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Sample records for chemotaxis deletion background

  1. Deciphering chemotaxis pathways using cross species comparisons

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    Armitage Judith P

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chemotaxis is the process by which motile bacteria sense their chemical environment and move towards more favourable conditions. Escherichia coli utilises a single sensory pathway, but little is known about signalling pathways in species with more complex systems. Results To investigate whether chemotaxis pathways in other bacteria follow the E. coli paradigm, we analysed 206 species encoding at least 1 homologue of each of the 5 core chemotaxis proteins (CheA, CheB, CheR, CheW and CheY. 61 species encode more than one of all of these 5 proteins, suggesting they have multiple chemotaxis pathways. Operon information is not available for most bacteria, so we developed a novel statistical approach to cluster che genes into putative operons. Using operon-based models, we reconstructed putative chemotaxis pathways for all 206 species. We show that cheA-cheW and cheR-cheB have strong preferences to occur in the same operon as two-gene blocks, which may reflect a functional requirement for co-transcription. However, other che genes, most notably cheY, are more dispersed on the genome. Comparison of our operons with shuffled equivalents demonstrates that specific patterns of genomic location may be a determining factor for the observed in vivo chemotaxis pathways. We then examined the chemotaxis pathways of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Here, the PpfA protein is known to be critical for correct partitioning of proteins in the cytoplasmically-localised pathway. We found ppfA in che operons of many species, suggesting that partitioning of cytoplasmic Che protein clusters is common. We also examined the apparently non-typical chemotaxis components, CheA3, CheA4 and CheY6. We found that though variants of CheA proteins are rare, the CheY6 variant may be a common type of CheY, with a significantly disordered C-terminal region which may be functionally significant. Conclusions We find that many bacterial species potentially have multiple

  2. The Vi capsular polysaccharide enables Salmonella enterica serovar typhi to evade microbe-guided neutrophil chemotaxis.

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    Tamding Wangdi

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi causes typhoid fever, a disseminated infection, while the closely related pathogen S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium is associated with a localized gastroenteritis in humans. Here we investigated whether both pathogens differ in the chemotactic response they induce in neutrophils using a single-cell experimental approach. Surprisingly, neutrophils extended chemotactic pseudopodia toward Escherichia coli and S. Typhimurium, but not toward S. Typhi. Bacterial-guided chemotaxis was dependent on the presence of complement component 5a (C5a and C5a receptor (C5aR. Deletion of S. Typhi capsule biosynthesis genes markedly enhanced the chemotactic response of neutrophils in vitro. Furthermore, deletion of capsule biosynthesis genes heightened the association of S. Typhi with neutrophils in vivo through a C5aR-dependent mechanism. Collectively, these data suggest that expression of the virulence-associated (Vi capsular polysaccharide of S. Typhi obstructs bacterial-guided neutrophil chemotaxis.

  3. The chemotaxis regulator pilG of Xylella fastidiosa is required for virulence in Vitis vinifera grapevines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Type IV pili of X. fastidiosa are regulated by pilG, a response regulator protein putatively involved in chemotaxis-like operon sensing stimuli through signal transduction pathways. To elucidate roles of pilG in pathogenicity of X. fastidiosa, the pilG-deletion mutant and complementary strain contai...

  4. Measuring Borrelia burgdorferi Motility and Chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kai; Li, Chunhao

    2018-01-01

    Swimming plate, cell motion tracking, and capillary tube assays are very useful tools to quantitatively measure bacterial motility and chemotaxis. These methods were modified and applied to study Borrelia burgdorferi motility and chemotaxis. By using these methods, numerous motility and chemotaxis mutants have been characterized and several chemoattractants were identified. With the assistance of these tools, the role of motility and chemotaxis in the pathogenicity of B. burgdorferi has been established. In addition, these tools also facilitate the study of motility and chemotaxis in other spirochetes.

  5. Feedback control architecture and the bacterial chemotaxis network.

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    Abdullah Hamadeh

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria move towards favourable and away from toxic environments by changing their swimming pattern. This response is regulated by the chemotaxis signalling pathway, which has an important feature: it uses feedback to 'reset' (adapt the bacterial sensing ability, which allows the bacteria to sense a range of background environmental changes. The role of this feedback has been studied extensively in the simple chemotaxis pathway of Escherichia coli. However it has been recently found that the majority of bacteria have multiple chemotaxis homologues of the E. coli proteins, resulting in more complex pathways. In this paper we investigate the configuration and role of feedback in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, a bacterium containing multiple homologues of the chemotaxis proteins found in E. coli. Multiple proteins could produce different possible feedback configurations, each having different chemotactic performance qualities and levels of robustness to variations and uncertainties in biological parameters and to intracellular noise. We develop four models corresponding to different feedback configurations. Using a series of carefully designed experiments we discriminate between these models and invalidate three of them. When these models are examined in terms of robustness to noise and parametric uncertainties, we find that the non-invalidated model is superior to the others. Moreover, it has a 'cascade control' feedback architecture which is used extensively in engineering to improve system performance, including robustness. Given that the majority of bacteria are known to have multiple chemotaxis pathways, in this paper we show that some feedback architectures allow them to have better performance than others. In particular, cascade control may be an important feature in achieving robust functionality in more complex signalling pathways and in improving their performance.

  6. Suppression of chemotaxis by SSeCKS via scaffolding of phosphoinositol phosphates and the recruitment of the Cdc42 GEF, Frabin, to the leading edge.

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    Ko, Hyun-Kyung; Guo, Li-wu; Su, Bing; Gao, Lingqiu; Gelman, Irwin H

    2014-01-01

    Chemotaxis is controlled by interactions between receptors, Rho-family GTPases, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases, and cytoskeleton remodeling proteins. We investigated how the metastasis suppressor, SSeCKS, attenuates chemotaxis. Chemotaxis activity inversely correlated with SSeCKS levels in mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF), DU145 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. SSeCKS loss induced chemotactic velocity and linear directionality, correlating with replacement of leading edge lamellipodia with fascin-enriched filopodia-like extensions, the formation of thickened longitudinal F-actin stress fibers reaching to filopodial tips, relative enrichments at the leading edge of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)P3 (PIP3), Akt, PKC-ζ, Cdc42-GTP and active Src (SrcpoY416), and a loss of Rac1. Leading edge lamellipodia and chemotaxis inhibition in SSeCKS-null MEF could be restored by full-length SSeCKS or SSeCKS deleted of its Src-binding domain (ΔSrc), but not by SSeCKS deleted of its three MARCKS (myristylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) polybasic domains (ΔPBD), which bind PIP2 and PIP3. The enrichment of activated Cdc42 in SSeCKS-null leading edge filopodia correlated with recruitment of the Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Frabin, likely recruited via multiple PIP2/3-binding domains. Frabin knockdown in SSeCKS-null MEF restores leading edge lamellipodia and chemotaxis inhibition. However, SSeCKS failed to co-immunoprecipitate with Rac1, Cdc42 or Frabin. Consistent with the notion that chemotaxis is controlled by SSeCKS-PIP (vs. -Src) scaffolding activity, constitutively-active phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase could override the ability of the Src inhibitor, SKI-606, to suppress chemotaxis and filopodial enrichment of Frabin in SSeCKS-null MEF. Our data suggest a role for SSeCKS in controlling Rac1 vs. Cdc42-induced cellular dynamics at the leading chemotactic edge through the scaffolding of phospholipids and signal mediators, and through the reorganization of the

  7. A cheZ-Like Gene in Azorhizobium caulinodans Is a Key Gene in the Control of Chemotaxis and Colonization of the Host Plant.

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    Liu, Xiaolin; Liu, Wei; Sun, Yu; Xia, Chunlei; Elmerich, Claudine; Xie, Zhihong

    2018-02-01

    Chemotaxis can provide bacteria with competitive advantages for survival in complex environments. The CheZ chemotaxis protein is a phosphatase, affecting the flagellar motor in Escherichia coli by dephosphorylating the response regulator phosphorylated CheY protein (CheY∼P) responsible for clockwise rotation. A cheZ gene has been found in Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571, in contrast to other rhizobial species studied so far. The CheZ protein in strain ORS571 has a conserved motif similar to that corresponding to the phosphatase active site in E. coli The construction of a cheZ deletion mutant strain and of cheZ mutant strains carrying a mutation in residues of the putative phosphatase active site showed that strain ORS571 participates in chemotaxis and motility, causing a hyperreversal behavior. In addition, the properties of the cheZ deletion mutant revealed that ORS571 CheZ is involved in other physiological processes, since it displayed increased flocculation, biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and host root colonization. In particular, it was observed that the expression of several exp genes, involved in EPS synthesis, was upregulated in the cheZ mutant compared to that in the wild type, suggesting that CheZ negatively controls exp gene expression through an unknown mechanism. It is proposed that CheZ influences the Azorhizobium -plant association by negatively regulating early colonization via the regulation of EPS production. This report established that CheZ in A. caulinodans plays roles in chemotaxis and the symbiotic association with the host plant. IMPORTANCE Chemotaxis allows bacteria to swim toward plant roots and is beneficial to the establishment of various plant-microbe associations. The level of CheY phosphorylation (CheY∼P) is central to the chemotaxis signal transduction. The mechanism of the signal termination of CheY∼P remains poorly characterized among Alphaproteobacteria , except for Sinorhizobium meliloti , which

  8. Dictyostelium Chemotaxis studied with fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy

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    Ruchira, A.

    2005-01-01

    The movement of cells in the direction of a chemical gradient, also known as chemotaxis, is a vital biological process. During chemotaxis, minute extracellular signals are translated into complex cellular responses such as change in morphology and motility. To understand the chemotaxis mechanism at

  9. Differentiation-inducing factor-1 and -2 function also as modulators for Dictyostelium chemotaxis.

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    Hidekazu Kuwayama

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the early stages of development of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, chemotaxis toward cAMP plays a pivotal role in organizing discrete cells into a multicellular structure. In this process, a series of signaling molecules, such as G-protein-coupled cell surface receptors for cAMP, phosphatidylinositol metabolites, and cyclic nucleotides, function as the signal transducers for controlling dynamics of cytoskeleton. Differentiation-inducing factor-1 and -2 (DIF-1 and DIF-2 were originally identified as the factors (chlorinated alkylphenones that induce Dictyostelium stalk cell differentiation, but it remained unknown whether the DIFs had any other physiologic functions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To further elucidate the functions of DIFs, in the present study we investigated their effects on chemotaxis under various conditions. Quite interestingly, in shallow cAMP gradients, DIF-1 suppressed chemotaxis whereas DIF-2 promoted it greatly. Analyses with various mutants revealed that DIF-1 may inhibit chemotaxis, at least in part, via GbpB (a phosphodiesterase and a decrease in the intracellular cGMP concentration ([cGMP](i. DIF-2, by contrast, may enhance chemotaxis, at least in part, via RegA (another phosphodiesterase and an increase in [cGMP](i. Using null mutants for DimA and DimB, the transcription factors that are required for DIF-dependent prestalk differentiation, we also showed that the mechanisms for the modulation of chemotaxis by DIFs differ from those for the induction of cell differentiation by DIFs, at least in part. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that DIF-1 and DIF-2 function as negative and positive modulators for Dictyostelium chemotaxis, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report in any organism of physiologic modulators (small molecules for chemotaxis having differentiation-inducing activity.

  10. Distinct Domains of CheA Confer Unique Functions in Chemotaxis and Cell Length in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7.

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    Gullett, Jessica M; Bible, Amber; Alexandre, Gladys

    2017-07-01

    Chemotaxis is the movement of cells in response to gradients of diverse chemical cues. Motile bacteria utilize a conserved chemotaxis signal transduction system to bias their motility and navigate through a gradient. A central regulator of chemotaxis is the histidine kinase CheA. This cytoplasmic protein interacts with membrane-bound receptors, which assemble into large polar arrays, to propagate the signal. In the alphaproteobacterium Azospirillum brasilense , Che1 controls transient increases in swimming speed during chemotaxis, but it also biases the cell length at division. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms for Che1-dependent control of multiple cellular behaviors are not known. Here, we identify specific domains of the CheA1 histidine kinase implicated in modulating each of these functions. We show that CheA1 is produced in two isoforms: a membrane-anchored isoform produced as a fusion with a conserved seven-transmembrane domain of unknown function (TMX) at the N terminus and a soluble isoform similar to prototypical CheA. Site-directed and deletion mutagenesis combined with behavioral assays confirm the role of CheA1 in chemotaxis and implicate the TMX domain in mediating changes in cell length. Fluorescence microscopy further reveals that the membrane-anchored isoform is distributed around the cell surface while the soluble isoform localizes at the cell poles. Together, the data provide a mechanism for the role of Che1 in controlling multiple unrelated cellular behaviors via acquisition of a new domain in CheA1 and production of distinct functional isoforms. IMPORTANCE Chemotaxis provides a significant competitive advantage to bacteria in the environment, and this function has been transferred laterally multiple times, with evidence of functional divergence in different genomic contexts. The molecular principles that underlie functional diversification of chemotaxis in various genomic contexts are unknown. Here, we provide a molecular

  11. Transducer Like Proteins of Campylobacter jejuni 81-176: Role in chemotaxis and colonization of the chicken gastrointestinal tract

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    Gireesh eRajashekara

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Transducer Like Proteins (Tlps, also known as Methyl accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCP, enable enteric pathogens to respond to changing nutrient levels in the environment by mediating taxis towards or away from specific chemoeffector molecules such as nutrients. Despite recent advances in the characterization of chemotaxis responses in Campylobacter jejuni, the impact of Tlps on the adaptation of this pathogen to disparate niches and hosts is not fully characterized. The latter is particularly evident in the case of C. jejuni 81-176, a strain that is known to be highly invasive. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic group C Tlps (Tlp5, 6, and 8 was not extensively evaluated. Here, we investigated the role of C. jejuni 81-176 Tlps in chemotaxis towards various substrates, biofilm formation, in vitro interaction with human intestinal cells, and chicken colonization. We found that the ∆tlp6 and ∆tlp10 mutants exhibited decreased chemotaxis towards aspartate whereas the ∆tlp6 mutant displayed a decreased chemotaxis towards Tri-Carboxylic Acid (TCA cycle intermediates such as pyruvate, isocitrate, and succinate. Our findings also corroborated that more than one Tlp is involved in mediating chemotaxis towards the same nutrient. The deletion of tlps affected important phenotypes such as motility, biofilm formation, and invasion of human intestinal epithelial cells (INT-407. The ∆tlp8 mutant displayed increased motility in soft agar and showed decreased biofilm formation. The ∆tlp8 and ∆tlp9 mutants were significantly defective in invasion in INT-407 cells. The ∆tlp10 mutant was defective in colonization of the chicken proximal and distal gastrointestinal tract, while the ∆tlp6 and ∆tlp8 mutants showed reduced colonization of the duodenum and jejunum. Our results highlight the importance of Tlps in C. jejuni’s adaptation and pathobiology.

  12. Comparative genomics of Geobacter chemotaxis genes reveals diverse signaling function

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    Antommattei Frances M

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Geobacter species are δ-Proteobacteria and are often the predominant species in a variety of sedimentary environments where Fe(III reduction is important. Their ability to remediate contaminated environments and produce electricity makes them attractive for further study. Cell motility, biofilm formation, and type IV pili all appear important for the growth of Geobacter in changing environments and for electricity production. Recent studies in other bacteria have demonstrated that signaling pathways homologous to the paradigm established for Escherichia coli chemotaxis can regulate type IV pili-dependent motility, the synthesis of flagella and type IV pili, the production of extracellular matrix material, and biofilm formation. The classification of these pathways by comparative genomics improves the ability to understand how Geobacter thrives in natural environments and better their use in microbial fuel cells. Results The genomes of G. sulfurreducens, G. metallireducens, and G. uraniireducens contain multiple (~70 homologs of chemotaxis genes arranged in several major clusters (six, seven, and seven, respectively. Unlike the single gene cluster of E. coli, the Geobacter clusters are not all located near the flagellar genes. The probable functions of some Geobacter clusters are assignable by homology to known pathways; others appear to be unique to the Geobacter sp. and contain genes of unknown function. We identified large numbers of methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP homologs that have diverse sensing domain architectures and generate a potential for sensing a great variety of environmental signals. We discuss mechanisms for class-specific segregation of the MCPs in the cell membrane, which serve to maintain pathway specificity and diminish crosstalk. Finally, the regulation of gene expression in Geobacter differs from E. coli. The sequences of predicted promoter elements suggest that the alternative sigma factors

  13. The Azospirillum brasilense Che1 chemotaxis pathway controls swimming velocity, which affects transient cell-to-cell clumping.

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    Bible, Amber; Russell, Matthew H; Alexandre, Gladys

    2012-07-01

    The Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway of Azospirillum brasilense contributes to chemotaxis and aerotaxis, and it has also been found to contribute to regulating changes in cell surface adhesive properties that affect the propensity of cells to clump and to flocculate. The exact contribution of Che1 to the control of chemotaxis and flocculation in A. brasilense remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Che1 affects reversible cell-to-cell clumping, a cellular behavior in which motile cells transiently interact by adhering to one another at their nonflagellated poles before swimming apart. Clumping precedes and is required for flocculation, and both processes appear to be independently regulated. The phenotypes of a ΔaerC receptor mutant and of mutant strains lacking cheA1, cheY1, cheB1, or cheR1 (alone or in combination) or with che1 deleted show that Che1 directly mediates changes in the flagellar swimming velocity and that this behavior directly modulates the transient nature of clumping. Our results also suggest that an additional receptor(s) and signaling pathway(s) are implicated in mediating other Che1-independent changes in clumping identified in the present study. Transient clumping precedes the transition to stable clump formation, which involves the production of specific extracellular polysaccharides (EPS); however, production of these clumping-specific EPS is not directly controlled by Che1 activity. Che1-dependent clumping may antagonize motility and prevent chemotaxis, thereby maintaining cells in a metabolically favorable niche.

  14. Strenuous physical exercise adversely affects monocyte chemotaxis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Czepluch, Frauke S; Barres, Romain; Caidahl, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    Physical exercise is important for proper cardiovascular function and disease prevention, but it may influence the immune system. We evaluated the effect of strenuous exercise on monocyte chemotaxis. Monocytes were isolated from blood of 13 young, healthy, sedentary individuals participating...... in a three-week training program which consisted of repeated exercise bouts. Monocyte chemotaxis and serological biomarkers were investigated at baseline, after three weeks training and after four weeks recovery. Chemotaxis towards vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and transforming growth factor...

  15. A coupled chemotaxis-fluid model: Global existence

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jian-Guo; Lorz, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    We consider a model arising from biology, consisting of chemotaxis equations coupled to viscous incompressible fluid equations through transport and external forcing. Global existence of solutions to the Cauchy problem is investigated under certain conditions. Precisely, for the chemotaxis-Navier- Stokes system in two space dimensions, we obtain global existence for large data. In three space dimensions, we prove global existence of weak solutions for the chemotaxis-Stokes system with nonlinear diffusion for the cell density.© 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. A coupled chemotaxis-fluid model: Global existence

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jian-Guo

    2011-09-01

    We consider a model arising from biology, consisting of chemotaxis equations coupled to viscous incompressible fluid equations through transport and external forcing. Global existence of solutions to the Cauchy problem is investigated under certain conditions. Precisely, for the chemotaxis-Navier- Stokes system in two space dimensions, we obtain global existence for large data. In three space dimensions, we prove global existence of weak solutions for the chemotaxis-Stokes system with nonlinear diffusion for the cell density.© 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Chemotaxis by natural populations of coral reef bacteria.

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    Tout, Jessica; Jeffries, Thomas C; Petrou, Katherina; Tyson, Gene W; Webster, Nicole S; Garren, Melissa; Stocker, Roman; Ralph, Peter J; Seymour, Justin R

    2015-08-01

    Corals experience intimate associations with distinct populations of marine microorganisms, but the microbial behaviours underpinning these relationships are poorly understood. There is evidence that chemotaxis is pivotal to the infection process of corals by pathogenic bacteria, but this evidence is limited to experiments using cultured isolates under laboratory conditions. We measured the chemotactic capabilities of natural populations of coral-associated bacteria towards chemicals released by corals and their symbionts, including amino acids, carbohydrates, ammonium and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Laboratory experiments, using a modified capillary assay, and in situ measurements, using a novel microfabricated in situ chemotaxis assay, were employed to quantify the chemotactic responses of natural microbial assemblages on the Great Barrier Reef. Both approaches showed that bacteria associated with the surface of the coral species Pocillopora damicornis and Acropora aspera exhibited significant levels of chemotaxis, particularly towards DMSP and amino acids, and that these levels of chemotaxis were significantly higher than that of bacteria inhabiting nearby, non-coral-associated waters. This pattern was supported by a significantly higher abundance of chemotaxis and motility genes in metagenomes within coral-associated water types. The phylogenetic composition of the coral-associated chemotactic microorganisms, determined using 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing, differed from the community in the seawater surrounding the coral and comprised known coral associates, including potentially pathogenic Vibrio species. These findings indicate that motility and chemotaxis are prevalent phenotypes among coral-associated bacteria, and we propose that chemotaxis has an important role in the establishment and maintenance of specific coral-microbe associations, which may ultimately influence the health and stability of the coral holobiont.

  18. Travelling Waves in Hybrid Chemotaxis Models

    KAUST Repository

    Franz, Benjamin

    2013-12-18

    Hybrid models of chemotaxis combine agent-based models of cells with partial differential equation models of extracellular chemical signals. In this paper, travelling wave properties of hybrid models of bacterial chemotaxis are investigated. Bacteria are modelled using an agent-based (individual-based) approach with internal dynamics describing signal transduction. In addition to the chemotactic behaviour of the bacteria, the individual-based model also includes cell proliferation and death. Cells consume the extracellular nutrient field (chemoattractant), which is modelled using a partial differential equation. Mesoscopic and macroscopic equations representing the behaviour of the hybrid model are derived and the existence of travelling wave solutions for these models is established. It is shown that cell proliferation is necessary for the existence of non-transient (stationary) travelling waves in hybrid models. Additionally, a numerical comparison between the wave speeds of the continuum models and the hybrid models shows good agreement in the case of weak chemotaxis and qualitative agreement for the strong chemotaxis case. In the case of slow cell adaptation, we detect oscillating behaviour of the wave, which cannot be explained by mean-field approximations. © 2013 Society for Mathematical Biology.

  19. A hybrid two-component system protein from Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 was involved in chemotaxis.

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    Cui, Yanhua; Tu, Ran; Wu, Lixian; Hong, Yuanyuan; Chen, Sanfeng

    2011-09-20

    We here report the sequence and functional analysis of org35 of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, which was originally identified to be able to interact with NifA in yeast-two-hybrid system. The org35 encodes a hybrid two-component system protein, including N-terminal PAS domains, a histidine kinase (HPK) domain and a response regulator (RR) domain in C-terminal. To determine the function of the Org35, a deletion-insertion mutant in PAS domain [named Sp7353] and a complemental strain Sp7353C were constructed. The mutant had reduced chemotaxis ability compared to that of wild-type, and the complemental strain was similar to the wild-type strain. These data suggested that the A. brasilense org35 played a key role in chemotaxis. Variants containing different domains of the org35 were expressed, and the functions of these domains were studied in vitro. Phosphorylation assays in vitro demonstrated that the HPK domain of Org35 possessed the autokinase activity and that the phosphorylated HPK was able to transfer phosphate groups to the RR domain. The result indicated Org35 was a phosphorylation-communicating protein. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  20. Campylobacter jejuni transducer like proteins: Chemotaxis and beyond.

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    Chandrashekhar, Kshipra; Kassem, Issmat I; Rajashekara, Gireesh

    2017-07-04

    Chemotaxis, a process that mediates directional motility toward or away from chemical stimuli (chemoeffectors/ligands that can be attractants or repellents) in the environment, plays an important role in the adaptation of Campylobacter jejuni to disparate niches. The chemotaxis system consists of core signal transduction proteins and methyl-accepting-domain-containing Transducer like proteins (Tlps). Ligands binding to Tlps relay a signal to chemotaxis proteins in the cytoplasm which initiate a signal transduction cascade, culminating into a directional flagellar movement. Tlps facilitate substrate-specific chemotaxis in C. jejuni, which plays an important role in the pathogen's adaptation, pathobiology and colonization of the chicken gastrointestinal tract. However, the role of Tlps in C. jejuni's host tissue specific colonization, physiology and virulence remains not completely understood. Based on recent studies, it can be predicted that Tlps might be important targets for developing strategies to control C. jejuni via vaccines and antimicrobials.

  1. A Sensitive Chemotaxis Assay Using a Novel Microfluidic Device

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    Chen Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Existing chemotaxis assays do not generate stable chemotactic gradients and thus—over time—functionally measure only nonspecific random motion (chemokinesis. In comparison, microfluidic technology has the capacity to generate a tightly controlled microenvironment that can be stably maintained for extended periods of time and is, therefore, amenable to adaptation for assaying chemotaxis. We describe here a novel microfluidic device for sensitive assay of cellular migration and show its application for evaluating the chemotaxis of smooth muscle cells in a chemokine gradient.

  2. Azospirillum brasilense Chemotaxis Depends on Two Signaling Pathways Regulating Distinct Motility Parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Tanmoy; Kumar, Dhivya; Burriss, Nathan; Xie, Zhihong; Alexandre, Gladys

    2016-06-15

    The genomes of most motile bacteria encode two or more chemotaxis (Che) systems, but their functions have been characterized in only a few model systems. Azospirillum brasilense is a motile soil alphaproteobacterium able to colonize the rhizosphere of cereals. In response to an attractant, motile A. brasilense cells transiently increase swimming speed and suppress reversals. The Che1 chemotaxis pathway was previously shown to regulate changes in the swimming speed, but it has a minor role in chemotaxis and root surface colonization. Here, we show that a second chemotaxis system, named Che4, regulates the probability of swimming reversals and is the major signaling pathway for chemotaxis and wheat root surface colonization. Experimental evidence indicates that Che1 and Che4 are functionally linked to coordinate changes in the swimming motility pattern in response to attractants. The effect of Che1 on swimming speed is shown to enhance the aerotactic response of A. brasilense in gradients, likely providing the cells with a competitive advantage in the rhizosphere. Together, the results illustrate a novel mechanism by which motile bacteria utilize two chemotaxis pathways regulating distinct motility parameters to alter movement in gradients and enhance the chemotactic advantage. Chemotaxis provides motile bacteria with a competitive advantage in the colonization of diverse niches and is a function enriched in rhizosphere bacterial communities, with most species possessing at least two chemotaxis systems. Here, we identify the mechanism by which cells may derive a significant chemotactic advantage using two chemotaxis pathways that ultimately regulate distinct motility parameters. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  3. Relevance of intracellular polarity to accuracy of eukaryotic chemotaxis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiraiwa, Tetsuya; Nishikawa, Masatoshi; Shibata, Tatsuo; Nagamatsu, Akihiro; Akuzawa, Naohiro

    2014-01-01

    Eukaryotic chemotaxis is usually mediated by intracellular signals that tend to localize at the front or back of the cell. Such intracellular polarities frequently require no extracellular guidance cues, indicating that spontaneous polarization occurs in the signal network. Spontaneous polarization activity is considered relevant to the persistent motions in random cell migrations and chemotaxis. In this study, we propose a theoretical model that connects spontaneous intracellular polarity and motile ability in a chemoattractant solution. We demonstrate that the intracellular polarity can enhance the accuracy of chemotaxis. Chemotactic accuracy should also depend on chemoattractant concentration through the concentration-dependent correlation time in the polarity direction. Both the polarity correlation time and the chemotactic accuracy depend on the degree of responsiveness to the chemical gradient. We show that optimally accurate chemotaxis occurs at an intermediate responsiveness of intracellular polarity. Experimentally, we find that the persistence time of randomly migrating Dictyostelium cells depends on the chemoattractant concentration, as predicted by our theory. At the optimum responsiveness, this ameboid cell can enhance its chemotactic accuracy tenfold. (paper)

  4. Chemotaxis on the Move – Active Learning Teaching Tool

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    Ann H. Williams

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available In Microbiology courses, concepts such as chemotaxis can be difficult to visualize for students. Described here is a short visual playacting activity where students simulate E.coli moving towards an attractant source using a biased random walk. This short interactive activity is performed in the lecture course of General Microbiology that contains mostly Biology major juniors or seniors prior to the lecture on the subject of chemotaxis and flagellar movements. It is utilized to help students (class of 30–40 understand and visualize the process of chemotaxis and the concepts of random walk, biased random walk, runs, tumbles and directed movement of flagella in response to attractants and repellents.

  5. Highlighting the role of Ras and Rap during Dictyostelium chemotaxis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kortholt, Arjan; van Haastert, Peter J. M.

    Chemotaxis, the directional movement towards a chemical compound, is an essential property of many cells and has been linked to the development and progression of many diseases. Eukaryotic chemotaxis is a complex process involving gradient sensing, cell polarity, remodelling of the cytoskeleton and

  6. DMPD: Cellular signaling in macrophage migration and chemotaxis. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 11073096 Cellular signaling in macrophage migration and chemotaxis. Jones GE. J Leu...koc Biol. 2000 Nov;68(5):593-602. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Cellular signaling in macrophage migration... and chemotaxis. PubmedID 11073096 Title Cellular signaling in macrophage migration and chemotaxis. Autho

  7. Drosophila chemotaxis: a first look with neurogenetics.

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    Gao, Xiaojing J

    2014-01-01

    Chemotaxis, the ability to direct movements according to chemical cues in the environment, is important for the survival of most organisms. In our original article, we combined a quantitative behavioral assay with genetic manipulations to dissect the neural substrate for chemotaxis. In this Extra View article, we offer a more chronological narration of the findings leading to our key conclusion that aversion engages specific motor-related circuits and kinematics. We speculate on the separation and crosstalk between aversion and attraction circuits in the brain and the ventral nerve cord, and the implication for valence encoding in the olfactory system.

  8. The control of neutrophil chemotaxis by inhibitors of cathepsin G and chymotrypsin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lomas, D A; Stone, S R; Llewellyn-Jones, C; Keogan, M T; Wang, Z M; Rubin, H; Carrell, R W; Stockley, R A

    1995-10-06

    Neutrophil chemotaxis plays an important role in the inflammatory response and when excessive or persistent may augment tissue damage. The effects of inhibitors indicated the involvement of one or more serine proteinases in human neutrophil migration and shape change in response to a chemoattractant. Monospecific antibodies, chloromethylketone inhibitors, and reactive-site mutants of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin were used to probe the specificity of the proteinases involved in chemotaxis. Antibodies specific for cathepsin G inhibited chemotaxis. Moreover, rapid inhibitors of cathepsin G and alpha-chymotrypsin suppressed neutrophil chemotaxis to the chemoattractants N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP) and zymosan-activated serum in multiple blind well assays and to fMLP in migration assays under agarose. The concentrations of antichymotrypsin mutants that reduced chemotaxis by 50% would inactivate free cathepsin G with a half-life of 1.5-3 s, whereas the concentrations of chloromethylketones required to produce a similar inhibition of chemotaxis would inactivate cathepsin G with a half-life of 345 s. These data suggest different modes of action for these two classes of inhibitors. Indeed the chloromethylketone inhibitors of cathepsin G (Z-Gly-Leu-Phe-CMK) and to a lesser extent of chymotrypsin (Cbz-Gly-Gly-Phe-CMK) mediated their effect by preventing a shape change in the purified neutrophils exposed to fMLP. Antichymotrypsin did not affect shape change in response to fMLP even at concentrations that were able to reduce neutrophil chemotaxis by 50%. These results support the involvement of cell surface proteinases in the control of cell migration and show that antichymotrypsin and chloromethylketones have differing modes of action. This opens the possibility for the rational design of anti-inflammatory agents targeted at neutrophil membrane enzymes.

  9. tlpA gene expression is required for arginine and bicarbonate chemotaxis in Helicobacter pylori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerda, Oscar A; Núñez-Villena, Felipe; Soto, Sarita E; Ugalde, José Manuel; López-Solís, Remigio; Toledo, Héctor

    2011-01-01

    About half of the human population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium causing gastritis, peptic ulcer and progression to gastric cancer. Chemotaxis and flagellar motility are required for colonization and persistence of H. pylori in the gastric mucus layer. It is not completely clear which chemical gradients are used by H. pylori to maintain its position. TlpA, a chemotaxis receptor for arginine/ bicarbonate, has been identified. This study aimed to find out whether tlpA gene expression is required for the chemotactic response to arginine/bicarbonate. Wild-type motile H. pylori ATCC 700392 and H. pylori ATCC 43504, a strain having an interrupted tlpA gene, were used. Also, a tlpA-knockout mutant of H. pylori 700392 (H. pylori 700-tlpA::cat) was produced by homologous recombination. Expression of tlpA was assessed by a Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Chemotaxis was measured as a Relative Chemotaxis Response (RCR) by a modified capillary assay. H. pylori 700392 presented chemotaxis to arginine and sodium bicarbonate. H. pylori 700-tlpA::cat showed neither tlpA gene expression nor chemotaxis towards arginine and bicarbonate. Besides confirming that TlpA is a chemotactic receptor for arginine/bicarbonate in H. pylori, this study showed that tlpA gene expression is required for arginine/bicarbonate chemotaxis.

  10. tlpA gene expression is required for arginine and bicarbonate chemotaxis in Helicobacter pylori

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar A Cerda

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available About half of the human population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium causing gastritis, peptic ulcer and progression to gastric cancer. Chemotaxis and flagellar motility are required for colonization and persistence of H. pylori in the gastric mucus layer. It is not completely clear which chemical gradients are used by H. pylori to maintain its position. TlpA, a chemotaxis receptor for arginine/ bicarbonate, has been identified. This study aimed to find out whether tlpA gene expression is required for the chemotactic response to arginine/bicarbonate. Wild-type motile H. pylori ATCC 700392 and H. pylori ATCC 43504, a strain having an interrupted tlpA gene, were used. Also, a tlpA-knockout mutant of H. pylori 700392 (H. pylori 700-tlpA::cat was produced by homologous recombination. Expression of tlpA was assessed by a Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR assay. Chemotaxis was measured as a Relative Chemotaxis Response (RCR by a modified capillary assay. H. pylori 700392 presented chemotaxis to arginine and sodium bicarbonate. H. pylori 700-tlpA::cat showed neither tlpA gene expression nor chemotaxis towards arginine and bicarbonate. Besides confirming that TlpA is a chemotactic receptor for arginine/bicarbonate in H. pylori, this study showed that tlpA gene expression is required for arginine/bicarbonate chemotaxis.

  11. A real time chemotaxis assay unveils unique migratory profiles amongst different primary murine macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asif J Iqbal

    Full Text Available Chemotaxis assays are an invaluable tool for studying the biological activity of inflammatory mediators such as CC chemokines, which have been implicated in a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases. Conventional chemotaxis systems such as the modified Boyden chamber are limited in terms of the data captured given that the assays are analysed at a single time-point. We report the optimisation and validation of a label-free, real-time cell migration assay based on electrical cell impedance to measure chemotaxis of different primary murine macrophage populations in response to a range of CC chemokines and other chemoattractant signalling molecules. We clearly demonstrate key differences in the migratory behavior of different murine macrophage populations and show that this dynamic system measures true macrophage chemotaxis rather than chemokinesis or fugetaxis. We highlight an absolute requirement for Gαi signaling and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement as demonstrated by Pertussis toxin and cytochalasin D inhibition. We also studied the chemotaxis of CD14(+ human monocytes and demonstrate distinct chemotactic profiles amongst different monocyte donors to CCL2. This real-time chemotaxis assay will allow a detailed analysis of factors that regulate macrophage responses to chemoattractant cytokines and inflammatory mediators.

  12. A Real Time Chemotaxis Assay Unveils Unique Migratory Profiles amongst Different Primary Murine Macrophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iqbal, Asif J.; Regan-Komito, Daniel; Christou, Ivy; White, Gemma E.; McNeill, Eileen; Kenyon, Amy; Taylor, Lewis; Kapellos, Theodore S.; Fisher, Edward A.; Channon, Keith M.; Greaves, David R.

    2013-01-01

    Chemotaxis assays are an invaluable tool for studying the biological activity of inflammatory mediators such as CC chemokines, which have been implicated in a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases. Conventional chemotaxis systems such as the modified Boyden chamber are limited in terms of the data captured given that the assays are analysed at a single time-point. We report the optimisation and validation of a label-free, real-time cell migration assay based on electrical cell impedance to measure chemotaxis of different primary murine macrophage populations in response to a range of CC chemokines and other chemoattractant signalling molecules. We clearly demonstrate key differences in the migratory behavior of different murine macrophage populations and show that this dynamic system measures true macrophage chemotaxis rather than chemokinesis or fugetaxis. We highlight an absolute requirement for Gαi signaling and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement as demonstrated by Pertussis toxin and cytochalasin D inhibition. We also studied the chemotaxis of CD14+ human monocytes and demonstrate distinct chemotactic profiles amongst different monocyte donors to CCL2. This real-time chemotaxis assay will allow a detailed analysis of factors that regulate macrophage responses to chemoattractant cytokines and inflammatory mediators. PMID:23516549

  13. ARF1 recruits RAC1 to leading edge in neutrophil chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazaki, Yuichi; Onodera, Yasuhito; Higashi, Tsunehito; Horinouchi, Takahiro; Oikawa, Tsukasa; Sabe, Hisataka

    2017-10-02

    The small GTPase ARF1 mediates membrane trafficking mostly from the Golgi, and is essential for the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated chemotaxis of neutrophils. In this process, ARF1 is activated by the guanine nucleotide exchanger GBF1, and is inactivated by the GTPase-activating protein GIT2. Neutrophils generate the Gβγ-PAK1-αPIX-GIT2 linear complex during GPCR-induced chemotaxis, in which αPIX activates RAC1/CDC42, which then employs PAK1. However, it has remained unclear as to why GIT2 is included in this complex. We investigated the association between ARF1 and RAC1/CDC42 during the fMLP-stimulated chemotaxis of HL60 cells. We found that the silencing of GBF1 significantly impaired the recruitment of RAC1 to the leading edges, but not PAK1, αPIX, RAC2, or CDC42. A significant population of RAC1 colocalized with ARF1 at the leading edges in stimulated cells, whereas fMLP activated both ARF1 and ARF5. Consistently, the silencing of ARF1, but not ARF5, impaired the recruitment of RAC1, whereas the silencing of RAC1 did not affect the recruitment of ARF1 to the leading edges. Our results indicated that the activation of ARF1 triggers the plasma membrane recruitment of RAC1 in GPCR-mediated chemotaxis, which is essential for cortical actin remodeling. Thus, membrane remodeling at the leading edges appears to precede actin remodeling in chemotaxis. Together with the fact that GIT2, which inactivates ARF1, is an integral component of the machinery activating RAC1, we proposed a model in which the ARF1-RAC1 linkage enables the regulation of ARF1 by repetitive on/off cycles during GPCR-mediated neutrophil chemotaxis.

  14. The Impact of Odor--Reward Memory on Chemotaxis in Larval "Drosophila"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleyer, Michael; Reid, Samuel F.; Pamir, Evren; Saumweber, Timo; Paisios, Emmanouil; Davies, Alexander; Gerber, Bertram; Louis, Matthieu

    2015-01-01

    How do animals adaptively integrate innate with learned behavioral tendencies? We tackle this question using chemotaxis as a paradigm. Chemotaxis in the "Drosophila" larva largely results from a sequence of runs and oriented turns. Thus, the larvae minimally need to determine (i) how fast to run, (ii) when to initiate a turn, and (iii)…

  15. Protein phosphorylation and bacterial chemotaxis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hess, J.F.; Bourret, R.B.; Oosawa, K.; Simon, M.I.; Matsumura, P.

    1988-01-01

    Bacteria are able to respond to changes in concentration of a large variety of chemicals and to changes in physical parameters, including viscosity, osmolarity, and temperature, by swimming toward a more favorable location (for review, see Stewart and Dahlquist 1987). Most chemotactic responses are mediated by a series of transmembrane receptor proteins that interact with or bind specific chemicals and thus monitor environmental conditions. Over the past 10 years, work in a number of laboratories has resulted in the identification and characterization of many of the genes and proteins required for the signal transduction process. The authors postulated that rapid and transient covalent modification of the chemotaxis gene products could function to transmit information from the receptor by regulating protein-protein interaction between the chemotaxis gene products. To test this idea, the authors purified the proteins corresponding to the cheA, cheY, cheZ, cheW, and cheB genes and tested the purified polypeptides to determine whether they could be covalently modified and whether they would interact with each other in vitro

  16. Normal chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum cells with a depolarized plasma membrane potential

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duijn, Bert van; Vogelzang, Sake A.; Ypey, Dirk L.; Molen, Loek G. van der; Haastert, Peter J.M. van

    1990-01-01

    We examined a possible role for the plasma membrane potential in signal transduction during cyclic AMP-induced chemotaxis in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Chemotaxis, cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP responses in cells with a depolarized membrane potential were measured. Cells can be

  17. Relation between chemotaxis and consumption of amino acids in bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yiling; M. Pollard, Abiola; Höfler, Carolin; Poschet, Gernot; Wirtz, Markus; Hell, Rüdiger

    2015-01-01

    Summary Chemotaxis enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients in their environment, accumulating toward high concentrations of attractants and avoiding high concentrations of repellents. Although finding nutrients is likely to be an important function of bacterial chemotaxis, not all characterized attractants are nutrients. Moreover, even for potential nutrients, the exact relation between the metabolic value of chemicals and their efficiency as chemoattractants has not been systematically explored. Here we compare the chemotactic response of amino acids with their use by bacteria for two well‐established models of chemotactic behavior, E scherichia coli and B acillus subtilis. We demonstrate that in E . coli chemotaxis toward amino acids indeed strongly correlates with their utilization. However, no such correlation is observed for B . subtilis, suggesting that in this case, the amino acids are not followed because of their nutritional value but rather as environmental cues. PMID:25807888

  18. A portable chemotaxis platform for short and long term analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenjie Xu

    Full Text Available Flow-based microfluidic systems have been widely utilized for cell migration studies given their ability to generate versatile and precisely defined chemical gradients and to permit direct visualization of migrating cells. Nonetheless, the general need for bulky peripherals such as mechanical pumps and tubing and the complicated setup procedures significantly limit the widespread use of these microfluidic systems for cell migration studies. Here we present a simple method to power microfluidic devices for chemotaxis assays using the commercially available ALZET® osmotic pumps. Specifically, we developed a standalone chemotaxis platform that has the same footprint as a multiwell plate and can generate well-defined, stable chemical gradients continuously for up to 7 days. Using this platform, we validated the short-term (24 hours and long-term (72 hours concentration dependent PDGF-BB chemotaxis response of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells.

  19. Different migration patterns of sea urchin and mouse sperm revealed by a microfluidic chemotaxis device.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haixin Chang

    Full Text Available Chemotaxis refers to a process whereby cells move up or down a chemical gradient. Sperm chemotaxis is known to be a strategy exploited by marine invertebrates such as sea urchins to reach eggs efficiently in moving water. Less is understood about how or whether chemotaxis is used by mammalian sperm to reach eggs, where fertilization takes place within the confinement of a reproductive tract. In this report, we quantitatively assessed sea urchin and mouse sperm chemotaxis using a recently developed microfluidic model and high-speed imaging. Results demonstrated that sea urchin Arbacia punctulata sperm were chemotactic toward the peptide resact with high chemotactic sensitivity, with an average velocity Vx up the chemical gradient as high as 20% of its average speed (238 μm/s, while mouse sperm displayed no statistically significant chemotactic behavior in progesterone gradients, which had been proposed to guide mammalian sperm toward eggs. This work demonstrates the validity of a microfluidic model for quantitative sperm chemotaxis studies, and reveals a biological insight that chemotaxis up a progesterone gradient may not be a universal strategy for mammalian sperm to reach eggs.

  20. Chemotaxis-growth under the influence of lateral inhibition in a three-component reaction–diffusion system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawaguchi, Satoshi

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we consider the effects of chemotaxis and lateral inhibition on an activator in a three-component reaction–diffusion system. Simulation results show that spot, planar and travelling front solutions in two dimensions are destabilized to form multibranch patterns. In order to analyse the stability of stationary solutions, a singular perturbation method is employed. The bifurcation diagrams suggest that chemotaxis and lateral inhibition cooperatively result in the destabilization of the stationary solutions. Our three-component model is compared with the two-component chemotaxis-growth model. Furthermore, the conditions for observing the cooperative effects of chemotaxis and lateral inhibition on an activator in experiments are inferred from the model

  1. Suppression of blood monocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis in acute human malaria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, H; Kharazmi, A; Theander, T G

    1986-01-01

    tested monocyte chemotactic responsiveness in 19 patients with acute primary attack malaria. In addition, the neutrophil chemotaxis was measured in 12 patients. Before the initiation of antimalarial treatment a significant depression of monocyte chemotaxis was observed in approximately half...... of the patients when compared with healthy control subjects. The depression was found in Plasmodium falciparum malaria as well as in P. vivax or P. ovale malaria patients. The defective responsiveness was not receptor specific, since the responses towards casein and zymosan activated serum proved to be equally...... of treatment, and nearly normalized after 7 days (87% of controls). Furthermore, monocyte phagocytic and candidacidal activities were assessed in the same patients on admission and during the follow-up. In contrast to chemotaxis, these functions were normal in all of the patients whenever measured...

  2. Quantitative analysis of eosinophil chemotaxis tracked using a novel optical device -- TAXIScan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitta, Nao; Tsuchiya, Tomoko; Yamauchi, Akira; Tamatani, Takuya; Kanegasaki, Shiro

    2007-03-30

    We have reported previously the development of an optically accessible, horizontal chemotaxis apparatus, in which migration of cells in the channel from a start line can be traced with time-lapse intervals using a CCD camera (JIM 282, 1-11, 2003). To obtain statistical data of migrating cells, we have developed quantitative methods to calculate various parameters in the process of chemotaxis, employing human eosinophil and CXCL12 as a model cell and a model chemoattractant, respectively. Median values of velocity and directionality of each cell within an experimental period could be calculated from the migratory pathway data obtained from time-lapse images and the data were expressed as Velocity-Directionality (VD) plot. This plot is useful for quantitatively analyzing multiple migrating cells exposed to a certain chemoattractant, and can distinguish chemotaxis from random migration. Moreover precise observation of cell migration revealed that each cell had a different lag period before starting chemotaxis, indicating variation in cell sensitivity to the chemoattractant. Thus lag time of each cell before migration, and time course of increment of the migrating cell ratio at the early stages could be calculated. We also graphed decrement of still moving cell ratio at the later stages by calculating the duration time of cell migration of each cell. These graphs could distinguish different motion patterns of chemotaxis of eosinophils, in response to a range of chemoattractants; PGD(2), fMLP, CCL3, CCL5 and CXCL12. Finally, we compared parameters of eosinophils from normal volunteers, allergy patients and asthma patients and found significant difference in response to PGD(2). The quantitative methods described here could be applicable to image data obtained with any combination of cells and chemoattractants and useful not only for basic studies of chemotaxis but also for diagnosis and for drug screening.

  3. Global Solutions to the Coupled Chemotaxis-Fluid Equations

    KAUST Repository

    Duan, Renjun

    2010-08-10

    In this paper, we are concerned with a model arising from biology, which is a coupled system of the chemotaxis equations and the viscous incompressible fluid equations through transport and external forcing. The global existence of solutions to the Cauchy problem is investigated under certain conditions. Precisely, for the Chemotaxis-Navier-Stokes system over three space dimensions, we obtain global existence and rates of convergence on classical solutions near constant states. When the fluid motion is described by the simpler Stokes equations, we prove global existence of weak solutions in two space dimensions for cell density with finite mass, first-order spatial moment and entropy provided that the external forcing is weak or the substrate concentration is small. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

  4. Chemotaxis of nurse shark leukocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obenauf, S D; Smith, S H

    1985-01-01

    Studies were conducted to determine the ability of leukocytes from the nurse shark to migrate in an in vitro micropore filter chemotaxis assay and to determine optimal assay conditions and suitable attractants for such an assay. A migratory response was seen with several attractants: activated rat serum, activated shark plasma, and a pool of shark complement components. Only the response to activated rat serum was chemotactic, as determined by the checkerboard assay.

  5. Dispatch. Dictyostelium chemotaxis: fascism through the back door?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Insall, Robert

    2003-04-29

    Aggregating Dictyostelium cells secrete cyclic AMP to attract their neighbours by chemotaxis. It has now been shown that adenylyl cyclase is enriched in the rear of cells, and this localisation is required for normal aggregation.

  6. Chemotaxis toward carbohydrates and peptides by mixed ruminal protozoa when fed, fasted, or incubated with polyunsaturated fatty acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz, H L; Karnati, S K R; Lyons, M A; Dehority, B A; Firkins, J L

    2014-01-01

    In contrast to the well-characterized chemotaxis and migratory behavior between the dorsal and ventral locations of the rumen by isotrichids, we hypothesized that chemotaxis toward soluble nutrients maintains entodiniomorphid protozoa in the particulate fraction. The objectives of these experiments were to compare the dose-responsive chemotaxis (1) toward different glucose concentrations when ruminal samples were harvested from fed versus fasted cows; (2) toward increasing concentrations of glucose compared with xylose when protozoa were harvested from a fed cow; (3) toward peptides of bacterial, protozoal, and soy origin; and (4) toward glucose when mixed ruminal protozoa were previously incubated for 0, 3, or 6h in the presence of emulsified polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; Liposyn II, Hospira, Lake Forest, IL). In experiment 1, isotrichid protozoa decreased chemotaxis toward increasing glucose concentration when cows were fasted. Entodiniomorphids exhibited chemotaxis to similar concentrations of glucose as did isotrichids, but to a lesser magnitude of response. In experiment 2, xylose was chemotactic to both groups. Xylose might draw fibrolytic entodiniomorphid protozoa toward newly ingested feed. In contrast, even though isotrichids should not use xylose as an energy source, they were highly chemoattracted to xylose. In experiment 3, entodiniomorphids were not selectively chemoattracted toward bacterial or protozoal peptides compared with soy peptides. In experiment 4, despite isotrichid populations decreasing in abundance with increasing time of incubation in PUFA, chemotaxis to glucose remained unchanged. In contrast, entodiniomorphids recovered chemotaxis to glucose with increased time of PUFA incubation. Current results support isotrichid chemotaxis to sugars but also our hypothesis that a more moderate chemotaxis toward glucose and peptides explains how they swim in the fluid but pass from the rumen with the potentially digestible fraction of

  7. Confinement dependent chemotaxis in two-photon polymerized linear migration constructs with highly definable concentration gradients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjortø, Gertrud Malene; Olsen, Mark Holm; Svane, Inge Marie

    2015-01-01

    Dendritic cell chemotaxis is known to follow chemoattractant concentration gradients through tissue of heterogeneous pore sizes, but the dependence of migration velocity on pore size and gradient steepness is not fully understood. We enabled chemotaxis studies for at least 42 hours at confinement...

  8. Exact solutions of certain nonlinear chemotaxis diffusion reaction ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    constructed coupled differential equations. The results obtained ... Nonlinear diffusion reaction equation; chemotaxis; auxiliary equation method; solitary wave solutions. ..... fact limits the scope of applications of the derived results. ... Research Fellowship and AP acknowledges DU and DST for PURSE grant for financial.

  9. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa chemotaxis methyltransferase CheR1 impacts on bacterial surface sampling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliane Schmidt

    Full Text Available The characterization of factors contributing to the formation and development of surface-associated bacterial communities known as biofilms has become an area of intense interest since biofilms have a major impact on human health, the environment and industry. Various studies have demonstrated that motility, including swimming, swarming and twitching, seems to play an important role in the surface colonization and establishment of structured biofilms. Thereby, the impact of chemotaxis on biofilm formation has been less intensively studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a very complex chemosensory system with two Che systems implicated in flagella-mediated motility. In this study, we demonstrate that the chemotaxis protein CheR1 is a methyltransferase that binds S-adenosylmethionine and transfers a methyl group from this methyl donor to the chemoreceptor PctA, an activity which can be stimulated by the attractant serine but not by glutamine. We furthermore demonstrate that CheR1 does not only play a role in flagella-mediated chemotaxis but that its activity is essential for the formation and maintenance of bacterial biofilm structures. We propose a model in which motility and chemotaxis impact on initial attachment processes, dispersion and reattachment and increase the efficiency and frequency of surface sampling in P. aeruginosa.

  10. Quantum deletion: Beyond the no-deletion principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adhikari, Satyabrata

    2005-01-01

    Suppose we are given two identical copies of an unknown quantum state and we wish to delete one copy from among the given two copies. The quantum no-deletion principle restricts us from perfectly deleting a copy but it does not prohibit us from deleting a copy approximately. Here we construct two types of a 'universal quantum deletion machine' which approximately deletes a copy such that the fidelity of deletion does not depend on the input state. The two types of universal quantum deletion machines are (1) a conventional deletion machine described by one unitary operator and (2) a modified deletion machine described by two unitary operators. Here it is shown that the modified deletion machine deletes a qubit with fidelity 3/4, which is the maximum limit for deleting an unknown quantum state. In addition to this we also show that the modified deletion machine retains the qubit in the first mode with average fidelity 0.77 (approx.) which is slightly greater than the fidelity of measurement for two given identical states, showing how precisely one can determine its state [S. Massar and S. Popescu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 1259 (1995)]. We also show that the deletion machine itself is input state independent, i.e., the information is not hidden in the deleting machine, and hence we can delete the information completely from the deletion machine

  11. COUPLED CHEMOTAXIS FLUID MODEL

    KAUST Repository

    LORZ, ALEXANDER

    2010-06-01

    We consider a model system for the collective behavior of oxygen-driven swimming bacteria in an aquatic fluid. In certain parameter regimes, such suspensions of bacteria feature large-scale convection patterns as a result of the hydrodynamic interaction between bacteria. The presented model consist of a parabolicparabolic chemotaxis system for the oxygen concentration and the bacteria density coupled to an incompressible Stokes equation for the fluid driven by a gravitational force of the heavier bacteria. We show local existence of weak solutions in a bounded domain in d, d = 2, 3 with no-flux boundary condition and in 2 in the case of inhomogeneous Dirichlet conditions for the oxygen. © 2010 World Scientific Publishing Company.

  12. HOXA genes cluster: clinical implications of the smallest deletion

    OpenAIRE

    Pezzani, Lidia; Milani, Donatella; Manzoni, Francesca; Baccarin, Marco; Silipigni, Rosamaria; Guerneri, Silvana; Esposito, Susanna

    2015-01-01

    Background HOXA genes cluster plays a fundamental role in embryologic development. Deletion of the entire cluster is known to cause a clinically recognizable syndrome with mild developmental delay, characteristic facies, small feet with unusually short and big halluces, abnormal thumbs, and urogenital malformations. The clinical manifestations may vary with different ranges of deletions of HOXA cluster and flanking regions. Case presentation We report a girl with the smallest deletion reporte...

  13. Klf5 deletion promotes Pten deletion-initiated luminal-type mouse prostate tumors through multiple oncogenic signaling pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Changsheng; Ci, Xinpei; Sun, Xiaodong; Fu, Xiaoying; Zhang, Zhiqian; Dong, Eric N; Hao, Zhao-Zhe; Dong, Jin-Tang

    2014-11-01

    Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) regulates multiple biologic processes. Its function in tumorigenesis appears contradictory though, showing both tumor suppressor and tumor promoting activities. In this study, we examined whether and how Klf5 functions in prostatic tumorigenesis using mice with prostate-specific deletion of Klf5 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten), both of which are frequently inactivated in human prostate cancer. Histologic analysis demonstrated that when one Pten allele was deleted, which causes mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN), Klf5 deletion accelerated the emergence and progression of mPIN. When both Pten alleles were deleted, which causes prostate cancer, Klf5 deletion promoted tumor growth, increased cell proliferation, and caused more severe morphologic and molecular alterations. Homozygous deletion of Klf5 was more effective than hemizygous deletion. Unexpectedly, while Pten deletion alone expanded basal cell population in a tumor as reported, Klf5 deletion in the Pten-null background clearly reduced basal cell population while expanding luminal cell population. Global gene expression profiling, pathway analysis, and experimental validation indicate that multiple mechanisms could mediate the tumor-promoting effect of Klf5 deletion, including the up-regulation of epidermal growth factor and its downstream signaling molecules AKT and ERK and the inactivation of the p15 cell cycle inhibitor. KLF5 also appears to cooperate with several transcription factors, including CREB1, Sp1, Myc, ER and AR, to regulate gene expression. These findings validate the tumor suppressor function of KLF5. They also yield a mouse model that shares two common genetic alterations with human prostate cancer-mutation/deletion of Pten and deletion of Klf5.

  14. Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 chemotaxis proteins and electron-transport chain components essential for congregation near insoluble electron acceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, H Wayne; El-Naggar, Mohamed Y; Nealson, Kenneth H

    2012-12-01

    Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cells utilize a behaviour response called electrokinesis to increase their speed in the vicinity of IEAs (insoluble electron acceptors), including manganese oxides, iron oxides and poised electrodes [Harris, El-Naggar, Bretschger, Ward, Romine, Obraztsova and Nealson (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 326-331]. However, it is not currently understood how bacteria remain in the vicinity of the IEA and accumulate both on the surface and in the surrounding medium. In the present paper, we provide results indicating that cells that have contacted the IEAs swim faster than those that have not recently made contact. In addition, fast-swimming cells exhibit an enhancement of swimming reversals leading to rapid non-random accumulation of cells on, and adjacent to, mineral particles. We call the observed accumulation near IEAs 'congregation'. Congregation is eliminated by the loss of a critical gene involved with EET (extracellular electron transport) (cymA, SO_4591) and is altered or eliminated in several deletion mutants of homologues of genes that are involved with chemotaxis or energy taxis in Escherichia coli. These genes include chemotactic signal transduction protein (cheA-3, SO_3207), methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins with the Cache domain (mcp_cache, SO_2240) or the PAS (Per/Arnt/Sim) domain (mcp_pas, SO_1385). In the present paper, we report studies of S. oneidensis MR-1 that lend some insight into how microbes in this group can 'sense' the presence of a solid substrate such as a mineral surface, and maintain themselves in the vicinity of the mineral (i.e. via congregation), which may ultimately lead to attachment and biofilm formation.

  15. Insulin regulates multiple signaling pathways leading to monocyte/macrophage chemotaxis into the wound tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Wound healing is a complex process that involves sequential phases that overlap in time and space and affect each other dynamically at the gene and protein levels. We previously showed that insulin accelerates wound healing by stimulating faster and regenerative healing. One of the processes that insulin stimulates is an increase in monocyte/macrophage chemotaxis. In this study, we performed experiments in vivo and in vitro to elucidate the signaling transduction pathways that are involved in insulin-induced monocyte/macrophage chemotaxis. We found that insulin stimulates THP-1 cell chemotaxis in a dose-dependent and insulin receptor-dependent manner. We also show that the kinases PI3K-Akt, SPAK/JNK, and p38 MAPK are key molecules in the insulin-induced signaling pathways that lead to chemoattraction of the THP-1 cell. Furthermore, both PI3K-Akt and SPAK/JNK signaling involve Rac1 activation, an important molecule in regulating cell motility. Indeed, topical application of Rac1 inhibitor at an early stage during the healing process caused delayed and impaired healing even in the presence of insulin. These results delineate cell and molecular mechanisms involved in insulin-induced chemotaxis of monocyte/macrophage, cells that are critical for proper healing.

  16. Simulation of Paramecium Chemotaxis Exposed to Calcium Gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarvestani, Ali N; Shamloo, Amir; Ahmadian, Mohammad Taghi

    2016-06-01

    Paramecium or other ciliates have the potential to be utilized for minimally invasive surgery systems, making internal body organs accessible. Paramecium shows interesting responses to changes in the concentration of specific ions such as K(+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+) in the ambient fluid. Some specific responses are observed as, changes in beat pattern of cilia and swimming toward or apart from the ion source. Therefore developing a model for chemotactic motility of small organisms is necessary in order to control the directional movements of these microorganisms before testing them. In this article, we have developed a numerical model, investigating the effects of Ca(2+) on swimming trajectory of Paramecium. Results for Ca(2+)-dependent chemotactic motility show that calcium gradients are efficient actuators for controlling the Paramecium swimming trajectory. After applying a very low Ca(2+) gradient, a directional chemotaxis of swimming Paramecium is observable in this model. As a result, chemotaxis is shown to be an efficient method for controlling the propulsion of these small organisms.

  17. Feeding ducks, bacterial chemotaxis, and the Gini index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peaudecerf, François J.; Goldstein, Raymond E.

    2015-08-01

    Classic experiments on the distribution of ducks around separated food sources found consistency with the "ideal free" distribution in which the local population is proportional to the local supply rate. Motivated by this experiment and others, we examine the analogous problem in the microbial world: the distribution of chemotactic bacteria around multiple nearby food sources. In contrast to the optimization of uptake rate that may hold at the level of a single cell in a spatially varying nutrient field, nutrient consumption by a population of chemotactic cells will modify the nutrient field, and the uptake rate will generally vary throughout the population. Through a simple model we study the distribution of resource uptake in the presence of chemotaxis, consumption, and diffusion of both bacteria and nutrients. Borrowing from the field of theoretical economics, we explore how the Gini index can be used as a means to quantify the inequalities of uptake. The redistributive effect of chemotaxis can lead to a phenomenon we term "chemotactic levelling," and the influence of these results on population fitness are briefly considered.

  18. In Entamoeba histolytica, a BspA family protein is required for chemotaxis toward tumour necrosis factor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Silvestre

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Entamoeba histolytica cell migration is essential for the development of human amoebiasis (an infectious disease characterized by tissue invasion and destruction. The tissue inflammation associated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF secretion by host cells is a well-documented feature of amoebiasis. Tumour necrosis factor is a chemoattractant for E. histolytica, and the parasite may have a TNF receptor at its cell surface. Methods: confocal microscopy, RNA Sequencing, bioinformatics, RNA antisense techniques and histological analysis of human colon explants were used to characterize the interplay between TNF and E. histolytica. Results: an antibody against human TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1 stained the E. histolytica trophozoite surface and (on immunoblots binds to a 150-kDa protein. Proteome screening with the TNFR1 sequence revealed a BspA family protein in E. histolytica that carries a TNFR signature domain and six leucine-rich repeats (named here as "cell surface protein", CSP, in view of its cellular location. Cell surface protein shares structural homologies with Toll-Like receptors, colocalizes with TNF and is internalized in TNF-containing vesicles. Reduction of cellular CSP levels abolished chemotaxis toward TNF and blocked parasite invasion of human colon. Conclusions: there is a clear link between TNF chemotaxis, CSP and pathogenesis.

  19. Signal transduction and chemotaxis in mast cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dráber, Petr; Hálová, Ivana; Polakovičová, Iva; Kawakami, T.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 778, jaro (2016), s. 11-23 ISSN 0014-2999 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-09807S; GA ČR(CZ) GBP302/12/G101; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-00703S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Mast cell * IgE receptor * KIT receptor * Signal transduction * Chemotaxis * Plasma membrane Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.896, year: 2016

  20. Whole genome HBV deletion profiles and the accumulation of preS deletion mutant during antiviral treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV), because of its error-prone viral polymerase, has a high mutation rate leading to widespread substitutions, deletions, and insertions in the HBV genome. Deletions may significantly change viral biological features complicating the progression of liver diseases. However, the clinical conditions correlating to the accumulation of deleted mutants remain unclear. In this study, we explored HBV deletion patterns and their association with disease status and antiviral treatment by performing whole genome sequencing on samples from 51 hepatitis B patients and by monitoring changes in deletion variants during treatment. Clone sequencing was used to analyze preS regions in another cohort of 52 patients. Results Among the core, preS, and basic core promoter (BCP) deletion hotspots, we identified preS to have the highest frequency and the most complex deletion pattern using whole genome sequencing. Further clone sequencing analysis on preS identified 70 deletions which were classified into 4 types, the most common being preS2. Also, in contrast to the core and BCP regions, most preS deletions were in-frame. Most deletions interrupted viral surface epitopes, and are possibly involved in evading immuno-surveillance. Among various clinical factors examined, logistic regression showed that antiviral medication affected the accumulation of deletion mutants (OR = 6.81, 95% CI = 1.296 ~ 35.817, P = 0.023). In chronic carriers of the virus, and individuals with chronic hepatitis, the deletion rate was significantly higher in the antiviral treatment group (Fisher exact test, P = 0.007). Particularly, preS2 deletions were associated with the usage of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy (Fisher exact test, P = 0.023). Dynamic increases in preS1 or preS2 deletions were also observed in quasispecies from samples taken from patients before and after three months of ADV therapy. In vitro experiments demonstrated that preS2 deletions alone

  1. CXCL1 is a negative regulator of mast cell chemotaxis to airway smooth muscle cell products in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhouri, H; Moir, L M; Armour, C L; Hughes, J M

    2014-03-01

    Activated mast cells (MC) numbers on airway smooth muscle (ASM) are increased in eosinophilic asthma. In vitro, asthmatic cytokine-stimulated ASM cell-conditioned medium (CM) induces more MC chemotaxis than CM from nonasthmatic ASM cells. Intriguingly the nonasthmatic ASM CM inhibits MC chemotaxis to the asthmatic ASM CM. However, the inhibitory factor(s) in the nonasthmatic ASM CM is still to be identified. To identify the factor(s) released by nonasthmatic ASM cells that inhibits MC chemotaxis. Confluent, serum-starved ASM cells from donors with and without asthma were stimulated with IL-1β and T-helper (Th)1 (TNFα and IFNγ) or Th2 (IL-4, IL-13) cytokines, or left unstimulated. CM samples were collected after 24 h, and a potential inhibitory factor identified using cytokine protein arrays. Its production was assessed using ELISA and RT-PCR and inhibitory role investigated in MC chemotaxis and Ca(2+) mobilization assays. Only CXCL1 was produced in greater amounts by nonasthmatic than asthmatic ASM cells following Th1 and Th2 cytokine stimulation. CXCL1 mRNA expression was also increased. Exogenous rh-CXCL1 significantly inhibited MC intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization and chemotaxis to either CXCL10, CXCL8 or CM collected from asthmatic ASM cells following Th1 or Th2 cytokine stimulation. Neutralizing CXCL1 in nonasthmatic ASM CM or blocking its receptor significantly promoted MC chemotaxis. CXCL1 was a major factor regulating MC chemotaxis in vitro. Its differential release by ASM cells may explain the differences observed in MC localization to the ASM of people with and without asthma. CXCL1 inhibition of MC recruitment to the ASM may lead to new targets to limit asthma pathophysiology. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. A novel Ras-interacting protein required for chemotaxis and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signal relay in Dictyostelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, S; Parent, C A; Insall, R; Firtel, R A

    1999-09-01

    We have identified a novel Ras-interacting protein from Dictyostelium, RIP3, whose function is required for both chemotaxis and the synthesis and relay of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemoattractant signal. rip3 null cells are unable to aggregate and lack receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase but are able, in response to cAMP, to induce aggregation-stage, postaggregative, and cell-type-specific gene expression in suspension culture. In addition, rip3 null cells are unable to properly polarize in a cAMP gradient and chemotaxis is highly impaired. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulation of guanylyl cyclase, which is required for chemotaxis, is reduced approximately 60% in rip3 null cells. This reduced activation of guanylyl cyclase may account, in part, for the defect in chemotaxis. When cells are pulsed with cAMP for 5 h to mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations that occur in wild-type strains, the cells will form aggregates, most of which, however, arrest at the mound stage. Unlike the response seen in wild-type strains, the rip3 null cell aggregates that form under these experimental conditions are very small, which is probably due to the rip3 null cell chemotaxis defect. Many of the phenotypes of the rip3 null cell, including the inability to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP and defects in chemotaxis, are very similar to those of strains carrying a disruption of the gene encoding the putative Ras exchange factor AleA. We demonstrate that aleA null cells also exhibit a defect in cAMP-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase similar to that of rip3 null cells. A double-knockout mutant (rip3/aleA null cells) exhibits a further reduction in receptor activation of guanylyl cyclase, and these cells display almost no cell polarization or movement in cAMP gradients. As RIP3 preferentially interacts with an activated form of the Dictyostelium Ras protein RasG, which itself is important for cell movement, we propose that RIP3 and AleA are components of a Ras

  3. The role of cGMP and the rear of the cell in Dictyostelium chemotaxis and cell streaming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veltman, Douwe M.; van Haastert, Peter J. M.

    2008-01-01

    During chemotaxis, pseudopod extensions lead the cell towards the source of attractant. The role of actin-filled pseudopodia at the front of the cell is well recognized, whereas the function of the rear of the cell in chemotaxis and cell-cell interactions is less well known. Dictyostelium cell

  4. The DrosDel Deletion Collection: A Drosophila Genomewide Chromosomal Deficiency Resource

    OpenAIRE

    Ryder, Edward; Ashburner, Michael; Bautista-Llacer, Rosa; Drummond, Jenny; Webster, Jane; Johnson, Glynnis; Morley, Terri; Chan, Yuk Sang; Blows, Fiona; Coulson, Darin; Reuter, Gunter; Baisch, Heiko; Apelt, Christian; Kauk, Andreas; Rudolph, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    We describe a second-generation deficiency kit for Drosophila melanogaster composed of molecularly mapped deletions on an isogenic background, covering ∼77% of the Release 5.1 genome. Using a previously reported collection of FRT-bearing P-element insertions, we have generated 655 new deletions and verified a set of 209 deletion-bearing fly stocks. In addition to deletions, we demonstrate how the P elements may also be used to generate a set of custom inversions and duplications, particularly...

