When Telomerase Causes Telomere Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Glousker, Galina; Lingner, Joachim

2018-02-05

Telomerase counteracts telomere shortening, preventing cellular senescence. Telomerase deficiency causes telomere syndromes because of premature telomere exhaustion in highly proliferative cells. Paradoxically, in a recent issue of Cell, Margalef et al. (2018) demonstrate that telomerase causes telomere loss in cells lacking the RTEL1 helicase, which is defective in Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telomerase in lung cancer diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovkarova, E.; Stefanovski, T.; Dimov, A.; Naumovski, J.

2003-01-01

Background. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that looks after the telomeric cap of the linear chromosomes maintaining its length. It is over expressed in tumour tissues, but not in normal somatic cells. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the telomerase activity in lung cancer patients as novel marker for lung cancer detection evaluating the influence of tissue/cell obtaining technique. Material and methods. Using the TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol), telomerase activity was determined in material obtained from bronchobiopsy (60 lung cancer patients compared with 20 controls) and washings from transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy performed in 10 patients with peripheral lung tumours. Results. Telomerase activity was detected in 75% of the lung cancer bronchobyopsies, and in 100% in transthoracic needle washings. Conclusions. Measurement of telomerase activity can contribute in fulfilling the diagnosis of lung masses and nodules suspected for lung cancer. (author)

Zoning of mucosal phenotype, dysplasia, and telomerase activity measured by telomerase repeat assay protocol in Barrett's esophagus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Going, JJ; Fletcher-Monaghan, AJ; Neilson, L; Wisman, BA; van der Zee, A; Stuart, RC; Keith, WN

2004-01-01

Glandular dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus may regress spontaneously but can also progress to cancer. The human telomerase RNA template and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase enzyme which do not, of themselves, correlate strongly with telomerase activity, are too often overexpressed in

Tetrahymena telomerase protein p65 induces conformational changes throughout telomerase RNA (TER) and rescues telomerase reverse transcriptase and TER assembly mutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, Andrea J; Gooding, Anne R; Cech, Thomas R

2010-10-01

The biogenesis of the Tetrahymena telomerase ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) is enhanced by p65, a La family protein. Single-molecule and biochemical studies have uncovered a hierarchical assembly of the RNP, wherein the binding of p65 to stems I and IV of telomerase RNA (TER) causes a conformational change that facilitates the subsequent binding of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) to TER. We used purified p65 and variants of TERT and TER to investigate the conformational rearrangements that occur during RNP assembly. Nuclease protection assays and mutational analysis revealed that p65 interacts with and stimulates conformational changes in regions of TER beyond stem IV. Several TER mutants exhibited telomerase activity only in the presence of p65, revealing the importance of p65 in promoting the correct RNP assembly pathway. In addition, p65 rescued TERT assembly mutants but not TERT activity mutants. Taken together, these results suggest that p65 stimulates telomerase assembly and activity in two ways. First, by sequestering stems I and IV, p65 limits the ensemble of structural conformations of TER, thereby presenting TERT with the active conformation of TER. Second, p65 acts as a molecular buttress within the assembled RNP, mutually stabilizing TER and TERT in catalytically active conformations.

Telomere lengthening and other functions of telomerase.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubtsova, M P; Vasilkova, D P; Malyavko, A N; Naraikina, Yu V; Zvereva, M I; Dontsova, O A

2012-04-01

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains the length of the telomere. The telomere length specifies the number of divisions a cell can undergo before it finally dies (i.e. the proliferative potential of cells). For example, telomerase is activated in embryonic cell lines and the telomere length is maintained at a constant level; therefore, these cells have an unlimited fission potential. Stem cells are characterized by a lower telomerase activity, which enables only partial compensation for the shortening of telomeres. Somatic cells are usually characterized by the absence of telomerase activity. Telomere shortening leads to the attainment of the Hayflick limit, the transition of cells to a state of senescence. The cells subsequently enter a state of crisis, accompanied by massive cell death. The surviving cells become cancer cells, which are capable both of dividing indefinitely and maintaining telomere length (usually with the aid of telomerase). Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase. It consists of two major components: telomerase RNA (TER) and reverse transcriptase (TERT). TER is a non-coding RNA, and it contains the region which serves as a template for telomere synthesis. An increasing number of articles focussing on the alternative functions of telomerase components have recently started appearing. The present review summarizes data on the structure, biogenesis, and functions of telomerase.

DETECTION OF TELOMERASE ACTIVITY IN BREAST CARCINOMA

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yang Wentao; Xu Liangzhong; Zhang Taiming; Zhu weiping; Li Xiaomei; Jin Aiping

1998-01-01

Objective:To investigate the significance of telomerase activity in breast carcinoma with its respect to axillary lymph node status. Methods: Telomerase activity was analyzed in 88 breast carcinomas and 16benign breast lesions, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Results: Telomerase activity was detected in 75 (85%) of 88 breast carcinomas (including three breast carcinomas in situ which were all positive for telomerase activity), whereas in benign breast lesions analyzed only 2(12.5%) of 16 cases were positive for telomerase activity. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.001). Besides,telomerase activity was expressed significantly higher in node-positive breast carcinoma (93%) than in nodenegative ones (77%) (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that telomerase activation plays an important role during breast carcinoma development. It is possible that this enzyme may serve as an early indication of breast carcinoma.

Colorimetry and SERS dual-mode detection of telomerase activity: combining rapid screening with high sensitivity.

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Zong, Shenfei; Wang, Zhuyuan; Chen, Hui; Hu, Guohua; Liu, Min; Chen, Peng; Cui, Yiping

2014-01-01

As an important biomarker and therapeutic target, telomerase has attracted considerable attention concerning its detection and monitoring. Here, we present a colorimetry and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual-mode telomerase activity detection method, which has several distinctive advantages. First, colorimetric functionality allows rapid preliminary discrimination of telomerase activity by the naked eye. Second, the employment of SERS technique results in greatly improved detection sensitivity. Third, the combination of colorimetry and SERS into one detection system can ensure highly efficacious and sensitive screening of numerous samples. Besides, the avoidance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedures further guarantees fine reliability and simplicity. Generally, the presented method is realized by an "elongate and capture" procedure. To be specific, gold nanoparticles modified with Raman molecules and telomeric repeat complementary oligonucleotide are employed as the colorimetric-SERS bifunctional reporting nanotag, while magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with telomerase substrate oligonucleotide are used as the capturing substrate. Telomerase can synthesize and elongate telomeric repeats onto the capturing substrate. The elongated telomeric repeats subsequently facilitate capturing of the reporting nanotag via hybridization between telomeric repeat and its complementary strand. The captured nanotags can cause a significant difference in the color and SERS intensity of the magnetically separated sediments. Thus both the color and SERS can be used as indicators of the telomerase activity. With fast screening ability and outstanding sensitivity, we anticipate that this method would greatly promote practical application of telomerase-based early-stage cancer diagnosis.

Telomerase and mammalian ageing: a critical appraisal.

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Goyns, M H; Lavery, W L

2000-03-13

The telomeres that occur at the end of chromosomes are maintained by the activity of telomerase and are thought to be important protective factors in maintaining the integrity of chromosomes. It now appears that in vitro replicative senescence, which has been observed in cultured somatic cells, is due to a loss of telomere length in those cells, caused by inactivity of telomerase. This has led to the proposition that telomerase activity is an important determinant in organismal ageing. However, many cells in the body do not proliferate regularly and therefore will not lose telomere length. Cells that do proliferate frequently have now been shown to have active telomerase. Other cells, such as fibroblasts, that do not have telomerase activity but proliferate only occasionally may not reach the Hayflick limit during the lifetime of an animal. There is also no correlation between telomere length and the maximal lifespan exhibited by different species. Studies of telomerase knock-out mice have reported some aspects of accelerated ageing after three generations, but the relevance of these observations to normal ageing remains unconvincing. The role of telomerase in producing immortal tumour cells and the possibility that activation of telomerase is an important event in malignant transformation is similarly controversial and open to alternative interpretations. The significance of these and other observations, and how they define the role of telomerase in ageing, is discussed.

Premature aging in telomerase-deficient zebrafish

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Monique Anchelin

2013-09-01

The study of telomere biology is crucial to the understanding of aging and cancer. In the pursuit of greater knowledge in the field of human telomere biology, the mouse has been used extensively as a model. However, there are fundamental differences between mouse and human cells. Therefore, additional models are required. In light of this, we have characterized telomerase-deficient zebrafish (Danio rerio as the second vertebrate model for human telomerase-driven diseases. We found that telomerase-deficient zebrafish show p53-dependent premature aging and reduced lifespan in the first generation, as occurs in humans but not in mice, probably reflecting the similar telomere length in fish and humans. Among these aging symptoms, spinal curvature, liver and retina degeneration, and infertility were the most remarkable. Although the second-generation embryos died in early developmental stages, restoration of telomerase activity rescued telomere length and survival, indicating that telomerase dosage is crucial. Importantly, this model also reproduces the disease anticipation observed in humans with dyskeratosis congenita (DC. Thus, telomerase haploinsufficiency leads to anticipation phenomenon in longevity, which is related to telomere shortening and, specifically, with the proportion of short telomeres. Furthermore, p53 was induced by telomere attrition, leading to growth arrest and apoptosis. Importantly, genetic inhibition of p53 rescued the adverse effects of telomere loss, indicating that the molecular mechanisms induced by telomere shortening are conserved from fish to mammals. The partial rescue of telomere length and longevity by restoration of telomerase activity, together with the feasibility of the zebrafish for high-throughput chemical screening, both point to the usefulness of this model for the discovery of new drugs able to reactivate telomerase in individuals with DC.

Meningiomas, dicentric chromosomes, gliomas, and telomerase activity.

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Carroll, T; Maltby, E; Brock, I; Royds, J; Timperley, W; Jellinek, D

1999-08-01

Lack of telomere maintenance during cell replication leads to telomere erosion and loss of function. This can result in telomere associations which probably cause the dicentric chromosomes seen in some tumour cells. One mechanism of telomere maintenance in dividing cells is the action of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that adds TTAGGG repeats onto telomeres and compensates for their shortening during cell division. Over 90 per cent of extracranial malignant neoplasms have been found to have telomerase activity. This study sought to determine if there was a relationship between absence of telomerase activity and presence of dicentric chromosomes in meningiomas and to what extent the other main group of central nervous system tumours, the gliomas, expressed telomerase activity. Telomerase activity was measured on 25 meningiomas and 29 gliomas. Four of the meningiomas were atypical variants and 11 were positive for dicentric chromosomes. Twenty-five of 29 gliomas were glioblastoma multiforme tumours. Measures were taken to ensure absence of false positives due to primer-dimer interaction and false negatives due to protein degradation or the presence of Taq polymerase inhibitors. All 25 meningiomas and the four low-grade gliomas (WHO grade II) were telomerase activity-negative. Seven (28 per cent) of the 25 glioblastoma multiforme tumours showed telomerase activity. The absence of telomerase activity in meningiomas and the high frequency of telomere associations support the hypothesis that these tumours are benign, transformed but pre-crisis. The relatively low frequency of telomerase activity in the malignant glioblastoma multiforme suggests that most of these tumours may have other mechanisms of telomere maintenance and that the potentially therapeutic telomerase inhibitors will not be of great value in the future management of the majority of patients suffering from these tumours. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

TERRA mimicking ssRNAs prevail over the DNA substrate for telomerase in vitro due to interactions with the alternative binding site.

Science.gov (United States)

Azhibek, Dulat; Skvortsov, Dmitry; Andreeva, Anna; Zatsepin, Timofei; Arutyunyan, Alexandr; Zvereva, Maria; Dontsova, Olga

2016-06-01

Telomerase is a key component of the telomere length maintenance system in the majority of eukaryotes. Telomerase displays maximal activity in stem and cancer cells with high proliferative potential. In humans, telomerase activity is regulated by various mechanisms, including the interaction with telomere ssDNA overhangs that contain a repetitive G-rich sequence, and with noncoding RNA, Telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), that contains the same sequence. So these nucleic acids can compete for telomerase RNA templates in the cell. In this study, we have investigated the ability of different model substrates mimicking telomere DNA overhangs and TERRA RNA to compete for telomerase in vitro through a previously developed telomerase inhibitor assay. We have shown in this study that RNA oligonucleotides are better competitors for telomerase that DNA ones as RNA also use an alternative binding site on telomerase, and the presence of 2'-OH groups is significant in these interactions. In contrast to DNA, the possibility of forming intramolecular G-quadruplex structures has a minor effect for RNA binding to telomerase. Taking together our data, we propose that TERRA RNA binds better to telomerase compared with its native substrate - the 3'-end of telomere DNA overhang. As a result, some specific factor may exist that participates in switching telomerase from TERRA to the 3'-end of DNA for telomere elongation at the distinct period of a cell cycle in vivo. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Telomere elongation in immortal human cells without detectable telomerase activity.

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Bryan, T M; Englezou, A; Gupta, J; Bacchetti, S; Reddel, R R

1995-09-01

Immortalization of human cells is often associated with reactivation of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that adds TTAGGG repeats onto telomeres and compensates for their shortening. We examined whether telomerase activation is necessary for immortalization. All normal human fibroblasts tested were negative for telomerase activity. Thirteen out of 13 DNA tumor virus-transformed cell cultures were also negative in the pre-crisis (i.e. non-immortalized) stage. Of 35 immortalized cell lines, 20 had telomerase activity as expected, but 15 had no detectable telomerase. The 15 telomerase-negative immortalized cell lines all had very long and heterogeneous telomeres of up to 50 kb. Hybrids between telomerase-negative and telomerase-positive cells senesced. Two senescent hybrids demonstrated telomerase activity, indicating that activation of telomerase is not sufficient for immortalization. Some hybrid clones subsequently recommenced proliferation and became immortalized either with or without telomerase activity. Those without telomerase activity also had very long and heterogeneous telomeres. Taken together, these data suggest that the presence of lengthened or stabilized telomeres is necessary for immortalization, and that this may be achieved either by the reactivation of telomerase or by a novel and as yet unidentified mechanism.

Re: Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer

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Shay JW

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The most important difference between cancer and normall cells is the ability to continuous proliferation. This activation works due to telomeres and telomerase enzyme. Fifty years ago, Leonard Hayflick discovered that cultured normal humans cells have a limited capacity to divide. Today, this withdrawal from the cell cycle after a certain number of cellular divisions (replicative senescence is known to be triggered as a result of shortened telomeres. Studies on telomeres and telomerase have begun to provide additional information about aging and cancer development and have created new opportunities in the field of regenerative medicine for telomeropathies. Progressive telomere shortening from cell division (replicative aging provides a barrier for tumor progression. Continuous cell growth in malignancy correlates with the reactivation of telomerase. Telomerase is a cellular reverse transcriptase that adds new deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA onto the telomeres that are located at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres consist of many kilobases of TTAGGG nucleotide repeats. The telomeric nucleotide repeats shorten with each cell division due to replication problems (DNA repair and oxidative damage. Quiescent/senescent state of the cell bypass can be accomplished by abrogating cell cycle checkpoint genes (such as TP53, p16INK4a, pRb. Telomerase is detected in approximately 90% of all malignant tumors. This telomerase activation has emerged as a target for cancer treatment. Telomerase therapeutics are classified as gene therapy (hTERT-telomerase catalytic protein component, hTR-telomerase functional, immunotherapy (Imetalstat-telomerase template antagonist, and small molecule inhibitors. In the near future, more specific researches on telomers and telomerase will contribute to aging/immortality studies (as stem cells and to discover new biomarkers for malignant tissue or anticancer therapeutics.

Telomerase Repeated Amplification Protocol (TRAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Mender, Ilgen; Shay, Jerry W

2015-11-20

Telomeres are found at the end of eukaryotic linear chromosomes, and proteins that bind to telomeres protect DNA from being recognized as double-strand breaks thus preventing end-to-end fusions (Griffith et al. , 1999). However, due to the end replication problem and other factors such as oxidative damage, the limited life span of cultured cells (Hayflick limit) results in progressive shortening of these protective structures (Hayflick and Moorhead, 1961; Olovnikov, 1973). The ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex telomerase-consisting of a protein catalytic component hTERT and a functional RNA component hTR or hTERC - counteracts telomere shortening by adding telomeric repeats to the end of chromosomes in ~90% of primary human tumors and in some transiently proliferating stem-like cells (Shay and Wright, 1996; Shay and Wright, 2001). This results in continuous proliferation of cells which is a hallmark of cancer. Therefore, telomere biology has a central role in aging, cancer progression/metastasis as well as targeted cancer therapies. There are commonly used methods in telomere biology such as Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) (Mender and Shay, 2015b), Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) and Telomere dysfunction Induced Foci (TIF) analysis (Mender and Shay, 2015a). In this detailed protocol we describe Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP). The TRAP assay is a popular method to determine telomerase activity in mammalian cells and tissue samples (Kim et al. , 1994). The TRAP assay includes three steps: extension, amplification, and detection of telomerase products. In the extension step, telomeric repeats are added to the telomerase substrate (which is actually a non telomeric oligonucleotide, TS) by telomerase. In the amplification step, the extension products are amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers (TS upstream primer and ACX downstream primer) and in the detection step, the presence or absence of telomerase is

Telomerer og telomerase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendix, Laila; Kølvraa, Steen

2010-01-01

In 2009 the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to EH Blackburn, CW Greider and JW Szostak for their work on "How chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase". Telomeres are specialized DNA structures localized at the end of linear chromosomes. Telomeres are known as the biol......In 2009 the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to EH Blackburn, CW Greider and JW Szostak for their work on "How chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase". Telomeres are specialized DNA structures localized at the end of linear chromosomes. Telomeres are known...

Prevalence of Telomerase Activity in Human Cancer

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Chi-Hau Chen

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Telomerase activity has been measured in a wide variety of cancerous and non-cancerous tissue types, and the vast majority of clinical studies have shown a direct correlation between it and the presence of cancerous cells. Telomerase plays a key role in cellular immortality and tumorigenesis. Telomerase is activated in 80–90% of human carcinomas, but not in normal somatic cells, therefore, its detection holds promise as a diagnostic marker for cancer. Measurable levels of telomerase have been detected in malignant cells from various samples: tissue from gestational trophoblastic neoplasms; squamous carcinoma cells from oral rinses; lung carcinoma cells from bronchial washings; colorectal carcinoma cells from colonic luminal washings; bladder carcinoma cells from urine or bladder washings; and breast carcinoma or thyroid cancer cells from fine needle aspirations. Such clinical tests for telomerase can be useful as non-invasive and cost-effective methods for early detection and monitoring of cancer. In addition, telomerase activity has been shown to correlate with poor clinical outcome in late-stage diseases such as non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and soft tissue sarcomas. In such cases, testing for telomerase activity can be used to identify patients with a poor prognosis and to select those who might benefit from adjuvant treatment. Our review of the latest medical advances in this field reveals that telomerase holds great promise as a biomarker for early cancer detection and monitoring, and has considerable potential as the basis for developing new anticancer therapies.

Human telomerase activity regulation

OpenAIRE

Wojtyla, Aneta; Gladych, Marta; Rubis, Blazej

2010-01-01

Telomerase has been recognized as a relevant factor distinguishing cancer cells from normal cells. Thus, it has become a very promising target for anticancer therapy. The cell proliferative potential can be limited by replication end problem, due to telomeres shortening, which is overcome in cancer cells by telomerase activity or by alternative telomeres lengthening (ALT) mechanism. However, this multisubunit enzymatic complex can be regulated at various levels, including expression control b...

Telomerase and the search for the end of cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Mocellin, Simone; Pooley, Karen A; Nitti, Donato

2013-02-01

Many of the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying tumor biology remain elusive and, thus, developing specific anticancer therapies remains a challenge. The recently discovered relationships identified among telomeres, telomerase, aging, and cancer have opened a new avenue in tumor biology research that may revolutionize anticancer therapy. This review summarizes the critical aspects of telomerase biology that underpin the development of novel telomerase-targeting therapies for malignant diseases, and special regard is given to the aspects of telomerase that make it such an appealing target, such as the widespread expression of telomerase in cancers. Despite significant progress, issues remain to be addressed before telomerase-based therapies are truly effective and we include critical discussion of the results obtained thus far. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of telomerase activity using microchip electrophoresis.

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Karasawa, Koji; Arakawa, Hidetoshi

2015-07-01

Telomerase participates in malignant transformation or immortalization of cells and thus has attracted attention as an anticancer drug target and diagnostic tumor marker. The telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and improved TRAP methods (TRAP-fluorescence, TRAP-hybridization, etc.) are widely used forms of this telomerase assay. However, these approaches generally employ acrylamide gel electrophoresis after amplification of telomeric repeats by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), making these TRAP methods time consuming and technically demanding. In this study we developed a novel telomerase assay using microchip electrophoresis for rapid and highly sensitive detection of telomerase activity in cancer cells. The mixed gel of 0.8% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and 0.3% polyethylene oxide (PEO) with SYBR Gold (fluorescent reagent) was used for microchip electrophoresis. As a result, the product amplified by a telomerase-positive cell could be measured in one cell per assay and detected with high reproducibility (CV=0.67%) in the short time of 100s. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro reconstitution of the active T. castaneum telomerase.

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Schuller, Anthony P; Harkisheimer, Michael J; Skordalakes, Emmanuel

2011-07-14

Efforts to isolate the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT, in sufficient quantities for structural studies, have been met with limited success for more than a decade. Here, we present methods for the isolation of the recombinant Tribolium castaneum TERT (TcTERT) and the reconstitution of the active T. castaneum telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in vitro. Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase that adds short DNA repeats, called telomeres, to the 3' end of linear chromosomes that serve to protect them from end-to-end fusion and degradation. Following DNA replication, a short segment is lost at the end of the chromosome and without telomerase, cells continue dividing until eventually reaching their Hayflick Limit. Additionally, telomerase is dormant in most somatic cells in adults, but is active in cancer cells where it promotes cell immortality. The minimal telomerase enzyme consists of two core components: the protein subunit (TERT), which comprises the catalytic subunit of the enzyme and an integral RNA component (TER), which contains the template TERT uses to synthesize telomeres. Prior to 2008, only structures for individual telomerase domains had been solved. A major breakthrough in this field came from the determination of the crystal structure of the active, catalytic subunit of T. castaneum telomerase, TcTERT. Here, we present methods for producing large quantities of the active, soluble TcTERT for structural and biochemical studies, and the reconstitution of the telomerase RNP complex in vitro for telomerase activity assays. An overview of the experimental methods used is shown in Figure 1.

Differences in telomerase activity between colon and rectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayiomamitis, Georgios D; Notas, George; Zaravinos, Apostolos; Zizi-Sermpetzoglou, Adamantia; Georgiadou, Maria; Sfakianaki, Ourania; Kouroumallis, Elias

2014-06-01

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and the third leading cause of cancer death in both sexes. The disease progresses as a multistep process and is associated with genetic alterations. One of the characteristic features of cancer is telomerase activation. We sought to evaluate the differences in telomerase activity between colon cancer and adjacent normal tissue and to correlate the differences in telomerase activity between different locations with clinicopathological factors and survival. Matched colon tumour samples and adjacent normal mucosa samples 10 cm away from the tumour were collected during colectomy. We assessed telomerase activity using real time polymerase chain reaction. Several pathological characteristics of tumours, including p53, Ki-67, p21, bcl2 and MLH1 expression were also studied. We collected samples from 49 patients. There was a significantly higher telomerase activity in colon cancer tissue than normal tissue. Adenocarcinomas of the right colon express significantly higher telomerase than left-side cancers. Colon cancers and their adjacent normal tissue had significantly more telomerase and were more positive to MLH1 than rectal cancers. The expression of p53 negatively correlated to telomerase activity and was linked to better patient survival. Colon and rectal cancers seem to have different telomerase and MLH1 profiles, and this could be another factor for their different biologic and clinical behaviour and progression. These results support the idea that the large bowel cannot be considered a uniform organ, at least in the biology of cancer.

The differentiation status of primary gonadal germ cell tumors correlates inversely with telomerase activity and the expression level of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of telomerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrader, Mark; Burger, Angelika M; Müller, Markus; Krause, Hans; Straub, Bernd; Schostak, Martin; Schulze, Wolfgang; Lauke, Heidrun; Miller, Kurt

2002-01-01

The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is detectable in germ, stem and tumor cells. One major component of telomerase is human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Here we investigate the correlation of telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression and the differentiation status of primary testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). Telomerase activity (TA) was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by online RT-PCR in 42 primary testicular germ cell tumors. The control group consisted of benign testicular biopsies from infertile patients. High levels of telomerase activity and hTERT expression were detected in all examined undifferentiated TGCTs and in the benign testicular tissue specimens with germ cell content. In contrast, differentiated teratomas and testicular control tissue without germ cells (Sertoli-cell-only syndrome) showed no telomerase activity and only minimal hTERT expression. These findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the level of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression and the differentiation state of germ cell tumors. Quantification of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression enables a new molecular-diagnostic subclassification of germ cell tumors that describes their proliferation potential and differentiation status

The differentiation status of primary gonadal germ cell tumors correlates inversely with telomerase activity and the expression level of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of telomerase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schulze Wolfgang

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is detectable in germ, stem and tumor cells. One major component of telomerase is human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT, which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Here we investigate the correlation of telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression and the differentiation status of primary testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT. Methods Telomerase activity (TA was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by online RT-PCR in 42 primary testicular germ cell tumors. The control group consisted of benign testicular biopsies from infertile patients. Results High levels of telomerase activity and hTERT expression were detected in all examined undifferentiated TGCTs and in the benign testicular tissue specimens with germ cell content. In contrast, differentiated teratomas and testicular control tissue without germ cells (Sertoli-cell-only syndrome showed no telomerase activity and only minimal hTERT expression. Conclusions These findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the level of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression and the differentiation state of germ cell tumors. Quantification of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression enables a new molecular-diagnostic subclassification of germ cell tumors that describes their proliferation potential and differentiation status.

