show that RA patients expressed PD-1 on a majority of synovial tissue infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, enrichment of Nivolumab gene signature was observed in IA and RA, indicating that the PD-1 pathway was downregulated during RA disease progression. Furthermore, serum soluble (s) PD-1 levels were increased in autoantibody positive early RA patients. Interestingly, most of the early RA synovium tissue sections showed negative PD-L1 staining by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, downregulation in PD-1 inhibitory signaling in RA could be attributed to increased serum sPD-1 and decreased synovial tissue PD-L1 levels. Taken together, these data suggest that agonistic PD1 antibody-based therapeutics may show efficacy in RA treatment and interception.

  19. Immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1 pathway is down-regulated in synovium at various stages of rheumatoid arthritis disease progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yanxia; Walsh, Alice M; Canavan, Mary; Wechalekar, Mihir D; Cole, Suzanne; Yin, Xuefeng; Scott, Brittney; Loza, Mathew; Orr, Carl; McGarry, Trudy; Bombardieri, Michele; Humby, Frances; Proudman, Susanna M; Pitzalis, Costantino; Smith, Malcolm D; Friedman, Joshua R; Anderson, Ian; Madakamutil, Loui; Veale, Douglas J; Fearon, Ursula; Nagpal, Sunil

    2018-01-01

    Immune checkpoint blockade with therapeutic anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 (Ipilimumab) and anti-programmed death (PD)-1 (Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab) antibodies alone or in combination has shown remarkable efficacy in multiple cancer types, concomitant with immune-related adverse events, including arthralgia and inflammatory arthritis (IA) in some patients. Herein, using Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antagonist)-responsive genes along with transcriptomics of synovial tissue from multiple stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease progression, we have interrogated the activity status of PD-1 pathway during RA development. We demonstrate that the expression of PD-1 was increased in early and established RA synovial tissue compared to normal and OA synovium, whereas that of its ligands, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2, was increased at all the stages of RA disease progression, namely arthralgia, IA/undifferentiated arthritis, early RA and established RA. Further, we show that RA patients expressed PD-1 on a majority of synovial tissue infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, enrichment of Nivolumab gene signature was observed in IA and RA, indicating that the PD-1 pathway was downregulated during RA disease progression. Furthermore, serum soluble (s) PD-1 levels were increased in autoantibody positive early RA patients. Interestingly, most of the early RA synovium tissue sections showed negative PD-L1 staining by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, downregulation in PD-1 inhibitory signaling in RA could be attributed to increased serum sPD-1 and decreased synovial tissue PD-L1 levels. Taken together, these data suggest that agonistic PD1 antibody-based therapeutics may show efficacy in RA treatment and interception.

  20. Recent progress of the study of p53 control mechanism by ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawai, Hidehiko

    2004-01-01

    Reviewed are the recent findings on the control mechanism of function and activity of p53 as a response factor to stress of ionizing radiation. The p53 protein is controlled to be essentially inactive in cells under normal conditions and is activated by various stresses. The role of p53 as a stress-responding and tumor-suppressing factor in cells with damaged DNA is discussed in relation with its participation in G1/S and G2/M checkpoints, DNA repair, and apoptosis. The stress like radiation affects the control mechanisms of stability and function of p53 through modification of its N-terminal region (the activation domain of transcription), DNA binding region (core domain) and C-terminal region (domains of the nuclear export signaling, tetramer formation and its own regulation). MDM2 (mouse double minute 2) family, the most important regulatory factor of p53, forms a negative feedback cycle since the family is the target factor of p53 transcription and also suppressor of p53. MDM2 is regulated by phosphorylation and by interaction with itself or other factors like p300/CBP. Further studies on p53 are thus important in various fields as well as in radiation biology. (N.I.)