  5. A dual-docking microfluidic cell migration assay (D2-Chip) for testing neutrophil chemotaxis and the memory effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ke; Wu, Jiandong; Xu, Guoqing; Xie, Dongxue; Peretz-Soroka, Hagit; Santos, Susy; Alexander, Murray; Zhu, Ling; Zhang, Michael; Liu, Yong; Lin, Francis

    2017-04-18

    Chemotaxis is a classic mechanism for guiding cell migration and an important topic in both fundamental cell biology and health sciences. Neutrophils are a widely used model to study eukaryotic cell migration and neutrophil chemotaxis itself can lead to protective or harmful immune actions to the body. While much has been learnt from past research about how neutrophils effectively navigate through a chemoattractant gradient, many interesting questions remain unclear. For example, while it is tempting to model neutrophil chemotaxis using the well-established biased random walk theory, the experimental proof was challenged by the cell's highly persistent migrating nature. A special experimental design is required to test the key predictions from the random walk model. Another question that has interested the cell migration community for decades concerns the existence of chemotactic memory and its underlying mechanism. Although chemotactic memory has been suggested in various studies, a clear quantitative experimental demonstration will improve our understanding of the migratory memory effect. Motivated by these questions, we developed a microfluidic cell migration assay (so-called dual-docking chip or D 2 -Chip) that can test both the biased random walk model and the memory effect for neutrophil chemotaxis on a single chip enabled by multi-region gradient generation and dual-region cell alignment. Our results provide experimental support for the biased random walk model and chemotactic memory for neutrophil chemotaxis. Quantitative data analyses provide new insights into neutrophil chemotaxis and memory by making connections to entropic disorder, cell morphology and oscillating migratory response.

  6. Evaluation of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis of adult and neonatal rhesus monkeys using 51-chromium labeling method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinoshita, Yo; Masuda, Kiyokazu; Kobayashi, Yohnosuke

    1987-01-01

    Chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from heparinized venous blood of 8 adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) and 13 rhesus monkey neonates within 48 hours of birth were evaluated by using 51-chromium labeling method. PMNs were prepared by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient and dextran sedimentation procedures and the final 51-chromium uptake was 3.21 ± 1.27 % to original count. PMN chemotaxis was succeeded by using two different chemotaxis filters (Nuclepore filter on top of Millipore filter) with incubation at 37 deg C for 90 min. The mean value of target: non target ratio (CPM in lower filter with chemoattractant/CPM in lower filter without chemoattractant) of 3.56 ± 2.49 from neonates showed no significant difference from that of 4.44 ± 1.24 from adults. Only about 30 % of neonates showed an impaired chemotaxis, but others showed similar chemotactic activity as adults. The results show that the 51-chromium labeling method is useful to assess neutrophil functions in rhesus monkey species and suggest that host defense mechanism of the rhesus monkey may differ from that of human in neonatal period. (author)

  7. Methyl group turnover on methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins during chemotaxis by Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thoelke, M.S.; Casper, J.M.; Ordal, G.W.

    1990-01-01

    The addition of attractant to Bacillus subtilis briefly exposed to radioactive methionine causes an increase of labeling of the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins. The addition of attractant to cells radiolabeled for longer times shows no change in the extent of methylation. Therefore, the increase in labeling for the briefly labeled cells is due to an increased turnover of methyl groups caused by attractant. All amino acids gave enhanced turnover. This turnover lasted for a prolonged time, probably spanning the period of smooth swimming caused by the attractant addition. Repellent did not affect the turnover when added alone or simultaneously with attractant. Thus, for amino acid attractants, the turnover is probably the excitatory signal, which is seen to extend long into or throughout the adaptation period, not just at the start of it

  8. Fluid flow and particle dynamics inside an evaporating droplet containing live bacteria displaying chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thokchom, Ashish Kumar; Swaminathan, Rajaram; Singh, Anugrah

    2014-10-21

    Evaporation-induced particle deposition patterns like coffee rings provide easy visual identification that is beneficial for developing inexpensive and simple diagnostic devices for detecting pathogens. In this study, the effect of chemotaxis on such pattern formation has been realized experimentally in drying droplets of bacterial suspensions. We have investigated the velocity field, concentration profile, and deposition pattern in the evaporating droplet of Escherichia coli suspension in the presence and absence of nutrients. Flow visualization experiments using particle image velocimetry (PIV) were carried out with E. coli bacteria as biological tracer particles. Experiments were conducted for suspensions of motile (live) as well as nonmotile (dead) bacteria. In the absence of any nutrient gradient like sugar on the substrate, both types of bacterial suspension showed two symmetric convection cells and a ring like deposition of particles after complete evaporation. Interestingly, the droplet containing live bacterial suspension showed a different velocity field when the sugar was placed at the base of the droplet. This can be attributed to the chemoattractant nature of the sugar, which induced chemotaxis among live bacteria targeted toward the nutrient site. Deposition of the suspended bacteria was also displaced toward the nutrient site as the evaporation proceeded. Our experiments demonstrate that both velocity fields and concentration patterns can be altered by chemotaxis to modify the pattern formation in evaporating droplet containing live bacteria. These results highlight the role of bacterial chemotaxis in modifying coffee ring patterns.

  9. Chemotaxis-defective mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dusenbery, D B; Sheridan, R E; Russell, R L

    1975-06-01

    The technique of countercurrent separation has been used to isolate 17 independent chemotaxis-defective mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The mutants, selected to be relatively insensitive to the normally attractive salt NaCl, show varying degrees of residual sensitivity; some are actually weakly repelled by NaCl. The mutants are due to single gene defects, are autosomal and recessive, and identify at least five complementation groups.

  10. A novel antagonist of CRTH2 blocks eosinophil release from bone marrow, chemotaxis and respiratory burst

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Royer, J F; Schratl, P; Lorenz, S

    2007-01-01

    developed small molecule antagonist of CRTH2, Cay10471, on eosinophil function with respect to recruitment, respiratory burst and degranulation. METHODS: Chemotaxis of guinea pig bone marrow eosinophils and human peripheral blood eosinophils were determined using microBoyden chambers. Eosinophil release...... from bone marrow was investigated in the in situ perfused guinea pig hind limb preparation. Respiratory burst and degranulation were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Cay10471 bound with high affinity to recombinant human and guinea pig CRTH2, but not DP, receptors. The antagonist prevented the PGD......(2)-induced release of eosinophils from guinea pig bone marrow, and inhibited the chemotaxis of guinea pig bone marrow eosinophils and human peripheral blood eosinophils. Pretreatment with PGD(2) primed eosinophils for chemotaxis towards eotaxin, and this effect was prevented by Cay10471. In contrast...

  11. Effects of undenatured whey protein supplementation on CXCL12- and CCL21-mediated B and T cell chemotaxis in diabetic mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badr Gamal

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Long and persistent uncontrolled diabetes tends to degenerate the immune system and leads to an increased incidence of infection. Whey proteins (WPs enhance immunity during early life and have a protective role in some immune disorders. In this study, the effects of camel WP on the chemotaxis of B and T cells to CXCL12 and CCL21 in diabetic mice were investigated. Results Flow cytometric analysis of the surface expressions of CXCR4 (CXCL12 receptor and CCR7 (CCL21 receptor on B and T cells revealed that the surface expressions of CXCR4 and CCR7 were not significantly altered in diabetic and WP-supplemented diabetic mice compared with control mice. Nevertheless, B and T lymphocytes from diabetic mice were found to be in a stunned state, with a marked and significant (P Conclusion Our data revealed the benefits of WP supplementation in enhancing cytoskeletal rearrangement and chemotaxis in B and T cells, and subsequently improving the immune response in diabetic mice.

  12. α-1 Antitrypsin regulates human neutrophil chemotaxis induced by soluble immune complexes and IL-8.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Bergin, David A

    2010-12-01

    Hereditary deficiency of the protein α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) causes a chronic lung disease in humans that is characterized by excessive mobilization of neutrophils into the lung. However, the reason for the increased neutrophil burden has not been fully elucidated. In this study we have demonstrated using human neutrophils that serum AAT coordinates both CXCR1- and soluble immune complex (sIC) receptor-mediated chemotaxis by divergent pathways. We demonstrated that glycosylated AAT can bind to IL-8 (a ligand for CXCR1) and that AAT-IL-8 complex formation prevented IL-8 interaction with CXCR1. Second, AAT modulated neutrophil chemotaxis in response to sIC by controlling membrane expression of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored (GPI-anchored) Fc receptor FcγRIIIb. This process was mediated through inhibition of ADAM-17 enzymatic activity. Neutrophils isolated from clinically stable AAT-deficient patients were characterized by low membrane expression of FcγRIIIb and increased chemotaxis in response to IL-8 and sIC. Treatment of AAT-deficient individuals with AAT augmentation therapy resulted in increased AAT binding to IL-8, increased AAT binding to the neutrophil membrane, decreased FcγRIIIb release from the neutrophil membrane, and normalization of chemotaxis. These results provide new insight into the mechanism underlying the effect of AAT augmentation therapy in the pulmonary disease associated with AAT deficiency.

  13. The photosensor protein Ppr of Rhodocista centenaria is linked to the chemotaxis signalling pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiefer Dorothee

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Rhodocista centenaria is a phototrophic α-proteobacterium exhibiting a phototactic behaviour visible as colony movement on agar plates directed to red light. As many phototrophic purple bacteria R. centenaria possesses a soluble photoactive yellow protein (Pyp. It exists as a long fusion protein, designated Ppr, consisting of three domains, the Pyp domain, a putative bilin binding domain (Bbd and a histidine kinase domain (Pph. The Ppr protein is involved in the regulation of polyketide synthesis but it is still unclear, how this is connected to phototaxis and chemotaxis. Results To elucidate the possible role of Ppr and Pph in the chemotactic network we studied the interaction with chemotactic proteins in vitro as well as in vivo. Matrix-assisted coelution experiments were performed to study the possible communication of the different putative binding partners. The kinase domain of the Ppr protein was found to interact with the chemotactic linker protein CheW. The formation of this complex was clearly ATP-dependent. Further results indicated that the Pph histidine kinase domain and CheW may form a complex with the chemotactic kinase CheAY suggesting a role of Ppr in the chemotaxis signalling pathway. In addition, when Ppr or Pph were expressed in Escherichia coli, the chemotactic response of the cells was dramatically affected. Conclusions The Ppr protein of Rhodocista centenaria directly interacts with the chemotactic protein CheW. This suggests a role of the Ppr protein in the regulation of the chemotactic response in addition to its role in chalcone synthesis.

  14. Interaction of HmC1q with leech microglial cells: involvement of C1qBP-related molecule in the induction of cell chemotaxis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tahtouh Muriel

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In invertebrates, the medicinal leech is considered to be an interesting and appropriate model to study neuroimmune mechanisms. Indeed, this non-vertebrate animal can restore normal function of its central nervous system (CNS after injury. Microglia accumulation at the damage site has been shown to be required for axon sprouting and for efficient regeneration. We characterized HmC1q as a novel chemotactic factor for leech microglial cell recruitment. In mammals, a C1q-binding protein (C1qBP alias gC1qR, which interacts with the globular head of C1q, has been reported to participate in C1q-mediated chemotaxis of blood immune cells. In this study, we evaluated the chemotactic activities of a recombinant form of HmC1q and its interaction with a newly characterized leech C1qBP that acts as its potential ligand. Methods Recombinant HmC1q (rHmC1q was produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Chemotaxis assays were performed to investigate rHmC1q-dependent microglia migration. The involvement of a C1qBP-related molecule in this chemotaxis mechanism was assessed by flow cytometry and with affinity purification experiments. The cellular localization of C1qBP mRNA and protein in leech was investigated using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques. Results rHmC1q-stimulated microglia migrate in a dose-dependent manner. This rHmC1q-induced chemotaxis was reduced when cells were preincubated with either anti-HmC1q or anti-human C1qBP antibodies. A C1qBP-related molecule was characterized in leech microglia. Conclusions A previous study showed that recruitment of microglia is observed after HmC1q release at the cut end of axons. Here, we demonstrate that rHmC1q-dependent chemotaxis might be driven via a HmC1q-binding protein located on the microglial cell surface. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of the interaction between C1q and C1qBP in microglial activation leading to nerve repair in the medicinal

  15. [Experimental study of the effects of impulse-electric discharge on chemotaxis and cytoadhesion of urinary infection pathogens].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuderinov, S K; Azizov, I S; Turgunov, E M; Shambilova, N A

    2006-01-01

    The aim of the experimental study was to evaluate effects of impulse-electric discharge in liquid on chemotaxis and cytoadhesion of urinary infection pathogens. Chemotaxis was determined in respect to the lung, liver, spleen, kidney, ureter, urinary bladder, urethra of white mice by S. Likholetov's modified method. Cytoadhesion was assessed by V. Brilis. The experiments show that the impulse-electric discharge holds promise for urological practice.

  16. Compound C inhibits macrophage chemotaxis through an AMPK-independent mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Youngyi [College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Wanju, Jeonbuk 55338 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Biochemistry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Byung-Hyun, E-mail: bhpark@jbnu.ac.kr [Department of Biochemistry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Eun Ju, E-mail: ejbae@woosuk.ac.kr [College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Wanju, Jeonbuk 55338 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-01-15

    Macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue is a well-established cause of obesity-linked insulin resistance. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in peripheral tissues such as adipose tissue has beneficial effects on the protection against obesity-induced insulin resistance, which is mainly mediated by prevention of adipose tissue macrophage infiltration and inflammation. In examining the role of AMPK on adipose tissue inflammation, we unexpectedly found that compound C (CC), despite its inhibition of AMPK, robustly inhibited macrophage chemotaxis in RAW 264.7 cells when adipocyte conditioned medium (CM) was used as a chemoattractant. Here, we report that CC inhibition of macrophage migration occurred independently of AMPK. Mechanistically, this inhibitory effect of cell migration by CC was mediated by inhibition of the focal adhesion kinase, AKT, nuclear factor κB pathways. Moreover, the expression of chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and pro-inflammatory genes such as tumor necrosis factor α and inducible nitric oxide synthase were prevented by CC treatment in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with either adipocyte CM or lipopolysaccharide. Lastly, in accord with the findings of the anti-inflammatory effect of CC, we demonstrated that CC functioned as a repressor of macrophage CM-mediated insulin resistance in adipocytes. Taken together, our results suggest that CC serves as a useful inhibitory molecule against macrophage chemotaxis into adipose tissue and thus might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity-linked adipose inflammation. - Highlights: • Compound C (CC) inhibits macrophage chemotaxis regardless of AMPK suppression. • CC enhances insulin sensitivity in adipocytes. • CC inhibits focal adhesion kinase, AKT, and NF-κB signaling in RAW 264.7 cells.

  17. Chemotaxis in the cellular slime molds : I. The effect of temperature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Konijn, Theo M.

    1965-01-01

    The effect of temperature on chemotaxis in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum has been studied by incubating small populations of washed myxamoebae at different temperatures. Droplets containing a cell suspension of known density were deposited on a hydrophobic agar surface. The

  18. Microarray-based ultra-high resolution discovery of genomic deletion mutations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Oligonucleotide microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) offers an attractive possible route for the rapid and cost-effective genome-wide discovery of deletion mutations. CGH typically involves comparison of the hybridization intensities of genomic DNA samples with microarray chip representations of entire genomes, and has widespread potential application in experimental research and medical diagnostics. However, the power to detect small deletions is low. Results Here we use a graduated series of Arabidopsis thaliana genomic deletion mutations (of sizes ranging from 4 bp to ~5 kb) to optimize CGH-based genomic deletion detection. We show that the power to detect smaller deletions (4, 28 and 104 bp) depends upon oligonucleotide density (essentially the number of genome-representative oligonucleotides on the microarray chip), and determine the oligonucleotide spacings necessary to guarantee detection of deletions of specified size. Conclusions Our findings will enhance a wide range of research and clinical applications, and in particular will aid in the discovery of genomic deletions in the absence of a priori knowledge of their existence. PMID:24655320

  19. Akirin1 (Mighty), a novel promyogenic factor regulates muscle regeneration and cell chemotaxis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salerno, Monica Senna; Dyer, Kelly; Bracegirdle, Jeremy; Platt, Leanne; Thomas, Mark; Siriett, Victoria [Functional Muscle Genomics, AgResearch, Hamilton (New Zealand); Kambadur, Ravi [Functional Muscle Genomics, AgResearch, Hamilton (New Zealand); School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (Singapore); Sharma, Mridula, E-mail: bchmridu@nus.edu.sg [Functional Muscle Genomics, AgResearch, Hamilton (New Zealand)

    2009-07-15

    Akirin1 (Mighty) is a downstream target gene of myostatin and has been shown to be a promyogenic factor. Although expressed in many tissues, akirin1 is negatively regulated by myostatin specifically in skeletal muscle tissue. In this manuscript we have characterized the possible function of akirin1 in postnatal muscle growth. Molecular and immunohistological analyses indicated that while low levels of akirin1 are associated with quiescent satellite cells (SC), higher levels of akirin1 are detected in activated proliferating SC indicating that akirin1 could be associated with satellite cell activation. In addition to SC, macrophages also express akirin1, and increased expression of akirin1 resulted in more efficient chemotaxis of both macrophages and myoblasts. Akirin1 appears to regulate chemotaxis of both macrophages and myoblasts by reorganising actin cytoskeleton, leading to more efficient lamellipodia formation via a PI3 kinase dependent pathway. Expression analysis during muscle regeneration also indicated that akirin1 expression is detected very early (day 2) in regenerating muscle, and expression gradually peaks to coincide the nascent myotube formation stage of muscle regeneration. Based on these results we propose that akirin1 could be acting as a transducer of early signals of muscle regeneration. Thus, we speculate that myostatin regulates key steps of muscle regeneration including chemotaxis of inflammatory cells, SC activation and migration through akirin1.

  20. Akirin1 (Mighty), a novel promyogenic factor regulates muscle regeneration and cell chemotaxis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salerno, Monica Senna; Dyer, Kelly; Bracegirdle, Jeremy; Platt, Leanne; Thomas, Mark; Siriett, Victoria; Kambadur, Ravi; Sharma, Mridula

    2009-01-01

    Akirin1 (Mighty) is a downstream target gene of myostatin and has been shown to be a promyogenic factor. Although expressed in many tissues, akirin1 is negatively regulated by myostatin specifically in skeletal muscle tissue. In this manuscript we have characterized the possible function of akirin1 in postnatal muscle growth. Molecular and immunohistological analyses indicated that while low levels of akirin1 are associated with quiescent satellite cells (SC), higher levels of akirin1 are detected in activated proliferating SC indicating that akirin1 could be associated with satellite cell activation. In addition to SC, macrophages also express akirin1, and increased expression of akirin1 resulted in more efficient chemotaxis of both macrophages and myoblasts. Akirin1 appears to regulate chemotaxis of both macrophages and myoblasts by reorganising actin cytoskeleton, leading to more efficient lamellipodia formation via a PI3 kinase dependent pathway. Expression analysis during muscle regeneration also indicated that akirin1 expression is detected very early (day 2) in regenerating muscle, and expression gradually peaks to coincide the nascent myotube formation stage of muscle regeneration. Based on these results we propose that akirin1 could be acting as a transducer of early signals of muscle regeneration. Thus, we speculate that myostatin regulates key steps of muscle regeneration including chemotaxis of inflammatory cells, SC activation and migration through akirin1.

  1. The impact of odor–reward memory on chemotaxis in larval Drosophila

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleyer, Michael; Reid, Samuel F.; Pamir, Evren; Saumweber, Timo; Paisios, Emmanouil; Davies, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    How do animals adaptively integrate innate with learned behavioral tendencies? We tackle this question using chemotaxis as a paradigm. Chemotaxis in the Drosophila larva largely results from a sequence of runs and oriented turns. Thus, the larvae minimally need to determine (i) how fast to run, (ii) when to initiate a turn, and (iii) where to direct a turn. We first report how odor-source intensities modulate these decisions to bring about higher levels of chemotactic performance for higher odor-source intensities during innate chemotaxis. We then examine whether the same modulations are responsible for alterations of chemotactic performance by learned odor “valence” (understood throughout as level of attractiveness). We find that run speed (i) is neither modulated by the innate nor by the learned valence of an odor. Turn rate (ii), however, is modulated by both: the higher the innate or learned valence of the odor, the less often larvae turn whenever heading toward the odor source, and the more often they turn when heading away. Likewise, turning direction (iii) is modulated concordantly by innate and learned valence: turning is biased more strongly toward the odor source when either innate or learned valence is high. Using numerical simulations, we show that a modulation of both turn rate and of turning direction is sufficient to account for the empirically found differences in preference scores across experimental conditions. Our results suggest that innate and learned valence organize adaptive olfactory search behavior by their summed effects on turn rate and turning direction, but not on run speed. This work should aid studies into the neural mechanisms by which memory impacts specific aspects of behavior. PMID:25887280

  2. Chemotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum: Collective Oscillation of Cellular Contacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäfer, Edith; Tarantola, Marco; Polo, Elena; Westendorf, Christian; Oikawa, Noriko; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Geil, Burkhard; Janshoff, Andreas

    2013-01-01

    Chemotactic responses of Dictyostelium discoideum cells to periodic self-generated signals of extracellular cAMP comprise a large number of intricate morphological changes on different length scales. Here, we scrutinized chemotaxis of single Dictyostelium discoideum cells under conditions of starvation using a variety of optical, electrical and acoustic methods. Amebas were seeded on gold electrodes displaying impedance oscillations that were simultaneously analyzed by optical video microscopy to relate synchronous changes in cell density, morphology, and distance from the surface to the transient impedance signal. We found that starved amebas periodically reduce their overall distance from the surface producing a larger impedance and higher total fluorescence intensity in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Therefore, we propose that the dominant sources of the observed impedance oscillations observed on electric cell-substrate impedance sensing electrodes are periodic changes of the overall cell-substrate distance of a cell. These synchronous changes of the cell-electrode distance were also observed in the oscillating signal of acoustic resonators covered with amebas. We also found that periodic cell-cell aggregation into transient clusters correlates with changes in the cell-substrate distance and might also contribute to the impedance signal. It turned out that cell-cell contacts as well as cell-substrate contacts form synchronously during chemotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum cells. PMID:23349816

  3. Evidence for bacterial chemotaxis to cyanobacteria from a radioassay technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kangatharalingam, N.; Wang, Lizhu; Priscu, J.C.

    1991-01-01

    Lyngbya birgei and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae elicited a significant chemotactic attraction of Aeromonas hydrophila compared with controls lacking cyanobacteria. There was a positive exponential relationship between biomass (chlorophyll a) of L. birgei and A. flos-aquae and chemotactic attraction of A. hydrophila. The assay equipment was simple and reliable and could be used to study bacterial chemotaxis in other species in situ

  4. Chemotaxis of C. elegans in 3D media: a model for navigation of undulatory microswimmers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Amar; Bilbao, Alejandro; Rahman, Mizanur; Vanapalli, Siva; Blawzdziewicz, Jerzy

    2017-11-01

    While the natural environment of C. elegans consists of complex 3D media (e.g., decomposing organic matter and water), most studies of chemotactic behavior of this nematode are limited to 2D. We present a 3D chemotaxis model that combines a realistic geometrical representation of body movements associated with 3D maneuvers, an analysis of mechanical interactions of the nematode body with the surrounding medium to determine nematode trajectories, and a simple memory-function description of chemosensory apparatus that controls the frequency, magnitude, and timing of turning maneuvers. We show that two main chemotaxis strategies of C. elegans moving in 2D, i.e., the biased random walk and gradual turn, are effective also in 3D, provided that 2D turns are supplemented by the roll maneuvers that enable 3D reorientation. Optimal choices of chemosensing and gait-control parameters are discussed; we show that the nematode can maintain efficient chemotaxis in burrowing and swimming by adjusting the undulation frequency alone, without changing the chemotactic component of the body control. Understanding how C. elegans efficiently navigates in 3D media may help in developing self-navigating artificial microswimmers. Supported by NSF Grant No. CBET 1603627.

  5. The impact of odor-reward memory on chemotaxis in larval Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleyer, Michael; Reid, Samuel F; Pamir, Evren; Saumweber, Timo; Paisios, Emmanouil; Davies, Alexander; Gerber, Bertram; Louis, Matthieu

    2015-05-01

    How do animals adaptively integrate innate with learned behavioral tendencies? We tackle this question using chemotaxis as a paradigm. Chemotaxis in the Drosophila larva largely results from a sequence of runs and oriented turns. Thus, the larvae minimally need to determine (i) how fast to run, (ii) when to initiate a turn, and (iii) where to direct a turn. We first report how odor-source intensities modulate these decisions to bring about higher levels of chemotactic performance for higher odor-source intensities during innate chemotaxis. We then examine whether the same modulations are responsible for alterations of chemotactic performance by learned odor "valence" (understood throughout as level of attractiveness). We find that run speed (i) is neither modulated by the innate nor by the learned valence of an odor. Turn rate (ii), however, is modulated by both: the higher the innate or learned valence of the odor, the less often larvae turn whenever heading toward the odor source, and the more often they turn when heading away. Likewise, turning direction (iii) is modulated concordantly by innate and learned valence: turning is biased more strongly toward the odor source when either innate or learned valence is high. Using numerical simulations, we show that a modulation of both turn rate and of turning direction is sufficient to account for the empirically found differences in preference scores across experimental conditions. Our results suggest that innate and learned valence organize adaptive olfactory search behavior by their summed effects on turn rate and turning direction, but not on run speed. This work should aid studies into the neural mechanisms by which memory impacts specific aspects of behavior. © 2015 Schleyer et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  6. Simvastatin Inhibits IL-5-Induced Chemotaxis and CCR3 Expression of HL-60-Derived and Human Primary Eosinophils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Chia-Hsiang; Tsai, Wan-Chun; Lee, Ta-Jen; Huang, Chi-Che; Chang, Po-Hung; Su Pang, Jong-Hwei

    2016-01-01

    IL-5-induced chemotaxis of eosinophils is an important feature of allergic airway inflammatory diseases. Simvastatin, a lipid lowering agent, has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. Our aim was to investigate the effect of simvastatin on IL-5-induced eosinophil chemotaxis and its regulatory mechanisms. Eosinophils were derived by treating HL-60 clone 15 (HC15) cells with butyric acid (BA) in an alkaline condition or through direct isolation from human peripheral blood. The expressions of CC chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3) and interleukin (IL)-5 receptors (IL5Rα and β) were analyzed using RT/real-time PCR. The granular proteins were stained using fast green. Eotaxin-induced chemotaxis was measured using a transwell migration assay. CCR3 protein expression was revealed by immunocytochemistry. An animal model of allergic rhinitis was established by challenging Sprague-Dawley® rats repeatedly with ovalbumin. Butyric acid significantly increased the expression of IL5Rα and IL5Rβ, CCR3 and granular proteins in HC15 cells, indicating the maturation of eosinophils (BA-E cells). IL-5 further enhanced the CCR3 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and the eotaxin-induced chemotaxis of BA-E cells. Simvastatin inhibited the effects of IL-5 on BA-E cells, but not in the presence of mevalonate. Similar results were also exhibited in human primary eosinophils. In vivo animal studies further confirmed that oral simvastatin could significantly suppress the infiltration of eosinophils into turbinate tissues of allergic rats. Therefore, simvastatin was demonstrated to inhibit IL-5-induced CCR3 expression and chemotaxis of eosinophils mediated via the mevalonate pathway. We confirmed that simvastatin also reduced eosinophilic infiltration in allergic rhinitis.

  7. Chemotaxis and Actin Oscillations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Hsu, Hsin-Fang; Negrete, Jose; Beta, Carsten; Pumir, Alain; Gholami, Azam; Tarantola, Marco; Westendorf, Christian; Zykov, Vladimir

    Recently, self-oscillations of the cytoskeletal actin have been observed in Dictyostelium, a model system for studying chemotaxis. Here we report experimental results on the self-oscillation mechanism and the role of regulatory proteins and myosin II. We stimulate cells rapidly and periodically by using photo un-caging of the chemoattractant in a micro-fluidic device and measured the cellular responses. We found that the response amplitude grows with stimulation strength only in a very narrow region of stimulation, after which the response amplitude reaches a plateau. Moreover, the frequency-response is not constant but rather varies with the strength of external stimuli. To understand the underlying mechanism, we analyzed the polymerization and de-polymerization time in the single cell level. Despite of the large cell-to-cell variability, we found that the polymerization time is independent of external stimuli and the de-polymerization time is prolonged as the stimulation strength increases. Our conclusions will be summarized and the role of noise in the signaling network will be discussed. German Science Foundation CRC 937.

  8. 9q22 Deletion - First Familial Case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamamoto Toshiyuki

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Only 29 cases of constitutional 9q22 deletions have been published and all have been sporadic. Most associate with Gorlin syndrome or nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS, MIM #109400 due to haploinsufficiency of the PTCH1 gene (MIM *601309. Methods and Results We report two mentally retarded female siblings and their cognitively normal father, all carrying a similar 5.3 Mb microdeletion at 9q22.2q22.32, detected by array CGH (244 K. The deletion does not involve the PTCH1 gene, but instead 30 other gene,s including the ROR2 gene (MIM *602337 which causing both brachydactyly type 1 (MIM #113000 and Robinow syndrome (MIM #268310, and the immunologically active SYK gene (MIM *600085. The deletion in the father was de novo and FISH analysis of blood lymphocytes did not suggest mosaicism. All three patients share similar mild dysmorphic features with downslanting palpebral fissures, narrow, high bridged nose with small nares, long, deeply grooved philtrum, ears with broad helix and uplifted lobuli, and small toenails. All have significant dysarthria and suffer from continuous middle ear and upper respiratory infections. The father also has a funnel chest and unilateral hypoplastic kidney but the daughters have no malformations. Conclusions This is the first report of a familial constitutional 9q22 deletion and the first deletion studied by array-CGH which does not involve the PTCH1 gene. The phenotype and penetrance are variable and the deletion found in the cognitively normal normal father poses a challenge in genetic counseling.

  9. Neural correlates of reward processing in adults with 22q11 deletion syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Duin, Esther D. A.; Goossens, Liesbet; Hernaus, Dennis; da Silva Alves, Fabiana; Schmitz, Nicole; Schruers, Koen; van Amelsvoort, Therese

    2016-01-01

    Background: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is caused by a microdeletion on chromosome 22q11.2 and associated with an increased risk to develop psychosis. The gene coding for catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) is located at the deleted region, resulting in disrupted dopaminergic

  10. Chemotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum: collective oscillation of cellular contacts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edith Schäfer

    Full Text Available Chemotactic responses of Dictyostelium discoideum cells to periodic self-generated signals of extracellular cAMP comprise a large number of intricate morphological changes on different length scales. Here, we scrutinized chemotaxis of single Dictyostelium discoideum cells under conditions of starvation using a variety of optical, electrical and acoustic methods. Amebas were seeded on gold electrodes displaying impedance oscillations that were simultaneously analyzed by optical video microscopy to relate synchronous changes in cell density, morphology, and distance from the surface to the transient impedance signal. We found that starved amebas periodically reduce their overall distance from the surface producing a larger impedance and higher total fluorescence intensity in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Therefore, we propose that the dominant sources of the observed impedance oscillations observed on electric cell-substrate impedance sensing electrodes are periodic changes of the overall cell-substrate distance of a cell. These synchronous changes of the cell-electrode distance were also observed in the oscillating signal of acoustic resonators covered with amebas. We also found that periodic cell-cell aggregation into transient clusters correlates with changes in the cell-substrate distance and might also contribute to the impedance signal. It turned out that cell-cell contacts as well as cell-substrate contacts form synchronously during chemotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum cells.

  11. Incoherent feedforward control governs adaptation of activated ras in a eukaryotic chemotaxis pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Kosuke; Shao, Danying; Adler, Micha; Charest, Pascale G; Loomis, William F; Levine, Herbert; Groisman, Alex; Rappel, Wouter-Jan; Firtel, Richard A

    2012-01-03

    Adaptation in signaling systems, during which the output returns to a fixed baseline after a change in the input, often involves negative feedback loops and plays a crucial role in eukaryotic chemotaxis. We determined the dynamical response to a uniform change in chemoattractant concentration of a eukaryotic chemotaxis pathway immediately downstream from G protein-coupled receptors. The response of an activated Ras showed near-perfect adaptation, leading us to attempt to fit the results using mathematical models for the two possible simple network topologies that can provide perfect adaptation. Only the incoherent feedforward network accurately described the experimental results. This analysis revealed that adaptation in this Ras pathway is achieved through the proportional activation of upstream components and not through negative feedback loops. Furthermore, these results are consistent with a local excitation, global inhibition mechanism for gradient sensing, possibly with a Ras guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein acting as a global inhibitor.

  12. Decreased numbers of chemotactic factor receptors in chronic neutropenia with defective chemotaxis: spontaneous recovery from the neutrophil abnormalities during early childhood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasui, K.; Yamazaki, M.; Miyagawa, Y.; Komiyama, A.; Akabane, T.

    1987-01-01

    Childhood chronic neutropenia with decreased numbers of chemotactic factor receptors as well as defective chemotaxis was first demonstrated in an 8-month-old girl. Chemotactic factor receptors on neutrophils were assayed using tritiated N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine ( 3 H-FMLP). The patient's neutrophils had decreased numbers of the receptors: numbers of the receptors were 20,000 (less than 3 SD) as compared with those of control cells of 52,000 +/- 6000 (mean +/- SD) (n = 10). The neutropenia disappeared spontaneously by 28 months of age parallel with the improvement of chemotaxis and increase in numbers of chemotactic factor receptors. These results demonstrate a transient decrease of neutrophil chemotactic factor receptors as one of the pathophysiological bases of a transient defect of neutrophil chemotaxis in this disorder

  13. Familial deletion 18p syndrome: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lemyre Emmanuelle

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Deletion 18p is a frequent deletion syndrome characterized by dysmorphic features, growth deficiencies, and mental retardation with a poorer verbal performance. Until now, five families have been described with limited clinical description. We report transmission of deletion 18p from a mother to her two daughters and review the previous cases. Case presentation The proband is 12 years old and has short stature, dysmorphic features and moderate mental retardation. Her sister is 9 years old and also has short stature and similar dysmorphic features. Her cognitive performance is within the borderline to mild mental retardation range. The mother also presents short stature. Psychological evaluation showed moderate mental retardation. Chromosome analysis from the sisters and their mother revealed the same chromosomal deletion: 46, XX, del(18(p11.2. Previous familial cases were consistent regarding the transmission of mental retardation. Our family differs in this regard with variable cognitive impairment and does not display poorer verbal than non-verbal abilities. An exclusive maternal transmission is observed throughout those families. Women with del(18p are fertile and seem to have a normal miscarriage rate. Conclusion Genetic counseling for these patients should take into account a greater range of cognitive outcome than previously reported.

  14. Detection of genomic deletions in rice using oligonucleotide microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordeos Alicia

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The induction of genomic deletions by physical- or chemical- agents is an easy and inexpensive means to generate a genome-saturating collection of mutations. Different mutagens can be selected to ensure a mutant collection with a range of deletion sizes. This would allow identification of mutations in single genes or, alternatively, a deleted group of genes that might collectively govern a trait (e.g., quantitative trait loci, QTL. However, deletion mutants have not been widely used in functional genomics, because the mutated genes are not tagged and therefore, difficult to identify. Here, we present a microarray-based approach to identify deleted genomic regions in rice mutants selected from a large collection generated by gamma ray or fast neutron treatment. Our study focuses not only on the utility of this method for forward genetics, but also its potential as a reverse genetics tool through accumulation of hybridization data for a collection of deletion mutants harboring multiple genetic lesions. Results We demonstrate that hybridization of labeled genomic DNA directly onto the Affymetrix Rice GeneChip® allows rapid localization of deleted regions in rice mutants. Deletions ranged in size from one gene model to ~500 kb and were predicted on all 12 rice chromosomes. The utility of the technique as a tool in forward genetics was demonstrated in combination with an allelic series of mutants to rapidly narrow the genomic region, and eventually identify a candidate gene responsible for a lesion mimic phenotype. Finally, the positions of mutations in 14 mutants were aligned onto the rice pseudomolecules in a user-friendly genome browser to allow for rapid identification of untagged mutations http://irfgc.irri.org/cgi-bin/gbrowse/IR64_deletion_mutants/. Conclusion We demonstrate the utility of oligonucleotide arrays to discover deleted genes in rice. The density and distribution of deletions suggests the feasibility of a

  15. Sinking, merging and stationary plumes in a coupled chemotaxis-fluid model: a high-resolution numerical approach

    KAUST Repository

    Chertock, A.

    2012-02-02

    Aquatic bacteria like Bacillus subtilis are heavier than water yet they are able to swim up an oxygen gradient and concentrate in a layer below the water surface, which will undergo Rayleigh-Taylor-type instabilities for sufficiently high concentrations. In the literature, a simplified chemotaxis-fluid system has been proposed as a model for bio-convection in modestly diluted cell suspensions. It couples a convective chemotaxis system for the oxygen-consuming and oxytactic bacteria with the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations subject to a gravitational force proportional to the relative surplus of the cell density compared to the water density. In this paper, we derive a high-resolution vorticity-based hybrid finite-volume finite-difference scheme, which allows us to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of a two-dimensional chemotaxis-fluid system with boundary conditions matching an experiment of Hillesdon et al. (Bull. Math. Biol., vol. 57, 1995, pp. 299-344). We present selected numerical examples, which illustrate (i) the formation of sinking plumes, (ii) the possible merging of neighbouring plumes and (iii) the convergence towards numerically stable stationary plumes. The examples with stable stationary plumes show how the surface-directed oxytaxis continuously feeds cells into a high-concentration layer near the surface, from where the fluid flow (recurring upwards in the space between the plumes) transports the cells into the plumes, where then gravity makes the cells sink and constitutes the driving force in maintaining the fluid convection and, thus, in shaping the plumes into (numerically) stable stationary states. Our numerical method is fully capable of solving the coupled chemotaxis-fluid system and enabling a full exploration of its dynamics, which cannot be done in a linearised framework. © 2012 Cambridge University Press.

  16. Laminar flow assisted anisotropic bacteria absorption for chemotaxis delivery of bacteria-attached microparticle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huh, Keon; Oh, Darong; Son, Seok Young; Yoo, Hyung Jung; Song, Byeonghwa; Cho, Dong-il Dan; Seo, Jong-Mo; Kim, Sung Jae

    2016-12-01

    The concepts of microrobots has been drawn significant attentions recently since its unprecedented applicability in nanotechnology and biomedical field. Bacteria attached microparticles presented in this work are one of pioneering microrobot technology for self-propulsion or producing kinetic energy from ambient for their motions. Microfluidic device, especially utilizing laminar flow characteristics, were employed for anisotropic attachment of Salmonella typhimurium flagellated chemotactic bacteria to 30 um × 30 um and 50 um × 50 um microparticles that made of biodegradable polymer. Any toxic chemicals or harmful treatments were excluded during the attachment process and it finished within 100 s for the anisotropic attachment. The attachments were directly confirmed by fluorescent intensity changes and SEM visualization. Chemotaxis motions were tracked using aspartate and the maximum velocity of the bacteria-attached microrobot was measured to be 5 um/s which is comparable to prior state of art technologies. This reusable and scalable method could play a key role in chemotaxis delivery of functional microparticles such as drug delivery system.

  17. Deletion of Dock10 in B Cells Results in Normal Development but a Mild Deficiency upon In Vivo and In Vitro Stimulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Severinson

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We sought to identify genes necessary to induce cytoskeletal change in B cells. Using gene expression microarray, we compared B cells stimulated with interleukin-4 (IL-4 and anti-CD40 antibodies that induce B cell spreading, cell motility, tight aggregates, and extensive microvilli with B cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide that lack these cytoskeletal changes. We identified 84 genes with 10-fold or greater expression in anti-CD40 + IL-4 stimulated B cells, one of these encoded the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF dedicator of cytokinesis 10 (Dock10. IL-4 selectively induced Dock10 expression in B cells. Using lacZ expression to monitor Dock10 promoter activity, we found that Dock10 was expressed at all stages during B cell development. However, specific deletion of Dock10 in B cells was associated with a mild phenotype with normal B cell development and normal B cell spreading, polarization, motility, chemotaxis, aggregation, and Ig class switching. Dock10-deficient B cells showed lower proliferation in response to anti-CD40 and IL-4 stimulation. Moreover, the IgG response to soluble antigen in vivo was lower when Dock10 was specifically deleted in B cells. Together, we found that most B cell responses were intact in the absence of Dock10. However, specific deletion of Dock10 in B cells was associated with a mild reduction in B cell activation in vitro and in vivo.

  18. Sequence homology at the breakpoint and clinical phenotype of mitochondrial DNA deletion syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadikovic, Bekim; Wang, Jing; El-Hattab, Ayman W; Landsverk, Megan; Douglas, Ganka; Brundage, Ellen K; Craigen, William J; Schmitt, Eric S; Wong, Lee-Jun C

    2010-12-20

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions are a common cause of mitochondrial disorders. Large mtDNA deletions can lead to a broad spectrum of clinical features with different age of onset, ranging from mild mitochondrial myopathies (MM), progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), and Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS), to severe Pearson syndrome. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular signatures surrounding the deletion breakpoints and their association with the clinical phenotype and age at onset. MtDNA deletions in 67 patients were characterized using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) followed by PCR-sequencing of the deletion junctions. Sequence homology including both perfect and imperfect short repeats flanking the deletion regions were analyzed and correlated with clinical features and patients' age group. In all age groups, there was a significant increase in sequence homology flanking the deletion compared to mtDNA background. The youngest patient group (deletion distribution in size and locations, with a significantly lower sequence homology flanking the deletion, and the highest percentage of deletion mutant heteroplasmy. The older age groups showed rather discrete pattern of deletions with 44% of all patients over 6 years old carrying the most common 5 kb mtDNA deletion, which was found mostly in muscle specimens (22/41). Only 15% (3/20) of the young patients (deletion, which is usually present in blood rather than muscle. This group of patients predominantly (16 out of 17) exhibit multisystem disorder and/or Pearson syndrome, while older patients had predominantly neuromuscular manifestations including KSS, PEO, and MM. In conclusion, sequence homology at the deletion flanking regions is a consistent feature of mtDNA deletions. Decreased levels of sequence homology and increased levels of deletion mutant heteroplasmy appear to correlate with earlier onset and more severe disease with multisystem involvement.

  19. Adaptive removal of background and white space from document images using seam categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fillion, Claude; Fan, Zhigang; Monga, Vishal

    2011-03-01

    Document images are obtained regularly by rasterization of document content and as scans of printed documents. Resizing via background and white space removal is often desired for better consumption of these images, whether on displays or in print. While white space and background are easy to identify in images, existing methods such as naïve removal and content aware resizing (seam carving) each have limitations that can lead to undesirable artifacts, such as uneven spacing between lines of text or poor arrangement of content. An adaptive method based on image content is hence needed. In this paper we propose an adaptive method to intelligently remove white space and background content from document images. Document images are different from pictorial images in structure. They typically contain objects (text letters, pictures and graphics) separated by uniform background, which include both white paper space and other uniform color background. Pixels in uniform background regions are excellent candidates for deletion if resizing is required, as they introduce less change in document content and style, compared with deletion of object pixels. We propose a background deletion method that exploits both local and global context. The method aims to retain the document structural information and image quality.

  20. CXCR3 chemokine receptor-induced chemotaxis in human airway epithelial cells: role of p38 MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahabuddin, Syed; Ji, Rong; Wang, Ping; Brailoiu, Eugene; Dun, Na; Yang, Yi; Aksoy, Mark O; Kelsen, Steven G

    2006-07-01

    Human airway epithelial cells (HAEC) constitutively express the CXC chemokine receptor CXCR3, which regulates epithelial cell movement. In diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, characterized by denudation of the epithelial lining, epithelial cell migration may contribute to airway repair and reconstitution. This study compared the potency and efficacy of three CXCR3 ligands, I-TAC/CXCL11, IP-10/CXCL10, and Mig/CXCL9, as inducers of chemotaxis in HAEC and examined the underlying signaling pathways involved. Studies were performed in cultured HAEC from normal subjects and the 16-HBE cell line. In normal HAEC, the efficacy of I-TAC-induced chemotaxis was 349 +/- 88% (mean +/- SE) of the medium control and approximately one-half the response to epidermal growth factor, a highly potent chemoattractant. In normal HAEC, Mig, IP-10, and I-TAC induced chemotaxis with similar potency and a rank order of efficacy of I-TAC = IP-10 > Mig. Preincubation with pertussis toxin completely blocked CXCR3-induced migration. Of interest, intracellular [Ca(2+)] did not rise in response to I-TAC, IP-10, or Mig. I-TAC induced a rapid phosphorylation (5-10 min) of two of the three MAPKs, i.e., p38 and ERK1/2. Pretreatment of HAEC with the p38 inhibitor SB 20358 or the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin dose-dependently inhibited the chemotactic response to I-TAC. In contrast, the ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 had no effect on chemotaxis. These data indicate that in HAEC, CXCR3-mediated chemotaxis involves a G protein, which activates both the p38 MAPK and PI3K pathways in a calcium-independent fashion.

  1. Cellular Stoichiometry of Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins in Sinorhizobium meliloti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zatakia, Hardik M; Arapov, Timofey D; Meier, Veronika M; Scharf, Birgit E

    2018-03-15

    The chemosensory system in Sinorhizobium meliloti has several important deviations from the widely studied enterobacterial paradigm. To better understand the differences between the two systems and how they are optimally tuned, we determined the cellular stoichiometry of the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) and the histidine kinase CheA in S. meliloti Quantitative immunoblotting was used to determine the total amount of MCPs and CheA per cell in S. meliloti The MCPs are present in the cell in high abundance (McpV), low abundance (IcpA, McpU, McpX, and McpW), and very low abundance (McpY and McpZ), whereas McpT was below the detection limit. The approximate cellular ratio of these three receptor groups is 300:30:1. The chemoreceptor-to-CheA ratio is 23.5:1, highly similar to that seen in Bacillus subtilis (23:1) and about 10 times higher than that in Escherichia coli (3.4:1). Different from E. coli , the high-abundance receptors in S. meliloti are lacking the carboxy-terminal NWETF pentapeptide that binds the CheR methyltransferase and CheB methylesterase. Using transcriptional lacZ fusions, we showed that chemoreceptors are positively controlled by the master regulators of motility, VisNR and Rem. In addition, FlbT, a class IIA transcriptional regulator of flagellins, also positively regulates the expression of most chemoreceptors except for McpT and McpY, identifying chemoreceptors as class III genes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the chemosensory complex and the adaptation system in S. meliloti deviates significantly from the established enterobacterial paradigm but shares some similarities with B. subtilis IMPORTANCE The symbiotic soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti is of great agricultural importance because of its nitrogen-fixing properties, which enhances growth of its plant symbiont, alfalfa. Chemotaxis provides a competitive advantage for bacteria to sense their environment and interact with their eukaryotic hosts. For a better

  2. The amyR-deletion strain of Aspergillus niger CICC2462 is a suitable host strain to express secreted protein with a low background.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hui; Wang, Shuang; Zhang, Xiang Xiang; Ji, Wei; Song, Fuping; Zhao, Yue; Li, Jie

    2016-04-28

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is widely exploited as an important expression host for industrial production. The glucoamylase high-producing strain A. niger CICC2462 has been used as a host strain for the establishment of a secretion expression system. It expresses recombinant xylanase, mannase and asparaginase at a high level, but some high secretory background proteins in these recombinant strains still remain, such as alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase; lead to a low-purity of fermentation products. The aim was to construct an A. niger host strain with a low background of protein secretion. The transcription factor amyR was deleted in A. niger CICC2462, and the results from enzyme activity assays and SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the glucoamylase and amylase activities of the ∆amyR strains were significantly lower than those of the wild-type strain. High-throughput RNA-sequencing and shotgun LC-MS/MS proteomic technology analysis demonstrated that the expression of amylolytic enzymes was decreased at both the transcriptional and translational levels in the ∆amyR strain. Interestingly, the ∆amyR strain growth rate better than the wild-type strain. Our findings clearly indicated that the ∆amyR strain of A. niger CICC2462 can be used as a host strain with a low background of protein secretion.

  3. Cell-cell interactions mediate cytoskeleton organization and collective endothelial cell chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamloo, Amir

    2014-09-01

    This study investigates the role of cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions in cytoskeleton organization of endothelial cells (ECs) and their directional migration within a microfluidic device. The migration of ECs in response to a biochemical factor was studied. Mathematical analysis of the cell migration pathways and cellular cytoskeleton revealed that directional migration, migration persistence length, migration speed, and cytoskeletal stress fiber alignment can be mediated by the level of cell contacts as well as the presence or absence of a biochemical polarizing factor. It was shown that in the presence of a biochemical polarizing factor, higher cell density and more frequent cell contacts has a reinforcing effect on collective cell chemotaxis. In contrast, in the absence of a polarizing factor, high cell density can decrease or suppress the ability of the cells to migrate. Also, the correlation of actin stress fiber organization and alignment with directional migration of ECs was investigated. It was shown that in the presence of a biochemical polarizing factor, stress fibers within the cytoskeleton of ECs can be significantly aligned parallel to the gradient direction when the cells have higher level of contacts. The results also show that the organization and alignment of actin stress fibers is mediated by cell adhesion junctions during collective cell migration and introduce cell-cell interactions as a key factor during collective cell chemotaxis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Optical tweezers force measurements to study parasites chemotaxis

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Thomaz, A. A.; Pozzo, L. Y.; Fontes, A.; Almeida, D. B.; Stahl, C. V.; Santos-Mallet, J. R.; Gomes, S. A. O.; Feder, D.; Ayres, D. C.; Giorgio, S.; Cesar, C. L.

    2009-07-01

    In this work, we propose a methodology to study microorganisms chemotaxis in real time using an Optical Tweezers system. Optical Tweezers allowed real time measurements of the force vectors, strength and direction, of living parasites under chemical or other kinds of gradients. This seems to be the ideal tool to perform observations of taxis response of cells and microorganisms with high sensitivity to capture instantaneous responses to a given stimulus. Forces involved in the movement of unicellular parasites are very small, in the femto-pico-Newton range, about the same order of magnitude of the forces generated in an Optical Tweezers. We applied this methodology to investigate the Leishmania amazonensis (L. amazonensis) and Trypanossoma cruzi (T. cruzi) under distinct situations.

  5. Thorough analysis of unorthodox ABO deletions called by the 1000 Genomes project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, M; Hellberg, Å; Olsson, M L

    2018-02-01

    ABO remains the clinically most important blood group system, but despite earlier extensive research, significant findings are still being made. The vast majority of catalogued ABO null alleles are based on the c.261delG polymorphism. Apart from c.802G>A, other mechanisms for O alleles are rare. While analysing the data set from the 1000 Genomes (1000G) project, we encountered two previously uncharacterized deletions, which needed further exploration. The Erythrogene database, complemented with bioinformatics software, was used to analyse ABO in 2504 individuals from 1000G. DNA samples from selected 1000G donors and African blood donors were examined by allele-specific PCR and Sanger sequencing to characterize predicted deletions. A 5821-bp deletion encompassing exons 5-7 was called in twenty 1000G individuals, predominantly Africans. This allele was confirmed and its exact deletion point defined by bioinformatic analyses and in vitro experiments. A PCR assay was developed, and screening of African samples revealed three donors heterozygous for this deletion, which was thereby phenotypically established as an O allele. Analysis of upstream genetic markers indicated an ancestral origin from ABO*O.01.02. We estimate this deletion as the 3rd most common mechanism behind O alleles. A 24-bp deletion was called in nine individuals and showed greater diversity regarding ethnic distribution and allelic background. It could neither be confirmed by in silico nor in vitro experiments. A previously uncharacterized ABO deletion among Africans was comprehensively mapped and a genotyping strategy devised. The false prediction of another deletion emphasizes the need for cautious interpretation of NGS data and calls for strict validation routines. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  6. Spontaneous and mutagen-induced deletions: mechanistic studies in Salmonella tester strain TA102

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levin, D.E.; Marnett, L.J.; Ames, B.N.

    1984-01-01

    Salmonella tester strain TA102 carries the hisG428 ochre mutation on the multicopy plasmid pAQ1. DNA sequence analysis of 45 spontaneous revertants of hisG428 on the chromosome in the presence of pKM101 (strain TA103) indicates that hisG428 revertants fall into three major categories: (i) small, in-frame deletions (3 or 6 base pairs) that remove part or all of the ochre triplet; (ii) base substitution mutations at the ochre site; (iii) extragenic ochre suppressors. Deletion revertants are identified in a simple phenotypic screen by their resistance to the inhibitory histidine analog thiazolealanine, which feedback inhibits the wild-type hisG enzyme but not the enzyme resulting from the deletions. The effect of various genetic backgrounds on the generation of spontaneous deletion revertants was examined. The presence of a uvrB mutation or a recA mutation suppressed the generation of spontaneous deletion revertants to approximately 1/2.5. When hisG428 was in multiple copies on pAQ1, the frequency of spontaneous deletion revertants increased by 40-fold, which is the approximate copy number of pAQ1. Mutagenic agents that induce single-strand breaks in DNA (e.g., x-rays, bleomycin, and nalidixic acid) induced deletion revertants in TA102. These agents induced deletion revertants only in hisG428 on pAQ1 and only in the presence of pKM101. Deletion revertants were not induced by frameshift mutagens (i.e., ICR-191 and 9aminoacridine). These results indicate that different pathways exist for the generation of spontaneous and mutagen-induced deletion revertants of hisG428. 41 references, 2 figures, 3 tables

  7. Comparison of the effect of timegadine, levamisole, and D-penicillamine on human neutrophil metabolism of endogenous arachidonic acid and chemotaxis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, O.H.; Ahnfelt-Roenne, I. Department of Pharmacology, Leo Pharmaceutical Products, Ballerup; Elmgreen, J.

    1988-01-01

    The effect of timegadine, a novel experimental antirheumatic drug, on human neutrophil (PMN) 5-lipoxygenase activity and leukotriene B/sub 4/ (LTB/sub 4/) chemotaxis was compared with that of two second-line antiinflammatory drugs, D-penicillamine and levamisole. 1-/sup 14/C-Arachidonic acid (AA) was incorporated into the purified cells until steady state conditions were obtained. After preincubation with serial dilutions of the three drugs, AA release and metabolism was stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187. The radioactive eicosanoids released were extracted and separated by thinlayer chromatography, followed by autoradiography and quantitative laser densitometry. Chemotaxi of PMNs towards LTB/sub 4/ was measured in a modified Boyden chamber. Timegardine showed dose-dependent inhibition of both the 5-lipoxygenase pathway (IC50 3.4 x 10/sup -5/ M), and of chemotaxis (IC50 3 x 10/sup -4/ M). Inhibition of the release of AA from phospholipids, however, occurred only at therapeutically irrelevant doses (millimolar concentrations). Levamisole and D-penicillamine did not inhibit any of the cell functions investigated. Inhibition of both neutrophil motility and cellular synthesis of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, may thus contribute to the clinical effects of timegadine in rheumatoid arthritis.

  8. Effect of a 2.45-GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic field on neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis in differentiated human HL-60 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koyama, Shin; Narita, Eijiro; Suzuki, Yoshihisa; Taki, Masao; Shinohara, Naoki; Miyakoshi, Junji

    2015-01-01

    The potential public health risks of radiofrequency (RF) fields have been discussed at length, especially with the use of mobile phones spreading extensively throughout the world. In order to investigate the properties of RF fields, we examined the effect of 2.45-GHz RF fields at the specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2 and 10 W/kg for 4 and 24 h on neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis in differentiated human HL-60 cells. Neutrophil chemotaxis was not affected by RF-field exposure, and subsequent phagocytosis was not affected either compared with that under sham exposure conditions. These studies demonstrated an initial immune response in the human body exposed to 2.45-GHz RF fields at the SAR of 2 W/kg, which is the maximum value recommended by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines. The results of our experiments for RF-field exposure at an SAR under 10 W/kg showed very little or no effects on either chemotaxis or phagocytosis in neutrophil-like human HL-60 cells. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  9. Chemokines in the corpus luteum: Implications of leukocyte chemotaxis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liptak Amy R

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Chemokines are small molecular weight peptides responsible for adhesion, activation, and recruitment of leukocytes into tissues. Leukocytes are thought to influence follicular atresia, ovulation, and luteal function. Many studies in recent years have focused attention on the characterization of leukocyte populations within the ovary, the importance of leukocyte-ovarian cell interactions, and more recently, the mechanisms of ovarian leukocyte recruitment. Information about the role of chemokines and leukocyte trafficking (chemotaxis during ovarian function is important to understanding paracrine-autocrine relationships shared between reproductive and immune systems. Recent advances regarding chemokine expression and leukocyte accumulation within the ovulatory follicle and the corpus luteum are the subject of this mini-review.

  10. β-Arrestin-2-Dependent Signaling Promotes CCR4-mediated Chemotaxis of Murine T-Helper Type 2 Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Rui; Choi, Yeon Ho; Zidar, David A; Walker, Julia K L

    2018-06-01

    Allergic asthma is a complex inflammatory disease that leads to significant healthcare costs and reduction in quality of life. Although many cell types are implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma, CD4 + T-helper cell type 2 (Th2) cells are centrally involved. We previously reported that the asthma phenotype is virtually absent in ovalbumin-sensitized and -challenged mice that lack global expression of β-arrestin (β-arr)-2 and that CD4 + T cells from these mice displayed significantly reduced CCL22-mediated chemotaxis. Because CCL22-mediated activation of CCR4 plays a role in Th2 cell regulation in asthmatic inflammation, we hypothesized that CCR4-mediated migration of CD4 + Th2 cells to the lung in asthma may use β-arr-dependent signaling. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the effect of various signaling inhibitors on CCL22-induced chemotaxis using in vitro-polarized primary CD4 + Th2 cells from β-arr2-knockout and wild-type mice. Our results show, for the first time, that CCL22-induced, CCR4-mediated Th2 cell chemotaxis is dependent, in part, on a β-arr2-dependent signaling pathway. In addition, we show that this chemotactic signaling mechanism involves activation of P-p38 and Rho-associated protein kinase. These findings point to a proinflammatory role for β-arr2-dependent signaling and support β-arr2 as a novel therapeutic target in asthma.

  11. The first Dutch SDHB founder deletion in paraganglioma – pheochromocytoma patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devilee Peter

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Germline mutations of the tumor suppressor genes SDHB, SDHC and SDHD play a major role in hereditary paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma. These three genes encode subunits of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme and complex II component of the electron transport chain. The majority of variants of the SDH genes are missense and nonsense mutations. To date few large deletions of the SDH genes have been described. Methods We carried out gene deletion scanning using MLPA in 126 patients negative for point mutations in the SDH genes. We then proceeded to the molecular characterization of deletions, mapping breakpoints in each patient and used haplotype analysis to determine whether the deletions are due to a mutation hotspot or if a common haplotype indicated a single founder mutation. Results A novel deletion of exon 3 of the SDHB gene was identified in nine apparently unrelated Dutch patients. An identical 7905 bp deletion, c.201-4429_287-933del, was found in all patients, resulting in a frameshift and a predicted truncated protein, p.Cys68HisfsX21. Haplotype analysis demonstrated a common haplotype at the SDHB locus. Index patients presented with pheochromocytoma, extra-adrenal PGL and HN-PGL. A lack of family history was seen in seven of the nine cases. Conclusion The identical exon 3 deletions and common haplotype in nine patients indicates that this mutation is the first Dutch SDHB founder mutation. The predominantly non-familial presentation of these patients strongly suggests reduced penetrance. In this small series HN-PGL occurs as frequently as pheochromocytoma and extra-adrenal PGL.

  12. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans displays a chemotaxis behavior to tuberculosis-specific odorants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mário F. Neto

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available A simple, affordable diagnostic test for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB is urgently needed to improve detection of active Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Recently, it has been suggested that animal behavior can be used as a biosensor to signal the presence of human disease. For example, the giant African pouched rats can detect tuberculosis by sniffing sputum specimens while trained honeybees respond to three of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs detected in the breath of TB positive patients by proboscis extension. However, both rats and honeybees require animal housing facilities and professional trainers, which are outside the scope of most disease testing facilities. Here, we report that the innate olfactory behavioral response of the roundworm nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can be used to detect the TB-specific VOCs methyl p-anisate, methyl nicotinate, methyl phenylacetate and o-phenylanisole, in chemotaxis assays. Dauer larvae, a long-lived stress resistant alternative development state of C. elegans in which the animals can survive for extended periods of time in dry conditions with no food, were also demonstrated to detect the VOCs. We propose that exposing naive dauer larvae to TB-related VOCs and recording their response in this behavioral assay could lead to the development of a new method for TB diagnostics using breath as the sample type. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Caenorhabditis elegans, Chemotaxis, Volatile organic compounds, Diagnostics, Odorants

  13. Reconstruction of the Chemotaxis Receptor-Kinase Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, S.; Borbat, P.; Gonzalez-Bonet, G.; Bhatnagar, J.; Pollard, A.; Freed, J.; Bilwes, A.; Crane, B.

    2006-01-01

    In bacterial chemotaxis, an assembly of transmembrane receptors, the CheA histidine kinase and the adaptor protein CheW processes environmental stimuli to regulate motility. The structure of a Thermotoga maritima receptor cytoplasmic domain defines CheA interaction regions and metal ion-coordinating charge centers that undergo chemical modification to tune receptor response. Dimeric CheA-CheW, defined by crystallography and pulsed ESR, positions two CheWs to form a cleft that is lined with residues important for receptor interactions and sized to clamp one receptor dimer. CheW residues involved in kinase activation map to interfaces that orient the CheW clamps. CheA regulatory domains associate in crystals through conserved hydrophobic surfaces. Such CheA self-contacts align the CheW receptor clamps for binding receptor tips. Linking layers of ternary complexes with close-packed receptors generates a lattice with reasonable component ratios, cooperative interactions among receptors and accessible sites for modification enzymes

  14. The fate of deleted DNA produced during programmed genomic deletion events in Tetrahymena thermophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saveliev, S V; Cox, M M

    1994-01-01

    Thousands of DNA deletion events occur during macronuclear development in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. In two deleted genomic regions, designated M and R, the eliminated sequences form circles that can be detected by PCR. However, the circles are not normal products of the reaction pathway. The circular forms occur at very low levels in conjugating cells, but are stable. Sequencing analysis showed that many of the circles (as many as 50% of those examined) reflected a precise deletion in the M and R regions. The remaining circles were either smaller or larger and contained varying lengths of sequences derived from the chromosomal DNA surrounding the eliminated region. The chromosomal junctions left behind after deletion were more precise, although deletions in either the M or R regions can generate any of several alternative junctions (1). Some new chromosomal junctions were detected in the present study. The results suggest that the deleted segment is released as a linear DNA species that is degraded rapidly. The species is only rarely converted to the stable circles we detect. The deletion mechanism is different from those proposed for deletion events in hypotrichous ciliates (2-4), and does not reflect a conservative site-specific recombination process such as that promoted by the bacteriophage lambda integrase (5). Images PMID:7838724

  15. Coronin 1B regulates S1P-induced human lung endothelial cell chemotaxis: role of PLD2, protein kinase C and Rac1 signal transduction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter V Usatyuk

    Full Text Available Coronins are a highly conserved family of actin binding proteins that regulate actin-dependent processes such as cell motility and endocytosis. We found that treatment of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs with the bioactive lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P rapidly stimulates coronin 1B translocation to lamellipodia at the cell leading edge, which is required for S1P-induced chemotaxis. Further, S1P-induced chemotaxis of HPAECs was attenuated by pretreatment with small interfering RNA (siRNA targeting coronin 1B (∼36%, PLD2 (∼45% or Rac1 (∼50% compared to scrambled siRNA controls. Down regulation PLD2 expression by siRNA also attenuated S1P-induced coronin 1B translocation to the leading edge of the cell periphery while PLD1 silencing had no effect. Also, S1P-induced coronin 1B redistribution to cell periphery and chemotaxis was attenuated by inhibition of Rac1 and over-expression of dominant negative PKC δ, ε and ζ isoforms in HPAECs. These results demonstrate that S1P activation of PLD2, PKC and Rac1 is part of the signaling cascade that regulates coronin 1B translocation to the cell periphery and the ensuing cell chemotaxis.

  16. The hypoxia factor Hif-1α controls neural crest chemotaxis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barriga, Elias H.; Maxwell, Patrick H.

    2013-01-01

    One of the most important mechanisms that promotes metastasis is the stabilization of Hif-1 (hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1). We decided to test whether Hif-1α also was required for early embryonic development. We focused our attention on the development of the neural crest, a highly migratory embryonic cell population whose behavior has been likened to cancer metastasis. Inhibition of Hif-1α by antisense morpholinos in Xenopus laevis or zebrafish embryos led to complete inhibition of neural crest migration. We show that Hif-1α controls the expression of Twist, which in turn represses E-cadherin during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of neural crest cells. Thus, Hif-1α allows cells to initiate migration by promoting the release of cell–cell adhesions. Additionally, Hif-1α controls chemotaxis toward the chemokine SDF-1 by regulating expression of its receptor Cxcr4. Our results point to Hif-1α as a novel and key regulator that integrates EMT and chemotaxis during migration of neural crest cells. PMID:23712262

  17. Evidence for methyl group transfer between the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins in Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bedale, W.A.; Nettleton, D.O.; Sopata, C.S.; Thoelke, M.S.; Ordal, G.W.

    1988-01-01

    The authors present evidence for methyl (as methyl or methoxy) transfer from the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins H1 and possibly H3 of Bacillus subtilis to the methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein H2. This methyl transfer, which has been observed in vitro was strongly stimulated by the chemoattractant aspartate and thus may plan an important role in the sensory processing system of this organism. Although radiolabeling of H1 and H3 began at once after the addition of [ 3 H] methionine, radiolabeling of H2 showed a lag. Furthermore, the addition of excess nonradioactive methionine caused immediate exponential delabeling of H1 and H3 while labeling of H2 continued to increase. Methylation of H2 required the chemotactic methyltransferase, probably to first methylate H1 and H3. Aspartate caused increased labeling of H2 and strongly decreased labeling of H1 and H3 after the addition of nonradioactive methionine. Without the addition of nonradioactive methionine, aspartate caused demethylation of H1 and to a lesser extent H3, with an approximately equal increase of methylation of H2

  18. Chemotaxis to cyclic AMP and folic acid is mediated by different G proteins in Dictyostelium discoideum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kesbeke, Fanja; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Wit, René J.W. de; Snaar-Jagalska, B. Ewa

    1990-01-01

    Mutant Frigid A (fgdA) of Dictyostelium discoideum is defective in a functional Gα2 subunit of a G protein and is characterized by a complete blockade of the cyclic AMP-mediated sensory transduction steps, including cyclic AMP relay, chemotaxis and the cyclic GMP response. Folic acid-mediated

  19. Schizophrenia and chromosomal deletions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lindsay, E.A.; Baldini, A. [Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States); Morris, M. A. [Univ. of Geneva School of Medicine, NY (United States)] [and others

    1995-06-01

    Recent genetic linkage analysis studies have suggested the presence of a schizophrenia locus on the chromosomal region 22q11-q13. Schizophrenia has also been frequently observed in patients affected with velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS), a disorder frequently associated with deletions within 22q11.1. It has been hypothesized that psychosis in VCFS may be due to deletion of the catechol-o-methyl transferase gene. Prompted by these observations, we screened for 22q11 deletions in a population of 100 schizophrenics selected from the Maryland Epidemiological Sample. Our results show that there are schizophrenic patients carrying a deletion of 22q11.1 and a mild VCFS phenotype that might remain unrecognized. These findings should encourage a search for a schizophrenia-susceptibility gene within the deleted region and alert those in clinical practice to the possible presence of a mild VCFS phenotype associated with schizophrenia. 9 refs.

  20. Motility and chemotaxis mediate the preferential colonization of gastric injury sites by Helicobacter pylori.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eitaro Aihara

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori is a pathogen contributing to peptic inflammation, ulceration, and cancer. A crucial step in the pathogenic sequence is when the bacterium first interacts with gastric tissue, an event that is poorly understood in vivo. We have shown that the luminal space adjacent to gastric epithelial damage is a microenvironment, and we hypothesized that this microenvironment might enhance H. pylori colonization. Inoculation with 106 H. pylori (wild-type Sydney Strain 1, SS1 significantly delayed healing of acetic-acid induced ulcers at Day 1, 7 and 30 post-inoculation, and wild-type SS1 preferentially colonized the ulcerated area compared to uninjured gastric tissue in the same animal at all time points. Gastric resident Lactobacillus spp. did not preferentially colonize ulcerated tissue. To determine whether bacterial motility and chemotaxis are important to ulcer healing and colonization, we analyzed isogenic H. pylori mutants defective in motility (ΔmotB or chemotaxis (ΔcheY. ΔmotB (10(6 failed to colonize ulcerated or healthy stomach tissue. ΔcheY (10(6 colonized both tissues, but without preferential colonization of ulcerated tissue. However, ΔcheY did modestly delay ulcer healing, suggesting that chemotaxis is not required for this process. We used two-photon microscopy to induce microscopic epithelial lesions in vivo, and evaluated accumulation of fluorescently labeled H. pylori at gastric damage sites in the time frame of minutes instead of days. By 5 min after inducing damage, H. pylori SS1 preferentially accumulated at the site of damage and inhibited gastric epithelial restitution. H. pylori ΔcheY modestly accumulated at the gastric surface and inhibited restitution, but did not preferentially accumulate at the injury site. H. pylori ΔmotB neither accumulated at the surface nor inhibited restitution. We conclude that bacterial chemosensing and motility rapidly promote H. pylori colonization of injury sites

  1. Motility and Chemotaxis Mediate the Preferential Colonization of Gastric Injury Sites by Helicobacter pylori

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aihara, Eitaro; Closson, Chet; Matthis, Andrea L.; Schumacher, Michael A.; Engevik, Amy C.; Zavros, Yana; Ottemann, Karen M.; Montrose, Marshall H.