A telomerase em células-tronco hematopoéticas Telomerase in hematopoietic stem cells

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Silvana Perini

2008-02-01

Full Text Available A proliferação das células-tronco hematopoéticas sofre a perda dos telômeros a cada divisão celular. Alguns autores discordam quanto à perda ou não do potencial proliferativo e capacidade de auto-renovação das células mais diferenciadas. Revisaremos aqui o papel da telomerase na biologia do sistema hematopoético, na diferenciação normal ou maligna, assim como no envelhecimento das células-tronco hematopoéticas. A constante renovação celular requerida pela hematopoese confere às células-tronco embrionárias, assim como à maioria das células tumorais, um aumento da capacidade proliferativa marcada pela detecção da enzima telomerase e possível manutenção dos telômeros. Estudos clínicos se farão necessários para esclarecer melhor a atividade da telomerase em células-tronco hematopoéticas, seu possível uso como marcador de diagnóstico e seu uso a fim de propósitos prognósticos.Hematopoietic stem cell proliferation leads to telomere length decreases at each cellular division. Some authors disagree about the telomere influence on the reduction of the proliferative potential and capacity of self renewal. Here we review telomerase function in the biology of the hematopoietic system, in normal or differentiation and its influence on the ageing of hematopoietic stem cells. The constant cellular renewal required to maintain the hematopoietic system, provides embryonic stem cells, as well as malignant cells, an increased proliferative capacity. This is marked by the detection of telomerase enzyme activity and possible telomere maintenance. Clinical trials will be required to clarify telomerase activity in hematopoietic stem cells, its possible use as a diagnostic marker and its use for prognostic purposes.

Modulation of Telomerase Activity in Cancer Cells by Dietary Compounds: A Review

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Takahiro Eitsuka

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Telomerase is expressed in ~90% of human cancer cell lines and tumor specimens, whereas its enzymatic activity is not detectable in most human somatic cells, suggesting that telomerase represents a highly attractive target for selective cancer treatment. Accordingly, various classes of telomerase inhibitors have been screened and developed in recent years. We and other researchers have successfully found that some dietary compounds can modulate telomerase activity in cancer cells. Telomerase inhibitors derived from food are subdivided into two groups: one group directly blocks the enzymatic activity of telomerase (e.g., catechin and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, and the other downregulates the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT, the catalytic subunit of human telomerase, via signal transduction pathways (e.g., retinoic acid and tocotrienol. In contrast, a few dietary components, including genistein and glycated lipid, induce cellular telomerase activity in several types of cancer cells, suggesting that they may be involved in tumor progression. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the effects of dietary factors on telomerase regulation in cancer cells and discusses their molecular mechanisms of action.

Leptin upregulates telomerase activity and transcription of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, He, E-mail: herenrh@yahoo.com.cn [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China); Zhao, Tiansuo; Wang, Xiuchao; Gao, Chuntao; Wang, Jian; Yu, Ming [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China); Hao, Jihui, E-mail: jihuihao@yahoo.com [Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin (China)

2010-03-26

The aim was to analyze the mechanism of leptin-induced activity of telomerase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We found that leptin activated telomerase in a dose-dependent manner; leptin upregulated the expression of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) at mRNA and protein levels; blockade of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation significantly counteracted leptin-induced hTERT transcription and protein expression; chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that leptin enhanced the binding of STAT3 to the hTERT promoter. This study uncovers a new mechanism of the proliferative effect of leptin on breast cancer cells and provides a new explanation of obesity-related breast cancer.

A Smart DNA Tweezer for Detection of Human Telomerase Activity.

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Xu, Xiaowen; Wang, Lei; Li, Kan; Huang, Qihong; Jiang, Wei

2018-03-06

Reliable and accurate detection of telomerase activity is crucial to better understand its role in cancer cells and to further explore its function in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we construct a smart DNA tweezer (DT) for detection of telomerase activity. The DT is assembled by three specially designed single-stranded oligonucleotides: a central strand dually labeled with donor/acceptor fluorophores and two arm strands containing overhangs complementary to telomerase reaction products (TRPs). It can get closed through hybridization with TRPs and get reopen through strand displacement reaction by TRPs' complementary sequences. First, under the action of telomerase, telomerase binding substrates (TS) are elongated to generate TRPs ended with telomeric repeats (TTAGGG) n . TRPs hybridize with the two arm overhangs cooperatively and strain DT to closed state, inducing an increased fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency, which is utilized for telomerase activity detection. Second, upon introduction of a removal strand (RS) complementary to TRPs, the closed DT is relaxed to open state via the toehold-mediated strand displacement, inducing a decreased FRET efficiency, which is utilized for determination of TRP length distribution. The detection limit of telomerase activity is equivalent to 141 cells/μL for HeLa cells, and telomerase-active cellular extracts can be differentiated from telomerase-inactive cellular extracts. Furthermore, TRPs owning 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 telomeric repeats are identified to account for 25.6%, 20.5%, 15.7%, 12.5%, and 25.7%, respectively. The proposed strategy will offer a new approach for reliable, accurate detection of telomerase activity and product length distribution for deeper studying its role and function in cancer.

The Emerging Roles for Telomerase in the Central Nervous System

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Meng-Ying Liu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Telomerase, a specialized ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex, maintains telomere length at the 3′ end of chromosomes, and functions importantly in stem cells, cancer and aging. Telomerase exists in neural stem cells (NSCs and neural progenitor cells (NPCs, at a high level in the developing and adult brains of humans and rodents. Increasing studies have demonstrated that telomerase in NSCs/NPCs plays important roles in cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, neuronal survival and neuritogenesis. In addition, recent works have shown that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT can protect newborn neurons from apoptosis and excitotoxicity. However, to date, the link between telomerase and diseases in the central nervous system (CNS is not well reviewed. Here, we analyze the evidence and summarize the important roles of telomerase in the CNS. Understanding the roles of telomerase in the nervous system is not only important to gain further insight into the process of the neural cell life cycle but would also provide novel therapeutic applications in CNS diseases such as neurodegenerative condition, mood disorders, aging and other ailments.

Telomerase as a potential anticancer target: growth inhibition and genomic instability.

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Faraoni, Isabella; Graziani, Grazia

2000-02-01

Stabilization of telomere length in chromosomes by an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (telomerase) appears to be responsible for the replicative immortality of cancer cells. These findings provide the rational basis for generating experimental models to develop anti-telomerase drugs. However, there is conflicting evidence in the literature about the outcome of telomerase inhibition. While tumor cytostatic and cytotoxic effects associated with telomerase inhibition have been described, absence of telomerase has been associated with genetic instability and tumor development. Therefore, a therapeutic strategy based on telomerase inhibition will likely have to cope with problems related to innate or acquired mechanisms of drug resistance and possibly to therapy-related tumors. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Acute myocardial infarction: 'telomerasing' for cardioprotection

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Sanchís-Gomar, Fabián; Lucía Mulas, Alejandro

2015-01-01

Reactivating the telomerase gene through gene therapy after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been recently reported to improve survival in mice. Given that regular physical exercise also activates this gene, therapeutic and lifestyle interventions targeting telomerase need to be explored as possible additions to the current armamentarium for myocardial regeneration. 9.292 JCR (2015) Q1, 17/289 Biochemistry & mollecular biology, 17/187 Cell biology, 8/124 Medicine, research & experimen...

Telomerase and drug resistance in cancer

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Lipinska, Natalia; Romaniuk, Aleksandra; Paszel-Jaworska, Anna; Toton, Ewa; Kopczynski, Przemyslaw; Rubis, Blazej

2017-01-01

It is well known that a decreased expression or inhibited activity of telomerase in cancer cells is accompanied by an increased sensitivity to some drugs (e.g., doxorubicin, cisplatin, or 5-fluorouracil). However, the mechanism of the resistance resulting from telomerase alteration remains elusive. There are theories claiming that it might be associated with telomere shortening, genome instability, hTERT translocation, mitochondria functioning modulation, or even alterations in ABC family gen...

Native gel electrophoresis of human telomerase distinguishes active complexes with or without dyskerin

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Gardano, Laura; Holland, Linda; Oulton, Rena; Le Bihan, Thierry; Harrington, Lea

2012-01-01

Telomeres, the ends of linear chromosomes, safeguard against genome instability. The enzyme responsible for extension of the telomere 3′ terminus is the ribonucleoprotein telomerase. Whereas telomerase activity can be reconstituted in vitro with only the telomerase RNA (hTR) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), additional components are required in vivo for enzyme assembly, stability and telomere extension activity. One such associated protein, dyskerin, promotes hTR stability in vivo and is the only component to co-purify with active, endogenous human telomerase. We used oligonucleotide-based affinity purification of hTR followed by native gel electrophoresis and in-gel telomerase activity detection to query the composition of telomerase at different purification stringencies. At low salt concentrations (0.1 M NaCl), affinity-purified telomerase was ‘supershifted’ with an anti-dyskerin antibody, however the association with dyskerin was lost after purification at 0.6 M NaCl, despite the retention of telomerase activity and a comparable yield of hTR. The interaction of purified hTR and dyskerin in vitro displayed a similar salt-sensitive interaction. These results demonstrate that endogenous human telomerase, once assembled and active, does not require dyskerin for catalytic activity. Native gel electrophoresis may prove useful in the characterization of telomerase complexes under various physiological conditions. PMID:22187156

The AAA-ATPase NVL2 is a telomerase component essential for holoenzyme assembly

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Her, Joonyoung [Departments of Biology and Integrated Omics for Biomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Chung, In Kwon, E-mail: topoviro@yonsei.ac.kr [Departments of Biology and Integrated Omics for Biomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-20

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Identification of the AAA-ATPase NVL2 as a novel hTERT-interacting protein. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NVL2 associates with catalytically active telomerase via an interaction with hTERT. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NVL2 is a telomerase component essential for holoenzyme assembly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ATP-binding activity of NVL2 is required for hTERT binding and telomerase assembly. -- Abstract: Continued cell proliferation requires telomerase to maintain functional telomeres that are essential for chromosome integrity. Although the core enzyme includes a telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and a telomerase RNA component (TERC), a number of auxiliary proteins have been identified to regulate telomerase assembly, localization, and enzymatic activity. Here we describe the characterization of the AAA-ATPase NVL2 as a novel hTERT-interacting protein. NVL2 interacts and co-localizes with hTERT in the nucleolus. NLV2 is also found in association with catalytically competent telomerase in cell lysates through an interaction with hTERT. Depletion of endogenous NVL2 by small interfering RNA led to a decrease in hTERT without affecting the steady-state levels of hTERT mRNA, thereby reducing telomerase activity, suggesting that NVL2 is an essential component of the telomerase holoenzyme. We also found that ATP-binding activity of NVL2 is required for hTERT binding as well as telomerase assembly. Our findings suggest that NVL2, in addition to its role in ribosome biosynthesis, is essential for telomerase biogenesis and provides an alternative approach for inhibiting telomerase activity in cancer.

Nutrition and lifestyle in healthy aging: the telomerase challenge.

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Boccardi, Virginia; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Mecocci, Patrizia

2016-01-01

Nutrition and lifestyle, known to modulate aging process and age-related diseases, might also affect telomerase activity. Short and dysfunctional telomeres rather than average telomere length are associated with longevity in animal models, and their rescue by telomerase maybe sufficient to restore cell and organismal viability. Improving telomerase activation in stem cells and potentially in other cells by diet and lifestyle interventions may represent an intriguing way to promote health-span in humans.

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

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

2014-10-01

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

Clinical Outcomes of Lung Transplantation in Patients with Telomerase Mutations

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Tokman, Sofya; Singer, Jonathan P.; Devine, Megan S.; Westall, Glen P.; Aubert, John-David; Tamm, Michael; Snell, Gregory I.; Lee, Joyce S.; Goldberg, Hilary J.; Kukreja, Jasleen; Golden, Jeffrey A.; Leard, Lorriana E.; Garcia, Christine K.; Hays, Steven R.

2017-01-01

Background Successful lung transplantation (LT) for patients with pulmonary fibrosis from telomerase mutations is limited by systemic complications of telomerase dysfunction including myelosuppression, cirrhosis, and malignancy. We describe clinical outcomes among 14 LT recipients with telomerase mutations. Methods Subjects underwent LT between February 2005 and April 2014 at 5 LT centers. We abstracted data from medical records, focusing on outcomes reflecting post-LT treatment effects likely to be complicated by telomerase mutations. Results The median age of subjects was 60.5 years (IQR 52.0–62.0), 64.3% were male, and the mean post-LT observation time was 3.2 years (SD ±2.9). Eleven subjects had a mutation in telomerase reverse transcriptase, 2 in telomerase RNA component, and 1 had an uncharacterized mutation. Ten subjects were leukopenic post-LT; leukopenia prompted cessation of mycophenolate mofetil in 5 and treatment with filgrastim in 4. Six subjects had recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), 7 had acute cellular rejection (ACR) (A1), and 4 developed chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Ten LT recipients developed chronic renal insufficiency and 8 experienced acute, reversible renal failure. Three developed cancer, none had cirrhosis. Thirteen subjects were alive at data censorship. Conclusions The clinical course for LT recipients with telomerase mutations is complicated by renal disease, leukopenia prompting a change in the immunosuppressive regimen, and recurrent LTRI. In contrast, cirrhosis was absent, ACR was mild, and development of CLAD was comparable to other LT populations. While posing challenges, lung transplantation may be feasible for patients with pulmonary fibrosis due to telomerase mutations. PMID:26169663

Telomeres and Telomerase in Hematopoietic Dysfunction: Prognostic Implications and Pharmacological Interventions

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Theresa Vasko

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Leukocyte telomere length (TL has been suggested as a marker of biological age in healthy individuals, but can also reflect inherited and acquired hematopoietic dysfunctions or indicate an increased turnover of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell compartment. In addition, TL is able to predict the response rate of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, indicates clinical outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, and can be used as screening tool for genetic sequencing of selected genes in patients with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS. In tumor cells and clonal hematopoietic disorders, telomeres are continuously stabilized by reactivation of telomerase, which can selectively be targeted by telomerase-specific therapy. The use of the telomerase inhibitor Imetelstat in patients with essential thrombocythmia or myelofibrosis as well as the use of dendritic cell-based telomerase vaccination in AML patients with complete remissions are promising examples for anti-telomerase targeted strategies in hematologic malignancies. In contrast, the elevation in telomerase levels through treatment with androgens has become an exciting clinical intervention for patients with BMFS. Here, we review recent developments, which highlight the impact of telomeres and telomerase targeted therapies in hematologic dysfunctions.

Downregulation of telomerase activity in human promyelocytic cell line using RNA interference.

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Miri-Moghaddam, E; Deezagi, A; Soheili, Z S

2009-12-01

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex. It consists of two main components, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and human telomerase RNA. High telomerase activity is present in most malignant cells, but it is barely detectable in majority of somatic cells. The direct correlation between telomerase reactivation and carcinogens has made hTERT a key target for anticancer therapeutic studies. In this study, for the first time, we evaluated the ability of the new generation of short interfering RNA (siRNA) to regulate telomerase activity in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL-60). Transient transfection cell line by hTERT siRNAs resulted in statistically significant suppression of hTERT messenger RNAs which were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the expressed hTERT protein levels were measured by flow cytometry. The results of telomeric repeat amplification protocol showed that telomerase activity was significantly reduced upon transfection of the HL-60 cell line with hTERT siRNAs. The results of this study showed that telomerase activity and cell proliferation were efficiently inhibited in the hTERT siRNA-treated leukemic cell line.

Telomerase activity-independent function of telomerase reverse transcriptase is involved in acrylamide-induced neuron damage.

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Zhang, P; Pan, H; Wang, J; Liu, X; Hu, X

2014-07-01

Polyacrylamide is used widely in industry, and its decomposition product, acrylamide (ACR), readily finds its way into commonly consumed cosmetics and baked and fried foods. ACR exerts potent neurotoxic effects in human and animal models. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, traditionally has been considered to play an important role in maintaining telomere length. Emerging evidence has shown, however, that TERT plays an important role in neuroprotection by inhibiting apoptosis and excitotoxicity, and by promoting angiogenesis, neuronal survival and neurogenesis, which are closely related to the telomere-independent functions of TERT. We investigated whether and how the TERT pathway is involved in ACR induced neurotoxicity in rat cortical neurons. We found that ACR 1) significantly reduced the viability of cortical neurons as measured by MTT assay, 2) induced neuron apoptosis as revealed by FITC-conjugated Annexin V/PI double staining and flow cytometry (FACS) analysis, 3) elevated expression of cleaved caspase-3, and 4) decreased bcl-2 expression of cortical neurons. ACR also increased intracellular ROS levels in cortical neurons, increased MDA levels and reduced GSH, SOD and GSH-Px levels in mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner. We found that TERT expression in mitochondria was increased by ACR at concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 mM, but TERT expression was decreased by 10 mM ACR. Telomerase activity, however, was undetectable in rat cortical neurons. Our results suggest that the TERT pathway is involved in ACR induced apoptosis of cortical neurons. TERT also may exert its neuroprotective role in a telomerase activity-independent way, especially in mitochondria.

Global gene expression response to telomerase in bovine adrenocortical cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrault, Steven D.; Hornsby, Peter J.; Betts, Dean H.

2005-01-01

The infinite proliferative capability of most immortalized cells is dependent upon the presence of the enzyme telomerase and its ability to maintain telomere length and structure. However, telomerase may be involved in a greater system than telomere length regulation, as recent evidence has shown it capable of increasing wound healing in vivo, and improving cellular proliferation rate and survival from apoptosis in vitro. Here, we describe the global gene expression response to ectopic telomerase expression in an in vitro bovine adrenocortical cell model. Telomerase-immortalized cells showed an increased ability for proliferation and survival in minimal essential medium above cells transgenic for GFP. cDNA microarray analyses revealed an altered cell state indicative of increased adrenocortical cell proliferation regulated by the IGF2 pathway and alterations in members of the TGF-B family. As well, we identified alterations in genes associated with development and wound healing that support a model that high telomerase expression induces a highly adaptable, progenitor-like state

Progressive Increase in Telomerase Activity From Benign Melanocytic Conditions to Malignant Melanoma

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Ruben D. Ramirez

1999-04-01

Full Text Available The expression of telomerase activity and the in situ localization of the human telomerase RNA component (hTR in melanocytic skin lesions was evaluated in specimens from sixty-three patients. Specimens of melanocytic nevi, primary melanomas and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma were obtained from fifty-eight patients, whereas metastasized lymph nodes were obtained from five patients. Telomerase activity was determined in these specimens by using a Polymerase Chain Reaction—based assay (TRAP. High relative mean telomerase activity levels were detected in metastatic melanoma (subcutaneous metastasess = 54.5, lymph node metastasess = 56.5. Much lower levels were detected in primary melanomas, which increased with advancing levels of tumor cell penetration (Clark II = 0.02, Clark III = 1.1, and Clark IV = 1.9. Twenty-six formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded melanocytic lesions were sectioned and analyzed for telomerase RNA with a radioactive in situ hybridization assay. In situ hybridization studies with a probe to the template RNA component of telomerase confirmed that expression was almost exclusively confined to tumor cells and not infiltrating lymphocytes. These results indicate that levels of telomerase activity and telomerase RNA in melanocytic lesions correlate well with clinical stage and could potentially assist in the diagnosis of borderline lesions.

RPA facilitates telomerase activity at chromosome ends in budding and fission yeasts.

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Luciano, Pierre; Coulon, Stéphane; Faure, Virginie; Corda, Yves; Bos, Julia; Brill, Steven J; Gilson, Eric; Simon, Marie-Noelle; Géli, Vincent

2012-04-18

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the telomerase complex binds to chromosome ends and is activated in late S-phase through a process coupled to the progression of the replication fork. Here, we show that the single-stranded DNA-binding protein RPA (replication protein A) binds to the two daughter telomeres during telomere replication but only its binding to the leading-strand telomere depends on the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex. We further demonstrate that RPA specifically co-precipitates with yKu, Cdc13 and telomerase. The interaction of RPA with telomerase appears to be mediated by both yKu and the telomerase subunit Est1. Moreover, a mutation in Rfa1 that affects both the interaction with yKu and telomerase reduces the dramatic increase in telomere length of a rif1Δ, rif2Δ double mutant. Finally, we show that the RPA/telomerase association and function are conserved in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Our results indicate that in both yeasts, RPA directly facilitates telomerase activity at chromosome ends.

Down-regulation of telomerase activity in DLD-1 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells by tocotrienol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eitsuka, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Kiyotaka; Miyazawa, Teruo

2006-01-01

As high telomerase activity is detected in most cancer cells, inhibition of telomerase by drug or dietary food components is a new strategy for cancer prevention. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect of vitamin E, with particular emphasis on tocotrienol (unsaturated vitamin E), on human telomerase in cell-culture study. As results, tocotrienol inhibited telomerase activity of DLD-1 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells in time- and dose-dependent manner, interestingly, with δ-tocotrienol exhibiting the highest inhibitory activity. Tocotrienol inhibited protein kinase C activity, resulting in down-regulation of c-myc and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression, thereby reducing telomerase activity. In contrast to tocotrienol, tocopherol showed very weak telomerase inhibition. These results provide novel evidence for First time indicating that tocotrienol acts as a potent candidate regulator of telomerase and supporting the anti-proliferative function of tocotrienol

Evidence for ovarian granulosa stem cells: telomerase activity and localization of the telomerase ribonucleic acid component in bovine ovarian follicles.

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Lavranos, T C; Mathis, J M; Latham, S E; Kalionis, B; Shay, J W; Rodgers, R J

1999-08-01

We have previously postulated that granulosa cells of developing follicles arise from a population of stem cells. Stem cells and cancer cells can divide indefinitely partly because they express telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that repairs the ends of telomeres that otherwise shorten progressively upon each successive cell division. In this study we carried out cell cycle analyses and examined telomerase expression to examine our hypothesis. Preantral (60-100 microm) and small (1 mm) follicles, as well as granulosa cells from medium-sized (3 mm) and large (6-8 mm) follicles, were isolated. Cell cycle analyses and expression of Ki-67, a cell cycle-related protein, were undertaken on follicles of each size (n = 3) by flow cytometry; 12% to 16% of granulosa cells in all follicles were in the S phase, and less than 2% were in the G(2)/M phase. Telomerase activity (n = 3) was highest in the small preantral follicles, declining at the 1-mm stage and even further at the 3-mm stage. In situ hybridization histochemistry was carried out on bovine ovaries, and telomerase RNA was detected in the granulosa cells of growing follicles but not primordial follicles. Two major patterns of staining were observed in the membrana granulosa of antral follicles: staining in the middle and antral layers, and staining in the middle and basal layers. No staining was detected in oocytes. Our results strongly support our hypothesis that granulosa cells arise from a population of stem cells.

Behaviour of telomere and telomerase during aging and regeneration in zebrafish.

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Anchelin, Monique; Murcia, Laura; Alcaraz-Pérez, Francisca; García-Navarro, Esther M; Cayuela, María L

2011-02-09

Telomere length and telomerase activity are important factors in the pathobiology of human diseases. Age-related diseases and premature aging syndromes are characterized by short telomeres, which can compromise cell viability, whereas tumour cells can prevent telomere loss by aberrantly upregulating telomerase. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) offers multiple experimental manipulation advantages over other vertebrate models and, therefore, it has been recently considered as a potential model for aging, cancer, and regeneration studies. However, it has only partially been exploited to shed light on these fundamental biological processes. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate telomere length and telomerase expression and activity in different strains of zebrafish obtained from different stock centres to determine whether they undergo any changes during aging and regeneration. We found that although both telomerase expression and telomere length increased from embryo to adulthood stages, they drastically declined in aged fish despite telomerase activity was detected in different tissues of old fish. In addition, we observed a weaker upregulation of telomerase expression in regenerating fins of old fish, which well correlates with their impaired regeneration capacity. Strikingly, telomeres were elongated or maintained during the fin regeneration process at all ages and after repeated amputations, likely to support high cell proliferation rates. We conclude that the expression of telomerase and telomere length are closely related during the entire life cycle of the fish and that these two parameters can be used as biomarkers of aging in zebrafish. Our results also reveal a direct relationship between the expression of telomerase, telomere length and the efficiency of tissue regeneration.

Telomeres, telomerase and premature ovarian failure

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Renata Košir Pogačnik

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of chromosomes, consisting of six repeated nucleotides in TTAGGG sequence. Genome stability is partly maintained by the architecture of telomeres and is gradually lost as telomeres progressively shorten with each cell replication. Critically shortened telomeres are recognized by DNA repair mechanisms as DNA damage and the cell replication cycle stops. The cell eventually dies or undergoes cell apoptosis. Telomere represents a cellular marker of biological age and are therefore also called cell mitotic clock. The enzyme that counteracts telomere shortening by adding nucleotides to the 3’ end of DNA strand is called telomerase. It is composed of the RNA subunit (TR, which is special type of messenger RNA (mRNA, the catalytic protein subunit (TERT, which works as a reverse transcriptase and numerous additional proteins. Telomerase is active in some germline, epithelial and haemopoietic cells, but in most somatic cells the activity is undetectable. In literature, the length of telomeres is closely connected with premature ovarian failure (POF. POF is generally defined as the onset of menopause before the age of 40. The causes of disease are genetical, autoimmune, iatrogenic or if we cannot establish the cause – idiopathic. A lot of studies examined correlation between idiopathic POF, length of telomeres and telomerase activity. The studies mostly show that women with POF have shortened telomeres and decreased activity of telomerase as compared to healthy women.

Telomeres, telomerase and oral cancer (Review).

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Sebastian, Sinto; Grammatica, Luciano; Paradiso, Angelo

2005-12-01

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (oral cancer) and many squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck arise as a consequence of multiple molecular events induced by the effects of various carcinogens related to tobacco use, environmental factors, and viruses in some instances (e.g., mucosal oncogenic human papillomaviruses), against a background of inheritable resistance or susceptibility. Consequent genetic damage affects many chromosomes and genes, and it is the accumulation of these changes that appears to lead to carcinoma. Telomere maintenance by telomerase or, in its absence, alternative lengthening of telomeres protect this acquired altered genetic information ensuring immortality without losing eukaryotic linear DNA; when this does not occur DNA is lost and end-replication problems arise. Telomerase is reactivated in 80-90% of cancers thus attracting the attention of pathologists and clinicians who have explored its use as a target for anticancer therapy and to develop better diagnostic and prognostic markers. In the last few years, valuable research from various laboratories has provided major insights into telomerase and telomeres leading to their use as diagnostic and prognostic markers in several types of cancer. Moreover, many strategies have emerged which inhibit this complex enzyme for anticancer therapy and are one step ahead of clinical trials. This review explains the basic biology and the clinical implications of telomerase-based diagnosis and prognosis, the prospects for its use in anticancer therapy, and the limitations it presents in the context of oral cancer.

Serum telomerase levels in smokers and smokeless tobacco users as Maras powder.