    2014-01-01

    Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a pathogen contributing to peptic inflammation, ulceration, and cancer. A crucial step in the pathogenic sequence is when the bacterium first interacts with gastric tissue, an event that is poorly understood in vivo. We have shown that the luminal space adjacent to gastric epithelial damage is a microenvironment, and we hypothesized that this microenvironment might enhance H. pylori colonization. Inoculation with 106 H. pylori (wild-type Sydney Strain 1, SS1) significantly delayed healing of acetic-acid induced ulcers at Day 1, 7 and 30 post-inoculation, and wild-type SS1 preferentially colonized the ulcerated area compared to uninjured gastric tissue in the same animal at all time points. Gastric resident Lactobacillus spp. did not preferentially colonize ulcerated tissue. To determine whether bacterial motility and chemotaxis are important to ulcer healing and colonization, we analyzed isogenic H. pylori mutants defective in motility (ΔmotB) or chemotaxis (ΔcheY). ΔmotB (106) failed to colonize ulcerated or healthy stomach tissue. ΔcheY (106) colonized both tissues, but without preferential colonization of ulcerated tissue. However, ΔcheY did modestly delay ulcer healing, suggesting that chemotaxis is not required for this process. We used two-photon microscopy to induce microscopic epithelial lesions in vivo, and evaluated accumulation of fluorescently labeled H. pylori at gastric damage sites in the time frame of minutes instead of days. By 5 min after inducing damage, H. pylori SS1 preferentially accumulated at the site of damage and inhibited gastric epithelial restitution. H. pylori ΔcheY modestly accumulated at the gastric surface and inhibited restitution, but did not preferentially accumulate at the injury site. H. pylori ΔmotB neither accumulated at the surface nor inhibited restitution. We conclude that bacterial chemosensing and motility rapidly promote H. pylori colonization of injury sites, and thereby biases

  2. Multi-exon deletions of the FBN1 gene in Marfan syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schrijver Iris

    2001-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutations in the fibrillin -1 gene (FBN1 cause Marfan syndrome (MFS, an autosomal dominant multi-system connective tissue disorder. The 200 different mutations reported in the 235 kb, 65 exon-containing gene include only one family with a genomic multi-exon deletion. Methods We used long-range RT-PCR for mutation detection and long-range genomic PCR and DNA sequencing for identification of deletion breakpoints, allele-specific transcript analyses to determine stability of the mutant RNA, and pulse-chase studies to quantitate fibrillin synthesis and extracellular matrix deposition in cultured fibroblasts. Southern blots of genomic DNA were probed with three overlapping fragments covering the FBN1 coding exons Results Two novel multi-exon FBN1 deletions were discovered. Identical nucleotide pentamers were found at or near the intronic breakpoints. In a Case with classic MFS, an in-frame deletion of exons 42 and 43 removed the C-terminal 24 amino acids of the 5th LTBP (8-cysteine domain and the adjacent 25th calcium-binding EGF-like (6-cysteine domain. The mutant mRNA was stable, but fibrillin synthesis and matrix deposition were significantly reduced. A Case with severe childhood-onset MFS has a de novo deletion of exons 44–46 that removed three EGF-like domains. Fibrillin protein synthesis was normal, but matrix deposition was strikingly reduced. No genomic rearrangements were detected by Southern analysis of 18 unrelated MFS samples negative for FBN1 mutation screening. Conclusions Two novel deletion cases expand knowledge of mutational mechanisms and genotype/phenotype correlations of fibrillinopathies. Deletions or mutations affecting an LTBP domain may result in unstable mutant protein cleavage products that interfere with microfibril assembly.

  3. Deletion mutations of bacteriophage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryo, Yeikou

    1975-01-01

    Resolution of mutation mechanism with structural changes of DNA was discussed through the studies using bacteriophage lambda. One of deletion mutations inductions of phage lambda is the irradiation of ultraviolet ray. It is not clear if the inductions are caused by errors in reparation of ultraviolet-induced damage or by the activation of int gene. Because the effective site of int gene lies within the regions unnecessary for existing, it is considered that int gene is connected to deletion mutations induction. A certain system using prophage complementarity enables to detect deletion mutations at essential hereditary sites and to solve the relations of deletion mutations with other recombination system, DNA reproduction and repairment system. Duplication and multiplication of hereditary elements were discussed. If lambda deletion mutations of the system, which can control recombination, reproduction and repairment of added DNA, are constructed, mutations mechanism with great changes of DNA structure can be solved by phage lambda. (Ichikawa, K.)

  4. Identification of conformational epitopes for human IgG on Chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Furebring Christina

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus (CHIPS blocks the Complement fragment C5a receptor (C5aR and formylated peptide receptor (FPR and is thereby a potent inhibitor of neutrophil chemotaxis and activation of inflammatory responses. The majority of the healthy human population has antibodies against CHIPS that have been shown to interfere with its function in vitro. The aim of this study was to define potential epitopes for human antibodies on the CHIPS surface. We also initiate the process to identify a mutated CHIPS molecule that is not efficiently recognized by preformed anti-CHIPS antibodies and retains anti-inflammatory activity. Results In this paper, we panned peptide displaying phage libraries against a pool of CHIPS specific affinity-purified polyclonal human IgG. The selected peptides could be divided into two groups of sequences. The first group was the most dominant with 36 of the 48 sequenced clones represented. Binding to human affinity-purified IgG was verified by ELISA for a selection of peptide sequences in phage format. For further analysis, one peptide was chemically synthesized and antibodies affinity-purified on this peptide were found to bind the CHIPS molecule as studied by ELISA and Surface Plasmon Resonance. Furthermore, seven potential conformational epitopes responsible for antibody recognition were identified by mapping phage selected peptide sequences on the CHIPS surface as defined in the NMR structure of the recombinant CHIPS31–121 protein. Mapped epitopes were verified by in vitro mutational analysis of the CHIPS molecule. Single mutations introduced in the proposed antibody epitopes were shown to decrease antibody binding to CHIPS. The biological function in terms of C5aR signaling was studied by flow cytometry. A few mutations were shown to affect this biological function as well as the antibody binding. Conclusion Conformational epitopes recognized by human antibodies

  5. Marfan syndrome with a complex chromosomal rearrangement including deletion of the FBN1 gene

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    Colovati Mileny ES

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The majority of Marfan syndrome (MFS cases is caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene (FBN1, mapped to chromosome 15q21.1. Only few reports on deletions including the whole FBN1 gene, detected by molecular cytogenetic techniques, were found in literature. Results We report here on a female patient with clinical symptoms of the MFS spectrum plus craniostenosis, hypothyroidism and intellectual deficiency who presents a 1.9 Mb deletion, including the FBN1 gene and a complex rearrangement with eight breakpoints involving chromosomes 6, 12 and 15. Discussion This is the first report of MFS with a complex chromosome rearrangement involving a deletion of FBN1 and contiguous genes. In addition to the typical clinical findings of the Marfan syndrome due to FBN1 gene haploinsufficiency, the patient presents features which may be due to the other gene deletions and possibly to the complex chromosome rearrangement.

  6. Strategies for state-dependent quantum deleting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Wei; Yang Ming; Cao Zhuoliang

    2004-01-01

    A quantum state-dependent quantum deleting machine is constructed. We obtain a upper bound of the global fidelity on N-to-M quantum deleting from a set of K non-orthogonal states. Quantum networks are constructed for the above state-dependent quantum deleting machine when K=2. Our deleting protocol only involves a unitary interaction among the initial copies, with no ancilla. We also present some analogies between quantum cloning and deleting

  7. A persistent mitochondrial deletion reduces fitness and sperm performance in heteroplasmic populations of C. elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chin Kara

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA mutations are of increasing interest due to their involvement in aging, disease, fertility, and their role in the evolution of the mitochondrial genome. The presence of reactive oxygen species and the near lack of repair mechanisms cause mtDNA to mutate at a faster rate than nuclear DNA, and mtDNA deletions are not uncommon in the tissues of individuals, although germ-line mtDNA is largely lesion-free. Large-scale deletions in mtDNA may disrupt multiple genes, and curiously, some large-scale deletions persist over many generations in a heteroplasmic state. Here we examine the phenotypic effects of one such deletion, uaDf5, in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans. Our study investigates the phenotypic effects of this 3 kbp deletion. Results The proportion of uaDf5 chromosomes in worms was highly heritable, although uaDf5 content varied from worm to worm and within tissues of individual worms. We also found an impact of the uaDf5 deletion on metabolism. The deletion significantly reduced egg laying rate, defecation rate, and lifespan. Examination of sperm bearing the uaDf5 deletion revealed that sperm crawled more slowly, both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Worms harboring uaDf5 are at a selective disadvantage compared to worms with wild-type mtDNA. These effects should lead to the rapid extinction of the deleted chromosome, but it persists indefinitely. We discuss both the implications of this phenomenon and the possible causes of a shortened lifespan for uaDf5 mutant worms.

  8. Phenotypic variation within European carriers of the Y-chromosomal gr/gr deletion is independent of Y-chromosomal background

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krausz, C; Giachini, C; Xue, Y

    2008-01-01

    of duplications and the Y-chromosomal haplogroup were characterised. Although the study had good power to detect factors that accounted for >or=5.5% of the variation in sperm concentration, no such factor was found. A negative effect of gr/gr deletions followed by b2/b4 duplication was found within...

  9. A mutation in the aroE gene affects pigment production, virulence, and chemotaxis in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hong-Il; Noh, Tae-Hwan; Lee, Chang-Soo; Park, Young-Jin

    2015-01-01

    Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial blight (BB) in rice. To study its function, a random insertion mutation library of Xoo was constructed using the Tn5 transposon. A mutant strain with decreased virulence against the susceptible rice cultivar IR24 was isolated from the library (aroE mutant), which also had extremely low pigment production. Thermal asymmetric interlaced-polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) and sequence analysis of the mutant revealed that the transposon was inserted into the aroE gene (encoding shikimate dehydrogenase). To investigate gene expression changes in the pigment- and virulence-deficient mutant, DNA microarray analysis was performed, which showed downregulation of 20 genes involved in the chemotaxis of Xoo. Our findings reveal that mutation of the aroE gene affects virulence and pigment production, as well as expression of genes involved in Xoo chemotaxis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. The mitochondrial DNA 4,977-bp deletion and its implication in copy number alteration in colorectal cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Qualitative and quantitative changes in human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been implicated in various cancer types. A 4,977 bp deletion in the major arch of the mitochondrial genome is one of the most common mutations associated with a variety of human diseases and aging. Methods We conducted a comprehensive study on clinical features and mtDNA of 104 colorectal cancer patients in the Wenzhou area of China. In particular, using a quantitative real time PCR method, we analyzed the 4,977 bp deletion and mtDNA content in tumor tissues and paired non-tumor areas from these patients. Results We found that the 4,977 bp deletion was more likely to be present in patients of younger age (≤65 years, p = 0.027). In patients with the 4,977 bp deletion, the deletion level decreased as the cancer stage advanced (p = 0.031). Moreover, mtDNA copy number in tumor tissues of patients with this deletion increased, both compared with that in adjacent non-tumor tissues and with in tumors of patients without the deletion. Such mtDNA content increase correlated with the levels of the 4,977 bp deletion and with cancer stage (p deletion may play a role in the early stage of colorectal cancer, and it is also implicated in alteration of mtDNA content in cancer cells. PMID:21232124

  11. The level of CD147 expression correlates with cyclophilin-induced signalling and chemotaxis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constant Stephanie

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies identified CD147 as the chemotactic receptor on inflammatory leukocytes for extracellular cyclophilins (eCyp. However, CD147 is not known to associate with signal transducing molecules, so other transmembrane proteins, such as proteoglycans, integrins, and CD98, were suggested as receptor or co-receptor for eCyp. CD147 is ubiquitously expressed on many cell types, but relationship between the level of CD147 expression and cellular responses to eCyp has never been analyzed. Given the role of eCyp in pathogenesis of many diseases, it is important to know whether cellular responses to eCyp are regulated at the level of CD147 expression. Results Here, we manipulated CD147 expression levels on HeLa cells using RNAi and investigated the signalling and chemotactic responses to eCypA. Both Erk activation and chemotaxis correlated with the level of CD147 expression, with cells exhibiting low level expression being practically unresponsive to eCypA. Conclusions Our results provide the first demonstration of a chemotactic response of HeLa cells to eCypA, establish a correlation between the level of CD147 expression and the magnitude of cellular responses to eCypA, and indicate that CD147 may be a limiting factor in the receptor complex determining cyclophilin-induced Erk activation and cell migration.

  12. Seeding-inspired chemotaxis genetic algorithm for the inference of biological systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shinq-Jen; Wu, Cheng-Tao

    2014-09-18

    A large challenge in the post-genomic era is to obtain the quantitatively dynamic interactive information of the important constitutes of underlying systems. The S-system is a dynamic and structurally rich model that determines the net strength of interactions between genes and/or proteins. Good generation characteristics without the need for prior information have allowed S-systems to become one of the most promising canonical models. Various evolutionary computation technologies have recently been developed for the identification of system parameters and skeletal-network structures. However, the gaps between the truncated and preserved terms remain too small. Additionally, current research methods fail to identify the structures of high dimensional systems (e.g., 30 genes with 1800 connections). Optimization technologies should converge fast and have the ability to adaptively adjust the search. In this study, we propose a seeding-inspired chemotaxis genetic algorithm (SCGA) that can force evolution to adjust the population movement to identify a favorable location. The seeding-inspired training strategy is a method to achieve optimal results with limited resources. SCGA introduces seeding-inspired genetic operations to allow a population to possess competitive power (exploitation and exploration) and a winner-chemotaxis-induced population migration to force a population to repeatedly tumble away from an attractor and swim toward another attractor. SCGA was tested on several canonical biological systems. SCGA not only learned the correct structure within only one to three pruning steps but also ensures pruning safety. The values of the truncated terms were all smaller than 10 -14 , even for a thirty-gene system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Rac1 plays a role in CXCL12 but not CCL3-induced chemotaxis and Rac1 GEF inhibitor NSC23766 has off target effects on CXCR4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Shirley C; Howell, Lesley; Beekman, Andrew; Stokes, Leanne; Mueller, Anja

    2018-01-01

    Cell migration towards a chemotactic stimulus relies on the re-arrangement of the cytoskeleton, which is triggered by activation of small G proteins RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42, and leads to formation of lamellopodia and actin polymerisation amongst other effects. Here we show that Rac1 is important for CXCR4 induced chemotaxis but not for CCR1/CCR5 induced chemotaxis. For CXCL12-induced migration via CXCR4, breast cancer MCF-7 cells are reliant on Rac1, similarly to THP-1 monocytes and Jurkat T-cells. For CCL3-induced migration via CCR1 and/or CCR5, Rac1 signalling does not regulate cell migration in either suspension or adherent cells. We have confirmed the involvement of Rac1 with the use of a specific Rac1 blocking peptide. We also used a Rac1 inhibitor EHT 1864 and a Rac1-GEF inhibitor NSC23766 to probe the importance of Rac1 in chemotaxis. Both inhibitors did not block CCL3-induced chemotaxis, but they were able to block CXCL12-induced chemotaxis. This confirms that Rac1 activation is not essential for CCL3-induced migration, however NSC23766 might have secondary effects on CXCR4. This small molecule exhibits agonistic features in internalisation and cAMP assays, whereas it acts as an antagonist for CXCR4 in migration and calcium release assays. Our findings strongly suggest that Rac1 activation is not necessary for CCL3 signalling, and reveal that NSC23766 could be a novel CXCR4 receptor ligand. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Intranasal insulin to improve developmental delay in children with 22q13 deletion syndrome: an exploratory clinical trial

    OpenAIRE

    Schmidt, Heinrich; Giese, Renate; Enders, Angelika; Kern, W.; Hallschmid, M.

    2009-01-01

    Background: The 22q13 deletion syndrome (Phelan– McDermid syndrome) is characterised by a global developmental delay, absent or delayed speech, generalised hypotonia, autistic behaviour and characteristic phenotypic features. Intranasal insulin has been shown to improve declarative memory in healthy adult subjects and in patients with Alzheimer disease. Aims: To assess if intranasal insulin is also able to improve the developmental delay in children with 22q13 delet...

  15. The cognitive development of children with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duijff, S.N.

    2012-01-01

    Background: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a genetic disorder associated with palatal abnormalities, cardiac defects and characteristic facial features. On a behavioural/ psychiatric level, children with 22q11DS are at an increased risk for various psychiatric problems, including Autism

  16. Genome-Wide Estimates of Transposable Element Insertion and Deletion Rates in Drosophila Melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adrion, Jeffrey R.; Song, Michael J.; Schrider, Daniel R.; Hahn, Matthew W.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Knowing the rate at which transposable elements (TEs) insert and delete is critical for understanding their role in genome evolution. We estimated spontaneous rates of insertion and deletion for all known, active TE superfamilies present in a set of Drosophila melanogaster mutation-accumulation (MA) lines using whole genome sequence data. Our results demonstrate that TE insertions far outpace TE deletions in D. melanogaster. We found a significant effect of background genotype on TE activity, with higher rates of insertions in one MA line. We also found significant rate heterogeneity between the chromosomes, with both insertion and deletion rates elevated on the X relative to the autosomes. Further, we identified significant associations between TE activity and chromatin state, and tested for associations between TE activity and other features of the local genomic environment such as TE content, exon content, GC content, and recombination rate. Our results provide the most detailed assessment of TE mobility in any organism to date, and provide a useful benchmark for both addressing theoretical predictions of TE dynamics and for exploring large-scale patterns of TE movement in D. melanogaster and other species. PMID:28338986

  17. The chemotaxis-like Che1 pathway has an indirect role in adhesive cell properties of Azospirillum brasilense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siuti, Piro; Green, Calvin; Edwards, Amanda Nicole; Doktycz, Mitchel J; Alexandre, Gladys

    2011-10-01

    The Azospirillum brasilense chemotaxis-like Che1 signal transduction pathway was recently shown to modulate changes in adhesive cell surface properties that, in turn, affect cell-to-cell aggregation and flocculation behaviors rather than flagellar-mediated chemotaxis. Attachment to surfaces and root colonization may be functions related to flocculation. Here, the conditions under which A. brasilense wild-type Sp7 and che1 mutant strains attach to abiotic and biotic surfaces were examined using in vitro attachment and biofilm assays combined with atomic force microscopy and confocal microscopy. The nitrogen source available for growth is found to be a major modulator of surface attachment by A. brasilense and could be promoted in vitro by lectins, suggesting that it depends on interaction with surface-exposed residues within the extracellular matrix of cells. However, Che1-dependent signaling is shown to contribute indirectly to surface attachment, indicating that distinct mechanisms are likely underlying flocculation and attachment to surfaces in A. brasilense. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Analysis of migration rate and chemotaxis of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in response to LPS and LTA in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herzmann, Nicole; Salamon, Achim [Department of Cell Biology, University Medicine Rostock, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Fiedler, Tomas [Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Schillingallee 70, D-18057 Rostock (Germany); Peters, Kirsten, E-mail: kirsten.peters@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Cell Biology, University Medicine Rostock, Schillingallee 69, D-18057 Rostock (Germany)

    2016-03-15

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are able to stimulate the regeneration of injured tissue. Since bacterial infections are common complications in wound healing, bacterial pathogens and their components come into direct contact with MSC. The interaction with bacterial structures influences the proliferation, differentiation and migratory activity of the MSC, which might be of relevance during regeneration. Studies on MSC migration in response to bacterial components have shown different results depending on the cell type. Here, we analyzed the migration rate and chemotaxis of human adipose-derived MSC (adMSC) in response to the basic cell-wall components lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. To this end, we used transwell and scratch assays, as well as a specific chemotaxis assay combined with live-cell imaging. We found no significant influence of LPS or LTA on the migration rate of adMSC in transwell or scratch assays. Furthermore, in the µ-slide chemotaxis assay, the stimulation with LPS did not exert any chemotactic effect on adMSC. - Highlights: • LPS increased the release of IL-6 and IL-8 in adMSC significantly. • The migration rate of adMSC was not influenced by LPS or LTA. • LPS or LTA did not exert a chemotactic effect on adMSC.

  19. Analysis of migration rate and chemotaxis of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in response to LPS and LTA in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herzmann, Nicole; Salamon, Achim; Fiedler, Tomas; Peters, Kirsten

    2016-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are able to stimulate the regeneration of injured tissue. Since bacterial infections are common complications in wound healing, bacterial pathogens and their components come into direct contact with MSC. The interaction with bacterial structures influences the proliferation, differentiation and migratory activity of the MSC, which might be of relevance during regeneration. Studies on MSC migration in response to bacterial components have shown different results depending on the cell type. Here, we analyzed the migration rate and chemotaxis of human adipose-derived MSC (adMSC) in response to the basic cell-wall components lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. To this end, we used transwell and scratch assays, as well as a specific chemotaxis assay combined with live-cell imaging. We found no significant influence of LPS or LTA on the migration rate of adMSC in transwell or scratch assays. Furthermore, in the µ-slide chemotaxis assay, the stimulation with LPS did not exert any chemotactic effect on adMSC. - Highlights: • LPS increased the release of IL-6 and IL-8 in adMSC significantly. • The migration rate of adMSC was not influenced by LPS or LTA. • LPS or LTA did not exert a chemotactic effect on adMSC.

  20. Influence of standard and novel LTB4 analogs on human neutrophil chemotaxis measured by the multiwell cap assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Psychoyos, S; Uziel-Fusi, S; Bhagwat, S; Morrissey, M M

    1989-11-30

    Standard and novel LTB4 analogs were tested for neutrophil chemoattractant activity using the multiwell cap assay (Evans et al. (1986) Biosc. Rep. 6, 1041). The assay uses disposable equipment and measures chemotaxis by the number of cells able to migrate across the full thickness of cellulose nitrate filters. Under standard conditions (90 min incubation at 37 degrees C in buffer containing 2% bovine albumin), LTB4 and 6-cis-LTB1 had EC50 values of 3.5 and 15,000 nM, respectively. 20-hydroxy-LTB4 was equipotent with LTB4 and exhibited a similar biphasic chemotactic response, however, only one third of the number of cells migrated through the filter. 20-carboxy-LTB4 was inactive up to 1,000 nM. 5-desoxy-((6,7)-cis-cyclopropyl)-LTB2, (6,7)-benzo-LTB2 and 5-desoxy-(8,10)-LTB2 had EC50 values of 11,300, 50,000 and 84,000 nM, respectively. Checkerboard analysis indicated a chemokinetic component of 42% for LTB4 at a concentration causing peak chemotaxis. Reduction of albumin in the buffer to 0.5% increased the apparent potencies of LTB4 and 6-cis-LTB1 five-fold. Since LTB4 is a mediator of inflammation, various anti-inflammatory agents were tested at peak concentrations observed in vivo for in vitro inhibition of LTB4-stimulated chemotaxis in the presence of 0.5% albumin. Under the conditions of the assay, chloroquine diphosphate, dexamethasone, indomethacin, penicillamine, piroxicam and diclofenac sodium were inactive; gold sodium thiomalate was inhibitory (IC50 = 20 microM).

  1. Eotaxin induces degranulation and chemotaxis of eosinophils through the activation of ERK2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kampen, G T; Stafford, S; Adachi, T

    2000-01-01

    Eotaxin and other CC chemokines acting via CC chemokine receptor-3 (CCR3) are believed to play an integral role in the development of eosinophilic inflammation in asthma and allergic inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the intracellular events following agonist binding to CCR3...... and the relationship of these events to the functional response of the cell. The objectives of this study were to investigate CCR3-mediated activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK2), p38, and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in eosinophils and to assess...... the requirement for MAP kinases in eotaxin-induced eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) release and chemotaxis. MAP kinase activation was studied in eotaxin-stimulated eosinophils (more than 97% purity) by Western blotting and immune-complex kinase assays. ECP release was measured by radioimmunoassay. Chemotaxis...

  2. Low-temperature chemotaxis, halotaxis and chemohalotaxis by the psychrophilic marine bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Showalter, G M; Deming, J W

    2018-02-01

    A variety of ecologically important processes are driven by bacterial motility and taxis, yet these basic bacterial behaviours remain understudied in cold habitats. Here, we present a series of experiments designed to test the chemotactic ability of the model marine psychrophilic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H, when grown at optimal temperature and salinity (8°C, 35 ppt) or its original isolation conditions (-1°C, 35 ppt), towards serine and mannose at temperatures from -8°C to 27°C (above its upper growth temperature of 18°C), and at salinities of 15, 35 and 55 ppt (at 8°C and -1°C). Results indicate that C. psychrerythraea 34H is capable of chemotaxis at all temperatures tested, with strongest chemotaxis at the temperature at which it was first grown, whether 8°C or -1°C. This model marine psychrophile also showed significant halotaxis towards 15 and 55 ppt solutions, as well as strong substrate-specific chemohalotaxis. We suggest that such patterns of taxis may enable bacteria to colonize sea ice, position themselves optimally within its extremely cold, hypersaline and temporally fluctuating microenvironments, and respond to various chemical signals therein. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and JohnWiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Interaction of HmC1q with leech microglial cells: involvement of C1qBP-related molecule in the induction of cell chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahtouh, Muriel; Garçon-Bocquet, Annelise; Croq, Françoise; Vizioli, Jacopo; Sautière, Pierre-Eric; Van Camp, Christelle; Salzet, Michel; Nagnan-le Meillour, Patricia; Pestel, Joël; Lefebvre, Christophe

    2012-02-22

    In invertebrates, the medicinal leech is considered to be an interesting and appropriate model to study neuroimmune mechanisms. Indeed, this non-vertebrate animal can restore normal function of its central nervous system (CNS) after injury. Microglia accumulation at the damage site has been shown to be required for axon sprouting and for efficient regeneration. We characterized HmC1q as a novel chemotactic factor for leech microglial cell recruitment. In mammals, a C1q-binding protein (C1qBP alias gC1qR), which interacts with the globular head of C1q, has been reported to participate in C1q-mediated chemotaxis of blood immune cells. In this study, we evaluated the chemotactic activities of a recombinant form of HmC1q and its interaction with a newly characterized leech C1qBP that acts as its potential ligand. Recombinant HmC1q (rHmC1q) was produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Chemotaxis assays were performed to investigate rHmC1q-dependent microglia migration. The involvement of a C1qBP-related molecule in this chemotaxis mechanism was assessed by flow cytometry and with affinity purification experiments. The cellular localization of C1qBP mRNA and protein in leech was investigated using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques. rHmC1q-stimulated microglia migrate in a dose-dependent manner. This rHmC1q-induced chemotaxis was reduced when cells were preincubated with either anti-HmC1q or anti-human C1qBP antibodies. A C1qBP-related molecule was characterized in leech microglia. A previous study showed that recruitment of microglia is observed after HmC1q release at the cut end of axons. Here, we demonstrate that rHmC1q-dependent chemotaxis might be driven via a HmC1q-binding protein located on the microglial cell surface. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of the interaction between C1q and C1qBP in microglial activation leading to nerve repair in the medicinal leech.

  4. Phenotypic and molecular assessment of seven patients with 6p25 deletion syndrome: Relevance to ocular dysgenesis and hearing impairment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ritch Robert

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Thirty-nine patients have been described with deletions involving chromosome 6p25. However, relatively few of these deletions have had molecular characterization. Common phenotypes of 6p25 deletion syndrome patients include hydrocephalus, hearing loss, and ocular, craniofacial, skeletal, cardiac, and renal malformations. Molecular characterization of deletions can identify genes that are responsible for these phenotypes. Methods We report the clinical phenotype of seven patients with terminal deletions of chromosome 6p25 and compare them to previously reported patients. Molecular characterization of the deletions was performed using polymorphic marker analysis to determine the extents of the deletions in these seven 6p25 deletion syndrome patients. Results Our results, and previous data, show that ocular dysgenesis and hearing impairment are the two most highly penetrant phenotypes of the 6p25 deletion syndrome. While deletion of the forkhead box C1 gene (FOXC1 probably underlies the ocular dysgenesis, no gene in this region is known to be involved in hearing impairment. Conclusions Ocular dysgenesis and hearing impairment are the two most common phenotypes of 6p25 deletion syndrome. We conclude that a locus for dominant hearing loss is present at 6p25 and that this locus is restricted to a region distal to D6S1617. Molecular characterization of more 6p25 deletion patients will aid in refinement of this locus and the identification of a gene involved in dominant hearing loss.

  5. PTEN genomic deletion predicts prostate cancer recurrence and is associated with low AR expression and transcriptional activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choucair Khalil

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCa, a leading cause of cancer death in North American men, displays a broad range of clinical outcome from relatively indolent to lethal metastatic disease. Several genomic alterations have been identified in PCa which may serve as predictors of progression. PTEN, (10q23.3, is a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3/AKT survival pathway and a tumor suppressor frequently deleted in PCa. The androgen receptor (AR signalling pathway is known to play an important role in PCa and its blockade constitutes a commonly used treatment modality. In this study, we assessed the deletion status of PTEN along with AR expression levels in 43 primary PCa specimens with clinical follow-up. Methods Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH was done on formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE PCa samples to examine the deletion status of PTEN. AR expression levels were determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC. Results Using FISH, we found 18 cases of PTEN deletion. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed an association with disease recurrence (P=0.03. Concurrently, IHC staining for AR found significantly lower levels of AR expression within those tumors deleted for PTEN (PPTEN deleted. We confirmed the predictive value of PTEN deletion in disease recurrence (P=0.03. PTEN deletion was also linked to diminished expression of PTEN (PP=0.02. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis revealed a diminished expression of genes downstream of AR signalling in PTEN deleted tumors. Conclusions Altogether, our data suggest that PTEN deleted tumors expressing low levels of AR may represent a worse prognostic subset of PCa establishing a challenge for therapeutic management.

  6. Rapid deletion production in fungi via Agrobacterium mediated transformation of OSCAR deletion contructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Precise deletion of gene(s) of interest, while leaving the rest of the genome unchanged, provides the ideal product to determine that particular gene’s function in the living organism. In this protocol we describe the OSCAR method of precise and rapid deletion plasmid construction. OSCAR relies on t...

  7. PsHint1, associated with the G-protein α subunit PsGPA1, is required for the chemotaxis and pathogenicity of Phytophthora sojae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Zhai, Chunhua; Hua, Chenlei; Qiu, Min; Hao, Yujuan; Nie, Pingping; Ye, Wenwu; Wang, Yuanchao

    2016-02-01

    Zoospore chemotaxis to soybean isoflavones is essential in the early stages of infection by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae. Previously, we have identified a G-protein α subunit encoded by PsGPA1 which regulates the chemotaxis and pathogenicity of P. sojae. In the present study, we used affinity purification to identify PsGPA1-interacting proteins, including PsHint1, a histidine triad (HIT) domain-containing protein orthologous to human HIT nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1). PsHint1 interacted with both the guanosine triphosphate (GTP)- and guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound forms of PsGPA1. An analysis of the gene-silenced transformants revealed that PsHint1 was involved in the chemotropic response of zoospores to the isoflavone daidzein. During interaction with a susceptible soybean cultivar, PsHint1-silenced transformants displayed significantly reduced infectious hyphal extension and caused a strong cell death in plants. In addition, the transformants displayed defective cyst germination, forming abnormal germ tubes that were highly branched and exhibited apical swelling. These results suggest that PsHint1 not only regulates chemotaxis by interacting with PsGPA1, but also participates in a Gα-independent pathway involved in the pathogenicity of P. sojae. © 2015 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  8. Protein Connectivity in Chemotaxis Receptor Complexes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephan Eismann

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The chemotaxis sensory system allows bacteria such as Escherichia coli to swim towards nutrients and away from repellents. The underlying pathway is remarkably sensitive in detecting chemical gradients over a wide range of ambient concentrations. Interactions among receptors, which are predominantly clustered at the cell poles, are crucial to this sensitivity. Although it has been suggested that the kinase CheA and the adapter protein CheW are integral for receptor connectivity, the exact coupling mechanism remains unclear. Here, we present a statistical-mechanics approach to model the receptor linkage mechanism itself, building on nanodisc and electron cryotomography experiments. Specifically, we investigate how the sensing behavior of mixed receptor clusters is affected by variations in the expression levels of CheA and CheW at a constant receptor density in the membrane. Our model compares favorably with dose-response curves from in vivo Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET measurements, demonstrating that the receptor-methylation level has only minor effects on receptor cooperativity. Importantly, our model provides an explanation for the non-intuitive conclusion that the receptor cooperativity decreases with increasing levels of CheA, a core signaling protein associated with the receptors, whereas the receptor cooperativity increases with increasing levels of CheW, a key adapter protein. Finally, we propose an evolutionary advantage as explanation for the recently suggested CheW-only linker structures.

  9. Partial deletion 11q

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertz, Jens Michael; Tommerup, N; Sørensen, F B

    1995-01-01

    We describe the cytogenetic findings and the dysmorphic features in a stillborn girl with a large de novo terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11. The karyotype was 46,XX,del(11)(q21qter). By reviewing previous reports of deletion 11q, we found that cleft lip and palate are most...

  10. Identification of differentially expressed proteins in spontaneous thymic lymphomas from knockout mice with deletion of p53

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Honoré, Bent; Buus, Søren; Claësson, Mogens H

    2008-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Knockout mice with a deletion of p53 spontaneously develop thymic lymphomas. Two cell lines (SM5 and SM7), established from two independent tumours, exhibited about fifty to seventy two-fold differentially expressed proteins compared to wild type thymocytes by two-dimensiona......ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Knockout mice with a deletion of p53 spontaneously develop thymic lymphomas. Two cell lines (SM5 and SM7), established from two independent tumours, exhibited about fifty to seventy two-fold differentially expressed proteins compared to wild type thymocytes by two...... alpha type 3, transforming acidic coiled-coil containing protein 3, mitochondrial ornithine aminotransferase and epidermal fatty acid binding protein and down-regulation of adenylosuccinate synthetase, tubulin beta-3 chain, a 25 kDa actin fragment, proteasome subunit beta type 9, cofilin-1 and glia...

  11. A CheR/CheB fusion protein is involved in cyst cell development and chemotaxis in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lixian; Cui, Yanhua; Hong, Yuanyuan; Chen, Sanfeng

    2011-12-20

    We here report the sequence and functional analysis of cstB of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. The predicted cstB contains C-terminal two PAS domains and N-terminal part which has similarity with CheB-CheR fusion protein. cstB mutants had reduced swarming ability compared to that of A. brasilense wild-type strain, implying that cstB was involved in chemotaxis in A. brasilense. A microscopic analysis revealed that cstB mutants developed mature cyst cells more quickly than wild type, indicating that cstB is involved in cyst formation. cstB mutants were affected in colony morphology and the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) which are essential for A. brasilense cells to differentiate into cyst-like forms. These observations suggested that cstB was a multi-effector involved in cyst development and chemotaxis in A. brasilense. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  12. Chemotaxis in densely populated tissue determines germinal center anatomy and cell motility: a new paradigm for the development of complex tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jared B Hawkins

    Full Text Available Germinal centers (GCs are complex dynamic structures that form within lymph nodes as an essential process in the humoral immune response. They represent a paradigm for studying the regulation of cell movement in the development of complex anatomical structures. We have developed a simulation of a modified cyclic re-entry model of GC dynamics which successfully employs chemotaxis to recapitulate the anatomy of the primary follicle and the development of a mature GC, including correctly structured mantle, dark and light zones. We then show that correct single cell movement dynamics (including persistent random walk and inter-zonal crossing arise from this simulation as purely emergent properties. The major insight of our study is that chemotaxis can only achieve this when constrained by the known biological properties that cells are incompressible, exist in a densely packed environment, and must therefore compete for space. It is this interplay of chemotaxis and competition for limited space that generates all the complex and biologically accurate behaviors described here. Thus, from a single simple mechanism that is well documented in the biological literature, we can explain both higher level structure and single cell movement behaviors. To our knowledge this is the first GC model that is able to recapitulate both correctly detailed anatomy and single cell movement. This mechanism may have wide application for modeling other biological systems where cells undergo complex patterns of movement to produce defined anatomical structures with sharp tissue boundaries.

  13. Chemotaxis in densely populated tissue determines germinal center anatomy and cell motility: a new paradigm for the development of complex tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins, Jared B; Jones, Mark T; Plassmann, Paul E; Thorley-Lawson, David A

    2011-01-01

    Germinal centers (GCs) are complex dynamic structures that form within lymph nodes as an essential process in the humoral immune response. They represent a paradigm for studying the regulation of cell movement in the development of complex anatomical structures. We have developed a simulation of a modified cyclic re-entry model of GC dynamics which successfully employs chemotaxis to recapitulate the anatomy of the primary follicle and the development of a mature GC, including correctly structured mantle, dark and light zones. We then show that correct single cell movement dynamics (including persistent random walk and inter-zonal crossing) arise from this simulation as purely emergent properties. The major insight of our study is that chemotaxis can only achieve this when constrained by the known biological properties that cells are incompressible, exist in a densely packed environment, and must therefore compete for space. It is this interplay of chemotaxis and competition for limited space that generates all the complex and biologically accurate behaviors described here. Thus, from a single simple mechanism that is well documented in the biological literature, we can explain both higher level structure and single cell movement behaviors. To our knowledge this is the first GC model that is able to recapitulate both correctly detailed anatomy and single cell movement. This mechanism may have wide application for modeling other biological systems where cells undergo complex patterns of movement to produce defined anatomical structures with sharp tissue boundaries.

  14. Brand deletion: How the decision-making approach affects deletion success

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor Temprano-García

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Literature on brand deletion (BD, a critical and topical decision within a firm's marketing strategy, is extremely scarce. The present research is concerned with the decision-making process and examines the effect on BD success of three different approaches to decision-making – rational, intuitive and political – and of the interaction between the rational and political approaches. The moderating effect of the type of BD – i.e., total brand killing or disposal vs. brand name change – is also analyzed. The model is tested on a sample of 155 cases of BD. Results point to positive effects on BD success of both rationality and intuition, and a negative effect of politics. Findings also indicate that the negative impact of political behavior on BD success is minimized in the absence of evidence and objective information and when the BD is undertaken through a brand name change. JEL classification: L10, M31, Keywords: Brand deletion, Rational decision-making, Intuitive decision-making, Political decision-making, Brand deletion success

  15. Some analogies between quantum cloning and quantum deleting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Daowen

    2002-01-01

    We further verify the impossibility of deleting an arbitrary unknown quantum state, and also show it is impossible to delete two nonorthogonal quantum states as a consequence of unitarity of quantum mechanics. A quantum approximate (deterministic) deleting machine and a probabilistic (exact) deleting machine are constructed. The estimation for the global fidelity characterizing the efficiency of the quantum approximate deleting is given. We then demonstrate that unknown nonorthogonal states chosen from a set with their multiple copies can evolve into a linear superposition of multiple deletions and failure branches by a unitary process if and only if the states are linearly independent. It is notable that the proof for necessity is somewhat different from Pati's [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 2849 (1999)]. Another deleting machine for the input states that are unnecessarily linearly independent is also presented. The bounds on the success probabilities of these deleting machines are derived. So we expound some preliminary analogies between quantum cloning and deleting

  16. A monocyte chemotaxis inhibiting factor in serum of HIV infected men shares epitopes with the HIV transmembrane protein gp41

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tas, M.; Drexhage, H. A.; Goudsmit, J.

    1988-01-01

    This report describes that gp41, the transmembranous envelope protein of HIV, is able to inhibit monocyte chemotaxis (measured as FMLP-induced polarization). To study the presence of such immunosuppressive HIV env proteins in the circulation of HIV-infected men, fractions were prepared from serum

  17. Exponential signaling gain at the receptor level enhances signal-to-noise ratio in bacterial chemotaxis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silke Neumann

    Full Text Available Cellular signaling systems show astonishing precision in their response to external stimuli despite strong fluctuations in the molecular components that determine pathway activity. To control the effects of noise on signaling most efficiently, living cells employ compensatory mechanisms that reach from simple negative feedback loops to robustly designed signaling architectures. Here, we report on a novel control mechanism that allows living cells to keep precision in their signaling characteristics - stationary pathway output, response amplitude, and relaxation time - in the presence of strong intracellular perturbations. The concept relies on the surprising fact that for systems showing perfect adaptation an exponential signal amplification at the receptor level suffices to eliminate slowly varying multiplicative noise. To show this mechanism at work in living systems, we quantified the response dynamics of the E. coli chemotaxis network after genetically perturbing the information flux between upstream and downstream signaling components. We give strong evidence that this signaling system results in dynamic invariance of the activated response regulator against multiplicative intracellular noise. We further demonstrate that for environmental conditions, for which precision in chemosensing is crucial, the invariant response behavior results in highest chemotactic efficiency. Our results resolve several puzzling features of the chemotaxis pathway that are widely conserved across prokaryotes but so far could not be attributed any functional role.

  18. The relationship of the factor V Leiden mutation or the deletion-deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme to postoperative thromboembolic events following total joint arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang Carrie

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although all patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty are subjected to similar risk factors that predispose to thromboembolism, only a subset of patients develop this complication. The objective of this study was to determine whether a specific genetic profile is associated with a higher risk of developing a postoperative thromboembolic complication. Specifically, we examined if the Factor V Leiden (FVL mutation or the deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE gene increased a patient's risk for postoperative thromboembolic events. The FVL mutation has been associated with an increased risk of idiopathic thromboembolism and the deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene has been associated with increased vascular tone, attenuated fibrinolysis and increased platelet aggregation. Methods The presence of these genetic profiles was determined for 38 patients who had a postoperative symptomatic pulmonary embolus or proximal deep venous thrombosis and 241 control patients without thrombosis using molecular biological techniques. Results The Factor V Leiden mutation was present in none of the 38 experimental patients and in 3% or 8 of the 241 controls (p = 0.26. Similarly there was no difference detected in the distribution of polymorphisms for the ACE gene with the deletion-deletion genotype present in 36% or 13 of the 38 experimental patients and in 31% or 74 of the 241 controls (p = 0.32. Conclusions Our results suggest that neither of these potentially hypercoaguable states are associated with an increased risk of symptomatic thromboembolic events following total hip or knee arthroplasty in patients receiving pharmacological thromboprophylaxis.

  19. Extracellular calmodulin regulates growth and cAMP-mediated chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O’Day, Danton H.; Huber, Robert J.; Suarez, Andres

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Extracellular calmodulin is present throughout growth and development in Dictyostelium. ► Extracellular calmodulin localizes within the ECM during development. ► Extracellular calmodulin inhibits cell proliferation and increases chemotaxis. ► Extracellular calmodulin exists in eukaryotic microbes. ► Extracellular calmodulin may be functionally as important as intracellular calmodulin. -- Abstract: The existence of extracellular calmodulin (CaM) has had a long and controversial history. CaM is a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein that has been found in every eukaryotic cell system. Calcium-free apo-CaM and Ca 2+ /CaM exert their effects by binding to and regulating the activity of CaM-binding proteins (CaMBPs). Most of the research done to date on CaM and its CaMBPs has focused on their intracellular functions. The presence of extracellular CaM is well established in a number of plants where it functions in proliferation, cell wall regeneration, gene regulation and germination. While CaM has been detected extracellularly in several animal species, including frog, rat, rabbit and human, its extracellular localization and functions are less well established. In contrast the study of extracellular CaM in eukaryotic microbes remains to be done. Here we show that CaM is constitutively expressed and secreted throughout asexual development in Dictyostelium where the presence of extracellular CaM dose-dependently inhibits cell proliferation but increases cAMP mediated chemotaxis. During development, extracellular CaM localizes within the slime sheath where it coexists with at least one CaMBP, the matricellular CaM-binding protein CyrA. Coupled with previous research, this work provides direct evidence for the existence of extracellular CaM in the Dictyostelium and provides insight into its functions in this model amoebozoan.

  20. Juvenile Moyamoya and Craniosynostosis in a Child with Deletion 1p32p31: Expanding the Clinical Spectrum of 1p32p31 Deletion Syndrome and a Review of the Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Prontera

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Moyamoya angiopathy (MA is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterised by the progressive occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Its aetiology is uncertain, but a genetic background seems likely, given the high MA familial rate. To investigate the aetiology of craniosynostosis and juvenile moyamoya in a 14-year-old male patient, we performed an array-comparative genomic hybridisation revealing a de novo interstitial deletion of 8.5 Mb in chromosome region 1p32p31. The deletion involved 34 protein coding genes, including NF1A, whose haploinsufficiency is indicated as being mainly responsible for the 1p32-p31 chromosome deletion syndrome phenotype (OMIM 613735. Our patient also has a deleted FOXD3 of the FOX gene family of transcription factors, which plays an important role in neural crest cell growth and differentiation. As the murine FOXD3−/− model shows craniofacial anomalies and abnormal common carotid artery morphology, it can be hypothesised that FOXD3 is involved in the pathogenesis of the craniofacial and vascular defects observed in our patient. In support of our assumption, we found in the literature another patient with a syndromic form of MA who had a deletion involving another FOX gene (FOXC1. In addition to describing the clinical history of our patient, we have reviewed all of the available literature concerning other patients with a 1p32p31 deletion, including cases from the Decipher database, and we have also reviewed the genetic disorders associated with MA, which is a useful guide for the diagnosis of syndromic form of MA.

  1. Dual acylation and lipid raft association of Src-family protein tyrosine kinases are required for SDF-1/CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in the Jurkat human T cell lymphoma cell line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaman, Sabiha N; Resek, Mary E; Robbins, Stephen M

    2008-10-01

    Chemokines play pivotal roles in regulating a wide variety of biological processes by modulating cell migration and recruitment. Deregulation of chemokine signaling can alter cell recruitment, contributing to the pathogenic states associated with autoimmune disease, inflammatory disorders, and sepsis. During chemotaxis, lipid rafts and their resident signaling molecules have been demonstrated to partition to different parts of the cell. Herein, we investigated the role of lipid raft resident Src-family kinases (SFK) in stromal cell-derived factor 1/CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis. We have shown that Lck-deficient J.CaM 1.6 cells are defective in CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in contrast to their parental counterpart, Jurkat cells. Ectopic expression of the SFK hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) in J.CaM 1.6 cells reconstituted CXCL12 responsiveness. The requirement of lipid raft association of SFK was assessed using both isoforms of Hck: the dually acylated p59(Hck) isoform that is targeted to lipid rafts and the monoacylated p61(Hck) isoform that is nonraft-associated. We have shown using several gain and loss of acylation alleles that dual acylation of Hck was required for CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in J.CaM 1.6 cells. These results highlight the importance of the unique microenvironment provided by lipid rafts and their specific contribution in providing specificity to CXCL12 signaling.

  2. Probabilistic cloning and deleting of quantum states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Yuan; Zhang Shengyu; Ying Mingsheng

    2002-01-01

    We construct a probabilistic cloning and deleting machine which, taking several copies of an input quantum state, can output a linear superposition of multiple cloning and deleting states. Since the machine can perform cloning and deleting in a single unitary evolution, the probabilistic cloning and other cloning machines proposed in the previous literature can be thought of as special cases of our machine. A sufficient and necessary condition for successful cloning and deleting is presented, and it requires that the copies of an arbitrarily presumed number of the input states are linearly independent. This simply generalizes some results for cloning. We also derive an upper bound for the success probability of the cloning and deleting machine

  3. CD147-mediated chemotaxis of CD4+CD161+ T cells may contribute to local inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Minghua; Miao, Jinlin; Zhao, Peng; Luo, Xing; Han, Qing; Wu, Zhenbiao; Zhang, Kui; Zhu, Ping

    2018-01-01

    CD161 is used as a surrogate marker for Th17 cells, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we evaluated the percentage, clinical significance, and CD98 and CD147 expression of CD4 + CD161 + T cells. The potential role of CD147 and CD98 in cyclophilin A-induced chemotaxis of CD4 + CD161 + T cells was analyzed. Thirty-seven RA patients, 15 paired synovial fluid (SF) of RA, and 22 healthy controls were recruited. The cell populations and surface expression of CD98 and CD147 were analyzed by flow cytometry. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression were applied to calculate the correlations. Chemotaxis assay was used to investigate CD4 + CD161 + T cell migration. We found that the percentage of CD4 + CD161 + T cells and their expression of CD147 and CD98 in SF were higher than in the peripheral blood of RA patients. Percentage of SF CD4 + CD161 + T cells was positively correlated with 28-Joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). CD147 monoclonal antibody (HAb18) attenuated the chemotactic ability of CD4 + CD161 + T cells. An increased CD4 + CD161 + T cell percentage and expression of CD147 and CD98 were shown in RA SF. Percentage of SF CD4 + CD161 + T cells can be used as a predictive marker of disease activity in RA. CD147 block significantly decreased the chemotactic index of CD4 + CD161 + cells induced by cyclophilin A (CypA). These results imply that the accumulation of CD4 + CD161 + T cells in SF and their high expression of CD147 may be associated with CypA-mediated chemotaxis and contribute to local inflammation in RA.

  4. Evaluation of 22q11.2 deletion in Cleft Palate patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabodha, L. B. Lahiru; Dias, Dayanath Kumara; Nanayakkara, B. Ganananda; de Silva, Deepthi C.; Chandrasekharan, N. Vishvanath; Ileyperuma, Isurani

    2012-01-01

    Background: Cleft palate is the commonest multifactorial epigenetic disorder with a prevalence of 0.43-2.45 per 1000. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical features and identify the 22q11.2 deletion in patients with cleft palate in Sri Lanka. Materials and Methods: Cleft patients attending a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka were recruited for this study. The relevant data were obtained from review of case notes, interviews, and examination of patients according to a standard evaluation sheet. Quantitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to identify the 22q11.2 deletion. A gel documentation system (Bio-Doc) was used to quantify the PCR product following electrophoresis on 0.8% agarose gel. Results and Conclusion: There were 162 cleft palate patients of whom 59% were females. A total of 92 cleft palate subjects (56.2%) had other associated clinical features. Dysmorphic features (25.27%) and developmental delays (25.27%) were the commonest medical problems encountered. The cleft was limited to the soft palate in 125 patients, while in 25 patients it involved both the hard and the soft palate. There were seven subjects with bifid uvula and five subjects with submucous cleft palate. None of the patients had 22q11.2 deletion in this study population. A multicentered large population-based study is needed to confirm the results of this study and to develop guidelines on the appropriate use of 22q11.2 deletion testing, which are valid for cleft palate patients in Sri Lanka. PMID:23483617

  5. 46 CFR 67.171 - Deletion; requirement and procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deletion; requirement and procedure. 67.171 Section 67...; Requirement for Exchange, Replacement, Deletion, Cancellation § 67.171 Deletion; requirement and procedure. (a... provided in § 67.161, and the vessel is subject to deletion from the roll of actively documented vessels...

  6. Patients Carrying 9q31.1-q32 Deletion Share Common Features with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruixue Cao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS is a rare but severe clinically heterogeneous developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphia, growth and cognitive retardation, and abnormalities of limb development. Objectives: To determine the pathogenesis of a patient with CdLS. Methods: We studied a patient with CdLS by whole exome sequencing, karyotyping and Agilent CGH Array. The results were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the patient and her parents. Further comparison of our patient and cases with partially overlapping deletions retrieved from the literature and databases was undertaken. Results: Whole exome sequencing had excluded the mutation of cohesion genes such as NIPBL,SMC1A and SMC3. The result of karyotyping showed a deletion of chromosome 9q31.1-q32 and the result of Agilent CGH Array further displayed a 12.01-Mb region of deletion at chromosome bands 9q31.1-q32. Reported cases with the deletion of 9q31.1-q32 share similar features with our CdLS patient. One of the genes in the deleted region, SMC2, belongs to the Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC family and regulates gene expression and DNA repair. Conclusions: Patients carrying the deletion of 9q31.1-q32 showed similar phenotypes with CdLS.

  7. Use of a wine yeast deletion collection reveals genes that influence fermentation performance under low-nitrogen conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter, Josephine J; Watson, Tommaso L; Walker, Michelle E; Gardner, Jennifer M; Lang, Tom A; Borneman, Anthony; Forgan, Angus; Tran, Tina; Jiranek, Vladimir

    2018-05-01

    A deficiency of nitrogenous nutrients in grape juice can cause stuck and sluggish alcoholic fermentation, which has long been a problem in winemaking. Nitrogen requirements vary between wine yeast strains, and the ability of yeast to assimilate nitrogen depends on the nature and concentration of nitrogen present in the medium. In this study, a wine yeast gene deletion collection (1844 deletants in the haploid AWRI1631 background) was screened to identify genes whose deletion resulted in a reduction in the time taken to utilise all sugars when grown in a chemically defined grape juice medium supplemented with limited nitrogen (75 mg L-1 as a free amino acid mixture). Through micro-scale and laboratory-scale fermentations, 15 deletants were identified that completed fermentation in a shorter time than the wildtype (c.a. 15%-59% time reduction). This group of genes was annotated to biological processes including protein modification, transport, metabolism and ubiquitination (UBC13, MMS2, UBP7, UBI4, BRO1, TPK2, EAR1, MRP17, MFA2 and MVB12), signalling (MFA2) and amino acid metabolism (AAT2). Deletion of MFA2, encoding mating factor-a, resulted in a 55% decrease in fermentation duration. Mfa2Δ was chosen for further investigation to understand how this gene deletion conferred fermentation efficiency in limited nitrogen conditions.

  8. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism, and cancer: The Rotterdam study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R. van der Knaap (Ronald); C. Siemes (Claire); J.W.W. Coebergh (Jan Willem); P. Tikka-Kleemola (Päivi); A. Hofman (Albert); B.H.Ch. Stricker (Bruno)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractBACKGROUND. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II antagonists, and the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism all influence serum angiotensin II action. Because angiotensin II levels have been associated with cancer, the objective of the current

  9. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of CheW from Thermotoga maritima: a coupling protein of CheA and the chemotaxis receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, SangYoun; Crane, Brian R.

    2011-01-01

    CheW from T. maritima has been crystallized (space group P6 3 , unit-cell parameters a = b = 61.265, c = 361.045 Å). Diffraction data have been collected to 3.1 Å resolution using synchrotron X-ray radiation. The CheW protein plays a key role in bacterial chemotaxis signal transduction by coupling CheA to chemotaxis receptors. CheW from Thermotoga maritima has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized at 298 K using ammonium sulfate as a salt precipitant. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 3.10 Å resolution at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belonged to space group P6 3 , with unit-cell parameters a = b = 61.265, c = 361.045 Å. The asymmetric unit may contain four to six CheW molecules

  10. Risk of colorectal and endometrial cancers in EPCAM deletion-positive Lynch syndrome : a cohort study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kempers, Marlies J. E.; Kuiper, Roland P.; Ockeloen, Charlotte W.; Chappuis, Pierre O.; Hutter, Pierre; Rahner, Nils; Schackert, Hans K.; Steinke, Verena; Holinski-Feder, Elke; Morak, Monika; Kloor, Matthias; Buettner, Reinhard; Verwiel, Eugene T. P.; van Krieken, J. Han; Nagtegaal, Iris D.; Goossens, Monique; van der Post, Rachel S.; Niessen, Renee C.; Sijmons, Rolf H.; Kluijt, Irma; Hogervorst, Frans B. L.; Leter, Edward M.; Gille, Johan J. P.; Aalfs, Cora M.; Redeker, Egbert J. W.; Hes, Frederik J.; Tops, Carli M. J.; van Nesselrooij, Bernadette P. M.; van Gijn, Marielle E.; Garcia, Encarna B. Gomez; Eccles, Diana M.; Bunyan, David J.; Syngal, Sapna; Stoffel, Elena M.; Culver, Julie O.; Palomares, Melanie R.; Graham, Tracy; Velsher, Lea; Papp, Janos; Olah, Edith; Chan, Tsun L.; Leung, Suet Y.; van Kessel, Ad Geurts; Kiemeney, Lambertus A. L. M.; Hoogerbrugge, Nicoline; Ligtenberg, Marjolijn J. L.

    Background Lynch syndrome is caused by germline mutations in MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, and PMS2 mismatch-repair genes and leads to a high risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. We previously showed that constitutional 3' end deletions of EPCAM can cause Lynch syndrome through epigenetic silencing of

  11. On Deletion of Sutra Translation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    CHEN Shu-juan

    2017-01-01

    Dao An's the metaphor of translation "wine diluted with water' ' expressed a view about translation that had been abridged.Later Kumarajiva provided metaphor "rice chewed—tasteless and downright disgusting".Both of them felt regretted at the weakening of taste,sometimes even the complete loss of flavor caused by deletion in translation of Buddhist sutras.In early sutra translation,deletion is unavoidable which made many sutra translators felt confused and drove them to study it further and some even managed to give their understanding to this issue.This thesis will discuss the definition,and what causes deletion and the measures adopted by the sutra translators.

  12. CYP4F18-Deficient Neutrophils Exhibit Increased Chemotaxis to Complement Component C5a

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Vaivoda

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available CYP4Fs were first identified as enzymes that catalyze hydroxylation of leukotriene B4 (LTB4. CYP4F18 has an unusual expression in neutrophils and was predicted to play a role in regulating LTB4-dependent inflammation. We compared chemotaxis of wild-type and Cyp4f18 knockout neutrophils using an in vitro assay. There was no significant difference in the chemotactic response to LTB4, but the response to complement component C5a increased 1.9–2.25-fold in knockout cells compared to wild-type (P < 0.01. This increase was still observed when neutrophils were treated with inhibitors of eicosanoid synthesis. There were no changes in expression of other CYP4 enzymes in knockout neutrophils that might compensate for loss of CYP4F18 or lead to differences in activity. A mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate colitis was used to investigate the consequences of increased C5a-dependent chemotaxis in vivo, but there was no significant difference in weight loss, disease activity, or colonic tissue myeloperoxidase between wild-type and Cyp4f18 knockout mice. This study demonstrates the limitations of inferring CYP4F function based on an ability to use LTB4 as a substrate, points to expanding roles for CYP4F enzymes in immune regulation, and underscores the in vivo challenges of CYP knockout studies.

  13. A novel partial deletion of the Y chromosome azoospermia factor c region is caused by non-homologous recombination between palindromes and may be associated with increased sperm counts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noordam, M. J.; van Daalen, S. K. M.; Hovingh, S. E.; Korver, C. M.; van der Veen, F.; Repping, S.

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The male-specific region of the human Y chromosome (MSY) contains multiple testis-specific genes. Most deletions in the MSY lead to inadequate or absent sperm production. Nearly all deletions occur via homologous recombination between amplicons. Previously, we identified two P5/distal-P1

  14. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor triggers chemotaxis of CD74+CXCR2+ NKT cells in chemically induced IFN-γ-mediated skin inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Chia-Yuan; Chen, Chia-Ling; Lin, Yee-Shin; Yeh, Trai-Ming; Tsai, Tsung-Ting; Hong, Ming-Yuan; Lin, Chiou-Feng

    2014-10-01

    IFN-γ mediates chemically induced skin inflammation; however, the mechanism by which IFN-γ-producing cells are recruited to the sites of inflammation remains undefined. Secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory cytokine, from damaged cells may promote immune cell recruitment. We hypothesized that MIF triggers an initial step in the chemotaxis of IFN-γ-producing cells in chemically induced skin inflammation. Using acute and chronic models of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced skin inflammation in mouse ears, MIF expression was examined, and its role in this process was investigated pharmacologically. The cell populations targeted by MIF, their receptor expression patterns, and the effects of MIF on cell migration were examined. TPA directly caused cytotoxicity accompanied by MIF release in mouse ear epidermal keratinocytes, as well as in human keratinocytic HaCaT cells. Treatment with the MIF antagonist (S,R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester considerably attenuated TPA-induced ear swelling, leukocyte infiltration, epidermal cell proliferation, and dermal angiogenesis. Inhibition of MIF greatly diminished the dermal infiltration of IFN-γ(+) NKT cells, whereas the addition of exogenous TPA and MIF to NKT cells promoted their IFN-γ production and migration, respectively. MIF specifically triggered the chemotaxis of NKT cells via CD74 and CXCR2, and the resulting depletion of NKT cells abolished TPA-induced skin inflammation. In TPA-induced skin inflammation, MIF is released from damaged keratinocytes and then triggers the chemotaxis of CD74(+)CXCR2(+) NKT cells for IFN-γ production. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  15. A Circuit for Gradient Climbing in C. elegans Chemotaxis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Larsch

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Animals have a remarkable ability to track dynamic sensory information. For example, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can locate a diacetyl odor source across a 100,000-fold concentration range. Here, we relate neuronal properties, circuit implementation, and behavioral strategies underlying this robust navigation. Diacetyl responses in AWA olfactory neurons are concentration and history dependent; AWA integrates over time at low odor concentrations, but as concentrations rise, it desensitizes rapidly through a process requiring cilia transport. After desensitization, AWA retains sensitivity to small odor increases. The downstream AIA interneuron amplifies weak odor inputs and desensitizes further, resulting in a stereotyped response to odor increases over three orders of magnitude. The AWA-AIA circuit drives asymmetric behavioral responses to odor increases that facilitate gradient climbing. The adaptation-based circuit motif embodied by AWA and AIA shares computational properties with bacterial chemotaxis and the vertebrate retina, each providing a solution for maintaining sensitivity across a dynamic range.

  16. A computational model for how cells choose temporal or spatial sensing during chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Rui Zhen; Chiam, Keng-Hwee

    2018-03-01

    Cell size is thought to play an important role in choosing between temporal and spatial sensing in chemotaxis. Large cells are thought to use spatial sensing due to large chemical difference at its ends whereas small cells are incapable of spatial sensing due to rapid homogenization of proteins within the cell. However, small cells have been found to polarize and large cells like sperm cells undergo temporal sensing. Thus, it remains an open question what exactly governs spatial versus temporal sensing. Here, we identify the factors that determines sensing choices through mathematical modeling of chemotactic circuits. Comprehensive computational search of three-node signaling circuits has identified the negative integral feedback (NFB) and incoherent feedforward (IFF) circuits as capable of adaptation, an important property for chemotaxis. Cells are modeled as one-dimensional circular system consisting of diffusible activator, inactivator and output proteins, traveling across a chemical gradient. From our simulations, we find that sensing outcomes are similar for NFB or IFF circuits. Rather than cell size, the relevant parameters are the 1) ratio of cell speed to the product of cell diameter and rate of signaling, 2) diffusivity of the output protein and 3) ratio of the diffusivities of the activator to inactivator protein. Spatial sensing is favored when all three parameters are low. This corresponds to a cell moving slower than the time it takes for signaling to propagate across the cell diameter, has an output protein that is polarizable and has a local-excitation global-inhibition system to amplify the chemical gradient. Temporal sensing is favored otherwise. We also find that temporal sensing is more robust to noise. By performing extensive literature search, we find that our prediction agrees with observation in a wide range of species and cell types ranging from E. coli to human Fibroblast cells and propose that our result is universally applicable.

  17. A strong deletion bias in nonallelic gene conversion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Assis

    Full Text Available Gene conversion is the unidirectional transfer of genetic information between orthologous (allelic or paralogous (nonallelic genomic segments. Though a number of studies have examined nucleotide replacements, little is known about length difference mutations produced by gene conversion. Here, we investigate insertions and deletions produced by nonallelic gene conversion in 338 Drosophila and 10,149 primate paralogs. Using a direct phylogenetic approach, we identify 179 insertions and 614 deletions in Drosophila paralogs, and 132 insertions and 455 deletions in primate paralogs. Thus, nonallelic gene conversion is strongly deletion-biased in both lineages, with almost 3.5 times as many conversion-induced deletions as insertions. In primates, the deletion bias is considerably stronger for long indels and, in both lineages, the per-site rate of gene conversion is orders of magnitudes higher than that of ordinary mutation. Due to this high rate, deletion-biased nonallelic gene conversion plays a key role in genome size evolution, leading to the cooperative shrinkage and eventual disappearance of selectively neutral paralogs.

  18. Relationship between the functional exon 3 deleted growth hormone receptor polymorphism and symptomatic osteoarthritis in women

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claessen, K. M. J. A.; Kloppenburg, M.; Kroon, H. M.; Bijsterbosch, J.; Pereira, A. M.; Romijn, J. A.; van der Straaten, T.; Nelissen, R. G. H. H.; Hofman, A.; Uitterlinden, A. G.; Duijnisveld, B. J.; Lakenberg, N.; Beekman, M.; van Meurs, J. B.; Slagboom, P. E.; Biermasz, N. R.; Meulenbelt, I.

    2014-01-01

    Background Several studies suggest a role of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis in the pathophysiology of primary osteoarthritis (OA). A common polymorphism of the GH receptor (exon 3 deletion, d3-GHR) is associated with increased GH/IGF-1 activity. Objective To study

  19. Characterization of five partial deletions of the factor VIII gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youssoufian, H.; Antonarakis, S.E.; Aronis, S.; Tsiftis, G.; Phillips, D.G.; Kazazian, H.H. Jr.

    1987-01-01

    Hemophilia A is an X-linked disorder of coagulation caused by a deficiency of factor VIII. By using cloned DNA probes, the authors have characterized the following five different partial deletions of the factor VIII gene from a panel of 83 patients with hemophilia A: (i) a 7-kilobase (kb) deletion that eliminates exon 6; (ii) a 2.5-kb deletion that eliminates 5' sequences of exon 14; (iii) a deletion of at least 7 kb that eliminates exons 24 and 25; (iv) a deletion of at least 16 kb that eliminates exons 23-25; and (v) a 5.5-kb deletion that eliminates exon 22. The first four deletions are associated with severe hemophilia A. By contrast, the last deletion is associated with moderate disease, possibly because of in-frame splicing from adjacent exons. None of those patients with partial gene deletions had circulating inhibitors to factor VIII. One deletion occurred de novo in a germ cell of the maternal grandmother, while a second deletion occurred in a germ cell of the maternal grandfather. These observations demonstrate that de novo deletions of X-linked genes can occur in either male or female gametes

  20. The First Report of a 290-bp Deletion in β-Globin Gene in the South of Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamid, Mohammad; Nejad, Ladan Dawoody; Shariati, Gholamreza; Galehdari, Hamid; Saberi, Alihossein; Mohammadi-Anaei, Marziye

    2017-01-01

    Background: β-thalassemia is one of the most widespread diseases in the world, including Iran. In this study, we reported, for the first time, a 290-bp β-globin gene deletion in the south of Iran. Methods: Four individuals from three unrelated families with Arabic ethnic background were studied in Khuzestan Province. Red blood cell indices and hemoglobin analysis were carried out according to the standard methods. Genomic DNA was obtained from peripheral blood cells by salting out procedures. β-globin gene amplification, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and DNA sequencing were performed. Results: The PCR followed by sequencing and MLPA test of the β-globin gene confirmed the presence of a 290-bp deletion in the heterozygous form, along with -88C>A mutation. All the individuals had elevated hemoglobin A2 and normal fetal hemoglobin levels. Conclusions: This mutation causes β0-thalassemia and can be highly useful for prenatal diagnosis in compound heterozygous condition with different β-globin gene mutations. PMID:26948378

  1. SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome: 12 new cases demonstrating broader phenotype and high frequency of large gene deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakrania, P; Robinson, D O; Bunyan, D J; Salt, A; Martin, A; Crolla, J A; Wyatt, A; Fielder, A; Ainsworth, J; Moore, A; Read, S; Uddin, J; Laws, D; Pascuel-Salcedo, D; Ayuso, C; Allen, L; Collin, J R O; Ragge, N K

    2007-11-01

    Developmental eye anomalies, which include anophthalmia (absent eye) or microphthalmia (small eye) are an important cause of severe visual impairment in infants and young children. Heterozygous mutations in SOX2, a SOX1B-HMG box transcription factor, have been found in up to 10% of individuals with severe microphthalmia or anophthalmia and such mutations could also be associated with a range of non-ocular abnormalities. We performed mutation analysis on a new cohort of 120 patients with congenital eye abnormalities, mainly anophthalmia, microphthalmia and coloboma. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) were used to detect whole gene deletion. We identified four novel intragenic SOX2 mutations (one single base deletion, one single base duplication and two point mutations generating premature translational termination codons) and two further cases with the previously reported c.70del20 mutation. Of 52 patients with severe microphthalmia or anophthalmia analysed by MLPA, 5 were found to be deleted for the whole SOX2 gene and 1 had a partial deletion. In two of these, FISH studies identified sub-microscopic deletions involving a minimum of 328 Kb and 550 Kb. The SOX2 phenotypes include a patient with anophthalmia, oesophageal abnormalities and horseshoe kidney, and a patient with a retinal dystrophy implicating SOX2 in retinal development. Our results provide further evidence that SOX2 haploinsufficiency is a common cause of severe developmental ocular malformations and that background genetic variation determines the varying phenotypes. Given the high incidence of whole gene deletion we recommend that all patients with severe microphthalmia or anophthalmia, including unilateral cases be screened by MLPA and FISH for SOX2 deletions.

  2. Cluster–cluster aggregation with particle replication and chemotaxy: a simple model for the growth of animal cells in culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alves, S G; Martins, M L

    2010-01-01

    Aggregation of animal cells in culture comprises a series of motility, collision and adhesion processes of basic relevance for tissue engineering, bioseparations, oncology research and in vitro drug testing. In the present paper, a cluster–cluster aggregation model with stochastic particle replication and chemotactically driven motility is investigated as a model for the growth of animal cells in culture. The focus is on the scaling laws governing the aggregation kinetics. Our simulations reveal that in the absence of chemotaxy the mean cluster size and the total number of clusters scale in time as stretched exponentials dependent on the particle replication rate. Also, the dynamical cluster size distribution functions are represented by a scaling relation in which the scaling function involves a stretched exponential of the time. The introduction of chemoattraction among the particles leads to distribution functions decaying as power laws with exponents that decrease in time. The fractal dimensions and size distributions of the simulated clusters are qualitatively discussed in terms of those determined experimentally for several normal and tumoral cell lines growing in culture. It is shown that particle replication and chemotaxy account for the simplest cluster size distributions of cellular aggregates observed in culture

  3. 76 FR 5142 - Procurement List; Additions and Deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-28

    ... and Deletion AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Additions to and deletion from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds services to the Procurement.... Contracting Activity: Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Jamaica, NY. Deletion On...

  4. Effects of exogenous IL-37 on the biological characteristics of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and the chemotaxis of regulatory T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Hua; Zhou, Bi-Yun; Wu, Guo-Cai; Liao, De-Quan; Li, Jing; Liang, Si-Si; Wu, Xian-Jin; Xu, Jun-Fa; Chen, Yong-Hua; Di, Xiao-Qing; Lin, Qiong-Yan

    2018-02-14

    This study aims to investigate the effects of exogenous interleukin (IL)-37 on the biological characteristics of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and the chemotaxis of regulatory T (Treg) cells. After isolating the CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells from the peripheral blood, flow cytometry was used to detect the purity of the Treg cells. A549 cells were divided into blank (no transfection), empty plasmid (transfection with pIRES2-EGFP empty plasmid) or IL-37 group (transfection with pIRES2-EGFP-IL-37 plasmid). RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA expression of IL-37 and ELISA to determine IL-37 and MMP-9 expressions. Western blotting was applied to detect the protein expressions of PCNA, Ki-67, Cyclin D1, CDK4, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9. MTT assay, flow cytometry, scratch test and transwell assay were performed to detect cell proliferation, cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Effect of exogenous IL-37 on the chemotaxis of Treg cells was measured through transwell assay. Xenograft models in nude mice were eastablished to detect the impact of IL-37 on A549 cells. The IL-37 group had a higher IL-37 expression, cell apoptosis in the early stage and percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase than the blank and empty plasmid groups. The IL-37 group had a lower MMP-9 expression, optical density (OD), percentage of cells in the S and G2/M phases, migration, invasion and chemotaxis of CD4+CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg cells. The xenograft volume and weight of nude mice in the IL-37 group were lower than those in the blank and empty plasmid groups. Compared with the blank and empty plasmid groups, the IL-37 group had significantly reduced expression of PCNA, Ki-67, Cyclin D1 and CDK4 but elevated expression of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9. Therefore, exogenous IL-37 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as well as the chemotaxis of Treg cells while promoting the apoptosis of A549 cells.

  5. Deletion 22q13.3 syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phelan Mary C

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The deletion 22q13.3 syndrome (deletion 22q13 syndrome or Phelan-McDermid syndrome is a chromosome microdeletion syndrome characterized by neonatal hypotonia, global developmental delay, normal to accelerated growth, absent to severely delayed speech, and minor dysmorphic features. The deletion occurs with equal frequency in males and females and has been reported in mosaic and non-mosaic forms. Due to lack of clinical recognition and often insufficient laboratory testing, the syndrome is under-diagnosed and its true incidence remains unknown. Common physical traits include long eye lashes, large or unusual ears, relatively large hands, dysplastic toenails, full brow, dolicocephaly, full cheeks, bulbous nose, and pointed chin. Behavior is autistic-like with decreased perception of pain and habitual chewing or mouthing. The loss of 22q13.3 can result from simple deletion, translocation, ring chromosome formation and less common structural changes affecting the long arm of chromosome 22, specifically the region containing the SHANK3 gene. The diagnosis of deletion 22q13 syndrome should be considered in all cases of hypotonia of unknown etiology and in individuals with absent speech. Although the deletion can sometimes be detected by high resolution chromosome analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH or array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH is recommended for confirmation. Differential diagnosis includes syndromes associated with hypotonia, developmental delay, speech delay and/or autistic-like affect (Prader-Willi, Angelman, Williams, Smith-Magenis, Fragile X, Sotos, FG, trichorhinophalangeal and velocardiofacial syndromes, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy. Genetic counseling is recommended and parental laboratory studies should be considered to identify cryptic rearrangements and detect parental mosaicism. Prenatal diagnosis should be offered for future pregnancies in those families with inherited rearrangements

  6. 78 FR 29119 - Procurement List; Additions and Deletion

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    2013-05-17

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  7. A PEG-DA microfluidic device for chemotaxis studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Traore, Mahama Aziz; Behkam, Bahareh

    2013-01-01

    The study of cells in a well-defined and chemically programmable microenvironment is essential for a complete and fundamental understanding of the cell behaviors with respect to specific chemical compounds. Flow-free microfluidic devices that generate quasi-steady chemical gradients (spatially varying but temporally constant) have been demonstrated as effective chemotaxis assay platforms due to dissociating the effect of chemical cues from mechanical shear forces caused by fluid flow. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of a flow-free microfluidic platform made of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA) hydrogel. We have demonstrated that the mass transport properties of these devices can be customized by fabricating them from PEG-DA gels of four distinct molecular weights. In contrast to microfluidic devices developed using soft lithography; this class of devices can be realized using a more cost-effective approach of direct photopolymerization with fewer microfabrication steps. This microfluidic platform was tested by conducting a quantitative study of the chemotactic behavior of Escherichia coli (E. coli) RP437, a model microorganism, in presence of the chemo-effector, casamino-acids. Using the microfabrication and characterization methodology presented in this work, microfluidic platforms with well-defined and customizable diffusive properties can be developed to accommodate the study of a wide range of cell types. (paper)

  8. The stochastic dance of circling sperm cells: sperm chemotaxis in the plane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedrich, B M; Juelicher, F [Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden (Germany)], E-mail: ben@pks.mpg.de, E-mail: julicher@pks.mpg.de

    2008-12-15

    Biological systems such as single cells must function in the presence of fluctuations. It has been shown in a two-dimensional experimental setup that sea urchin sperm cells move toward a source of chemoattractant along planar trochoidal swimming paths, i.e. drifting circles. In these experiments, a pronounced variability of the swimming paths is observed. We present a theoretical description of sperm chemotaxis in two dimensions which takes fluctuations into account. We derive a coarse-grained theory of stochastic sperm swimming paths in a concentration field of chemoattractant. Fluctuations enter as multiplicative noise in the equations for the sperm swimming path. We discuss the stochastic properties of sperm swimming and predict a concentration-dependence of the effective diffusion constant of sperm swimming which could be tested in experiments.

  9. The stochastic dance of circling sperm cells: sperm chemotaxis in the plane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedrich, B M; Juelicher, F

    2008-01-01

    Biological systems such as single cells must function in the presence of fluctuations. It has been shown in a two-dimensional experimental setup that sea urchin sperm cells move toward a source of chemoattractant along planar trochoidal swimming paths, i.e. drifting circles. In these experiments, a pronounced variability of the swimming paths is observed. We present a theoretical description of sperm chemotaxis in two dimensions which takes fluctuations into account. We derive a coarse-grained theory of stochastic sperm swimming paths in a concentration field of chemoattractant. Fluctuations enter as multiplicative noise in the equations for the sperm swimming path. We discuss the stochastic properties of sperm swimming and predict a concentration-dependence of the effective diffusion constant of sperm swimming which could be tested in experiments.

  10. 44 CFR 5.27 - Deletion of identifying details.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deletion of identifying... Availability of General Agency Information, Rules, Orders, Policies, and Similar Material § 5.27 Deletion of..., interpretation, or staff manual or instruction. However, the justification for each deletion will be explained...

  11. Collective Signal Processing in Cluster Chemotaxis: Roles of Adaptation, Amplification, and Co-attraction in Collective Guidance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camley, Brian A.; Zimmermann, Juliane; Levine, Herbert; Rappel, Wouter-Jan

    2016-01-01

    Single eukaryotic cells commonly sense and follow chemical gradients, performing chemotaxis. Recent experiments and theories, however, show that even when single cells do not chemotax, clusters of cells may, if their interactions are regulated by the chemoattractant. We study this general mechanism of “collective guidance” computationally with models that integrate stochastic dynamics for individual cells with biochemical reactions within the cells, and diffusion of chemical signals between the cells. We show that if clusters of cells use the well-known local excitation, global inhibition (LEGI) mechanism to sense chemoattractant gradients, the speed of the cell cluster becomes non-monotonic in the cluster’s size—clusters either larger or smaller than an optimal size will have lower speed. We argue that the cell cluster speed is a crucial readout of how the cluster processes chemotactic signals; both amplification and adaptation will alter the behavior of cluster speed as a function of size. We also show that, contrary to the assumptions of earlier theories, collective guidance does not require persistent cell-cell contacts and strong short range adhesion. If cell-cell adhesion is absent, and the cluster cohesion is instead provided by a co-attraction mechanism, e.g. chemotaxis toward a secreted molecule, collective guidance may still function. However, new behaviors, such as cluster rotation, may also appear in this case. Co-attraction and adaptation allow for collective guidance that is robust to varying chemoattractant concentrations while not requiring strong cell-cell adhesion. PMID:27367541

  12. 19 CFR 142.49 - Deletion of C-4 Code.

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    2010-04-01

    .... Entry filers may delete C-4 Codes from Line Release by notifying the port director in writing on a Deletion Data Loading Sheet. Such notification shall state the C-4 Code which is to be deleted, the port... TREASURY (CONTINUED) ENTRY PROCESS Line Release § 142.49 Deletion of C-4 Code. (a) By Customs. A port...

  13. 5 CFR 2502.18 - Deletion of exempted information.

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  14. 78 FR 75912 - Procurement List; Addition and Deletion

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    2013-12-13

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  15. Natural variation in life history and aging phenotypes is associated with mitochondrial DNA deletion frequency in Caenorhabditis briggsae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smith Samson W

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutations that impair mitochondrial functioning are associated with a variety of metabolic and age-related disorders. A barrier to rigorous tests of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging processes has been the lack of model systems with relevant, naturally occurring mitochondrial genetic variation. Toward the goal of developing such a model system, we studied natural variation in life history, metabolic, and aging phenotypes as it relates to levels of a naturally-occurring heteroplasmic mitochondrial ND5 deletion recently discovered to segregate among wild populations of the soil nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae. The normal product of ND5 is a central component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and integral to cellular energy metabolism. Results We quantified significant variation among C. briggsae isolates for all phenotypes measured, only some of which was statistically associated with isolate-specific ND5 deletion frequency. We found that fecundity-related traits and pharyngeal pumping rate were strongly inversely related to ND5 deletion level and that C. briggsae isolates with high ND5 deletion levels experienced a tradeoff between early fecundity and lifespan. Conversely, oxidative stress resistance was only weakly associated with ND5 deletion level while ATP content was unrelated to deletion level. Finally, mean levels of reactive oxygen species measured in vivo showed a significant non-linear relationship with ND5 deletion level, a pattern that may be driven by among-isolate variation in antioxidant or other compensatory mechanisms. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the ND5 deletion may adversely affect fitness and mitochondrial functioning while promoting aging in natural populations, and help to further establish this species as a useful model for explicit tests of hypotheses in aging biology and mitochondrial genetics.

  16. 5 CFR 1631.17 - Deletion of exempted information.

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    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Deletion of exempted information. 1631.17... Deletion of exempted information. Where requested records contain matters which are exempted under 5 U.S.C... disclosed by the Board with deletions. To each such record, the Board shall attach a written justification...

  17. 78 FR 27369 - Procurement List; Additions and Deletion

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    2013-05-10

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  18. 49 CFR 7.6 - Deletion of identifying detail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deletion of identifying detail. 7.6 Section 7.6... To Be Made Public by DOT § 7.6 Deletion of identifying detail. Whenever it is determined to be... the deletion will accompany the record published or made available for inspection. ...

  19. Global classical solvability and stabilization in a two-dimensional chemotaxis-Navier-Stokes system modeling coral fertilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espejo, Elio; Winkler, Michael

    2018-04-01

    The interplay of chemotaxis, convection and reaction terms is studied in the particular framework of a refined model for coral broadcast spawning, consisting of three equations describing the population densities of unfertilized sperms and eggs and the concentration of a chemical released by the latter, coupled to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Under mild assumptions on the initial data, global existence of classical solutions to an associated initial-boundary value problem in bounded planar domains is established. Moreover, all these solutions are shown to approach a spatially homogeneous equilibrium in the large time limit.

  20. Metabolic responses to pyruvate kinase deletion in lysine producing Corynebacterium glutamicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wittmann Christoph

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pyruvate kinase is an important element in flux control of the intermediate metabolism. It catalyzes the irreversible conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate into pyruvate and is under allosteric control. In Corynebacterium glutamicum, this enzyme was regarded as promising target for improved production of lysine, one of the major amino acids in animal nutrition. In pyruvate kinase deficient strains the required equimolar ratio of the two lysine precursors oxaloacetate and pyruvate can be achieved through concerted action of the phosphotransferase system (PTS and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, whereby a reduced amount of carbon may be lost as CO2 due to reduced flux into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA cycle. In previous studies, deletion of pyruvate kinase in lysine-producing C. glutamicum, however, did not yield a clear picture and the exact metabolic consequences are not fully understood. Results In this work, deletion of the pyk gene, encoding pyruvate kinase, was carried out in the lysine-producing strain C. glutamicum lysCfbr, expressing a feedback resistant aspartokinase, to investigate the cellular response to deletion of this central glycolytic enzyme. Pyk deletion was achieved by allelic replacement, verified by PCR analysis and the lack of in vitro enzyme activity. The deletion mutant showed an overall growth behavior (specific growth rate, glucose uptake rate, biomass yield which was very similar to that of the parent strain, but differed in slightly reduced lysine formation, increased formation of the overflow metabolites dihydroxyacetone and glycerol and in metabolic fluxes around the pyruvate node. The latter involved a flux shift from pyruvate carboxylase (PC to PEPC, by which the cell maintained anaplerotic supply of the TCA cycle. This created a metabolic by-pass from PEP to pyruvate via malic enzyme demonstrating its contribution to metabolic flexibility of C. glutamicum on glucose. Conclusion The metabolic

  1. A Comparative Study of Quantum and Classical Deletion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Yao; Hao Liang; Long Guilu

    2010-01-01

    Here in this letter, we study the difference between quantum and classical deletion. We point out that the linear mapping deletion operation used in the impossibility proof for quantum systems applies also to classical system. The general classical deletion operation is a combined operation of measurement and transformation, i.e., first read the state and then transfer the state to the standard blank state. Though both quantum information and classical information can be deleted in an open system, quantum information cannot be recovered while classical information can be recovered. (general)

  2. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) provides survival factors to EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) lines and modulates cytokine induced specific chemotaxis in EBV+  DLBCL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Liang; Ehlin-Henriksson, Barbro; Zhou, Xiaoying; Zhu, Hong; Ernberg, Ingemar; Kis, Lorand L; Klein, George

    2017-12-01

    Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common type of malignant lymphoma, accounts for 30% of adult non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) -positive DLBCL of the elderly is a newly recognized subtype that accounts for 8-10% of DLBCLs in Asian countries, but is less common in Western populations. Five DLBCL-derived cell lines were employed to characterize patterns of EBV latent gene expression, as well as response to cytokines and chemotaxis. Interleukin-4 and interleukin-21 modified LMP1, EBNA1 and EBNA2 expression depending on cell phenotype and type of EBV latent programme (type I, II or III). These cytokines also affected CXCR4- or CCR7-mediated chemotaxis in two of the cell lines, Farage (type III) and Val (type II). Further, we investigated the effect of EBV by using dominant-negative EBV nuclear antigen 1(dnEBNA1) to eliminate EBV genomes. This resulted in decreased chemotaxis. By employing an alternative way to eliminate EBV genomes, Roscovitine, we show an increase of apoptosis in the EBV-positive lines. These results show that EBV plays an important role in EBV-positive DLBCL lines with regard to survival and chemotactic response. Our findings provide evidence for the impact of microenvironment on EBV-carrying DLBCL cells and might have therapeutic implications. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Conversion of Deletions during Recombination in Pneumococcal Transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lefevre, J. C.; Mostachfi, P.; Gasc, A. M.; Guillot, E.; Pasta, F.; Sicard, M.

    1989-01-01

    Genetic analysis of 16 deletions obtained in the amiA locus of pneumococcus is described. When present on donor DNA, all deletions increased drastically the frequency of wild-type recombinants in two-point crosses. This effect was maximal for deletions longer than 200 bases. It was reduced for heterologies shorter than 76 bases and did not exist for very short deletions. In three-point crosses in which the deletion was localized between two point mutations, we demonstrated that this excess of wild-type recombinants was the result of a genetic conversion. This conversion extended over several scores of bases outside the deletion. Conversion takes place during the heteroduplex stage of recombination. Therefore, in pneumococcal transformation, long heterologies participated in this heteroduplex configuration. As this conversion did not require an active DNA polymerase A gene it is proposed that the mechanism of conversion is not a DNA repair synthesis but involves breakage and ligation between DNA molecules. Conversion of deletions did not require the Hex system of correction of mismatched bases. It differs also from localized conversion. It appears that it is a process that evolved to correct errors of replication which lead to long heterologies and which are not eliminated by other systems. PMID:2599365

  4. Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1 (DMBT1) is present in hyaline membranes and modulates surface tension of surfactant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Hanna; End, Caroline; Renner, Marcus

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1 (DMBT1) is a secreted scavenger receptor cysteine-rich protein that binds various bacteria and is thought to participate in innate pulmonary host defense. We hypothesized that pulmonary DMBT1 could contribute to respiratory distress syndrome...

  5. 36 CFR 1275.58 - Deletion of restricted portions.

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    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deletion of restricted... HISTORICAL MATERIALS OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION Access by the Public § 1275.58 Deletion of restricted... materials after the deletion of the portions which are restricted under this § 1275.50 or § 1275.52. ...

  6. 75 FR 69638 - Procurement List; Additions and Deletion

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    2010-11-15

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  7. Genetics Home Reference: proximal 18q deletion syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... characteristic features. Most cases of proximal 18q deletion syndrome are the result of a new (de novo) deletion and are not inherited from a ... J, Fox PT, Stratton RF, Perry B, Hale DE. Recurrent interstitial deletions of proximal 18q: a new syndrome involving expressive speech delay. Am J Med Genet ...

  8. Association of hepatitis B virus pre-S deletions with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Qidong, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Shuai Qu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND/AIM: To investigate the roles of mutations in pre-S and S regions of hepatitis B virus (HBV on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC in Qidong, China. METHODS: We conducted an age matched case-control study within a cohort of 2387 male HBV carriers who were recruited from August, 1996. The HBV DNA sequence in pre-S/S regions was successfully determined in 96 HCC cases and 97 control subjects. In addition, a consecutive series of samples from 11 HCC cases were employed to evaluate the pre-S deletion patterns before and after the occurrence of HCC. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, history of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, HBeAg positivity, pre-S deletions, pre-S2 start codon mutations, and T53C mutation were significantly associated with HCC, showing adjusted odds ratios (ORs from 1.914 to 3.199. HCC patients also had a lower frequency of T31C mutation in pre-S2 gene, compared with control subjects (0.524; 95% CI 0.280-0.982. HBV pre-S deletions were clustered mainly in the 5' end of pre-S2 region. Multivariate analysis showed that pre-S deletions and pre-S2 start codon mutations were independent risk factors for HCC. The OR (95% CI were 2.434 (1.063-5.573 and 3.065 (1.099-8.547, respectively. The longitudinal observation indicated that the pre-S deletion mutations were not acquired at the beginning of HBV infection, but that the mutations occurred during the long course of liver disease. CONCLUSION: Pre-S deletions and pre-S2 start codon mutations were independently associated with the development of HCC. The results also provided direct evidence that pre-S deletion mutations were not acquired from the beginning of infection but arose de novo during the progression of liver disease.

  9. The diagnosis and molecular analysis of a novel 21.9kb deletion (Qinzhou type deletion) causing α+ thalassemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Ju; Yan, Shanhuo; Lao, Kegan; Pang, Wanrong; Ye, Xuehe; Sun, Lei

    2014-04-01

    α-Thalassemia is a common single-gene genetic disease that can cause Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis and Hb H disease in tropical and subtropical regions. When examining conventional thalassemia genes, an only detected --(SEA) genotype sample needs further analysis. In doing so, we found a novel 21.9kb deletion (Qinzhou type deletion). The deletion position of the novel 21.9kb deletion is from 14373bp to 36299bp of the α-globin gene cluster (NG_000006.1); thus, there exists a 21927bp sequence deletion, into which a 29bp sequence is added. After sequence analysis, a group of Gap-PCR primers were synthesized to diagnose this novel thalassemia genotype. Through pedigree analysis, we deduced that the propositus obtained the novel alleles from her mother. The genotype of this propositus is --(SEA)/-α(21.9) and its phenotype conforms to the characteristics of Hb H disease, establishing that the combination between -α(21.9) genotype and α(0) genotype can lead to Hb H disease. By molecular analysis, we established that this case fits the characteristic of an α(+) thalassemia genotype. © 2013.

  10. Fast detection of deletion breakpoints using quantitative PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gulshara Abildinova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The routine detection of large and medium copy number variants (CNVs is well established. Hemizygotic deletions or duplications in the large Duchenne muscular dystrophy DMD gene responsible for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are routinely identified using multiple ligation probe amplification and array-based comparative genomic hybridization. These methods only map deleted or duplicated exons, without providing the exact location of breakpoints. Commonly used methods for the detection of CNV breakpoints include long-range PCR and primer walking, their success being limited by the deletion size, GC content and presence of DNA repeats. Here, we present a strategy for detecting the breakpoints of medium and large CNVs regardless of their size. The hemizygous deletion of exons 45-50 in the DMD gene and the large autosomal heterozygous PARK2 deletion were used to demonstrate the workflow that relies on real-time quantitative PCR to narrow down the deletion region and Sanger sequencing for breakpoint confirmation. The strategy is fast, reliable and cost-efficient, making it amenable to widespread use in genetic laboratories.

  11. 29 CFR 1610.20 - Deletion of exempted matters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deletion of exempted matters. 1610.20 Section 1610.20 Labor... Production or Disclosure Under 5 U.S.C. 552 § 1610.20 Deletion of exempted matters. Where requested records... the remainder of the records, they shall be disclosed by the Commission with deletions. To each such...

  12. Pathological mechanisms underlying single large‐scale mitochondrial DNA deletions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, Mariana C.; Rosa, Hannah S.; Grady, John P.; Blakely, Emma L.; He, Langping; Romain, Nadine; Haller, Ronald G.; Newman, Jane; McFarland, Robert; Ng, Yi Shiau; Gorman, Grainne S.; Schaefer, Andrew M.; Tuppen, Helen A.; Taylor, Robert W.

    2018-01-01

    Objective Single, large‐scale deletions in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are a common cause of mitochondrial disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the genetic defect and molecular phenotype to improve understanding of pathogenic mechanisms associated with single, large‐scale mtDNA deletions in skeletal muscle. Methods We investigated 23 muscle biopsies taken from adult patients (6 males/17 females with a mean age of 43 years) with characterized single, large‐scale mtDNA deletions. Mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency in skeletal muscle biopsies was quantified by immunoreactivity levels for complex I and complex IV proteins. Single muscle fibers with varying degrees of deficiency were selected from 6 patient biopsies for determination of mtDNA deletion level and copy number by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results We have defined 3 “classes” of single, large‐scale deletion with distinct patterns of mitochondrial deficiency, determined by the size and location of the deletion. Single fiber analyses showed that fibers with greater respiratory chain deficiency harbored higher levels of mtDNA deletion with an increase in total mtDNA copy number. For the first time, we have demonstrated that threshold levels for complex I and complex IV deficiency differ based on deletion class. Interpretation Combining genetic and immunofluorescent assays, we conclude that thresholds for complex I and complex IV deficiency are modulated by the deletion of complex‐specific protein‐encoding genes. Furthermore, removal of mt‐tRNA genes impacts specific complexes only at high deletion levels, when complex‐specific protein‐encoding genes remain. These novel findings provide valuable insight into the pathogenic mechanisms associated with these mutations. Ann Neurol 2018;83:115–130 PMID:29283441

  13. Highly efficient gene targeting in Aspergillus oryzae industrial strains under ligD mutation introduced by genome editing: Strain-specific differences in the effects of deleting EcdR, the negative regulator of sclerotia formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Hidetoshi; Katayama, Takuya; Okabe, Tomoya; Iwashita, Kazuhiro; Fujii, Wataru; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko; Maruyama, Jun-Ichi

    2017-07-11

    Numerous strains of Aspergillus oryzae are industrially used for Japanese traditional fermentation and for the production of enzymes and heterologous proteins. In A. oryzae, deletion of the ku70 or ligD genes involved in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) has allowed high gene targeting efficiency. However, this strategy has been mainly applied under the genetic background of the A. oryzae wild strain RIB40, and it would be laborious to delete the NHEJ genes in many A. oryzae industrial strains, probably due to their low gene targeting efficiency. In the present study, we generated ligD mutants from the A. oryzae industrial strains by employing the CRISPR/Cas9 system, which we previously developed as a genome editing method. Uridine/uracil auxotrophic strains were generated by deletion of the pyrG gene, which was subsequently used as a selective marker. We examined the gene targeting efficiency with the ecdR gene, of which deletion was reported to induce sclerotia formation under the genetic background of the strain RIB40. As expected, the deletion efficiencies were high, around 60~80%, in the ligD mutants of industrial strains. Intriguingly, the effects of the ecdR deletion on sclerotia formation varied depending on the strains, and we found sclerotia-like structures under the background of the industrial strains, which have never been reported to form sclerotia. The present study demonstrates that introducing ligD mutation by genome editing is an effective method allowing high gene targeting efficiency in A. oryzae industrial strains.

  14. The impact of CCR5-Δ32 deletion on C-reactive protein levels and cardiovascular disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dinh, Khoa Manh; Pedersen, Ole B; Petersen, Mikkel S

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The C-C chemokine receptor 5-Δ32 deletion (CCR5-Δ32) has been associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), but the effect on cardiovascular diseases is uncertain. This study addresses the impact of CCR5-Δ32 on the risk of low-grade inflammation...... and hospitalization with cardiovascular diseases in a large cohort of blood donors. METHODS: Genotyping of 15,206 healthy participants from The Danish Blood Donor Study for CCR5-Δ32 was performed and combined with CRP measurements and questionnaire data. Cardiovascular disease diagnoses were identified by ICD-10......: In this cohort, carriers of the CCR5-Δ32 deletion had normal CRP levels but a borderline significant increased risk of cardiovascular diseases....

  15. Probabilistic deletion of copies of linearly independent quantum states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Jian; Gao Yunfeng; Wang Jisuo; Zhan Mingsheng

    2002-01-01

    We show that each of two copies of the nonorthogonal states randomly selected from a certain set S can be probabilistically deleted by a general unitary-reduction operation if and only if the states are linearly independent. We derive a tight bound on the best possible deleting efficiencies. These results for 2→1 probabilistic deleting are also generalized into the case of N→M deleting (N,M positive integers and N>M)

  16. ATLAS DQ2 Deletion Service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, Danila; Petrosyan, Artem; Garonne, Vincent; Campana, Simone

    2012-01-01

    The ATLAS Distributed Data Management project DQ2 is responsible for the replication, access and bookkeeping of ATLAS data across more than 100 distributed grid sites. It also enforces data management policies decided on by the collaboration and defined in the ATLAS computing model. The DQ2 Deletion Service is one of the most important DDM services. This distributed service interacts with 3rd party grid middleware and the DQ2 catalogues to serve data deletion requests on the grid. Furthermore, it also takes care of retry strategies, check-pointing transactions, load management and fault tolerance. In this paper special attention is paid to the technical details which are used to achieve the high performance of service, accomplished without overloading either site storage, catalogues or other DQ2 components. Special attention is also paid to the deletion monitoring service that allows operators a detailed view of the working system.

  17. Hem-1 complexes are essential for Rac activation, actin polymerization, and myosin regulation during neutrophil chemotaxis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orion D Weiner

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Migrating cells need to make different actin assemblies at the cell's leading and trailing edges and to maintain physical separation of signals for these assemblies. This asymmetric control of activities represents one important form of cell polarity. There are significant gaps in our understanding of the components involved in generating and maintaining polarity during chemotaxis. Here we characterize a family of complexes (which we term leading edge complexes, scaffolded by hematopoietic protein 1 (Hem-1, that organize the neutrophil's leading edge. The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family Verprolin-homologous protein (WAVE2 complex, which mediates activation of actin polymerization by Rac, is only one member of this family. A subset of these leading edge complexes are biochemically separable from the WAVE2 complex and contain a diverse set of potential polarity-regulating proteins. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Hem-1-containing complexes in neutrophil-like cells: (a dramatically impairs attractant-induced actin polymerization, polarity, and chemotaxis; (b substantially weakens Rac activation and phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5-tris-phosphate production, disrupting the (phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5-tris-phosphate/Rac/F-actin-mediated feedback circuit that organizes the leading edge; and (c prevents exclusion of activated myosin from the leading edge, perhaps by misregulating leading edge complexes that contain inhibitors of the Rho-actomyosin pathway. Taken together, these observations show that versatile Hem-1-containing complexes coordinate diverse regulatory signals at the leading edge of polarized neutrophils, including but not confined to those involving WAVE2-dependent actin polymerization.

  18. Developmental phenotype in Phelan-McDermid (22q13.3 deletion) syndrome : A systematic and prospective study in 34 children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwanenburg, Renée J; Ruiter, Selma A J; van den Heuvel, Edwin R; Flapper, Boudien C T; Van Ravenswaaij-Arts, Conny M A

    2016-01-01

    Background: Phelan- McDermid syndrome (PMS) or 22q13.3 deletion syndrome is characterized by global developmental delay, cognitive deficits, and behaviour in the autism spectrum. Knowledge about developmental and behavioural characteristics of this rare chromosomal disorder is still limited despite

  19. Developmental phenotype in Phelan- McDermid (22q13.3 deletion) syndrome : a systematic and prospective study in 34 children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwanenburg, R.J.; Ruiter, S.A.J.; Van Den Heuvel, E.R.; Flapper, B.C.T.; Van Ravenswaaij-Arts, C.M.A.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) or 22q13.3 deletion syndrome is characterized by global developmental delay, cognitive deficits, and behaviour in the autism spectrum. Knowledge about developmental and behavioural characteristics of this rare chromosomal disorder is still limited despite a

  20. Chromosomal deletion unmasking a recessive disease: 22q13 deletion syndrome and metachromatic leukodystrophy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bisgaard, A-M; Kirchhoff, M; Nielsen, J E

    2008-01-01

    A deletion on one chromosome and a mutant allele on the other may cause an autosomal recessive disease. We report on two patients with mental retardation, dysmorphic features and low catalytic activity of arylsulfatase A. One patient had a pathogenic mutation in the arylsulfatase A gene (ARSA......) and succumbed to metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The other patient had a pseudoallele, which does not lead to MLD. The presenting clinical features and low arylsulfatase A activity were explained, in each patients, by a deletion of 22q13 and, thereby, of one allele of ARSA....

  1. 75 FR 56995 - Procurement List Proposed Additions and Deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-17

    ... Additions and Deletion AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Proposed Additions to and Deletion From the Procurement List. SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing to add... aggregated by the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, PA. Deletion Regulatory Flexibility...

  2. 76 FR 60810 - Procurement List; Proposed Additions and Deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-30

    ... Additions and Deletion AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Proposed Additions to and Deletion from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing to add... Activity: Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID. DELETION Regulatory Flexibility...

  3. Are there ethnic differences in deletions in the dystrophin gene?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Banerjee, M.; Verma, I.C. [All India Inst. of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (India)

    1997-01-20

    We studied 160 cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drawn from all parts of India, using multiplex PCR of 27 exons. Of these, 103 (64.4%) showed intragenic deletions. Most (69.7%) of the deletions involved exons 45-51. The phenotype of cases with deletion of single exons did not differ significantly from those with deletion of multiple exons. The distribution of deletions in studies from different countries was variable, but this was accounted for either by the small number of cases studied, or by fewer exons analyzed. It is concluded that there is likely to be no ethnic difference with respect to deletions in the DMD gene. 38 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.

  4. Comprehensive analysis of pathogenic deletion variants in Fanconi anemia genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Elizabeth K; Kamat, Aparna; Lach, Francis P; Donovan, Frank X; Kimble, Danielle C; Narisu, Narisu; Sanborn, Erica; Boulad, Farid; Davies, Stella M; Gillio, Alfred P; Harris, Richard E; MacMillan, Margaret L; Wagner, John E; Smogorzewska, Agata; Auerbach, Arleen D; Ostrander, Elaine A; Chandrasekharappa, Settara C

    2014-11-01

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive disease resulting from mutations in one of at least 16 different genes. Mutation types and phenotypic manifestations of FA are highly heterogeneous and influence the clinical management of the disease. We analyzed 202 FA families for large deletions, using high-resolution comparative genome hybridization arrays, single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays, and DNA sequencing. We found pathogenic deletions in 88 FANCA, seven FANCC, two FANCD2, and one FANCB families. We find 35% of FA families carry large deletions, accounting for 18% of all FA pathogenic variants. Cloning and sequencing across the deletion breakpoints revealed that 52 FANCA deletion ends, and one FANCC deletion end extended beyond the gene boundaries, potentially affecting neighboring genes with phenotypic consequences. Seventy-five percent of the FANCA deletions are Alu-Alu mediated, predominantly by AluY elements, and appear to be caused by nonallelic homologous recombination. Individual Alu hotspots were identified. Defining the haplotypes of four FANCA deletions shared by multiple families revealed that three share a common ancestry. Knowing the exact molecular changes that lead to the disease may be critical for a better understanding of the FA phenotype, and to gain insight into the mechanisms driving these pathogenic deletion variants. © 2014 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  5. The significance of chromosome deletions in atomic-bomb survivors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Kimio; Shigeta, Chiharu; Oguma, Nobuo; Kamada, Nanao; Deng, Z.; Niimi, Masanobu; Aisaka, Tadaichi.

    1986-01-01

    In 39 A-bomb survivors 40 years after exposure at ≤ 1,000 m from ground zero, the frequency and features of chromosome deletions in peripheral lymphocytes were examined using a differential staining technique. Simultaneously, in vitro irradiation experiment with Cf-252 was made to infer chromosome aberrations occuring immediately after exposure. Californium-252 with 100 rad induced dicentric and ring chromosomes in 40 % of the cells and acentric fragments in 44 %. Among the A-bomb survivors, chromosome aberrations were observed in 651 (21 %) of the total 3,136 cells. There were 146 cells with deletions (22 % of abnormal cells; 5 % of the total cells), and 10 cells with acentric fragment (0.3 % of the total cells). The figure for deletions was far higher than that reported in the literature. A large number of deletions were seen in chromosomes no.4, no.21, and no.22, and a few deletions in chromosomes no.7 and no.20. Significance of chromosome deletions is discussed. (Namekawa, K.)

  6. Bacillus subtilis Early Colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana Roots Involves Multiple Chemotaxis Receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allard-Massicotte, Rosalie; Tessier, Laurence; Lécuyer, Frédéric; Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam; Lucier, Jean-François; Garneau, Daniel; Caudwell, Larissa; Vlamakis, Hera; Bais, Harsh P; Beauregard, Pascale B

    2016-11-29

    Colonization of plant roots by Bacillus subtilis is mutually beneficial to plants and bacteria. Plants can secrete up to 30% of their fixed carbon via root exudates, thereby feeding the bacteria, and in return the associated B. subtilis bacteria provide the plant with many growth-promoting traits. Formation of a biofilm on the root by matrix-producing B. subtilis is a well-established requirement for long-term colonization. However, we observed that cells start forming a biofilm only several hours after motile cells first settle on the plant. We also found that intact chemotaxis machinery is required for early root colonization by B. subtilis and for plant protection. Arabidopsis thaliana root exudates attract B. subtilis in vitro, an activity mediated by the two characterized chemoreceptors, McpB and McpC, as well as by the orphan receptor TlpC. Nonetheless, bacteria lacking these chemoreceptors are still able to colonize the root, suggesting that other chemoreceptors might also play a role in this process. These observations suggest that A. thaliana actively recruits B. subtilis through root-secreted molecules, and our results stress the important roles of B. subtilis chemoreceptors for efficient colonization of plants in natural environments. These results demonstrate a remarkable strategy adapted by beneficial rhizobacteria to utilize carbon-rich root exudates, which may facilitate rhizobacterial colonization and a mutualistic association with the host. Bacillus subtilis is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that establishes robust interactions with roots. Many studies have now demonstrated that biofilm formation is required for long-term colonization. However, we observed that motile B. subtilis mediates the first contact with the roots. These cells differentiate into biofilm-producing cells only several hours after the bacteria first contact the root. Our study reveals that intact chemotaxis machinery is required for the bacteria to reach the

  7. 75 FR 7450 - Procurement List: Proposed Addition and Deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-19

    ... Addition and Deletion AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Proposed addition to and deletion from Procurement List. SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing to add to the... W6BA ACA, FT CARSON, COLORADO. Deletion Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification I certify that the...

  8. 77 FR 20795 - Procurement List Proposed Addition and Deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-06

    ... Addition and Deletion AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Proposed Addition to and Deletion from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing to add a.... Deletion Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification I certify that the following action will not have a...

  9. Mitochondrial DNA deletion mutations in adult mouse cardiac side population cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lushaj, Entela B.; Lozonschi, Lucian; Barnes, Maria; Anstadt, Emily; Kohmoto, Takushi

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the presence and potential role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion mutations in adult cardiac stem cells. Cardiac side population (SP) cells were isolated from 12-week-old mice. Standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to screen for the presence of mtDNA deletion mutations in (a) freshly isolated SP cells and (b) SP cells cultured to passage 10. When present, the abundance of mtDNA deletion mutation was analyzed in single cell colonies. The effect of different levels of deletion mutations on SP cell growth and differentiation was determined. MtDNA deletion mutations were found in both freshly isolated and cultured cells from 12-week-old mice. While there was no significant difference in the number of single cell colonies with mtDNA deletion mutations from any of the groups mentioned above, the abundance of mtDNA deletion mutations was significantly higher in the cultured cells, as determined by quantitative PCR. Within a single clonal cell population, the detectable mtDNA deletion mutations were the same in all cells and unique when compared to deletions of other colonies. We also found that cells harboring high levels of mtDNA deletion mutations (i.e. where deleted mtDNA comprised more than 60% of total mtDNA) had slower proliferation rates and decreased differentiation capacities. Screening cultured adult stem cells for mtDNA deletion mutations as a routine assessment will benefit the biomedical application of adult stem cells.

  10. Usefulness of MLPA in the detection of SHOX deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funari, Mariana F A; Jorge, Alexander A L; Souza, Silvia C A L; Billerbeck, Ana E C; Arnhold, Ivo J P; Mendonca, Berenice B; Nishi, Mirian Y

    2010-01-01

    SHOX haploinsufficiency causes a wide spectrum of short stature phenotypes, such as Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and disproportionate short stature (DSS). SHOX deletions are responsible for approximately two thirds of isolated haploinsufficiency; therefore, it is important to determine the most appropriate methodology for detection of gene deletion. In this study, three methodologies for the detection of SHOX deletions were compared: the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), microsatellite analysis and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Forty-four patients (8 LWD and 36 DSS) were analyzed. The cosmid LLNOYCO3'M'34F5 was used as a probe for the FISH analysis and microsatellite analysis were performed using three intragenic microsatellite markers. MLPA was performed using commercial kits. Twelve patients (8 LWD and 4 DSS) had deletions in SHOX area detected by MLPA and 2 patients generated discordant results with the other methodologies. In the first case, the deletion was not detected by FISH. In the second case, both FISH and microsatellite analyses were unable to identify the intragenic deletion. In conclusion, MLPA was more sensitive, less expensive and less laborious; therefore, it should be used as the initial molecular method for the detection of SHOX gene deletion. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. Age-related differences in 1p and 19q deletions in oligodendrogliomas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Del Bigio Marc R

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent reports indicate that anaplastic oligodendrogliomas frequently show allelic losses on chromosome arms 1p and 19q, and that these deletions are associated with better chemotherapeutic response and overall patient survival. Because of the diversified genetic makeup of the population and the centralized provincial referral system for brain tumor patients in Manitoba, the epidemiological features of such tumors sometimes differ from the published data acquired from non-community based settings. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of allelic deletions for chromosome arms 1p and 19q in anaplastic and in low-grade oligodendrogliomas in the Manitoba population. Methods Loss of heterozygosity (LOH analysis of brain tumors was carried out using 4 microsatellite markers (D1S508, D1S2734, D19S219 and D19S412 and a PCR based assay. The tumors were consecutively acquired during the period September 1999–March 2001 and a total of 63 tumors were assessed. Results We found that allelic loss of chromosome 1p and 19q was higher in oligodendrogliomas than in other diffuse gliomas and that for anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, younger patients exhibited significantly more deletions than older patients (>60 years of age. Conclusions These studies suggest that age may be a factor in the genetic alterations of oligodendrogliomas. In addition, these studies demonstrate that this assay can easily be carried out in a cost-effective manner in a small tertiary center.

  12. Comparing the Broad Socio-Cognitive Profile of Youth with Williams Syndrome and 22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisman, O.; Feldman, R.; Burg-Malki, M.; Keren, M.; Geva, R.; Diesendruck, G.; Gothelf, D.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies have assessed the socio-cognitive profile in Williams syndrome (WS) and, independently, in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Yet, a cross-syndrome comparison of these abilities between individuals with these two syndromes with known social deficits has not been conducted. Methods: Eighty-two children participated…

  13. The effect of the CCR5-delta32 deletion on global gene expression considering immune response and inflammation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hütter Gero

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The natural function of the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5 is poorly understood. A 32 base pair deletion in the CCR5 gene (CCR5-delta32 located on chromosome 3 results in a non-functional protein. It is supposed that this deletion causes an alteration in T-cell response to inflammation. For example, the presence of the CCR5-delta32 allele in recipients of allografts constitutes as an independent and protective factor associated with a decreased risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD and graft rejection. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect of the deletion regarding GVHD is unknown. In this survey we searched for a CCR5-delta32 associated regulation of critical genes involved in the immune response and the development of GVHD. Methods We examined CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from bone marrow samples from 19 healthy volunteers for the CCR5-delta32 deletion with a genomic PCR using primers flanking the site of the deletion. Results 12 individuals were found to be homozygous for CCR5 WT and 7 carried the CCR5-delta32 deletion heterozygously. Global gene expression analysis led to the identification of 11 differentially regulated genes. Six of them are connected with mechanisms of immune response and control: LRG1, CXCR2, CCRL2, CD6, CD7, WD repeat domain, and CD30L. Conclusions Our data indicate that the CCR5-delta32 mutation may be associated with differential gene expression. Some of these genes are critical for immune response, in the case of CD30L probably protective in terms of GVHD.

  14. High proportion of large genomic deletions and a genotype phenotype update in 80 unrelated families with juvenile polyposis syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aretz, S; Stienen, D; Uhlhaas, S

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In patients with juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) the frequency of large genomic deletions in the SMAD4 and BMPR1A genes was unknown. METHODS: Mutation and phenotype analysis was used in 80 unrelated patients of whom 65 met the clinical criteria for JPS (typical JPS) and 15 were susp...

  15. Detection of mitochondrial DNA deletions in human cells induced by ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Qing-Jie; Feng, Jiang-Bin; Lu, Xue; Li, Yu-Wen; Chen, De-Qing

    2008-01-01

    Full text: Purpose: To screen the novel mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) deletions induced by ionizing radiation, and analyze the several kinds of mt DNA deletions, known as 3895 bp, 889 bp, 7436 bp or 4934 bp deletions. Methods: Long-range PCR with two pairs of primers, which could amplify the whole human mitochondrial genome, was used to analyze the lymphoblastoid cell line before and after exposed to 10 Gy 60 Co γ-rays. The limited condition PCR was used to certify the possible mt DNA deletion showed by long-range PCR. The PCR products were purified, cloned, sequenced and the sequence result were BLASTed. Regular PCR or nest-PCR were used to analyze the 3895 bp, 889 bp, 7436 bp or 4934 bp deletions before and after radiation exposure. The final PCR products were purified, sequenced and BALSTed on standard human mitochondrial genome sequence database. Results: (1) The predicted bands of mt DNA were observed on the control cell lines, and the possible mt DNA deletions were also detected on the irradiated cell lines. The deletions were certified by the limited condition PCR. The sequence BLAST results of the cloned PCR products showed that two kinds of deletions, 7455 bp deletion (nt 475-7929 in heavy strand) and 9225 bp deletion (nt 7714-369 in heavy strand), which were between two 8 bp direct repeats. Further bioinformatics analysis showed that the two deletions were novel deletions. (2) The 889 bp and 3895 bp deletion were not detected for the cell line samples not exposed to 60 Co γ-rays. The 889 bp and 3895 bp deletions were detected on samples exposed to 10 Gy 60 Co γ-rays. The BALST results showed that the 889 bp and 3895 deletions flanked nt 11688 bp-12576, nt 548 bp-4443, respectively. The 7436 bp deletion levels were not changed much before and after irradiation. (3) The 4934 bp deletions had the same pattern as 7436 bp deletion, but it could induced by radiation. Conclusions: Ionizing radiation could induce the human lymphoblastoid two novel mt DNA

  16. Radioassay of granulocyte chemotaxis. Studies of human granulocytes and chemotactic factors. [/sup 51/Cr tracer technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gallin, J I

    1974-01-01

    The above studies demonstrate that the /sup 51/Cr radiolabel chemotactic assay is a relatively simple and objective means for studying leukocyte chemotaxis in both normal and pathological conditions. Application of this method to studies of normal human chemotaxis revealed a relatively narrow range of normal and little day-to-day variability. Analysis of this variability revealed that there is more variability among the response of different granulocytes to a constant chemotactic stimulus than among the chemotactic activity of different sera to a single cell source. Utilizing the /sup 51/Cr radioassay, the abnormal granulocyte chemotactic behavior reported in Chediak-Higashi syndrome and a patient with recurrent pyogenic infections and mucocutaneous candidiasis has been confirmed. The /sup 51/Cr chemotactic assay has also been used to assess the generation of chemotactic activity from human serum and plasma. The in vitro generation of two distinct chemotactic factors were examined; the complement product (C5a) and kallikrein, an enzyme of the kinin-generating pathway. Kinetic analysis of complement-related chemotactic factor formation, utilizing immune complexes or endotoxin to activate normal sera in the presence or absence of EGTA as well as kinetic analysis of activation of C2-deficient human serum, provided an easy means of distinguishing the classical (antibody-mediated) complement pathway from the alternate pathway. Such kinetic analysis is necessary to detect clinically important abnormalities since, after 60 min of generation time, normal chemotactic activity may be present despite complete absence or inhibition of one complement pathway. The chemotactic factor generated by either pathway of complement activation appears to be predominately attributable to C5a.

  17. Ku80-deleted cells are defective at base excision repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Han; Marple, Teresa; Hasty, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Ku80-deleted cells are hypersensitive to ROS and alkylating agents. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Ku70 or Lig4, have reduced BER capacity. • OGG1 rescues hypersensitivity to H 2 O 2 and paraquat in Ku80-mutant cells. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Lig4, are defective at repairing AP sites. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Lig4 or Brca2 exon 27, exhibit increased PAR. - Abstract: Ku80 forms a heterodimer with Ku70, called Ku, that repairs DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. As a consequence of deleting NHEJ, Ku80-mutant cells are hypersensitive to agents that cause DNA DSBs like ionizing radiation. Here we show that Ku80 deletion also decreased resistance to ROS and alkylating agents that typically cause base lesions and single-strand breaks (SSBs). This is unusual since base excision repair (BER), not NHEJ, typically repairs these types of lesions. However, we show that deletion of another NHEJ protein, DNA ligase IV (Lig4), did not cause hypersensitivity to these agents. In addition, the ROS and alkylating agents did not induce γ-H2AX foci that are diagnostic of DSBs. Furthermore, deletion of Ku80, but not Lig4 or Ku70, reduced BER capacity. Ku80 deletion also impaired BER at the initial lesion recognition/strand scission step; thus, involvement of a DSB is unlikely. Therefore, our data suggests that Ku80 deletion impairs BER via a mechanism that does not repair DSBs

  18. Ku80-deleted cells are defective at base excision repair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Han [The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The Institute of Biotechnology, The Department of Molecular Medicine, 15355 Lambda Drive, San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States); Tumor Suppression Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029 (Spain); Marple, Teresa [The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The Institute of Biotechnology, The Department of Molecular Medicine, 15355 Lambda Drive, San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States); Hasty, Paul, E-mail: hastye@uthscsa.edu [The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The Institute of Biotechnology, The Department of Molecular Medicine, 15355 Lambda Drive, San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States); Tumor Suppression Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029 (Spain)

    2013-05-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Ku80-deleted cells are hypersensitive to ROS and alkylating agents. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Ku70 or Lig4, have reduced BER capacity. • OGG1 rescues hypersensitivity to H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and paraquat in Ku80-mutant cells. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Lig4, are defective at repairing AP sites. • Cells deleted for Ku80, but not Lig4 or Brca2 exon 27, exhibit increased PAR. - Abstract: Ku80 forms a heterodimer with Ku70, called Ku, that repairs DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. As a consequence of deleting NHEJ, Ku80-mutant cells are hypersensitive to agents that cause DNA DSBs like ionizing radiation. Here we show that Ku80 deletion also decreased resistance to ROS and alkylating agents that typically cause base lesions and single-strand breaks (SSBs). This is unusual since base excision repair (BER), not NHEJ, typically repairs these types of lesions. However, we show that deletion of another NHEJ protein, DNA ligase IV (Lig4), did not cause hypersensitivity to these agents. In addition, the ROS and alkylating agents did not induce γ-H2AX foci that are diagnostic of DSBs. Furthermore, deletion of Ku80, but not Lig4 or Ku70, reduced BER capacity. Ku80 deletion also impaired BER at the initial lesion recognition/strand scission step; thus, involvement of a DSB is unlikely. Therefore, our data suggests that Ku80 deletion impairs BER via a mechanism that does not repair DSBs.

  19. 4977-bp mitochondrial DNA deletion in infertile patients with varicocele.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gashti, N G; Salehi, Z; Madani, A H; Dalivandan, S T

    2014-04-01

    Varicocele is the abnormal inflexion and distension of veins of the pampiniform plexus within spermatic cord and is one of the amendable causes of male infertility. It can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in semen and cause oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to analyse spermatozoa mtDNA 4977-bp deletion in infertile men with varicocele. To detect 4977-bp deletion in spermatozoa mtDNA, semen samples of 60 infertile patients with clinical varicocele and 90 normal men from northern Iran were prepared. After extraction of spermatozoa total DNA, Gap polymerase chain reaction (Gap PCR) was performed. 4977-bp deletion was observed in 81.66% of patients with varicocele, while approximately 15.55% of controls had this deletion. As spermatozoa from patients with varicocele had a high frequency of occurrence of 4977-bp deletion in mtDNA [OR = 24.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 10.15-57.57, P deletion in spermatozoa and cause infertility in north Iranian men. However, to determine the relation between sperm mtDNA 4977-bp deletion and varicocele-induced infertility, larger population-based studies are needed. It is concluded that there is an association between sperm mtDNA 4977-bp deletion and varicocele-induced infertility in the population studied. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. Chemotaxis and flow disorder shape microbial dispersion in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Anna, Pietro; Yawata, Yutaka; Stocker, Roman; Juanes, Ruben

    2017-04-01

    Bacteria drive a plethora of natural processes in the subsurface, consuming organic matter and catalysing chemical reactions that are key to global elemental cycles. These macro-scale consequences result from the collective action of individual bacteria at the micro-scale, which are modulated by the highly heterogeneous subsurface environment, dominated by flow disorder and strong chemical gradients. Yet, despite the generally recognized importance of these microscale processes, microbe-host medium interaction at the pore scale remain poorly characterized and understood. Here, we introduce a microfluidic model system to directly image and quantify the role of cell motility on bacterial dispersion and residence time in confined, porous, media. Using the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the common amino acid serine as a resource, we observe that chemotaxis in highly disordered and confined physico-chemical environment affords bacteria an increase in their ability to persistently occupy the host medium. Our findings illustrate that the interplay between bacterial behaviour and pore-scale disorder in fluid velocity and nutrient concentration directly impacts the residence time, transport and bio-geo-chemical transformation rates of biota in the subsurface, and thus likely the processes they mediate.

  1. 41 CFR 51-2.3 - Notice of proposed addition or deletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... addition or deletion. 51-2.3 Section 51-2.3 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions... or deletion. At least 30 days prior to the Committee's consideration of the addition or deletion of a... Register announcing the proposed addition or deletion and providing interested persons an opportunity to...

  2. Genome-wide screening for genes whose deletions confer sensitivity to mutagenic purine base analogs in yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kozmin Stanislav G

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background N-hydroxylated base analogs, such as 6-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP and 2-amino-6-hydroxylaminopurine (AHA, are strong mutagens in various organisms due to their ambiguous base-pairing properties. The systems protecting cells from HAP and related noncanonical purines in Escherichia coli include specialized deoxyribonucleoside triphosphatase RdgB, DNA repair endonuclease V, and a molybdenum cofactor-dependent system. Fewer HAP-detoxification systems have been identified in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other eukaryotes. Cellular systems protecting from AHA are unknown. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide search for genes whose deletions confer sensitivity to HAP and AHA in yeast. Results We screened the library of yeast deletion mutants for sensitivity to the toxic and mutagenic action of HAP and AHA. We identified novel genes involved in the genetic control of base analogs sensitivity, including genes controlling purine metabolism, cytoskeleton organization, and amino acid metabolism. Conclusion We developed a method for screening the yeast deletion library for sensitivity to the mutagenic and toxic action of base analogs and identified 16 novel genes controlling pathways of protection from HAP. Three of them also protect from AHA.

  3. Novel methyl transfer during chemotaxis in Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thoelke, M.S.; Kirby, J.R.; Ordal, G.W.

    1989-01-01

    If Bacillus subtilis is incubated in radioactive methionine in the absence of protein synthesis, the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) become radioactively methylated. If the bacteria are further incubated in excess nonradioactive methionine (cold-chased) and then given the attractant aspartate, the MCPs lose about half of their radioactivity due to turnover, in which lower specific activity methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) replace higher specific activity ones. Due to the cold-chase, the specific activity of the AdoMet pool is reduced at least 2-fold. If, later, the attractant is removed, higher specific activity methyl groups return to the MCPs. Thus, there must exist an unidentified methyl carrier than can reversibly receive methyl groups from the MCPs. In a similar experiment, labeled cells were transferred to a flow cell and exposed to addition and removal of attractant and of repellent. All four kinds of stimuli were found to cause methanol production. Bacterial with maximally labeled MCPs were exposed to many cycles of addition and removal of attractant; the maximum amount of radioactive methanol was evolved on the third, not the first, cycle. This result suggests that there is a precursor-product relationship between methyl groups on the MCPs and on the unidentified carrier, which might be the direct source of methanol. However, since no methanol was produced when a methyltransferase mutant, whose MCPs were unmethylated, was exposed to addition and removal of attractant or repellent, the methanol must ultimately derive from methylated MCPs

  4. Facile promoter deletion in Escherichia coli in response to leaky expression of very robust and benign proteins from common expression vectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kawe Martin

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Overexpression of proteins in Escherichia coli is considered routine today, at least when the protein is soluble and not otherwise toxic for the host. We report here that the massive overproduction of even such "benign" proteins can cause surprisingly efficient promoter deletions in the expression plasmid, leading to the growth of only non-producers, when expression is not well repressed in the newly transformed bacterial cell. Because deletion is so facile, it might impact on high-throughput protein production, e.g. for structural genomics, where not every expression parameter will be monitored. Results We studied the high-level expression of several robust non-toxic proteins using a T5 promoter under lac operator control. Full induction leads to no significant growth retardation. We compared expression from almost identical plasmids with or without the lacI gene together in strains expressing different levels of LacI. Any combination without net overexpression of LacI led to an efficient promoter deletion in the plasmid, although the number of growing colonies and even the plasmid size – all antibiotic-resistant non-producers – was almost normal, and thus the problem not immediately recognizable. However, by assuring sufficient repression during the initial establishment phase of the plasmid, deletion was completely prevented. Conclusion The deletions in the insufficiently repressed system are caused entirely by the burden of high-level translation. Since the E. coli Dps protein, known to protect DNA against stress in the stationary phase, is accumulated in the deletion mutants, the mutation may have taken place during a transient stationary phase. The cause of the deletion is thus distinct from the well known interference of high-level transcription with plasmid replication. The deletion can be entirely prevented by overexpressing LacI, a useful precaution even without any signs of stress caused by the protein.

  5. Deletion analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae late competence genes distinguishes virulence determinants that are dependent or independent of competence induction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Luchang; Lin, Jingjun; Kuang, Zhizhou; Vidal, Jorge E; Lau, Gee W

    2015-07-01

    The competence regulon of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is crucial for genetic transformation. During competence development, the alternative sigma factor ComX is activated, which in turn, initiates transcription of 80 'late' competence genes. Interestingly, only 16 late genes are essential for genetic transformation. We hypothesized that these late genes that are dispensable for competence are beneficial to pneumococcal fitness during infection. These late genes were systematically deleted, and the resulting mutants were examined for their fitness during mouse models of bacteremia and acute pneumonia. Among these, 14 late genes were important for fitness in mice. Significantly, deletion of some late genes attenuated pneumococcal fitness to the same level in both wild-type and ComX-null genetic backgrounds, suggesting that the constitutive baseline expression of these genes was important for bacterial fitness. In contrast, some mutants were attenuated only in the wild-type genetic background but not in the ComX-null background, suggesting that specific expression of these genes during competence state contributed to pneumococcal fitness. Increased virulence during competence state was partially caused by the induction of allolytic enzymes that enhanced pneumolysin release. These results distinguish the role of basal expression versus competence induction in virulence functions encoded by ComX-regulated late competence genes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Fshb-iCre mice are efficient and specific Cre deleters for the gonadotrope lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huizhen; Hastings, Richard; Miller, William L; Kumar, T Rajendra

    2016-01-05

    Genetic analysis of development and function of the gonadotrope cell lineage within mouse anterior pituitary has been greatly facilitated by at least three currently available Cre strains in which Cre was either knocked into the Gnrhr locus or expressed as a transgene from Cga and Lhb promoters. However, in each case there are some limitations including CRE expression in thyrotropes within pituitary or ectopic expression outside of pituitary, for example in some populations of neurons or gonads. Hence, these Cre strains often pose problems with regard to undesirable deletion of alleles in non-gonadotrope cells, fertility and germline transmission of mutant alleles. Here, we describe generation and characterization of a new Fshb-iCre deleter strain using 4.7 kb of ovine Fshb promoter regulatory sequences driving iCre expression exclusively in the gonadotrope lineage within anterior pituitary. Fshb-iCre mice develop normally, display no ectopic CRE expression in gonads and are fertile. When crossed onto a loxP recombination-mediated red to green color switch reporter mouse genetic background, in vivo CRE recombinase activity is detectable in gonadotropes at more than 95% efficiency and the GFP-tagged gonadotropes readily purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting. We demonstrate the applicability of this Fshb-iCre deleter strain in a mouse model in which Dicer is efficiently and selectively deleted in gonadotropes. We further show that loss of DICER-dependent miRNAs in gonadotropes leads to profound suppression of gonadotropins resulting in male and female infertility. Thus, Fshb-iCre mice serve as a new genetic tool to efficiently manipulate gonadotrope-specific gene expression in vivo. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Genetics Home Reference: 17q12 deletion syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... with 17q12 deletion syndrome have delayed development (particularly speech and language delays), intellectual disability, or behavioral or psychiatric disorders. Behavioral and psychiatric conditions that have been reported in people with 17q12 deletion syndrome include autism ...

  8. 47 CFR 76.1601 - Deletion or repositioning of broadcast signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deletion or repositioning of broadcast signals... RADIO SERVICES MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Notices § 76.1601 Deletion or... to § 76.1601: No deletion or repositioning of a local commercial television station shall occur...

  9. Attachment, invasion, chemotaxis, and proteinase expression of B16-BL6 melanoma cells exhibiting a low metastatic phenotype after exposure to dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhlenkott, C E; Huijzer, J C; Cardeiro, D J; Elstad, C A; Meadows, G G

    1996-03-01

    We previously reported that low levels of tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) alter the metastatic phenotype of B16-BL6 (BL6) murine melanoma and select for tumor cell populations with decreased lung colonizing ability. To more specifically characterize the effects of Tyr and Phe restriction on the malignant phenotype of BL6, we investigated in vitro attachment, invasion, proteinase expression, and chemotaxis of high and low metastatic BL6 variants. High metastatic variant cells were isolated from subcutaneous tumors of mice fed a nutritionally complete diet (ND cells) and low metastatic variant cells were isolated from mice fed a diet restricted in Tyr and Phe (LTP cells). Results indicate that attachment to reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel) was significantly reduced in LTP cells as compared to ND cells. Attachment to collagen IV, laminin, and fibronectin were similar between the two variants. Invasion through Matrigel and growth factor-reduced Matrigel were significantly decreased in LTP cells as compared to ND cells. Zymography revealed the presence of M(r) 92,000 and M(r) 72,000 progelatinases, tissue plasminogen activator, and urokinase plasminogen activator in the conditioned medium of both variants; however, there were no differences in activity of these secreted proteinases between the two variants. Growth of the variants on growth factor-reduced Matrigel similarly induced expression of the M(r) 92,000 progelatinase. The variants exhibited similar chemotactic responses toward laminin. However, the chemotactic response toward fibronectin by LTP cells was significantly increased. MFR5, a monoclonal antibody which selectively blocks function of the alpha 5 chain of the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin, VLA-5, decreased the chemotactic response toward fibronectin of ND cells by 37%; the chemotactic response by LTP cells was reduced by 49%. This effect was specific for fibronectin-mediated chemotaxis since the chemotaxis toward laminin and invasion through

  10. Characterization of Cell Surface and EPS Remodeling of Azospirillum brasilense Chemotaxis-like 1 Signal Transduction Pathway mutants by Atomic Force Microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Billings, Amanda N [ORNL; Siuti, Piro [ORNL; Bible, Amber [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Alexandre, Gladys [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Retterer, Scott T [ORNL; Doktycz, Mitchel John [ORNL; Morrell-Falvey, Jennifer L [ORNL

    2011-01-01

    To compete in complex microbial communities, bacteria must quickly sense environmental changes and adjust cellular functions for optimal growth. Chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathways are implicated in the modulation of multiple cellular responses, including motility, EPS production, and cell-to-cell interactions. Recently, the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway from Azospirillum brasilense was shown to modulate flocculation. In A. brasilense, cell surface properties, including EPS production, are thought to play a direct role in promoting flocculation. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we have detected distinct changes in the surface morphology of flocculating A. brasilense Che1 mutant strains that are absent in the wild type strain. Whereas the wild type strain produces a smooth mucosal extracellular matrix, the flocculating Che1 mutant strains produce distinctive extracellular fibril structures. Further analyses using flocculation inhibition and lectin-binding assays suggest that the composition of EPS components in the extracellular matrix differs between the cheA1 and cheY1 mutants, despite an apparent similarity in the macroscopic floc structures. Collectively, these data indicate that mutations in the Che1 pathway that result in increased flocculation are correlated with distinctive changes in the extracellular matrix structure produced by the mutants, including likely changes in the EPS structure and/or composition.

  11. Attenuation of monkeypox virus by deletion of genomic regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopera, Juan G.; Falendysz, Elizabeth A.; Rocke, Tonie E.; Osorio, Jorge E.

    2015-01-01

    Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an emerging pathogen from Africa that causes disease similar to smallpox. Two clades with different geographic distributions and virulence have been described. Here, we utilized bioinformatic tools to identify genomic regions in MPXV containing multiple virulence genes and explored their roles in pathogenicity; two selected regions were then deleted singularly or in combination. In vitro and in vivostudies indicated that these regions play a significant role in MPXV replication, tissue spread, and mortality in mice. Interestingly, while deletion of either region led to decreased virulence in mice, one region had no effect on in vitro replication. Deletion of both regions simultaneously also reduced cell culture replication and significantly increased the attenuation in vivo over either single deletion. Attenuated MPXV with genomic deletions present a safe and efficacious tool in the study of MPX pathogenesis and in the identification of genetic factors associated with virulence.

  12. Amino-acid composition after loop deletion drives domain swapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandwani, Neha; Surana, Parag; Udgaonkar, Jayant B; Das, Ranabir; Gosavi, Shachi

    2017-10-01

    Rational engineering of a protein to enable domain swapping requires an understanding of the sequence, structural and energetic factors that favor the domain-swapped oligomer over the monomer. While it is known that the deletion of loops between β-strands can promote domain swapping, the spliced sequence at the position of the loop deletion is thought to have a minimal role to play in such domain swapping. Here, two loop-deletion mutants of the non-domain-swapping protein monellin, frame-shifted by a single residue, were designed. Although the spliced sequence in the two mutants differed by only one residue at the site of the deletion, only one of them (YEIKG) promoted domain swapping. The mutant containing the spliced sequence YENKG was entirely monomeric. This new understanding that the domain swapping propensity after loop deletion may depend critically on the chemical composition of the shortened loop will facilitate the rational design of domain swapping. © 2017 The Protein Society.

  13. The Yeast Deletion Collection: A Decade of Functional Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giaever, Guri; Nislow, Corey

    2014-01-01

    The yeast deletion collections comprise >21,000 mutant strains that carry precise start-to-stop deletions of ∼6000 open reading frames. This collection includes heterozygous and homozygous diploids, and haploids of both MATa and MATα mating types. The yeast deletion collection, or yeast knockout (YKO) set, represents the first and only complete, systematically constructed deletion collection available for any organism. Conceived during the Saccharomyces cerevisiae sequencing project, work on the project began in 1998 and was completed in 2002. The YKO strains have been used in numerous laboratories in >1000 genome-wide screens. This landmark genome project has inspired development of numerous genome-wide technologies in organisms from yeast to man. Notable spinoff technologies include synthetic genetic array and HIPHOP chemogenomics. In this retrospective, we briefly describe the yeast deletion project and some of its most noteworthy biological contributions and the impact that these collections have had on the yeast research community and on genomics in general. PMID:24939991

  14. Panchromatic cooperative hyperspectral adaptive wide band deletion repair method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Bitao; Shi, Chunyu

    2018-02-01

    In the hyperspectral data, the phenomenon of stripe deletion often occurs, which seriously affects the efficiency and accuracy of data analysis and application. Narrow band deletion can be directly repaired by interpolation, and this method is not ideal for wide band deletion repair. In this paper, an adaptive spectral wide band missing restoration method based on panchromatic information is proposed, and the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by experiments.

  15. Role of DNA deletion length in mutation and cell survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braby, L.A.; Morgan, T.L.

    1992-01-01

    A model is presented which is based on the assumption that malignant transformation, mutation, chromosome aberration, and reproductive death of cells are all manifestations of radiation induced deletions in the DNA of the cell, and that the size of the deletion in relation to the spacing of essential genes determines the consequences of that deletion. It is assumed that two independent types of potentially lethal lesions can result in DNA deletions, and that the relative numbers of these types of damage is dependent on radiation quality. The repair of the damage reduces the length of a deletion, but does not always eliminate it. The predictions of this model are in good agreement with a wide variety of experimental evidence. (author)

  16. Study the Molecular Association between a Deletion Mutation in CHEK2 gene (5395 bp and Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manijeh Jalilvand

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objectives: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second most common cause of cancer death. Genetic factors play an important role in the development of breast cancer. Among these genetic factors, CHEk2 (checkpoint kinase 2 gene, as a tumor suppressor gene, plays a critical role in DNA repair. Germline mutations in CEHK2 result in the loss of this feature. One of the mutations in CHEK2 gene is a 5395 bp deletion mutation which has been associated with the increasing risk of Breast Cancer in some populations in the world.  In the present study, we investigated the association between a 5395 bp deletion mutation in CHEK2 gene and the risk of Breast Cancer in the women of an Iranian population. Methods: Pathologic information of 38 cases under the age of 45 and 62 cases over the age of 45 referring to surgery ward of Milad Hospital in Tehran were extracted. 100 healthy controls were included in the study as well. After obtaining informed consent, 5 mL whole blood was taken DNA was successfully isolated. Multiplex PCR was used to investigate the association between a 5395bp deletion mutation in CHEK2 gene and increasing risk of Breast Cancer among patients. Results: The 5395bp deletion mutation in CHEK2 gene was not found in any of the participating groups of patients or heathy controls. Conclusion: The present study revealed that there is no significant relation between increasing the risk of Breast Cancer and bearing large deletion mutation in exon 9 and exon 10 of CHECK2 gene.