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Bozkuş, Fulsen; Atilla, Nurhan; Şimşek, Seçil; Kurutaş, Ergül; Samur, Anıl; Arpağ, Hüseyin; Kahraman, Hasan

2017-09-01

To the best of our knowledge, no previous study regarding the serum telomerase levels in Maras powder users (MPUs) has been founded. The aim of the current study was to investigate serum telomerase levels in smokers and MPUs. The study was carried out with 98 patients (36 MPUs, 32 smokers and 30 non-smokers). Blood samples were collected, and after having measured the serum telomerase and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of the patients, comparison were made between the groups. It has been observed that the serum telomerase and MDA levels of smokers (pnon-smoker control subjects. In addition, the levels of serum telomerase and MDA were observed to be higher in the MPU group compared to those of the smoker group (psmokers. In this context, it may be useful to further measure and assess telomerase activity in such patients in order to better determine the harmful effects associated with these habits.

Telomerase Activity in Chicken EmbryoFibroblast Cell Cultures Infected withMarek's Disease Virus

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Gregory A. Tannock

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Background:Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein, which adds telomeric repeats onto the 3’end of existing telomers at the end of chromosomes ineukaryotes. One hypothesis states that telomere length may function as a mitoticclock, therefore expression of telomerase activity in cancer cells may be a necessary and essential step for tumor development and progression.Methods:The detectability of telomerase activity in chicken embryofibroblast (CEF cells infected with different passages of Marek's disease virus(MDV was tested with the TRAPEZE® telomerase detection kit at passages14 (P14, P80/1 and P120 for the Woodland strain, and passage 9 (P9 for theMPF57 strain. Results:The results showed increased telomerase activity in MDV Woodlands strain at P14 and MPF57 strain at P9. Conclusion:Our results suggest that MDV-transformed cells at low passage are a suitable system for the study of telomerases in tumor developmentand for testing telomerase-inhibiting drugs.

Genetic variants in telomerase-related genes are associated with an older age at diagnosis in glioma patients: evidence for distinct pathways of gliomagenesis.

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Walsh, Kyle M; Rice, Terri; Decker, Paul A; Kosel, Matthew L; Kollmeyer, Thomas; Hansen, Helen M; Zheng, Shichun; McCoy, Lucie S; Bracci, Paige M; Anderson, Erik; Hsuang, George; Wiemels, Joe L; Pico, Alexander R; Smirnov, Ivan; Molinaro, Annette M; Tihan, Tarik; Berger, Mitchell S; Chang, Susan M; Prados, Michael D; Lachance, Daniel H; Sicotte, Hugues; Eckel-Passow, Jeanette E; Wiencke, John K; Jenkins, Robert B; Wrensch, Margaret R

2013-08-01

Genome-wide association studies have implicated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 7 genes as glioma risk factors, including 2 (TERT, RTEL1) involved in telomerase structure/function. We examined associations of these 7 established glioma risk loci with age at diagnosis among patients with glioma. SNP genotype data were available for 2286 Caucasian glioma patients from the University of California, San Francisco (n = 1434) and the Mayo Clinic (n = 852). Regression analyses were performed to test for associations between "number of risk alleles" and "age at diagnosis," adjusted for sex and study site and stratified by tumor grade/histology where appropriate. Four SNPs were significantly associated with age at diagnosis. Carrying a greater number of risk alleles at rs55705857 (CCDC26) and at rs498872 (PHLDB1) was associated with younger age at diagnosis (P = 1.4 × 10(-22) and P = 9.5 × 10(-7), respectively). These SNPs are stronger risk factors for oligodendroglial tumors, which tend to occur in younger patients, and their association with age at diagnosis varied across tumor subtypes. In contrast, carrying more risk alleles at rs2736100 (TERT) and at rs6010620 (RTEL1) was associated with older age at diagnosis (P = 6.2 × 10(-4) and P = 2.5 × 10(-4), respectively). These SNPs are risk factors for all glioma grades/histologies, and their association with age at diagnosis was consistent across tumor subgroups. Carrying a greater number of risk alleles might be expected to decrease age at diagnosis. However, glioma susceptibility conferred by variation in telomerase-related genes did not follow this pattern. This supports the hypothesis that telomerase-related mechanisms of telomere maintenance are more associated with gliomas that develop later in life than those utilizing telomerase-independent mechanisms (ie, alternative lengthening of telomeres).

Telomerase activity as a marker for malignancy in feline tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadile, C D; Kitchell, B E; Biller, B J; Hetler, E R; Balkin, R G

2001-10-01

To establish the diagnostic significance of the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay in detecting feline malignancies. Solid tissue specimens collected from 33 client-owned cats undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between July 1997 and September 1999 and an additional 20 tissue samples were collected from 3 clinically normal control cats euthanatized at the conclusion of an unrelated study. The TRAP assay was used for detection of telomerase activity. Each result was compared to its respective histopathologic diagnosis. Twenty-nine of 31 malignant and 1 of 22 benign or normal tissue samples had telomerase activity, indicating 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity of the TRAP assay in our laboratory. The diagnostic significance of telomerase activity has been demonstrated in humans and recently in dogs by our laboratory. We tested feline samples to determine whether similar patterns of telomerase activity exist. On the basis of our results, the TRAP assay may be clinically useful in providing a rapid diagnosis of malignancy in cats. The telomerase enzyme may also serve as a therapeutic target in feline tumors.

Ancient deuterostome origins of vertebrate brain signalling centres.

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Pani, Ariel M; Mullarkey, Erin E; Aronowicz, Jochanan; Assimacopoulos, Stavroula; Grove, Elizabeth A; Lowe, Christopher J

2012-03-14

Neuroectodermal signalling centres induce and pattern many novel vertebrate brain structures but are absent, or divergent, in invertebrate chordates. This has led to the idea that signalling-centre genetic programs were first assembled in stem vertebrates and potentially drove morphological innovations of the brain. However, this scenario presumes that extant cephalochordates accurately represent ancestral chordate characters, which has not been tested using close chordate outgroups. Here we report that genetic programs homologous to three vertebrate signalling centres-the anterior neural ridge, zona limitans intrathalamica and isthmic organizer-are present in the hemichordate Saccoglossus kowalevskii. Fgf8/17/18 (a single gene homologous to vertebrate Fgf8, Fgf17 and Fgf18), sfrp1/5, hh and wnt1 are expressed in vertebrate-like arrangements in hemichordate ectoderm, and homologous genetic mechanisms regulate ectodermal patterning in both animals. We propose that these genetic programs were components of an unexpectedly complex, ancient genetic regulatory scaffold for deuterostome body patterning that degenerated in amphioxus and ascidians, but was retained to pattern divergent structures in hemichordates and vertebrates. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Behaviour of telomere and telomerase during aging and regeneration in zebrafish.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monique Anchelin

Full Text Available Telomere length and telomerase activity are important factors in the pathobiology of human diseases. Age-related diseases and premature aging syndromes are characterized by short telomeres, which can compromise cell viability, whereas tumour cells can prevent telomere loss by aberrantly upregulating telomerase. The zebrafish (Danio rerio offers multiple experimental manipulation advantages over other vertebrate models and, therefore, it has been recently considered as a potential model for aging, cancer, and regeneration studies. However, it has only partially been exploited to shed light on these fundamental biological processes. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate telomere length and telomerase expression and activity in different strains of zebrafish obtained from different stock centres to determine whether they undergo any changes during aging and regeneration. We found that although both telomerase expression and telomere length increased from embryo to adulthood stages, they drastically declined in aged fish despite telomerase activity was detected in different tissues of old fish. In addition, we observed a weaker upregulation of telomerase expression in regenerating fins of old fish, which well correlates with their impaired regeneration capacity. Strikingly, telomeres were elongated or maintained during the fin regeneration process at all ages and after repeated amputations, likely to support high cell proliferation rates. We conclude that the expression of telomerase and telomere length are closely related during the entire life cycle of the fish and that these two parameters can be used as biomarkers of aging in zebrafish. Our results also reveal a direct relationship between the expression of telomerase, telomere length and the efficiency of tissue regeneration.

Telomerase variant A279T induces telomere dysfunction and inhibits non-canonical telomerase activity in esophageal carcinomas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuwei Zhang

Full Text Available Although implicated in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory disorders and hematologic malignancies, telomerase mutations have not been thoroughly characterized in human cancers. The present study was performed to examine the frequency and potential clinical relevance of telomerase mutations in esophageal carcinomas.Sequencing techniques were used to evaluate mutational status of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT and telomerase RNA component (TERC in neoplastic and adjacent normal mucosa from 143 esophageal cancer (EsC patients. MTS, flow cytometry, time lapse microscopy, and murine xenograft techniques were used to assess proliferation, apoptosis, chemotaxis, and tumorigenicity of EsC cells expressing either wtTERT or TERT variants. Immunoprecipitation, immunoblot, immunofluorescence, promoter-reporter and qRT-PCR techniques were used to evaluate interactions of TERT and several TERT variants with BRG-1 and β-catenin, and to assess expression of cytoskeletal proteins, and cell signaling. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization and spectral karyotyping techniques were used to examine telomere length and chromosomal stability.Sequencing analysis revealed one deletion involving TERC (TERC del 341-360, and two non-synonymous TERT variants [A279T (2 homozygous, 9 heterozygous; A1062T (4 heterozygous]. The minor allele frequency of the A279T variant was five-fold higher in EsC patients compared to healthy blood donors (p<0.01. Relative to wtTERT, A279T decreased telomere length, destabilized TERT-BRG-1-β-catenin complex, markedly depleted β-catenin, and down-regulated canonical Wnt signaling in cancer cells; these phenomena coincided with decreased proliferation, depletion of additional cytoskeletal proteins, impaired chemotaxis, increased chemosensitivity, and significantly decreased tumorigenicity of EsC cells. A279T expression significantly increased chromosomal aberrations in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs following Zeocin�

Detection of telomerase activity in Plasmodium falciparum using a nonradioactive method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubiano Claudia C

2003-01-01

Full Text Available A simple, quick and sensitive method was used to detect telomerase activity in Plasmodium falciparum. The telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay was modified using electrophoresis and staining with SYBR-green I to detect telomerase activity in a range of 10² to 10(7 parasites. This might be a useful way to ascertain telomerase activity in different types of nontumor cells.

Ciliate telomerase RNA loop IV nucleotides promote hierarchical RNP assembly and holoenzyme stability.

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Robart, Aaron R; O'Connor, Catherine M; Collins, Kathleen

2010-03-01

Telomerase adds simple-sequence repeats to chromosome 3' ends to compensate for the loss of repeats with each round of genome replication. To accomplish this de novo DNA synthesis, telomerase uses a template within its integral RNA component. In addition to providing the template, the telomerase RNA subunit (TER) also harbors nontemplate motifs that contribute to the specialized telomerase catalytic cycle of reiterative repeat synthesis. Most nontemplate TER motifs function through linkage with the template, but in ciliate and vertebrate telomerases, a stem-loop motif binds telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and reconstitutes full activity of the minimal recombinant TERT+TER RNP, even when physically separated from the template. Here, we resolve the functional requirements for this motif of ciliate TER in physiological RNP context using the Tetrahymena thermophila p65-TER-TERT core RNP reconstituted in vitro and the holoenzyme reconstituted in vivo. Contrary to expectation based on assays of the minimal recombinant RNP, we find that none of a panel of individual loop IV nucleotide substitutions impacts the profile of telomerase product synthesis when reconstituted as physiological core RNP or holoenzyme RNP. However, loop IV nucleotide substitutions do variably reduce assembly of TERT with the p65-TER complex in vitro and reduce the accumulation and stability of telomerase RNP in endogenous holoenzyme context. Our results point to a unifying model of a conformational activation role for this TER motif in the telomerase RNP enzyme.

The influence of the telomere-telomerase system on diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications.

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Qi Nan, Wu; Ling, Zhang; Bing, Chen

2015-06-01

The telomere-telomerase system plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of diabetes mellitus as well as in its vascular complications. Recent studies suggest that telomere shortening and abnormal telomerase activity occur in patients with diabetes mellitus, and targeting the telomere-telomerase system has become a prospective treatment for diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. This review highlights the significance of the telomere-telomerase system and supports its role as a possible therapeutic target for patients with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications Areas covered: This review covers the advances in understanding the telomere-telomerase system over the last 30 years and its significance in diabetes mellitus. In addition, it provides knowledge regarding the significance of the telomere-telomerase system in diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications as well as its role and mechanisms in oxidative stress, cell therapy and antioxidant activity Expert opinion: The telomere-telomerase system may be a potential therapeutic target that can protect against DNA damage and apoptosis in patients with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. DNA damage and apoptosis are associated with oxidative stress and are involved in the dysfunction of pancreatic β cells, insulin resistance, and its vascular complications. Abnormalities in the telomere-telomerase system may be associated with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. Therapies targeting telomere-telomerase system, telomerase reverse transcriptase transfection and alterative telomere lengthening must be identified before gene therapy can commence.

Troglitazone suppresses telomerase activity independently of PPARγ in estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashid-Kolvear, Fariborz; Taboski, Michael AS; Nguyen, Johnny; Wang, Dong-Yu; Harrington, Lea A; Done, Susan J

2010-01-01

Breast cancer is one the highest causes of female cancer death worldwide. Many standard chemotherapeutic agents currently used to treat breast cancer are relatively non-specific and act on all rapidly dividing cells. In recent years, more specific targeted therapies have been introduced. It is known that telomerase is active in over 90% of breast cancer tumors but inactive in adjacent normal tissues. The prevalence of active telomerase in breast cancer patients makes telomerase an attractive therapeutic target. Recent evidence suggests that telomerase activity can be suppressed by peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). However, its effect on telomerase regulation in breast cancer has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the effect of the PPARγ ligand, troglitazone, on telomerase activity in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Real time RT-PCR and telomerase activity assays were used to evaluate the effect of troglitazone. MDA-MB-231 cells had PPARγ expression silenced using shRNA interference. We demonstrated that troglitazone reduced the mRNA expression of hTERT and telomerase activity in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Troglitazone reduced telomerase activity even in the absence of PPARγ. In agreement with this result, we found no correlation between PPARγ and hTERT mRNA transcript levels in breast cancer patients. Statistical significance was determined using Pearson correlation and the paired Student's t test. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the effect of troglitazone on telomerase activity in breast cancer cells has been investigated. Our data suggest that troglitazone may be used as an anti-telomerase agent; however, the mechanism underlying this inhibitory effect remains to be determined

Inhibition of telomerase by linear-chain fatty acids: a structural analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oda, Masako; Ueno, Takamasa; Kasai, Nobuyuki; Takahashi, Hirotada; Yoshida, Hiromi; Sugawara, Fumio; Sakaguchi, Kengo; Hayashi, Hideya; Mizushina, Yoshiyuki

2002-01-01

In the present study, we have found that mono-unsaturated linear-chain fatty acids in the cis configuration with C(18) hydrocarbon chains (i.e. oleic acid) strongly inhibited the activity of human telomerase in a cell-free enzymic assay, with an IC(50) value of 8.6 microM. Interestingly, fatty acids with hydrocarbon chain lengths below 16 or above 20 carbons substantially decreased the potency of inhibition of telomerase. Moreover, the cis-mono-unsaturated C(18) linear-chain fatty acid oleic acid was the strongest inhibitor of all the fatty acids tested. A kinetic study revealed that oleic acid competitively inhibited the activity of telomerase ( K (i)=3.06 microM) with respect to the telomerase substrate primer. The energy-minimized three-dimensional structure of the linear-chain fatty acid was calculated and modelled. A molecule width of 11.53-14.26 A (where 1 A=0.1 nm) in the C(16) to C(20) fatty acid structure was suggested to be important for telomerase inhibition. The three-dimensional structure of the telomerase active site (i.e. the substrate primer-binding site) appears to have a pocket that could bind oleic acid, with the pocket being 8.50 A long and 12.80 A wide. PMID:12121150

Correlation between telomerase activity and matrix metalloproteinases 2 expression in gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Gang; Wang, Wenling; Zhou, Jianjiang; Yang, Xiaofeng

2013-01-01

To investigate the relationship between telomerase activity (TA) and matrix metallo proteinases 2 (MMP-2) on malignant behavior and prognosis predictable value in gastric cancer. Telomerase activity and MMP-2 protein expressions were tested in 40 gastric surgical resected cancer samples and the clinicopathological data of enrolled patients were obtained to get correlation analysis results. The expression of telomerase was up-regulated with infiltrating depth, lymph node metastasis and stage (P correlated with infiltrating depth (P < 0.05). Combined detections of telomerase activity and MMP2 protein could identify patients at high risk in disease recurrence and prognosis more efficiently.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of telomerase activity in benign and malignant thyroid tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Rongxiu; Fang Peihua; Tan Jian; Lu Mei; Li Yigong

2002-01-01

Objective: To study the status of telomerase activity during the development of thyroid tumors, and to determine whether telomerase activity can be used clinically as a molecular marker in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Methods: Telomerase activity was measured in 37 thyroid carcinomas, 33 benign thyroid lesions and 30 normal thyroid tissue samples by means of a modified TRAP-PCR. The assay was also applied to 15 fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of thyroid carcinomas to test its sensitivity. Results: Thirty-one of 37 thyroid carcinomas (83.8%), 7 of 33 benign thyroid lesions (21.2%), and 4 of 30 adjacent normal thyroid tissue samples expressed telomerase activity, 15 FNAs also had positive telomerase activity, just as their corresponding tissue specimens. The quantitative analysis showed that the telomerase activity was significantly higher in thyroid carcinomas than that in benign thyroid tissue samples. And medullary carcinomas and anaplastic carcinomas had higher levels of telomerase activity than papillary carcinomas. Conclusions: Telomerase activity is a good marker for thyroid carcinomas. The quantitative TRAP-PCR might have more potential application in the differential diagnosis of tumors and the estimation of tumor progression and prognosis. And this sensitive assay could become a useful new modality for supplementing microscopic cytopathology in the detection of cancer cells in small tissue samples and FNAs

RAD51 and RTEL1 compensate telomere loss in the absence of telomerase.

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Olivier, Margaux; Charbonnel, Cyril; Amiard, Simon; White, Charles I; Gallego, Maria E

2018-03-16

Replicative erosion of telomeres is naturally compensated by telomerase and studies in yeast and vertebrates show that homologous recombination can compensate for the absence of telomerase. We show that RAD51 protein, which catalyzes the key strand-invasion step of homologous recombination, is localized at Arabidopsis telomeres in absence of telomerase. Blocking the strand-transfer activity of the RAD51 in telomerase mutant plants results in a strikingly earlier onset of developmental defects, accompanied by increased numbers of end-to-end chromosome fusions. Imposing replication stress through knockout of RNaseH2 increases numbers of chromosome fusions and reduces the survival of these plants deficient for telomerase and homologous recombination. This finding suggests that RAD51-dependent homologous recombination acts as an essential backup to the telomerase for compensation of replicative telomere loss to ensure genome stability. Furthermore, we show that this positive role of RAD51 in telomere stability is dependent on the RTEL1 helicase. We propose that a RAD51 dependent break-induced replication process is activated in cells lacking telomerase activity, with RTEL1 responsible for D-loop dissolution after telomere replication.

Elevation of telomerase activity in chronic radiation ulcer of human skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoying; Zhao Po; Wang Dewen; Yang Zhixiang

1997-01-01

Objective: To investigate the levels of telomerase activity in chronic radiation ulcers of human skin and the possible relationship between the enzyme and cancer transformation. Method: Using nonisotopic telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP), detections were performed in 20 cases of chronic radiation ulcers of human skin, 5 cases of normal skin tissues and 5 cases of carcinoma. Results: The positive rates for telomerase activity were 30.0%(6/20), 0(0/5) and 100%(5/5) in chronic radiation ulcers of human skin, normal skin and carcinoma, respectively. The telomerase activity in radiation ulcer was weaker than in carcinoma. Conclusion: The telomerase activity assay might be used as a marker for predicting the prognosis and the effect of treatment in chronic radiation ulcer of human skin

Protein composition of catalytically active human telomerase from immortal cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cohen, Scott B; Graham, Mark E; Lovrecz, George O

2007-01-01

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex that adds 5'-TTAGGG-3' repeats onto the ends of human chromosomes, providing a telomere maintenance mechanism for approximately 90% of human cancers. We have purified human telomerase approximately 10(8)-fold, with the final elution dependent on th...

Telomerase activity and its association with psychological stress, mental disorders, lifestyle factors and interventions: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, W; Cheung, S T; Tsao, S W; Wang, X M; Tiwari, A F Y

2016-02-01

To summarise and discuss the association between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. A systematic review was carried out to identify prospective or retrospective studies and interventions published up to June 2015 that reported associations between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. Electronic data bases of PubMed, ProQuest, CINAHL and Google Scholar were searched. Twenty six studies on humans measured telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or leukocytes and examined its association with psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors. Of those studies, three reported significantly decreased telomerase activity in individuals under chronic psychological stress. Interestingly, one of the three studies found that acute laboratory psychological stress significantly increased telomerase activity. Nine studies reported mixed results on association between mental disorders and telomerase activity. Of the nine studies, five reported that major depressive disorder (MDD) was associated with significantly increased telomerase activity. In thirteen out of fourteen studies on lifestyle factors, it was reported that physical exercise, diet micronutrient supplementation, mindfulness meditation, Qigong practice or yoga mediation resulted in increase in telomerase activity. In addition, two studies on animal models showed that depression-like behaviour was associated with decreased hippocampus telomerase activity. Five animal studies showed that physical exercise increased telomerase activity by cell-type-specific and genotype-specific manners. Although multi-facet results were reported on the association between telomerase activity and psychological stress, mental disorders and lifestyle factors, there were some consistent findings in humans such as (1) decreased telomerase activity in individuals under chronic stress, (2) increased

Telomerase lost?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mason, J. M.; Randall, T. A.; Čapková Frydrychová, Radmila

2016-01-01

Roč. 125, č. 1 (2016), s. 65-73 ISSN 0009-5915 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-07172S Grant - others:GA JU(CZ) 052/2013/P; GA JU(CZ) 038/2014/P; European Union Seventh Framework Programme(CZ) 316304 Program:FP7 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : telomerase * DNA sequences * Bombyx mori Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.414, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00412-015-0528-7

Highly sensitive electrochemical detection of human telomerase activity based on bio-barcode method.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying; Liu, Bangwei; Li, Xia; Wei, Qingli

2010-07-15

In the present study, an electrochemical method for highly sensitive detection of human telomerase activity was developed based on bio-barcode amplification assay. Telomerase was extracted from HeLa cells, then the extract was mixed with telomerase substrate (TS) primer to perform extension reaction. The extension product was hybridized with the capture DNA immobilized on the Au electrode and then reacted with the signal DNA on Au nanoparticles to form a sandwich hybridization mode. Electrochemical signals were generated by chronocoulometric interrogation of [Ru(NH(3))(6)](3+) that quantitatively binds to the DNA on Au nanoparticles via electrostatic interaction. This method can detect the telomerase activity from as little as 10 cultured cancer cells without the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of telomerase extension product. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Telomerase as an emerging target to fight cancer--opportunities and challenges for nanomedicine.

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Philippi, C; Loretz, B; Schaefer, U F; Lehr, C M

2010-09-01

Telomerase as an enzyme is responsible for the renewal of the chromosomal ends, the so-called telomeres. By preventing them from shortening with each cell cycle, telomerase is able to inhibit cellular senescence and apoptosis. Telomerase activity, which is detectable in the majority of cancer cells, allows them to maintain their proliferative capacity. The thus obtained immortality of those cells again is a key to their malignancy. Based on these discoveries, it is obvious that telomerase inhibitors would represent an innovative approach to fight cancer, and a variety of such candidate molecules are currently in the pipeline. Telomerase inhibitors largely fall in two classes of compounds: small synthetic molecules and nucleotide-based biologicals. For several candidates, some proof of concept studies have been demonstrated, either on cell cultures or in animal models. But the same studies also revealed that inefficient delivery is largely limiting the translational step into the clinic. The most appealing feature of telomerase inhibitors, which distinguishes them from conventional anticancer drugs, is probably seen in their intrinsic non-toxicity to normal cells. Nevertheless, efficient delivery to the target cells, i.e. to the tumor, is still required. Here, some well-known biopharmaceutical problems such as insufficient solubility, permeability or even metabolic stability are frequently encountered. To address these challenges, there is a clear need for adequate delivery technologies, for example by using nanomedicines, that would allow to overcome their biopharmaceutical shortcomings and to warrant a sufficient bioavailability at the target side. This review first briefly explains the concept of telomerase and telomerase inhibition in cancer therapy. It secondly aims to provide an overview of the different currently known telomerase inhibitors. Finally, the biopharmaceutical limitations of these molecules are discussed as well as the possibilities to overcome

Telomerase activation by the E6 gene product of human papillomavirus type 16.

Science.gov (United States)

Klingelhutz, A J; Foster, S A; McDougall, J K

1996-03-07

Activation of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex that synthesizes telomere repeat sequences, is linked to cell immortalization and is characteristic of most cell lines and tumours. Here we show that expression of the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E6 protein activates telomerase in early-passage human keratinocytes and mammary epithelial cells. This activation was observed in cells pre-crisis, that is, before they became immortal, and occurred within one passage of retroviral infection with vectors expressing HPV-16 E6. Studies using HPV-16 E6 mutants showed that there was no correlation between the ability of the mutants to activate telomerase and their ability to target p53 for degradation, suggesting that telomerase activation by HPV-16 E6 is p53 independent. Keratinocytes expressing wild-type HPV-16 E6 have an extended lifespan, but do not become immortal, indicating that telomerase activation and E6-mediate degradation of p53 are insufficient for their immortalization. These results show that telomerase activation is an intrinsic, but insufficient, component of transformation by HPV.

Telomere stability and telomerase in mesenchymal stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serakinci, Nedime; Graakjaer, Jesper; Kølvrå, Steen

2008-01-01

Telomeres are repetitive genetic material that cap and thereby protect the ends of chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. Telomere length is mainly maintained by telomerase. This enzyme is present in high concentrations in the embryonic stem cells and in fast growing...... embryonic cells, and declines with age. It is still unclear to what extent there is telomerase in adult stem cells, but since these are the founder cells of cells of all the tissues in the body, understanding the telomere dynamics and expression of telomerase in adult stem cells is very important....... In the present communication we focus on telomere expression and telomere length in stem cells, with a special focus on mesenchymal stem cells. We consider different mechanisms by which stem cells can maintain telomeres and also focus on the dynamics of telomere length in mesenchymal stem cells, both the overall...