  17. 32 CFR 310.34 - Amendment and deletion of system notices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amendment and deletion of system notices. 310.34... (CONTINUED) PRIVACY PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Publication Requirements § 310.34 Amendment and deletion of... system. (see § 310.32(q)). (c) Deletion of system notices. (1) Whenever a system is discontinued...

  18. Mosaic deletion of 20pter due to rescue by somatic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Megan M; Vanzo, Rena J; Sdano, Mallory R; Baxter, Adrianne L; South, Sarah T

    2016-01-01

    We report on a unique case of a mosaic 20pter-p13 deletion due to a somatic repair event identified by allele differentiating single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) probes on chromosomal microarray. Small terminal deletions of 20p have been reported in a few individuals and appear to result in a variable phenotype. This patient was a 24-month-old female who presented with failure to thrive and speech delay. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) performed on peripheral blood showed a 1.6 Mb deletion involving the terminus of 20p (20pter-20p13). This deletion appeared mosaic by CMA and this suspicion was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Additionally, the deletion interval at 20p was directly adjacent to 15 Mb of mosaic copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH). The pattern of SNP probes was highly suggestive of a somatic repair event that resulted in rescue of the deleted region using the non-deleted homologue as a template. Structural mosaicism is rare and most often believed to be due to a postzygotic mechanism. This case demonstrates the additional utility of allele patterns to help distinguish mechanisms and in this case identified the possibility of either a post-zygotic repair of a germline deletion or a post-zygotic deletion with somatic recombination repair in a single step. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Intraspecific bovine herpesvirus 1 recombinants carrying glycoprotein E deletion as a vaccine marker are virulent in cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muylkens, Benoît; Meurens, François; Schynts, Frédéric; Farnir, Frédéric; Pourchet, Aldo; Bardiau, Marjorie; Gogev, Sacha; Thiry, Julien; Cuisenaire, Adeline; Vanderplasschen, Alain; Thiry, Etienne

    2006-08-01

    Vaccines used in control programmes of Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) utilize highly attenuated BoHV-1 strains marked by a deletion of the glycoprotein E (gE) gene. Since BoHV-1 recombinants are obtained at high frequency in experimentally coinfected cattle, the consequences of recombination on the virulence of gE-negative BoHV-1 were investigated. Thus, gE-negative BoHV-1 recombinants were generated in vitro from several virulent BoHV-1 and one mutant BoHV-1 deleted in the gC and gE genes. Four gE-negative recombinants were tested in the natural host. All the recombinants were more virulent than the gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine and the gC- and gE-negative parental BoHV-1. The gE-negative recombinant isolated from a BoHV-1 field strain induced the highest severe clinical score. Latency and reactivation studies showed that three of the recombinants were reexcreted. Recombination can therefore restore virulence of gE-negative BoHV-1 by introducing the gE deletion into a different virulence background.

  20. Comparative genomic analysis of the gut bacterium Bifidobacterium longum reveals loci susceptible to deletion during pure culture growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shakhova VV

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bifidobacteria are frequently proposed to be associated with good intestinal health primarily because of their overriding dominance in the feces of breast fed infants. However, clinical feeding studies with exogenous bifidobacteria show they don't remain in the intestine, suggesting they may lose competitive fitness when grown outside the gut. Results To further the understanding of genetic attenuation that may be occurring in bifidobacteria cultures, we obtained the complete genome sequence of an intestinal isolate, Bifidobacterium longum DJO10A that was minimally cultured in the laboratory, and compared it to that of a culture collection strain, B. longum NCC2705. This comparison revealed colinear genomes that exhibited high sequence identity, except for the presence of 17 unique DNA regions in strain DJO10A and six in strain NCC2705. While the majority of these unique regions encoded proteins of diverse function, eight from the DJO10A genome and one from NCC2705, encoded gene clusters predicted to be involved in diverse traits pertinent to the human intestinal environment, specifically oligosaccharide and polyol utilization, arsenic resistance and lantibiotic production. Seven of these unique regions were suggested by a base deviation index analysis to have been precisely deleted from strain NCC2705 and this is substantiated by a DNA remnant from within one of the regions still remaining in the genome of NCC2705 at the same locus. This targeted loss of genomic regions was experimentally validated when growth of the intestinal B. longum in the laboratory for 1,000 generations resulted in two large deletions, one in a lantibiotic encoding region, analogous to a predicted deletion event for NCC2705. A simulated fecal growth study showed a significant reduced competitive ability of this deletion strain against Clostridium difficile and E. coli. The deleted region was between two IS30 elements which were experimentally

  1. 75 FR 49481 - Procurement List; Additions and Deletion

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    2010-08-13

    ... added to the Procurement List: Services Service Type/Locations: Laundry Service, Atlanta VA Medical...: Additions to and deletion from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds services to the Procurement... disabilities and deletes a service from the Procurement List previously furnished by such agency. DATES...

  2. Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene deleted or mutated in many human cancers such as glioblastoma, spinal tumors, prostate, bladder, adrenals, thyroid, breast, endometrium, and colon cancers. They result from loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for the PTEN ...

  3. Leishmania amazonensis chemotaxis under glucose gradient studied by the strength and directionality of forces measured with optical tweezers

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Ysasa Pozzo, Liliana; Fontes, Adriana; de Thomaz, André A.; Barbosa, Luiz Carlos; Ayres, Diana Copi; Giorgio, Selma; Cesar, Carlos Lenz

    2007-02-01

    Chemotaxis is the mechanism microorganisms use to sense the environment surrounding them and to direct their movement towards attractive, or away from the repellent, chemicals. The biochemical sensing is almost the only way for communication between unicellular organisms. Prokaryote and Eukaryote chemotaxis has been mechanically studied mainly by observing the directionality and timing of the microorganisms movements subjected to a chemical gradient, but not through the directionality and strength of the forces it generates. To observe the vector force of microorganisms under a chemical gradient we developed a system composed of two large chambers connected by a tiny duct capable to keep the chemical gradient constant for more than ten hours. We also used the displacements of a microsphere trapped in an Optical Tweezers as the force transducer to measure the direction and the strength of the propulsion forces of flagellum of the microorganism under several gradient conditions. A 9μm diameter microsphere particle was trapped with a Nd:YAG laser and its movement was measured through the light scattered focused on a quadrant detector. We observed the behavior of the protozoa Leishmania amazonensis (eukaryote) under several glucose gradients. This protozoa senses the gradient around it by swimming in circles for three to five times following by tumbling, and not by the typical straight swimming/tumbling of bacteria. Our results also suggest that force direction and strength are also used to control its movement, not only the timing of swimming/tumbling, because we observed a higher force strength clearly directed towards the glucose gradient.

  4. 76 FR 78248 - Procurement List; Addition and Deletions

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    2011-12-16

    .... Service Type/Location: Laundry Service, Stratton Medical Center, 113 Holland Ave, Albany, NY. [[Page 78249...: Addition to and Deletions from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds a service to the Procurement... disabilities, and deletes products and services from the Procurement List previously furnished by such agencies...

  5. 78 FR 21916 - Procurement List; Addition And Deletions

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    2013-04-12

    ..., the following service is added to the Procurement List: Service Service Type/Location: Laundry Service...: Addition to and Deletions from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds a service to the Procurement... disabilities, and deletes products and services from the Procurement List previously furnished by such agencies...

  6. 78 FR 53733 - Procurement List Additions and Deletions

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    2013-08-30

    .../Location: Industrial Laundry Service, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 9000 Blue Mound Road, Fort Worth...: Additions to and Deletions from the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds products and services to the... severe disabilities, and deletes services from the Procurement List previously provided by such agencies...

  7. 42 CFR 401.118 - Deletion of identifying details.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deletion of identifying details. 401.118 Section 401.118 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Deletion of identifying details. When CMS publishes or otherwise makes available an opinion or order...

  8. 19 CFR 176.22 - Deletion of protest or entry number.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Deletion of protest or entry number. 176.22... Facts § 176.22 Deletion of protest or entry number. If any protest number or entry number is to be... authorized official making and approving the deletion. [T.D. 70-181, 35 FR 13433, Aug. 22, 1970] ...

  9. NPL deletion policy for RCRA-regulated TSD facilities finalized

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    Under a new policy published by EPA on March 20, 1995, certain sites may be deleted from the National Priorities List (NPL) and deferred to RCRA corrective action. To be deleted from the NPL, a site must (1) be regulated under RCRA as a treatment, storage, or disposal (TSD) facility and (2) meet the four criteria specified by EPA. The new NPL deletion policy, which does not pertain to federal TSD facilities, became effective on April 19, 1995. 1 tab

  10. The rates and patterns of deletions in the human factor IX gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ketterling, R.P.; Vielhaber, E.L.; Lind, T.J.; Thorland, E.C.; Sommer S.S. (Mayo Clinic/Foundation, Rochester, MN (United States))

    1994-02-01

    Deletions are commonly observed in genes with either segments of highly homologous sequences or excessive gene length. However, in the factor IX gene and in most genes, deletions (of [ge]21 bp) are uncommon. The authors have analyzed DNA from 290 families with hemophilia B (203 independent mutations) and have found 12 deletions >20 bp. Eleven of these are >2 kb (range >3-163 kb), and one is 1.1 kb. The junctions of the four deletions that are completely contained within the factor IX gene have been determined. A novel mutation occurred in patient HB128: the data suggest that a 26.8-kb deletion occurred between two segments of alternating purines and pyrimidines and that a 2.3-kb sense strand segment derived from the deleted region was inserted. For a sample of 203 independent mutations, the authors estimate the [open quotes]baseline[close quotes] rates of deletional mutation per base pair per generation as a function of size. The rate for large (>2 kb)I deletions is exceedingly low. For every mutational event in which a given base is at the junction of a large deletion, there are an estimated 58 microdeletions (<20 bp) and 985 single-base substitutions at that base. Analysis of the nine reported deletion junctions in the factor IX gene literature reveals that (i) five are associated with inversion, orphan sequences, or sense strand insertions; (ii) four are simple deletions that display an excess of short direct repeats at their junctions; (iii) there is no dramatic clustering of junctions within the gene; and (iv) with the exception of alternating purines and pyrimidines, deletion junctions are not preferentially associated with repetitive DNA. 58 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

  11. Characterization of cell surface and extracellular matrix remodeling of Azospirillum brasilense chemotaxis-like 1 signal transduction pathway mutants by atomic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doktycz, Mitchel John [ORNL; Morrell-Falvey, Jennifer L [ORNL

    2011-01-01

    To compete in complex microbial communities, bacteria must sense environmental changes and adjust cellular functions for optimal growth. Chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathways are implicated in the regulation of multiple behaviors in response to changes in the environment, including motility patterns, exopolysaccharide production, and cell-to-cell interactions. In Azospirillum brasilense, cell surface properties, including exopolysaccharide production, are thought to play a direct role in promoting flocculation. Recently, the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway from A. brasilense was shown to modulate flocculation, suggesting an associated modulation of cell surface properties. Using atomic force microscopy, distinct changes in the surface morphology of flocculating A. brasilense Che1 mutant strains were detected. Whereas the wild-type strain produces a smooth mucosal extracellular matrix after 24 h, the flocculating Che1 mutant strains produce distinctive extracellular fibril structures. Further analyses using flocculation inhibition, lectin-binding assays, and comparison of lipopolysaccharides profiles suggest that the extracellular matrix differs between the cheA1 and the cheY1 mutants, despite an apparent similarity in the macroscopic floc structures. Collectively, these data indicate that disruption of the Che1 pathway is correlated with distinctive changes in the extracellular matrix, which likely result from changes in surface polysaccharides structure and/or composition.

  12. Partial AZFc duplications not deletions are associated with male infertility in the Yi population of Yunnan Province, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Jun-jie; Ma, Li; Yang, Li-juan; Wang, Jin-huan; Wang, Yue-li; Guo, Hai; Gong, Ning; Nie, Wen-hui; Zhao, Shu-hua

    2013-09-01

    There are many reports on associations between spermatogenesis and partial azoospermia factor c (AZFc) deletions as well as duplications; however, results are conflicting, possibly due to differences in methodology and ethnic background. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of AZFc polymorphisms and male infertility in the Yi ethnic population, residents within Yunnan Province, China. A total of 224 infertile patients and 153 fertile subjects were selected in the Yi ethnic population. The study was performed by sequence-tagged site plus/minus (STS+/-) analysis followed by gene dosage and gene copy definition analysis. Y haplotypes of 215 cases and 115 controls were defined by 12 binary markers using single nucleotide polymorphism on Y chromosome (Y-SNP) multiplex assays based on single base primer extension technology. The distribution of Y haplotypes was not significantly different between the case and control groups. The frequencies of both gr/gr (7.6% vs. 8.5%) and b2/b3 (6.3% vs. 8.5%) deletions do not show significant differences. Similarly, single nucleotide variant (SNV) analysis shows no significant difference of gene copy definition between the cases and controls. However, the frequency of partial duplications in the infertile group (4.0%) is significantly higher than that in the control group (0.7%). Further, we found a case with sY1206 deletion which had two CDY1 copies but removed half of DAZ genes. Our results show that male infertility is associated with partial AZFc duplications, but neither gr/gr nor b2/b3 deletions, suggesting that partial AZFc duplications rather than deletions are risk factors for male infertility in Chinese-Yi population.

  13. Sorting genomes by reciprocal translocations, insertions, and deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Xingqin; Li, Guojun; Li, Shuguang; Xu, Ying

    2010-01-01

    The problem of sorting by reciprocal translocations (abbreviated as SBT) arises from the field of comparative genomics, which is to find a shortest sequence of reciprocal translocations that transforms one genome Pi into another genome Gamma, with the restriction that Pi and Gamma contain the same genes. SBT has been proved to be polynomial-time solvable, and several polynomial algorithms have been developed. In this paper, we show how to extend Bergeron's SBT algorithm to include insertions and deletions, allowing to compare genomes containing different genes. In particular, if the gene set of Pi is a subset (or superset, respectively) of the gene set of Gamma, we present an approximation algorithm for transforming Pi into Gamma by reciprocal translocations and deletions (insertions, respectively), providing a sorting sequence with length at most OPT + 2, where OPT is the minimum number of translocations and deletions (insertions, respectively) needed to transform Pi into Gamma; if Pi and Gamma have different genes but not containing each other, we give a heuristic to transform Pi into Gamma by a shortest sequence of reciprocal translocations, insertions, and deletions, with bounds for the length of the sorting sequence it outputs. At a conceptual level, there is some similarity between our algorithm and the algorithm developed by El Mabrouk which is used to sort two chromosomes with different gene contents by reversals, insertions, and deletions.

  14. Deletion of 7q33-q35 in a Patient with Intellectual Disability and Dysmorphic Features: Further Characterization of 7q Interstitial Deletion Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristen Dilzell

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This case report concerns a 16-year-old girl with a 9.92 Mb, heterozygous interstitial chromosome deletion at 7q33-q35, identified using array comparative genomic hybridization. The patient has dysmorphic facial features, intellectual disability, recurrent infections, self-injurious behavior, obesity, and recent onset of hemihypertrophy. This patient has overlapping features with previously reported individuals who have similar deletions spanning the 7q32-q36 region. It has been difficult to describe an interstitial 7q deletion syndrome due to variations in the sizes and regions in the few patients reported in the literature. This case contributes to the further characterization of an interstitial distal 7q deletion syndrome.

  15. Chemotaxis and Binding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Scratch-Wounded Human Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Schwarzer

    Full Text Available Confocal imaging was used to characterize interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA, expressing GFP or labeled with Syto 11 with CF airway epithelial cells (CFBE41o-, grown as confluent monolayers with unknown polarity on coverglasses in control conditions and following scratch wounding. Epithelia and PAO1-GFP or PAK-GFP (2 MOI were incubated with Ringer containing typical extracellular salts, pH and glucose and propidium iodide (PI, to identify dead cells. PAO1 and PAK swam randomly over and did not bind to nonwounded CFBE41o- cells. PA migrated rapidly (began within 20 sec, maximum by 5 mins and massively (10-80 fold increase, termed "swarming", but transiently (random swimming after 15 mins, to wounds, particularly near cells that took up PI. Some PA remained immobilized on cells near the wound. PA swam randomly over intact CFBE41o- monolayers and wounded monolayers that had been incubated with medium for 1 hr. Expression of CFTR and altered pH of the media did not affect PA interactions with CFBE41o- wounds. In contrast, PAO1 swarming and immobilization along wounds was abolished in PAO1 (PAO1ΔcheYZABW, no expression of chemotaxis regulatory components cheY, cheZ, cheA, cheB and cheW and greatly reduced in PAO1 that did not express amino acid receptors pctA, B and C (PAO1ΔpctABC and in PAO1 incubated in Ringer containing a high concentration of mixed amino acids. Non-piliated PAKΔpilA swarmed normally towards wounded areas but bound infrequently to CFBE41o- cells. In contrast, both swarming and binding of PA to CFBE41o- cells near wounds were prevented in non-flagellated PAKΔfliC. Data are consistent with the idea that (i PA use amino acid sensor-driven chemotaxis and flagella-driven swimming to swarm to CF airway epithelial cells near wounds and (ii PA use pili to bind to epithelial cells near wounds.

  16. DNA-based detection of chromosome deletion and amplification: diagnostic and mechanistic significance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Latt, S.A.; Lalande, M.; Donlon, T.

    1986-01-01

    This paper describes a few of the many possible examples in which application of a molecular cytogenetic approach can ultimately lead to a new, important understanding about the statics and dynamics of human chromosome structure. In the case of retinoblastoma, cytological observations of deletions and linkage analysis have positioned the retinoblastoma locus to bank 13q14. This locus is grossly deleted in some spontaneous tumors. It is still necessary to locate more precisely and characterize the nature of the retinoblastoma locus, as well as the basis for the heterogeneity in deletions removing one copy of this locus. One is left with the possibility that those deletions that may be observed cytologically reflect but the tip of the iceberg of deletions; detection of others may require molecular probes. A related question is the nature of the DNA sequences at the deletion boundaries and the role they play in promoting these deletions

  17. Delayed chromosomal instability caused by large deletion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ojima, M.; Suzuki, K.; Kodama, S.; Watanabe, M.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: There is accumulating evidence that genomic instability, manifested by the expression of delayed phenotypes, is induced by X-irradiation but not by ultraviolet (UV) light. It is well known that ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, induces DNA double strand breaks, but UV-light mainly causes base damage like pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts. Although the mechanism of radiation-induced genomic instability has not been thoroughly explained, it is suggested that DNA double strand breaks contribute the induction of genomic instability. We examined here whether X-ray induced gene deletion at the hprt locus induces delayed instability in chromosome X. SV40-immortalized normal human fibroblasts, GM638, were irradiated with X-rays (3, 6 Gy), and the hprt mutants were isolated in the presence of 6-thioguanine (6-TG). A 2-fold and a 60-fold increase in mutation frequency were found by 3 Gy and 6 Gy irradiation, respectively. The molecular structure of the hprt mutations was determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction of nine exons. Approximately 60% of 3 Gy mutants lost a part or the entire hprt gene, and the other mutants showed point mutations like spontaneous mutants. All 6 Gy mutants show total gene deletion. The chromosomes of the hprt mutants were analyzed by Whole Human Chromosome X Paint FISH or Xq telomere FISH. None of the point or partial gene deletion mutants showed aberrations of X-chromosome, however total gene deletion mutants induced translocations and dicentrics involving chromosome X. These results suggest that large deletion caused by DNA double strand breaks destabilizes chromosome structure, which may be involved in an induction of radiation-induced genomic instability

  18. Generalised deletion designs | Gachii | African Journal of Science ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this paper asymmetrical single replicate factorial designs are constructed from symmetrical single replicate factorial designs using the deletion technique. The study is along the lines of Voss(1986), Chauhan(1989) and Gachii and Odhiambo(1997). We give results for the general order deletion designs of the form sn-m1(s ...

  19. Performance of quantum cloning and deleting machines over coherence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karmakar, Sumana; Sen, Ajoy; Sarkar, Debasis

    2017-10-01

    Coherence, being at the heart of interference phenomena, is found to be an useful resource in quantum information theory. Here we want to understand quantum coherence under the combination of two fundamentally dual processes, viz., cloning and deleting. We found the role of quantum cloning and deletion machines with the consumption and generation of quantum coherence. We establish cloning as a cohering process and deletion as a decohering process. Fidelity of the process will be shown to have connection with coherence generation and consumption of the processes.

  20. Analysis of Dystrophin Gene Deletions by Multiplex PCR in Moroccan Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aziza Sbiti

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD and BMD are X-linked diseases resulting from a defect in the dystrophin gene located on Xp21. DMD is the most frequent neuromuscular disease in humans (1/3500 male newborn. Deletions in the dystrophin gene represent 65% of mutations in DMD/BMD patients. We have analyzed DNA from 72 Moroccan patients with DMD/BMD using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR to screen for exon deletions within the dystrophin gene, and to estimate the frequency of these abnormalities. We found dystrophin gene deletions in 37 cases. Therefore the frequency in Moroccan DMD/BMD patients is about 51.3%. All deletions were clustered in the two known hot-spots regions, and in 81% of cases deletions were detected in the region from exon 43 to exon 52. These findings are comparable to those reported in other studies. It is important to note that in our population, we can first search for deletions of DMD gene in the most frequently deleted exons determined by this study. This may facilitate the molecular diagnosis of DMD and BMD in our country.

  1. Partial USH2A deletions contribute to Usher syndrome in Denmark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dad, Shzeena; Rendtorff, Nanna D; Kann, Erik; Albrechtsen, Anders; Mehrjouy, Mana M; Bak, Mads; Tommerup, Niels; Tranebjærg, Lisbeth; Rosenberg, Thomas; Jensen, Hanne; Møller, Lisbeth B

    2015-12-01

    Usher syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital hearing impairment, progressive visual loss owing to retinitis pigmentosa and in some cases vestibular dysfunction. Usher syndrome is divided into three subtypes, USH1, USH2 and USH3. Twelve loci and eleven genes have so far been identified. Duplications and deletions in PCDH15 and USH2A that lead to USH1 and USH2, respectively, have previously been identified in patients from United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. In this study, we investigate the proportion of exon deletions and duplications in PCDH15 and USH2A in 20 USH1 and 30 USH2 patients from Denmark using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Two heterozygous deletions were identified in USH2A, but no deletions or duplications were identified in PCDH15. Next-generation mate-pair sequencing was used to identify the exact breakpoints of the two deletions identified in USH2A. Our results suggest that USH2 is caused by USH2A exon deletions in a small fraction of the patients, whereas deletions or duplications in PCDH15 might be rare in Danish Usher patients.

  2. 36 CFR 902.14 - Deletion of nondiscloseable information from requested records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deletion of nondiscloseable... AVENUE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT General Administration § 902.14 Deletion of... segregable after deletion of the nondiscloseable portions, will be released. If the information in the...

  3. 46 CFR 67.513 - Application for evidence of deletion from documentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Application for evidence of deletion from documentation... AND MEASUREMENT OF VESSELS DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS Fees § 67.513 Application for evidence of deletion from documentation. An application fee is charged for evidence of deletion from documentation in...

  4. Conditional Deletion of Pten Causes Bronchiolar Hyperplasia

    OpenAIRE

    Davé, Vrushank; Wert, Susan E.; Tanner, Tiffany; Thitoff, Angela R.; Loudy, Dave E.; Whitsett, Jeffrey A.

    2007-01-01

    Tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a lipid phosphatase that regulates multiple cellular processes including cell polarity, migration, proliferation, and carcinogenesis. In this work, we demonstrate that conditional deletion of Pten (PtenΔ/Δ) in the respiratory epithelial cells of the developing mouse lung caused epithelial cell proliferation and hyperplasia as early as 4 to 6 weeks of age. While bronchiolar cell differentiation was normal, as in...

  5. 34 CFR 5.16 - Deletion of identifying details.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deletion of identifying details. 5.16 Section 5.16 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC PURSUANT TO PUB. L. 90-23 (Eff. until 7-14-10) What Records Are Available § 5.16 Deletion of identifying...

  6. Clinical and molecuar characterization of Brazilian patients with growth hormone gene deletions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.J.P. Arnhold

    1998-04-01

    Full Text Available Genomic DNA from 23 patients with isolated growth hormone (GH deficiency (12 males and 11 females: heights -4.9 ± 1.4 SDS was screened for GH gene deletions by restriction endonuclease analysis of polymerase chain reaction amplification products. Three unrelated patients had typical features of severe GH deficiency and deletions (6.7 kb in two and 7.6 kb in one of the GH gene. The two patients with 6.7-kb deletions developed growth-attenuating anti-GH antibodies whereas the patient with the 7.6-kb deletion continued to grow with GH replacement therapy. Our finding that 3/23 (~13% Brazilian subjects had GH gene deletions agrees with previous studies of severe isolated GH deficiency subjects in other populations. Two of three subjects (67% with deletions developed blocking antibodies despite administration of exogenous GH at low doses. Interestingly, only 1/10 of cases with affected relatives or parental consanguinity had GH-1 gene deletions

  7. UCP2 and 3 deletion screening and distribution in 15 pig breeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanhua; Li, Hanjie; Zhao, Xingbo; Li, Ning; Wu, Changxin

    2007-02-01

    The uncoupling protein family is a mitochondrial anion carrier family. It plays an important role in the biological traits of animal body weight, basal metabolic rate and energy conversion. Using PCR and PCR-SSCP, we scanned the porcine uncoupling protein 2 gene (UCP2) and uncoupling protein 3 gene (UCP3) and found seven deletion sites, three in UCP2 and four in UCP3. The deletions in 15 pig breeds showed that deletion influenced weight. The genotype compounding of seven deletion sites in 15 pig breeds had significant effects on performance traits of the pig, such as body weight. We predicted the potential protein factor binding sites using the transcription factor analysis tool TFSearch version 1.3 online. Two deletions (1830 nt and 3219 nt) in UCP3 were found to change the transcriptional factor sites. The 16 bp deletion in 1830 nt added a SP1 site and a 6 bp deletion in 3219 nt removed two MZF1 sites. Seven deletion polymorphisms were covered in introns of linkage genes of UCP2 and UCP3, showing that UCPs have conservation and genetic reliability.

  8. Molecular studies of deletions at the human steroid sulfatase locus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shapiro, L.J.; Yen, P.; Pomerantz, D.; Martin, E.; Rolewic, L.; Mohandas, T.

    1989-01-01

    The human steroid sulfatase gene (STS) is located on the distal X chromosome short arm close to the pseudoautosomal region but in a segment of DNA that is unique to the X chromosome. In contrast to most X chromosome-encoded genes, STS expression is not extinguished during the process of X chromosome inactivation. Deficiency of STS activity produced the syndrome of X chromosome-linked ichthyosis, which is one of the most common inborn errors of metabolism in man. Approximately 90% of STS - individuals have large deletions at the STS locus. The authors and others have found that the end points of such deletions are heterogeneous in their location. One recently ascertained subject was observed to have a 40-kilobase deletion that is entirely intragenic, permitting the cloning and sequencing of the deletion junction. Studies of this patient and of other X chromosome sequences in other subjects permit some insight into the mechanism(s) responsible for generating frequent deletions on the short arm of the X chromosome

  9. Clival encephalocele and 5q15 deletion: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puvabanditsin, Surasak; Malik, Imran; Garrow, Eugene; Francois, Lissa; Mehta, Rajeev

    2015-03-01

    A preterm neonate presenting with respiratory distress after birth was found to have a clival encephalocele, which is a variant of a basal encephalocele, and hypoplasia of the cerebellum. Genetic studies revealed a small deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5: 5q15 deletion. We report a rare variant of a basal encephalocele with a cerebellar malformation and 5q15 deletion. © The Author(s) 2014.

  10. Male gametophytic sterility. 1 - Gametic sterilities and deletions in petunia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cornu, A.; Maizonnier, D. (Station d' Amelioration des Plantes de l' I.N.R.A., Dijon (France))

    1982-01-01

    Terminal deletions induced by ionizing radiations in Petunia are not sexually transmitted. Cytogenetic study of plants with a heterozygous deletion and their progenies shows that this lack of transmission is accompanied by a gametic semi-sterility due to the fact that gametes carrying the deleted chromosome are not viable. The interest of such a male sterility with a gametophytic determinism for the study of sporophyte-gametophyte relationships is underlined.

  11. Fluorescence in situ hybridization evaluation of chromosome deletion patterns in prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, S F; Xiao, S; Renshaw, A A; Loughlin, K R; Hudson, T J; Fletcher, J A

    1996-11-01

    Various nonrandom chromosomal aberrations have been identified in prostate carcinoma. These aberrations include deletions of several chromosome regions, particularly the chromosome 8 short arm. Large-scale numerical aberrations, reflected in aberrant DNA ploidy, are also found in a minority of cases. However, it is unclear whether prostate carcinomas contain aberrations of certain chromosome regions that are deleted frequently in other common types of cancer. In this study, we performed dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization on intact nuclei from touch preparations of 16 prostate cancers. Chromosome copy number was determined using pericentromeric probes, whereas potential chromosome arm deletions were evaluated using yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) and P1 probes. Two YAC probes targeted chromosome 8 short arm regions known to be deleted frequently in prostate cancer. Other YACs and P1s were for chromosome regions, including 1p22, 3p14, 6q21, 9p21, and 22q12, that are deletion targets in a variety of cancers although not extensively studied in prostate cancer. Hybridization efficiencies and signal intensities were excellent for both repeat sequence (alpha-satellite) and single, copy (YAC and P1) fluorescence in situ hybridization probes. Of 16 prostate cancers, 11 had clonal aberrations of 1 or more of the 13 chromosome regions evaluated, and 10 cases (62.5%) had 8p deletions, including 4 cases with 8p deletion in virtually all cells and aneuploidy in only a subset of those deleted cells. Deletions at 3p14, 6q21, and 22q12 were identified in 2, 1, and 1 case, respectively, and each of those cases had a similarly sized cell population with 8p deletion. These studies confirm 8p deletion in the majority of prostate carcinomas. 8p deletions appear to be early events in prostate tumorigenesis, often antedating aneuploidy. Fluorescence in situ hybridization strategies incorporating pericentromeric and single-copy regional chromosome probes offer a powerful and

  12. Systematic hybrid LOH: a new method to reduce false positives and negatives during screening of yeast gene deletion libraries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alvaro, D.; Sunjevaric, I.; Reid, R. J.

    2006-01-01

    We have developed a new method, systematic hybrid loss of heterozygosity, to facilitate genomic screens utilizing the yeast gene deletion library. Screening is performed using hybrid diploid strains produced through mating the library haploids with strains from a different genetic background......, to minimize the contribution of unpredicted recessive genetic factors present in the individual library strains. We utilize a set of strains where each contains a conditional centromere construct on one of the 16 yeast chromosomes that allows the destabilization and selectable loss of that chromosome. After...... complementation of any spurious recessive mutations in the library strain, facilitating attribution of the observed phenotype to the documented gene deletion and dramatically reducing false positive results commonly obtained in library screens. The systematic hybrid LOH method can be applied to virtually any...

  13. [Mitochondrial DNA4568 deletions in guinea-pig associated with presbycusis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xue-mei; Yang, Yuan; Liang, Chuang-yu; Zheng, Zhong

    2006-12-01

    To determine weather or not the mtDNA(4568) deletions in guinea-pig contribute to the development of presbycusis. Forty-four guinea-pigs were divided into 2 groups: group A (young control group, normal hearing, 22 guineas) and group B (aged group). The group B was subdivided into group B(1) (old normal hearing, 6 guineas) and group B(2) (old hearing loss, 16 guineas). First the guineas were tested by auditory brainstem response (ABR), and then the Cortis's tissues, auditory nerve tissues, brain and blood were harvested and the total DNA was extracted. The mtDNA(4568) deletion was analyzed by PCR. Hearing loss was occurred with age. The mtDNA(4568) deletion incidence of aged group in all tissues was significant higher than that of young control group (Ppresbycusis (B(2) group) were significant higher than that of aged normal hearing group (B(1) group) (Ppresbycusis and aged normal hearing group (P> 0.05). mtDNA(4568) deletion of guinea-pig possibly contributes to aging and mtDNA(4568) deletion in Cortis's and auditory nerve tissues of guinea-pig may be associated with presbycusis. There is no enough evidence to prove that the mtDNA(4568) deletions in brain and blood are related with presbycusis.

  14. 14 CFR 1206.202 - Deletion of segregable portions of a record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Deletion of segregable portions of a record... AVAILABILITY OF AGENCY RECORDS TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC Records Available § 1206.202 Deletion of segregable... that indication would harm an interest protected by the exemption in Subpart 3 under which the deletion...

  15. TTY2 genes deletions as genetic risk factor of male infertility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaveisi-Zadeh, F; Alibakhshi, R; Asgari, R; Rostami-Far, Z; Bakhtiari, M; Abdi, H; Movafagh, A; Mirfakhraie, R

    2017-02-28

    Y chromosome has a number of genes that are expressed in testis and have a role in spermatogenesis. TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A are the members of testis transcript Y2 (TTY2) that are Y linked multi-copy gene families, located on Yp11 and Yq11 loci respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency of TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A deletions in azoospermic patients compared with fertile males. This study was performed on 45 infertile males with idiopathic azoospermia without any AZF micro deletions (group A), 33 infertile males with azoospermia which do not screened for AZF micro deletions (group B) and 65 fertile males (group C), from October 2013 to April 2015 in west of Iran. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used for detection of TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A gene deletions in studied groups. No deletions were detected in normal fertile males of group C. 1 out of 45 azoospermic males of group A (2.22%) and 3 out of 33 azoospermic males of group B (9.09%) had TTY2L2A deletion (p= 0.409 and p= 0.036 respectively), also 1 out of 45 azoospermic males of group A (2.22%) and 4 out of 33 azoospermic males of group B (12.12%) had TTY2L12A deletion (p= 0.409 and p= 0.011 respectively).  None of azoospermic males in Group A and B had deletions in both genes. Our data showed significant correlation between non-obstructive azoospermia and TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A deletions. Thus, it seems that TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A deletions can consider as one of the genetic risk factors for non-obstructive azoospermia.

  16. Severe intellectual disability, omphalocele, hypospadia and high blood pressure associated to a deletion at 2q22.1q22.3: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mulatinho Milene

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH platforms have significantly improved the resolution of chromosomal analysis allowing the identification of genomic copy number gains and losses smaller than 5 Mb. Here we report on a young man with unexplained severe mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder, congenital malformations comprising hypospadia and omphalocele, and episodes of high blood pressure. An ~ 6 Mb interstitial deletion that includes the causative genes is identified by oligonucleotide-based aCGH. Results Our index case exhibited a de novo chromosomal abnormality at 2q22 [del(2(q22.1q22.3dn] which was not visible at the 550 haploid band level. The deleted region includes eight genes: HNMT, SPOPL, NXPH2, LOC64702, LRP1B, KYNU, ARHGAP15 and GTDC1. Discussion aCGH revealed an ~ 6 Mb deletion in 2q22.1 to 2q22.3 in an as-yet unique clinical case associated with intellectual disability, congenital malformations and autism spectrum disorder. Interestingly, the deletion is co-localized with a fragile site (FRA2K, which could be involved in the formation of this chromosomal aberration. Further studies are needed to determine if deletions of 2q22.1 to 2q22.3 define a new microdeletion syndrome.

  17. Directional cell migration and chemotaxis in wound healing response to PDGF-AA are coordinated by the primary cilium in fibroblasts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schneider, Linda; Cammer, Michael; Lehman, Jonathan

    2010-01-01

    Cell motility and migration play pivotal roles in numerous physiological and pathophysiological processes including development and tissue repair. Cell migration is regulated through external stimuli such as platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA), a key regulator in directional cell migration....... Here we used micropipette analysis to show that a normal chemosensory response to PDGF-AA in fibroblasts requires the primary cilium. In vitro and in vivo wound healing assays revealed that in ORPK mouse (IFT88(Tg737Rpw)) fibroblasts, where ciliary assembly is defective, chemotaxis towards PDGF-AA...

  18. Partial USH2A deletions contribute to Usher syndrome in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dad, Shzeena; Rendtorff, Nanna Dahl; Kann, Erik

    2015-01-01

    deletions identified in USH2A. Our results suggest that USH2 is caused by USH2A exon deletions in a small fraction of the patients, whereas deletions or duplications in PCDH15 might be rare in Danish Usher patients.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 25 March 2015; doi:10.1038...

  19. Array based characterization of a terminal deletion involving chromosome subband 15q26.2: an emerging syndrome associated with growth retardation, cardiac defects and developmental delay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Björkhem Gudrun

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Subtelomeric regions are gene rich and deletions in these chromosomal segments have been demonstrated to account for approximately 2.5% of patients displaying mental retardation with or without association of dysmorphic features. However, cases that report de novo terminal deletions on chromosome arm 15q are rare. Methods In this study we present the first example of a detailed molecular genetic mapping of a de novo deletion in involving 15q26.2-qter, caused by the formation of a dicentric chromosome 15, using metaphase FISH and tiling resolution (32 k genome-wide array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH. Results After an initial characterization of the dicentric chromosome by metaphase FISH, array CGH analysis mapped the terminal deletion to encompass a 6.48 megabase (Mb region, ranging from 93.86–100.34 Mb on chromosome 15. Conclusion In conclusion, we present an additional case to the growing family of reported cases with 15q26-deletion, thoroughly characterized at the molecular cytogenetic level. In the deleted regions, four candidate genes responsible for the phenotype of the patient could be delineated: IGFR1, MEF2A, CHSY1, and TM2D3. Further characterization of additional patients harboring similar 15q-aberrations might hopefully in the future lead to the description of a clear cut clinically recognizable syndrome.

  20. A Rare Syndrome of Deletion in 2 Siblings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aravindhan Veerapandiyan MBBS

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, delta 2 gene codes for an ionotropic glutamate delta-2 receptor, which is selectively expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells, and facilitates cerebellar synapse organization and transmission. The phenotype associated with the deletion of Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, delta 2 gene in humans was initially defined in 2013. In this case report, the authors describe 2 brothers who presented with developmental delay, tonic upward gaze, nystagmus, oculomotor apraxia, hypotonia, hyperreflexia, and ataxia. They were found to have a homozygous intragenic deletion within the Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, delta 2 gene at exon 2. Our patients serve as an addition to the literature of previously reported children with this rare clinical syndrome associated with Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, delta 2 deletion.

  1. 10 CFR 9.19 - Segregation of exempt information and deletion of identifying details.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Segregation of exempt information and deletion of... Information Act Regulations § 9.19 Segregation of exempt information and deletion of identifying details. (a... deletions are made from parts of the record by computer, the amount of information deleted will be indicated...

  2. Multiple Patterns of FHIT Gene Homozygous Deletion in Egyptian Breast Cancer Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ismail, H.M.S.; Zakhary, N.I.; Medhat, A.M.; Karim, A.M.

    2011-01-01

    Fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene encodes a putative tumour suppressor protein. Loss of Fhit protein in cancer is attributed to different genetic alterations that affect the FHIT gene structure. In this study, we investigated the pattern of homozygous deletion that target the FHIT gene exons 3 to 9 genomic structure in Egyptian breast cancer patients. We have found that 65% (40 out of 62) of the cases exhibited homozygous deletion in at least one FHIT exon. The incidence of homozygous deletion was not associated with patients clinico pathological parameters including patients age, tumour grade, tumour type, and lymph node involvement. Using correlation analysis, we have observed a strong correlation between homozygous deletions of exon 3 and exon 4 (P<0.0001). Deletions in exon 5 were positively correlated with deletions in exon 7 (P<0.0001), Exon 8 (P<0.027), and exon 9 (P=0.04). Additionally, a strong correlation was observed between exons 8 and exon 9 (P<0.0001).We conclude that FHIT gene exons are homozygously deleted at high frequency in Egyptian women population diagnosed with breast cancer. Three different patterns of homozygous deletion were observed in this population indicating different mechanisms of targeting FHIT gene genomic structure.

  3. Novel large-range mitochondrial DNA deletions and fatal multisystemic disorder with prominent hepatopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchi, Marzia; Rizza, Teresa; Verrigni, Daniela; Martinelli, Diego; Tozzi, Giulia; Torraco, Alessandra; Piemonte, Fiorella; Dionisi-Vici, Carlo; Nobili, Valerio; Francalanci, Paola; Boldrini, Renata; Callea, Francesco; Santorelli, Filippo Maria; Bertini, Enrico

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► Expanded array of mtDNA deletions. ► Pearson syndrome with prominent hepatopathy associated with single mtDNA deletions. ► Detection of deletions in fibroblasts and blood avoids muscle and liver biopsy. ► Look for mtDNA deletions before to study nuclear genes related to mtDNA depletion. -- Abstract: Hepatic involvement in mitochondrial cytopathies rarely manifests in adulthood, but is a common feature in children. Multiple OXPHOS enzyme defects in children with liver involvement are often associated with dramatically reduced amounts of mtDNA. We investigated two novel large scale deletions in two infants with a multisystem disorder and prominent hepatopathy. Amount of mtDNA deletions and protein content were measured in different post-mortem tissues. The highest levels of deleted mtDNA were in liver, kidney, pancreas of both patients. Moreover, mtDNA deletions were detected in cultured skin fibroblasts in both patients and in blood of one during life. Biochemical analysis showed impairment of mainly complex I enzyme activity. Patients manifesting multisystem disorders in childhood may harbour rare mtDNA deletions in multiple tissues. For these patients, less invasive blood specimens or cultured fibroblasts can be used for molecular diagnosis. Our data further expand the array of deletions in the mitochondrial genomes in association with liver failure. Thus analysis of mtDNA should be considered in the diagnosis of childhood-onset hepatopathies.

  4. Detection of three-base deletion by exciplex formation with perylene derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashida, Hiromu; Kondo, Nobuyo; Sekiguchi, Koji; Asanuma, Hiroyuki

    2011-06-14

    Here, we synthesized fluorescent DNA probes labeled with two perylene derivatives for the detection of a three-base deletion mutant. One such probe discriminated the three-base deletion mutant from the wild-type sequence by exciplex emission, and the deletion mutant was identifiable even by the naked eye. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

  5. Psychopathology and cognition in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niarchou, Maria; Zammit, Stanley; van Goozen, Stephanie H. M.; Thapar, Anita; Tierling, Hayley M.; Owen, Michael J.; van den Bree, Marianne B. M.

    2014-01-01

    Background Children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) have been reported to have high rates of cognitive and psychiatric problems. Aims To establish the nature and prevalence of psychiatric disorder and neurocognitive impairment in children with 22q11.2DS and test whether risk of psychopathology is mediated by the children’s intellectual impairment. Method Neurocognition and psychopathology were assessed in 80 children with 22q11.2DS (mean age 10.2 years, s.d. = 2.1) and 39 sibling controls (mean age 10.9 years, s.d. = 2.0). Results More than half (54%) of children with 22q11.2DS met diagnostic criteria for one or more DSM-IV-TR psychiatric disorder. These children had lower IQ (mean 76.8, s.d. = 13.0) than controls (mean 108.6, s.d. = 15.2) (Ppsychopathology was not mediated by intellectual impairment. Conclusions 22q11.2DS is not related to a specific psychiatric phenotype in children. Moreover, the deletion has largely independent effects on IQ and risk of psychopathology, indicating that psychopathology in 22q11.2DS is not a non-specific consequence of generalised cognitive impairment. PMID:24115343

  6. Monocyte chemotactic protein-3: possible involvement in apical periodontitis chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dezerega, A; Osorio, C; Mardones, J; Mundi, V; Dutzan, N; Franco, M; Gamonal, J; Oyarzún, A; Overall, C M; Hernández, M

    2010-10-01

    To study the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3, also known as chemokine CCL-7) in tissue from apical lesions (AL) and to associate MCP-3 expression with symptomatic or asymptomatic apical periodontitis. To determine the expression of MCP-3 in AL, biopsies obtained during tooth extraction procedures were fixed, subjected to routine processing and diagnosed as apical granuloma (AG) (n = 7) or radicular cyst (RC) (n = 5). As controls, apical periodontal ligament (PDL) specimens from healthy premolars extracted for orthodontics reasons were included (n = 7). All specimens were immunostained for MCP-3 and examined under a light microscope. In addition, homogenates from AL (n = 14) and healthy PDL samples (n = 7) were studied through immunowestern blot. Finally, periapical exudates samples were collected from root canals of teeth having diagnosis of symptomatic (n = 14) and asymptomatic apical periodontitis (n = 14) during routine endodontic treatments and analysed by immunowestern blot and densitometry.   MCP-3 was detected in AG and RC and localized mainly to inflammatory leucocytes, whereas no expression was observed in healthy PDLs. MCP-3 was also detected in periapical exudate, and its levels were significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic apical periodontitis. MCP-3 was expressed in AL and its levels associated with clinical symptoms. MCP-3 might play a role in disease pathogenesis, possibly by stimulating mononuclear chemotaxis. © 2010 International Endodontic Journal.

  7. Characterization of cell surface and extracellular matrix remodeling of Azospirillum brasilense chemotaxis-like 1 signal transduction pathway mutants by atomic force microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Amanda Nicole; Siuti, Piro; Bible, Amber N; Alexandre, Gladys; Retterer, Scott T; Doktycz, Mitchel J; Morrell-Falvey, Jennifer L

    2011-01-01

    To compete in complex microbial communities, bacteria must sense environmental changes and adjust cellular functions for optimal growth. Chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathways are implicated in the regulation of multiple behaviors in response to changes in the environment, including motility patterns, exopolysaccharide production, and cell-to-cell interactions. In Azospirillum brasilense, cell surface properties, including exopolysaccharide production, are thought to play a direct role in promoting flocculation. Recently, the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway from A. brasilense was shown to modulate flocculation, suggesting an associated modulation of cell surface properties. Using atomic force microscopy, distinct changes in the surface morphology of flocculating A. brasilense Che1 mutant strains were detected. Whereas the wild-type strain produces a smooth mucosal extracellular matrix after 24 h, the flocculating Che1 mutant strains produce distinctive extracellular fibril structures. Further analyses using flocculation inhibition, lectin-binding assays, and comparison of lipopolysaccharides profiles suggest that the extracellular matrix differs between the cheA1 and the cheY1 mutants, despite an apparent similarity in the macroscopic floc structures. Collectively, these data indicate that disruption of the Che1 pathway is correlated with distinctive changes in the extracellular matrix, which likely result from changes in surface polysaccharides structure and/or composition. FEMS Microbiology Letters © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. No claim to original US government works.

  8. Characterization of novel RS1 exonic deletions in juvenile X-linked retinoschisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Souza, Leera; Cukras, Catherine; Antolik, Christian; Craig, Candice; Lee, Ji-Yun; He, Hong; Li, Shibo; Smaoui, Nizar; Hejtmancik, James F; Sieving, Paul A; Wang, Xinjing

    2013-01-01

    X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is a vitreoretinal dystrophy characterized by schisis (splitting) of the inner layers of the neuroretina. Mutations within the retinoschisis (RS1) gene are responsible for this disease. The mutation spectrum consists of amino acid substitutions, splice site variations, small indels, and larger genomic deletions. Clinically, genomic deletions are rarely reported. Here, we characterize two novel full exonic deletions: one encompassing exon 1 and the other spanning exons 4-5 of the RS1 gene. We also report the clinical findings in these patients with XLRS with two different exonic deletions. Unrelated XLRS men and boys and their mothers (if available) were enrolled for molecular genetics evaluation. The patients also underwent ophthalmologic examination and in some cases electroretinogram (ERG) recording. All the exons and the flanking intronic regions of the RS1 gene were analyzed with direct sequencing. Two patients with exonic deletions were further evaluated with array comparative genomic hybridization to define the scope of the genomic aberrations. After the deleted genomic region was identified, primer walking followed by direct sequencing was used to determine the exact breakpoints. Two novel exonic deletions of the RS1 gene were identified: one including exon 1 and the other spanning exons 4 and 5. The exon 1 deletion extends from the 5' region of the RS1 gene (including the promoter) through intron 1 (c.(-35)-1723_c.51+2664del4472). The exon 4-5 deletion spans introns 3 to intron 5 (c.185-1020_c.522+1844del5764). Here we report two novel exonic deletions within the RS1 gene locus. We have also described the clinical presentations and hypothesized the genomic mechanisms underlying these schisis phenotypes.

  9. Novel large-range mitochondrial DNA deletions and fatal multisystemic disorder with prominent hepatopathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bianchi, Marzia; Rizza, Teresa; Verrigni, Daniela [Unit of Molecular Medicine for Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Martinelli, Diego [Division of Metabolism, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Tozzi, Giulia; Torraco, Alessandra; Piemonte, Fiorella [Unit of Molecular Medicine for Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Dionisi-Vici, Carlo [Division of Metabolism, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Nobili, Valerio [Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Francalanci, Paola; Boldrini, Renata; Callea, Francesco [Dept. Pathology, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); Santorelli, Filippo Maria [UOC Neurogenetica e Malattie Neuromuscolari, Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa (Italy); Bertini, Enrico [Unit of Molecular Medicine for Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, ' Bambino Gesu' Children' s Hospital, Rome (Italy); and others

    2011-11-18

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Expanded array of mtDNA deletions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pearson syndrome with prominent hepatopathy associated with single mtDNA deletions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Detection of deletions in fibroblasts and blood avoids muscle and liver biopsy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Look for mtDNA deletions before to study nuclear genes related to mtDNA depletion. -- Abstract: Hepatic involvement in mitochondrial cytopathies rarely manifests in adulthood, but is a common feature in children. Multiple OXPHOS enzyme defects in children with liver involvement are often associated with dramatically reduced amounts of mtDNA. We investigated two novel large scale deletions in two infants with a multisystem disorder and prominent hepatopathy. Amount of mtDNA deletions and protein content were measured in different post-mortem tissues. The highest levels of deleted mtDNA were in liver, kidney, pancreas of both patients. Moreover, mtDNA deletions were detected in cultured skin fibroblasts in both patients and in blood of one during life. Biochemical analysis showed impairment of mainly complex I enzyme activity. Patients manifesting multisystem disorders in childhood may harbour rare mtDNA deletions in multiple tissues. For these patients, less invasive blood specimens or cultured fibroblasts can be used for molecular diagnosis. Our data further expand the array of deletions in the mitochondrial genomes in association with liver failure. Thus analysis of mtDNA should be considered in the diagnosis of childhood-onset hepatopathies.

  10. A local-world node deleting evolving network model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Yuying; Sun Jitao

    2008-01-01

    A new type network growth rule which comprises node addition with the concept of local-world connectivity and node deleting is studied. A series of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation to the LWD network are conducted in this Letter. Firstly, the degree distribution p(k) of this network changes no longer pure scale free but truncates by an exponential tail and the truncation in p(k) increases as p a decreases. Secondly, the connectivity is tighter, as the local-world size M increases. Thirdly, the average path length L increases and the clustering coefficient decreases as generally node deleting increases. Finally, trends up when the local-world size M increases, so as to k max . Hence, the expanding local-world can compensate the infection of the node deleting

  11. A local-world node deleting evolving network model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gu Yuying [Department of Mathematics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Sun Jitao [Department of Mathematics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China)], E-mail: sunjt@sh163.net

    2008-06-16

    A new type network growth rule which comprises node addition with the concept of local-world connectivity and node deleting is studied. A series of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation to the LWD network are conducted in this Letter. Firstly, the degree distribution p(k) of this network changes no longer pure scale free but truncates by an exponential tail and the truncation in p(k) increases as p{sub a} decreases. Secondly, the connectivity is tighter, as the local-world size M increases. Thirdly, the average path length L increases and the clustering coefficient decreases as generally node deleting increases. Finally, trends up when the local-world size M increases, so as to k{sub max}. Hence, the expanding local-world can compensate the infection of the node deleting.

  12. Brand deletion: How the decision-making approach affects deletion success

    OpenAIRE

    Víctor Temprano-García; Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Escudero; Javier Rodríguez-Pinto

    2018-01-01

    Literature on brand deletion (BD), a critical and topical decision within a firm's marketing strategy, is extremely scarce. The present research is concerned with the decision-making process and examines the effect on BD success of three different approaches to decision-making – rational, intuitive and political – and of the interaction between the rational and political approaches. The moderating effect of the type of BD – i.e., total brand killing or disposal vs. brand name change – is also...

  13. Dual entanglement measures based on no local cloning and no local deleting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horodecki, Michal; Sen, Aditi; Sen, Ujjwal

    2004-01-01

    The impossibility of cloning and deleting of unknown states constitute important restrictions on processing of information in the quantum world. On the other hand, a known quantum state can always be cloned or deleted. However, if we restrict the class of allowed operations, there will arise restrictions on the ability of cloning and deleting machines. We have shown that cloning and deleting of known states is in general not possible by local operations. This impossibility hints at quantum correlation in the state. We propose dual measures of quantum correlation based on the dual restrictions of no local cloning and no local deleting. The measures are relative entropy distances of the desired states in a (generally impossible) perfect local cloning or local deleting process from the best approximate state that is actually obtained by imperfect local cloning or deleting machines. Just like the dual measures of entanglement cost and distillable entanglement, the proposed measures are based on important processes in quantum information. We discuss their properties. For the case of pure states, estimations of these two measures are also provided. Interestingly, the entanglement of cloning for a maximally entangled state of two two-level systems is not unity

  14. Prevalence of glutathione S-transferase gene deletions and their effect on sickle cell patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandey Sanjay

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferase gene deletions are known detoxification agents and cause oxidative damage. Due to the different pathophysiology of anemia in thalassemia and sickle cell disease, there are significant differences in the pathophysiology of iron overload and iron-related complications in these disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes in sickle cell disease patients and their effect on iron status. METHODS: Forty sickle cell anemia and sixty sickle ß-thalassemia patients and 100 controls were evaluated to determine the frequency of GST gene deletions. Complete blood counts were performed by an automated cell analyzer. Hemoglobin F, hemoglobin A, hemoglobin A2 and hemoglobin S were measured and diagnosis of patients was achieved by high performance liquid chromatography with DNA extraction by the phenol-chloroform method. The GST null genotype was determined using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and serum ferritin was measured using an ELISA kit. Statistical analysis was by EpiInfo and GraphPad statistics software. RESULTS: An increased frequency of the GSTT1 null genotype (p-value = 0.05 was seen in the patients. The mean serum ferritin level was higher in patients with the GST genotypes than in controls; this was statistically significant for all genotypes except GSTM1, however the higher levels of serum ferritin were due to blood transfusions in patients. CONCLUSION: GST deletions do not play a direct role in iron overload of sickle cell patients.

  15. 24 CFR 990.155 - Addition and deletion of units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Addition and deletion of units. 990.155 Section 990.155 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban...; Computation of Eligible Unit Months § 990.155 Addition and deletion of units. (a) Changes in public housing...

  16. Discrimination of Deletion and Duplication Subtypes of the Deleted in Azoospermia Gene Family in the Context of Frequent Interloci Gene Conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaszkó, Tibor; Papp, János; Krausz, Csilla; Casamonti, Elena; Géczi, Lajos; Olah, Edith

    2016-01-01

    Due to its palindromic setup, AZFc (Azoospermia Factor c) region of chromosome Y is one of the most unstable regions of the human genome. It contains eight gene families expressed mainly in the testes. Several types of rearrangement resulting in changes in the cumulative copy number of the gene families were reported to be associated with diseases such as male infertility and testicular germ cell tumors. The best studied AZFc rearrangement is gr/gr deletion. Its carriers show widespread phenotypic variation from azoospermia to normospermia. This phenomenon was initially attributed to different gr/gr subtypes that would eliminate distinct members of the affected gene families. However, studies conducted to confirm this hypothesis have brought controversial results, perhaps, in part, due to the shortcomings of the utilized subtyping methodology. This proof-of-concept paper is meant to introduce here a novel method aimed at subtyping AZFc rearrangements. It is able to differentiate the partial deletion and partial duplication subtypes of the Deleted in Azoospermia (DAZ) gene family. The keystone of the method is the determination of the copy number of the gene family member-specific variant(s) in a series of sequence family variant (SFV) positions. Most importantly, we present a novel approach for the correct interpretation of the variant copy number data to determine the copy number of the individual DAZ family members in the context of frequent interloci gene conversion.Besides DAZ1/DAZ2 and DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions, not yet described rearrangements such as DAZ2/DAZ4 deletion and three duplication subtypes were also found by the utilization of the novel approach. A striking feature is the extremely high concordance among the individual data pointing to a certain type of rearrangement. In addition to being able to identify DAZ deletion subtypes more reliably than the methods used previously, this approach is the first that can discriminate DAZ duplication subtypes as well

  17. Neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis depend on substrate mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jannat, Risat A; Hammer, Daniel A; Robbins, Gregory P; Ricart, Brendon G; Dembo, Micah

    2010-01-01

    Neutrophil adhesion to the vasculature and chemotaxis within tissues play critical roles in the inflammatory response to injury and pathogens. Unregulated neutrophil activity has been implicated in the progression of numerous chronic and acute diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and sepsis. Cell migration of anchorage-dependent cells is known to depend on both chemical and mechanical interactions. Although neutrophil responses to chemical cues have been well characterized, little is known about the effect of underlying tissue mechanics on neutrophil adhesion and migration. To address this question, we quantified neutrophil migration and traction stresses on compliant hydrogel substrates with varying elasticity in a micromachined gradient chamber in which we could apply either a uniform concentration or a precise gradient of the bacterial chemoattractant fMLP. Neutrophils spread more extensively on substrates of greater stiffness. In addition, increasing the stiffness of the substrate leads to a significant increase in the chemotactic index for each fMLP gradient tested. As the substrate becomes stiffer, neutrophils generate higher traction forces without significant changes in cell speed. These forces are often displayed in pairs and focused in the uropod. Increases in the mean fMLP concentration beyond the K D of the receptor lead to a decrease in chemotactic index on all surfaces. Blocking with an antibody against β 2 -integrins leads to a significant reduction, but not an elimination, of directed motility on stiff materials, but no change in motility on soft materials, suggesting neutrophils can display both integrin-dependent and integrin-independent motility. These findings are critical for understanding how neutrophil migration may change in different mechanical environments in vivo and can be used to guide the design of migration inhibitors that more efficiently target inflammation.

  18. Mast cell chemotaxis – Chemoattractants and signaling pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivana eHalova

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Migration of mast cells is essential for their recruitment within target tissues where they play an important role in innate and adaptive immune responses. These processes rely on the ability of mast cells to recognize appropriate chemotactic stimuli and react to them by a chemotactic response. Another level of intercellular communication is attained by production of chemoattractants by activated mast cells, which results in accumulation of mast cells and other hematopoietic cells at the sites of inflammation. Mast cells express numerous surface receptors for various ligands with properties of potent chemoattractants. They include the stem cell factor recognized by c-Kit, antigen, which binds to immunoglobulin E (IgE anchored to the high affinity IgE receptor (FcRI, highly cytokinergic IgE recognized by FcRI, lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P, which binds to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs. Other large groups of chemoattractants are eicosanoids [prostaglandin E2 and D2, leukotriene (LT B4, LTD4 and LTC4, and others] and chemokines (CC, CXC, C and CX3X, which also bind to various GPCRs. Further noteworthy chemoattractants are isoforms of transforming growth factor (TGF , which are sensitively recognized by TGF- serine/threonine type I and II  receptors, adenosine, C1q, C3a, and C5a components of the complement, 5-hydroxytryptamine, neuroendocrine peptide catestatin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor- and others. Here we discuss the major types of chemoattractants recognized by mast cells, their target receptors, as well as signaling pathways they utilize. We also briefly deal with methods used for studies of mast cell chemotaxis and with ways of how these studies profited from the results obtained in other cellular systems.

  19. Neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis depend on substrate mechanics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jannat, Risat A; Hammer, Daniel A [Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Robbins, Gregory P; Ricart, Brendon G [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 311A Towne Building, 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Dembo, Micah, E-mail: hammer@seas.upenn.ed [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

    2010-05-19

    Neutrophil adhesion to the vasculature and chemotaxis within tissues play critical roles in the inflammatory response to injury and pathogens. Unregulated neutrophil activity has been implicated in the progression of numerous chronic and acute diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and sepsis. Cell migration of anchorage-dependent cells is known to depend on both chemical and mechanical interactions. Although neutrophil responses to chemical cues have been well characterized, little is known about the effect of underlying tissue mechanics on neutrophil adhesion and migration. To address this question, we quantified neutrophil migration and traction stresses on compliant hydrogel substrates with varying elasticity in a micromachined gradient chamber in which we could apply either a uniform concentration or a precise gradient of the bacterial chemoattractant fMLP. Neutrophils spread more extensively on substrates of greater stiffness. In addition, increasing the stiffness of the substrate leads to a significant increase in the chemotactic index for each fMLP gradient tested. As the substrate becomes stiffer, neutrophils generate higher traction forces without significant changes in cell speed. These forces are often displayed in pairs and focused in the uropod. Increases in the mean fMLP concentration beyond the K{sub D} of the receptor lead to a decrease in chemotactic index on all surfaces. Blocking with an antibody against {beta}{sub 2}-integrins leads to a significant reduction, but not an elimination, of directed motility on stiff materials, but no change in motility on soft materials, suggesting neutrophils can display both integrin-dependent and integrin-independent motility. These findings are critical for understanding how neutrophil migration may change in different mechanical environments in vivo and can be used to guide the design of migration inhibitors that more efficiently target inflammation.

  20. SVA retrotransposon insertion-associated deletion represents a novel mutational mechanism underlying large genomic copy number changes with non-recurrent breakpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Genomic disorders are caused by copy number changes that may exhibit recurrent breakpoints processed by nonallelic homologous recombination. However, region-specific disease-associated copy number changes have also been observed which exhibit non-recurrent breakpoints. The mechanisms underlying these non-recurrent copy number changes have not yet been fully elucidated. Results We analyze large NF1 deletions with non-recurrent breakpoints as a model to investigate the full spectrum of causative mechanisms, and observe that they are mediated by various DNA double strand break repair mechanisms, as well as aberrant replication. Further, two of the 17 NF1 deletions with non-recurrent breakpoints, identified in unrelated patients, occur in association with the concomitant insertion of SINE/variable number of tandem repeats/Alu (SVA) retrotransposons at the deletion breakpoints. The respective breakpoints are refractory to analysis by standard breakpoint-spanning PCRs and are only identified by means of optimized PCR protocols designed to amplify across GC-rich sequences. The SVA elements are integrated within SUZ12P intron 8 in both patients, and were mediated by target-primed reverse transcription of SVA mRNA intermediates derived from retrotranspositionally active source elements. Both SVA insertions occurred during early postzygotic development and are uniquely associated with large deletions of 1 Mb and 867 kb, respectively, at the insertion sites. Conclusions Since active SVA elements are abundant in the human genome and the retrotranspositional activity of many SVA source elements is high, SVA insertion-associated large genomic deletions encompassing many hundreds of kilobases could constitute a novel and as yet under-appreciated mechanism underlying large-scale copy number changes in the human genome. PMID:24958239

  1. Sequence characterisation of deletion breakpoints in the dystrophin gene by PCR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abbs, S.; Sandhu, S.; Bobrow, M. [Guy`s Hospital, London (United Kingdom)

    1994-09-01

    Partial deletions of the dystrophin gene account for 65% of cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A high proportion of these structural changes are generated by new mutational events, and lie predominantly within two `hotspot` regions, yet the underlying reasons for this are not known. We are characterizing and sequencing the regions surrounding deletion breakpoints in order to: (i) investigate the mechanisms of deletion mutation, and (ii) enable the design of PCR assays to specifically amplify mutant and normal sequences, allowing us to search for the presence of somatic mosaicism in appropriate family members. Using this approach we have been able to demonstrate the presence of somatic mosaicism in a maternal grandfather of a DMD-affected male, deleted for exons 49-50. Three deletions, namely of exons 48-49, 49-50, and 50, have been characterized using a PCR approach that avoids any cloning procedures. Breakpoints were initially localized to within regions of a few kilobases using Southern blot restriction analyses with exon-specific probes and PCR amplification of exonic and intronic loci. Sequencing was performed directly on PCR products: (i) mutant sequences were obtained from long-range or inverse-PCR across the deletion junction fragments, and (ii) normal sequences were obtained from the products of standard PCR, vectorette PCR, or inverse-PCR performed on YACs. Further characterization of intronic sequences will allow us to amplify and sequence across other deletion breakpoints and increase our knowledge of the mechanisms of mutation in the dystophin gene.

  2. Induction of macrophage chemotaxis by aortic extracts from patients with Marfan syndrome is related to elastin binding protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gao Guo

    Full Text Available Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder of connective tissue with prominent skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular manifestations. Aortic aneurysm and dissection are the major determinants of premature death in untreated patients. In previous work, we showed that extracts of aortic tissues from the mgR mouse model of Marfan syndrome showed increased chemotactic stimulatory activity related to the elastin-binding protein. Aortic samples were collected from 6 patients with Marfan syndrome and 8 with isolated aneurysms of the ascending aorta. Control samples were obtained from 11 organ donors without known vascular or connective tissue diseases. Soluble proteins extracted from the aortic samples of the two patient groups were compared against buffer controls and against the aortic samples from controls with respect to the ability to induce macrophage chemotaxis as measured using a modified Boyden chamber, as well as the reactivity to a monoclonal antibody BA4 against bioactive elastin peptides using ELISA. Samples from Marfan patients displayed a statistically significant increase in chemotactic inductive activity compared to control samples. Additionally, reactivity to BA4 was significantly increased. Similar statistically significant increases were identified for the samples from patients with idiopathic thoracic aortic aneurysm. There was a significant correlation between the chemotactic index and BA4 reactivity, and the increases in chemotactic activity of extracts from Marfan patients could be inhibited by pretreatment with lactose, VGVAPG peptides, or BA4, which indicates the involvement of EBP in mediating the effects. Our results demonstrate that aortic extracts of patients with Marfan syndrome can elicit macrophage chemotaxis, similar to our previous study on aortic extracts of the mgR mouse model of Marfan syndrome (Guo et al., Circulation 2006; 114:1855-62.

  3. Induction of Macrophage Chemotaxis by Aortic Extracts from Patients with Marfan Syndrome Is Related to Elastin Binding Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Gao; Gehle, Petra; Doelken, Sandra; Martin-Ventura, José Luis; von Kodolitsch, Yskert; Hetzer, Roland; Robinson, Peter N.

    2011-01-01

    Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder of connective tissue with prominent skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular manifestations. Aortic aneurysm and dissection are the major determinants of premature death in untreated patients. In previous work, we showed that extracts of aortic tissues from the mgR mouse model of Marfan syndrome showed increased chemotactic stimulatory activity related to the elastin-binding protein. Aortic samples were collected from 6 patients with Marfan syndrome and 8 with isolated aneurysms of the ascending aorta. Control samples were obtained from 11 organ donors without known vascular or connective tissue diseases. Soluble proteins extracted from the aortic samples of the two patient groups were compared against buffer controls and against the aortic samples from controls with respect to the ability to induce macrophage chemotaxis as measured using a modified Boyden chamber, as well as the reactivity to a monoclonal antibody BA4 against bioactive elastin peptides using ELISA. Samples from Marfan patients displayed a statistically significant increase in chemotactic inductive activity compared to control samples. Additionally, reactivity to BA4 was significantly increased. Similar statistically significant increases were identified for the samples from patients with idiopathic thoracic aortic aneurysm. There was a significant correlation between the chemotactic index and BA4 reactivity, and the increases in chemotactic activity of extracts from Marfan patients could be inhibited by pretreatment with lactose, VGVAPG peptides, or BA4, which indicates the involvement of EBP in mediating the effects. Our results demonstrate that aortic extracts of patients with Marfan syndrome can elicit macrophage chemotaxis, similar to our previous study on aortic extracts of the mgR mouse model of Marfan syndrome (Guo et al., Circulation 2006; 114:1855-62). PMID:21647416

  4. Genome-wide association study identifies a maternal copy-number deletion in PSG11 enriched among preeclampsia patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Linlu

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Specific genetic contributions for preeclampsia (PE are currently unknown. This genome-wide association study (GWAS aims to identify maternal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and copy-number variants (CNVs involved in the etiology of PE. Methods A genome-wide scan was performed on 177 PE cases (diagnosed according to National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guidelines and 116 normotensive controls. White female study subjects from Iowa were genotyped on Affymetrix SNP 6.0 microarrays. CNV calls made using a combination of four detection algorithms (Birdseye, Canary, PennCNV, and QuantiSNP were merged using CNVision and screened with stringent prioritization criteria. Due to limited DNA quantities and the deleterious nature of copy-number deletions, it was decided a priori that only deletions would be selected for assay on the entire case-control dataset using quantitative real-time PCR. Results The top four SNP candidates had an allelic or genotypic p-value between 10-5 and 10-6, however, none surpassed the Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold. Three recurrent rare deletions meeting prioritization criteria detected in multiple cases were selected for targeted genotyping. A locus of particular interest was found showing an enrichment of case deletions in 19q13.31 (5/169 cases and 1/114 controls, which encompasses the PSG11 gene contiguous to a highly plastic genomic region. All algorithm calls for these regions were assay confirmed. Conclusions CNVs may confer risk for PE and represent interesting regions that warrant further investigation. Top SNP candidates identified from the GWAS, although not genome-wide significant, may be useful to inform future studies in PE genetics.

  5. Do mtDNA Deletions Play a Role in the Development of Nasal Polyposis?

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    Arzu Tatar

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective:Nasal polyposis (NP is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Mitochondria are the cellular organelles which produce cellular energy by Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS, and they have own inheritance material, mtDNA. mtDNA is affected by reactive oxygen samples (ROS which are produced by both OXPHOS and the inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to investigate the 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletions of mtDNA in nasal polyposis tissue, and to indicate the possible association of mtDNA deletions with NP. Methods:Thirty-three patients, aged 15 to 65 years, with nasal polyposis were selected to be assessed for mitochondrial DNA deletions. The patients with possible mtDNA mutations due to mitochondrial disease, being treated with radiotherapy, of advanced age, with a familiar history, aspirin hypersensitivity, or a history of asthma, were excluded. Polyp excision surgery was applied to the treatment of the NP, and after histopathological diagnosis 1x1 cm of polyp tissue samples were used to isolate mtDNA. The 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletion regions, and two control regions of mtDNA were assessed by using four pairs of primers. DNA extractions from the NP tissues and peripheral blood samples of the patients were made, and then Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR were made. PCR products were separated in 2% agarose gel.Results:No patient had either the 4977 bp deletion or the 7400 bp deletion in their NP tissue, and neither were these deletions evident in their peripheral blood. Two control sequences, one of them from a non-deleted region, and the other from a possible deletion region, were detected in the NP tissues and peripheral blood of all the patients.Conclusions:We had anticipated that some mtDNA deletion might have occurred in NP tissue due to the increased ROS levels caused by chronic inflammation, but we did not detect any deletion. Probably, the duration of inflammation in NP is insufficient to form mt

  6. Oncolytic Replication of E1b-Deleted Adenoviruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pei-Hsin Cheng

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Various viruses have been studied and developed for oncolytic virotherapies. In virotherapy, a relatively small amount of viruses used in an intratumoral injection preferentially replicate in and lyse cancer cells, leading to the release of amplified viral particles that spread the infection to the surrounding tumor cells and reduce the tumor mass. Adenoviruses (Ads are most commonly used for oncolytic virotherapy due to their infection efficacy, high titer production, safety, easy genetic modification, and well-studied replication characteristics. Ads with deletion of E1b55K preferentially replicate in and destroy cancer cells and have been used in multiple clinical trials. H101, one of the E1b55K-deleted Ads, has been used for the treatment of late-stage cancers as the first approved virotherapy agent. However, the mechanism of selective replication of E1b-deleted Ads in cancer cells is still not well characterized. This review will focus on three potential molecular mechanisms of oncolytic replication of E1b55K-deleted Ads. These mechanisms are based upon the functions of the viral E1B55K protein that are associated with p53 inhibition, late viralmRNAexport, and cell cycle disruption.

  7. Spontaneous 8bp Deletion in Nbeal2 Recapitulates the Gray Platelet Syndrome in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomberg, Kärt; Khoriaty, Rami; Westrick, Randal J.; Fairfield, Heather E.; Reinholdt, Laura G.; Brodsky, Gary L.; Davizon-Castillo, Pavel; Ginsburg, David; Di Paola, Jorge

    2016-01-01

    During the analysis of a whole genome ENU mutagenesis screen for thrombosis modifiers, a spontaneous 8 base pair (bp) deletion causing a frameshift in exon 27 of the Nbeal2 gene was identified. Though initially considered as a plausible thrombosis modifier, this Nbeal2 mutation failed to suppress the synthetic lethal thrombosis on which the original ENU screen was based. Mutations in NBEAL2 cause Gray Platelet Syndrome (GPS), an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by macrothrombocytopenia and gray-appearing platelets due to lack of platelet alpha granules. Mice homozygous for the Nbeal2 8 bp deletion (Nbeal2gps/gps) exhibit a phenotype similar to human GPS, with significantly reduced platelet counts compared to littermate controls (p = 1.63 x 10−7). Nbeal2gps/gps mice also have markedly reduced numbers of platelet alpha granules and an increased level of emperipolesis, consistent with previously characterized mice carrying targeted Nbeal2 null alleles. These findings confirm previous reports, provide an additional mouse model for GPS, and highlight the potentially confounding effect of background spontaneous mutation events in well-characterized mouse strains. PMID:26950939

  8. Spontaneous 8bp Deletion in Nbeal2 Recapitulates the Gray Platelet Syndrome in Mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kärt Tomberg

    Full Text Available During the analysis of a whole genome ENU mutagenesis screen for thrombosis modifiers, a spontaneous 8 base pair (bp deletion causing a frameshift in exon 27 of the Nbeal2 gene was identified. Though initially considered as a plausible thrombosis modifier, this Nbeal2 mutation failed to suppress the synthetic lethal thrombosis on which the original ENU screen was based. Mutations in NBEAL2 cause Gray Platelet Syndrome (GPS, an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by macrothrombocytopenia and gray-appearing platelets due to lack of platelet alpha granules. Mice homozygous for the Nbeal2 8 bp deletion (Nbeal2gps/gps exhibit a phenotype similar to human GPS, with significantly reduced platelet counts compared to littermate controls (p = 1.63 x 10-7. Nbeal2gps/gps mice also have markedly reduced numbers of platelet alpha granules and an increased level of emperipolesis, consistent with previously characterized mice carrying targeted Nbeal2 null alleles. These findings confirm previous reports, provide an additional mouse model for GPS, and highlight the potentially confounding effect of background spontaneous mutation events in well-characterized mouse strains.

  9. The male gametophytic sterility. 1 - Gametic sterilities and deletions in petunia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornu, A.; Maizonnier, D.

    1982-01-01

    Terminal deletions induced by ionizing radiations in Petunia are not sexually transmitted. Cytogenetic study of plants with a heterozygous deletion and their progenies shows that this lack of transmission is accompanied by a gametic semi-sterility due to the fact that gametes carrying the deleted chromosome are not viable. The interest of such a male sterility with a gametophytic determinism for the study of sporophyte-gametophyte relationships is underlined [fr

  10. ABCA7 frameshift deletion associated with Alzheimer disease in African Americans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cukier, Holly N.; Kunkle, Brian W.; Vardarajan, Badri N.; Rolati, Sophie; Hamilton-Nelson, Kara L.; Kohli, Martin A.; Whitehead, Patrice L.; Dombroski, Beth A.; Van Booven, Derek; Lang, Rosalyn; Dykxhoorn, Derek M.; Farrer, Lindsay A.; Cuccaro, Michael L.; Vance, Jeffery M.; Gilbert, John R.; Beecham, Gary W.; Martin, Eden R.; Carney, Regina M.; Mayeux, Richard; Schellenberg, Gerard D.; Byrd, Goldie S.; Haines, Jonathan L.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To identify a causative variant(s) that may contribute to Alzheimer disease (AD) in African Americans (AA) in the ATP-binding cassette, subfamily A (ABC1), member 7 (ABCA7) gene, a known risk factor for late-onset AD. Methods: Custom capture sequencing was performed on ∼150 kb encompassing ABCA7 in 40 AA cases and 37 AA controls carrying the AA risk allele (rs115550680). Association testing was performed for an ABCA7 deletion identified in large AA data sets (discovery n = 1,068; replication n = 1,749) and whole exome sequencing of Caribbean Hispanic (CH) AD families. Results: A 44-base pair deletion (rs142076058) was identified in all 77 risk genotype carriers, which shows that the deletion is in high linkage disequilibrium with the risk allele. The deletion was assessed in a large data set (531 cases and 527 controls) and, after adjustments for age, sex, and APOE status, was significantly associated with disease (p = 0.0002, odds ratio [OR] = 2.13 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42–3.20]). An independent data set replicated the association (447 cases and 880 controls, p = 0.0117, OR = 1.65 [95% CI: 1.12–2.44]), and joint analysis increased the significance (p = 1.414 × 10−5, OR = 1.81 [95% CI: 1.38–2.37]). The deletion is common in AA cases (15.2%) and AA controls (9.74%), but in only 0.12% of our non-Hispanic white cohort. Whole exome sequencing of multiplex, CH families identified the deletion cosegregating with disease in a large sibship. The deleted allele produces a stable, detectable RNA strand and is predicted to result in a frameshift mutation (p.Arg578Alafs) that could interfere with protein function. Conclusions: This common ABCA7 deletion could represent an ethnic-specific pathogenic alteration in AD. PMID:27231719

  11. 41 CFR 51-6.8 - Deletion of items from the Procurement List.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Deletion of items from...-PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES § 51-6.8 Deletion of items from the Procurement List. (a) When a central nonprofit... shall notify the Committee staff immediately. Before reaching a decision to request a deletion of an...

  12. Interleukin 3 gene is located on human chromosome 5 and is deleted in myeloid leukemias with a deletion of 5q

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Beau, M.M.; Epstein, N.D.; O'Brien, S.J.; Nienhuis, A.W.; Yang, Y.C.; Clark, S.C.; Rowley, J.D.

    1987-01-01

    The gene IL-3 encodes interleukin 3, a hematopoietic colony-stimulating factor (CSF) that is capable of supporting the proliferation of a broad range of hematopoietic cell types. By using somatic cell hybrids and in situ chromosomal hybridization, the authors localized this gene to human chromosome 5 at bands q23-31, a chromosomal region that is frequently deleted [del(5q)] in patients with myeloid disorders. By in situ hybridization, IL-3 was found to be deleted in the 5q-chromosome of one patient with refractory anemia who had a del(5)(q15q33.3), of three patients with refractory anemia (two patients) or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) de novo who had a similar distal breakpoint [del(5)(q13q33.3)], and of a fifth patient, with therapy-related ANLL, who had a similar distal breakpoint in band q33[del(5)(q14q33.3)]. Southern blot analysis of somatic cell hybrids retaining the normal or the deleted chromosome 5 from two patients with the refractory anemia 5q- syndrome indicated that IL-3 sequences were absent from the hybrids retaining the deleted chromosome 5 but not from hybrids that had a cytologically normal chromosome 5. Thus, a small segment of chromosome 5 contains IL-3, GM-CSF, CSF-1, and FMS. The findings and earlier results indicating that GM-CSF, CSF-1, and FMS were deleted in the 5q- chromosome, suggest that loss of IL-3 or of other CSF genes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hematologic disorders associated with a del(5q)

  13. Social Cognition Dysfunction in Adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome): Relationship with Executive Functioning and Social Competence/Functioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, L. E.; McCabe, K. L.; Melville, J. L.; Strutt, P. A.; Schall, U.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Social difficulties are often noted among people with intellectual disabilities. Children and adults with 22q.11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) often have poorer social competence as well as poorer performance on measures of executive and social-cognitive skills compared with typically developing young people. However, the relationship…

  14. Deletions of the hypervariable region (HVR) in open reading frame 1 of hepatitis E virus do not abolish virus infectivity: evidence for attenuation of HVR deletion mutants in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pudupakam, R S; Huang, Y W; Opriessnig, T; Halbur, P G; Pierson, F W; Meng, X J

    2009-01-01

    Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important human pathogen, although little is known about its biology and replication. Comparative sequence analysis revealed a hypervariable region (HVR) with extensive sequence variations in open reading frame 1 of HEV. To elucidate the role of the HVR in HEV replication, we first constructed two HVR deletion mutants, hHVRd1 and hHVRd2, with in-frame deletion of amino acids (aa) 711 to 777 and 747 to 761 in the HVR of a genotype 1 human HEV replicon. Evidence of HEV replication was detected in Huh7 cells transfected with RNA transcripts from mutant hHVRd2, as evidenced by expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein. To confirm the in vitro results, we constructed three avian HEV mutants with various HVR deletions: mutants aHVRd1, with deletion of aa 557 to 585 (Delta557-585); aHVRd2 (Delta612-641); and aHVRd3 (Delta557-641). Chickens intrahepatically inoculated with capped RNA transcripts from mutants aHVRd1 and aHVRd2 developed active viral infection, as evidenced by seroconversion, viremia, and fecal virus shedding, although mutant aHVRd3, with complete HVR deletion, was apparently attenuated in chickens. To further verify the results, we constructed four additional HVR deletion mutants using the genotype 3 swine HEV as the backbone. Mutants sHVRd2 (Delta722-781), sHVRd3 (Delta735-765), and sHVRd4 (Delta712-765) were shown to tolerate deletions and were infectious in pigs intrahepatically inoculated with capped RNA transcripts from the mutants, whereas mutant sHVRd1 (Delta712-790), with a nearly complete HVR deletion, exhibited an attenuation phenotype in infected pigs. The data from these studies indicate that deletions in HVR do not abolish HEV infectivity in vitro or in vivo, although evidence for attenuation was observed for HEV mutants with a larger or nearly complete HVR deletion.

  15. An environment-mediated quantum deleter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srikanth, R.; Banerjee, Subhashish

    2007-01-01

    Environment-induced decoherence presents a great challenge to realizing a quantum computer. We point out the somewhat surprising fact that decoherence can be useful, indeed necessary, for practical quantum computation, in particular, for the effective erasure of quantum memory in order to initialize the state of the quantum computer. The essential point behind the deleter is that the environment, by means of a dissipative interaction, furnishes a contractive map towards a pure state. We present a specific example of an amplitude damping channel provided by a two-level system's interaction with its environment in the weak Born-Markov approximation. This is contrasted with a purely dephasing, non-dissipative channel provided by a two-level system's interaction with its environment by means of a quantum nondemolition interaction. We point out that currently used state preparation techniques, for example using optical pumping, essentially perform as quantum deleters

  16. Haploid deletion strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that determine survival during space flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johanson, Kelly; Allen, Patricia L.; Gonzalez-Villalobos, Romer A.; Nesbit, Jacqueline; Nickerson, Cheryl A.; Höner zu Bentrup, Kerstin; Wilson, James W.; Ramamurthy, Rajee; D'Elia, Riccardo; Muse, Kenneth E.; Hammond, Jeffrey; Freeman, Jake; Stodieck, Louis S.; Hammond, Timothy G.

    2007-02-01

    This study identifies genes that determine survival during a space flight, using the model eukaryotic organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Select strains of a haploid yeast deletion series grew during storage in distilled water in space, but not in ground based static or clinorotation controls. The survival advantages in space in distilled water include a 133-fold advantage for the deletion of PEX19, a chaperone and import receptor for newly- synthesized class I peroxisomal membrane proteins, to 77-40 fold for deletion strains lacking elements of aerobic respiration, isocitrate metabolism, and mitochondrial electron transport. Following automated addition of rich growth media, the space flight was associated with a marked survival advantage of strains with deletions in catalytically active genes including hydrolases, oxidoreductases and transferases. When compared to static controls, space flight was associated with a marked survival disadvantage of deletion strains lacking transporter, antioxidant and catalytic activity. This study identifies yeast deletion strains with a survival advantage during storage in distilled water and space flight, and amplifies our understanding of the genes critical for survival in space.

  17. Restoration of half the normal dystrophin sequence in a double-deletion Duchenne muscular dystrophy family

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoop, R.C.; Schwartz, L.S.; Hoffman, E.P. [Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Russo, L.S. [Univ. of Florida, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Riconda, D.L. [Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL (United States)

    1994-02-01

    Two male cousins with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were found to have different maternal dystrophin gene haplotypes and different deletion mutations. One propositus showed two noncontiguous deletions-one in the 5{prime}, proximal deletional hotspot region, and the other in the 3{prime}, more distal deletional hotspot region. The second propositus showed only the 5{prime} deletion. Using multiple fluorescent exon dosage and fluorescent multiplex CA repeat linkage analyses, the authors show that the mother of each propositus carries both deletions on the same grandmaternal X chromosome. This paradox is explained by a single recombinational event between the 2 deleted regions of one of the carrier`s dystrophin genes, giving rise to a son with a partially {open_quotes}repaired{close_quotes} gene retaining only the 5{prime} deletion. 20 refs., 4 figs.

  18. Deletion at the GCNT2 Locus Causes Autosomal Recessive Congenital Cataracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irum, Bushra; Khan, Shahid Y; Ali, Muhammad; Daud, Muhammad; Kabir, Firoz; Rauf, Bushra; Fatima, Fareeha; Iqbal, Hira; Khan, Arif O; Al Obaisi, Saif; Naeem, Muhammad Asif; Nasir, Idrees A; Khan, Shaheen N; Husnain, Tayyab; Riazuddin, Sheikh; Akram, Javed; Eghrari, Allen O; Riazuddin, S Amer

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to identify the molecular basis of autosomal recessive congenital cataracts (arCC) in a large consanguineous pedigree. All participating individuals underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination. Each patient's medical history, particularly of cataracts and other ocular abnormalities, was compiled from available medical records and interviews with family elders. Blood samples were donated by all participating family members and used to extract genomic DNA. Genetic analysis was performed to rule out linkage to known arCC loci and genes. Whole-exome sequencing libraries were prepared and paired-end sequenced. A large deletion was found that segregated with arCC in the family, and chromosome walking was conducted to estimate the proximal and distal boundaries of the deletion mutation. Exclusion and linkage analysis suggested linkage to a region of chromosome 6p24 harboring GCNT2 (glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) transferase 2) with a two-point logarithm of odds score of 5.78. PCR amplifications of the coding exons of GCNT2 failed in individuals with arCC, and whole-exome data analysis revealed a large deletion on chromosome 6p in the region harboring GCNT2. Chromosomal walking using multiple primer pairs delineated the extent of the deletion to approximately 190 kb. Interestingly, a failure to amplify a junctional fragment of the deletion break strongly suggests an insertion in addition to the large deletion. Here, we report a novel insertion/deletion mutation at the GCNT2 locus that is responsible for congenital cataracts in a large consanguineous family.

  19. Multigene deletions in lung adenocarcinomas from irradiated and control mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Y.; Woloschak, G.E.

    1996-01-01

    K-ras codon 12 point mutations mRb and p53 gene deletions were examined in tissues from 120 normal lungs and lung adenocarcinomas that were Formalin-treated and paraffin-embedded 25 years ago. The results showed that 12 of 60 (20%) lung adenocarcinomas had mRb deletions. All lung adenocarcinomas that were initially found bearing deleted mRb had p53 deletions (15 of 15; 100%). A significantly higher mutation frequency for K-ras codon 12 point mutations was also found in the lung adenocarcinomas from mice exposed to 24 once-weekly neutron irradiation (10 of 10; 100%) compared with those exposed to 24 or 60 once-weekly γ-ray doses (5 of 10; 50%). The data suggested that p53 and K-ras gene alterations were two contributory factors responsible for the increased incidence of lung adenocarcinoma in B6CF 1 male mice exposed to protracted neutron radiation

  20. An agent-based model of signal transduction in bacterial chemotaxis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jameson Miller

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available We report the application of agent-based modeling to examine the signal transduction network and receptor arrays for chemotaxis in Escherichia coli, which are responsible for regulating swimming behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Agent-based modeling is a stochastic and bottom-up approach, where individual components of the modeled system are explicitly represented, and bulk properties emerge from their movement and interactions. We present the Chemoscape model: a collection of agents representing both fixed membrane-embedded and mobile cytoplasmic proteins, each governed by a set of rules representing knowledge or hypotheses about their function. When the agents were placed in a simulated cellular space and then allowed to move and interact stochastically, the model exhibited many properties similar to the biological system including adaptation, high signal gain, and wide dynamic range. We found the agent based modeling approach to be both powerful and intuitive for testing hypotheses about biological properties such as self-assembly, the non-linear dynamics that occur through cooperative protein interactions, and non-uniform distributions of proteins in the cell. We applied the model to explore the role of receptor type, geometry and cooperativity in the signal gain and dynamic range of the chemotactic response to environmental stimuli. The model provided substantial qualitative evidence that the dynamic range of chemotactic response can be traced to both the heterogeneity of receptor types present, and the modulation of their cooperativity by their methylation state.

  1. An agent-based model of signal transduction in bacterial chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Jameson; Parker, Miles; Bourret, Robert B; Giddings, Morgan C

    2010-05-13

    We report the application of agent-based modeling to examine the signal transduction network and receptor arrays for chemotaxis in Escherichia coli, which are responsible for regulating swimming behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Agent-based modeling is a stochastic and bottom-up approach, where individual components of the modeled system are explicitly represented, and bulk properties emerge from their movement and interactions. We present the Chemoscape model: a collection of agents representing both fixed membrane-embedded and mobile cytoplasmic proteins, each governed by a set of rules representing knowledge or hypotheses about their function. When the agents were placed in a simulated cellular space and then allowed to move and interact stochastically, the model exhibited many properties similar to the biological system including adaptation, high signal gain, and wide dynamic range. We found the agent based modeling approach to be both powerful and intuitive for testing hypotheses about biological properties such as self-assembly, the non-linear dynamics that occur through cooperative protein interactions, and non-uniform distributions of proteins in the cell. We applied the model to explore the role of receptor type, geometry and cooperativity in the signal gain and dynamic range of the chemotactic response to environmental stimuli. The model provided substantial qualitative evidence that the dynamic range of chemotactic response can be traced to both the heterogeneity of receptor types present, and the modulation of their cooperativity by their methylation state.

  2. Exploration of methods to localize DNA sequences missing from c-locus deletions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albritton, L.M.; Russell, L.B.; Montgomery, C.S.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have earlier characterized a large number of radiation-induced mutations at the c locus (on Chromosome 7) through genetic analysis, including extensive complementation tests. Based on this work, they have postulated that many of these mutations are deletions of various lengths, overlapping at c (the marker used in the mutation-rate experiments that generated the mutants). It was possible to apportion these deletions among 13 complementation groups and to fit them to a linear map of 8 functional units. Collectively, the deletions extend from a point between tp and c to one between sh-1 and Hbb, i.e., a genetic distance of from 6 to 10 cM, corresponding to at least 10 4 Kb of DNA. This year, the authors completed a pilot study designed to explore methods for finding DNA sequences that map to the region covered by the various c-deletions. The general plan was to probe DNA with clones derived from Chromosome-7-enriched libraries or with sequences known (or suspected) to reside in Chromosome 7. Three methods were explored for deriving the c-region-deficient DNA: (a) from mouse-hamster somatic-cell hydrids retaining a deleted mouse Chromosome 7, but no homologue; (b) from F 1 hybrids of M. musculus domesticus (carrying a c-locus deletion) by M. spretus; and (c) from F 1 hybrids of M. domesticus stocks carrying complementing deletions

  3. Analysis of human HPRT- deletion mutants by the microarray-CGH (comparative genomic hybridization)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kodaira, M.; Sasaki, K.; Tagawa, H.; Omine, H.; Kushiro, J.; Takahashi, N.; Katayama, H.

    2003-01-01

    We are trying to evaluate genetic effects of radiation on human using mutation frequency as an indicator. For the efficient detection of mutations, it is important to understand the mechanism and the characteristics of radiation-induced mutations. We have started the analysis of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutants induced by X-ray in order to clarify the deletion size and the mutation-distribution. We analyzed 39 human X-ray induced HPRT-deletion mutants by using the microarray-CGH. The array for this analysis contains 57 BAC clones covering as much as possible of the 4Mb of the 5' side and 10Mb of the 3' side of the HPRT gene based on the NCBI genome database. DNA from parent strain and each HPRT-mutant strain are labeled with Cy5 and Cy3 respectively, and were mixed and hybridized on the array. Fluorescent intensity ratio of the obtained spots was analyzed using software we developed to identify clones corresponding to the deletion region. The deletion in these strains ranged up to 3.5 Mb on the 5' side and 6 Mb on the 3' side of the HPRT gene. Deletions in 13 strains ended around BAC clones located at about 3 Mb on the 5' side. On the 3' side, deletions extended up to the specific clones located at 1.5 Mb in 11 strains. The mutations seem to be complex on the 3' end of deletion; some accompanied duplications with deletions and others could not be explained by one mutation event. We need to confirm these results, taking into account the experimental reproducibility and the accuracy of the published genetic map. The results of the research using the microarray-CGH help us to search the regions where deletions are easily induced and to identify the factors affecting the range of deletions

  4. Deletions induced by gamma rays in the genome of Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raha, Manidipa; Hutchinson, Franklin

    1991-01-01

    An Escherichia coli lysogen was constructed with a lambda phage bearing a lacZ gene surrounded by about 100 x 10 3 base-pairs of dispensable DNA. The lacZ mutants induced by gamma rays in this lysogen were more than 10% large deletions, ranging in size from 0.6 x 10 -3 to 70 x 10 3 base-pairs. These deletions were centered, not on lacZ, but on a ColE1 origin of DNA replication located 1.2 x 10 3 bases downstream from lacZ, suggesting that this origin of replication was involved in the process by which deletions were formed. In agreement with this hypothesis, a lysogen of the same phage without the ColE1 origin showed a very much lower percentage of radiation-induced deletions, as did a second lysogen of a lambda phage without any known plasmid origin of replication. Indirect evidence is presented for radiation-induced deletions centered on the lambda origin of DNA replication in a lysogen. (author)

  5. Performance on the Modified Card Sorting Test and Its Relation to Psychopathology in Adolescents and Young Adults with 22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockers, K.; Ousley, O.; Sutton, T.; Schoenberg, E.; Coleman, K.; Walker, E.; Cubells, J. F.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Approximately one-third of individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), a common genetic disorder highly associated with intellectual disabilities, may develop schizophrenia, likely preceded by a mild to moderate cognitive decline. Methods: We examined adolescents and young adults with 22q11DS for the presence of executive…

  6. Global transcriptional response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the deletion of SDH3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cimini, Donatella; Patil, Kiran Raosaheb; Schiraldi, Chiara

    2009-01-01

    Background: Mitochondrial respiration is an important and widely conserved cellular function in eukaryotic cells. The succinate dehydrogenase complex (Sdhp) plays an important role in respiration as it connects the mitochondrial respiratory chain to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle where...... it catalyzes the oxidation of succinate to fumarate. Cellular response to the Sdhp dysfunction (i.e. impaired respiration) thus has important implications not only for biotechnological applications but also for understanding cellular physiology underlying metabolic diseases such as diabetes. We therefore...... conditions is very low, deletion of SDH3 resulted in significant changes in the expression of several genes involved in various cellular processes ranging from metabolism to the cell-cycle. By using various bioinformatics tools we explored the organization of these transcriptional changes in the metabolic...

  7. Construction of a psb C deletion strain in Synechocystis 6803.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfarb, N; Knoepfle, N; Putnam-Evans, C

    1997-01-01

    Synechocystis 6803 is a cyanobacterium that carries out-oxygenic photosynthesis. We are interested in the introduction of mutations in the large extrinsic loop region of the CP43 protein of Photosystem II (PSII). CP43 appears to be required for the stable assembly of the PSII complex and also appears to play a role in photosynthetic oxygen evolution. Deletion of short segments of the large extrinsic loop results in mutants incapable of evolving oxygen. Alterations in psbC, the gene encoding CP43, are introduced into Synechocystis 6803 by transformation and homologous recombination. Specifically, plasmid constructs bearing the site-directed mutations are introduced into a deletion strain where the portion of the gene encoding the area of mutation has been deleted and replaced by a gene conferring antibiotic resistance. We have constructed a deletion strain of Synechocystis appropriate for the introduction of mutations in the large extrinsic loop of CP43 and have used it successfully to produce site-directed mutants.

  8. Investigating the association of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5 polymorphism with cervical cancer in human papillomavirus (HPV positive patients - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v30i2.944 Investigating association of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5 polymorphism with cervical cancer in human papillomavirus (HPV suggestive patients - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v30i2.944

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sueli Donizete Borelli

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available HPV is one of the most frequent causes for the development of cervical cancer. It is known that chemokines are important determinants of early inflammatory responses. The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5 gene is involved in the chemotaxis of leukocytes toward inflammation sites. In the present study, polymerase chain reactions (PCR in genomic DNA samples, using specific CCR5 oligonucleotide primers surrounding the breakpoint deletion, detected a 225 bp product from the normal CCR5 allele and a 193 bp product from the 32 bp deletion allele. The wild type genotype was prevalent in both group, but it was not statistically significant, with χ2 = 1.519 (2 degrees of freedom; p > 0.05. As there are a small number of 32 allele carriers, further studies are needed to clarify the role of CCR5 in the cervical cancer.HPV is the most responsible of cervical cancer. It is known that chemokines are important determinants of the early inflammatory response. The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5 gene is involved in the chemotaxis of leukocytes toward inflammation sites. In the present study, polymerase chain reactions (PCR in genomic DNA samples, using specific CCR5 oligonucleotide primers surrounding the breakpoint deletion, detected a 225bp product from the normal CCR5 allele and a 193bp product from the 32bp deletion allele. The wild type genotype was prevalent in both group, but it wasn’t statistically significant with χ² =1,519 (2 degrees of freedom; p>0.05. Once there is a small number of 32 allele carriers, further studies are needed to clarify the role of CCR5 in the cervical cancer.

  9. Prostaglandin F2α–F-Prostanoid Receptor Signalling Promotes Neutrophil Chemotaxis via Chemokine (CXC motif) Ligand-1 in Endometrial Adenocarcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Alison E; Sales, Kurt J; Catalano, Roberto D; Anderson, Richard A; Williams, Alistair RW; Wilson, Martin R; Schwarze, Jurgen; Wang, Hongwei; Rossi, Adriano G; Jabbour, Henry N

    2009-01-01

    The prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor (FP) is elevated in endometrial adenocarcinoma. This study found that PGF2α signalling via FP regulates expression of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) in endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. Expression of CXCL1 and its receptor, CXCR2, are elevated in cancer tissue as compared to normal endometrium and localised to glandular epithelium, endothelium and stroma. Treatment of Ishikawa cells stably transfected with the FP receptor (FPS cells) with 100nM PGF2α increased CXCL1 promoter activity, mRNA and protein expression, and these effects were abolished by co-treatment of cells with FP antagonist or chemical inhibitors of Gq, EGFR and ERK. Similarly, CXCL1 was elevated in response to 100 nM PGF2α in endometrial adenocarcinoma explant tissue. CXCL1 is a potent neutrophil chemoattractant. The expression of CXCR2 colocalised to neutrophils in endometrial adenocarcinoma and increased neutrophils were present in endometrial adenocarcinoma compared with normal endometrium. Conditioned media from PGF2α-treated FPS cells stimulated neutrophil chemotaxis which could be abolished by CXCL1 protein immunoneutralisation of the conditioned media or antagonism of CXCR2. Finally, xenograft tumours in nude mice arising from inoculation with FPS cells showed increased neutrophil infiltration compared to tumours arising from wild-type cells or following treatment of mice bearing FPS tumours with CXCL1-neutralising antibody. In conclusion, our results demonstrate a novel PGF2α-FP pathway that may regulate the inflammatory microenvironment in endometrial adenocarcinoma via neutrophil chemotaxis. PMID:19549892

  10. PCR detection of retinoblastoma gene deletions in radiation-induced mouse lung adenocarcinomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Churchill, M.E.; Gemmell, M.A.; Woloschak, G.E.

    1994-01-01

    From 1971--1986, Argonne National Laboratory conducted a series of large-scale studies of tumor incidence in 40,000 BCF 1 mice irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays or JANUS fission-spectrum neutrons. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect deletions in the mouse retinoblastoma (mRb) gene. Six mRb gene exon fragments were amplified in a 40-cycle, 3-temperature PCR protocol. Absence of any of these fragments on a Southern blot indicated a deletion of that portion of the mRb gene. Tumors chosen for analysis were lung adenocarcinomas that were judged to be the cause of death in post-mortem analyses. Spontaneous tumors as well as those from irradiated mice were analyzed for mRb deletions. In all normal mouse tissues studies all six mRb exon fragments were present on Southern blots. Tumors in six neutron-irradiated mice also had no mRb deletions. However, 1 of 6 tumors from γ-irradiated mice and 6 of 18 spontaneous tumors from unirradiated mice showed a deletion in one or both mRb alleles. All deletions detected were in the 5' region of the mRb gene

  11. Large-scale deletions of the ABCA1 gene in patients with hypoalphalipoproteinemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dron, Jacqueline S; Wang, Jian; Berberich, Amanda J; Iacocca, Michael A; Cao, Henian; Yang, Ping; Knoll, Joan; Tremblay, Karine; Brisson, Diane; Netzer, Christian; Gouni-Berthold, Ioanna; Gaudet, Daniel; Hegele, Robert A

    2018-06-04

    Copy-number variations (CNVs) have been studied in the context of familial hypercholesterolemia but have not yet been evaluated in patients with extremes of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. We evaluated targeted next-generation sequencing data from patients with very low HDL cholesterol (i.e. hypoalphalipoproteinemia) using the VarSeq-CNV caller algorithm to screen for CNVs disrupting the ABCA1, LCAT or APOA1 genes. In four individuals, we found three unique deletions in ABCA1: a heterozygous deletion of exon 4, a heterozygous deletion spanning exons 8 to 31, and a heterozygous deletion of the entire ABCA1 gene. Breakpoints were identified using Sanger sequencing, and the full-gene deletion was also confirmed using exome sequencing and the Affymetrix CytoScanTM HD Array. Before now, large-scale deletions in candidate HDL genes have not been associated with hypoalphalipoproteinemia; our findings indicate that CNVs in ABCA1 may be a previously unappreciated genetic determinant of low HDL cholesterol levels. By coupling bioinformatic analyses with next-generation sequencing data, we can successfully assess the spectrum of genetic determinants of many dyslipidemias, now including hypoalphalipoproteinemia. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Recurrence and Variability of Germline EPCAM Deletions in Lynch Syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuiper, Roland P.; Vissers, Lisenka E. L. M.; Venkatachalam, Ramprasath; Bodmer, Danielle; Hoenselaar, Eveline; Goossens, Monique; Haufe, Aline; Kamping, Eveline; Niessen, Renee C.; Hogervorst, Frans B. L.; Gille, Johan J. P.; Redeker, Bert; Tops, Carli M. J.; van Gijn, Marielle E.; van den Ouweland, Ans M. W.; Rahner, Nils; Steinke, Verena; Kahl, Philip; Holinski-Feder, Elke; Morak, Monika; Kloor, Matthias; Stemmler, Susanne; Betz, Beate; Hutter, Pierre; Bunyan, David J.; Syngal, Sapna; Culver, Julie O.; Graham, Tracy; Chan, Tsun L.; Nagtegaal, Iris D.; van Krieken, J. Han J. M.; Schackert, Hans K.; Hoogerbrugge, Nicoline; van Kessel, Ad Geurts; Ligtenberg, Marjolijn J. L.

    Recently, we identified 3' end deletions in the EPCAM gene as a novel cause of Lynch syndrome. These truncating EPCAM deletions cause allele-specific epigenetic silencing of the neighboring DNA mismatch repair gene MSH2 in tissues expressing EPCAM. Here we screened a cohort of unexplained Lynch-like

  13. Use of lambda pMu bacteriophages to isolate lambda specialized transducing bacteriophages carrying genes for bacterial chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondoh, H; Paul, B R; Howe, M M

    1980-09-01

    A general method for constructing lambda specialized transducing phages is described. The method, which is potentially applicable to any gene of Escherichia coli, is based on using Mu DNA homology to direct the integration of a lambda pMu phage near the genes whose transduction is desired. With this method we isolated a lambda transducing phage carrying all 10 genes in the che gene cluster (map location, 41.5 to 42.5 min). The products of the cheA and tar genes were identified by using transducing phages with amber mutations in these genes. It was established that tar codes for methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein II (molecular weight, 62,000) and that cheA codes for two polypeptides (molecular weights, 76,000 and 66,000). Possible origins of the two cheA polypeptides are discussed.

  14. High fidelity information processing in folic acid chemotaxis of Dictyostelium amoebae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segota, Igor; Mong, Surin; Neidich, Eitan; Rachakonda, Archana; Lussenhop, Catherine J; Franck, Carl

    2013-11-06

    Living cells depend upon the detection of chemical signals for their existence. Eukaryotic cells can sense a concentration difference as low as a few per cent across their bodies. This process was previously suggested to be limited by the receptor-ligand binding fluctuations. Here, we first determine the chemotaxis response of Dictyostelium cells to static folic acid gradients and show that they can significantly exceed this sensitivity, responding to gradients as shallow as 0.2% across the cell body. Second, using a previously developed information theory framework, we compare the total information gained about the gradient (based on the cell response) to its upper limit: the information gained at the receptor-ligand binding step. We find that the model originally applied to cAMP sensing fails as demonstrated by the violation of the data processing inequality, i.e. the total information exceeds the information at the receptor-ligand binding step. We propose an extended model with multiple known receptor types and with cells allowed to perform several independent measurements of receptor occupancy. This does not violate the data processing inequality and implies the receptor-ligand binding noise dominates both for low- and high-chemoattractant concentrations. We also speculate that the interplay between exploration and exploitation is used as a strategy for accurate sensing of otherwise unmeasurable levels of a chemoattractant.

  15. Genomic rearrangements by LINE-1 insertion-mediated deletion in the human and chimpanzee lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Kyudong; Sen, Shurjo K; Wang, Jianxin; Callinan, Pauline A; Lee, Jungnam; Cordaux, Richard; Liang, Ping; Batzer, Mark A

    2005-01-01

    Long INterspersed Elements (LINE-1s or L1s) are abundant non-LTR retrotransposons in mammalian genomes that are capable of insertional mutagenesis. They have been associated with target site deletions upon insertion in cell culture studies of retrotransposition. Here, we report 50 deletion events in the human and chimpanzee genomes directly linked to the insertion of L1 elements, resulting in the loss of approximately 18 kb of sequence from the human genome and approximately 15 kb from the chimpanzee genome. Our data suggest that during the primate radiation, L1 insertions may have deleted up to 7.5 Mb of target genomic sequences. While the results of our in vivo analysis differ from those of previous cell culture assays of L1 insertion-mediated deletions in terms of the size and rate of sequence deletion, evolutionary factors can reconcile the differences. We report a pattern of genomic deletion sizes similar to those created during the retrotransposition of Alu elements. Our study provides support for the existence of different mechanisms for small and large L1-mediated deletions, and we present a model for the correlation of L1 element size and the corresponding deletion size. In addition, we show that internal rearrangements can modify L1 structure during retrotransposition events associated with large deletions.

  16. Conditional deletion of Pten causes bronchiolar hyperplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davé, Vrushank; Wert, Susan E; Tanner, Tiffany; Thitoff, Angela R; Loudy, Dave E; Whitsett, Jeffrey A

    2008-03-01

    Tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a lipid phosphatase that regulates multiple cellular processes including cell polarity, migration, proliferation, and carcinogenesis. In this work, we demonstrate that conditional deletion of Pten (Pten(Delta/Delta)) in the respiratory epithelial cells of the developing mouse lung caused epithelial cell proliferation and hyperplasia as early as 4 to 6 weeks of age. While bronchiolar cell differentiation was normal, as indicated by beta-tubulin and FOXJ1 expression in ciliated cells and by CCSP expression in nonciliated cells, cell proliferation (detected by expression of Ki-67, phospho-histone-H3, and cyclin D1) was increased and associated with activation of the AKT/mTOR survival pathway. Deletion of Pten caused papillary epithelial hyperplasia characterized by a hypercellular epithelium lining papillae with fibrovascular cores that protruded into the airway lumens. Cell polarity, as assessed by subcellular localization of cadherin, beta-catenin, and zonula occludens-1, was unaltered. PTEN is required for regulation of epithelial cell proliferation in the lung and for the maintenance of the normal simple columnar epithelium characteristics of bronchi and bronchioles.

  17. Impaired spermatogenesis and gr/gr deletions related to Y chromosome haplogroups in Korean men.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Choi

    Full Text Available Microdeletion of the Azoospermia Factor (AZF regions in Y chromosome is a well-known genetic cause of male infertility resulting from spermatogenetic impairment. However, the partial deletions of AZFc region related to spermatogenetic impairment are controversial. In this study, we characterized partial deletion of AZFc region in Korean patients with spermatogenetic impairment and assessed whether the DAZ and CDY1 contributes to the phenotype in patients with gr/gr deletions. Total of 377 patients with azoo-/oligozoospermia and 217 controls were analyzed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR, analysis of DAZ-CDY1 sequence family variants (SFVs, and quantitative fluorescent (QF-PCR. Of the 377 men with impaired spermatogenesis, 59 cases (15.6% had partial AZFc deletions, including 32 gr/gr (8.5%, 22 b2/b3 (5.8%, four b1/b3 (1.1% and one b3/b4 (0.3% deletion. In comparison, 14 of 217 normozoospermic controls (6.5% had partial AZFc deletions, including five gr/gr (2.3% and nine b2/b3 (4.1% deletions. The frequency of gr/gr deletions was significantly higher in the azoo-/oligozoospermic group than in the normozoospermic control group (p = 0.003; OR = 3.933; 95% CI = 1.509-10.250. Concerning Y haplogroup, we observed no significant differences in the frequency of gr/gr deletions between the case and the control groups in the YAP+ lineages, while gr/gr deletion were significantly higher in azoo-/oligozoospermia than normozoospermia in the YAP- lineage (p = 0.004; OR = 6.341; 95% CI = 1.472-27.312. Our data suggested that gr/gr deletion is associated with impaired spermatogenesis in Koreans with YAP- lineage, regardless of the gr/gr subtypes.

  18. Analysis of case-parent trios at a locus with a deletion allele: association of GSTM1 with autism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Rong

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Certain loci on the human genome, such as glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1, do not permit heterozygotes to be reliably determined by commonly used methods. Association of such a locus with a disease is therefore generally tested with a case-control design. When subjects have already been ascertained in a case-parent design however, the question arises as to whether the data can still be used to test disease association at such a locus. Results A likelihood ratio test was constructed that can be used with a case-parents design but has somewhat less power than a Pearson's chi-squared test that uses a case-control design. The test is illustrated on a novel dataset showing a genotype relative risk near 2 for the homozygous GSTM1 deletion genotype and autism. Conclusion Although the case-control design will remain the mainstay for a locus with a deletion, the likelihood ratio test will be useful for such a locus analyzed as part of a larger case-parent study design. The likelihood ratio test has the advantage that it can incorporate complete and incomplete case-parent trios as well as independent cases and controls. Both analyses support (p = 0.046 for the proposed test, p = 0.028 for the case-control analysis an association of the homozygous GSTM1 deletion genotype with autism.

  19. RhoA determines disease progression by controlling neutrophil motility and restricting hyperresponsiveness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jennings, Richard T; Strengert, Monika; Hayes, Patti

    2014-01-01

    Neutrophil responses are central to host protection and inflammation. Neutrophil activation follows a two-step process where priming amplifies responses to activating stimuli. Priming is essential for life span extension, chemotaxis and respiratory burst activity. Here we show that the cytoskeletal...... organizer RhoA suppresses neutrophil priming via formins. Premature granule exocytosis in Rho-deficient neutrophils activated numerous signaling pathways and amplified superoxide generation. Deletion of Rho altered front-to-back coordination by simultaneously increasing uropod elongation, leading edge...... neutrophils exacerbated LPS-mediated lung injury, deleting Rho in innate immune cells was highly protective in Influenza A virus infection. Hence, Rho is a key regulator of disease progression by maintaining neutrophil quiescence and suppressing hyperresponsiveness....

  20. Coexistence of 9p Deletion Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Günes, Serkan; Ekinci, Özalp; Ekinci, Nuran; Toros, Fevziye

    2017-01-01

    Deletion or duplication of the short arm of chromosome 9 may lead to a variety of clinical conditions including craniofacial and limb abnormalities, skeletal malformations, mental retardation, and autism spectrum disorder. Here, we present a case report of 5-year-old boy with 9p deletion syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.

  1. Generating Bona Fide Mammalian Prions with Internal Deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munoz-Montesino, Carola; Sizun, Christina; Moudjou, Mohammed; Herzog, Laetitia; Reine, Fabienne; Chapuis, Jérôme; Ciric, Danica; Igel-Egalon, Angelique; Laude, Hubert; Béringue, Vincent; Rezaei, Human; Dron, Michel

    2016-08-01

    Mammalian prions are PrP proteins with altered structures causing transmissible fatal neurodegenerative diseases. They are self-perpetuating through formation of beta-sheet-rich assemblies that seed conformational change of cellular PrP. Pathological PrP usually forms an insoluble protease-resistant core exhibiting beta-sheet structures but no more alpha-helical content, loosing the three alpha-helices contained in the correctly folded PrP. The lack of a high-resolution prion structure makes it difficult to understand the dynamics of conversion and to identify elements of the protein involved in this process. To determine whether completeness of residues within the protease-resistant domain is required for prions, we performed serial deletions in the helix H2 C terminus of ovine PrP, since this region has previously shown some tolerance to sequence changes without preventing prion replication. Deletions of either four or five residues essentially preserved the overall PrP structure and mutant PrP expressed in RK13 cells were efficiently converted into bona fide prions upon challenge by three different prion strains. Remarkably, deletions in PrP facilitated the replication of two strains that otherwise do not replicate in this cellular context. Prions with internal deletion were self-propagating and de novo infectious for naive homologous and wild-type PrP-expressing cells. Moreover, they caused transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in mice, with similar biochemical signatures and neuropathologies other than the original strains. Prion convertibility and transfer of strain-specific information are thus preserved despite shortening of an alpha-helix in PrP and removal of residues within prions. These findings provide new insights into sequence/structure/infectivity relationship for prions. Prions are misfolded PrP proteins that convert the normal protein into a replicate of their own abnormal form. They are responsible for invariably fatal neurodegenerative

  2. Cardiomyocyte-Restricted Deletion of PPARβ/δ in PPARα-Null Mice Causes Impaired Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Defense, but No Further Depression of Myocardial Fatty Acid Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Liu

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available It is well documented that PPARα and PPARβ/δ share overlapping functions in regulating myocardial lipid metabolism. However, previous studies demonstrated that cardiomyocyte-restricted PPARβ/δ deficiency in mice leads to severe cardiac pathological development, whereas global PPARα knockout shows a benign cardiac phenotype. It is unknown whether a PPARα-null background would alter the pathological development in mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted PPARβ/δ deficiency. In the present study, a mouse model with long-term PPARβ/δ deficiency in PPARα-null background showed a comparably reduced cardiac expression of lipid metabolism to those of single PPAR-deficient mouse models. The PPARα-null background did not rescue or aggravate the cardiac pathological development linked to cardiomyocyte-restricted PPARβ/δ deficiency. Moreover, PPARα-null did not alter the phenotypic development in adult mice with the short-term deletion of PPARβ/δ in their hearts, which showed mitochondrial abnormalities, depressed cardiac performance, and cardiac hypertrophy with attenuated expression of key factors in mitochondrial biogenesis and defense. The present study demonstrates that cardiomyocyte-restricted deletion of PPARβ/δ in PPARα-null mice causes impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and defense, but no further depression of fatty acid oxidation. Therefore, PPARβ/δ is essential for maintaining mitochondrial biogenesis and defense in cardiomyocytes independent of PPARα.

  3. Characterization of genetic deletions in Becker muscular dystrophy using monoclonal antibodies against a deletion-prone region of dystrophin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thanh, L.T.; Man, Nguyen Thi; Morris, G.E. [Wales Institute, Clwyd (United Kingdom)] [and others

    1995-08-28

    We have produced a new panel of 20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a region of the dystrophin protein corresponding to a deletion-prone region of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene (exons 45-50). We show that immunohistochemistry or Western blotting with these {open_quotes}exon-specific{close_quotes} mAbs can provide a valuable addition to Southern blotting or PCR methods for the accurate identification of genetic deletions in Becker muscular dystrophy patients. The antibodies were mapped to the following exons: exon 45 (2 mAbs), exon 46 (6), exon 47 (1), exons 47/48 (4), exons 48-50 (6), and exon 50 (1). PCR amplification of single exons or groups of exons was used both to produce specific dystrophin immunogens and to map the mAbs obtained. PCR-mediated mutagenesis was also used to identify regions of dystrophin important for mAb binding. Because the mAbs can be used to characterize the dystrophin produced by individual muscle fibres, they will also be useful for studying {open_quotes}revertant{close_quotes} fibres in Duchenne muscle and for monitoring the results of myoblast therapy trials in MD patients with deletions in this region of the dystrophin gene. 27 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

  4. Associations of ACE Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism, ACE Activity, and ACE mRNA Expression with Hypertension in a Chinese Population

    OpenAIRE

    He, Qingfang; Fan, Chunhong; Yu, Min; Wallar, Gina; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Wang, Lixin; Zhang, Xinwei; Hu, Ruying

    2013-01-01

    Background The present study was designed to explore the association of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D, rs4646994) polymorphism, plasma ACE activity, and circulating ACE mRNA expression with essential hypertension (EH) in a Chinese population. In addition, a new detection method for circulating ACE mRNA expression was explored. Methods The research was approved by the ethics committee of Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Written i...

  5. 22q13.3 Deletion Syndrome: An Underdiagnosed Cause of Mental Retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ilknur Erol

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Phelan-McDermid syndrome, also known as 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is characterized by global developmental delay, absent or delayed speech, generalized hypotonia, and minor physical anomalies. The deletion typically involves the terminal band 22q13.3 and has been associated with both familial and de-novo translocations. We report the case of an 11-year-old Turkish girl with 22q13.3 deletion syndrome presenting with repeated seizures during the course of a rubella infection. We also review the clinical features of 22q13.3 deletion syndrome and emphasize the importance of considering a rare microdeletion syndrome for idiopathic mental retardation when results of a routine karyotype analysis are normal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a Turkish patient with isolated 22q13.3 deletion syndrome. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(1.000: 169-173

  6. Size unlimited markerless deletions by a transconjugative plasmid-system in Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachinger, Michael; Bauch, Melanie; Strittmatter, Axel; Bongaerts, Johannes; Evers, Stefan; Maurer, Karl-Heinz; Daniel, Rolf; Liebl, Wolfgang; Liesegang, Heiko; Ehrenreich, Armin

    2013-09-20

    Conjugative shuttle vectors of the pKVM series, based on an IncP transfer origin and the pMAD vector with a temperature sensitive replication were constructed to establish a markerless gene deletion protocol for Bacilli without natural competence such as the exoenzyme producer Bacillus licheniformis. The pKVM plasmids can be conjugated to strains of B. licheniformis and B. subtilis. For chromosomal gene deletion, regions flanking the target gene are fused and cloned in a pKVM vector prior to conjugative transfer from Escherichia coli to B. licheniformis. Appropriate markers on the vector backbone allow for the identification of the integration at the target locus and thereafter the vector excision, both events taking place via homologous recombination. The functionality of the deletion system was demonstrated with B. licheniformis by a markerless 939 bp in-frame deletion of the yqfD gene and the deletion of a 31 kbp genomic segment carrying a PBSX-like prophage. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Association between F508 deletion in CFTR and chronic pancreatitis risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Dong; Xu, Yanzhen; Li, Jiatong; Fu, Shien; Xiao, Feifan; Song, Xiaowei; Xie, Zhibin; Jiang, Min; He, Yan; Liu, Chengwu; Wen, Qiongxian; Yang, Xiaoli

    2017-09-01

    The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been reported to influence individual susceptibility to chronic pancreatitis (CP), but the results of previous studies are controversial. We performed a study to demonstrate the relationship between CFTR and CP. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for studies of patients with CP. Seven studies from 1995 to 2016 were identified, and included 64,832 patients. Pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. F508 deletion in CFTR was significantly positively associated with CP risk in the overall analysis (odds ratio [OR]=3.20, 95% CI: 2.30-4.44, I 2 =31.7%). In subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, F508 deletion was significantly associated with CP risk in Indian populations, using a fixed effects model (ORs=5.45, 95% CI: 2.52-11.79, I 2 =0.0%), and in non-Indian populations, using a random effects model (ORs=3.59, 95% CI: 1.73-7.48, I 2 =60.9%). At the same time, we found that Indians with F508 deletion had much higher CP prevalence than non-Indians. Interestingly, F508 deletion was also associated with CP and idiopathic CP risk in subgroup analysis stratified by aeitiology, using the fixed effects model. Based on current evidence, F508 deletion is a risk factor for CP, and Indians with F508 deletion have much higher CP morbidity. Copyright © 2017 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Linguistic and Psychomotor Development in Children with Chromosome 14 Deletions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zampini, Laura; D'Odorico, Laura; Zanchi, Paola; Zollino, Marcella; Neri, Giovanni

    2012-01-01

    The present study focussed on a specific type of rare genetic condition: chromosome 14 deletions. Children with this genetic condition often show developmental delays and brain and neurological problems, although the type and severity of symptoms varies depending on the size and location of the deleted genetic material. The specific aim of the…

  9. Molecular and cytogenetic investigation of Y chromosome deletions over three generations facilitated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minor, Agata; Wong, Edgar Chan; Harmer, Karynn; Ma, Sai

    2007-08-01

    The azoospermic factor (AZF) region is critical for normal spermatogenesis since microdeletions and partial deletions have been associated with infertility. We investigate the diagnostic ability of karyotyping in detecting clinically relevant Y chromosome deletions. The clinical significance of heterochromatin deletions, microdeletions and partial AZFc deletions is also evaluated. A patient with a Yq deletion, affected by severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) which resulted in the birth of a healthy baby boy. The patient, his father and his son underwent Y chromosome microdeletion and partial AZFc deletion screening. We also studied the aneuploidy rate in the sperm of the patient by fluorescent in situ hybridization. AZF microdeletions were absent in the family. However, microdeletion analysis confirmed that the Yq deletion was limited to the heterochromatin. We found a partial AZFc gr/gr deletion in all three family members. We observed an increased rate of sex chromosome aneuploidy in the infertile patient. Cytogenetic analysis was misleading in identifying the Yq breakpoint. Infertility observed in the patient was associated with the gr/gr partial deletion. However, because of the incomplete penetrance of gr/gr deletions, the consequence of the vertical transmission of the deletion through ICSI remains unknown. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. The generation of chromosomal deletions to provide extensive coverage and subdivision of the Drosophila melanogaster genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, R Kimberley; Christensen, Stacey J; Deal, Jennifer A; Coburn, Rachel A; Deal, Megan E; Gresens, Jill M; Kaufman, Thomas C; Cook, Kevin R

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal deletions are used extensively in Drosophila melanogaster genetics research. Deletion mapping is the primary method used for fine-scale gene localization. Effective and efficient deletion mapping requires both extensive genomic coverage and a high density of molecularly defined breakpoints across the genome. A large-scale resource development project at the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center has improved the choice of deletions beyond that provided by previous projects. FLP-mediated recombination between FRT-bearing transposon insertions was used to generate deletions, because it is efficient and provides single-nucleotide resolution in planning deletion screens. The 793 deletions generated pushed coverage of the euchromatic genome to 98.4%. Gaps in coverage contain haplolethal and haplosterile genes, but the sizes of these gaps were minimized by flanking these genes as closely as possible with deletions. In improving coverage, a complete inventory of haplolethal and haplosterile genes was generated and extensive information on other haploinsufficient genes was compiled. To aid mapping experiments, a subset of deletions was organized into a Deficiency Kit to provide maximal coverage efficiently. To improve the resolution of deletion mapping, screens were planned to distribute deletion breakpoints evenly across the genome. The median chromosomal interval between breakpoints now contains only nine genes and 377 intervals contain only single genes. Drosophila melanogaster now has the most extensive genomic deletion coverage and breakpoint subdivision as well as the most comprehensive inventory of haploinsufficient genes of any multicellular organism. The improved selection of chromosomal deletion strains will be useful to nearly all Drosophila researchers.

  11. Spectrum of phenotypic anomalies in four families with deletion of the SHOX enhancer region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatta, Valentina; Palka, Chiara; Chiavaroli, Valentina; Franchi, Sara; Cannataro, Giovanni; Savastano, Massimo; Cotroneo, Antonio Raffaele; Chiarelli, Francesco; Mohn, Angelika; Stuppia, Liborio

    2014-07-23

    SHOX alterations have been reported in 67% of patients affected by Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD), with a larger prevalence of gene deletions than point mutations. It has been recently demonstrated that these deletions can involve the SHOX enhancer region, rather that the coding region, with variable phenotype of the affected patients.Here, we report a SHOX gene analysis carried out by MLPA in 14 LWD patients from 4 families with variable phenotype. All patients presented a SHOX enhancer deletion. In particular, a patient with a severe bilateral Madelung deformity without short stature showed a homozygous alteration identical to the recently described 47.5 kb PAR1 deletion. Moreover, we identified, for the first time, in three related patients with a severe bilateral Madelung deformity, a smaller deletion than the 47.5 kb PAR1 deletion encompassing the same enhancer region (ECR1/CNE7). Data reported in this study provide new information about the spectrum of phenotypic alterations showed by LWD patients with different deletions of the SHOX enhancer region.

  12. The detection of large deletions or duplications in genomic DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, J A L; Barton, D E; Cockburn, D J; Taylor, G R

    2002-11-01

    While methods for the detection of point mutations and small insertions or deletions in genomic DNA are well established, the detection of larger (>100 bp) genomic duplications or deletions can be more difficult. Most mutation scanning methods use PCR as a first step, but the subsequent analyses are usually qualitative rather than quantitative. Gene dosage methods based on PCR need to be quantitative (i.e., they should report molar quantities of starting material) or semi-quantitative (i.e., they should report gene dosage relative to an internal standard). Without some sort of quantitation, heterozygous deletions and duplications may be overlooked and therefore be under-ascertained. Gene dosage methods provide the additional benefit of reporting allele drop-out in the PCR. This could impact on SNP surveys, where large-scale genotyping may miss null alleles. Here we review recent developments in techniques for the detection of this type of mutation and compare their relative strengths and weaknesses. We emphasize that comprehensive mutation analysis should include scanning for large insertions and deletions and duplications. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  13. Rare deletions at 16p13.11 predispose to a diverse spectrum of sporadic epilepsy syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinzen, Erin L; Radtke, Rodney A; Urban, Thomas J; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Depondt, Chantal; Need, Anna C; Walley, Nicole M; Nicoletti, Paola; Ge, Dongliang; Catarino, Claudia B; Duncan, John S; Kasperaviciūte, Dalia; Tate, Sarah K; Caboclo, Luis O; Sander, Josemir W; Clayton, Lisa; Linney, Kristen N; Shianna, Kevin V; Gumbs, Curtis E; Smith, Jason; Cronin, Kenneth D; Maia, Jessica M; Doherty, Colin P; Pandolfo, Massimo; Leppert, David; Middleton, Lefkos T; Gibson, Rachel A; Johnson, Michael R; Matthews, Paul M; Hosford, David; Kälviäinen, Reetta; Eriksson, Kai; Kantanen, Anne-Mari; Dorn, Thomas; Hansen, Jörg; Krämer, Günter; Steinhoff, Bernhard J; Wieser, Heinz-Gregor; Zumsteg, Dominik; Ortega, Marcos; Wood, Nicholas W; Huxley-Jones, Julie; Mikati, Mohamad; Gallentine, William B; Husain, Aatif M; Buckley, Patrick G; Stallings, Ray L; Podgoreanu, Mihai V; Delanty, Norman; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Goldstein, David B

    2010-05-14

    Deletions at 16p13.11 are associated with schizophrenia, mental retardation, and most recently idiopathic generalized epilepsy. To evaluate the role of 16p13.11 deletions, as well as other structural variation, in epilepsy disorders, we used genome-wide screens to identify copy number variation in 3812 patients with a diverse spectrum of epilepsy syndromes and in 1299 neurologically-normal controls. Large deletions (> 100 kb) at 16p13.11 were observed in 23 patients, whereas no control had a deletion greater than 16 kb. Patients, even those with identically sized 16p13.11 deletions, presented with highly variable epilepsy phenotypes. For a subset of patients with a 16p13.11 deletion, we show a consistent reduction of expression for included genes, suggesting that haploinsufficiency might contribute to pathogenicity. We also investigated another possible mechanism of pathogenicity by using hybridization-based capture and next-generation sequencing of the homologous chromosome for ten 16p13.11-deletion patients to look for unmasked recessive mutations. Follow-up genotyping of suggestive polymorphisms failed to identify any convincing recessive-acting mutations in the homologous interval corresponding to the deletion. The observation that two of the 16p13.11 deletions were larger than 2 Mb in size led us to screen for other large deletions. We found 12 additional genomic regions harboring deletions > 2 Mb in epilepsy patients, and none in controls. Additional evaluation is needed to characterize the role of these exceedingly large, non-locus-specific deletions in epilepsy. Collectively, these data implicate 16p13.11 and possibly other large deletions as risk factors for a wide range of epilepsy disorders, and they appear to point toward haploinsufficiency as a contributor to the pathogenicity of deletions. Copyright (c) 2010 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Deletion Mutagenesis and Identification of Causative Mutations in Maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Shangang; Li, Aixia; Zhang, Chi; Holding, David

    2018-01-01

    We describe a method for gamma-irradiation of mature maize seeds to generate mutants with opaque endosperm and reduced kernel fill phenotypes. We also describe methods for mapping mutants and identifying causal gene mutations. Using this method, a population of 1788M2 families and 47 Mo17 × F2s showing stable, segregating, and viable kernel phenotypes was developed. For molecular characterization of the mutants, we utilized a novel functional genomics platform that combines separate Bulked Segregant RNA and exome sequencing data sets (BSREx-seq) to map causative mutations and identify candidate genes within mapping intervals. We also describe the use of exome capture sequencing of F2 mutant and normal pools to perform mapping and candidate gene identification without the need for separate RNA-seq (BSEx-seq). To exemplify the utility of the deletion mutants for functional genomics and provide proof-of-concept for the bioinformatics platform, we summarize the identification of the causative deletion in two mutants. Mutant 937, which was characterized by BSREx-seq, harbors a 6203-bp in-frame deletion covering six exons within the Opaque-1 gene on chromosome 4. Preliminary investigation of opaque mutant 1486 with BSEx-seq shows a tight mapping interval and associated deletion on chromosome 10.

  15. ASYMMETRIC EFFECTS OF ADDED VERSUS DELETED FEATURE OF STIMULUS ON RECOGNITION MEMORY

    OpenAIRE

    内野, 八潮; 箱田, 裕司

    2000-01-01

    This article reviewed a number of studies which revealed superiority of addition over deletion. Such an asymmetric effect was found in picture recognitioa memory, discrimination learning, proofreading for misspellings and so on. However, few studies have controlled typicality of original stimulus or the effect of addition and deletion on typicality of changed stimulus. Therefore this article focussed particularly on the studies in which addition and deletion applied to original stimulus was d...

  16. A New Intergenic α-Globin Deletion (α-αΔ125) Found in a Kabyle Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Amrathlal Rabbind; Lacan, Philippe; Cadet, Estelle; Bignet, Patricia; Dumesnil, Cécile; Vannier, Jean-Pierre; Joly, Philippe; Rochette, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    We have identified a deletion of 125 bp (α-α(Δ125)) (NG_000006.1: g.37040_37164del) in the α-globin gene cluster in a Kabyle population. A combination of singlex and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays have been used to identify the molecular defect. Sequencing of the abnormal PCR amplification product revealed a novel α1-globin promoter deletion. The endpoints of the deletion were characterized by sequencing the deletion junctions of the mutated allele. The observed deletion was located 378 bp upstream of the α1-globin gene transcription initiation site and leaves the α2 gene intact. In some patients, the α-α(Δ125) deletion was shown to segregate with Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) and/or Hb C (HBB: c.19G>A) or a β-thalassemic allele. The α-α(Δ125) deletion has no discernible effect on red cell indices when inherited with no other abnormal globin genes. The family study demonstrated that the deletion is heritable. This is the only example of an intergenic α2-α1 non coding DNA deletion, leaving the α2-globin gene and the α1 coding part intact.

  17. Novel deletion alleles carrying CYP21A1P/A2 chimeric genes in Brazilian patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guerra-Júnior Gil

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is caused by deletions, large gene conversions or mutations in CYP21A2 gene. The human gene is located at 6p21.3 within a locus containing the genes for putative serine/threonine Kinase RP, complement C4, steroid 21-hydroxylase CYP21 tenascin TNX, normally, in a duplicated cluster known as RCCX module. The CYP21 extra copy is a pseudogene (CYP21A1P. In Brazil, 30-kb deletion forming monomodular alleles that carry chimeric CYP21A1P/A2 genes corresponds to ~9% of disease-causing alleles. Such alleles are considered to result from unequal crossovers within the bimodular C4/CYP21 locus. Depending on the localization of recombination breakpoint, different alleles can be generated conferring the locus high degree of allelic variability. The purpose of the study was to investigate the variability of deleted alleles in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Methods We used different techniques to investigate the variability of 30-kb deletion alleles in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Alleles were first selected after Southern blotting. The composition of CYP21A1P/A2 chimeric genes was investigated by ASO-PCR and MLPA analyses followed by sequencing to refine the location of recombination breakpoints. Twenty patients carrying at least one allele with C4/CYP21 30-kb deletion were included in the study. Results An allele carrying a CYP21A1P/A2 chimeric gene was found unusually associated to a C4B/C4A Taq I 6.4-kb fragment, generally associated to C4B and CYP21A1P deletions. A novel haplotype bearing both p.P34L and p.H62L, novel and rare mutations, respectively, was identified in exon 1, however p.P30L, the most frequent pseudogene-derived mutation in this exon, was absent. Four unrelated patients showed this haplotype. Absence of p.P34L in CYP21A1P of normal controls indicated that it is not derived from pseudogene. In addition, the combination of different

  18. Subtelomeric deletion of chromosome 10p15.3: clinical findings and molecular cytogenetic characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeScipio, Cheryl; Conlin, Laura; Rosenfeld, Jill; Tepperberg, James; Pasion, Romela; Patel, Ankita; McDonald, Marie T; Aradhya, Swaroop; Ho, Darlene; Goldstein, Jennifer; McGuire, Marianne; Mulchandani, Surabhi; Medne, Livija; Rupps, Rosemarie; Serrano, Alvaro H; Thorland, Erik C; Tsai, Anne C-H; Hilhorst-Hofstee, Yvonne; Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L; Van Esch, Hilde; Addor, Marie-Claude; Martinet, Danielle; Mason, Thornton B A; Clark, Dinah; Spinner, Nancy B; Krantz, Ian D

    2012-09-01

    We describe 19 unrelated individuals with submicroscopic deletions involving 10p15.3 characterized by chromosomal microarray (CMA). Interestingly, to our knowledge, only two individuals with isolated, submicroscopic 10p15.3 deletion have been reported to date; however, only limited clinical information is available for these probands and the deleted region has not been molecularly mapped. Comprehensive clinical history was obtained for 12 of the 19 individuals described in this study. Common features among these 12 individuals include: cognitive/behavioral/developmental differences (11/11), speech delay/language disorder (10/10), motor delay (10/10), craniofacial dysmorphism (9/12), hypotonia (7/11), brain anomalies (4/6) and seizures (3/7). Parental studies were performed for nine of the 19 individuals; the 10p15.3 deletion was de novo in seven of the probands, not maternally inherited in one proband and inherited from an apparently affected mother in one proband. Molecular mapping of the 19 individuals reported in this study has identified two genes, ZMYND11 (OMIM 608668) and DIP2C (OMIM 611380; UCSC Genome Browser), mapping within 10p15.3 which are most commonly deleted. Although no single gene has been identified which is deleted in all 19 individuals studied, the deleted region in all but one individual includes ZMYND11 and the deleted region in all but one other individual includes DIP2C. There is not a clearly identifiable phenotypic difference between these two individuals and the size of the deleted region does not generally predict clinical features. Little is currently known about these genes complicating a direct genotype/phenotype correlation at this time. These data however, suggest that ZMYND11 and/or DIP2C haploinsufficiency contributes to the clinical features associated with 10p15 deletions in probands described in this study. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Heart defects and other features of the 22q11 distal deletion syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fagerberg, Christina Ringmann; Graakjaer, Jesper; Heinl, Ulrike D

    2013-01-01

    patients with 22q11 distal deletions, of whom two have complex congenital heart malformation, thus broadening the phenotypic spectrum. We compare cardiac malformations reported in 22q11 distal deletion to those reported in the common 22q11 deletion syndrome. We also review the literature for patients...... with 22q11 distal deletions, and discuss the possible roles of haploinsufficiency of the MAPK1 gene. We find the most frequent features in 22q11 distal deletion to be developmental delay or learning disability, short stature, microcephalus, premature birth with low birth weight, and congenital heart...... malformation ranging from minor anomalies to complex malformations. Behavioral problems are also seen in a substantial portion of patients. The following dysmorphic features are relatively common: smooth philtrum, abnormally structured ears, cleft palate/bifid uvula, micro-/retrognathia, upslanting palpebral...

  20. Seven gene deletions in seven days

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingemann Jensen, Sheila; Lennen, Rebecca; Herrgard, Markus

    2015-01-01

    Generation of multiple genomic alterations is currently a time consuming process. Here, a method was established that enables highly efficient and simultaneous deletion of multiple genes in Escherichia coli. A temperature sensitive plasmid containing arabinose inducible lambda Red recombineering ...