Detection of telomerase activity by the TRAP assay and its variants and alternatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Fajkus, Jirí

2006-09-01

Telomerase activity is closely connected to problems of cellular immortality, proliferative capacity, differentiation, cancer and aging. Correspondingly, techniques for its detection have been essential for progress in telomere biology and are of still increasing importance in molecular diagnostics and therapy of cancer. This article reviews the development of the telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and its various modifications as the most widespread assay to detect and measure telomerase activity. Alternative possibilities of telomerase activity detection are also discussed which make it possible to omit the PCR-mediated amplification of telomerase products. These approaches are based on recent advances in highly sensitive detection systems.

Clonal cell populations unresponsive to radiosensitization induced by telomerase inhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Yeun-Jin; Shin, Hyun-Jin; Park, Jeong-Eun; Juhn, Kyoung-Mi; Woo, Seon Rang; Kim, Hee-Young; Han, Young-Hoon; Hwang, Sang-Gu; Hong, Sung-Hee; Kang, Chang-Mo; Yoo, Young-Do; Park, Won-Bong; Cho, Myung-Haing; Park, Gil Hong; Lee, Kee-Ho

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → In our present manuscript, we have clearly showed an interesting but problematic obstacle of a radiosensitization strategy based on telomerase inhibition by showing that: Clonal population unresponsive to this radiosensitization occasionally arise. → The telomere length of unsensitized clones was reduced, as was that of most sensitized clones. → The unsensitized clones did not show chromosome end fusion which was noted in all sensitized clones. → P53 status is not associated with the occurrence of unsensitized clone. → Telomere end capping in unsensitized clone is operative even under telomerase deficiency. -- Abstract: A combination of a radiotherapeutic regimen with telomerase inhibition is valuable when tumor cells are to be sensitized to radiation. Here, we describe cell clones unresponsive to radiosensitization after telomere shortening. After extensive division of individual transformed clones of mTERC -/- cells, about 22% of clones were unresponsive to radiosensitization even though telomerase action was inhibited. The telomere lengths of unsensitized mTERC -/- clones were reduced, as were those of most sensitized clones. However, the unsensitized clones did not exhibit chromosomal end-to-end fusion to the extent noted in all sensitized clones. Thus, a defense mechanism preventing telomere erosion is operative even when telomeres become shorter under conditions of telomerase deficiency, and results in unresponsiveness to the radiosensitization generally mediated by telomere shortening.

The inhibitory effect of Curcuma longa extract on telomerase activity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-02-08

Feb 8, 2010 ... curcumin, could have important effect on treatment of lung cancer. Curcumin ... study inhibitory effect of C. longa total extract on telomerase in A549 lung cancer cell line as in vitro model of ..... If A > 2× (OD of negative control), then, telomerase activity ... radiation, chemotherapy, laser therapy, photodynamic.

Telomere-independent functions of telomerase in nuclei, cytoplasm, and mitochondria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiodi, Ilaria; Mondello, Chiara, E-mail: mondello@igm.cnr.it [Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia (Italy)

2012-09-28

Telomerase canonical activity at telomeres prevents telomere shortening, allowing chromosome stability and cellular proliferation. To perform this task, the catalytic subunit (telomerase reverse transcriptase, TERT) of the enzyme works as a reverse transcriptase together with the telomerase RNA component (TERC), adding telomeric repeats to DNA molecule ends. Growing evidence indicates that, besides the telomeric-DNA synthesis activity, TERT has additional functions in tumor development and is involved in many different biological processes, among which cellular proliferation, gene expression regulation, and mitochondrial functionality. TERT has been shown to act independently of TERC in the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway, regulating the expression of Wnt target genes, which play a role in development and tumorigenesis. Moreover, TERT RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity has been found, leading to the genesis of double-stranded RNAs that act as precursor of silencing RNAs. In mitochondria, a TERT TERC-independent reverse transcriptase activity has been described that could play a role in the protection of mitochondrial integrity. In this review, we will discuss some of the extra-telomeric functions of telomerase.

Telomerase Activity Impacts on Epstein-Barr Virus Infection of AGS Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Rac, Jürgen; Haas, Florian; Schumacher, Andrina; Middeldorp, Jaap M.; Delecluse, Henri-Jacques; Speck, Roberto F.

2015-01-01

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is transmitted from host-to-host via saliva and is associated with epithelial malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and some forms of gastric carcinoma (GC). Nevertheless, EBV does not transform epithelial cells in vitro where it is rapidly lost from infected primary epithelial cells or epithelial tumor cells. Long-term infection by EBV, however, can be established in hTERT-immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. Here, we hypothesized that increased telomerase activity in epithelial cells enhances their susceptibility to infection by EBV. Using HONE-1, AGS and HEK293 cells we generated epithelial model cell lines with increased or suppressed telomerase activity by stable ectopic expression of hTERT or of a catalytically inactive, dominant negative hTERT mutant. Infection experiments with recombinant prototypic EBV (rB95.8), recombinant NPC EBV (rM81) with increased epithelial cell tropism compared to B95.8, or recombinant B95.8 EBV with BZLF1-knockout that is not able to undergo lytic replication, revealed that infection frequencies positively correlate with telomerase activity in AGS cells but also partly depend on the cellular background. AGS cells with increased telomerase activity showed increased expression mainly of latent EBV genes, suggesting that increased telomerase activity directly acts on the EBV infection of epithelial cells by facilitating latent EBV gene expression early upon virus inoculation. Thus, our results indicate that infection of epithelial cells by EBV is a very selective process involving, among others, telomerase activity and cellular background to allow for optimized host-to-host transmission via saliva. PMID:25856387

Telomerase Activity Detected by Quantitative Assay in Bladder Carcinoma and Exfoliated Cells in Urine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Fedriga

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Early diagnosis is one of the most determining factors for patient survival. The detection of telomerase activity is a potentially promising tool in the diagnosis of bladder and other types of cancer due to the high expression of this enzyme in tumor cells. We carried out a quantitative evaluation of telomerase activity in urine samples in an attempt to determine a cut-off capable of identifying cancer patients. Telomerase activity was quantified by fluorescence TRAP assay in urine from 50 healthy volunteers and in urine and bioptic tumor samples from 56 previously untreated bladder cancer patients and expressed in arbitrary enzymatic units (AEU. Telomerase activity in urine ranged from 0 to 106 AEU (median 0 in healthy donors and from 0 to 282 AEU (median 87 in patients with cancer. A telomerase expression higher than the cut off value determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC analysis was observed in 78% of cases, regardless of tumor grade and in 71% (15/21 of cases of nonassessable or negative cytology. The quantitative analysis of telomerase activity in urine enabled us to define cut-off values characterized by different sensitivity and specificity. Cytologic and telomerase determination, used sequentially, enabled us to detect about 90% of tumors.

Urine Telomerase for Diagnosis and Surveillance of Bladder Cancer

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Angela Lamarca

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bladder cancer has increased incidence during last decades. For those patients with nonmuscle involved tumors, noninvasive diagnosis test and surveillance methods must be designed to avoid current cystoscopies that nowadays are done regularly in a lot of patients. Novel urine biomarkers have been developed during last years. Telomerase is important in cancer biology, improving the division capacity of cancer cells. Even urinary telomerase could be a potentially useful urinary tumor marker; its use for diagnosis of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients or its impact during surveillance is still unknown. Moreover, there will need to be uniformity and standardization in the assays before it can become useful in clinical practice. It does not seem to exist a real difference between the most classical assays for the detection of urine telomerase (TRAP and hTERT. However, the new detection methods with modified TeloTAGGG telomerase or with gold nanoparticles must also be taken into consideration for the correct development of this diagnosis method. Maybe the target population would be the high-risk groups within screening programs. To date there is no enough evidence to use it alone and to eliminate cystoscopies from the diagnosis and surveillance of these patients. The combination with cytology or FISH is still preferred.

Evolution of extreme stomach pH in bilateria inferred from gastric alkalization mechanisms in basal deuterostomes

OpenAIRE

Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y.; Tseng, Yung-Che; Guh, Ying-Jeh; Chen, Yi-Chih; Yu, Jr-Kai; Su, Yi-Hsien; Hwang, Pung-Pung

2015-01-01

The stomachs of most vertebrates operate at an acidic pH of 2 generated by the gastric H+/K+-ATPase located in parietal cells. The acidic pH in stomachs of vertebrates is believed to aid digestion and to protect against environmental pathogens. Little attention has been placed on whether acidic gastric pH regulation is a vertebrate character or a deuterostome ancestral trait. Here, we report alkaline conditions up to pH 10.5 in the larval digestive systems of ambulacraria (echinoderm + hemich...

Detection of telomerase on upconversion nanoparticle modified cellulose paper.

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Wang, Faming; Li, Wen; Wang, Jiasi; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2015-07-25

Herein we report a convenient and sensitive method for the detection of telomerase activity based on upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) modified cellulose paper. Compared with many solution-phase systems, this paper chip is more stable and easily stores the test results. What's more, the low background fluorescence of the UCNPs increases the sensitivity of this method, and the low telomerase levels in different cell lines can clearly be discriminated by the naked eye.

NAC selectively inhibit cancer telomerase activity: A higher redox homeostasis threshold exists in cancer cells

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Pengying Li

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Telomerase activity controls telomere length, and this plays an important role in stem cells, aging and tumors. Antioxidant was shown to protect telomerase activity in normal cells but inhibit that in cancer cells, but the underlying mechanism is elusive. Here we found that 7721 hepatoma cells held a higher redox homeostasis threshold than L02 normal liver cells which caused 7721 cells to have a higher demand for ROS; MnSOD over-expression in 7721 decreased endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS and inhibited telomerase activity; Akt phosphorylation inhibitor and NAC both inhibited 7721 telomerase activity. The over-elimination of ROS by NAC resulted in the inhibition of Akt pathway. Our results suggest that ROS is involved in the regulation of cancer telomerase activity through Akt pathway. The different intracellular redox homeostasis and antioxidant system in normal cells and tumor cells may be the cause of the opposite effect on telomerase activity in response to NAC treatment. Our results provide a theoretical base of using antioxidants selectively inhibit cancer telomerase activity. Findings of the present study may provide insights into novel approaches for cancer treatment.

Human RTEL1 stabilizes long G-overhangs allowing telomerase-dependent over-extension.

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Porreca, Rosa M; Glousker, Galina; Awad, Aya; Matilla Fernandez, Maria I; Gibaud, Anne; Naucke, Christian; Cohen, Scott B; Bryan, Tracy M; Tzfati, Yehuda; Draskovic, Irena; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo

2018-05-18

Telomere maintenance protects the cell against genome instability and senescence. Accelerated telomere attrition is a characteristic of premature aging syndromes including Dyskeratosis congenita (DC). Mutations in hRTEL1 are associated with a severe form of DC called Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). HHS patients carry short telomeres and HHS cells display telomere damage. Here we investigated how hRTEL1 contributes to telomere maintenance in human primary as well as tumor cells. Transient depletion of hRTEL1 resulted in rapid telomere shortening only in the context of telomerase-positive cells with very long telomeres and high levels of telomerase. The effect of hRTEL1 on telomere length is telomerase dependent without impacting telomerase biogenesis or targeting of the enzyme to telomeres. Instead, RTEL1 depletion led to a decrease in both G-overhang content and POT1 association with telomeres with limited telomere uncapping. Strikingly, overexpression of POT1 restored telomere length but not the overhang, demonstrating that G-overhang loss is the primary defect caused by RTEL1 depletion. We propose that hRTEL1 contributes to the maintenance of long telomeres by preserving long G-overhangs, thereby facilitating POT1 binding and elongation by telomerase.

Irradiation-induced telomerase activity and gastric cancer risk: a case-control analysis in a Chinese Han population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Xianli; Qiao, Qing; Ge, Naijian; Nan, Jing; Shen, Shuqun; Wang, Zizhong; Yang, Yefa; Bao, Guoqiang

2010-01-01

Telomerase expression is one of the characteristics of gastric cancer (GC) cells and telomerase activity is frequently up-regulated by a variety of mechanisms during GC development. Therefore, we hypothesized that elevated levels of activated telomerase might enhance GC risk due to increased propagation of cells with DNA damage, such as induced by γ-radiation. To explore this hypothesis, 246 GC cases and 246 matched controls were recruited in our case-control study. TRAP-ELISA was used to assess the levels of telomerase activity at baseline and after γ-radiation and the γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity (defined as after γ-irradiation/baseline) in cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Our data showed that there was no significant difference for the baseline telomerase activity between GC cases and controls (10.17 ± 7.21 vs. 11.02 ± 8.03, p = 0.168). However, after γ-radiation treatment, γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity was significantly higher in the cases than in the controls (1.51 ± 0.93 vs. 1.22 ± 0.66, p < 0.001). Using the median value of γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity in the controls as a cutoff point, we observed that high γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity was associated with a significantly increased GC risk (adjusted odds ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.83-3.18). Moreover, a dose response association was noted between γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity and GC risk. Age, but not sex, smoking and drinking status seem to have a modulating effect on the γ-radiation-induced telomerase activities in both cases and controls. Overall, our findings for the first time suggest that the increased γ-radiation-induced telomerase activity in PBLs might be associated with elevated GC risk. Further confirmation of this association using a prospective study design is warranted

Targeting telomerase and DNA repair in human cancers

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Prakash Hande, M.

2014-01-01

Telomerase reactivation is essential for telomere maintenance in human cancer cells ensuring indefinite proliferation. Targeting telomere homeostasis has become one of the promising strategies in the therapeutic management of tumours. One major potential drawback, however, is the time lag between telomerase inhibition and critically shortened telomeres triggering cell death, allowing cancer cells to acquire drug resistance. Numerous studies over the last decade have highlighted the role of DNA repair proteins such as Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 (PARP-1), and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) in the maintenance of telomere homoeostasis. Dysfunctional telomeres, resulting from the loss of telomeric DNA repeats or the loss of function of telomere-associated proteins trigger DNA damage responses similar to that observed for double strand breaks. We have been working on unravelling such synthetic lethality in cancer cells and this talk would be on one such recently concluded study that demonstrates that inhibition of DNA repair pathways, i.e., NHEJ pathway and that of telomerase could be an alternative strategy to enhance anti-tumour effects and circumvent the possibility of drug resistance. (author)

Telomerase and Tel1p Preferentially Associate with Short Telomeres in S. cerevisiae

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Sabourin, Michelle; Tuzon, Creighton T.; Zakian, Virginia A.

2009-01-01

SUMMARY In diverse organisms, telomerase preferentially elongates short telomeres. We generated a single short telomere in otherwise wild-type (WT) S. cerevisiae cells. The binding of the positive regulators Ku and Cdc13p was similar at short and WT-length telomeres. The negative regulators Rif1p and Rif2p were present at the short telomere, although Rif2p levels were reduced. Two telomerase holoenzyme components, Est1p and Est2p, were preferentially enriched at short telomeres in late S/G2 phase, the time of telomerase action. Tel1p, the yeast ATM-like checkpoint kinase, was highly enriched at short telomeres from early S through G2 phase and even into the next cell cycle. Nonetheless, induction of a single short telomere did not elicit a cell-cycle arrest. Tel1p binding was dependent on Xrs2p and required for preferential binding of telomerase to short telomeres. These data suggest that Tel1p targets telomerase to the DNA ends most in need of extension. PMID:17656141

A novel telomerase activator suppresses lung damage in a murine model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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Le Saux, Claude Jourdan; Davy, Philip; Brampton, Christopher; Ahuja, Seema S; Fauce, Steven; Shivshankar, Pooja; Nguyen, Hieu; Ramaseshan, Mahesh; Tressler, Robert; Pirot, Zhu; Harley, Calvin B; Allsopp, Richard

2013-01-01

The emergence of diseases associated with telomere dysfunction, including AIDS, aplastic anemia and pulmonary fibrosis, has bolstered interest in telomerase activators. We report identification of a new small molecule activator, GRN510, with activity ex vivo and in vivo. Using a novel mouse model, we tested the potential of GRN510 to limit fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mTERT heterozygous mice. Treatment with GRN510 at 10 mg/kg/day activated telomerase 2-4 fold both in hematopoietic progenitors ex vivo and in bone marrow and lung tissue in vivo, respectively. Telomerase activation was countered by co-treatment with Imetelstat (GRN163L), a potent telomerase inhibitor. In this model of bleomycin-induced fibrosis, treatment with GRN510 suppressed the development of fibrosis and accumulation of senescent cells in the lung via a mechanism dependent upon telomerase activation. Treatment of small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) or lung fibroblasts ex vivo with GRN510 revealed telomerase activating and replicative lifespan promoting effects only in the SAEC, suggesting that the mechanism accounting for the protective effects of GRN510 against induced lung fibrosis involves specific types of lung cells. Together, these results support the use of small molecule activators of telomerase in therapies to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Telomere biology and telomerase mutations in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Flávia S Donaires

Full Text Available Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at linear chromosome termini, protecting chromosomes against end-to-end fusion and damage, providing chromosomal stability. Telomeres shorten with mitotic cellular division, but are maintained in cells with high proliferative capacity by telomerase. Loss-of-function mutations in telomere-maintenance genes are genetic risk factors for cirrhosis development in humans and murine models. Telomerase deficiency provokes accelerated telomere shortening and dysfunction, facilitating genomic instability and oncogenesis. Here we examined whether telomerase mutations and telomere shortening were associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC secondary to cirrhosis. Telomere length of peripheral blood leukocytes was measured by Southern blot and qPCR in 120 patients with HCC associated with cirrhosis and 261 healthy subjects. HCC patients were screened for telomerase gene variants (in TERT and TERC by Sanger sequencing. Age-adjusted telomere length was comparable between HCC patients and healthy subjects by both Southern blot and qPCR. Four non-synonymous TERT heterozygous variants were identified in four unrelated patients, resulting in a significantly higher mutation carrier frequency (3.3% in patients as compared to controls (p = 0.02. Three of the four variants (T726M, A1062T, and V1090M were previously observed in patients with other telomere diseases (severe aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and cirrhosis. A novel TERT variant, A243V, was identified in a 65-year-old male with advanced HCC and cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV and alcohol ingestion, but direct assay measurements in vitro did not detect modulation of telomerase enzymatic activity or processivity. In summary, constitutional variants resulting in amino acid changes in the telomerase reverse transcriptase were found in a small proportion of patients with cirrhosis-associated HCC.

Telomerase Inhibition by Everolimus Suppresses Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Neointima Formation Through Epigenetic Gene Silencing.

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Aono, Jun; Ruiz-Rodriguez, Ernesto; Qing, Hua; Findeisen, Hannes M; Jones, Karrie L; Heywood, Elizabeth B; Bruemmer, Dennis

2016-01-01

The present study sought to investigate the mechanisms underlying the mitogenic function of telomerase and to test the hypothesis that everolimus, commonly used on drug-eluting stents, suppresses smooth muscle cells (SMC) proliferation by targeting telomerase. Proliferation of SMC during neointima formation is prevented by drug-eluting stents. Although the replicative capacity of mammalian cells is enhanced by telomerase expression, the contribution of telomerase to the proliferative response underlying neointima formation and its potential role as a pharmacological target remain to be investigated. We first employed constitutive expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in cell systems to study transcriptional mechanisms by which telomerase activates a mitogenic program. Second, overexpression of telomerase in mice provided a model to study the role of telomerase as a drug target for the antiproliferative efficacy of everolimus. Inhibition of neointima formation by everolimus is lost in mice overexpressing TERT, indicating that repression of telomerase confers the antiproliferative efficacy of everolimus. Everolimus reduces TERT expression in SMC through an Ets-1-dependent inhibition of promoter activation. The inhibition of TERT-dependent SMC proliferation by everolimus occurred in the absence of telomere shortening but rather as a result of a G1→S phase arrest. Although everolimus failed to inhibit phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein as the gatekeeper of S-phase entry, it potently repressed downstream target genes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we finally demonstrate that TERT induces E2F binding to S-phase gene promoters and supports histone acetylation, effects that are inhibited by everolimus and mediate its antiproliferative activity. These results characterize telomerase as a previously unrecognized target for the antiproliferative activity of everolimus. Our studies further identify a novel mitogenic pathway in SMC

Telomeres and Telomerase in the Radiation Response: implications for instability, reprogramming, and carcinogenesis

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Brock James Sishc

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes comprised of tandem arrays of repetitive DNA sequence that serve to protect chromosomal termini from inappropriate degradation, as well as to prevent these natural DNA ends from being recognized as broken DNA (double-strand breaks; DSBs and triggering of inappropriate DNA damage responses. Preservation of telomere length requires telomerase, the specialized reverse transcriptase capable of maintaining telomere length via template-mediated addition of telomeric repeats onto the ends of newly synthesized chromosomes. Loss of either end-capping function or telomere length maintenance has been associated with genomic instability or senescence in a variety of settings; therefore telomeres and telomerase have well-established connections to cancer and aging. It has long been recognized that oxidative stress promotes shortening of telomeres, and that telomerase activity is a radiation-inducible function. However, the effects of ionizing radiation (IR exposure on telomeres per se are much less well understood and appreciated. To gain a deeper understanding of the roles telomeres and telomerase play in the response of human cells to ionizing radiations of different qualities, we tracked changes in telomeric end-capping function, telomere length, and telomerase activity in panels of mammary epithelial and hematopoietic cell lines exposed to low linear energy transfer (LET gamma(γ-rays or high LET high charge, high energy (HZE particles, delivered either acutely or at low dose rates (LDR. In addition to demonstrating that dysfunctional telomeres contribute to IR-induced mutation frequencies and genome instability, we reveal non-canonical roles for telomerase, in that telomerase activity was required for IR-induced enrichment of mammary epithelial putative stem/progenitor cell populations, a finding also suggestive of cellular reprogramming. Taken together, the results reported here establish the critical importance of

Dynamic telomerase gene suppression via network effects of GSK3 inhibition.

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Alan E Bilsland

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Telomerase controls telomere homeostasis and cell immortality and is a promising anti-cancer target, but few small molecule telomerase inhibitors have been developed. Reactivated transcription of the catalytic subunit hTERT in cancer cells controls telomerase expression. Better understanding of upstream pathways is critical for effective anti-telomerase therapeutics and may reveal new targets to inhibit hTERT expression.In a focused promoter screen, several GSK3 inhibitors suppressed hTERT reporter activity. GSK3 inhibition using 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime suppressed hTERT expression, telomerase activity and telomere length in several cancer cell lines and growth and hTERT expression in ovarian cancer xenografts. Microarray analysis, network modelling and oligonucleotide binding assays suggested that multiple transcription factors were affected. Extensive remodelling involving Sp1, STAT3, c-Myc, NFkappaB, and p53 occurred at the endogenous hTERT promoter. RNAi screening of the hTERT promoter revealed multiple kinase genes which affect the hTERT promoter, potentially acting through these factors. Prolonged inhibitor treatments caused dynamic expression both of hTERT and of c-Jun, p53, STAT3, AR and c-Myc.Our results indicate that GSK3 activates hTERT expression in cancer cells and contributes to telomere length homeostasis. GSK3 inhibition is a clinical strategy for several chronic diseases. These results imply that it may also be useful in cancer therapy. However, the complex network effects we show here have implications for either setting.

Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Protein SBDS Maintains Human Telomeres by Regulating Telomerase Recruitment

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Yi Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS is a rare pediatric disease characterized by various systemic disorders, including hematopoietic dysfunction. The mutation of Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS gene has been proposed to be a major causative reason for SDS. Although SBDS patients were reported to have shorter telomere length in granulocytes, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Here we provide data to elucidate the role of SBDS in telomere protection. We demonstrate that SBDS deficiency leads to telomere shortening. We found that overexpression of disease-associated SBDS mutants or knockdown of SBDS hampered the recruitment of telomerase onto telomeres, while the overall reverse transcriptase activity of telomerase remained unaffected. Moreover, we show that SBDS could specifically bind to TPP1 during the S phase of cell cycle, likely functioning as a stabilizer for TPP1-telomerase interaction. Our findings suggest that SBDS is a telomere-protecting protein that participates in regulating telomerase recruitment.

Does telomerase activity have an effect on infertility in patients with endometriosis?

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Sofiyeva, Nigar; Ekizoglu, Seda; Gezer, Altay; Yilmaz, Handan; Kolomuc Gayretli, Tugba; Buyru, Nur; Oral, Engin

2017-06-01

This study aimed to investigate the role of telomerase activity in the development of endometriosis-related infertility by evaluation of the serum telomerase in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue. Eutopic endometrium, cystic wall/ovarian cortex, and venous blood were assessed in forty-seven patients. The following groups of patients were identified: females with endometriosis requiring surgical intervention and healthy control females. Patients with histopathologically confirmed endometriosis were further subdivided in the infertile (n=14) and fertile (n=17) groups. Patients who underwent hysterectomy and oophorectomy for benign gynecological conditions were enrolled in the healthy control group (n=16). Telomerase activity was evaluated with three-group, endometriosis-based and fertility-based designs. Analyses were performed regardless the menstrual cycle phase (Phase G), in proliferative (Phase P) (n=22) and secretory phases (Phase S) (n=25). Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol PCR was applied for telomerase activity assessment. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 14.2, GraphPad Prisma 7.01. In analyses of the eutopic endometrium, with three-group design, a significant difference was not found in Phase G and P (p=0.58 and p=0.33, respectively). However, a statistical difference was shown in Phase S (p=0.008). A significant difference was not established in Phase G, P and S of endometriosis-based design (p=0.35, p=1.0, p=0.13, respectively). No difference was detected in Phase G and P of fertility-based design (p=0.66 and p=0.14, respectively), whereas in secretory phase difference was approved (p=0,049). Telomerase activity was not established in ectopic endometrium and in serum assessment. Telomerase activity is useless as a biomarker in peripheric blood analysis. The absence of activity in cystic wall approves the high differentiation of endometriosis tissue, what is the possible reason of low malignancy risk. The high rate of telomerase

Telomerase activity promotes osteoblast differentiation by modulating IGF-signaling pathway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, Hamid; Qiu, Weimin; Li, Chen

2015-01-01

-regulation of several components of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling. Specifically, a significant increase in IGF-induced AKT phosphorylation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were observed in hMSC-TERT. Enhanced ALP activity was reduced in presence of IGF1 receptor inhibitor: picropodophyllin....... In addition, telomerase deficiency caused significant reduction in IGF signaling proteins in osteoblastic cells cultured from telomerase deficient mice (Terc (-/-)). The low bone mass exhibited by Terc (-/-) mice was associated with significant reduction in serum levels of IGF1 and IGFBP3 as well as reduced...... skeletal mRNA expression of Igf1, Igf2, Igf2r, Igfbp5 and Igfbp6. IGF1-induced osteoblast differentiation was also impaired in Terc (-/-) MSC. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that impaired IGF/AKT signaling contributes to the observed decreased bone mass and bone formation exhibited by telomerase...