  1. The frequency of previously undetectable deletions involving 3' Exons of the PMS2 gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Cecily P; Baker, Christine L; Samowitz, Wade S; Swensen, Jeffrey J

    2013-01-01

    Lynch syndrome is characterized by mutations in one of four mismatch repair genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2. Clinical mutation analysis of these genes includes sequencing of exonic regions and deletion/duplication analysis. However, detection of deletions and duplications in PMS2 has previously been confined to Exons 1-11 due to gene conversion between PMS2 and the pseudogene PMS2CL in the remaining 3' exons (Exons 12-15). We have recently described an MLPA-based method that permits detection of deletions of PMS2 Exons 12-15; however, the frequency of such deletions has not yet been determined. To address this question, we tested for 3' deletions in 58 samples that were reported to be negative for PMS2 mutations using previously available methods. All samples were from individuals whose tumors exhibited loss of PMS2 immunohistochemical staining without concomitant loss of MLH1 immunostaining. We identified seven samples in this cohort with deletions in the 3' region of PMS2, including three previously reported samples with deletions of Exons 13-15 (two samples) and Exons 14-15. Also detected were deletions of Exons 12-15, Exon 13, and Exon 14 (two samples). Breakpoint analysis of the intragenic deletions suggests they occurred through Alu-mediated recombination. Our results indicate that ∼12% of samples suspected of harboring a PMS2 mutation based on immunohistochemical staining, for which mutations have not yet been identified, would benefit from testing using the new methodology. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Deletion Analysis Of The Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy Gene Using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dastur P

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The diagnosis of Duchenna Muscular Dystrophy (DMD and Becker Muscular Dystorphy (BMD is mainly based on clinical profile, serum CPK values, muscle biopsy and immunostaining for dystrophin. This was done in 100 unrelated patients using 19 exons including the promoter region in two sets of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR. These primers amplify most of the exons in the deletion prone ′hot spot′ regions allowing determinations of deletion end points. Intragenic deletions were detected in 74 patients indicating that the use of PCR- based assays will allow deletion detection help in prenatal diagnosis for most of the DMD/BMD patients. The frequency of deletions observed in the present study was 74%.

  3. Submicroscopic deletions at the WAGR locus, revealed by nonradioactive in situ hybridization.

    OpenAIRE

    Fantes, J A; Bickmore, W A; Fletcher, J M; Ballesta, F; Hanson, I M; van Heyningen, V

    1992-01-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with biotin-labeled probes mapping to 11p13 has been used for the molecular analysis of deletions of the WAGR (Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation) locus. We have detected a submicroscopic 11p13 deletion in a child with inherited aniridia who subsequently presented with Wilms tumor in a horseshoe kidney, only revealed at surgery. The mother, who has aniridia, was also found to carry a deletion including both the ...

  4. The deletion of bacterial dynamin and flotillin genes results in pleiotrophic effects on cell division, cell growth and in cell shape maintenance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dempwolff Felix

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In eukaryotic cells, dynamin and flotillin are involved in processes such as endocytosis and lipid raft formation, respectively. Dynamin is a GTPase that exerts motor-like activity during the pinching off of vesicles, while flotillins are coiled coil rich membrane proteins with no known enzymatic activity. Bacteria also possess orthologs of both classes of proteins, but their function has been unclear. Results We show that deletion of the single dynA or floT genes lead to no phenotype or a mild defect in septum formation in the case of the dynA gene, while dynA floT double mutant cells were highly elongated and irregularly shaped, although the MreB cytoskeleton appeared to be normal. DynA colocalizes with FtsZ, and the dynA deletion strain shows aberrant FtsZ rings in a subpopulation of cells. The mild division defect of the dynA deletion is exacerbated by an additional deletion in ezrA, which affects FtsZ ring formation, and also by the deletion of a late division gene (divIB, indicating that DynA affects several steps in cell division. DynA and mreB deletions generated a synthetic defect in cell shape maintenance, showing that MreB and DynA play non-epistatic functions in cell shape maintenance. TIRF microscopy revealed that FloT forms many dynamic membrane assemblies that frequently colocalize with the division septum. The deletion of dynA did not change the pattern of localization of FloT, and vice versa, showing that the two proteins play non redundant roles in a variety of cellular processes. Expression of dynamin or flotillin T in eukaryotic S2 cells revealed that both proteins assemble at the cell membrane. While FloT formed patch structures, DynA built up tubulated structures extending away from the cells. Conclusions Bacillus subtilis dynamin ortholog DynA plays a role during cell division and in cell shape maintenance. It shows a genetic link with flotillin T, with both proteins playing non-redundant functions at

  5. Clinical and molecular consequences of exon 78 deletion in DMD gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traverso, Monica; Assereto, Stefania; Baratto, Serena; Iacomino, Michele; Pedemonte, Marina; Diana, Maria Cristina; Ferretti, Marta; Broda, Paolo; Minetti, Carlo; Gazzerro, Elisabetta; Madia, Francesca; Bruno, Claudio; Zara, Federico; Fiorillo, Chiara

    2018-03-19

    We present a 13-year-old patient with persistent increase of serum Creatine Kinase (CK) and myalgia after exertion. Skeletal muscle biopsy showed marked reduction of dystrophin expression leading to genetic analysis of DMD gene by MLPA, which detected a single deletion of exon 78. To the best of our knowledge, DMD exon 78 deletion has never been described in literature and, according to prediction, it should lead to loss of reading frame in the dystrophin gene. To further assess the actual effect of exon 78 deletion, we analysed cDNA from muscle mRNA. This analysis confirmed the absence of 32 bp of exon 78. Exclusion of exon 78 changes the open reading frame of exon 79 and generate a downstream stop codon, producing a dystrophin protein of 3703 amino acids instead of 3685 amino acids. Albeit loss of reading frame usually leads to protein degradation and severe phenotype, in this case, we demonstrated that deletion of DMD exon 78 can be associated with a functional protein able to bind DGC complex and a very mild phenotype. This study adds a novel deletion in DMD gene in human and helps to define the compliance between maintaining/disrupting the reading frame and clinical form of the disease.

  6. A previously unidentified deletion in G protein-coupled receptor 143 causing X-linked congenital nystagmus in a Chinese family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Congenital nystagmus (CN is characterized by conjugated, spontaneous, and involuntary ocular oscillations. It is an inherited disease and the most common inheritance pattern is X-linked CN. In this study, our aim is to identify the disease-causing mutation in a large sixth-generation Chinese family with X-linked CN. Methods: It has been reported that mutations in four-point-one, ezrin, radixin, moesin domain-containing 7 gene (FRMD7 and G protein-coupled receptor 143 gene (GPR143 account for the majority patients of X-linked nystagmus. We collected 8 ml blood samples from members of a large sixth-generation pedigree with X-linked CN and 100 normal controls. FRMD7 and GPR143 were scanned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR-based DNA sequencing assays, and multiplex PCR assays were applied to detect deletions. Results: We identified a previously unreported deletion covering 7 exons in GPR143 in a Chinese family. The heterozygous deletion from exon 3 to exon 9 of GPR143 was detected in all affected males in the family, while it was not detected in other unaffected relatives or 100 normal controls. Conclusions: This is the first report of molecular characterization in GPR143 gene in the CN family. Our results expand the spectrum of GPR143 mutations causing CN and further confirm the role of GPR143 in the pathogenesis of CN.

  7. Prenatal Diagnosis and Molecular Analysis of a Large Novel Deletion (- -JS) Causing α0-Thalassemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Jinru; He, Shuzhen; Pu, Yudong; Liu, Jingjing; Liu, Fuping; Feng, Jun

    α-Thalassemia (α-thal) is a very common single gene hereditary disease caused by large deletions or point mutations of the α-globin gene cluster in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Here, we report for the first time, a novel large α-thal deletion in a Chinese family from Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China (PRC), which removes almost the entire α2 and α1 genes from the α-globin gene cluster. Thus, it was named the Jiangsu deletion (- - JS ) on the α-globin gene cluster causing α 0 -thal. Heterozygotes for this deletion showed an α-thal trait phenotype with reduced mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (Hb) (MCH) levels. The sequencing results showed that a 2538 bp deletion (NG_000006.1: g.35801_38338) existed in this novel genotype on the basis of -α 4.2 (leftward), indicating a deletion of about 6.8 kb from the α-globin cluster. In addition, a 29 bp sequence was inserted into the deletion during the recombination events that led to this deletion. Through pedigree analysis, we knew that the proband inherited the novel allele from his mother.

  8. Induction of Mitochondrial DNA Deletion by Ionizing Radiation in Human Lung Fibroblast IMR-90 Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eom, Hyeon Soo; Jung, U Hee; Park, Hae Ran; Jo, Sung Kee

    2009-01-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion is a well-known marker for oxidative stress and aging and also contributes to their unfavorable effects in cultured cells and animal tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation (IR) on mtDNA deletion and the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this process in human lung fibroblast (IMR-90) cells. Young IMR-90 cells at population doubling (PD) 39 were irradiated with 137 Cs -rays and the intracellular ROS level was determined by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and mtDNA common deletion (4977bp) was detected by nested PCR. Old cells at PD 55 and H 2 O 2 -treated young cells were compared as the positive control. IR increased the intracellular ROS level and mtDNA 4977 bp deletion in IMR-90 cells dose-dependently. The increases of ROS level and mtDNA deletion were also observed in old cells and H 2 O 2 -treated young cells. To confirm the increased ROS level is essential for mtDNA deletion in irradiated cells, the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on IRinduced ROS and mtDNA deletion were examined. 5 mM NAC significantly attenuated the IR-induced ROS increase and mtDNA deletion. These results suggest that IR induces the mtDNA deletion and this process is mediated by ROS in IMR-90 cells

  9. Cross-talk between Tetraspanin CD9 and Transmembrane Adaptor Protein Non-T Cell Activation Linker (NTAL) in Mast Cell Activation and Chemotaxis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hálová, Ivana; Dráberová, Lubica; Bambousková, Monika; Machyna, Martin; Stegurová, Lucie; Smrž, Daniel; Dráber, Petr

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 288, č. 14 (2013), s. 9801-9814 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA301/09/1826; GA ČR GAP302/10/1759; GA ČR(CZ) GBP302/12/G101; GA ČR(CZ) GD204/09/H084; GA MŠk LD12073; GA TA ČR TA01010436; GA MPO FR-TI3/067 Grant - others:European Cooperation in Science and Technology(XE) Action BM1007 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : mast cell * chemotaxis * Fc receptor Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.600, year: 2013

  10. Rare copy number deletions predict individual variation in intelligence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald A Yeo

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Phenotypic variation in human intellectual functioning shows substantial heritability, as demonstrated by a long history of behavior genetic studies. Many recent molecular genetic studies have attempted to uncover specific genetic variations responsible for this heritability, but identified effects capture little variance and have proven difficult to replicate. The present study, motivated an interest in "mutation load" emerging from evolutionary perspectives, examined the importance of the number of rare (or infrequent copy number variations (CNVs, and the total number of base pairs included in such deletions, for psychometric intelligence. Genetic data was collected using the Illumina 1MDuoBeadChip Array from a sample of 202 adult individuals with alcohol dependence, and a subset of these (N = 77 had been administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI. After removing CNV outliers, the impact of rare genetic deletions on psychometric intelligence was investigated in 74 individuals. The total length of the rare deletions significantly and negatively predicted intelligence (r = -.30, p = .01. As prior studies have indicated greater heritability in individuals with relatively higher parental socioeconomic status (SES, we also examined the impact of ethnicity (Anglo/White vs. Other, as a proxy measure of SES; these groups did not differ on any genetic variable. This categorical variable significantly moderated the effect of length of deletions on intelligence, with larger effects being noted in the Anglo/White group. Overall, these results suggest that rare deletions (between 5% and 1% population frequency or less adversely affect intellectual functioning, and that pleotropic effects might partly account for the association of intelligence with health and mental health status. Significant limitations of this research, including issues of generalizability and CNV measurement, are discussed.

  11. Rare Copy Number Deletions Predict Individual Variation in Intelligence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, Ronald A.; Gangestad, Steven W.; Liu, Jingyu; Calhoun, Vince D.; Hutchison, Kent E.

    2011-01-01

    Phenotypic variation in human intellectual functioning shows substantial heritability, as demonstrated by a long history of behavior genetic studies. Many recent molecular genetic studies have attempted to uncover specific genetic variations responsible for this heritability, but identified effects capture little variance and have proven difficult to replicate. The present study, motivated an interest in “mutation load” emerging from evolutionary perspectives, examined the importance of the number of rare (or infrequent) copy number variations (CNVs), and the total number of base pairs included in such deletions, for psychometric intelligence. Genetic data was collected using the Illumina 1MDuoBeadChip Array from a sample of 202 adult individuals with alcohol dependence, and a subset of these (N = 77) had been administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). After removing CNV outliers, the impact of rare genetic deletions on psychometric intelligence was investigated in 74 individuals. The total length of the rare deletions significantly and negatively predicted intelligence (r = −.30, p = .01). As prior studies have indicated greater heritability in individuals with relatively higher parental socioeconomic status (SES), we also examined the impact of ethnicity (Anglo/White vs. Other), as a proxy measure of SES; these groups did not differ on any genetic variable. This categorical variable significantly moderated the effect of length of deletions on intelligence, with larger effects being noted in the Anglo/White group. Overall, these results suggest that rare deletions (between 5% and 1% population frequency or less) adversely affect intellectual functioning, and that pleotropic effects might partly account for the association of intelligence with health and mental health status. Significant limitations of this research, including issues of generalizability and CNV measurement, are discussed. PMID:21298096

  12. Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene polymorphism in cystic fibrosis patients. Sabrine Oueslati Sondess Hadj Fredj Hajer Siala Amina Bibi Hajer Aloulou Lamia Boughamoura Khadija Boussetta Sihem Barsaoui Taieb Messaoud. Research Note Volume 95 Issue 1 March 2016 pp 193-196 ...

  13. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Gene ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Gene Polymorphism: An Observational Study among Diabetic Hypertensive Subjects in Malaysia. ... Methods: The pharmacological effect of ACE inhibition on mean arterial pressure (MAP) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were observed among a total of 62 subjects for ...

  14. Acquired retinal pigmentary degeneration in a child with 13q deletion syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilera, Zenia P; Belin, Peter J; Cavuoto, Kara M; Jayakar, Parul; McKeown, Craig A

    2015-10-01

    Orbeli syndrome, or 13q deletion syndrome, is a rare condition caused by a distal deletion in the long arm of chromosome 13. The syndrome is characterized by severe physical malformations and developmental delays and has been associated with numerous ocular manifestations. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy with 13q deletion syndrome, who was evaluated for impaired vision and found to have bilateral retinal pigmentary changes resembling those seen in retinitis pigmentosa. There has only been one other case of retinal pigment variation in association with 13q deletion syndrome; however, this represents the first case of bilateral symmetric retinal pigmentary changes with corresponding rod and cone dysfunction on electroretinography. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A space-jump derivation for non-local models of cell-cell adhesion and non-local chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buttenschön, Andreas; Hillen, Thomas; Gerisch, Alf; Painter, Kevin J

    2018-01-01

    Cellular adhesion provides one of the fundamental forms of biological interaction between cells and their surroundings, yet the continuum modelling of cellular adhesion has remained mathematically challenging. In 2006, Armstrong et al. proposed a mathematical model in the form of an integro-partial differential equation. Although successful in applications, a derivation from an underlying stochastic random walk has remained elusive. In this work we develop a framework by which non-local models can be derived from a space-jump process. We show how the notions of motility and a cell polarization vector can be naturally included. With this derivation we are able to include microscopic biological properties into the model. We show that particular choices yield the original Armstrong model, while others lead to more general models, including a doubly non-local adhesion model and non-local chemotaxis models. Finally, we use random walk simulations to confirm that the corresponding continuum model represents the mean field behaviour of the stochastic random walk.

  16. Induction of Mitochondrial DNA Deletion by Ionizing Radiation in Human Lung Fibroblast IMR-90 Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eom, Hyeon Soo; Jung, U Hee; Park, Hae Ran; Jo, Sung Kee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-06-15

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion is a well-known marker for oxidative stress and aging and also contributes to their unfavorable effects in cultured cells and animal tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation (IR) on mtDNA deletion and the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this process in human lung fibroblast (IMR-90) cells. Young IMR-90 cells at population doubling (PD) 39 were irradiated with {sup 137}Cs -rays and the intracellular ROS level was determined by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and mtDNA common deletion (4977bp) was detected by nested PCR. Old cells at PD 55 and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-treated young cells were compared as the positive control. IR increased the intracellular ROS level and mtDNA 4977 bp deletion in IMR-90 cells dose-dependently. The increases of ROS level and mtDNA deletion were also observed in old cells and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-treated young cells. To confirm the increased ROS level is essential for mtDNA deletion in irradiated cells, the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on IRinduced ROS and mtDNA deletion were examined. 5 mM NAC significantly attenuated the IR-induced ROS increase and mtDNA deletion. These results suggest that IR induces the mtDNA deletion and this process is mediated by ROS in IMR-90 cells.

  17. Association of BIM Deletion Polymorphism and BIM-γ RNA Expression in NSCLC with EGFR Mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isobe, Kazutoshi; Kakimoto, Atsushi; Mikami, Tetsuo; Kaburaki, Kyohei; Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Yoshizawa, Takahiro; Makino, Takashi; Otsuka, Hajime; Sano, G O; Sugino, Keishi; Sakamoto, Susumu; Takai, Yujiro; Tochigi, Naobumi; Iyoda, Akira; Homma, Sakae

    This pilot study assessed the association of BIM deletion polymorphism and BIM RNA isoform in patients with EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study included 33 patients with EGFR-positive NSCLC treated with gefitinib. BIM deletion polymorphism and BIM RNA isoform (EL/L/S/γ) were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). BIM-γ expression was significantly higher in patients with BIM deletion polymorphism than among those without BIM deletion polymorphism inside tumors (p=0.038) and around tumors (p=0.0024). Relative BIM-γ expression was significantly higher in patients with BIM deletion polymorphism than among those without BIM deletion polymorphism (p=0.0017). Patients with BIM-γ had significantly shorter progression-free survival than those without BIM-γ (median: 304 vs. 732 days; p=0.023). Expression of BIM-γ mRNA and BIM deletion polymorphism were strongly associated. BIM-γ overexpression may have a role in apoptosis related to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Copyright© 2016, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  18. Construction of brewing-wine Aspergillus oryzae pyrG- mutant by pyrG gene deletion and its application in homology transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Yu; Xie, Guizhen; Yang, Chunfa; Fang, Baishan; Chen, Hongwen

    2014-06-01

    pyrG(-) host cells are indispensable for pyrG(-) based transformation system. Isolations of pyrG(-) host cells by random mutations are limited by time-consuming, unclear genetic background and potential interferences of homogenous recombination. The purpose of this study was to construct brewing-wine Aspergillus oryzae pyrG(-) mutant by site-directed mutation of pyrG gene deletion which would be used as a host for further transformation. pMD-pyrGAB, a vector carrying pyrG deletion cassette, was used to construct pyrG(-) mutant of A. oryzae. Three stable pyrG deletion mutants of A. oryzae were isolated by resistant to 5-fluoroorotic acid and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis, indicating that pyrG was completely excised. The ΔpyrG mutants were applied as pyrG(-) host cells to disrupt xdh gene encoding xylitol dehydrogenase, which involves in xylitol production of A. oryzae. The xdh disruption mutants were efficiently constructed by transforming a pMD-pyrG-xdh disruption plasmid carrying pyrG, and the produced xylitol concentration of the Δxdh mutant was three times as much as that of the ΔpyrG recipient. Site-directed pyrG gene deletion is thus an effective way for the isolation of pyrG(-) host cells, and the established host-vector system could be applied in further functional genomics analysis and molecular breeding of A. oryzae. © The Author 2014. Published by ABBS Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  19. Detection of the deletion on Yp11.2 in a Chinese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wenjing; Wu, Weiwei; Cheng, Jianding; Zhang, Yinming; Chen, Yong; Sun, Hongyu

    2014-01-01

    Sex determination tests based on Amelogenin gene as part of commercial PCR multiplex reaction kits have been widely applied in forensic DNA analysis. Mutations that cause dropout of Y chromosomal Amelogenin gene (AMELY) could lead to errors in gender determination and mixture interpretation. To infer the mechanism and estimate the dropout frequency of AMELY and adjacent Y-STRs, we studied 3 samples with AMELY dropout combined with DYS458 and/or DYS456 and 37 samples with DYS456 dropout. DYS456, DYS458 and AMELY are located in the Yp11.2 region. The singleplex amplification system showed the null alleles could be caused by fragment deletion in Yp11.2 rather than a point mutation in the primer binding region. After detection of the 17 Y-STR and 77 STS markers, the deletion map showed different patterns. The DYS456-AMELY-DYS458 deletion pattern was the largest, breaking from 3.60 Mb to 8.29 Mb in the Y chromosome, and the overall frequency was 0.0077%. The AMELY-DYS458 deletion pattern was broke from 6.74 Mb to 9.17 Mb, with a 0.0155% frequency. The DYS456 negative pattern was concentrated in two main deletion regions, with a 0.8220% frequency. The frequency of all negative pattern was 0.0155%. All the AMELY-DYS458 and DYS456-AMELY-DYS458, and 92% of the DYS456 deletion patterns belonged to Hg O3, the rest belonged to Hg Q. The DYS456 deletion pattern was first reported in Chinese population. The current and previous findings suggest additional gender test for ambiguous sex determination may be required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Deletion Analysis Of The Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy Gene Using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dastur R

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD is mainly based on clinical profile, serum CPK values, muscle biopsy and immunostaining for dystrophin. Most recent and accurate method for diagnosing DMD/BMD is by detection of mutations in the DMD gene. This was done in 100 unrelated patients using 19 exons including the promoter region in two sets of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR. These primers amplify most of the exons in the deletion prone ′hotspot′ regions allowing determination of deletion end point. Intragenic deletions were detected in 74 patients indicating that the use of PCR-based assays will allow deletion detection help in prenatal diagnosis for most of the DMD/BMD patients. The frequency of deletions observed in the present study was 74%.

  1. The role of parental cognitive, behavioral, and motor profiles in clinical variability in individuals with chromosome 16p11.2 deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-De-Luca, Andres; Evans, David W; Boomer, K B; Hanson, Ellen; Bernier, Raphael; Goin-Kochel, Robin P; Myers, Scott M; Challman, Thomas D; Moreno-De-Luca, Daniel; Slane, Mylissa M; Hare, Abby E; Chung, Wendy K; Spiro, John E; Faucett, W Andrew; Martin, Christa L; Ledbetter, David H

    2015-02-01

    Most disorders caused by copy number variants (CNVs) display significant clinical variability, often referred to as incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Genetic and environmental sources of this variability are not well understood. To investigate the contributors to phenotypic variability in probands with CNVs involving the same genomic region; to measure the effect size for de novo mutation events; and to explore the contribution of familial background to resulting cognitive, behavioral, and motor performance outcomes in probands with de novo CNVs. Family-based study design with a volunteer sample of 56 individuals with de novo 16p11.2 deletions and their noncarrier parents and siblings from the Simons Variation in Individuals Project. We used linear mixed-model analysis to measure effect size and intraclass correlation to determine the influence of family background for a de novo CNV on quantitative traits representing the following 3 neurodevelopmental domains: cognitive ability (Full-Scale IQ), social behavior (Social Responsiveness Scale), and neuromotor performance (Purdue Pegboard Test). We included an anthropometric trait, body mass index, for comparison. A significant deleterious effect of the 16p11.2 deletion was demonstrated across all domains. Relative to the biparental mean, the effect sizes were -1.7 SD for cognitive ability, 2.2 SD for social behavior, and -1.3 SD for neuromotor performance (P siblings, with an intraclass correlation of 0.40 (P = .07). Analysis of families with de novo CNVs provides the least confounded estimate of the effect size of the 16p11.2 deletion on heritable, quantitative traits and demonstrates a 1- to 2-SD effect across all neurodevelopmental dimensions. Significant parent-proband correlations indicate that family background contributes to the phenotypic variability seen in this and perhaps other CNV disorders and may have implications for counseling families regarding their children's developmental and

  2. Boyer-Moore Algorithm in Retrieving Deleted Short Message Service in Android Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahmat, R. F.; Prayoga, D. F.; Gunawan, D.; Sitompul, O. S.

    2018-02-01

    Short message service (SMS) can be used as digital evidence of disclosure of crime because it can strengthen the charges against the offenders. Criminals use various ways to destroy the evidence, including by deleting SMS. On the Android OS, SMS is stored in a SQLite database file. Deletion of SMS data is not followed by bit deletion in memory so that it is possible to rediscover the deleted SMS. Based on this case, the mobile forensic needs to be done to rediscover the short message service. The proposed method in this study is Boyer-Moore algorithm for searching string matching. An auto finds feature is designed to rediscover the short message service by searching using a particular pattern to rematch a text with the result of the hex value conversion in the database file. The system will redisplay the message for each of a match. From all the testing results, the proposed method has quite a high accuracy in rediscovering the short message service using the used dataset. The search results to rediscover the deleted SMS depend on the possibility of overwriting process and the vacuum procedure on the database file.

  3. Differentiated psychopharmacological treatment in three genetic subtypes of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhoeven, W.M.A.; Egger, J.I.M.; Leeuw, N. de

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), mostly caused by the common deletion including the TBX- and COMT-genes (LCR22A-D), is highly associated with somatic anomalies. The distal deletion (distal of LCR22D) comprises the MAPK1-gene and is associated with specific heart defects. The

  4. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion polymorphism is not a risk factor for hypertension in SLE nephritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negi, Vir S; Devaraju, Panneer; Gulati, Reena

    2015-09-01

    SLE is a systemic autoimmune disease with high prevalence of hypertension. Around 40-75 % of SLE patients develop nephritis, a major cause of hypertension and mortality. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) maintains the blood pressure and blood volume homeostasis. An insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in intron 16 of ACE gene was reported to influence the development of hypertension, nephritis, and cardiovascular diseases in different ethnic populations. Despite compelling evidence for the high prevalence of hypertension in individuals with SLE, underlying factors for its development are not well studied. With this background, we analyzed the influence of ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism on susceptibility to SLE, development of nephritis and hypertension, other clinical features and autoantibody phenotype in South Indian SLE patients. Three hundred patients with SLE and 460 age and sex similar ethnicity matched individuals were included as patients and healthy controls, respectively. The ACE gene insertion/deletion polymorphism was analyzed by PCR. Insertion (I) and deletion (D) alleles were observed to be equally distributed among patients (57 and 43 %) and controls (59 and 41 %), respectively. The mutant (D) allele did not confer significant risk for SLE (II vs. ID: p = 0.4, OR 1.15, 95 % CI 0.8-1.6; II vs. DD: p = 0.34, OR 1.22, 95 % CI 0.8-1.85). There was no association of the ACE genotype or the allele with development of lupus nephritis (II vs. ID: p = 0.19, OR 1.41, 95 % CI 0.84-2.36; II vs. DD: p = 0.41, OR 0.74, 95 % CI 0.38-1.41) or hypertension (II vs. ID: p = 0.85, OR 0.9, 95 % CI 0.43-1.8; II vs. DD: p = 0.66, OR 1.217, 95 % CI 0.5-2.8). The presence of mutant allele (D) was not found to influence any clinical features or autoantibody phenotype. The insertion/deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene is not a genetic risk factor for SLE and does not influence development of hypertension or lupus nephritis in South Indian

  5. Mcm2 deficiency results in short deletions allowing high resolution identification of genes contributing to lymphoblastic lymphoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusiniak, Michael E.; Kunnev, Dimiter; Freeland, Amy; Cady, Gillian K.; Pruitt, Steven C.

    2011-01-01

    Mini-chromosome maintenance (Mcm) proteins are part of the replication licensing complex that is loaded onto chromatin during the G1-phase of the cell cycle and required for initiation of DNA replication in the subsequent S-phase. Mcm proteins are typically loaded in excess of the number of locations that are utilized during S-phase. Nonetheless, partial depletion of Mcm proteins leads to cancers and stem cell deficiencies. Mcm2 deficient mice, on a 129Sv genetic background, display a high rate of thymic lymphoblastic lymphoma. Here array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is utilized to characterize the genetic damage accruing in these tumors. The predominant events are deletions averaging less than 0.5 Mb, considerably shorter than observed in prior studies using alternative mouse lymphoma models or human tumors. Such deletions facilitate identification of specific genes and pathways responsible for the tumors. Mutations in many genes that have been implicated in human lymphomas are recapitulated in this mouse model. These features, and the fact that the mutation underlying the accelerated genetic damage does not target a specific gene or pathway a priori, are valuable features of this mouse model for identification of tumor suppressor genes. Genes affected in all tumors include Pten, Tcfe2a, Mbd3 and Setd1b. Notch1 and additional genes are affected in subsets of tumors. The high frequency of relatively short deletions is consistent with elevated recombination between nearby stalled replication forks in Mcm2 deficient mice. PMID:22158038

  6. Developmentally programmed DNA deletion in Tetrahymena thermophila by a transposition-like reaction pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saveliev, S V; Cox, M M

    1996-01-01

    We provide a molecular description of key intermediates in the deletion of two internal eliminated sequences (IES elements), the M and R regions, during macronuclear development in Tetrahymena thermophila. Using a variety of PCR-based methods in vivo, double-strand breaks are detected that are generated by hydrolytic cleavage and correspond closely to the observed chromosomal junctions left behind in the macronuclei. The breaks exhibit a temporal and structural relationship to the deletion reaction that provides strong evidence that they are intermediates in the deletion pathway. Breaks in the individual strands are staggered by 4 bp, producing a four nucleotide 5' extension. Evidence is presented that breaks do not occur simultaneously at both ends. The results are most consistent with a deletion mechanism featuring initiation by double-strand cleavage at one end of the deleted element, followed by transesterification to generate the macronuclear junction on one DNA strand. An adenosine residue is found at all the nucleophilic 3' ends used in the postulated transesterification step. Evidence for the transesterification step is provided by detection of a 3' hydroxyl that would be liberated by such a step at a deletion boundary where no other DNA strand ends are detected. Images PMID:8654384

  7. The emerging role of genomics in the diagnosis and workup of congenital urinary tract defects: a novel deletion syndrome on chromosome 3q13.31-22.1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Materna-Kiryluk, Anna; Kiryluk, Krzysztof; Burgess, Katelyn E; Bieleninik, Arkadiusz; Sanna-Cherchi, Simone; Gharavi, Ali G.; Latos-Bielenska, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Background Copy number variants (CNVs) are increasingly recognized as an important cause of congenital malformations and likely explain over 16% cases of CAKUT. Here, we illustrate how a molecular diagnosis of CNV can inform the clinical management of a pediatric patient presenting with CAKUT and other organ defects. Methods We describe a 14 year-old girl with a large de novo deletion of chromosome 3q13.31-22.1 that disrupts 101 known genes and manifests with CAKUT, neurodevelopmental delay, agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC), cardiac malformations, electrolyte and endocrine disorders, skeletal abnormalities and dysmorphic features. We perform extensive annotation of the deleted region to prioritize genes for specific phenotypes and to predict future disease risk. Results Our case defined new minimal chromosomal candidate regions for both CAKUT and ACC. Moreover, the presence of the CASR gene in the deleted interval predicted a diagnosis of hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, which was confirmed by serum and urine chemistries. Our gene annotation explained clinical hypothyroidism and predicted that the index case is at increased risk of thoracic aortic aneurysm, renal cell carcinoma and myeloproliferative disorder. Conclusions Extended annotation of CNV regions refines diagnosis and uncovers previously unrecognized phenotypic features. This approach enables personalized treatment and prevention strategies in patients harboring genomic deletions. PMID:24292865

  8. Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism association with obesity and some related disorders in Egyptian females: a case-control observational study

    OpenAIRE

    Motawi, Tarek K.; Shaker, Olfat G.; Shahin, Nancy N.; Ahmed, Nancy M.

    2016-01-01

    Background According to the WHO report in 2015, obesity is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, and the prevalence of Egyptian female obesity is 37.5?%. Since obesity is highly influenced by genetics, and adipose tissue renin-angiotensin system is over-activated in obesity, the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism on obesity and related disorders was studied in several populations, because of its effect on ACE activity. Our objective was t...

  9. Seizures as the first manifestation of chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in a 40-year old man: a case report

    OpenAIRE

    Tonelli, Adriano R; Kosuri, Kalyan; Wei, Sainan; Chick, Davoren

    2007-01-01

    Abstract Background The microdeletion of chromosome 22q11.2 is the most common human deletion syndrome. It typically presents early in life and is rarely considered in adult patients. As part of the manifestations of this condition, patients can have parathyroid glandular involvement ranging from hypocalcemic hypoparathyroidism to normocalcemia with normal parathryroid hormone levels. The first manifestation of the syndrome might be seizures due to profound hypocalcemia. Case presentation A 4...

  10. [Grave's disease in children with 22q11 deletion. Report of three cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosselin, J; Lebon-Labich, B; Lucron, H; Marçon, F; Leheup, B

    2004-12-01

    Hypothyroidism is a well recognized complication of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Auto-immune hyperthyroidism is less common. We report three patients with a 22q11.2 deletion and Graves' disease diagnosed at age 17, 14 and 11 years, respectively. The clinical and biological presentation was typical for auto-immune hyperthyroidism. Graves' disease should be periodically sought during the follow-up program of patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

  11. Association between the CCR5 32-bp deletion allele and late onset of schizophrenia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Henrik Berg; Timm, Sally; Wang, August G

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The 32-bp deletion allele in chemokine receptor CCR5 has been associated with several immune-mediated diseases and might be implicated in schizophrenia as well. METHOD: The authors genotyped DNA samples from 268 schizophrenia patients and 323 healthy subjects. Age at first admission...... of the deletion allele in the latter subgroup of patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the CCR5 32-bp deletion allele is a susceptibility factor for schizophrenia with late onset. Alternatively, the CCR5 32-bp deletion allele may act as a modifier by delaying the onset of schizophrenia without...

  12. Chemotaxis of primitive hematopoietic cells in response to stromal cell–derived factor-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jo, Deog-Yeon; Rafii, Shahin; Hamada, Tsuneyoshi; Moore, Malcolm A.S.

    2000-01-01

    Stromal cell–derived factor-1 (SDF-1) provides a potent chemotactic stimulus for CD34+ hematopoietic cells. We cultured mobilized peripheral blood (PB) and umbilical cord blood (CB) for up to 5 weeks and examined the migratory activity of cobblestone area–forming cells (CAFCs) and long-term culture–initiating cells (LTC-ICs) in a transwell assay. In this system, SDF-1 or MS-5 marrow stromal cells placed in the lower chamber induced transmembrane and transendothelial migration by 2- and 5-week-old CAFCs and LTC-ICs in 3 hours. Transmigration was blocked by preincubation of input CD34+ cells with antibody to CXCR4. Transendothelial migration of CB CAFCs and LTC-ICs was higher than that of PB. We expanded CD34+ cells from CB in serum-free medium with thrombopoietin, flk-2 ligand, and c-kit ligand, with or without IL-3 and found that CAFCs cultured in the absence of IL-3 had a chemotactic response equivalent to noncultured cells, even after 5 weeks. However, addition of IL-3 to the culture reduced this response by 20–50%. These data indicate that SDF-1 induces chemotaxis of primitive hematopoietic cells signaling through CXCR4 and that the chemoattraction could be downmodulated by culture ex vivo. PMID:10619866

  13. Frequency of heterozygous TET2 deletions in myeloproliferative neoplasms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Tripodi

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Joseph Tripodi1, Ronald Hoffman1, Vesna Najfeld2, Rona Weinberg31The Myeloproliferative Disorders Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine and 2Department of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 3The Myeloproliferative Disorders Program, Cellular Therapy Laboratory, The New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USAAbstract: The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs, including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis, are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders with overlapping clinical and cytogenetic features and a variable tendency to evolve into acute leukemia. These diseases not only share overlapping chromosomal abnormalities but also a number of acquired somatic mutations. Recently, mutations in a putative tumor suppressor gene, ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2 on chromosome 4q24 have been identified in 12% of patients with MPN. Additionally 4q24 chromosomal rearrangements in MPN, including TET2 deletions, have also been observed using conventional cytogenetics. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of genomic TET2 rearrangements in MPN using fluorescence in situ hybridization as a more sensitive method for screening and identifying genomic deletions. Among 146 MPN patients, we identified two patients (1.4% who showed a common 4q24 deletion, including TET2. Our observations also indicated that the frequency of TET2 deletion is increased in patients with an abnormal karyotype (5%.Keywords: TET2, myeloproliferative neoplasms, fluorescence in situ hybridization, cytogenetics

  14. Deletion affecting band 7q36 not associated with holoprosencephaly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ebrahim, S.A.D.; Krivchenia, E.; Mohamed, A.N. [Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    Although the appearance of 7q36 aberrations have been postulated to be responsible for holoprosencephaly (HPE), the presence of a de novo 7q36 deletion in fetus without HPE has not been reported. We report the first case of a fetus with 7q36 deletion but lacking HPE. Ultrasound examination of a 25-year-old G3P1 Caucasian female showed small head circumference with microcephaly at 28 weeks. Decreased amniotic fluid volume, bilateral renal dilatation and abnormal facial features were also noted. Chromosome analysis after cordocentesis showed an abnormal female karyotype with a deletion involving the chromosome band 7q36, 46,XX,del(7)(q36). Chromosome studies on the biological parents were normal. In view of the chromosome finding and after extensive counseling, the couple elected to terminate the pregnancy. The chromosome findings were confirmed by fetal blood chromosome analysis at termination. Post-mortem examination confirmed dysmorphic features including a depressed nasal bridge and large flat ears with no lobules, but no cleft lip or palate was noted. Internal abnormalities included a bicuspid pulmonary valve and abnormally located lungs. The brain weighed 190g (249 {plus_minus} 64g expected) and had symmetric cerebral hemispheres without evidence of HPE or other gross or microscopic malformation, except focal cerebellar cortical dysplasia. In summary, our patient showed a deletion of the same chromosomal band implicated in HPE but lacked HPE. This finding indicates that 7q36 deletion may be seen in the absence of HPE and suggests that other genetic mechanisms may be responsible for HPE in this setting.

  15. The role of mitochondrial DNA large deletion for the development of presbycusis in Fischer 344 rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Shankai; Yu, Zhiping; Sockalingam, Ravi; Bance, Manohar; Sun, Genlou; Wang, Jian

    2007-09-01

    Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, has been associated with large-scale mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion in previous studies. However, the role of this mtDNA damage in presbycusis is still not clear because the deletion in inner ears has not been measured quantitatively and analyzed in parallel with the time course of presbycusis. In the present study, the deletion was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in male Fischer 344 rats of different ages. It was found that the deletion increased quickly during young adulthood and reached over 60% at 6 months of age. However, a significant hearing loss was not seen until after 12 months of age. The results suggest that the existence of the deletion per se does not necessarily imply cochlear damage, but rather a critical level of the accumulated deletion seems to precede the hearing loss. The long delay may indicate the involvement of mechanisms other than mtDNA deletion in the development of presbycusis.

  16. Induced pluripotent stem cells with a pathological mitochondrial DNA deletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherry, Anne B. C.; Gagne, Katelyn E.; McLoughlin, Erin M.; Baccei, Anna; Gorman, Bryan; Hartung, Odelya; Miller, Justine D.; Zhang, Jin; Zon, Rebecca L.; Ince, Tan A.; Neufeld, Ellis J.; Lerou, Paul H.; Fleming, Mark D.; Daley, George Q.; Agarwal, Suneet

    2013-01-01

    In congenital mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders, a mixture of normal and mutated mtDNA (termed heteroplasmy) exists at varying levels in different tissues, which determines the severity and phenotypic expression of disease. Pearson marrow pancreas syndrome (PS) is a congenital bone marrow failure disorder caused by heteroplasmic deletions in mtDNA. The cause of the hematopoietic failure in PS is unknown, and adequate cellular and animal models are lacking. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are particularly amenable for studying mtDNA disorders, as cytoplasmic genetic material is retained during direct reprogramming. Here we derive and characterize iPS cells from a patient with PS. Taking advantage of the tendency for heteroplasmy to change with cell passage, we isolated isogenic PS-iPS cells without detectable levels of deleted mtDNA. We found that PS-iPS cells carrying a high burden of deleted mtDNA displayed differences in growth, mitochondrial function, and hematopoietic phenotype when differentiated in vitro, compared to isogenic iPS cells without deleted mtDNA. Our results demonstrate that reprogramming somatic cells from patients with mtDNA disorders can yield pluripotent stem cells with varying burdens of heteroplasmy that might be useful in the study and treatment of mitochondrial diseases. PMID:23400930

  17. Deletion analysis of susy-sl promoter for the identification of optimal promoter sequence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacha, S.; Khatoon, A.; Asif, M.; Bshir, A.

    2015-01-01

    The promoter region of sucrose synthase (susy-Sl) was identified and isolated from tomato. The 5? deletion analysis was carried out for the identification of minimum optimal promoter. Transgenic lines of Arabidopsis thaliana were developed by floral dip method incorporating various promoter deletion cassettes controlling GUS reporter gene. GUS assay of transgenic tissues indicated that full length susy-Sl promoter and its deletion mutants were constitutively expressed in vegetative and floral tissues of A. thaliana. The expression was observed in roots, shoots and flowers of A. thaliana. Analysis of 5? deletion series of susy-Sl promoter showed that a minimum of 679 bp fragment of the promoter was sufficient to drive expression of GUS reporter gene in the major tissues of transgenic A. thaliana. (author)

  18. Monoamine oxidase deficiency in males with an X chromosome deletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, K B; de la Chapelle, A; Norio, R; Sankila, E M; Hsu, Y P; Rinehart, W B; Corey, T J; Ozelius, L; Powell, J F; Bruns, G

    1989-01-01

    Mapping of the human MAOA gene to chromosomal region Xp21-p11 prompted our study of two affected males in a family previously reported to have Norrie disease resulting from a submicroscopic deletion in this chromosomal region. In this investigation we demonstrate in these cousins deletion of the MAOA gene, undetectable levels of MAO-A and MAO-B activities in their fibroblasts and platelets, respectively, loss of mRNA for MAO-A in fibroblasts, and substantial alterations in urinary catecholamine metabolites. The present study documents that a marked deficiency of MAO activity is compatible with life and that genes for MAO-A and MAO-B are near each other in this Xp chromosomal region. Some of the clinical features of these MAO deletion patients may help to identify X-linked MAO deficiency diseases in humans.

  19. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Induces Dose-Dependent Chemotaxis or Fugetaxis of T-ALL Blasts through S1P1 Activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messias, Carolina V.; Santana-Van-Vliet, Eliane; Lemos, Julia P.; Moreira, Otacilio C.; Cotta-de-Almeida, Vinicius; Savino, Wilson; Mendes-da-Cruz, Daniella Arêas

    2016-01-01

    Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid involved in several physiological processes including cell migration and differentiation. S1P signaling is mediated through five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-S1P5). S1P1 is crucial to the exit of T-lymphocytes from the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs through a gradient of S1P. We have previously observed that T-ALL and T-LBL blasts express S1P1. Herein we analyzed the role of S1P receptors in the migratory pattern of human T-cell neoplastic blasts. S1P-triggered cell migration was directly related to S1P1 expression. T-ALL blasts expressing low levels of S1P1 mRNA (HPB-ALL) did not migrate toward S1P, whereas those expressing higher levels of S1P1 (MOLT-4, JURKAT and CEM) did migrate. The S1P ligand induced T-ALL cells chemotaxis in concentrations up to 500 nM and induced fugetaxis in higher concentrations (1000–10000 nM) through interactions with S1P1. When S1P1 was specifically blocked by the W146 compound, S1P-induced migration at lower concentrations was reduced, whereas higher concentrations induced cell migration. Furthermore, we observed that S1P/S1P1 interactions induced ERK and AKT phosphorylation, and modulation of Rac1 activity. Responding T-ALL blasts also expressed S1P3 mRNA but blockage of this receptor did not modify migratory responses. Our results indicate that S1P is involved in the migration of T-ALL/LBL blasts, which is dependent on S1P1 expression. Moreover, S1P concentrations in the given microenvironment might induce dose-dependent chemotaxis or fugetaxis of T-ALL blasts. PMID:26824863

  20. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Induces Dose-Dependent Chemotaxis or Fugetaxis of T-ALL Blasts through S1P1 Activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina V Messias

    Full Text Available Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P is a bioactive sphingolipid involved in several physiological processes including cell migration and differentiation. S1P signaling is mediated through five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-S1P5. S1P1 is crucial to the exit of T-lymphocytes from the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs through a gradient of S1P. We have previously observed that T-ALL and T-LBL blasts express S1P1. Herein we analyzed the role of S1P receptors in the migratory pattern of human T-cell neoplastic blasts. S1P-triggered cell migration was directly related to S1P1 expression. T-ALL blasts expressing low levels of S1P1 mRNA (HPB-ALL did not migrate toward S1P, whereas those expressing higher levels of S1P1 (MOLT-4, JURKAT and CEM did migrate. The S1P ligand induced T-ALL cells chemotaxis in concentrations up to 500 nM and induced fugetaxis in higher concentrations (1000-10000 nM through interactions with S1P1. When S1P1 was specifically blocked by the W146 compound, S1P-induced migration at lower concentrations was reduced, whereas higher concentrations induced cell migration. Furthermore, we observed that S1P/S1P1 interactions induced ERK and AKT phosphorylation, and modulation of Rac1 activity. Responding T-ALL blasts also expressed S1P3 mRNA but blockage of this receptor did not modify migratory responses. Our results indicate that S1P is involved in the migration of T-ALL/LBL blasts, which is dependent on S1P1 expression. Moreover, S1P concentrations in the given microenvironment might induce dose-dependent chemotaxis or fugetaxis of T-ALL blasts.

  1. Pseudotumor of the pituitary due to PROP-1 deletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teinturier, C; Vallette, S; Adamsbaum, C; Bendaoud, M; Brue, T; Bougnères, P F

    2002-01-01

    Hypopituitarism associated with pituitary mass in childhood is most frequently the consequence of craniopharyngioma or Rathke's cleft cyst. We report a patient with an intrasellar pseudotumor associated with hypopituitarism, which led us to a misdiagnosis of intrasellar craniopharyngioma. After spontaneous involution of the mass, diagnosis was revised. DNA analysis showed a deletion in the Prophet of Pit-1 (PROP-1) gene, a pituitary transcription factor. It is important to recognize that a PROP-1 deletion can cause pituitary pseudotumor that can be mistaken for a craniopharyngioma or Rathke's pouch cyst.

  2. The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors MS-275 and SAHA Suppress the p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway and Chemotaxis in Rheumatoid Arthritic Synovial Fibroblastic E11 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Shu Lin

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available MS-275 (entinostat and SAHA (vorinostat, two histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitors currently in oncological trials, have displayed potent anti-rheumatic activities in rodent models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA. To further elucidate their anti-inflammatory mechanisms, the impact of MS-275 and SAHA on the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK signaling pathway and chemotaxis was assessed in human rheumatoid arthritic synovial fibroblastic E11 cells. MS-275 and SAHA significantly suppressed the expression of p38α  MAPK, but induced the expression of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1, an endogenous suppressor of p38α  in E11 cells. At the same time, the association between p38α and MKP-1 was up-regulated and consequently, the activation (phosphorylation of p38α  was inhibited. Moreover, MS-275 and SAHA suppressed granulocyte chemotactic protein-2 (GCP-2, monocyte chemotactic protein-2 (MCP-2 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF in E11 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Subsequently, E11-driven migration of THP-1 and U937 monocytes was inhibited. In summary, suppression of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and chemotaxis appear to be important anti-rheumatic mechanisms of action of these HDAC inhibitors.

  3. Concurrent deletion of 16q23 and PTEN is an independent prognostic feature in prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluth, Martina; Runte, Frederic; Barow, Philipp; Omari, Jazan; Abdelaziz, Zaid M; Paustian, Lisa; Steurer, Stefan; Christina Tsourlakis, Maria; Fisch, Margit; Graefen, Markus; Tennstedt, Pierre; Huland, Hartwig; Michl, Uwe; Minner, Sarah; Sauter, Guido; Simon, Ronald; Adam, Meike; Schlomm, Thorsten

    2015-11-15

    The deletion of 16q23-q24 belongs to the most frequent chromosomal changes in prostate cancer, but the clinical consequences of this alteration have not been studied in detail. We performed fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis using a 16q23 probe in more than 7,400 prostate cancers with clinical follow-up data assembled in a tissue microarray format. Chromosome 16q deletion was found in 21% of cancers, and was linked to advanced tumor stage, high Gleason grade, accelerated cell proliferation, the presence of lymph node metastases (p Deletion was more frequent in ERG fusion-positive (27%) as compared to ERG fusion-negative cancers (16%, p deletions including phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) (p deletion of 16q was linked to early biochemical recurrence independently from the ERG status (p deletion of 16q alone. Multivariate modeling revealed that the prognostic value of 16q/PTEN deletion patterns was independent from the established prognostic factors. In summary, the results of our study demonstrate that the deletion of 16q and PTEN cooperatively drives prostate cancer progression, and suggests that deletion analysis of 16q and PTEN could be of important clinical value particularly for preoperative risk assessment of the clinically most challenging group of low- and intermediated grade prostate cancers. © 2015 UICC.

  4. PCR detection of retinoblastoma gene deletions in radiation-induced mouse lung adenocarcinomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Churchill, M.E.; Gemmell, M.A.; Woloschak, G.E.

    1993-01-01

    From 1971 to 1986, Argonne National Laboratory conducted a series of large-scale studies of tumor incidence in 40,000 BCF 1 mice irradiated with 60 Co γ rays or JANUS fission-spectrum neutrons; normal and tumor tissues from mice in these studies were preserved in paraffin blocks. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has been developed to detect deletions in the mouse retinoblastoma (mRb) gene in the paraffin-embedded tissues. Microtomed sections were used as the DNA source in PCR reaction mixtures. Six mRb gene exon fragments were amplified in a 40-cycle, 3-temperature PCR protocol. The absence of any of these fragments (relative to control PCR products) on a Southern blot indicated a deletion of that portion of the mRb gene. The tumors chosen for analysis were lung adenocarcinomas that were judged to be the cause of death in post-mortem analyses. Spontaneous tumors as well as those from irradiated mice (569 cGy of 60 Co γ rays or 60 cGy of JANUS neutrons, doses that have been found to have approximately equal biological effectiveness in the BCF, mouse) were analyzed for mRb deletions. In all normal mouse tissues studies, all six mRb exon fragments were present on Southem blots. Tumors in six neutron-irradiated mice also had no mRb deletions. However, I of 6 tumors from γ-irradiated mice and 6 of 18 spontaneous tumors from unirradiated mice had a deletion in one or both mRb alleles. All deletions detected were in the 5' region of the mRb gene

  5. Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a female with compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeshita, Eri; Minami, Narihiro; Minami, Kumiko; Suzuki, Mikiya; Awashima, Takeya; Ishiyama, Akihiko; Komaki, Hirofumi; Nishino, Ichizo; Sasaki, Masayuki

    2017-06-01

    Females with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) mutations rarely exhibit clinical symptoms from childhood, although potential mechanisms for symptoms associated with DMD and BMD in females have been reported. We report the case of a female DMD patient with a clinical course indistinguishable from that of a male DMD patient, and who possessed compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions in the dystrophin gene. She exhibited Gowers' sign, calf muscle hypertrophy, and a high serum creatine kinase level at 2 years. Her muscle pathology showed most of the fibers were negative for dystrophin immunohistochemical staining. She lost ambulation at 11 years. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of this gene detected one copy of exons 48-53; she was found to be a BMD carrier with an in-frame deletion. Messenger RNA from her muscle demonstrated out-of-frame deletions of exons 48-50 and 51-53 occurring on separate alleles. Genomic DNA from her lymphocytes demonstrated the accurate deletion region on each allele. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a female patient possessing compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions in the dystrophin gene, leading to DMD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Novel 31.2 kb α0 Deletion in a Palestinian Family with α-Thalassemia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brieghel, Christian; Birgens, Henrik; Frederiksen, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    A previously unknown α(0) deletion, designated - -(DANE), was found in three generations of a Danish family of Palestinian origin. Six patients were heterozygous and three patients had deletional Hb H (β4) disease with a compound heterozygosity for the common -α(3.7) (rightward) deletion. Multipl...

  7. 78 FR 37525 - Procurement List; Deletions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-21

    .... Contracting Activity: Dept of the Air Force, FA7014 AFDW A7KI, Andrews AFB, MD. Service Type/Location: Laundry... Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action deletes products and services from the Procurement List that were... products and services listed below are no longer suitable for procurement by the Federal Government under...

  8. Union-Find with Constant Time Deletions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrup, Stephen; Thorup, Mikkel; Gørtz, Inge Li

    2014-01-01

    operations performed, and α_M/N_(n) is a functional inverse of Ackermann’s function. They left open the question whether delete operations can be implemented more efficiently than find operations, for example, in o(log n) worst-case time. We resolve this open problem by presenting a relatively simple...

  9. Correlation between chromosome 9p21 locus deletion and prognosis in clinically localized prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barros, Érika Aparecida Felix de; Pontes-Junior, José; Reis, Sabrina Thalita; Lima, Amanda Eunice Ramos; Souza, Isida C; Salgueiro, Jose Lucas; Fontes, Douglas; Dellê, Humberto; Coelho, Rafael Ferreira; Viana, Nayara Izabel; Leite, Kátia Ramos Moreira; Nahas, William C; Srougi, Miguel

    2017-05-04

    Some studies have reported that deletions at chromosome arm 9p occur frequently and represent a critical step in carcinogenesis of some neoplasms. Our aim was to evaluate the deletion of locus 9p21 and chromosomes 3, 7 and 17 in localized prostate cancer (PC) and correlate these alterations with prognostic factors and biochemical recurrence after surgery. We retrospectively evaluated surgical specimens from 111 patients with localized PC who underwent radical prostatectomy. Biochemical recurrence was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >0.2 ng/mL and the mean postoperative follow-up was 123 months. The deletions were evaluated using fluorescence in situ hybridization with centromeric and locus-specific probes in a tissue microarray containing 2 samples from each patient. We correlated the occurrence of any deletion with pathological stage, Gleason score, ISUP grade group, PSA and biochemical recurrence. We observed a loss of any probe in only 8 patients (7.2%). The most common deletion was the loss of locus 9p21, which occurred in 6.4% of cases. Deletions of chromosomes 3, 7 and 17 were observed in 2.3%, 1.2% and 1.8% patients, respectively. There was no correlation between chromosome loss and Gleason score, ISUP, PSA or stage. Biochemical recurrence occurred in 83% cases involving 9p21 deletions. Loss of 9p21 locus was significantly associated with time to recurrence (p = 0.038). We found low rates of deletion in chromosomes 3, 7 and 17 and 9p21 locus. We observed that 9p21 locus deletion was associated with worse prognosis in localized PC treated by radical prostatectomy.

  10. Analysis of spontaneous deletions and gene amplification in the lac region of Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albertini, A.M.; Hofer, M.; Calos, M.P.; Tlsty, T.D.; Miller, J.H.

    1983-01-01

    Spontaneous rearrangements, such as large deletions and duplications, have important implications for the structure of the genome. It is therefore of great interest to analyze these events at the molecular level. We have constructed derivatives of a lacI-Z fusion strain, which allow us to study deletions in a more systematic manner than was previously possible. These derivatives have been used to investigate how frequently larger deletions (> 700 bp) occur between short homologies on both recA and recA - strains and to determine the effect of the lengths of the short homologies and of the distance between homologies on the frequency of deletion formation. 38 references, 11 figures

  11. Mapping the end points of large deletions affecting the hprt locus in human peripheral blood cells and cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, S.L.; Grosovsky, A.J.; Jones, I.M.; Burkhart-Schultz, K.; Fuscoe, J.C.

    1995-01-01

    We have examined the extent of of HPRT - total gene deletions in three mutant collections: spontaneous and X-ray-induced deletions in TK6 human B lymphoblasts, and HPRT - deletions arising in vivo in T cells. A set of 13 Xq26 STS markers surrounding hprt and spanning approximately 3.3 Mb was used. Each marker used was observed to be missing in at least one of the hprt deletion mutants analyzed. The largest deletion observed encompassed at least 3 Mb. Nine deletions extended outside of the mapped region in the centromeric direction (>1.7 Mb). In contrast, only two telomeric deletions extended to marker 342R (1.26 Mb), and both exhibited slowed or limited cell growth. These data suggest the existence of a gene, within the vicinity of 342R, which establishes the telomeric limit of recoverable deletions. Most (25/41) X-ray-induced total gene deletion mutants exhibited marker loss, but only 1/8 of the spontaneous deletions encompassed any Xq26 markers (P = 0.0187). Furthermore, nearly half (3/8) of the spontaneous 3' total deletion breakpoints were within 14 kb of the hprt coding sequence. In contrast, 40/41 X-ray-induced HPRT - total deletions extended beyond this point (P = 0.011). Although the overall representation of total gene deletions in the in vivo spectrum is low, 4/5 encompass Xq26 markers flanking hprt. This pattern differs significantly from spontaneous HPRT - large deletions occurring in vitro (P = 0.032) but resembles the spectrum of X-ray-induced deletions. 24 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  12. ErasuCrypto: A Light-weight Secure Data Deletion Scheme for Solid State Drives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Securely deleting invalid data from secondary storage is critical to protect users’ data privacy against unauthorized accesses. However, secure deletion is very costly for solid state drives (SSDs, which unlike hard disks do not support in-place update. When applied to SSDs, both erasure-based and cryptography-based secure deletion methods inevitably incur large amount of valid data migrations and/or block erasures, which not only introduce extra latency and energy consumption, but also harm SSD lifetime.

  13. Refinement of the deletion in 8q22.2-q22.3: the minimum deletion size at 8q22.3 related to intellectual disability and epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroda, Yukiko; Ohashi, Ikuko; Saito, Toshiyuki; Nagai, Jun-ichi; Ida, Kazumi; Naruto, Takuya; Iai, Mizue; Kurosawa, Kenji

    2014-08-01

    Kuechler et al. [2011] reported five patients with interstitial deletions in 8q22.2-q22.3 who had intellectual disability, epilepsy, and dysmorphic features. We report on a new patient with the smallest overlapping de novo deletion in 8q22.3 and refined the phenotype. The proposita was an 8-year-old girl, who developed seizures at 10 months, and her epileptic seizure became severe and difficult to control with antiepileptic drugs. She also exhibited developmental delay and walked alone at 24 months. She was referred to us for evaluation for developmental delay and epilepsy at the age of 8 years. She had intellectual disability (IQ 37 at 7 years) and autistic behavior, and spoke two word sentences at 8 years. She had mild dysmorphic features, including telecanthus and thick vermilion of the lips. Array comparative genomic hybridization detected a 1.36 Mb deletion in 8q22.3 that encompassed RRM2B and NCALD, which encode the small subunit of p53-inducible ribonucleotide reductase and neurocalcin delta in the neuronal calcium sensor family of calcium-binding proteins, respectively. The minimum overlapping region between the present and previously reported patients is considered to be a critical region for the phenotype of the deletion in 8q22.3. We suggest that the deletion in 8q22.3 may represent a clinically recognizable condition, which is characterized by intellectual disability and epilepsy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. A new alpha(0)-thalassemia deletion found in a Dutch family (--(AW)).

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Phylipsen, M.; Vogelaar, I.P.; Schaap, R.A.; Arkesteijn, S.G.; Boxma, G.L.; Helden, W.C. van; Wildschut, I.C.; Bruin-Roest, A.C. de; Giordano, P.C.; Harteveld, C.L.

    2010-01-01

    Alpha-thalassemia is an inherited hemoglobin disorder characterized by a microcytic hypochromic anemia caused by a quantitative reduction of the alpha-globin chain. The majority of the alpha-thalassemias is caused by deletions in the alpha-globin gene cluster. A deletion in the alpha-globin gene

  15. Gr/gr deletions on Y-chromosome correlate with male infertility: an original study, meta-analyses, and trial sequential analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Sandeep Kumar; Jaiswal, Deepika; Gupta, Nishi; Singh, Kiran; Dada, Rima; Sankhwar, Satya Narayan; Gupta, Gopal; Rajender, Singh

    2016-02-01

    We analyzed the AZFc region of the Y-chromosome for complete (b2/b4) and distinct partial deletions (gr/gr, b1/b3, b2/b3) in 822 infertile and 225 proven fertile men. We observed complete AZFc deletions in 0.97% and partial deletions in 6.20% of the cases. Among partial deletions, the frequency of gr/gr deletions was the highest (5.84%). The comparison of partial deletion data between cases and controls suggested a significant association of the gr/gr deletions with infertility (P = 0.0004); however, the other partial deletions did not correlate with infertility. In cohort analysis, men with gr/gr deletions had a relatively poor sperm count (54.20 ± 57.45 million/ml) in comparison to those without deletions (72.49 ± 60.06), though the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.071). Meta-analysis also suggested that gr/gr deletions are significantly associated with male infertility risk (OR = 1.821, 95% CI = 1.39-2.37, p = 0.000). We also performed trial sequential analyses that strengthened the evidence for an overall significant association of gr/gr deletions with the risk of male infertility. Another meta-analysis suggested a significant association of the gr/gr deletions with low sperm count. In conclusion, the gr/gr deletions show a strong correlation with male infertility risk and low sperm count, particularly in the Caucasian populations.

  16. Novel and differential accumulation of mitochondrial DNA deletions in Swedish and vietnamese patients with colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimberg, Jan; Hong, Thai Trinh; Skarstedt, Marita; Löfgren, Sture; Zar, Niklas; Matussek, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been proposed to be involved in carcinogenesis and aging. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion is one of the most frequently observed mtDNA mutations in human tissues and may play a role in colorectal cancer (CRC). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of mtDNA 4977 bp deletion in CRC tissues and its association with clinical factors. We determined the presence of the 4977 bp common deletion in cancer and normal paired tissue samples from 105 Swedish and 88 Vietnamese patients with CRC using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion was shown to be significantly more frequent in normal tissues in comparison with paired cancer tissues in both Swedish and Vietnamese patients. The 4977 bp common deletion was significantly more frequent in cancer tissues of the Vietnamese patients compared to the Swedish patients, and in Vietnamese cancer tissues, the 4977 bp deletion was significantly over represented in those with localized disease compared to those with disseminated disease. Moreover, we detected nine novel mtDNA deletions and found a significantly higher rate of these in CRC tissues in Swedish in comparison to Vietnamese patients. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion seems to have an impact on the clinical outcome of CRC in Vietnamese patients, that the Swedish patients accumulate more of the detected novel deletions in CRC tissue compared to Vietnamese patients probably indicates divergent mechanisms in colorectal carcinogenesis.

  17. Distinct phenotype of PHF6 deletions in females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Donato, N; Isidor, B; Lopez Cazaux, S; Le Caignec, C; Klink, B; Kraus, C; Schrock, E; Hackmann, K

    2014-02-01

    We report on two female patients carrying small overlapping Xq26.2 deletions of 100 kb and 270 kb involving the PHF6 gene. Mutations in PHF6 have been reported in individuals with Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome, a condition present almost exclusively in males. Two very recent papers revealed de novo PHF6 defects in seven female patients with intellectual disability and a phenotype resembling Coffin-Siris syndrome (sparse hair, bitemporal narrowing, arched eyebrows, synophrys, high nasal root, bulbous nasal tip, marked clinodactyly with the hypoplastic terminal phalanges of the fifth fingers and cutaneous syndactyly of the toes, Blaschkoid linear skin hyperpigmentation, dental anomalies and occasional major malformations). The clinical presentation of these patients overlaps completely with our first patient, who carries a germline deletion involving PHF6. The second patient has a mosaic deletion and presented with a very mild phenotype of PHF6 loss in females. Our report confirms that PHF6 loss in females results in a recognizable phenotype overlapping with Coffin-Siris syndrome and distinct from Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome. We expand the clinical spectrum and provide the first summary of the recommended medical evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. 31 CFR 363.144 - May I delete a pending transaction involving a certificate of indebtedness?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May I delete a pending transaction... I delete a pending transaction involving a certificate of indebtedness? (a) You may delete a pending... a pending purchase of a security using a certificate of indebtedness as payment. (c) You may not...

  19. Large Genomic Deletions in CACNA1A Cause Episodic Ataxia Type 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jijun eWan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Episodic ataxia (EA syndromes are heritable diseases characterized by dramatic episodes of imbalance and incoordination. Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2, the most common and the best characterized subtype, is caused by mostly nonsense, splice site, small indel and sometimes missense mutations in CACNA1A. Direct sequencing of CACNA1A fails to identify mutations in some patients with EA2-like features, possibly due to incomplete interrogation of CACNA1A or defects in other EA genes not yet defined. Previous reports described genomic deletions between 4-40kb in EA2. In 47 subjects with EA (26 with EA2-like features who tested negative for mutations in the known EA genes, we used Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA to analyze CACNA1A for exonic copy number variations. Breakpoints were further defined by long-range PCR. We identified distinct multi-exonic deletions in three probands with classic EA2-like features: episodes of prolonged vertigo and ataxia triggered by stress and fatigue, interictal nystagmus, with onset during infancy or early childhood. The breakpoints in all three probands are located in Alu sequences, indicating errors in homologous recombination of Alu sequences as the underlying mechanism. The smallest deletion spanned exons 39 and 40, while the largest deletion spanned 200kb, missing all but the first three exons. One deletion involving exons 39 through 47 arose spontaneously. The search for mutations in CACNA1A appears most fruitful in EA patients with interictal nystagmus and onset early in life. The finding of large heterozygous deletions suggests haploinsufficiency as a possible pathomechanism of EA2.

  20. Kcne2 deletion impairs insulin secretion and causes type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soo Min; Baik, Jasmine; Nguyen, Dara; Nguyen, Victoria; Liu, Shiwei; Hu, Zhaoyang; Abbott, Geoffrey W

    2017-06-01

    Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a rapidly increasing threat to global public health. T2DM arises largely from obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise, but it also involves genetic predisposition. Here we report that the KCNE2 potassium channel transmembrane regulatory subunit is expressed in human and mouse pancreatic β cells. Kcne2 deletion in mice impaired glucose tolerance as early as 5 wk of age in pups fed a Western diet, ultimately causing diabetes. In adult mice fed normal chow, skeletal muscle expression of insulin receptor β and insulin receptor substrate 1 were down-regulated 2-fold by Kcne2 deletion, characteristic of T2DM. Kcne2 deletion also caused extensive pancreatic transcriptome changes consistent with facets of T2DM, including endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and hyperproliferation. Kcne2 deletion impaired β-cell insulin secretion in vitro up to 8-fold and diminished β-cell peak outward K + current at positive membrane potentials, but also left-shifted its voltage dependence and slowed inactivation. Interestingly, we also observed an aging-dependent reduction in β-cell outward currents in both Kcne2 +/+ and Kcne2 - / - mice. Our results demonstrate that KCNE2 is required for normal β-cell electrical activity and insulin secretion, and that Kcne2 deletion causes T2DM. KCNE2 may regulate multiple K + channels in β cells, including the T2DM-linked KCNQ1 potassium channel α subunit.-Lee, S. M., Baik, J., Nguyen, D., Nguyen, V., Liu, S., Hu, Z., Abbott, G. W. Kcne2 deletion impairs insulin secretion and causes type 2 diabetes mellitus. © FASEB.

  1. 75 FR 1355 - Procurement List Additions and Deletions

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    2010-01-11

    .../Location: Janitorial Services, Jamestown Service Center, 8430 Country Club Street, Jamestown, ND. NPA..., the following products and services are deleted from the Procurement List: Products Business Cards NSN...

  2. Role of Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome protein in translation machinery and cell chemotaxis: a comparative genomics approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasieva O

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Olga VasievaInstitute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Fellowship for the Interpretation of Genomes, Burr Ridge, IL, USAAbstract: Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS is linked to a mutation in a single gene. The SBDS proinvolved in RNA metabolism and ribosome-associated functions, but SBDS mutation is primarily linked to a defect in polymorphonuclear leukocytes unable to orient correctly in a spatial gradient of chemoattractants. Results of data mining and comparative genomic approaches undertaken in this study suggest that SBDS protein is also linked to tRNA metabolism and translation initiation. Analysis of crosstalk between translation machinery and cytoskeletal dynamics provides new insights into the cellular chemotactic defects caused by SBDS protein malfunction. The proposed functional interactions provide a new approach to exploit potential targets in the treatment and monitoring of this disease.Keywords: Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome, wybutosine, tRNA, chemotaxis, translation, genomics, gene proximity

  3. Novel features of 3q29 deletion syndrome: Results from the 3q29 registry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glassford, Megan R.; Rosenfeld, Jill A.; Freedman, Alexa A.; Zwick, Michael E.

    2016-01-01

    3q29 deletion syndrome is caused by a recurrent, typically de novo heterozygous 1.6 Mb deletion, but because incidence of the deletion is rare (1 in 30,000 births) the phenotype is not well described. To characterize the range of phenotypic manifestations associated with 3q29 deletion syndrome, we have developed an online registry (3q29deletion.org) for ascertainment of study subjects and phenotypic data collection via Internet‐based survey instruments. We report here on data collected during the first 18 months of registry operation, from 44 patients. This is the largest cohort of 3q29 deletion carriers ever assembled and surveyed in a systematic way. Our data reveal that 28% of registry participants report neuropsychiatric phenotypes, including anxiety disorder, panic attacks, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Other novel findings include a high prevalence (64%) of feeding problems in infancy and reduced weight at birth for 3q29 deletion carriers (average reduction 13.9 oz (394 g), adjusted for gestational age and sex, P = 6.5e‐07). We further report on the frequency of heart defects, autism, recurrent ear infections, gastrointestinal phenotypes, and dental phenotypes, among others. We also report on the expected timing of delayed developmental milestones. This is the most comprehensive description of the 3q29 deletion phenotype to date. These results are clinically actionable toward improving patient care for 3q29 deletion carriers, and can guide the expectations of physicians and parents. These data also demonstrate the value of patient‐reported outcomes to reveal the full phenotypic spectrum of rare genomic disorders. © 2016 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:26738761

  4. [An updated review of 1p36 deletion (monosomy) syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bello, Sabina; Rodríguez-Moreno, Antonio

    The Monosomy 1p36 deletion syndrome is part of the group of diseases known as Rare Diseases. The objective of the present work is to review the characteristics of Monosomy 1p36 deletion syndrome. The monosomy 1p36 deletion syndrome phenotype includes: dysmorphic craniofacial features; large anterior fontanelle, unibrow, deep-set eyes, epicanthus, wide nasal root/bridge, mandible hypoplasia, abnormal location of the pinna, philtrum and pointed chin; neurological alterations: seizures and hydrocephalus (in some cases). Cerebral malformations: ventricular hypertrophy, increased subarachnoid space, morphological alterations of corpus callosum, cortical atrophy, delays in myelinisation, periventricular leukomalacia and periventricular heterotopia. These alterations produce intellectual disability and delays in motor growth, communication skills, language, social and adaptive behaviour. It is Hearing and vision impairments are also observed in subjects with this syndrome, as well as alterations of cardiac, endocrine and urinary systems and alterations at skin and skeletal level. Approximately 100 cases have been documented since 1981. This rare disease is the most common subtelomeric-micro-deletion syndrome. In situ hybridization with fluorescence (FISH) and array-comparative genomic hybridization (CGH-array) are at present the two best diagnostic techniques. There is currently no effective medical treatment for this disease. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  5. A 54 Mb 11qter duplication and 0.9 Mb 1q44 deletion in a child with laryngomalacia and agenesis of corpus callosum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lall Meena

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Partial Trisomy 11q syndrome (or Duplication 11q has defined clinical features and is documented as a rare syndrome by National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD. Deletion 1q44 (or Monosomy 1q44 is a well-defined syndrome, but there is controversy about the genes lying in 1q44 region, responsible for agenesis of the corpus callosum. We report a female child with the rare Partial Trisomy 11q syndrome and Deletion 1q44 syndrome. The genomic imbalance in the proband was used for molecular characterization of the critical genes in 1q44 region for agenesis of corpus callosum. Some genes in 11q14q25 may be responsible for laryngomalacia. Results We report a female child with dysmorphic features, microcephaly, growth retardation, seizures, acyanotic heart disease, and hand and foot deformities. She had agenesis of corpus callosum, laryngomalacia, anterior ectopic anus, esophageal reflux and respiratory distress. Chromosome analysis revealed a derivative chromosome 1. Her karyotype was 46,XX,der(1t(1;11(q44;q14pat. The mother had a normal karyotype and the karyotype of the father was 46,XY,t(1;11(q44;q14. SNP array analysis showed that the proband had a 54 Mb duplication of 11q14q25 and a 0.9 Mb deletion of the submicroscopic subtelomeric 1q44 region. Fluorescence Insitu Hybridisation confirmed the duplication of 11qter and deletion of 1qter. Conclusion Laryngomalacia or obstruction of the upper airway is the outcome of increased dosage of some genes due to Partial Trisomy 11q Syndrome. In association with other phenotypic features, agenesis of corpus callosum appears to be a landmark phenotype for Deletion 1q44 syndrome, the critical genes lying proximal to SMYD3 in 1q44 region.

  6. Product analysis illuminates the final steps of IES deletion in Tetrahymena thermophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saveliev, S V; Cox, M M

    2001-06-15

    DNA sequences (IES elements) eliminated from the developing macronucleus in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila are released as linear fragments, which have now been detected and isolated. A PCR-mediated examination of fragment end structures reveals three types of strand scission events, reflecting three steps in the deletion process. New evidence is provided for two steps proposed previously: an initiating double-stranded cleavage, and strand transfer to create a branched deletion intermediate. The fragment ends provide evidence for a previously uncharacterized third step: the branched DNA strand is cleaved at one of several defined sites located within 15-16 nucleotides of the IES boundary, liberating the deleted DNA in a linear form.

  7. Periventricular heterotopia in a boy with interstitial deletion of chromosome 4p.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gawlik-Kuklinska, Katarzyna; Wierzba, Jolanta; Wozniak, Agnieszka; Iliszko, Mariola; Debiec-Rychter, Maria; Dubaniewicz-Wybieralska, Miroslawa; Limon, Janusz

    2008-01-01

    We report on a 4-year-old boy with a proximal interstitial deletion in the short arm of chromosome 4p with the karyotype 46,XY,del(4)(p14p15.32),inv(9)(p13q13). For a precise delineation of the deleted region, an array-based comparative genomic hybridization (a-CGH) analysis was performed. The proband's phenotype and cytogenetic findings are compared with previously reported cases with proximal 4p deletion syndrome. The syndrome is associated with normal growth, varying degrees of mental retardation, characteristic facial appearance and minor dysmorphic features. Additionally, our patient developed a seizure disorder due to abnormal neuronal migration, i.e., periventricular heterotopia.

  8. A novel large deletion of the ICR1 region including H19 and putative enhancer elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fryssira, Helen; Amenta, Stella; Kanber, Deniz; Sofocleous, Christalena; Lykopoulou, Evangelia; Kanaka-Gantenbein, Christina; Cerrato, Flavia; Lüdecke, Hermann-Josef; Bens, Susanne; Riccio, Andrea; Buiting, Karin

    2015-05-06

    Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a rare pediatric overgrowth disorder with a variable clinical phenotype caused by deregulation affecting imprinted genes in the chromosomal region 11p15. Alterations of the imprinting control region 1 (ICR1) at the IGF2/H19 locus resulting in biallelic expression of IGF2 and biallelic silencing of H19 account for approximately 10% of patients with BWS. The majority of these patients have epimutations of the ICR1 without detectable DNA sequence changes. Only a few patients were found to have deletions. Most of these deletions are small affecting different parts of the ICR1 differentially methylated region (ICR1-DMR) removing target sequences for CTCF. Only a very few deletions reported so far include the H19 gene in addition to the CTCF binding sites. None of these deletions include IGF2. A male patient was born with hypotonia, facial dysmorphisms and hypoglycemia suggestive of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Using methylation-specific (MS)-MLPA (Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification) we have identified a maternally inherited large deletion of the ICR1 region in a patient and his mother. The deletion results in a variable clinical expression with a classical BWS in the mother and a more severe presentation of BWS in her son. By genome-wide SNP array analysis the deletion was found to span ~100 kb genomic DNA including the ICR1DMR, H19, two adjacent non-imprinted genes and two of three predicted enhancer elements downstream to H19. Methylation analysis by deep bisulfite next generation sequencing revealed hypermethylation of the maternal allele at the IGF2 locus in both, mother and child, although IGF2 is not affected by the deletion. We here report on a novel large familial deletion of the ICR1 region in a BWS family. Due to the deletion of the ICR1-DMR CTCF binding cannot take place and the residual enhancer elements have access to the IGF2 promoters. The aberrant methylation (hypermethylation) of the maternal IGF2

  9. Screening of Dystrophin Gene Deletions in Egyptian Patients with DMD/BMD Muscular Dystrophies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laila K. Effat

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD are allelic disorders caused by mutations within the dystrophin gene. Our study has identified 100 Egyptian families collected from the Human Genetics Clinic, National Research Center, Cairo. All cases were subjected to complete clinical evaluation pedigree analysis, electromyography studies, estimation of serum creatine phosphokinase enzyme (CPK levels and DNA analysis. Multiplex PCR using 18 pairs of specific primers were used for screening of deletion mutations within the dystrophin gene. A frequency of 55% among the families. Sixty per cent of detected deletions involved multiple exons spanning the major or the minor hot spot of the dystrophin gene. The remainder 40% which mainly involved exon 45. Comparing these findings with frequencies of other countries it was found that our figures fall within the reported range of 40%– for deletions. The distribution of deletions in our study and other different studies was variable and specific ethnic differences do not apparently account for specific deletions. In addition this study concluded that employment of the 18 exon analysis is a cost effective and a highly accurate (97% to launch a nationwide program.

  10. Analysis of 22q11.2 deletions by FISH in a series of velocardiofacial syndrome patients

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    Ravnan, J.B.; Golabi, M.; Lebo, R.V. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States)

    1994-09-01

    Deletions in chromosome 22 band q11.2 have been associated with velocardiofacial (VCF or Shprintzen) syndrome and the DiGeorge anomaly. A study of VCF patients evaluated at the UCSF Medical Center was undertaken to correlate disease phenotype with presence or absence of a deletion. Patients referred for this study had at least two of the following: dysmorphic facial features, frequent ear infections or hearing loss, palate abnormalities, thymic hypoplasia, hypocalcemia, congenital heart defect, hypotonia, and growth or language delay. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the DiGeorge critical region probe N25 was used to classify patients according to the presence or absence of a deletion in 22q11.2, and the results were compared to clinical characteristics. We have completed studies on 58 patients with features of VCF. Twenty-one patients (36%) were found to have a deletion in 22q11.2 by FISH. A retrospective study of archived slides from 14 patients originally studied only by prometaphase GTG banding found six patients had a deletion detected by FISH; of these, only two had a microscopically visible chromosome deletion. Our study of 11 sets of parents of children with the deletion found two clinically affected mothers with the deletion, including one with three of three children clinically affected. A few patients who did not fit the classical VCF description had a 22q11.2 deletion detected by FISH. These included one patient with both cleft lip and palate, and another with developmental delay and typical facial features but no cardiac or palate abnormalities. Both patients with the DiGeorge anomaly as part of VCF had the deletion. On the other hand, a number of patients diagnosed clinically with classical VCF did not have a detectable deletion. This raises the question whether they represent a subset of patients with a defect of 22q11.2 not detected by the N25 probe, or whether they represent a phenocopy of VCF.

  11. Antisense PMO found in dystrophic dog model was effective in cells from exon 7-deleted DMD patient.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Saito

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Antisense oligonucleotide-induced exon skipping is a promising approach for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD. We have systemically administered an antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO targeting dystrophin exons 6 and 8 to a dog with canine X-linked muscular dystrophy in Japan (CXMD(J lacking exon 7 and achieved recovery of dystrophin in skeletal muscle. To date, however, antisense chemical compounds used in DMD animal models have not been directly applied to a DMD patient having the same type of exon deletion. We recently identified a DMD patient with an exon 7 deletion and tried direct translation of the antisense PMO used in dog models to the DMD patient's cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We converted fibroblasts of CXMD(J and the DMD patient to myotubes by FACS-aided MyoD transduction. Antisense PMOs targeting identical regions of dog and human dystrophin exons 6 and 8 were designed. These antisense PMOs were mixed and administered as a cocktail to either dog or human cells in vitro. In the CXMD(J and human DMD cells, we observed a similar efficacy of skipping of exons 6 and 8 and a similar extent of dystrophin protein recovery. The accompanying skipping of exon 9, which did not alter the reading frame, was different between cells of these two species. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Antisense PMOs, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated in a dog model, achieved multi-exon skipping of dystrophin gene on the FACS-aided MyoD-transduced fibroblasts from an exon 7-deleted DMD patient, suggesting the feasibility of systemic multi-exon skipping in humans.

  12. A Case With Short Stature, Growth Hormone Deficiency and 46, XX, Xq27-qter Deletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yıldırım, Şule; Topaloğlu, Naci; Tekin, Mustafa; Sılan, Fatma

    2017-10-01

    We report a case of 11-year-old girl with growth retardation and 46, XX, Xq27-qter deletion. The endocrinologic evaluation revealed growth hormone deficiency. In karyotype analysis  46, XX, Xq27-qter deletion was determined. The deletion of terminal region of chromosome 27 is most commonly being detected during the evaluation of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency or in screening for fragile X carrier status. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case with 46, XX, Xq27-qter deletion and growth hormone deficiency. Furthermore, this case might facilitate future search for candidate genes involved in growth hormone deficiency.

  13. Risk of Psychiatric Disorders Among Individuals With the 22q11.2 Deletion or Duplication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoeffding, Louise K; Trabjerg, Betina B; Olsen, Line

    2017-01-01

    ) age at diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder was 12.5 (8.3) years for individuals with deletions and 6.1 (0.9) years for duplication carriers. A parental diagnosis of schizophrenia-but not of other psychiatric diagnoses-was associated with a 22q11.2 deletion, and parental psychiatric diagnoses other.......2 deletion or duplicationwas performed. A total of 3 768 943 individuals born in Denmark from 1955 to 2012 were followed up during the study period (total follow-up, 57.1 million person-years). Indicators of 22q11.2 deletion or duplication and cumulative incidenceswere estimated using a nested case...

  14. Heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion attenuates oxidative stress in neurons exposed to extracellular hemin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benvenisti-Zarom Luna

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hemin, the oxidized form of heme, accumulates in intracranial hematomas and is a potent oxidant. Growing evidence suggests that it contributes to delayed injury to surrounding tissue, and that this process is affected by the heme oxygenase enzymes. In a prior study, heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion increased the vulnerability of cultured cortical astrocytes to hemin. The present study tested the effect of HO-2 gene deletion on protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species formation, and cell viability after mixed cortical neuron/astrocyte cultures were incubated with neurotoxic concentrations of hemin. Results Continuous exposure of wild-type cultures to 1–10 μM hemin for 14 h produced concentration-dependent neuronal death, as detected by both LDH release and fluorescence intensity after propidium iodide staining, with an EC50 of 1–2 μM; astrocytes were not injured by these low hemin concentrations. Cell death was consistently reduced by at least 60% in knockout cultures. Exposure to hemin for 4 hours, a time point that preceded cell lysis, increased protein oxidation in wild-type cultures, as detected by staining of immunoblots for protein carbonyl groups. At 10 μM hemin, carbonylation was increased 2.3-fold compared with control sister cultures subjected to medium exchanges only; this effect was reduced by about two-thirds in knockout cultures. Cellular reactive oxygen species, detected by fluorescence intensity after dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR staining, was markedly increased by hemin in wild-type cultures and was localized to neuronal cell bodies and processes. In contrast, DHR fluorescence intensity in knockout cultures did not differ from that of sham-washed controls. Neuronal death in wild-type cultures was almost completely prevented by the lipid-soluble iron chelator phenanthroline; deferoxamine had a weaker but significant effect. Conclusions These results suggest that HO-2 gene deletion protects neurons in mixed

  15. Exonal deletion of SLC24A4 causes hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seymen, F; Lee, K-E; Tran Le, C G; Yildirim, M; Gencay, K; Lee, Z H; Kim, J-W

    2014-04-01

    Amelogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous group of genetic conditions affecting enamel formation. Recently, mutations in solute carrier family 24 member 4 (SLC24A4) have been identified to cause autosomal recessive hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta. We recruited a consanguineous family with hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta with generalized brown discoloration. Sequencing of the candidate genes identified a 10-kb deletion, including exons 15, 16, and most of the last exon of the SLC24A4 gene. Interestingly, this deletion was caused by homologous recombination between two 354-bp-long homologous sequences located in intron 14 and the 3' UTR. This is the first report of exonal deletion in SLC24A4 providing confirmatory evidence that the function of SLC24A4 in calcium transport has a crucial role in the maturation stage of amelogenesis.

  16. What Can We Learn From Point-of-Care Blood Glucose Values Deleted and Repeated by Nurses?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corl, Dawn; Yin, Tom; Ulibarri, May; Lien, Heather; Tylee, Tracy; Chao, Jing; Wisse, Brent E

    2018-03-01

    Hospitals rely on point-of-care (POC) blood glucose (BG) values to guide important decisions related to insulin administration and glycemic control. Evaluation of POC BG in hospitalized patients is associated with measurement and operator errors. Based on a previous quality improvement (QI) project we introduced an option for operators to delete and repeat POC BG values suspected as erroneous. The current project evaluated our experience with deleted POC BG values over a 2-year period. A retrospective QI project included all patients hospitalized at two regional academic medical centers in the Pacific Northwest during 2014 and 2015. Laboratory Medicine POC BG data were reviewed to evaluate all inpatient episodes of deleted and repeated POC BG. Inpatient operators choose to delete and repeat only 0.8% of all POC BG tests. Hypoglycemic and extreme hyperglycemic BG values are more likely to be deleted and repeated. Of initial values values (18% of all values) are errors. Of values >400 mg/dL, 40% of deleted values (5% of all values) are errors. Not all repeated POC BG values are first deleted. Optimal use of the option to delete and repeat POC BG values values that are measurement/operator errors. Eliminating these errors significantly reduces documented rates of severe hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and has the potential to improve patient safety.

  17. Clinical comparison of overlapping deletions of 19p13.3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risheg, Hiba; Pasion, Romela; Sacharow, Stephanie; Proud, Virginia; Immken, LaDonna; Schwartz, Stuart; Tepperberg, Jim H; Papenhausen, Peter; Tan, Tiong Y; Andrieux, Joris; Plessis, Ghislaine; Amor, David J; Keitges, Elisabeth A

    2013-05-01

    We present three patients with overlapping interstitial deletions of 19p13.3 identified by high resolution SNP microarray analysis. All three had a similar phenotype characterized by intellectual disability or developmental delay, structural heart abnormalities, large head relative to height and weight or macrocephaly, and minor facial anomalies. Deletion sizes ranged from 792 Kb to 1.0 Mb and included a common region arr [hg19] 19p13.3 (3,814,392-4,136,989), containing eight genes: ZFR2, ATCAY, NMRK2, DAPK3, EEF2, PIAS4, ZBTB7A, MAP2K2, and two non-coding RNA's MIR637 and SNORDU37. The patient phenotypes were compared with three previous single patient reports with similar interstitial 19p13.3 deletions and six additional patients from the DECIPHER and ISCA databases to determine if a common haploinsufficient phenotype for the region can be established. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Sequence analysis of 17 NRXN1 deletions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoeffding, Louise Kristine Enggaard; Hansen, Thomas; Ingason, Andrés

    2014-01-01

    into the molecular mechanisms governing such genomic rearrangements may increase our understanding of disease pathology and evolutionary processes. Here we analyse 17 carriers of non-recurrent deletions in the NRXN1 gene, which have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, autism...

  19. A novel 3q29 deletion associated with autism, intellectual disability, psychiatric disorders, and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biamino, Elisa; Di Gregorio, Eleonora; Belligni, Elga Fabia; Keller, Roberto; Riberi, Evelise; Gandione, Marina; Calcia, Alessandro; Mancini, Cecilia; Giorgio, Elisa; Cavalieri, Simona; Pappi, Patrizia; Talarico, Flavia; Fea, Antonio M; De Rubeis, Silvia; Cirillo Silengo, Margherita; Ferrero, Giovanni Battista; Brusco, Alfredo

    2016-03-01

    Copy number variation (CNV) has been associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including intellectual disability/developmental delay (ID/DD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). Often, individuals carrying the same pathogenic CNV display high clinical variability. By array-CGH analysis, we identified a novel familial 3q29 deletion (1.36 Mb), centromeric to the 3q29 deletion region, which manifests with variable expressivity. The deletion was identified in a 3-year-old girl diagnosed with ID/DD and autism and segregated in six family members, all affected by severe psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, major depression, anxiety disorder, and personality disorder. All individuals carrying the deletion were overweight or obese, and anomalies compatible with optic atrophy were observed in three out of four cases examined. Amongst the 10 genes encompassed by the deletion, the haploinsufficiency of Optic Atrophy 1 (OPA1), associated with autosomal dominant optic atrophy, is likely responsible for the ophthalmological anomalies. We hypothesize that the haploinsufficiency of ATPase type 13A4 (ATP13A4) and/or Hairy/Enhancer of Split Drosophila homolog 1 (HES1) contribute to the neuropsychiatric phenotype, while HES1 deletion might underlie the overweight/obesity. In conclusion, we propose a novel contiguous gene syndrome due to a proximal 3q29 deletion variably associated with autism, ID/DD, psychiatric traits and overweight/obesity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Deletions and de novo mutations of SOX11 are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder with features of Coffin–Siris syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hempel, Annmarie; Pagnamenta, Alistair T; Blyth, Moira; Mansour, Sahar; McConnell, Vivienne; Kou, Ikuyo; Ikegawa, Shiro; Tsurusaki, Yoshinori; Matsumoto, Naomichi; Lo-Castro, Adriana; Plessis, Ghislaine; Albrecht, Beate; Battaglia, Agatino; Taylor, Jenny C; Howard, Malcolm F; Keays, David; Sohal, Aman Singh; Kühl, Susanne J; Kini, Usha; McNeill, Alisdair

    2016-01-01

    Background SOX11 is a transcription factor proposed to play a role in brain development. The relevance of SOX11 to human developmental disorders was suggested by a recent report of SOX11 mutations in two patients with Coffin–Siris syndrome. Here we further investigate the role of SOX11 variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods We used array based comparative genomic hybridisation and trio exome sequencing to identify children with intellectual disability who have deletions or de novo point mutations disrupting SOX11. The pathogenicity of the SOX11 mutations was assessed using an in vitro gene expression reporter system. Loss-of-function experiments were performed in xenopus by knockdown of Sox11 expression. Results We identified seven individuals with chromosome 2p25 deletions involving SOX11. Trio exome sequencing identified three de novo SOX11 variants, two missense (p.K50N; p.P120H) and one nonsense (p.C29*). The biological consequences of the missense mutations were assessed using an in vitro gene expression system. These individuals had microcephaly, developmental delay and shared dysmorphic features compatible with mild Coffin–Siris syndrome. To further investigate the function of SOX11, we knocked down the orthologous gene in xenopus. Morphants had significant reduction in head size compared with controls. This suggests that SOX11 loss of function can be associated with microcephaly. Conclusions We thus propose that SOX11 deletion or mutation can present with a Coffin–Siris phenotype. PMID:26543203

  1. Effect of gamma rays at the dihydrofolate reductase locus: deletions and inversions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urlaub, G.; Mitchell, P.J.; Kas, E.; Chasin, L.A.; Funanage, V.L.; Myoda, T.T.; Hamlin, J.

    1986-01-01

    A series 11 gamma-ray-induced mutants at the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells has been examined for the types of DNA sequence change brought about by this form of ionizing radiation. All 11 mutants were found to have suffered major structural changes affecting the dhfr gene. In eight of the mutants, all or part of the dhfr gene has been deleted. The extent of these deletions was examined in seven of these mutants and, for comparison, in two deletion mutants that were induced by UV irradiation. For this purpose, probes from an overlapping set of cosmids that span 210 kb of DNA in this region were used. Three of seven gamma-ray-induced mutants and one UV-induced mutant were shown to have deleted the entire 210-kb region. In the remaining mutants, endpoints ranging from within the dhfr gene to 100 kb downstream were observed. No upstream endpoints were detected, so that an upper limit on the size of these large deletions could not be assigned. Three of the 11 gamma-ray-induced mutants contained an interruption in the dhfr gene without any detectable loss of sequence. Restriction analysis of these interrupted mutants showed that at least 8-14 kb of foreign DNA sequence became joined to the gene at the point of disruption. Cytogenetic analysis of these mutants showed that in two cases an inversion of the banding pattern on chromosome Z-2 had taken place. The inverted dhfr mutants contain very low amounts of dhfr RNA sequences, and the 5' end of an inversion mutant gene exhibits the same pattern of DNA methylation and DNase I-hypersensitivity as the wild-type gene. Our results suggest that ionizing radiation causes primarily, if not exclusively, large deletions and inversions in mammalian cells

  2. Retention or deletion of personality disorder diagnoses for DSM-5: an expert consensus approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullins-Sweatt, Stephanie N; Bernstein, David P; Widiger, Thomas A

    2012-10-01

    One of the official proposals for the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) diagnostic manual (DSM-5) is to delete half of the existing personality disorders (i.e., dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, paranoid, and schizoid). Within the APA guidelines for DSM-5 decisions, it is stated that there should be expert consensus agreement for the deletion of a diagnostic category. Additionally, categories to be deleted should have low clinical utility and/or minimal evidence for validity. The current study surveyed members of two personality disorder associations (n = 146) with respect to the utility, validity, and status of each DSM-IV-TR personality disorder diagnosis. Findings indicated that the proposal to delete five of the personality disorders lacks consensus support within the personality disorder community.

  3. MAOA/B deletion syndrome in male siblings with severe developmental delay and sudden loss of muscle tonus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Mari; Yamagata, Takanori; Matsumoto, Ayumi; Shiba, Yusuke; Nagashima, Masako; Taniguchi, Shuhei; Jimbo, Eriko; Momoi, Mariko Y

    2014-01-01

    Deletion of the monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A and MAO-B was detected in two male siblings and in their mother. The approximately 800-kb deletion, extending from about 43.0MB to 43.8MB, was detected by array comparative genomic hybridization analysis. The MAOA and MAOB genes were included in the deletion, but the adjacent Norrie disease gene, NDP, was not deleted. The boys had short stature, hypotonia, severe developmental delays, episodes of sudden loss of muscle tone, exiting behavior, lip-smacking and autistic features. The serotonin levels in their cerebrospinal fluid were extremely elevated. Another set of siblings with this deletion was reported previously. We propose recognition of MAOA/B deletion syndrome as a distinct disorder. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. DELETION AND 5'CPG ISLAND METHYLATION OF p15 GENE IN BRAIN GLIOMA

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the abnormality of p15 gene in brain glioma and the correlation of it with occurrence or malignant progression of brain glioma. Methods: Deletion and 5'CPG island methylation of p15 gene were detected by the methods of PCR and PCR-based methylation in 56 cases of brain glioma. Results: Out of 43 cases of high grade glioma, 14 cases were found to have homozygous deletion of p15E1, while none of the 13 cases of low grade glioma was found to have deletion of p15E1 (P<0.05). Methylation of 5'CPG Island of p15 gene was found only in four cases of glioma. Conclusion: Abnormality of p15 gene may involved in the occurrence and malignant progression of brain glioma. Homozygous deletion of gene is the major mechanism of inactivation for p15 gene in brain glioma.

  5. The insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin-converting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and essential hypertension (EH) is not well understood. Both conditions result from an interaction of multiple genetic (ethnic) and environmental (geographical) factors. One possible genetic determinant is the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion ...

  6. A case of 18p deletion syndrome after blepharoplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu LJ

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Li-juan Xu,1 Lv-xian Wu,2 Qing Yuan,3 Zhi-gang Lv,1 Xue-yan Jiang2 1Department of Opthalmology, 2Department of Pediatrics, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Objective: The deletion of the short arm of chromosome 18 is thought to be one of the rare chromosomal aberrations. Here, we report a case to review this disease.Case report: The proband is a five-and-a-half-year-old girl who has had phenotypes manifested mainly by ptosis, broad face, broad neck with low posterior hairline, mental retardation, short stature, and other malformations. Chromosomal analysis for her mother showed a normal karyotype. Her father and younger brother were phenotypically normal.Result: Phenotypical features were quite similar throughout other cases and in accordance with the usual phenotype of del(18p suggested within the same cases and among the del(18p cases described. She underwent blepharoplasty, which improved her appearance.Conclusion: 18p deletion syndrome is diagnosed by gene analysis. Plastic surgeries for improving the appearance might be an option for these patients. Keywords: chromosome, deletion, blepharoplasty

  7. Polymerase chain reaction detection of retinoblastoma gene deletions in paraffin-embedded mouse lung adenocarcinomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Churchill, M.E.; Gemmell, M.A.; Woloschak, G.E.

    1991-01-01

    A Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect deletions in the mouse retinoblastoma (mRb) gene using microtomed sections from paraffin-embedded radiation-induced and spontaneous tumors as the DNA source. Six mRb gene exon fragments were amplified in a 40-cycle, 3-temperature PCR protocol. Absence of any of these fragments relative to control PCR products on a Southern blot indicated a deletion of that portion of the mRb gene. Tumors chosen for analysis were lung adenocarcinomas that were judged to be the cause of death. Spontaneous tumors as well as those from irradiated mice (569 cGy of 60 Co γ rays or 60 cGy of JANUS neutrons) were analyzed. Tumors in six neutron-irradiated mice also had no mRb deletions. However, one of six tumors from γ-irradiated mice and 6 of 18 spontaneous tumors from unirradiated mice showed a deletion in one or both mRb alleles. All deletions detected were in the 5' region of the mRb gene

  8. Relatively low proportion of dystrophin gene deletions in Israeili Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shomrat, R.; Gluck, E.; Legum, C.; Shiloh, Y. [Tel Aviv Univ. (Israel)

    1994-02-15

    Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are allelic disorders caused by mutations in the X-linked dystrophin gene. The most common mutations in western populations are deletions that are spread non-randomly throughout the gene. Molecular analysis of the dystrophin gene structure by hybridization of the full length cDNA to Southern blots and by PCR in 62 unrelated Israeli male DMD/BMD patients showed deletions in 23 (37%). This proportion is significantly lower than that found in European and North American populations (55-65%). Seventy-eight percent of the deletions were confined to exons 44-52, half of these exons 44-45, and the remaining 22% to exons 1 and 19. There was no correlation between the size of the deletion and the severity of the disease. All the deletions causing frameshift resulted in the DMD phenotypes. 43 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

  9. Rapid deletion plasmid construction methods for protoplast and Agrobacterium based fungal transformation systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Increasing availability of genomic data and sophistication of analytical methodology in fungi has elevated the need for functional genomics tools in these organisms. Gene deletion is a critical tool for functional analysis. The targeted deletion of genes requires both a suitable method for the trans...

  10. Deletion of Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (pfhrp2) and Histidine-Rich Protein 3 (pfhrp3) Genes in Colombian Parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murillo Solano, Claribel; Akinyi Okoth, Sheila; Abdallah, Joseph F; Pava, Zuleima; Dorado, Erika; Incardona, Sandra; Huber, Curtis S; Macedo de Oliveira, Alexandre; Bell, David; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam; Barnwell, John W

    2015-01-01

    A number of studies have analyzed the performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in Colombia with discrepancies in performance being attributed to a combination of factors such as parasite levels, interpretation of RDT results and/or the handling and storage of RDT kits. However, some of the inconsistencies observed with results from Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2)-based RDTs could also be explained by the deletion of the gene that encodes the protein, pfhrp2, and its structural homolog, pfhrp3, in some parasite isolates. Given that pfhrp2- and pfhrp3-negative P. falciparum isolates have been detected in the neighboring Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon regions, we hypothesized that parasites with deletions of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 may also be present in Colombia. In this study we tested 100 historical samples collected between 1999 and 2009 from six Departments in Colombia for the presence of pfhrp2, pfhrp3 and their flanking genes. Seven neutral microsatellites were also used to determine the genetic background of these parasites. In total 18 of 100 parasite isolates were found to have deleted pfhrp2, a majority of which (14 of 18) were collected from Amazonas Department, which borders Peru and Brazil. pfhrp3 deletions were found in 52 of the 100 samples collected from all regions of the country. pfhrp2 flanking genes PF3D7_0831900 and PF3D7_0831700 were deleted in 22 of 100 and in 1 of 100 samples, respectively. pfhrp3 flanking genes PF3D7_1372100 and PF3D7_1372400 were missing in 55 of 100 and in 57 of 100 samples. Structure analysis of microsatellite data indicated that Colombian samples tested in this study belonged to four clusters and they segregated mostly based on their geographic region. Most of the pfhrp2-deleted parasites were assigned to a single cluster and originated from Amazonas Department although a few pfhrp2-negative parasites originated from the other three clusters. The presence of a high proportion of pfhrp2

  11. Allelic deletions of cell growth regulators during progression of bladder cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Primdahl, H; von der Maase, H; Christensen, M

    2000-01-01

    Cell growth regulators include proteins of the p53 pathway encoded by the genes CDKN2A (p16, p14arf), MDM2, TP53, and CDKN1A (p21) as well as proteins encoded by genes like RB1, E2F, and MYCL. In the present study we investigated allelic deletions of all these genes in each recurrent bladder tumor...... difference in the numbers of gene loci hit by deletions muscle-invasive versus noninvasive tumors (P = 0.0000002), with the genes most often hit by deletions in muscle-invasive tumors being TP53, RB1, and MYCL. A number of novel findings were made. Losses of MYCL and RB1 alleles were more pronounced...... that a characteristic difference between recurrent noninvasive and recurrent progressing bladder tumors is loss of cell cycle-regulatory genes in the latter group....

  12. Deletions in the fifth alpha helix of HIV-1 matrix block virus release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, Bridget; Li, Yan; Maly, Connor J.; Madson, Christian J.; Chen, Han; Zhou, You; Belshan, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The matrix (MA) protein of HIV-1 is the N-terminal component of the Gag structural protein and is critical for the early and late stages of viral replication. MA contains five α-helices (α1–α5). Deletions in the N-terminus of α5 as small as three amino acids impaired virus release. Electron microscopy of one deletion mutant (MA∆96-120) showed that its particles were tethered to the surface of cells by membranous stalks. Immunoblots indicated all mutants were processed completely, but mutants with large deletions had alternative processing intermediates. Consistent with the EM data, MA∆96-120 retained membrane association and multimerization capability. Co-expression of this mutant inhibited wild type particle release. Alanine scanning mutation in this region did not affect virus release, although the progeny virions were poorly infectious. Combined, these data demonstrate that structural ablation of the α5 of MA inhibits virus release. - Highlights: • Deletions were identified in the C-terminus of matrix that block virus release. • These deletion mutants still multimerized and associated with membranes. • TEM showed the mutant particles were tethered to the cell surface. • Amino acid mutagenesis of the region did not affect release. • The data suggests that disruption of matrix structure blocks virus release

  13. Deletions in the fifth alpha helix of HIV-1 matrix block virus release

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanford, Bridget; Li, Yan; Maly, Connor J.; Madson, Christian J. [Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178 (United States); Chen, Han [Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States); Zhou, You [Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States); Nebraska Center for Virology, Lincoln, NE (United States); Belshan, Michael, E-mail: michaelbelshan@creighton.edu [Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178 (United States); Nebraska Center for Virology, Lincoln, NE (United States)

    2014-11-15

    The matrix (MA) protein of HIV-1 is the N-terminal component of the Gag structural protein and is critical for the early and late stages of viral replication. MA contains five α-helices (α1–α5). Deletions in the N-terminus of α5 as small as three amino acids impaired virus release. Electron microscopy of one deletion mutant (MA∆96-120) showed that its particles were tethered to the surface of cells by membranous stalks. Immunoblots indicated all mutants were processed completely, but mutants with large deletions had alternative processing intermediates. Consistent with the EM data, MA∆96-120 retained membrane association and multimerization capability. Co-expression of this mutant inhibited wild type particle release. Alanine scanning mutation in this region did not affect virus release, although the progeny virions were poorly infectious. Combined, these data demonstrate that structural ablation of the α5 of MA inhibits virus release. - Highlights: • Deletions were identified in the C-terminus of matrix that block virus release. • These deletion mutants still multimerized and associated with membranes. • TEM showed the mutant particles were tethered to the cell surface. • Amino acid mutagenesis of the region did not affect release. • The data suggests that disruption of matrix structure blocks virus release.

  14. Clinical and genetic characterization of chanarin-dorfman syndrome patients: first report of large deletions in the ABHD5 gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prati Daniele

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome (CDS is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (NCIE and an intracellular accumulation of triacylglycerol (TG droplets in most tissues. The clinical phenotype involves multiple organs and systems, including liver, eyes, ears, skeletal muscle and central nervous system (CNS. Mutations in ABHD5/CGI58 gene are associated with CDS. Methods Eight CDS patients belonging to six different families from Mediterranean countries were enrolled for genetic study. Molecular analysis of the ABHD5 gene included the sequencing of the 7 coding exons and of the putative 5' regulatory regions, as well as reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction analysis and sequencing of normal and aberrant ABHD5 cDNAs. Results Five different mutations were identified, four of which were novel, including two splice-site mutations (c.47+1G>A and c.960+5G>A and two large deletions (c.898_*320del and c.662-1330_773+46del. All the reported mutations are predicted to be pathogenic because they lead to an early stop codon or a frameshift producing a premature termination of translation. While nonsense, missense, frameshift and splice-site mutations have been identified in CDS patients, large genomic deletions have not previously been described. Conclusions These results emphasize the need for an efficient approach for genomic deletion screening to ensure an accurate molecular diagnosis of CDS. Moreover, in spite of intensive molecular screening, no mutations were identified in one patient with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of CDS, appointing to genetic heterogeneity of the syndrome.

  15. Updating the profile of C-terminal MECP2 deletions in Rett syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebbington, A; Percy, A; Christodoulou, J; Ravine, D; Ho, G; Jacoby, P; Anderson, A; Pineda, M; Ben Zeev, B; Bahi-Buisson, N; Smeets, E; Leonard, H

    2014-01-01

    Objectives This study aimed to compare the phenotype of Rett syndrome cases with C-terminal deletions to that of cases with different MECP2 mutations and to examine the phenotypic variation within C-terminal deletions. Methods Cases were selected from InterRett, an international database and from the population-based Australian Rett Syndrome Database. Cases (n=832) were included if they had a pathogenic MECP2 mutation in which the nature of the amino acid change was known. Three severity scale systems were used, and individual aspects of the phenotype were also compared. Results Lower severity was associated with C-terminal deletions (n=79) compared to all other MECP2 mutations (e.g. Pineda scale C-terminals mean 15.0 (95% CI 14.0–16.0) vs 16.2 (15.9–16.5). Cases with C-terminal deletions were more likely to have a normal head circumference (odds ratio 3.22, 95% CI 1.53 – 6.79) and weight (odds ratio 2.97, 95% CI 1.25–5.76). Onset of stereotypies tended to be later (median age 2.5 years vs 2 years, pmiddle of the range. In terms of individual aspects of phenotype growth and ability to ambulate appear to be particular strengths. By pooling data internationally this study has achieved the case numbers to provide a phenotypic profile of C-terminal deletions in Rett syndrome. PMID:19914908

  16. A macaque's-eye view of human insertions and deletions: differences in mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika M Kvikstad

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Insertions and deletions (indels cause numerous genetic diseases and lead to pronounced evolutionary differences among genomes. The macaque sequences provide an opportunity to gain insights into the mechanisms generating these mutations on a genome-wide scale by establishing the polarity of indels occurring in the human lineage since its divergence from the chimpanzee. Here we apply novel regression techniques and multiscale analyses to demonstrate an extensive regional indel rate variation stemming from local fluctuations in divergence, GC content, male and female recombination rates, proximity to telomeres, and other genomic factors. We find that both replication and, surprisingly, recombination are significantly associated with the occurrence of small indels. Intriguingly, the relative inputs of replication versus recombination differ between insertions and deletions, thus the two types of mutations are likely guided in part by distinct mechanisms. Namely, insertions are more strongly associated with factors linked to recombination, while deletions are mostly associated with replication-related features. Indel as a term misleadingly groups the two types of mutations together by their effect on a sequence alignment. However, here we establish that the correct identification of a small gap as an insertion or a deletion (by use of an outgroup is crucial to determining its mechanism of origin. In addition to providing novel insights into insertion and deletion mutagenesis, these results will assist in gap penalty modeling and eventually lead to more reliable genomic alignments.

  17. CDC73 intragenic deletion in familial primary hyperparathyroidism associated with parathyroid carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korpi-Hyövälti, Eeva; Cranston, Treena; Ryhänen, Eeva; Arola, Johanna; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Sane, Timo; Thakker, Rajesh V; Schalin-Jäntti, Camilla

    2014-09-01

    CDC73 mutations frequently underlie the hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome, familial isolated hyperparathyroidism (FIHP), and parathyroid carcinoma. It has also been suggested that CDC73 deletion analysis should be performed in those patients without CDC73 mutations. To investigate for CDC73 deletion in a family with FIHP previously reported not to have CDC73 mutations. Eleven members (six affected with primary hyperparathyroidism and five unaffected) were ascertained from the family, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was performed to detect CDC73 deletion using leukocyte DNA. A previously unreported deletion of CDC73 involving exons 1-10 was detected in five affected members and two unaffected members who were 26 and 39 years of age. Two affected members had parathyroid carcinomas at the ages of 18 and 32 years, and they had Ki-67 proliferation indices of 5 and 14.5% and did not express parafibromin, encoded by CDC73. Primary hyperparathyroidism in the other affected members was due to adenomas and atypical adenomas, and none had jaw tumors. Two affected members had thoracic aortic aneurysms, which in one member occurred with parathyroid carcinoma and renal cysts. A previously unreported intragenic deletion of exons 1 to 10 of CDC73 was detected in a three-generation family with FIHP, due to adenomas, atypical adenomas, and parathyroid carcinomas. In addition, two affected males had thoracic aortic aneurysms, which may represent another associated clinical feature of this disorder.

  18. [Asymmetric effects of addition versus deletion on change detection task: the role of feeling of something strange].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchino, Yashio; Hakoda, Yuji; Shibata, Mariko

    2005-06-01

    Two experiments were conducted to examine the asymmetric effect of alterations (i.e., addition versus deletion) on recognition memory. In Experiment 1, a scale for measuring the FSS (Feeling of Something Strange) was developed (n=50) using added or deleted pictures from previous research (e.g., Uchino, Hakoda, & Yamada, 2000). Result showed that altered pictures were evaluated by "pleasant" and "odd" factors. In Experiment 2, 80 participants observed 20 pictures, and then they answered whether each test picture was altered or not. Test pictures varied in significance of the objects added or deleted on a scene. Additions were detected more easily than deletions only when added object was unexpected or unusual, while deleted object was essential to a scene (TD: typicality-disrupted condition). Then, 60 participants rated the FSS scale for test pictures. Ratings of odd factor for added pictures were higher than deleted pictures presented in the TD condition. These results suggest that superiority of addition over deletion might be due to their different effect on FSS.

  19. Characterization of Genomic Deletion Efficiency Mediated by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 Nuclease System in Mammalian Cells*♦

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canver, Matthew C.; Bauer, Daniel E.; Dass, Abhishek; Yien, Yvette Y.; Chung, Jacky; Masuda, Takeshi; Maeda, Takahiro; Paw, Barry H.; Orkin, Stuart H.

    2014-01-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 nuclease system has provided a powerful tool for genome engineering. Double strand breaks may trigger nonhomologous end joining repair, leading to frameshift mutations, or homology-directed repair using an extrachromosomal template. Alternatively, genomic deletions may be produced by a pair of double strand breaks. The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic deletions has not been systematically explored. Here, we present a methodology for the production of deletions in mammalian cells, ranging from 1.3 kb to greater than 1 Mb. We observed a high frequency of intended genomic deletions. Nondeleted alleles are nonetheless often edited with inversions or small insertion/deletions produced at CRISPR recognition sites. Deleted alleles also typically include small insertion/deletions at predicted deletion junctions. We retrieved cells with biallelic deletion at a frequency exceeding that of probabilistic expectation. We demonstrate an inverse relationship between deletion frequency and deletion size. This work suggests that CRISPR/Cas9 is a robust system to produce a spectrum of genomic deletions to allow investigation of genes and genetic elements. PMID:24907273

  20. A Tool for Multiple Targeted Genome Deletions that Is Precise, Scar-Free, and Suitable for Automation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wayne Aubrey

    Full Text Available Many advances in synthetic biology require the removal of a large number of genomic elements from a genome. Most existing deletion methods leave behind markers, and as there are a limited number of markers, such methods can only be applied a fixed number of times. Deletion methods that recycle markers generally are either imprecise (remove untargeted sequences, or leave scar sequences which can cause genome instability and rearrangements. No existing marker recycling method is automation-friendly. We have developed a novel openly available deletion tool that consists of: 1 a method for deleting genomic elements that can be repeatedly used without limit, is precise, scar-free, and suitable for automation; and 2 software to design the method's primers. Our tool is sequence agnostic and could be used to delete large numbers of coding sequences, promoter regions, transcription factor binding sites, terminators, etc in a single genome. We have validated our tool on the deletion of non-essential open reading frames (ORFs from S. cerevisiae. The tool is applicable to arbitrary genomes, and we provide primer sequences for the deletion of: 90% of the ORFs from the S. cerevisiae genome, 88% of the ORFs from S. pombe genome, and 85% of the ORFs from the L. lactis genome.

  1. Three types of preS1 start codon deletion variants in the natural course of chronic hepatitis B infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choe, Won Hyeok; Kim, Hong; Lee, So-Young; Choi, Yu-Min; Kwon, So Young; Moon, Hee Won; Hur, Mina; Kim, Bum-Joon

    2017-12-12

    Naturally occurring hepatitis B virus variants carrying a deletion in the preS1 start codon region may evolve during long-lasting virus-host interactions in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of this study was to determine the immune phase-specific prevalent patterns of preS1 start codon deletion variants and related factors during the natural course of CHB. A total of 399 CHB patients were enrolled. Genotypic analysis of three different preS1 start codon deletion variants (classified by deletion size: 15-base pair [bp], 18-bp, and 21-bp deletion variants) was performed. PreS1 start codon deletion variants were detected in 155 of 399 patients (38.8%). The predominant variant was a 15-bp deletion in the immune-tolerance phase (18/50, 36%) and an 18-bp deletion in the immune-clearance phase (69/183, 37.7%). A 21-bp deletion was the predominant variant in the low replicative phase (3/25, 12.0%) and reactivated hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg)-negative phase (22/141, 15.6%). The 15-bp and 18-bp deletion variants were more frequently found in HBeAg-positive patients (P start codon deletion variants changes according to the immune phases of CHB infection, and each variant type is associated with different clinical parameters. PreS1 start codon deletion variants might interact with the host immune response differently according to their variant types. © 2017 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  2. SNORD116 deletions cause Prader-Willi syndrome with a mild phenotype and macrocephaly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontana, P; Grasso, M; Acquaviva, F; Gennaro, E; Galli, M L; Falco, M; Scarano, F; Scarano, G; Lonardo, F

    2017-10-01

    Prader-Willi syndrome is a complex condition caused by lack of expression of imprinted genes in the paternally derived region of chromosome 15 (15q11q13). A small number of patients with Prader-Willi phenotype have been discovered to have narrow deletions, not encompassing the whole critical region, but only the SNORD116 cluster, which includes genes codifying for small nucleolar RNAs. This kind of deletion usually is not detected by the classic DNA methylation analysis test. We present the case of a male patient with a mild Prader-Willi phenotype and a small deletion including SNORD116, diagnosed by methylation-sensitive multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA. The patient showed neonatal hypotonia, hyperphagia, obesity, central hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, strabismus. Stature and intellectual development are within the normal range. The presence of macrocephaly, observed in other cases of SNORD116 deletions as well, is uncommon for the classic phenotype of the syndrome. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 5 define subgroups of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Starza, Roberta; Barba, Gianluca; Demeyer, Sofie; Pierini, Valentina; Di Giacomo, Danika; Gianfelici, Valentina; Schwab, Claire; Matteucci, Caterina; Vicente, Carmen; Cools, Jan; Messina, Monica; Crescenzi, Barbara; Chiaretti, Sabina; Foà, Robin; Basso, Giuseppe; Harrison, Christine J; Mecucci, Cristina

    2016-08-01

    Recurrent deletions of the long arm of chromosome 5 were detected in 23/200 cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Genomic studies identified two types of deletions: interstitial and terminal. Interstitial 5q deletions, found in five cases, were present in both adults and children with a female predominance (chi-square, P=0.012). Interestingly, these cases resembled immature/early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia showing significant down-regulation of five out of the ten top differentially expressed genes in this leukemia group, including TCF7 which maps within the 5q31 common deleted region. Mutations of genes known to be associated with immature/early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, i.e. WT1, ETV6, JAK1, JAK3, and RUNX1, were present, while CDKN2A/B deletions/mutations were never detected. All patients had relapsed/resistant disease and blasts showed an early differentiation arrest with expression of myeloid markers. Terminal 5q deletions, found in 18 of patients, were more prevalent in adults (chi-square, P=0.010) and defined a subgroup of HOXA-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia characterized by 130 up- and 197 down-regulated genes. Down-regulated genes included TRIM41, ZFP62, MAPK9, MGAT1, and CNOT6, all mapping within the 1.4 Mb common deleted region at 5q35.3. Of interest, besides CNOT6 down-regulation, these cases also showed low BTG1 expression and a high incidence of CNOT3 mutations, suggesting that the CCR4-NOT complex plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HOXA-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with terminal 5q deletions. In conclusion, interstitial and terminal 5q deletions are recurrent genomic losses identifying distinct subtypes of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

  4. Deletion analysis of male sterility effects of t-haplotypes in the mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, D; Artzt, K

    1990-01-01

    We present data on the effects of three chromosome 17 deletions on transmission ratio distortion (TRD) and sterility of several t-haplotypes. All three deletions have similar effects on male TRD: that is, Tdel/tcomplete genotypes all transmit their t-haplotype in very high proportion. However, each deletion has different effects on sterility of heterozygous males, with TOr/t being fertile, Thp/t less fertile, and TOrl/t still less fertile. These data suggest that wild-type genes on chromosomes homologous to t-haplotypes can be important regulators of both TRD and fertility in males, and that the wild-type genes concerned with TRD and fertility are at least to some extent different. The data also provide a rough map of the positions of these genes.

  5. Anterior Pituitary Aplasia in an Infant with Ring Chromosome 18p Deletion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward J. Bellfield

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We present the first reported case of an infant with 18p deletion syndrome with anterior pituitary aplasia secondary to a ring chromosome. Endocrine workup soon after birth was reassuring; however, repeat testing months later confirmed central hypopituitarism. While MRI reading initially indicated no midline defects, subsequent review of the images confirmed anterior pituitary aplasia with ectopic posterior pituitary. This case demonstrates how deletion of genetic material, even if resulting in a chromosomal ring, still results in a severe syndromic phenotype. Furthermore, it demonstrates the necessity of close follow-up in the first year of life for children with 18p deletion syndrome and emphasizes the need to verify radiology impressions if there is any doubt as to the radiologic findings.

  6. Mapping genomic deletions down to the base

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dunø, Morten; Hove, Hanne; Kirchhoff, Maria

    2004-01-01

    the breakpoint of the third patient was mapped to a region previously predicted to be prone for rearrangements. One patient also harboured an inversion in connection with the deletion that disrupted the HDAC9 gene. All three patients showed clinical characteristics reminiscent of the hand-foot-genital syndrome...

  7. Criteria on global boundedness versus finite time blow-up to a two-species chemotaxis system with two chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hao; Wang, Wei; Zheng, Sining

    2018-02-01

    This paper considers the two-species chemotaxis system with two chemicals in a smooth bounded domain Ω\\subset{R}2 , subject to the non-flux boundary condition, and χ, ξ, α, β, γ, δ>0 . We obtain a blow-up criterion that if m_1m_2-2π(\\frac{m_1}χβ+\\frac{m_2}ξδ)>0 , then there exist finite time blow-up solutions to the system with m_1:=\\int_Ω u_0(x)dx and m_2:=\\int_Ω w_0(x)dx . When χ=ξ= β=δ=1 , the blow-up criterion becomes m_1m_2-2π(m_1+m_2)>0 , and the global boundedness of solutions is furthermore established with α=γ=1 under the condition that \\max\\{m_1, m_2\\}4π and global boundedness with \\max\\{m_1, m_2\\}Funds for the Central Universities (DUT16LK24).

  8. Characterization of genomic deletion efficiency mediated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 nuclease system in mammalian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canver, Matthew C; Bauer, Daniel E; Dass, Abhishek; Yien, Yvette Y; Chung, Jacky; Masuda, Takeshi; Maeda, Takahiro; Paw, Barry H; Orkin, Stuart H

    2014-08-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced short [corrected] palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 nuclease system has provided a powerful tool for genome engineering. Double strand breaks may trigger nonhomologous end joining repair, leading to frameshift mutations, or homology-directed repair using an extrachromosomal template. Alternatively, genomic deletions may be produced by a pair of double strand breaks. The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic deletions has not been systematically explored. Here, we present a methodology for the production of deletions in mammalian cells, ranging from 1.3 kb to greater than 1 Mb. We observed a high frequency of intended genomic deletions. Nondeleted alleles are nonetheless often edited with inversions or small insertion/deletions produced at CRISPR recognition sites. Deleted alleles also typically include small insertion/deletions at predicted deletion junctions. We retrieved cells with biallelic deletion at a frequency exceeding that of probabilistic expectation. We demonstrate an inverse relationship between deletion frequency and deletion size. This work suggests that CRISPR/Cas9 is a robust system to produce a spectrum of genomic deletions to allow investigation of genes and genetic elements. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. A Large PROP1 Gene Deletion in a Turkish Pedigree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suheyla Gorar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Pituitary-specific paired-like homeodomain transcription factor, PROP1, is associated with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. Alteration of the gene encoding the PROP1 may affect somatotropes, thyrotropes, and lactotropes, as well as gonadotropes and corticotropes. We performed genetic analysis of PROP1 gene in a Turkish pedigree with three siblings who presented with short stature. Parents were first degree cousins. Index case, a boy, had somatotrope, gonadotrope, thyrotrope, and corticotrope deficiency. However, two elder sisters had somatotroph, gonadotroph, and thyrotroph deficiency and no corticotroph deficiency. On pituitary magnetic resonance, partial empty sella was detected with normal bright spot in all siblings. In genetic analysis, we found a gross deletion involving PROP1 coding region. In conclusion, we report three Turkish siblings with a gross deletion in PROP1 gene. Interestingly, although little boy with combined pituitary hormone deficiency has adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH deficiency, his elder sisters with the same gross PROP1 deletion have no ACTH deficiency. This finding is in line with the fact that patients with PROP1 mutations may have different phenotype/genotype correlation.

  10. A Comprehensive tRNA Deletion Library Unravels the Genetic Architecture of the tRNA Pool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom-Ackermann, Zohar; Navon, Sivan; Gingold, Hila; Towers, Ruth; Pilpel, Yitzhak; Dahan, Orna

    2014-01-01

    Deciphering the architecture of the tRNA pool is a prime challenge in translation research, as tRNAs govern the efficiency and accuracy of the process. Towards this challenge, we created a systematic tRNA deletion library in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aimed at dissecting the specific contribution of each tRNA gene to the tRNA pool and to the cell's fitness. By harnessing this resource, we observed that the majority of tRNA deletions show no appreciable phenotype in rich medium, yet under more challenging conditions, additional phenotypes were observed. Robustness to tRNA gene deletion was often facilitated through extensive backup compensation within and between tRNA families. Interestingly, we found that within tRNA families, genes carrying identical anti-codons can contribute differently to the cellular fitness, suggesting the importance of the genomic surrounding to tRNA expression. Characterization of the transcriptome response to deletions of tRNA genes exposed two disparate patterns: in single-copy families, deletions elicited a stress response; in deletions of genes from multi-copy families, expression of the translation machinery increased. Our results uncover the complex architecture of the tRNA pool and pave the way towards complete understanding of their role in cell physiology. PMID:24453985

  11. An extensive deletion causing overproduction of yeast iso-2-cytochrome c

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKnight, G.L.; Cardillo, T.S.; Sherman, F.

    1981-01-01

    CYC7-H3 is a cis-dominant regulatory mutation that causes a 20-fold overproduction of yeast iso-2-cytochrome c. The CYC7-H3 mutation is an approximately 5 kb deletion with one breakpoint located in the 5' noncoding region of the CYC7 gene, approximately 200 base from the ATG initiation codon. The deletion apparently fuses a new regulatory region to the structural portion of the CYC7 locus. The CYC7-H3 deletion encompasses the RAD23 locus, which controls UV sensitivity and the ANP1 locus, which controls osmotic sensitivity. The gene cluster CYC7-RAD23-ANP1 displays striking similarity to the gene cluster CYC1-OSM1-RAD7, which controls, respectively, iso-1-cytochrome c, osmotic sensitivity and UV sensitivity. We suggest that these gene clusters are related by an ancient transpositional event

  12. HbA2 levels in β-thalassaemia carriers with the Filipino β0-deletion: are the levels higher than what is found with non-deletional forms of β0-thalassaemia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, E; Teh, Lai Kuan; Tan, Jama; Lai, Mei I; Wong, Lily

    2013-01-01

    Classical carriers of β-thalassaemia are identified by a raised HbA2 level. Earlier studies indicated that the Filipino β-deletion has high raised HbA2 levels. The introduction of automated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for thalassaemia screening is an important advance in technology for haematology laboratories. The BioRad Variant II Hb analyser is a common instrument used to quantify HbA2 levels in thalassaemia screening. This study aimed to determine HbA2 levels in carriers of Filipino β-mutation using the BioRad Variant II Hb analyser. The Filipino β-deletion was identified using gap-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the parents of transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia patients who were homozygous for the Filipino β-deletion in the indigenous population of Sabah, Malaysia. Hb subtypes were quantified on the BioRad Variant II Hb analyser. Concurrent α-thalassaemia was identified by multiplex gap-PCR for deletions and amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR for non-deletional mutations. The mean HbA2 level for Filipino β-thalassaemia trait was 5.9 ± 0.47 and with coinheritance of α-thalassaemia was 6.3 ± 0.44 (-α heterozygous) and 6.7 ± 0.36 (-α homozygous). The HbA2 levels were all >4% in keeping with the findings of classical β-thalassaemia trait and significantly higher than levels seen in non-deletional forms of β-thalassaemia. The HbA2 level measured on the BioRad Variant II Hb analyser was lower than the level in the first description of the Filipino β-thalassaemia. β-thalassaemia trait with coinheritance of α-thalassaemia (-α) is associated with significantly higher HbA2 level.

  13. Skin fibroblasts from a D-deletion type retinoblastoma patient are abnormally X-ray sensitive

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weichselbaum, R.R.; Nove, J.; Little, J.B.

    1977-01-01

    Retinoblastoma is a rare malignant eye tumour that appears either spontaneously or in genetically predisposed persons. The latter group is composed of persons who inherit the tumour with a dominant mode of transmission (the familial type) and those who have a deletion in the long arm of chromosome 13 referred to as the D-deletion type. When this deletion is present it is observed in many somatic cells and is often associated with structural defects. Survivors of the genetic forms of retinoblastoma have an increased risk of the development of cancers at other sites. A single genetic locus is unlikely to predispose many somatic cells to tumour formation unless a fundamental molecular defect, possibly related to DNA repair, is present. In order to investigate this hypothesis a study was made of the in vitro X-ray sensitivity of skin fibroblasts derived from three retinoblastoma patients, comprising a pair of twins with the familial type accompanied by no gross chromosome abnormalities, and a patient with the D-deletion type. It was found that fibroblasts derived from the D-deletion patient were significantly more radiosensitive than those from the other two patients. X-ray survival curves are shown. It is concluded that skin fibroblasts derived from a patient with the D-deletion variant of retinoblastoma are abnormally radiosensitive. Future investigations may indicate a specific defect in molecular repair of DNA that will explain the predisposition of these patients to the development of other tumours. (U.K.)

  14. [Changes of biological behavioral of E. coli K1 after ppk1 gene deletion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Liang; Pan, Jiayun; Luo, Su; Yang, Zhenghui; Huang, Mufang; Cao, Hong

    2014-06-01

    To study the changes in biological behaviors of meningitis E. coli K1 strain E44 after deletion of polyphosphate kinase 1 (ppk1) gene and explore the role of ppk1 in the pathogenesis of E. coli K1-induced meningitis. The wild-type strain E. coli K1 and ppk1 deletion mutant were exposed to heat at 56 degrees celsius; for 6 min, and their survival rates were determined. The adhesion and invasion of the bacteria to human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were observed using electron microscopy and quantitative tests. HBMECs were co-incubated with wild-type strain or ppk1 deletion mutant, and the cytoskeleton rearrangement was observed under laser scanning confocal microscope. The survival rate of the ppk1 deletion mutant was significantly lower than that of the wild-type strain after heat exposure. The ppk1 deletion mutant also showed lowered cell adhesion and invasion abilities and weakened ability to induce cytoskeleton rearrangement in HBMECs. ppk1 gene is important for E.coli K1 for heat resistance, cell adhesion and invasion, and for inducing cytoskeletal rearrangement in HBMECs.

  15. RBPJ is disrupted in a case of proximal 4p deletion syndrome with epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakayama, Tojo; Saitsu, Hirotomo; Endo, Wakaba; Kikuchi, Atsuo; Uematsu, Mitsugu; Haginoya, Kazuhiro; Hino-fukuyo, Naomi; Kobayashi, Tomoko; Iwasaki, Masaki; Tominaga, Teiji; Kure, Shigeo; Matsumoto, Naomichi

    2014-06-01

    Proximal 4p deletion syndrome is characterized clinically by mental retardation, minor dysmorphic facial features, and is occasionally complicated with epilepsy. More than 20 cases of proximal 4p deletion syndrome have been reported, but the causative gene(s) remain elusive. We describe here a 2-year-old female patient with a common manifestation of proximal 4p deletion syndrome and infantile epileptic encephalopathy possessing a de novo balanced translocation t(4;13)(p15.2;q12.13). The patient was diagnosed as infantile spasms at 9 months of age. She presented with dysmorphic facial features and global developmental delay, compatible with proximal 4p deletion syndrome. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we determined the translocation breakpoint at 4p15.2 to be within RBPJ. RBPJ is a transcription factor in the Notch/RBPJ signaling pathway, playing a crucial role in the developing human brain, and particularly telencephalon development. Our findings, combined with those of previous studies, strongly suggest that RBPJ is causative for proximal 4p deletion syndrome and epilepsy in this case. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. IKZF1 DELETIONS ARE INDEPENDENT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN PEDIATRIC B-CELL PRECURSOR ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. A. Tsaur

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We assessed the prognostic significance of IKZF1 gene deletions in 141 pediatric patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL  on Russian multicenter trial in pediatric clinics of Ekaterinburg and Orenburg. IKZF1 deletions were estimated by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. IKZF1 deletions were revealed in 15 (10.6 % patients. IKZF1 deletions were associated with age older than 10 years (p = 0.007, initial white blood cell count higher than 30 × 109/l (p = 0.003, t(9;22(q34.q11 (p = 0.003 and delayed blast clearance: М3 status of bone marrow at day 15 of remission induction (p = 0.003, lack of hematological remission at day 36 (p < 0.001 and high levels of minimal residual disease at days 15, 36 and 85 (p = 0.014; p < 0.001; p = 0.001 correspondingly. Patients with IKZF1 deletions had significantly lower event-free survival (EFS (0.30 ± 0.15 vs 0.89 ± 0.03; p < 0.001 and overall survival (OS (0.44 ± 0.19 vs 0.93 ± 0.02; p < 0.001, while cumulative incidence of relapse was higher (0.67 ± 0.18 vs 0.07 ± 0.02; p < 0.001. In the multivariate analysis IKZF1 deletions were associated with decreased EFS (hazard ratio (HR 4.755; 95 % confidence interval (CI 1.856–12.185; p = 0.001, and OS (HR 4.208; 95 % CI 1.322–13.393; p = 0.015, but increased relapse risk (HR 9,083; 95 % CI 3.119–26.451; p < 0.001. IKZF1 deletions retained their prognostic significance in the intermediate risk group patients (p < 0.001, but not in standard or high-risk groups. Majority of IKZF1 deletions – 12 (80 % of 15 – were revealed in the “B-other” group (n = 83. In this cohort of patients IKZF1 deletions led to inferior EFS (HR 6.172; 95 % CI 1.834–20.767; p = 0.003 and higher relapse rate (HR 16.303; 95 % CI 3.324–79.965; p = 0.015. Thus, our results showed that IKZF1 deletions are independent risk factor in BCP-ALL patients.

  17. Prognostic impact of IKZF1 deletion in adults with common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Qiu-Mei; Liu, Kai-Yan; Gale, Robert Peter; Jiang, Bin; Liu, Yan-Rong; Jiang, Qian; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Xiao-Hui; Zhang, Mei-Jie; Chen, Shan-Shan; Huang, Xiao-Jun; Xu, Lan-Ping; Ruan, Guo-Rui

    2016-04-11

    Interrogate the impact of IKZF1 deletion on therapy-outcomes of adults with common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. One hundred sixty-five consecutive adults with common B-cell ALL were tested for IKZF1 deletion and for BCR/ABL. Deletions in IKZF1 were detected using multiplex RQ-PCR, multiplex fluorescent PCR, sequence analysis and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). BCR/ABL was detected using RQ-PCR. All subjects received chemotherapy and some also received an allotransplant and tyrosine kinase-inhibitors. Multivariate analyses were done to identify associations between IKZF1 deletion and other variables on non-relapse mortality (NRM), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), leukemia-free survival (LFS) and survival. Amongst subjects achieving complete remission those with IKZF1 deletion had similar 5-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) (11% [2-20%] vs. 16% [4-28%]; P = 0.736), a higher 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (55% [35-76%] vs. 25% [12-38%]; P = 0.004), and worse 5-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) (33% [16-52%] vs. 59% [42-73%]; P = 0.012) and survival (48% [33-62%] vs. 75% [57-86%]; P = 0.002). In multivariate analyses IKZF1 deletion was associated with an increased relapse (relative risk [RR] =2.7, [1.4-5.2]; P = 0.002), a higher risk of treatment-failure (inverse of LFS; RR = 2.1, [1.2-3.6]; P = 0.007) and a higher risk of death (RR = 2.8, [1.5-5.5]; P = 0.002). The adverse impact of IKZF1 deletion on outcomes was stronger in subjects without vs. with BCR-ABL1 and in subjects receiving chemotherapy-only vs. an allotransplant. IKZF1 deletion was independently-associated with a higher relapse risk and worse LFS and survival in adults with common B-cell ALL after adjusting for other prognostic variables and differences in therapies. These data suggest IKZF1 deletion may be a useful prognostic variable in adults with common B-cell ALL, especially in persons without BCR-ABL1 and those receiving chemotherapy

  18. Association between the CCR5 32-bp deletion allele and late onset of schizophrenia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, H.B.; Timm, S.; Wang, A.G.

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The 32-bp deletion allele in chemokine receptor CCR5 has been associated with several immune-mediated diseases and might be implicated in schizophrenia as well. METHOD: The authors genotyped DNA samples from 268 schizophrenia patients and 323 healthy subjects. Age at first admission...... to a psychiatric hospital department served as a measure of disease onset. RESULTS: Patients and comparison subjects differed marginally in their genotype distribution, with a slightly higher frequency of the deletion allele seen in the patients. The authors found the deletion allele to be associated with higher......-onset schizophrenia) and healthy subjects differed significantly. This was reflected in an increased frequency of the deletion allele in the patient subgroup. Patients with ages at first admission below and above 40 years significantly differed in distribution of genotypes and alleles, with an overrepresentation...

  19. Low levels of LTR retrotransposon deletion by ectopic recombination in the gigantic genomes of salamanders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frahry, Matthew Blake; Sun, Cheng; Chong, Rebecca A; Mueller, Rachel Lockridge

    2015-02-01

    Across the tree of life, species vary dramatically in nuclear genome size. Mutations that add or remove sequences from genomes-insertions or deletions, or indels-are the ultimate source of this variation. Differences in the tempo and mode of insertion and deletion across taxa have been proposed to contribute to evolutionary diversity in genome size. Among vertebrates, most of the largest genomes are found within the salamanders, an amphibian clade with genome sizes ranging from ~14 to ~120 Gb. Salamander genomes have been shown to experience slower rates of DNA loss through small (i.e., genomes. However, no studies have addressed DNA loss from salamander genomes resulting from larger deletions. Here, we focus on one type of large deletion-ectopic-recombination-mediated removal of LTR retrotransposon sequences. In ectopic recombination, double-strand breaks are repaired using a "wrong" (i.e., ectopic, or non-allelic) template sequence-typically another locus of similar sequence. When breaks occur within the LTR portions of LTR retrotransposons, ectopic-recombination-mediated repair can produce deletions that remove the internal transposon sequence and the equivalent of one of the two LTR sequences. These deletions leave a signature in the genome-a solo LTR sequence. We compared levels of solo LTRs in the genomes of four salamander species with levels present in five vertebrates with smaller genomes. Our results demonstrate that salamanders have low levels of solo LTRs, suggesting that ectopic-recombination-mediated deletion of LTR retrotransposons occurs more slowly than in other vertebrates with smaller genomes.

  20. Altered Actions of Memantine and NMDA-Induced Currents in a New Grid2-Deleted Mouse Line

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayako Kumagai

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Memantine is a non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA receptor, and is an approved drug for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease. We identified a mouse strain with a naturally occurring mutation and an ataxic phenotype that presents with severe leg cramps. To investigate the phenotypes of these mutant mice, we screened several phenotype-modulating drugs and found that memantine (10 mg/kg disrupted the sense of balance in the mutants. Moreover, the mutant mice showed an attenuated optokinetic response (OKR and impaired OKR learning, which was also observed in wild-type mice treated with memantine. Microsatellite analyses indicated that the Grid2 gene-deletion is responsible for these phenotypes. Patch-clamp analysis showed a relatively small change in NMDA-dependent current in cultured granule cells from Grid2 gene-deleted mice, suggesting that GRID2 is important for correct NMDA receptor function. In general, NMDA receptors are activated after the activation of non-NMDA receptors, such as AMPA receptors, and AMPA receptor dysregulation also occurs in Grid2 mutant mice. Indeed, the AMPA treatment enhanced memantine susceptibility in wild-type mice, which was indicated by balance sense and OKR impairments. The present study explores a new role for GRID2 and highlights the adverse effects of memantine in different genetic backgrounds.