The effects of erythropoietin signaling on telomerase regulation in non-erythroid malignant and non-malignant cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uziel, Orit; Kanfer, Gil; Beery, Einat; Yelin, Dana; Shepshelovich, Daniel; Bakhanashvili, Mary; Nordenberg, Jardena; Lahav, Meir

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We assumed that some of erythropoietin adverse effects may be mediated by telomerase activity. • EPO administration increased telomerase activity, cells proliferation and migration. • The inhibition of telomerase modestly repressed the proliferative effect of erythropoietin. • Telomere shortening caused by long term inhibition of the enzyme totally abolished that effect. • This effect was mediated via the Lyn–AKT axis and not by the canonical JAK2–STAT pathway. - Abstract: Treatment with erythropoietin (EPO) in several cancers is associated with decreased survival due to cancer progression. Due to the major importance of telomerase in cancer biology we hypothesized that some of these effects may be mediated through EPO effect on telomerase. For this aim we explored the possible effects of EPO on telomerase regulation, cell migration and chemosensitivity in non-erythroid malignant and non-malignant cells. Cell proliferation, telomerase activity (TA) and cell migration increased in response to EPO. EPO had no effect on cancer cells sensitivity to cisplatinum and on the cell cycle status. The inhibition of telomerase modestly repressed the proliferative effect of EPO. Telomere shortening caused by long term inhibition of the enzyme abolished the effect of EPO, suggesting that EPO effects on cancer cells are related to telomere dynamics. TA was correlated with the levels of Epo-R. The increase in TA was mediated post-translationally through the Lyn-Src and not the canonical JAK2 pathway

The effects of erythropoietin signaling on telomerase regulation in non-erythroid malignant and non-malignant cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uziel, Orit, E-mail: Oritu@clalit.org.il [Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Kanfer, Gil [Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Dep. of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Beery, Einat [Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Yelin, Dana; Shepshelovich, Daniel [Medicine A, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Bakhanashvili, Mary [Unit of Infectious Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer (Israel); Nordenberg, Jardena [Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Dep. of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Endocrinology Laboratory, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah-Tikva (Israel); Lahav, Meir [Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel); Medicine A, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv (Israel)

2014-07-18

Highlights: • We assumed that some of erythropoietin adverse effects may be mediated by telomerase activity. • EPO administration increased telomerase activity, cells proliferation and migration. • The inhibition of telomerase modestly repressed the proliferative effect of erythropoietin. • Telomere shortening caused by long term inhibition of the enzyme totally abolished that effect. • This effect was mediated via the Lyn–AKT axis and not by the canonical JAK2–STAT pathway. - Abstract: Treatment with erythropoietin (EPO) in several cancers is associated with decreased survival due to cancer progression. Due to the major importance of telomerase in cancer biology we hypothesized that some of these effects may be mediated through EPO effect on telomerase. For this aim we explored the possible effects of EPO on telomerase regulation, cell migration and chemosensitivity in non-erythroid malignant and non-malignant cells. Cell proliferation, telomerase activity (TA) and cell migration increased in response to EPO. EPO had no effect on cancer cells sensitivity to cisplatinum and on the cell cycle status. The inhibition of telomerase modestly repressed the proliferative effect of EPO. Telomere shortening caused by long term inhibition of the enzyme abolished the effect of EPO, suggesting that EPO effects on cancer cells are related to telomere dynamics. TA was correlated with the levels of Epo-R. The increase in TA was mediated post-translationally through the Lyn-Src and not the canonical JAK2 pathway.

Telomerase Inhibition by a New Synthetic Derivative of the Aporphine Alkaloid Boldine

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Sakineh Kazemi Noureini

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Telomerase, the enzyme responsible for cell immortality, is an important target in anti-cancer drug discovery. Boldine, an abundant aporphine alkaloid of Peumus boldus, is known to inhibit telomerase at non-toxic concentrations. Cytotoxicity of N-benzylsecoboldine hydrochloride (BSB, a synthetic derivative of boldine, was determined using the MTT method in MCF7 and MDA-MB231 cells. Aliquots of cell lysates were incubated with various concentrations of BSB in qTRAP (quantitative telomere repeat amplification protocol-ligand experiments before substrate elongation by telomerase or amplification by hot-start Taq polymerase. The crystal structure of TERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase from Tribolium castaneum, was used for docking and molecular dynamics analysis. The qTRAP-ligand data gave an IC50 value of about 0.17 ± 0.1 µM for BSB, roughly 400 times stronger than boldine, while the LD50 in the cytotoxicity assays were 12.5 and 21.88 µM, respectively, in cells treated for 48 h. Although both compounds interacted well with the active site, MD analysis suggests a second binding site with which BSB interacts via two hydrogen bonds, much more strongly than boldine. Theoretical analyses also evaluated the IC50 for BSB as submicromolar. BSB, with greater hydrophobicity and flexibility than boldine, represents a promising structure to inhibit telomerase at non-toxic concentrations.

Radiation-induced progressive decreasing in the expression of reverse transcriptase gene of hEST2 and telomerase activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Hanneng; Chen Wenying; Xiong Sidong

2000-01-01

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that adds heximeric repeats called telomeres to the growing ends of chromosomal DNA. Telomerase activity is present in a vast majority of tumors but is repressed in most normal tissues. Human telomerase catalytic subunit gene (hEST2) reverse transcriptase (RT) segment was cloned by PCR according to the sequence published in GeneBank. PCR was used to investigate the expression of the hEST2 RT segment in diverse tumors as well as in various normal tissues. Results indicated that hEST2 RT segment was detectable in tumor cells lines but not in normal cells and tissues. In order to identify the relationship between telomerase and the biological effect of radiation injury, HeLa cells, KB cells and A431 cells were employed to measure the change in telomerase activity after 60 Co-ray irradiation at RNA level and protein level. Quantitative PCR determined that expression of hEST2 RT segment that encodes seven motifs of the human telomeras decreased with increasing dosage of radiation. In addition, a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol was used to assay telomerase activity after exposure to radiation. The results strongly support the experiments we had made: Telomerase activity decreases with increasing dosage of radiation. We conclude that detection of the hEST2 RT segment by Northern blotting is a new method for detecting telomerase activity. Furthermore, radiation can cause a dose-dependent decrease in telomerase activity. The effect of radiation on telomerase is one possible reason for the death of cancer cells after irradiation. (author)

Correlation between telomerase and mTOR pathway in cancer stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Fatma; Biray Avci, Cigir

2018-01-30

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are defined as a subset of tumor cells, are able to self-renew, proliferate, differentiate similar to normal stem cells. Therefore, targeting CSCs has been considered as a new approach in cancer therapy. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase which plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, cell growth, self-renewal in CSCs. On the other hand, hTERT overactivation provides replicative feature and immortality to CSCs, so the stemness and replicative properties of CSCs depend on telomerase activity. Therefore hTERT/telomerase activity may become a universal biomarker for anticancer therapy and it is an attractive therapeutic target for CSCs. It is known that mTOR regulates telomerase activity at the translational and post-translational level. Researchers show that mTOR inhibitor rapamycin reduces telomerase activity without changing hTERT mRNA activity. Correlation between mTOR and hTERT is important for survival and immortality of cancer cells. In addition, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and hTERT up-regulation are related with cancer stemness features and drug resistance. mTOR inhibitor and TERT inhibitor combination may construct a novel strategy in cancer stem cells and it can make a double effect on telomerase enzyme. Consequently, inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway components and hTERT activation may prohibit CSC self-renewal and surpass CSC-mediated resistance in order to develop new cancer therapeutics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

P. berghei telomerase subunit TERT is essential for parasite survival.

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Agnieszka A Religa

Full Text Available Telomeres define the ends of chromosomes protecting eukaryotic cells from chromosome instability and eventual cell death. The complex regulation of telomeres involves various proteins including telomerase, which is a specialized ribonucleoprotein responsible for telomere maintenance. Telomeres of chromosomes of malaria parasites are kept at a constant length during blood stage proliferation. The 7-bp telomere repeat sequence is universal across different Plasmodium species (GGGTTT/CA, though the average telomere length varies. The catalytic subunit of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT, is present in all sequenced Plasmodium species and is approximately three times larger than other eukaryotic TERTs. The Plasmodium RNA component of TERT has recently been identified in silico. A strategy to delete the gene encoding TERT via double cross-over (DXO homologous recombination was undertaken to study the telomerase function in P. berghei. Expression of both TERT and the RNA component (TR in P. berghei blood stages was analysed by Western blotting and Northern analysis. Average telomere length was measured in several Plasmodium species using Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF analysis. TERT and TR were detected in blood stages and an average telomere length of ∼ 950 bp established. Deletion of the tert gene was performed using standard transfection methodologies and we show the presence of tert- mutants in the transfected parasite populations. Cloning of tert- mutants has been attempted multiple times without success. Thorough analysis of the transfected parasite populations and the parasite obtained from extensive parasite cloning from these populations provide evidence for a so called delayed death phenotype as observed in different organisms lacking TERT. The findings indicate that TERT is essential for P. berghei cell survival. The study extends our current knowledge on telomere biology in malaria parasites and validates further

[Methods of measuring telomere length and telomerase activity--practice and problems].

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Saito, Y; Suda, T; Hatakeyama, K

1998-05-01

The development of a highly sensitive method for detection of telomerase activity, telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP), has provided knowledge on telomerase activity in normal and cancer tissues. Subsequent several modifications have been achieved, including an introduction of the internal standard and hybridization protection technique that leads to simplicity and improvement of reproducibility and linearity of this method, and application of TRAP to in situ analysis to identify the cells responsible for telomerase activity. As for measurement of telomere length, fluorescence in situ hybridization technique appeared to give an information of telomere length on an individual chromosome in contrast to analysis of terminal restriction fragment, a conventional method which can express mean telomere length of all chromosomes. Further methodological improvement in this field is ongoing and showing a new sight on cell mortality and immortality.

Effect of Mifepristone on the Telomerase Activity in Chorion and Decidua during Early Pregnancy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ge-qing XIA; Ya-li XIONG; Yong-hong SUN

2004-01-01

Objective To investigate telomerase activity in chorion and decidua from abortion induced by mifepristone incorporated with misoprostol at early pregnancy Methods TRAP-SYBR Green assay was used to detect the expression of telomerase. Forty specimen were obtained from medicinal abortion (experiment group) and forty were from normal induced abortion (control group).Results Positive expression, of chorion telomerase was significantly different between the experimental group (28％, 11/40) and the control group (73％, 29/40) (P＜0. 05).While in decidua, the positive rate was 28％ (11/40) in the experimental group and 20％ (9/40) in the control group, there was no significant difference (P＞0. 05).Conclusion It is suggested that miferistone may significantly decrease the telomerase activity in chorion but not in decidua.

Alterations of telomerase activity and terminal restriction fragment in gastric cancer and its premalignant lesions.

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Yang, S M; Fang, D C; Luo, Y H; Lu, R; Battle, P D; Liu, W W

2001-08-01

In order to explore the role of alterations of telomerase activity and terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length in the development and progression of gastric cancer. Telomerase activity was detected in 176 specimens of gastric mucosa obtained through an operation or endoscopical biopsy by using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Meanwhile, the mean length of TRF was measured with the use of a Southern blot in part of those samples. Telomerase activity was detected in 14 of 57 (24.6%) chronic atrophy gastritis patients, six of 18 (33.3%) intestinal metaplasia patients, three of eight (37.5%) dysplasia patients and 60 of 65 (92.3%) gastric cancer patients, respectively. Normal gastric mucosa revealed no telomerase activity. No association was found between telomerase activity and any clinicopathological parameters. The mean TRF length was decreased gradually with age in normal mucosa and in gastric cancer tissue. Regression analysis demonstrated that the reduction rate in these tissues was 41 +/- 12 base pairs/year. Among 35 gastric cancers, TRF length was shown to be shorter in 20 cases (57.1%), similar in 12 cases (34.3%) and elongated in three cases (7.6%), compared to the corresponding adjacent tissues. The mean TRF length tended to decrease as the mucosa underwent chronic atrophy gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and into gastric cancer. The mean TRF length in gastric cancer was not statistically correlated with clinicopathological parameters and telomerase activity. Our results suggest that telomerase is expressed during the early stage of gastric carcinogenesis, and that the clinical significance of TRF length appears to be limited in gastric cancer.

The roles of telomeres and telomerase in cellular immortalization and the development of cancer.

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Klingelhutz, A J

1999-01-01

Normal human cells have a limited lifespan in culture called the Hayflick limit. Recent studies have indicated that telomere shortening is one of the important meters utilized by cells to determine the Hayflick limit, and that activation of a mechanism to maintain telomere length is essential for cells to become immortal. It is generally believed that cells must have a means to maintain telomeres in order to progress to malignancy. Most cancers do this by activating an enzyme called telomerase which adds telomeric repeats to the telomere ends. Recently, expression of this enzyme has been shown to extend the lifespan of cells. This review discusses the research that led to the discovery of telomerase, the characteristics of telomerase complex, and how recent and future advances in the telomerase field may lead to better diagnostic and treatment protocols for many different cancer types.

The effect of β-ionone on telomerase activity in the human leukemia cell line K562

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Zohreh Faezizadeh

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Telomerase is highly activated in most human cancer cells, therefore, its inhibition has been proposed as a novel and promising strategy for cancer therapy. Many plant-derived anticancer agents act through inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis. β-ionone, a carotenoid compound isolated from Roseaceae, has been reported to possess anticancer properties. The present study was undertaken to examine the mechanism of β-ionone-induced apoptosis in human leukemia cell line K562 with special emphasis on its role in telomerase inhibition. Method: In this study the anti-proliferation effect of β-ionone on K562 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis rate was detected by Hoechst staining and flow cytometry analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by (TRAP ELISA assay. Results: Exposure of K562 cells to β-ionone caused a dose-dependent decrease in proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis and Hoechst staining showed that percentage of apoptotic cells markedly increased with an increase in β-ionone concentration. Compared to control cells, treatment of K562 cells with β-ionone resulted in a significant decrease of telomerase activity. Moreover, a positive correlation was detected between telomerase inhibition and apoptosis induction in the treated K562 cells. Conclusion: Based on these results, β-ionone is an appropriate candidate for inhibiting telomerase activity in K562 cells. Therefore, it may be utilized as a novel drug against some leukemia cell lines.

Telomerase Inhibition by Everolimus Suppresses Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Neointima Formation Through Epigenetic Gene Silencing

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Jun Aono, MD, PhD

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs during neointima formation is prevented by drug-eluting stents. The replicative capacity of mammalian cells is enhanced by telomerase expression; however, the contribution of telomerase to the proliferative response underlying neointima formation and its potential role as a pharmacological target are unknown. The present study investigated the mechanisms underlying the mitogenic function of telomerase, and tested the hypothesis that everolimus, which is commonly used on drug-eluting stents, suppresses SMC proliferation by targeting telomerase. Inhibition of neointima formation by everolimus was lost in mice overexpressing telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT, indicating that repression of telomerase confers the anti-proliferative efficacy of everolimus. Everolimus reduced TERT expression in SMC through an Ets-1-dependent inhibition of promoter activation. The inhibition of TERT-dependent SMC proliferation by everolimus occurred in the absence of telomere shortening but rather as a result of a G1→S-phase arrest. Although everolimus failed to inhibit phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein as the gatekeeper of S-phase entry, it potently repressed downstream target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that TERT induced E2F binding to S-phase gene promoters and supported histone acetylation. These effects were sensitive to inhibition by everolimus. These results characterize telomerase as a previously unrecognized target for the antiproliferative activity of everolimus, and further identify a novel mitogenic pathway in SMC that depends on the epigenetic activation of S-phase gene promoters by TERT.

Improved Inhibition of Telomerase by Short Twisted Intercalating Nucleic Acids under Molecular Crowding Conditions

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Agarwal, Tani; Pradhan, Devranjan; Géci, Imrich

2012-01-01

Human telomeric DNA has the ability to fold into a 4-stranded G-quadruplex structure. Several G-quadruplex ligands are known to stabilize the structure and thereby inhibit telomerase activity. Such ligands have demonstrated efficient telomerase inhibition in dilute conditions, but under molecular...

Low LET radiation-induced telomerase catalytic subunit promoter activation is mediated by nuclear factor Kappa B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, M.; Hong, F.A.; Mohan, S.; Herman, T.S.

2003-01-01

Full text: The objective of this study is to understand whether low doses of low LET radiation induces survival advantage in normal cells. As an increase in telomerase activity is associated with longevity and cell proliferation, we examined the telomerase response following gamma-irradiation in normal aortic endothelial cells. Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol assay following low LET radiation showed an increase in telomerase enzyme activity as early as 8 h post irradiation and reaches its maximum at 24 h. Subsequent analysis revealed that the increased telomerse enzyme activity is due to increased synthesis resulting from an increased transcription. Examination of transcriptional activation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter regulation showed an enhanced transcription of the telomerse gene following gamma-irradiation. In our previous reports we documented an increase in NF-kB DNA-binding property following low LET radiation (3). Therefore, to determine whether the activation of NF-kB-signaling is responsible for induced TERT promoter activation, cells transiently transfected with minimal promoter region of TERT containing wild type or mutant NF-kB binding site were examined following low LET radiation. TERT promoter activation was induced in wild type transfected cells whereas, in mutant kB binding site, the activation remained at the basal level similar to that of un-irradiated cells. More significantly, the gamma-ray mediated promoter activation of telomerase gene as well as induce telomerase enzyme activity was abrogated by ectopically expressing the IkBa mutant (IkBa (S32A/S36A)), which blocks NF-kB activation. The results thus suggest that exposure to low LET radiation could induce telomerase activity and the activation is at least, in part, mediated by the transcription factor NF-kB. Sustained activation of telomerase in these cells after low LET radiation may impart extended life span

Cell cycle-dependent transcription factors control the expression of yeast telomerase RNA.

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Dionne, Isabelle; Larose, Stéphanie; Dandjinou, Alain T; Abou Elela, Sherif; Wellinger, Raymund J

2013-07-01

Telomerase is a specialized ribonucleoprotein that adds repeated DNA sequences to the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes to preserve genome integrity. Some secondary structure features of the telomerase RNA are very well conserved, and it serves as a central scaffold for the binding of associated proteins. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA, TLC1, is found in very low copy number in the cell and is the limiting component of the known telomerase holoenzyme constituents. The reasons for this low abundance are unclear, but given that the RNA is very stable, transcriptional control mechanisms must be extremely important. Here we define the sequences forming the TLC1 promoter and identify the elements required for its low expression level, including enhancer and repressor elements. Within an enhancer element, we found consensus sites for Mbp1/Swi4 association, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed the binding of Mbp1 and Swi4 to these sites of the TLC1 promoter. Furthermore, the enhancer element conferred cell cycle-dependent regulation to a reporter gene, and mutations in the Mbp1/Swi4 binding sites affected the levels of telomerase RNA and telomere length. Finally, ChIP experiments using a TLC1 RNA-binding protein as target showed cell cycle-dependent transcription of the TLC1 gene. These results indicate that the budding yeast TLC1 RNA is transcribed in a cell cycle-dependent fashion late in G1 and may be part of the S phase-regulated group of genes involved in DNA replication.

The telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit from the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis.

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Dolores Bautista-España

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase in the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis. This protein (Trt1 contains 1371 amino acids and all of the characteristic TERT motifs. Mutants created by disrupting trt1 had senescent traits, such as delayed growth, low replicative potential, and reduced survival, that were reminiscent of the traits observed in est2 budding yeast mutants. Telomerase activity was observed in wild-type fungus sporidia but not those of the disruption mutant. The introduction of a self-replicating plasmid expressing Trt1 into the mutant strain restored growth proficiency and replicative potential. Analyses of trt1 crosses in planta suggested that Trt1 is necessary for teliospore formation in homozygous disrupted diploids and that telomerase is haploinsufficient in heterozygous diploids. Additionally, terminal restriction fragment analysis in the progeny hinted at alternative survival mechanisms similar to those of budding yeast.

Comparison of telomerase activity in prostate cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and benign prostatic hyperplasia

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Soleiman Mahjoub

2006-11-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase enzyme that synthesizes telomeric DNA on chromosome ends. The enzyme is important for the immortalization of cancer cells because it maintains the telomeres. METHODS: Telomerase activity (TA was measured by fluorescence-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (FTRAP assay in prostate carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH. RESULTS: TA was present in 91.4% of 70 prostate cancers, 68.8% of 16 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN, 43.3% of 30 BPH*, 21.4% of 14 atrophy and 20% of 15 normal samples adjacent to tumor. There was not any significant correlation between TA, histopathological tumor stage or gleason score. In contrast to high TA in the BPH* tissue from the cancer-bearing gland, only 6.3% of 32 BPH specimens from patients only diagnosed with BPH were telomerase activity-positive. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that TA is present in most prostate cancers. The high rate of TA in tissue adjacent to tumor may be attributed either to early molecular alteration of cancer that was histologically unapparent, or to the presence of occult cancer cells. Our findings suggest that the re-expression of telomerase activity could be one step in the transformation of BPH to PIN. KEY WORDS: Telomerase activity, prostate cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Coupled down-regulation of mTOR and telomerase activity during fluorouracil-induced apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma Cells

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Bu, Xinxin; Jia, Fengqi; Wang, Weifeng; Guo, Xianling; Wu, Mengchao; Wei, Lixin [Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical Universisty, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438 (China)

2007-11-12

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most invasive and frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in many regions of Asia. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway is involved in multiple cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and apoptosis. Up-regulation of telomerase activity is thought to be a critical step leading to cell transformation. This study investigated changes in mTOR pathway and telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 treated with chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu). We detected apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells by TUNEL assay. Telomerase activity, hTERT transcription level and p- p70 S6k was demonstrated by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol and silver staining assay, Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay and Western blot analysis respectively. Treating SMMC-7721 cells with 5-Fu leads to apoptosis of the cells, and reduction in telomerase activity, as well as a dramatic reduction in the activated form of p70 S6 kinase, a mTOR substrate. The 5-Fu treatment nearly abolishes transcription of hTERT (the major component of telomerase) mRNA. Treating SMMC-7721 cells with Rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, significantly reduce hTERT protein level but did not affect hTERT transcription. 5-Fu and rapamycin were synergistic in regards to down-regulation of telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cells. These results suggest that chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fu may down-regulate telomerase activity at both transcriptional level and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-dependent post-transcriptional level to facilitate hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.

Coupled down-regulation of mTOR and telomerase activity during fluorouracil-induced apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bu, Xinxin; Jia, Fengqi; Wang, Weifeng; Guo, Xianling; Wu, Mengchao; Wei, Lixin

2007-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most invasive and frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in many regions of Asia. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway is involved in multiple cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and apoptosis. Up-regulation of telomerase activity is thought to be a critical step leading to cell transformation. This study investigated changes in mTOR pathway and telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 treated with chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu). We detected apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells by TUNEL assay. Telomerase activity, hTERT transcription level and p- p70 S6k was demonstrated by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol and silver staining assay, Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay and Western blot analysis respectively. Treating SMMC-7721 cells with 5-Fu leads to apoptosis of the cells, and reduction in telomerase activity, as well as a dramatic reduction in the activated form of p70 S6 kinase, a mTOR substrate. The 5-Fu treatment nearly abolishes transcription of hTERT (the major component of telomerase) mRNA. Treating SMMC-7721 cells with Rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, significantly reduce hTERT protein level but did not affect hTERT transcription. 5-Fu and rapamycin were synergistic in regards to down-regulation of telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cells. These results suggest that chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fu may down-regulate telomerase activity at both transcriptional level and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-dependent post-transcriptional level to facilitate hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis

MicroRNA Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT: Micro Machines Pull Strings of Papier-Mâché Puppets

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Ammad Ahmad Farooqi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Substantial fraction of high-quality information is continuously being added into the existing pool of knowledge related to the biology of telomeres. Based on the insights gleaned from decades of research, it is clear that chromosomal stability needs a highly controlled and dynamic balance of DNA gain and loss in each terminal tract of telomeric repeats. Telomeres are formed by tandem repeats of TTAGGG sequences, which are gradually lost with each round of division of the cells. Targeted inhibition of telomerase to effectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells has attracted tremendous attention and overwhelmingly increasingly list of telomerase inhibitors truthfully advocates pharmacological significance of telomerase. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT is a multi-talented and catalytically active component of the telomerase-associated protein machinery. Different proteins of telomerase-associated machinery work in a synchronized and orchestrated manner to ensure proper maintenance of telomeric length of chromosomes. Rapidly emerging scientific findings about regulation of TERT by microRNAs has revolutionized our understanding related to the biology of telomeres and telomerase. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed how different miRNAs regulate TERT in different cancers. Use of miRNA-based therapeutics against TERT in different cancers needs detailed research in preclinical models for effective translation of laboratory findings to clinically effective therapeutics.

Telomere dynamics, end-to-end fusions and telomerase activation during the human fibroblast immortalization process.

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Ducray, C; Pommier, J P; Martins, L; Boussin, F D; Sabatier, L

1999-07-22

Loss of telomeric repeats during cell proliferation could play a role in senescence. It has been generally assumed that activation of telomerase prevents further telomere shortening and is essential for cell immortalization. In this study, we performed a detailed cytogenetic and molecular characterization of four SV40 transformed human fibroblastic cell lines by regularly monitoring the size distribution of terminal restriction fragments, telomerase activity and the associated chromosomal instability throughout immortalization. The mean TRF lengths progressively decreased in pre-crisis cells during the lifespan of the cultures. At crisis, telomeres reached a critical size, different among the cell lines, contributing to the peak of dicentric chromosomes, which resulted mostly from telomeric associations. We observed a direct correlation between short telomere length at crisis and chromosomal instability. In two immortal cell lines, although telomerase was detected, mean telomere length still continued to decrease whereas the number of dicentric chromosomes associated was stabilized. Thus telomerase could protect specifically telomeres which have reached a critical size against end-to-end dicentrics, while long telomeres continue to decrease, although at a slower rate as before crisis. This suggests a balance between elongation by telomerase and telomere shortening, towards a stabilized 'optimal' length.

Telomerase Protects Werner Syndrome Lineage-Specific Stem Cells from Premature Aging

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Hoi-Hung Cheung

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Werner syndrome (WS patients exhibit premature aging predominantly in mesenchyme-derived tissues, but not in neural lineages, a consequence of telomere dysfunction and accelerated senescence. The cause of this lineage-specific aging remains unknown. Here, we document that reprogramming of WS fibroblasts to pluripotency elongated telomere length and prevented telomere dysfunction. To obtain mechanistic insight into the origin of tissue-specific aging, we differentiated iPSCs to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs. We observed recurrence of premature senescence associated with accelerated telomere attrition and defective synthesis of the lagging strand telomeres in MSCs, but not in NPCs. We postulate this “aging” discrepancy is regulated by telomerase. Expression of hTERT or p53 knockdown ameliorated the accelerated aging phenotypein MSC, whereas inhibition of telomerase sensitized NPCs to DNA damage. Our findings unveil a role for telomerase in the protection of accelerated aging in a specific lineage of stem cells.

Reversibility of Defective Hematopoiesis Caused by Telomere Shortening in Telomerase Knockout Mice.

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Aparna Raval

Full Text Available Telomere shortening is common in bone marrow failure syndromes such as dyskeratosis congenita (DC, aplastic anemia (AA and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS. However, improved knowledge of the lineage-specific consequences of telomere erosion and restoration of telomere length in hematopoietic progenitors is required to advance therapeutic approaches. We have employed a reversible murine model of telomerase deficiency to compare the dependence of erythroid and myeloid lineage differentiation on telomerase activity. Fifth generation Tert-/- (G5 Tert-/- mice with shortened telomeres have significant anemia, decreased erythroblasts and reduced hematopoietic stem cell (HSC populations associated with neutrophilia and increased myelopoiesis. Intracellular multiparameter analysis by mass cytometry showed significantly reduced cell proliferation and increased sensitivity to activation of DNA damage checkpoints in erythroid progenitors and in erythroid-biased CD150hi HSC, but not in myeloid progenitors. Strikingly, Cre-inducible reactivation of telomerase activity restored hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC proliferation, normalized the DNA damage response, and improved red cell production and hemoglobin levels. These data establish a direct link between the loss of TERT activity, telomere shortening and defective erythropoiesis and suggest that novel strategies to restore telomerase function may have an important role in the treatment of the resulting anemia.

Nanocurcumin-Mediated Down-Regulation of Telomerase Via Stimulating TGFβ1 Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

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Shariati, Molood; Hajigholami, Samira; Veisi Malekshahi, Ziba; Entezari, Maliheh; Bodaghabadi, Narges; Sadeghizadeh, Majid

2017-10-10

Curcumin, extracted from turmeric, represents enormous potential to serve as an anticancer agent. Telomerase is viewed as a prominent molecular target of curcumin, and Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) has proven to be a major inhibitory signaling pathway for telomerase activity. In the current study, we aimed to explore suppressive effects of nanocurcumin on telomerase expression through TGFβ1 pathway in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Huh7). MTT assay was used to determine the effect of nonocurcumin on viability of Huh7 cells. RT-PCR was used to analyze the gene expression patterns. MTT assay revealed that nanocurcumin acts in a dose- and time-dependent manner to diminish the cell viability. RT-PCR analysis indicated that nanocurcumin results in augmentation of TGFβ1 72 hours post treatment and leads to the reduction of telomerase expression 48 and 72 hours post exposure. Also, up-regulation of Smad3 and E2F1 and down-regulation of Smad7 confirmed the effect of nanocurcumin on intermediate components of TGFβ1 pathway. Furthermore, transfection of the proximal promoter of telomerase triggered a significant reduction in luciferase activity. The data from the present study lead us to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying nanocurcumin-mediated regulation of telomerase expression, thereby presenting a new perspective to the landscape of using nanocurcumin as a cancer-oriented therapeutic agent.

Coupled down-regulation of mTOR and telomerase activity during fluorouracil-induced apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma Cells

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Wu Mengchao

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is the most invasive and frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in many regions of Asia. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway is involved in multiple cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and apoptosis. Up-regulation of telomerase activity is thought to be a critical step leading to cell transformation. Methods This study investigated changes in mTOR pathway and telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 treated with chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu. We detected apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells by TUNEL assay. Telomerase activity, hTERT transcription level and p- p70 S6k was demonstrated by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol and silver staining assay, Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay and Western blot analysis respectively. Results Treating SMMC-7721 cells with 5-Fu leads to apoptosis of the cells, and reduction in telomerase activity, as well as a dramatic reduction in the activated form of p70 S6 kinase, a mTOR substrate. The 5-Fu treatment nearly abolishes transcription of hTERT (the major component of telomerase mRNA. Treating SMMC-7721 cells with Rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, significantly reduce hTERT protein level but did not affect hTERT transcription. 5-Fu and rapamycin were synergistic in regards to down-regulation of telomerase activity in hepatocarcinoma cells. Conclusion These results suggest that chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fu may down-regulate telomerase activity at both transcriptional level and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-dependent post-transcriptional level to facilitate hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.

Trend of telomerase activity change during human iPSC self-renewal and differentiation revealed by a quartz crystal microbalance based assay

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Zhou, Yitian; Zhou, Ping; Xin, Yinqiang; Wang, Jie; Zhu, Zhiqiang; Hu, Ji; Wei, Shicheng; Ma, Hongwei

2014-11-01

Telomerase plays an important role in governing the life span of cells for its capacity to extend telomeres. As high activity of telomerase has been found in stem cells and cancer cells specifically, various methods have been developed for the evaluation of telomerase activity. To overcome the time-consuming procedures and complicated manipulations of existing methods, we developed a novel method named Telomeric Repeat Elongation Assay based on Quartz crystal microbalance (TREAQ) to monitor telomerase activity during the self-renewal and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). TREAQ results indicated hiPSCs possess invariable telomerase activity for 11 passages on Matrigel and a steady decline of telomerase activity when differentiated for different periods, which is confirmed with existing golden standard method. The pluripotency of hiPSCs during differentiation could be estimated through monitoring telomerase activity and compared with the expression levels of markers of pluripotency gene via quantitative real time PCR. Regular assessment for factors associated with pluripotency or stemness was expensive and requires excessive sample consuming, thus TREAQ could be a promising alternative technology for routine monitoring of telomerase activity and estimate the pluripotency of stem cells.

The Roles of Telomerase in the Generation of Polyploidy during Neoplastic Cell Growth

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Agni Christodoulidou

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Polyploidy contributes to extensive intratumor genomic heterogeneity that characterizes advanced malignancies and is thought to limit the efficiency of current cancer therapies. It has been shown that telomere deprotection in p53-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to high rates of polyploidization. We now show that tumor genome evolution through whole-genome duplication occurs in ∼15% of the karyotyped human neoplasms and correlates with disease progression. In a panel of human cancer and transformed cell lines representing the two known types of genomic instability (chromosomal and microsatellite, as well as the two known pathways of telomere maintenance in cancer (telomerase activity and alternative lengthening of telomeres, telomere dysfunction-driven polyploidization occurred independently of the mutational status of p53. Depending on the preexisting context of telomere maintenance, telomerase activity and its major components, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT and human telomerase RNA component (hTERC, exert both reverse transcriptase-related (canonical and noncanonical functions to affect tumor genome evolution through suppression or induction of polyploidization. These new findings provide a more complete mechanistic understanding of cancer progression that may, in the future, lead to novel therapeutic interventions.

β-Cyclodextrin-curcumin complex inhibit telomerase gene ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

2011-12-21

Dec 21, 2011 ... have various applications in cancer therapy. But, its low water solubility and bioavailability is possible for poor drug delivery of curcumin. In this study, we prepared β-cyclodextrin-curcumin complex to determine the inhibitory effect of this drug on telomerase gene expression. Curcumin was encapsulated.

Antioxidant therapy attenuates myocardial telomerase activity reduction in superoxide dismutase-deficient mice.

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Makino, Naoki; Maeda, Toyoki; Oyama, Jun-ichi; Sasaki, Makoto; Higuchi, Yoshihiro; Mimori, Koji; Shimizu, Takahiko

2011-04-01

Oxidative stress plays a pathological role in the development of heart failure. This study examined telomere biology in heart/muscle-specific manganese superoxide dismutase-deficient mice (H/M-SOD2(-/-)), which develop progressive congestive heart failure and exhibit pathology typical of dilated cardiomyopathy. EUK-8 (25mg/kg/day), a superoxide dismutase and catalase mimetic, was administered to H/M-SOD2(-/-) mice for four weeks beginning at 8 weeks of age. Telomere length, telomerase activity, telomere-associated proteins, and cell death signals were assessed in hearts from control wild-type mice (H/M-Sod2 (lox/ lox)) and H/M-SOD2(-/-) mice either treated or untreated with EUK-8. While cardiac function was unchanged in these experimental mice, the end-diastolic dimension in H/M-SOD2(-/-) mice was notably dilated and could be significantly reduced by EUK-8 treatment. At the end of the study, no shortening of telomere length was observed in heart tissues from all mice tested, but telomerase activity was decreased in heart tissue from H/M-SOD2(-/-) mice compared to control mice. Protein expression for telomerase reverse transcriptase and telomere repeat binding factor 2 was also downregulated in H/M-SOD2(-/-) heart tissue as was expression of phospho-Akt, insulin-like growth factor, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Expression levels of Sirt1, a lifespan modulator, were enhanced while FoxO3a was depressed in H/M-SOD2(-/-) hearts. All of the changes seen in H/M-SOD2(-/-) heart tissue could be inhibited by EUK-8 treatment. Taken together, the results suggest that oxidant stress might affect myocardial telomerase activity and telomere-associated proteins. Telomerase may therefore play a pivotal role in antioxidant defense mechanisms, and may be useful as a novel therapeutic tool for treating human heart failure. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Telomerase Inhibitor MST-312 Interferes with Multiple Steps in the Herpes Simplex Virus Life Cycle.

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Haberichter, Jarod; Roberts, Scott; Abbasi, Imran; Dedthanou, Phonphanh; Pradhan, Prajakta; Nguyen, Marie L

2015-10-01

The life cycle of herpes simplex virus (HSV) has the potential to be further manipulated to yield novel, more effective therapeutic treatments. Recent research has demonstrated that HSV-1 can increase telomerase activity and that expression of the catalytic component of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), alters sensitivity to HSV-dependent apoptosis. Telomerase is a cellular enzyme that synthesizes nucleotide repeats at the ends of chromosomes (telomeres), which prevents shortening of the 3' ends of DNA with each cell division. Once telomeres reach a critical length, cells undergo senescence and apoptosis. Here, we used a cell-permeable, reversible inhibitor of the telomerase enzyme, MST-312, to investigate telomerase activity during HSV infection. Human mammary epithelial cells immortalized through TERT expression and human carcinoma HEp-2 cells were infected with the KOS1.1 strain of HSV-1 in the presence of MST-312. MST-312 treatment reduced the number of cells displaying a cytopathic effect and the accumulation of immediate early and late viral proteins. Moreover, the presence of 20 μM to 100 μM MST-312 during infection led to a 2.5- to 5.5-log10 decrease in viral titers. MST-312 also inhibited the replication of HSV-2 and a recent clinical isolate of HSV-1. Additionally, we determined that MST-312 has the largest impact on viral events that take place prior to 5 h postinfection (hpi). Furthermore, MST-312 treatment inhibited virus replication, as measured by adsorption assays and quantification of genome replication. Together, these findings demonstrate that MST-312 interferes with the HSV life cycle. Further investigation into the mechanism for MST-312 is warranted and may provide novel targets for HSV therapies. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections can lead to cold sores, blindness, and brain damage. Identification of host factors that are important for the virus life cycle may provide novel targets for HSV antivirals. One such factor

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Detection of human telomerase reverse ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

salah

currently remains the gold standard procedure for diagnosis, yet, it is invasive and costly. Urinary cytopathology remains to be the only non-invasive alter- native method for diagnosis. Although it is tumour specific, yet it has a poor sensitivity, especially for low grade tumours. Detection of Telomerase enzyme in exfoliated ...

Changes in stress, eating, and metabolic factors are related to changes in telomerase activity in a randomized mindfulness intervention pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Daubenmier, Jennifer; Lin, Jue; Blackburn, Elizabeth; Hecht, Frederick M; Kristeller, Jean; Maninger, Nicole; Kuwata, Margaret; Bacchetti, Peter; Havel, Peter J; Epel, Elissa

2012-07-01

Psychological distress and metabolic dysregulation are associated with markers of accelerated cellular aging, including reduced telomerase activity and shortened telomere length. We examined whether participation in a mindfulness-based intervention, and, secondarily, improvements in psychological distress, eating behavior, and metabolic factors are associated with increases in telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We enrolled 47 overweight/obese women in a randomized waitlist-controlled pilot trial (n=47) of a mindfulness-based intervention for stress eating and examined changes in telomerase activity from pre- to post-intervention. In secondary analyses, changes in telomerase activity across the sample were examined in relation to pre- to post-intervention changes in psychological distress, eating behavior, and metabolic factors (weight, serum cortisol, fasting glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance). Both groups increased in mean telomerase activity over 4 months in intent-to-treat and treatment efficacy analyses (peating behavior, and metabolic health and increases in telomerase activity. These findings suggest that telomerase activity may be in part regulated by levels of both psychological and metabolic stress. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of Curcuma longa Extract on Telomerase Activity in Lung and Breast Cancer Cells

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Nosratollah Zarghami

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of Curcuma longa extract on the telomerase gene expression in QU-DB lung cancer and T47D breast cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: The present study is an experimental research. Using 3 different phases n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol, total extract of Curcuma longa in a serial dilution was prepared and three phases was analyzed for determining which phase has more curcuminoids. Then the extract cytotoxicity effect was tested on breast cancer cell line (T47D, and lung cancer cell line (QU-DB by 24, 48 and 72 h MTT (Dimethyl thiazolyl diphenyl tetrazolium assay. Then, the cells were treated with serial concentrations of the extract. Finally, total protein was extracted from the control and test groups, its quantity was determined and telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay was performed for measurement of possible inhibition of the telomerase activity. Results: Cell viability and MTT-based cytotoxicity assay show that the total extract of Curcuma longa has cytotoxic effect with different IC50s in breast and lung cancer cell lines. Analysis of TRAP assay also shows a significant reduction in telomerase activity on both cancer cells with different levels. Conclusion: Curcuma longa extract has anti-proliferation and telomerase inhibitory effects on QU-DB lung cancer and T47D breast cancer cells with differences in levels of telomerase inhibition.

TRAPping telomerase within the intestinal stem cell niche

OpenAIRE

Pech, Matthew F; Artandi, Steven E

2011-01-01

Recent work from Hans Clevers' lab reveals high telomerase activity and telomere length in dividing LGR5-positive intestinal stem cells. They further report random chromosome segregation and thus challenge the ‘immortal strand' hypothesis at least for this stem cell population.

Nonradioactive telomerase activity assay by microchip electrophoresis: privileges to the classical gel electrophoresis assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhelev, Zhivko; Bakalova, Rumiana; Ewis, Ashraf; Ohba, Hideki; Ishikawa, Mitsuru; Baba, Yoshinobu

2005-08-01

The present study accents on the privileges of microchip-based electrophoresis to the conventional gel electrophoresis in separation of telomerase repeat amplification protocol/polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ladder products obtained in telomerase-catalyzed reaction in cancer cells. We try to clarify the interpretation of the results obtained by both electrophoretic procedures and to avoid misinterpretation as a result of PCR-dependent artefacts.

Evidence for a relief of repression mechanism for activation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter.

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Wang, Shuwen; Zhu, Jiyue

2003-05-23

The transcriptional activation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an important step during cellular immortalization and tumorigenesis. To study how this activation occurs during immortalization, we have established a set of genetically related pre-crisis cells and their immortal progeny. As expected, hTERT mRNA was detected in our telomerase-positive immortal cells but not in pre-crisis cells or telomerase-negative immortal cells. However, transiently transfected luciferase reporters controlled by hTERT promoter sequences exhibited similar levels of luciferase activity in both telomerase-positive and -negative cells, suggesting that the endogenous chromatin context is likely required for hTERT regulation. Analysis of chromatin susceptibility to DNase I digestion consistently identified a DNase I hypersensitivity site (DHS) near the hTERT transcription initiation site in telomerase-positive cells. In addition, the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) induced hTERT transcription and also a general increase in chromatin sensitivity to DNase treatment in telomerase-negative cells. The TSA-induced hTERT transcription in pre-crisis cells was accompanied by the formation of a DHS at the hTERT promoter. Furthermore, the TSA-induced hTERT transcription and chromatin alterations were not blocked by cycloheximide, suggesting that this induction does not require de novo protein synthesis and that TSA induces hTERT expression through the inhibition of histone deacetylation at the hTERT promoter. Taken together, our results suggest that the endogenous chromatin environment plays a critical role in the regulation of hTERT expression during cellular immortalization.

Telomerase activity and apoptosis genes as parameters of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ekram Abdel-Salam

2013-01-23

Jan 23, 2013 ... ORIGINAL ARTICLE. Telomerase ... The Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics www.ejmhg.eg.net ... membrane protein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily and ... revision of the 1975 Helsinki Declaration. Methods ... Determination of Soluble Fas was in duplicate plasma sam- ples.

Low-Dose Fluvastatin and Valsartan Rejuvenate the Arterial Wall Through Telomerase Activity Increase in Middle-Aged Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Janić, Miodrag; Lunder, Mojca; Cerkovnik, Petra; Prosenc Zmrzljak, Uršula; Novaković, Srdjan; Šabovič, Mišo

2016-04-01

Previously, we have shown that slightly to moderately aged arteries in middle-aged males can be rejuvenated functionally by sub-therapeutic, low-dose fluvastatin and valsartan treatment. Here, we explore whether this treatment could also increase telomerase activity. We hypothesized that telomerase activity might be associated with (1) an improvement of arterial wall properties and (2) a reduction of inflammatory/oxidative stress parameters (both observed in our previous studies). The stored blood samples from 130 apparently healthy middle-aged males treated with fluvastatin (10 mg daily), valsartan (20 mg daily), fluvastatin and valsartan combination (10 and 20 mg), respectively, and placebo (control), were analyzed. The samples were taken before and after treatment lasting 30 days, and 5 months after treatment discontinuation. Telomerase activity was measured in blood leukocytes by a TaqMan Gene Expression Assay. Low-dose fluvastatin or valsartan increased telomerase activity (106.9% and 59.5% respectively; both p valsartan substantially increased telomerase activity, which significantly correlated with an improvement of endothelial function and a decrease of inflammation/oxidative stress. These findings could lead to a new innovative approach to arterial rejuvenation.

Telomere Elongation and Naive Pluripotent Stem Cells Achieved from Telomerase Haplo-Insufficient Cells by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

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Li-Ying Sung

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: Haplo-insufficiency of telomerase genes in humans leads to telomere syndromes such as dyskeratosis congenital and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Generation of pluripotent stem cells from telomerase haplo-insufficient donor cells would provide unique opportunities toward the realization of patient-specific stem cell therapies. Recently, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (ntESCs have been efficiently achieved by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT. We tested the hypothesis that SCNT could effectively elongate shortening telomeres of telomerase haplo-insufficient cells in the ntESCs with relevant mouse models. Indeed, telomeres of telomerase haplo-insufficient (Terc+/− mouse cells are elongated in ntESCs. Moreover, ntESCs derived from Terc+/− cells exhibit naive pluripotency as evidenced by generation of Terc+/− ntESC clone pups by tetraploid embryo complementation, the most stringent test of naive pluripotency. These data suggest that SCNT could offer a powerful tool to reprogram telomeres and to discover the factors for robust restoration of telomeres and pluripotency of telomerase haplo-insufficient somatic cells. : Sung et al. demonstrate in a mouse model that telomeres of telomerase haplo-insufficient cells can be elongated by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Moreover, ntESCs derived from Terc+/− cells exhibit pluripotency evidenced by generation of Terc+/−ntESC clone pups by tetraploid embryo complementation, the most stringent test of naive pluripotency.

Reptin is required for the transcription of telomerase reverse transcriptase and over-expressed in gastric cancer

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Liu Tiantian

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Telomerase is activated in oncogenesis, which confers an immortal phenotype to cancer cells. The AAA + ATPase Reptin is required for telomerase biogenesis by maintaining telomerase RNA (hTER stability and is aberrantly expressed in certain cancers. Given its role in chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation, we determined the effect of Reptin on the transcription of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT gene, a key component of the telomerase complex and its expression in gastric cancer. Results Knocking down Reptin or its partner Pontin using small interfering RNA in gastric and cervical cancer cells led to significant decreases in hTERT mRNA, but hTERT promoter activity was inhibited in only Reptin-depleted cells. Reptin interacted with the c-MYC oncoprotein and its stimulatory effect on the hTERTpromoter was significantly dependent on functional E-boxes in the promoter. Moreover, Reptin bound to the hTERT proximal promoter and the loss of the Reptin occupancy led to dissociation of c-MYC from the hTERT promoter in Reptin-depleted cells. Reptin inhibition dramatically impaired clonogenic potential of gastric cancer cells by inducing cell growtharrest and over-expression of Reptin was observed in primary gastric cancer specimens. Conclusions The hTERT gene is a direct target of Reptin, and hTERT transcription requires constitutive expression of Reptin and its cooperation with c-MYC. Thus, Reptin regulates telomerase at two different levels. This finding, together with the requirementof Reptin for the clonogenic potential of cancer cells and its over-expression in gastriccancer and other solid tumors, suggests that Reptin may be a putative therapeutic target.

Isolation of a candidate human telomerase catalytic subunit gene, which reveals complex splicing patterns in different cell types.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilian, A; Bowtell, D D; Abud, H E; Hime, G R; Venter, D J; Keese, P K; Duncan, E L; Reddel, R R; Jefferson, R A

1997-11-01

Telomerase is a multicomponent reverse transcriptase enzyme that adds DNA repeats to the ends of chromosomes using its RNA component as a template for synthesis. Telomerase activity is detected in the germline as well as the majority of tumors and immortal cell lines, and at low levels in several types of normal cells. We have cloned a human gene homologous to a protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Euplotes aediculatus that has reverse transcriptase motifs and is thought to be the catalytic subunit of telomerase in those species. This gene is present in the human genome as a single copy sequence with a dominant transcript of approximately 4 kb in a human colon cancer cell line, LIM1215. The cDNA sequence was determined using clones from a LIM1215 cDNA library and by RT-PCR, cRACE and 3'RACE on mRNA from the same source. We show that the gene is expressed in several normal tissues, telomerase-positive post-crisis (immortal) cell lines and various tumors but is not expressed in the majority of normal tissues analyzed, pre-crisis (non-immortal) cells and telomerase-negative immortal (ALT) cell lines. Multiple products were identified by RT-PCR using primers within the reverse transcriptase domain. Sequencing of these products suggests that they arise by alternative splicing. Strikingly, various tumors, cell lines and even normal tissues (colonic crypt and testis) showed considerable differences in the splicing patterns. Alternative splicing of the telomerase catalytic subunit transcript may be important for the regulation of telomerase activity and may give rise to proteins with different biochemical functions.

Demonstration of constant upregulation of the telomerase RNA component in human gastric carcinomas using in situ hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Heine, B; Hummel, M; Demel, G; Stein, H

1998-06-01

Upregulation of the ribonucleoprotein telomerase seems to be a prerequisite for immortality, a feature of malignant cells. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay, it is possible to demonstrate telomerase activity (TA) in specimens of most human malignancies, whereas it is absent from most normal tissues. It remains unclear, however, why between 5 and 50 per cent of various malignant tumour samples give negative results when TA is measured by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). The expectation that reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for detection of the telomerase RNA component (hTR) would be able to complement or to replace the TRAP assay failed, since malignant as well as non-malignant tissue samples gave positive results in most instances. In the present study, in situ hybridization (ISH) was developed to demonstrate the RNA component of human telomerase at the single cell level. With this method, 13 specimens of fresh frozen gastric carcinoma and four of normal, dysplastic, or inflamed gastric mucosa were investigated and the results were compared with those obtained by RT-PCR and the TRAP assay. In addition, ISH was performed on formalin-fixed sections of the same cases. The TRAP assay revealed positive results in 8 out of 13 gastric carcinomas and was negative in all non-malignant tissues. RT-PCR led to amplification of the telomerase RNA component in all specimens tested, irrespective of the presence or absence of malignant cells. By ISH, all gastric carcinomas showed strong telomerase RNA component-specific signals over malignant cells, whereas only a few grains were detectable over some types of normal somatic cells, including activated lymphocytes. In conclusion, high expression of the telomerase RNA component was restricted to the malignant cells of all the gastric carcinomas investigated, as shown by ISH. This indicates that the absence of TA in a proportion of carcinomas is due to methodological problems of the TRAP assay and is

Determination of the activity of telomerase in cancer cells by using BSA-protected gold nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yujuan; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Zhen; Lv, Shaoping; Ding, Caifeng

2018-02-27

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) protected with a bovine serum albumin (BSA) coating are known to emit red fluorescence (peaking at 650 nm) on photoexcitation with ultraviolet light (365 nm). On addition of Cu(II) ions, fluorescence is quenched because Cu(II) complexes certain amino acid units in the BSA chain. Fluorescence is, however, restored if pyrophosphate (PPi) is added because it will chelate Cu(II) and remove it from the BSA coating on the AuNCs. Because PPi is involved in the function of telomerase, the BSA@AuNCs loaded with Cu(II) can act as a fluorescent probe for determination of the activity of telomerase. A fluorescent assay was worked out for telomerase that is highly sensitive and has a wide linear range (10 nU to 10 fM per mL). The fluorescent probe was applied to the determination of telomerase activity in cervix carcinoma cells via imaging. It is shown that tumor cells can be well distinguished from normal cells by monitoring the differences in intracellular telomerase activity. Graphical abstract Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) protected by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and displaying red photoluminescence were prepared as fluorescent probe for the determination of telomerase activity and used for imaging of cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Dose-Dependent Cytotoxic Effects of Boldine in HepG-2 Cells—Telomerase Inhibition and Apoptosis Induction

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Sakineh Kazemi Noureini

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Plant metabolites are valuable sources of novel therapeutic compounds. In an anti-telomerase screening study of plant secondary metabolites, the aporphine alkaloid boldine (1,10-dimethoxy-2,9-dihydroxyaporphine exhibited a dose and time dependent cytotoxicity against hepatocarcinoma HepG-2 cells. Here we focus on the modes and mechanisms of the growth-limiting effects of this compound. Telomerase activity and expression level of some related genes were estimated by real-time PCR. Modes of cell death also were examined by microscopic inspection, staining methods and by evaluating the expression level of some critically relevant genes. The growth inhibition was correlated with down-regulation of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT gene (p < 0.01 and the corresponding reduction of telomerase activity in sub-cytotoxic concentrations of boldine (p < 0.002. However, various modes of cell death were stimulated, depending on the concentration of boldine. Very low concentrations of boldine over a few passages resulted in an accumulation of senescent cells so that HepG-2 cells lost their immortality. Moreover, boldine induced apoptosis concomitantly with increasing the expression of bax/bcl2 (p < 0.02 and p21 (p < 0.01 genes. Boldine might thus be an interesting candidate as a potential natural compound that suppresses telomerase activity in non-toxic concentrations.

DNA damaging bystander signalling from stem cells, cancer cells and fibroblasts after Cr(VI) exposure and its dependence on telomerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cogan, Nicola; Baird, Duncan M.; Phillips, Ryan; Crompton, Lucy A.; Caldwell, Maeve A.; Rubio, Miguel A.; Newson, Roger; Lyng, Fiona; Case, C. Patrick

2010-01-01

The bystander effect is a feature of low dose radiation exposure and is characterized by a signaling process from irradiated cells to non irradiated cells, which causes DNA and chromosome damage in these 'nearest neighbour' cells. Here we show that a low and short dose of Cr(VI) can induce stem cells, cancer cells and fibroblasts to chronically secrete bystander signals, which cause DNA damage in neighboring cells. The Cr(VI) induced bystander signaling depended on the telomerase status of either cell. Telomerase negative fibroblasts were able to receive DNA damaging signals from telomerase positive or negative fibroblasts or telomerase positive cancer cells. However telomerase positive fibroblasts were resistant to signals from Cr(VI) exposed telomerase positive fibroblasts or cancer cells. Human embryonic stem cells, with positive Oct4 staining as a marker of pluripotency, showed no significant increase of DNA damage from adjacent Cr and mitomycin C exposed fibroblasts whilst those cells that were negatively stained did. This selectivity of DNA damaging bystander signaling could be an important consideration in developing therapies against cancer and in the safety and effectiveness of tissue engineering and transplantation using stem cells.

DNA damaging bystander signalling from stem cells, cancer cells and fibroblasts after Cr(VI) exposure and its dependence on telomerase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cogan, Nicola [Bristol Implant Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB (United Kingdom); Baird, Duncan M. [Department of Pathology School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research in Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN (United Kingdom); Phillips, Ryan [Bristol Implant Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB (United Kingdom); Crompton, Lucy A.; Caldwell, Maeve A. [Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS1 3NY (United Kingdom); Rubio, Miguel A. [Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, CMRB Dr. Aiguader, 88, 7th Floor, 08003 Barcelona (Spain); Newson, Roger [Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, Focas Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Lyng, Fiona [National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Case, C. Patrick, E-mail: c.p.case@bristol.ac.uk [Bristol Implant Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB (United Kingdom)

2010-01-05

The bystander effect is a feature of low dose radiation exposure and is characterized by a signaling process from irradiated cells to non irradiated cells, which causes DNA and chromosome damage in these 'nearest neighbour' cells. Here we show that a low and short dose of Cr(VI) can induce stem cells, cancer cells and fibroblasts to chronically secrete bystander signals, which cause DNA damage in neighboring cells. The Cr(VI) induced bystander signaling depended on the telomerase status of either cell. Telomerase negative fibroblasts were able to receive DNA damaging signals from telomerase positive or negative fibroblasts or telomerase positive cancer cells. However telomerase positive fibroblasts were resistant to signals from Cr(VI) exposed telomerase positive fibroblasts or cancer cells. Human embryonic stem cells, with positive Oct4 staining as a marker of pluripotency, showed no significant increase of DNA damage from adjacent Cr and mitomycin C exposed fibroblasts whilst those cells that were negatively stained did. This selectivity of DNA damaging bystander signaling could be an important consideration in developing therapies against cancer and in the safety and effectiveness of tissue engineering and transplantation using stem cells.

Telomerase inhibition effectively targets mouse and human AML stem cells and delays relapse following chemotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruedigam, Claudia; Bagger, Frederik Otzen; Heidel, Florian H.

2014-01-01

(-/-) LSCs express a specific gene expression signature that can be identified in human AML patient cohorts and is positively correlated with patient survival following chemotherapy. In xenografts of primary human AML, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of telomerase targets LSCs, impairs leukemia...... progression, and delays relapse following chemotherapy. Altogether, these results establish telomerase inhibition as an effective strategy for eliminating AML LSCs....

Differential Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter Activation and Protein Degradation by Histone Deacetylase Inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Qing, Hua; Aono, Jun; Findeisen, Hannes M; Jones, Karrie L; Heywood, Elizabeth B; Bruemmer, Dennis

2016-06-01

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) maintains telomeres and is rate limiting for replicative life span. While most somatic tissues silence TERT transcription resulting in telomere shortening, cells derived from cancer or cardiovascular diseases express TERT and activate telomerase. In the present study, we demonstrate that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition induces TERT transcription and promoter activation. At the protein level in contrast, HDAC inhibition decreases TERT protein abundance through enhanced degradation, which decreases telomerase activity and induces senescence. Finally, we demonstrate that HDAC inhibition decreases TERT expression during vascular remodeling in vivo. These data illustrate a differential regulation of TERT transcription and protein stability by HDAC inhibition and suggest that TERT may constitute an important target for the anti-proliferative efficacy of HDAC inhibitors. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Zinc sulfate contributes to promote telomere length extension via increasing telomerase gene expression, telomerase activity and change in the TERT gene promoter CpG island methylation status of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

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Raheleh Farahzadi

Full Text Available The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs for cell therapy and regenerative medicine has received widespread attention over the past few years, but their application can be complicated by factors such as reduction in proliferation potential, the senescent tendency of the MSCs upon expansion and their age-dependent decline in number and function. It was shown that all the mentioned features were accompanied by a reduction in telomerase activity and telomere shortening. Furthermore, the role of epigenetic changes in aging, especially changes in promoter methylation, was reported. In this study, MSCs were isolated from the adipose tissue with enzymatic digestion. In addition, immunocytochemistry staining and flow cytometric analysis were performed to investigate the cell-surface markers. In addition, alizarin red-S, sudan III, toluidine blue, and cresyl violet staining were performed to evaluate the multi-lineage differentiation of hADSCs. In order to improve the effective application of MSCs, these cells were treated with 1.5 × 10-8 and 2.99 × 10-10 M of ZnSO4 for 48 hours. The length of the absolute telomere, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT gene expression, telomerase activity, the investigation of methylation status of the hTERT gene promoter and the percentage of senescent cells were analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR, PCR-ELISA TRAP assay, methylation specific PCR (MSP, and beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal staining, respectively. The results showed that the telomere length, the hTERT gene expression, and the telomerase activity had significantly increased. In addition, the percentage of senescent cells had significantly decreased and changes in the methylation status of the CpG islands in the hTERT promoter region under treatment with ZnSO4 were seen. In conclusion, it seems that ZnSO4 as a proper antioxidant could improve the aging-related features due to lengthening of the telomeres, increasing the telomerase gene expression

PCB153 reduces telomerase activity and telomere length in immortalized human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) but not in human foreskin keratinocytes (NFK)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senthilkumar, P.K.; Robertson, L.W.; Ludewig, G.

2012-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), ubiquitous environmental pollutants, are characterized by long term-persistence in the environment, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in the food chain. Exposure to PCBs may cause various diseases, affecting many cellular processes. Deregulation of the telomerase and the telomere complex leads to several biological disorders. We investigated the hypothesis that PCB153 modulates telomerase activity, telomeres and reactive oxygen species resulting in the deregulation of cell growth. Exponentially growing immortal human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) and normal human foreskin keratinocytes (NFK) were incubated with PCB153 for 48 and 24 days, respectively, and telomerase activity, telomere length, superoxide level, cell growth, and cell cycle distribution were determined. In HaCaT cells exposure to PCB153 significantly reduced telomerase activity, telomere length, cell growth and increased intracellular superoxide levels from day 6 to day 48, suggesting that superoxide may be one of the factors regulating telomerase activity, telomere length and cell growth compared to untreated control cells. Results with NFK cells showed no shortening of telomere length but reduced cell growth and increased superoxide levels in PCB153-treated cells compared to untreated controls. As expected, basal levels of telomerase activity were almost undetectable, which made a quantitative comparison of treated and control groups impossible. The significant down regulation of telomerase activity and reduction of telomere length by PCB153 in HaCaT cells suggest that any cell type with significant telomerase activity, like stem cells, may be at risk of premature telomere shortening with potential adverse health effects for the affected organism. -- Highlights: ► Human immortal (HaCaT) and primary (NFK) keratinocytes were exposed to PCB153. ► PCB153 significantly reduced telomerase activity and telomere length in HaCaT. ► No effect on telomere length and

Telomerase levels control the lifespan of human T lymphocytes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roth, Alexander; Yssel, Hans; Pene, Jerome; Chavez, Elizabeth A.; Schertzer, Mike; Lansdorp, Peter M.; Spits, Hergen; Luiten, Rosalie M.

2003-01-01

The loss of telomeric DNA with each cell division contributes to the limited replicative lifespan of human T lymphocytes. Although telomerase is transiently expressed in T lymphocytes upon activation, it is insufficient to confer immortality. We have previously shown that immortalization of human

Identification of Protein Components of Yeast Telomerase

Science.gov (United States)

2000-09-01

cells past this limit senesce, or stop growing (reviewed in Hayflick 1997). This limit is imposed by the inactivity of telomerase, which results in...CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE Unclassified 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT Unclassified 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 55 16. PRICE CODE 20. LIMITATION ...one of which is the acquired capability of limitless replicative potential. Normal mammalian cells have an intrinsic limit to cellular division, and

Antimetastatic Effects of a Novel Telomerase Inhibitor, GRN163L, on Human Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

Human Papilloma Virus Type 18 (HPV-18) DNA. PZ-HPV-7 cells are generally considered as non-tumorigenic in subcutaneous xenograft animal models...6481. [39] H.J. Sommerfeld, A.K. Meeker, M.A. Piatyszek, G.S. Bova, J.W. Shay, D.S. Coffey, Telomerase activity: a prevalent marker of malignant human ...6:192–8. 31. Sommerfeld HJ, Meeker AK, Piatyszek MA, Bova GS, Shay JW, Coffey DS. Telomerase activity: a prevalent marker of malignant human prostate

Antiaging Effects of an Intensive Mind and Body Therapeutic Program through Enhancement of Telomerase Activity and Adult Stem Cell Counts.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Krishna S; Chakraharti, Swarup K; Dongare, Vaishali S; Chetana, K; Ramirez, Christina M; Koka, Prasad S; Deb, Kaushik D

2015-01-01

Key modalities of integrative medicine known to rejuvenate the mind and body are meditation, yoga, and controlled diet. It has been shown previously that intensive or prolonged mind and body therapies (MBT) may have beneficial effects on the well-being of healthy people and in patients. Telomerase activity and levels of peripheral blood adult pluripotent stem cells (PB-APSC) are reliable markers of long-term well-being that are known to decrease with age. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of our MBT program on telomerase activity and stem cells in blood collected from the participants. Here, we have investigated the effects of an intensive three weeks MBT retreat on telomerase activity and the peripheral blood stem cells in participants before and after the MBT. A total of 108 people were enrolled in the study; 38 men and 70 women (aged 18-90) randomly assigned for the study. Telomerase activity was greater in retreat participants at the end of the MBT retreat. About 45% of people showed more than one-fold increase of telomerase activity after our MBT program. Furthermore, about 27% of people showed more pronounced fold increase (2-fold) in telomerase activity after the MBT. In addition, a substantial percentage of people (about 90%) exhibited increased stem cell counts after the MBT. The data suggest increased telomerase activity and stem cells count in peripheral blood from MBT retreat participants that may lead to increased longevity and better quality of life at latter age.

Reconstitution of active telomerase in primary human foreskin fibroblasts : effects on proliferative characteristics and response to ionizing radiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kampinga, H.H.; Waarde-Verhagen, M.A.W.H. van; Assen-Bolt, A.J. van; Rodemann, H.P.; Prowse, K.R.; Linskens, M.H.K.

2004-01-01

Purpose: Telomere shortening has been proposed to trigger senescence, and since most primary cells do not express active telomerase, reactivation of telomerase activity was proposed as a safe and non-transforming way of immortalizing cells. However, to study radiation responses, it is as yet unclear

Telomere 1 (POT1) gene expression and its association with telomerase activity in colorectal tumor samples with different pathological features.

Science.gov (United States)

Izgi, Ahu; Gunal, Armagan; Yalcin, Serap; Gunduz, Ufuk

2014-09-01

The ends of chromosoms, telomeres are bound with a number of proteins which protect and stabilize telomeres against degredation, end to end fusion and aberrant recombinations. Telomeric DNA is bound of two groups of proteins, which are double-stranded telomeric DNA bindings proteins, and single stranded telomeric binding proteins. Among telomere binding proteins, protections of telomere 1 protein is a single stranded telomere binding proteins and suggested to be a significant player for telomere elongation and has an association with an enzyme called as telomerase which is an intrinsic reverse transcriptase. Telomerase synthesizes hexameric telomeric repeats onto the chromosomes thereby compansating telomere loss in immortal cells, such as tumor cells, whereas telomeres are shorthened with each division in normal cells. PCR-based TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) assay is a very sensitive assay for the detection of enzymatic activity of telomerase even if a few numbers of cancerous cells are available. The association between telomerase activity and hPOT1 expression in colorectal cancer is still unclear. Protein extraction was performed from specimens of matched normal and colorectal cancer specimens. Protein concentrations were determined by Bradford assay. Optimized protein concentrations were used for TRAP Assay. TRAP products were seperated by vertical gel electrophoresis on 12.5% polyacrylamide gels and visualized by silver staining. Gene expression of hPOT1 was determined by qPCR analysis. The results demonstrated that all tumor tissues were telomerase positive whereas all corresponding normal tissue was telomerase negative. Among clinicopathological findings, telomerase activity was found to be associated with stage, histology, localization, distant metastasis and lymph node metastasis of tumor in the current study. Although all of the clinicopathological findings differed in the expression of hPOT1 compared to normal tissues, they did not

Peroxiredoxin 1 Protects Telomeres from Oxidative Damage and Preserves Telomeric DNA for Extension by Telomerase

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Eric Aeby

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Oxidative damage of telomeres can promote cancer, cardiac failure, and muscular dystrophy. Specific mechanisms protecting telomeres from oxidative damage have not been described. We analyzed telomeric chromatin composition during the cell cycle and show that the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1 is enriched at telomeres during S phase. Deletion of the PRDX1 gene leads to damage of telomeric DNA upon oxidative stress, revealing a protective function of PRDX1 against oxidative damage at telomeres. We also show that the oxidized nucleotide 8-oxo-2′deoxyguanosine-5′-triphosphate (8oxodGTP causes premature chain termination when incorporated by telomerase and that some DNA substrates terminating in 8oxoG prevent extension by telomerase. Thus, PRDX1 safeguards telomeres from oxygen radicals to counteract telomere damage and preserve telomeric DNA for elongation by telomerase.

Modeling pulmonary fibrosis by abnormal expression of telomerase/apoptosis/collagen V in experimental usual interstitial pneumonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parra, E.R.; Pincelli, M.S.; Teodoro, W.R.; Velosa, A.P.P.; Martins, V.; Rangel, M.P.; Barbas-Filho, J.V.; Capelozzi, V.L.

2014-01-01

Limitations on tissue proliferation capacity determined by telomerase/apoptosis balance have been implicated in pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, collagen V shows promise as an inductor of apoptosis. We evaluated the quantitative relationship between the telomerase/apoptosis index, collagen V synthesis, and epithelial/fibroblast replication in mice exposed to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at high oxygen concentration. Two groups of mice were analyzed: 20 mice received BHT, and 10 control mice received corn oil. Telomerase expression, apoptosis, collagen I, III, and V fibers, and hydroxyproline were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, in situ detection of apoptosis, electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and histomorphometry. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of increased alveolar epithelial cells type 1 (AEC1) in apoptosis. Immunostaining showed increased nuclear expression of telomerase in AEC type 2 (AEC2) between normal and chronic scarring areas of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Control lungs and normal areas from UIP lungs showed weak green birefringence of type I and III collagens in the alveolar wall and type V collagen in the basement membrane of alveolar capillaries. The increase in collagen V was greater than collagens I and III in scarring areas of UIP. A significant direct association was found between collagen V and AEC2 apoptosis. We concluded that telomerase, collagen V fiber density, and apoptosis evaluation in experimental UIP offers the potential to control reepithelization of alveolar septa and fibroblast proliferation. Strategies aimed at preventing high rates of collagen V synthesis, or local responses to high rates of cell apoptosis, may have a significant impact in pulmonary fibrosis

Integration of intracellular telomerase monitoring by electrochemiluminescence technology and targeted cancer therapy by reactive oxygen species.

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Zhang, Huairong; Li, Binxiao; Sun, Zhaomei; Zhou, Hong; Zhang, Shusheng

2017-12-01

Cancer therapies based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) have emerged as promising clinical treatments. Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology has also attracted considerable attention in the field of clinical diagnosis. However, studies about the integration of ECL diagnosis and ROS cancer therapy are very rare. Here we introduce a novel strategy that employs ECL technology and ROS to fill the above vacancy. Briefly, an ITO electrode was electrodeposited with polyluminol-Pt NPs composite films and modified with aptamer DNA to capture HL-60 cancer cells with high specificity. After that, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) filled with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) were closed by the telomerase primer DNA (T-primer DNA) and aptamer. After aptamer on MSN@PMA recognized and combined with the HL-60 cancer cells with high specificity, T-primer DNA on MSN@PMA could be moved away from the MSN@PMA surface after extension by telomerase in the HL-60 cancer cells and PMA was released to induce the production of ROS by the HL-60 cancer cells. After that, the polyluminol-Pt NPs composite films could react with hydrogen peroxide (a major ROS) and generate an ECL signal. Thus the intracellular telomerase activity of the HL-60 cancer cells could be detected in situ . Besides, ROS could induce apoptosis in the HL-60 cancer cells with high efficacy by causing oxidative damage to the lipids, protein, and DNA. Above all, the designed platform could not only detect intracellular telomerase activity instead of that of extracted telomerase, but could also kill targeted tumors by ECL technology and ROS.

Modeling pulmonary fibrosis by abnormal expression of telomerase/apoptosis/collagen V in experimental usual interstitial pneumonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parra, E.R.; Pincelli, M.S. [Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Teodoro, W.R.; Velosa, A.P.P. [Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Martins, V.; Rangel, M.P.; Barbas-Filho, J.V.; Capelozzi, V.L. [Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2014-06-04

Limitations on tissue proliferation capacity determined by telomerase/apoptosis balance have been implicated in pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, collagen V shows promise as an inductor of apoptosis. We evaluated the quantitative relationship between the telomerase/apoptosis index, collagen V synthesis, and epithelial/fibroblast replication in mice exposed to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at high oxygen concentration. Two groups of mice were analyzed: 20 mice received BHT, and 10 control mice received corn oil. Telomerase expression, apoptosis, collagen I, III, and V fibers, and hydroxyproline were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, in situ detection of apoptosis, electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and histomorphometry. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of increased alveolar epithelial cells type 1 (AEC1) in apoptosis. Immunostaining showed increased nuclear expression of telomerase in AEC type 2 (AEC2) between normal and chronic scarring areas of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Control lungs and normal areas from UIP lungs showed weak green birefringence of type I and III collagens in the alveolar wall and type V collagen in the basement membrane of alveolar capillaries. The increase in collagen V was greater than collagens I and III in scarring areas of UIP. A significant direct association was found between collagen V and AEC2 apoptosis. We concluded that telomerase, collagen V fiber density, and apoptosis evaluation in experimental UIP offers the potential to control reepithelization of alveolar septa and fibroblast proliferation. Strategies aimed at preventing high rates of collagen V synthesis, or local responses to high rates of cell apoptosis, may have a significant impact in pulmonary fibrosis.

Long telomeres produced by telomerase-resistant recombination are established from a single source and are subject to extreme sequence scrambling.

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Jianing Xu

Full Text Available Considerable evidence now supports the idea that the moderate telomere lengthening produced by recombinational telomere elongation (RTE in a Kluyveromyces lactis telomerase deletion mutant occurs through a roll-and-spread mechanism. However, it is unclear whether this mechanism can account for other forms of RTE that produce much longer telomeres such as are seen in human alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT cells or in the telomerase-resistant type IIR "runaway" RTE such as occurs in the K. lactis stn1-M1 mutant. In this study we have used mutationally tagged telomeres to examine the mechanism of RTE in an stn1-M1 mutant both with and without telomerase. Our results suggest that the establishment stage of the mutant state in newly generated stn1-M1 ter1-Δ mutants surprisingly involves a first stage of sudden telomere shortening. Our data also show that, as predicted by the roll-and-spread mechanism, all lengthened telomeres in a newly established mutant cell commonly emerge from a single telomere source. However, in sharp contrast to the RTE of telomerase deletion survivors, we show that the RTE of stn1-M1 ter1-Δ cells produces telomeres whose sequences undergo continuous intense scrambling via recombination. While telomerase was not necessary for the long telomeres in stn1-M1 cells, its presence during their establishment was seen to interfere with the amplification of repeats via recombination, a result consistent with telomerase retaining its ability to add repeats during active RTE. Finally, we observed that the presence of active mismatch repair or telomerase had important influences on telomeric amplification and/or instability.

Herpesvirus telomerase RNA (vTR with a mutated template sequence abrogates herpesvirus-induced lymphomagenesis.

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Benedikt B Kaufer

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT and telomerase RNA (TR represent the enzymatically active components of telomerase. In the complex, TR provides the template for the addition of telomeric repeats to telomeres, a protective structure at the end of linear chromosomes. Human TR with a mutation in the template region has been previously shown to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells in vitro. In this report, we examined the effects of a mutation in the template of a virus encoded TR (vTR on herpesvirus-induced tumorigenesis in vivo. For this purpose, we used the oncogenic avian herpesvirus Marek's disease virus (MDV as a natural virus-host model for lymphomagenesis. We generated recombinant MDV in which the vTR template sequence was mutated from AATCCCAATC to ATATATATAT (vAU5 by two-step Red-mediated mutagenesis. Recombinant viruses harboring the template mutation replicated with kinetics comparable to parental and revertant viruses in vitro. However, mutation of the vTR template sequence completely abrogated virus-induced tumor formation in vivo, although the virus was able to undergo low-level lytic replication. To confirm that the absence of tumors was dependent on the presence of mutant vTR in the telomerase complex, a second mutation was introduced in vAU5 that targeted the P6.1 stem loop, a conserved region essential for vTR-TERT interaction. Absence of vTR-AU5 from the telomerase complex restored virus-induced lymphoma formation. To test if the attenuated vAU5 could be used as an effective vaccine against MDV, we performed vaccination-challenge studies and determined that vaccination with vAU5 completely protected chickens from lethal challenge with highly virulent MDV. Taken together, our results demonstrate 1 that mutation of the vTR template sequence can completely abrogate virus-induced tumorigenesis, likely by the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, and 2 that this strategy could be used to generate novel vaccine candidates

Label-free electrochemiluminescence biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of telomerase activity in HeLa cells based on extension reaction and intercalation of Ru(phen)3 (2.).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yue; Yang, Linlin; Yue, Guiyin; Chen, Lifen; Qiu, Bin; Guo, Longhua; Lin, Zhenyu; Chen, Guonan

2016-10-01

Telomerase is one of the most common markers of human malignant tumors, such as uterine, stomach, esophageal, breast, colorectal, laryngeal squamous cell, thyroid, bladder, and so on. It is necessary to develop some sensitive but convenient detection methods for telomerase activity determination. In this study, a label-free and ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor has been fabricated to detect the activity of telomerase extracted from HeLa cells. Thiolated telomerase substrate (TS) primer was immobilized on the gold electrode surface through gold-sulfur (Au-S) interaction and then elongated by telomerase specifically. Then, it was hybridized with complementary DNA to form double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fragments on the electrode surface, and Ru(phen)3 (2+) has been intercalated into the dsDNA grooves to act as the ECL probe. The enhanced ECL intensity has a linear relationship with the number of HeLa cells in the range of 5∼5000 and with a detection limit of 2 HeLa cells. The proposed ECL biosensor has high specificity to telomerase in the presence of common interferents. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were HeLa cells. The proposed method provides a convenient approach for telomerase-related cancer screening or diagnosis.

Telomerase activation by genomic rearrangements in high-risk neuroblastoma

Science.gov (United States)

Peifer, Martin; Hertwig, Falk; Roels, Frederik; Dreidax, Daniel; Gartlgruber, Moritz; Menon, Roopika; Krämer, Andrea; Roncaioli, Justin L.; Sand, Frederik; Heuckmann, Johannes M.; Ikram, Fakhera; Schmidt, Rene; Ackermann, Sandra; Engesser, Anne; Kahlert, Yvonne; Vogel, Wenzel; Altmüller, Janine; Nürnberg, Peter; Thierry-Mieg, Jean; Thierry-Mieg, Danielle; Mariappan, Aruljothi; Heynck, Stefanie; Mariotti, Erika; Henrich, Kai-Oliver; Glöckner, Christian; Bosco, Graziella; Leuschner, Ivo; Schweiger, Michal R.; Savelyeva, Larissa; Watkins, Simon C.; Shao, Chunxuan; Bell, Emma; Höfer, Thomas; Achter, Viktor; Lang, Ulrich; Theissen, Jessica; Volland, Ruth; Saadati, Maral; Eggert, Angelika; de Wilde, Bram; Berthold, Frank; Peng, Zhiyu; Zhao, Chen; Shi, Leming; Ortmann, Monika; Büttner, Reinhard; Perner, Sven; Hero, Barbara; Schramm, Alexander; Schulte, Johannes H.; Herrmann, Carl; O’Sullivan, Roderick J.; Westermann, Frank; Thomas, Roman K.; Fischer, Matthias

2016-01-01

Neuroblastoma is a malignant paediatric tumour of the sympathetic nervous system1. Roughly half of these tumours regress spontaneously or are cured by limited therapy. By contrast, high-risk neuroblastomas have an unfavourable clinical course despite intensive multimodal treatment, and their molecular basis has remained largely elusive2–4. Here we have performed whole-genome sequencing of 56 neuroblastomas (high-risk, n = 39; low-risk, n = 17) and discovered recurrent genomic rearrangements affecting a chromosomal region at 5p15.33 proximal of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT). These rearrangements occurred only in high-risk neuroblastomas (12/39, 31%) in a mutually exclusive fashion with MYCN amplifications and ATRX mutations, which are known genetic events in this tumour type1,2,5. In an extended case series (n = 217), TERT rearrangements defined a subgroup of high-risk tumours with particularly poor outcome. Despite a large structural diversity of these rearrangements, they all induced massive transcriptional upregulation of TERT. In the remaining high-risk tumours, TERT expression was also elevated in MYCN-amplified tumours, whereas alternative lengthening of telomeres was present in neuroblastomas without TERT or MYCN alterations, suggesting that telomere lengthening represents a central mechanism defining this subtype. The 5p15.33 rearrangements juxtapose the TERT coding sequence to strong enhancer elements, resulting in massive chromatin remodelling and DNA methylation of the affected region. Supporting a functional role of TERT, neuroblastoma cell lines bearing rearrangements or amplified MYCN exhibited both upregulated TERT expression and enzymatic telomerase activity. In summary, our findings show that remodelling of the genomic context abrogates transcriptional silencing of TERT in high-risk neuroblastoma and places telomerase activation in the centre of transformation in a large fraction of these tumours. PMID:26466568

Analysis of telomerase target gene expression effects from murine models in patient cohorts by homology translation and random survival forest modeling

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Frederik Otzen Bagger

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Acute myeloid leukemia (AML is an aggressive and rapidly fatal blood cancer that affects patients of any age group. Despite an initial response to standard chemotherapy, most patients relapse and this relapse is mediated by leukemia stem cell (LSC populations. We identified a functional requirement for telomerase in sustaining LSC populations in murine models of AML and validated this requirement using an inhibitor of telomerase in human AML. Here, we describe in detail the contents, quality control and methods of the gene expression analysis used in the published study (Gene Expression Omnibus GSE63242. Additionally, we provide annotated gene lists of telomerase regulated genes in AML and R code snippets to access and analyze the data used in the original manuscript. Keywords: AML, Leukemia, Stem cells, Telomere, Telomerase

The inhibitory effect of Curcuma longa extract on telomerase activity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Telomerase is reactivated in lung cancer cells, the most prevalent cancer worldwide, but not normal cells. Therefore, targeting it, preferably with natural compounds derive from medicinal plant such as curcumin, could have important effect on treatment of lung cancer. Curcumin, derived from Curcuma longa rhizome, has ...

A Highly Sensitive Telomerase Activity Assay that Eliminates False-Negative Results Caused by PCR Inhibitors

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Hidenobu Yaku

2013-09-01

Full Text Available An assay for telomerase activity based on asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (A-PCR on magnetic beads (MBs and subsequent application of cycling probe technology (CPT is described. In this assay, the telomerase reaction products are immobilized on MBs, which are then washed to remove PCR inhibitors that are commonly found in clinical samples. The guanine-rich sequences (5'-(TTAGGGn-3' of the telomerase reaction products are then preferentially amplified by A-PCR, and the amplified products are subsequently detected via CPT, where a probe RNA with a fluorophore at the 5' end and a quencher at the 3' end is hydrolyzed by RNase H in the presence of the target DNA. The catalyst-mediated cleavage of the probe RNA enhances fluorescence from the 5' end of the probe. The assay allowed us to successfully detect HeLa cells selectively over normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF cells. Importantly, this selectivity produced identical results with regard to detection of HeLa cells in the absence and presence of excess NHDF cells; therefore, this assay can be used for practical clinical applications. The lower limit of detection for HeLa cells was 50 cells, which is lower than that achieved with a conventional telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. Our assay also eliminated false-negative results caused by PCR inhibitors. Furthermore, we show that this assay is appropriate for screening among G-quadruplex ligands to find those that inhibit telomerase activity.

Estrogen induction of telomerase activity through regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK dependent pathway in human endometrial cancer cells.

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Chunxiao Zhou

Full Text Available Given that prolonged exposure to estrogen and increased telomerase activity are associated with endometrial carcinogenesis, our objective was to evaluate the interaction between the MAPK pathway and estrogen induction of telomerase activity in endometrial cancer cells. Estradiol (E2 induced telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression in the estrogen receptor (ER-α positive, Ishikawa endometrial cancer cell line. UO126, a highly selective inhibitor of MEK1/MEK2, inhibited telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression induced by E2. Similar results were also found after transfection with ERK 1/2-specific siRNA. Treatment with E2 resulted in rapid phosphorylation of p44/42 MAPK and increased MAPK activity which was abolished by UO126. The hTERT promoter contains two estrogen response elements (EREs, and luciferase assays demonstrate that these EREs are activated by E2. Exposure to UO126 or ERK 1/2-specific siRNA in combination with E2 counteracted the stimulatory effect of E2 on luciferase activity from these EREs. These findings suggest that E2-induction of telomerase activity is mediated via the MAPK pathway in human endometrial cancer cells.

Evaluation of Energy Balance on Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Alternative Splicing by Semi-quantitative RT-PCR in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

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Behjati, Mohaddeseh; Hashemi, Mohammad; Kazemi, Mohammad; Salehi, Mansoor; Javanmard, Shaghayegh Haghjooy

2017-01-01

Decreased high-energy phosphate level is involved in endothelial cell injury and dysfunction. Reduced telomerase activity in endothelial cells in parallel with reduced energy levels might be due to altered direction of alternative splicing machine as a complication of depleted energy during the process of atherosclerosis. Isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated for 24 hours by oligomycine (OM) and 2-deoxy glucose (2-DG). After 24 hours, the effect of energy depletion on telomerase splicing pattern was evaluated using RT-PCR. Indeed, in both treated and untargeted cells, nitric oxide (NO) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were measured. ATP was depleted in treated cells by 43.9% compared with control group. We observed a slight decrease in NO levels ( P = 0.09) and vWF ( P = 0.395) in the setting of 49.36% ATP depletion. In both groups, no telomerase gene expression was seen. Telomerase and housekeeping gene expression were found in positive control group (colon cancer tissue) and sample tissue. The absence of telomerase gene expression in HUVECs might be due to the mortality of these cells or the low level of telomerase gene expression in these cells under normal circumstances.

Telomerase gene therapy rescues telomere length, bone marrow aplasia, and survival in mice with aplastic anemia.

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Bär, Christian; Povedano, Juan Manuel; Serrano, Rosa; Benitez-Buelga, Carlos; Popkes, Miriam; Formentini, Ivan; Bobadilla, Maria; Bosch, Fatima; Blasco, Maria A

2016-04-07

Aplastic anemia is a fatal bone marrow disorder characterized by peripheral pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia. The disease can be hereditary or acquired and develops at any stage of life. A subgroup of the inherited form is caused by replicative impairment of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells due to very short telomeres as a result of mutations in telomerase and other telomere components. Abnormal telomere shortening is also described in cases of acquired aplastic anemia, most likely secondary to increased turnover of bone marrow stem and progenitor cells. Here, we test the therapeutic efficacy of telomerase activation by using adeno-associated virus (AAV)9 gene therapy vectors carrying the telomerase Tert gene in 2 independent mouse models of aplastic anemia due to short telomeres (Trf1- and Tert-deficient mice). We find that a high dose of AAV9-Tert targets the bone marrow compartment, including hematopoietic stem cells. AAV9-Tert treatment after telomere attrition in bone marrow cells rescues aplastic anemia and mouse survival compared with mice treated with the empty vector. Improved survival is associated with a significant increase in telomere length in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells, as well as improved blood counts. These findings indicate that telomerase gene therapy represents a novel therapeutic strategy to treat aplastic anemia provoked or associated with short telomeres. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Comparison of Inhibitory Effect of Curcumin Nanoparticles and Free Curcumin in Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene Expression in Breast Cancer

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Nosratollah Zarghami

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Telomerase is expressed in most cancers, including breast cancer. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound that obtained from the herb of Curcuma longa, has many anticancer effects. But, its effect is low due to poor water solubility. In order to improve its solubility and drug delivery, we have utilized a β-cyclodextrin-curcumin inclusion complex. Methods: To evaluate cytotoxic effects of cyclodextrin-curcumin and free curcumin, MTT assay was done. Cells were treated with equal concentration of cyclodextrin-curcumin and free curcumin. Telomerase gene expression level in two groups was compared by Real-time PCR. Results: MTT assay demonstrated that β-cyclodextrin-curcumin enhanced curcumin delivery in T47D breast cancer cells. The level of telomerase gene expression in cells treated with cyclodextrin-curcumin was lower than that of cells treated with free curcumin (P=0.001. Conclusion: Results are suggesting that cyclodextrin-curcumin complex can be more effective than free curcumin in inhibition of telomerase expression.

Activity of telomerase and telomeric length in Aphis mellifera

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Korandová, Michala; Čapková Frydrychová, Radmila

2016-01-01

Roč. 125, č. 3 (2016), s. 405-411 ISSN 0009-5915 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-07172S Grant - others:GA JU(CZ) 052/2013/P; European Union Seventh Framework(CZ) 316304 Program:FP7 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : telomere * telomerase * Apis mellifera Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.414, year: 2016

Mixed Integer Linear Programming based machine learning approach identifies regulators of telomerase in yeast.

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Poos, Alexandra M; Maicher, André; Dieckmann, Anna K; Oswald, Marcus; Eils, Roland; Kupiec, Martin; Luke, Brian; König, Rainer

2016-06-02

Understanding telomere length maintenance mechanisms is central in cancer biology as their dysregulation is one of the hallmarks for immortalization of cancer cells. Important for this well-balanced control is the transcriptional regulation of the telomerase genes. We integrated Mixed Integer Linear Programming models into a comparative machine learning based approach to identify regulatory interactions that best explain the discrepancy of telomerase transcript levels in yeast mutants with deleted regulators showing aberrant telomere length, when compared to mutants with normal telomere length. We uncover novel regulators of telomerase expression, several of which affect histone levels or modifications. In particular, our results point to the transcription factors Sum1, Hst1 and Srb2 as being important for the regulation of EST1 transcription, and we validated the effect of Sum1 experimentally. We compiled our machine learning method leading to a user friendly package for R which can straightforwardly be applied to similar problems integrating gene regulator binding information and expression profiles of samples of e.g. different phenotypes, diseases or treatments. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Telomerase-mediated life-span extension of human primary fibroblasts by human artificial chromosome (HAC) vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shitara, Shingo; Kakeda, Minoru; Nagata, Keiko; Hiratsuka, Masaharu; Sano, Akiko; Osawa, Kanako; Okazaki, Akiyo; Katoh, Motonobu; Kazuki, Yasuhiro; Oshimura, Mitsuo; Tomizuka, Kazuma

2008-01-01

Telomerase-mediated life-span extension enables the expansion of normal cells without malignant transformation, and thus has been thought to be useful in cell therapies. Currently, integrating vectors including the retrovirus are used for human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-mediated expansion of normal cells; however, the use of these vectors potentially causes unexpected insertional mutagenesis and/or activation of oncogenes. Here, we established normal human fibroblast (hPF) clones retaining non-integrating human artificial chromosome (HAC) vectors harboring the hTERT expression cassette. In hTERT-HAC/hPF clones, we observed the telomerase activity and the suppression of senescent-associated SA-β-galactosidase activity. Furthermore, the hTERT-HAC/hPF clones continued growing beyond 120 days after cloning, whereas the hPF clones retaining the silent hTERT-HAC senesced within 70 days. Thus, hTERT-HAC-mediated episomal expression of hTERT allows the extension of the life-span of human primary cells, implying that gene delivery by non-integrating HAC vectors can be used to control cellular proliferative capacity of primary cultured cells

The PPARα/p16INK4a Pathway inhibits Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation by repressing Cell Cycle-dependent Telomerase Activation

Science.gov (United States)

Gizard, Florence; Nomiyama, Takashi; Zhao, Yue; Findeisen, Hannes M.; Heywood, Elizabeth B.; Jones, Karrie L.; Staels, Bart; Bruemmer, Dennis

2009-01-01

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) α, the molecular target for fibrates used to treat dyslipidemia, exerts pleiotropic effects on vascular cells. In vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we have previously demonstrated that PPARα activation suppresses G1→S cell cycle progression by targeting the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16INK4a (p16). In the present study, we demonstrate that this inhibition of VSMC proliferation by PPARα is mediated through a p16-dependent suppression of telomerase activity, which has been implicated in key cellular functions including proliferation. PPARα activation inhibited mitogen-induced telomerase activity by repressing the catalytic subunit telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) through negative cross-talk with an E2F-1-dependent trans-activation of the TERT promoter. This trans-repression involved the recruitment of the retinoblastoma (RB) family proteins p107 and p130 to the TERT promoter resulting in impaired E2F-1 binding, an effect which was dependent on p16. The inhibition of cell proliferation by PPARα activation was lost in VSMC following TERT overexpression or knock-down, pointing to a key role of telomerase as a target for the antiproliferative effects of PPARα. Finally, we demonstrate that PPARα agonists suppress telomerase activation during the proliferative response following vascular injury indicating that these findings are applicable in vivo. In concert, these results demonstrate that the anti-proliferative effects of PPARα in VSMCs depend on the suppression of telomerase activity by targeting the p16/RB/E2F transcriptional cascade. PMID:18818403

In Situ Synthesized Silver Nanoclusters for Tracking the Role of Telomerase Activity in the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Neural Stem Cells.

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Dong, Fangyuan; Feng, Enduo; Zheng, Tingting; Tian, Yang

2018-01-17

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have potential use in cell replacement therapy for central nervous system disorders. However, the factors that impacted the differentiation process are unclear at the present stage because the powerful analytical method is the bottleneck. Herein, a novel strategy was developed for self-imaging and biosensing of telomerase activity in stem cells, using in situ biosynthesized silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) full of C bases. The present AgNCs possess synthetic convenience, long-time stability, and cytocompatibility. The weak fluorescence of these AgNCs is quickly turned on when approaching telomerase because of the strong interaction between C bases on AgNCs and G bases in telomerase, resulting in telomerase-dependent fluorescent signals. The developed method demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity and broad dynamic linear range with a low detection limit. Using this powerful tool, it was first discovered that telomerase activity plays important roles in the proliferation of hMSCs and neural stem cells (NSCs) as well as during the differentiation processes from hMSCs to NSCs.

Telomerase expression extends the proliferative life-span and maintains the osteogenic potential of human bone marrow stromal cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Janne Lytoft; Rosada, Cecilia; Serakinci, Nedime

2002-01-01

Human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) were stably transduced by a retroviral vector containing the gene for the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT). Transduced cells (hMSC-TERTs) had telomerase activity, and the mean telomere length was increased as compared with that of control cells....... The transduced cells have now undergone more than 260 population doublings (PD) and continue to proliferate, whereas control cells underwent senescence-associated proliferation arrest after 26 PD. The cells maintained production of osteoblastic markers and differentiation potential during continuous subculturing......, did not form tumors, and had a normal karyotype. When implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice, the transduced cells formed more bone than did normal cells. These results suggest that ectopic expression of telomerase in hMSCs prevents senescence-associated impairment of osteoblast functions....

siRNA inhibition of telomerase enhances the anti-cancer effect of doxorubicin in breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Xuejun; Liu, Anding; Zer, Cindy; Feng, Jianguo; Zhen, Zhuan; Yang, Mingfeng; Zhong, Li

2009-01-01

Doxorubicin is an effective breast cancer drug but is hampered by a severe, dose-dependent toxicity. Concomitant administration of doxorubicin and another cancer drug may be able to sensitize tumor cells to the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and lowers the therapeutic dosage. In this study, we examined the combined effect of low-dose doxorubicin and siRNA inhibition of telomerase on breast cancer cells. We found that when used individually, both treatments were rapid and potent apoptosis inducers; and when the two treatments were combined, we observed an enhanced and sustained apoptosis induction in breast cancer cells. siRNA targeting the mRNA of the protein component of telomerase, the telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), was transfected into two breast cancer cell lines. The siRNA inhibition was confirmed by RT-PCR and western blot on hTERT mRNA and protein levels, respectively, and by measuring the activity level of telomerase using the TRAP assay. The effect of the hTERT siRNA on the tumorigenicity of the breast cancer cells was also studied in vivo by injection of the siRNA-transfected breast cancer cells into nude mice. The effects on cell viability, apoptosis and senescence of cells treated with hTERT siRNA, doxorubicin, and the combined treatment of doxorubicin and hTERT siRNA, were examined in vitro by MTT assay, FACS and SA-β-galactosidase staining. The hTERT siRNA effectively knocked down the mRNA and protein levels of hTERT, and reduced the telomerase activity to 30% of the untreated control. In vivo, the tumors induced by the hTERT siRNA-transfected cells were of reduced sizes, indicating that the hTERT siRNA also reduced the tumorigenic potential of the breast cancer cells. The siRNA treatment reduced cell viability by 50% in breast cancer cells within two days after transfection, while 0.5 μM doxorubicin treatment had a comparable effect but with a slower kinetics. The combination of hTERT siRNA and 0.5 μM doxorubicin killed twice as many

Formation of radiation induced chromosome aberrations: involvement of telomeric sequences and telomerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirzio, L.

2004-07-01

As telomeres are crucial for chromosome integrity; we investigated the role played by telomeric sequences in the formation and in the transmission of radio-induced chromosome rearrangements in human cells. Starting from interstitial telomeric sequences (ITS) as putative region of breakage, we showed that the radiation sensitivity is not equally distributed along chromosomes and. is not affected by ITS. On the contrary, plasmid integration sites are prone to radio-induced breaks, suggesting a possible integration at sites already characterized by fragility. However plasmids do not preferentially insert at radio-induced breaks in human cells immortalized by telomerase. These cells showed remarkable karyotype stability even after irradiation, suggesting a role of telomerase in the genome maintenance despite functional telomeres. Finally, we showed that the presence of more breaks in a cell favors the repair, leading to an increase of transmissible rearrangements. (author)

Telomerase: a target for therapeutic effects of curcumin and a curcumin derivative in Aβ1-42 insult in vitro.

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Zijian Xiao

Full Text Available This study was designed to investigate whether telomerase was involved in the neuroprotective effect of curcumin and Cur1. Alzheimer's disease is a consequence of an imbalance between the generation and clearance of amyloid-beta peptide in the brain. In this study, we used Aβ1-42 (10 µg/ml to establish a damaged cell model, and curcumin and Cur1 were used in treatment groups. We measured cell survival and cell growth, intracellular oxidative stress and hTERT expression. After RNA interference, the effects of curcumin and Cur1 on cells were verified. Exposure to Aβ1-42 resulted in significant oxidative stress and cell toxicity, and the expression of hTERT was significantly decreased. Curcumin and Cur1 both protected SK-N-SH cells from Aβ1-42 and up-regulated the expression of hTERT. Furthermore, Cur1 demonstrated stronger protective effects than curcumin. However, when telomerase was inhibited by TERT siRNA, the neuroprotection by curcumin and Cur1 were ceased. Our study indicated that the neuroprotective effects of curcumin and Cur1 depend on telomerase, and thus telomerase may be a target for therapeutic effects of curcumin and Cur1.

Telomerase: A Target for Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin and a Curcumin Derivative in Aβ1-42 Insult In Vitro

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Lin, Jianwen; Zheng, Zhenyang; Shi, Xiaolei; Di, Wei; Qi, Weiwei; Zhu, Yingting; Zhou, Guijuan; Fang, Yannan

2014-01-01

This study was designed to investigate whether telomerase was involved in the neuroprotective effect of curcumin and Cur1. Alzheimer's disease is a consequence of an imbalance between the generation and clearance of amyloid-beta peptide in the brain. In this study, we used Aβ1-42 (10 µg/ml) to establish a damaged cell model, and curcumin and Cur1 were used in treatment groups. We measured cell survival and cell growth, intracellular oxidative stress and hTERT expression. After RNA interference, the effects of curcumin and Cur1 on cells were verified. Exposure to Aβ1–42 resulted in significant oxidative stress and cell toxicity, and the expression of hTERT was significantly decreased. Curcumin and Cur1 both protected SK-N-SH cells from Aβ1–42 and up-regulated the expression of hTERT. Furthermore, Cur1 demonstrated stronger protective effects than curcumin. However, when telomerase was inhibited by TERT siRNA, the neuroprotection by curcumin and Cur1 were ceased. Our study indicated that the neuroprotective effects of curcumin and Cur1 depend on telomerase, and thus telomerase may be a target for therapeutic effects of curcumin and Cur1. PMID:24983737

Induced apoptosis by mild hyperthermia occurs via telomerase inhibition on the three human myeloid leukemia cell lines: TF-1, K562, and HL-60.

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Deezagi, Abdolkhaleg; Manteghi, Sanaz; Khosravani, Pardis; Vaseli-Hagh, Neda; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila

2009-09-01

The purpose of this research was to understand the effect of hyperthermia on the telomerase activity in human leukemic cell lines (HL-60, K562, and TF-1). The cells were treated by hyperthermia at the range of 41-44 degrees C for 120 min and incubated for 96 h. Then telomerase activity, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed. The results indicated that hyperthermia significantly induced apoptosis on the cells. The cells exhibited pre-apoptotic pattern at 41 and 42 degrees C at 60-120 min and apoptotic pattern at 43 and 44 degrees C over 30 min after hyperthermia. Telomerase activity (that was assayed immediately after hyperthermia) was stable at 41-42 degrees C for 60 min but decreased to 35-40% at 120 min. However, at severe hyperthermia (43-44 degrees C) telomerase activity was decreased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Following hyperthermia (41-44 degrees C up to 120 min), the cells were incubated for 96 h. In these conditions, the telomerase activity was decreased by about 60-80% in comparison with that untreated control cells.

[Telomerase in lung cancer. Testing the activity of the "immortaligy enzyme" bronchial biopsies increases the diagnostic yield in cases of suspected peripheral bronchogenic carcinomas].

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Freitag, L; Litterst, P; Obertrifter, B; Velehorschi, V; Kemmer, H P; Linder, A; Brightman, I

2000-11-01

The proliferative capability is time-limited in normal somatic cells by the shortening of their chromosomal ends, the telomeres (Hayflick limit). An important feature of malignant cells is their immortality. The probably most common mechanism of tumour cells to achieve unlimited replicability is the activation of the enzyme telomerase. The reverse transcriptase can compensate the loss of telomeres. Using a PCR-based TRAP assay we found telomerase activity in tumour biopsies, exsudates and bronchial washings in various thoracic malignancies. In 38 of 47 patients with suspected peripheral lung cancer eventually surgery or invasive procedures proved a malignancy. In fluoroscopically guided bronchial brushings from 25 of these 38 patients (66%) the TRAP assay revealed telomerase activity. There was a single false positive case (tuberculosis) and with a single exception, the simultaneously taken brushes of the contralateral lobes were all telomerase negative. In 23 patients (61%) tumour cells were found in the cytological examination. In 33 patients at least one marker was positive. Thus the combination of cytology and telomerase test in bronchial brush biopsies attained a diagnostic yield of 87%.

Telomere- and Telomerase-Associated Proteins and Their Functions in the Plant Cell

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schrumpfová, P.; Schorová, Š.; Fajkus, Jiří

2016-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 851 (2016) ISSN 1664-462X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-06943S Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : telomere * telomerase * telomeric proteins Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.298, year: 2016

Augmented telomerase activity, reduced telomere length and the presence of alternative lengthening of telomere in renal cell carcinoma: plausible predictive and diagnostic markers.

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Pal, Deeksha; Sharma, Ujjawal; Khajuria, Ragini; Singh, Shrawan Kumar; Kakkar, Nandita; Prasad, Rajendra

2015-05-15

In this study, we analyzed 100 cases of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) for telomerase activity, telomere length and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) using the TRAP assay, TeloTTAGGG assay kit and immunohistochemical analysis of ALT associated promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies respectively. A significantly higher (P=0.000) telomerase activity was observed in 81 cases of RCC which was correlated with clinicopathological features of tumor for instance, stage (P=0.008) and grades (P=0.000) but not with the subtypes of RCC (P = 0.355). Notwithstanding, no correlation was found between telomerase activity and subtypes of RCC. Strikingly, the telomere length was found to be significantly shorter in RCC (P=0.000) to that of corresponding normal renal tissues and it is well correlated with grades (P=0.016) but not with stages (P=0.202) and subtypes (P=0.669) of RCC. In this study, telomere length was also negatively correlated with the age of patients (r(2)=0.528; P=0.000) which supports the notion that it could be used as a marker for biological aging. ALT associated PML bodies containing PML protein was found in telomerase negative cases of RCC. It suggests the presence of an ALT pathway mechanism to maintain the telomere length in telomerase negative RCC tissues which was associated with high stages of RCC, suggesting a prevalent mechanism for telomere maintenance in high stages. In conclusion, the telomerase activity and telomere length can be used as a diagnostic as well as a predictive marker in RCC. The prevalence of ALT mechanism in high stages of RCC is warranted for the development of anti-ALT inhibitors along with telomerase inhibitor against RCC as a therapeutic approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Telomerase activity in patients with stage 2–5D chronic kidney disease

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Veysel Kidir

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Molecular mechanisms of increased cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD associated with biological age are not well understood. Recent studies support the hypothesis that common factors responsible for this phenomenon are cellular aging and telomere dysfunction. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between telomerase activity and CKD stages. Methods: The study included 120 patients who were followed-up for CKD stage 2–5D, composed of 30 patients of each stage and 30 healthy volunteers without any known disease who were admitted to our hospital for routine check-ups. Telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC was measured using the TRAP assay. Results: A significant difference was observed for telomerase activity in PBMC between groups. The detected levels were lowest in the healthy control group (0.15 ± 0.02, and highest in CKD stage 5D patients (0.23 ± 0.04. In CKD patients, telomerase activity in PBMC was positively correlated with the CKD stage, serum creatinine, potassium and parathormone levels, and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, body mass index (BMI, platelet count and serum calcium levels. According to the linear regression analysis, independent predictors for high telomerase activity in CKD patients were eGFR and BMI. Conclusion: Telomerase activity in PBMC increases with advancing CKD stage in CKD patients. Increased telomerase activity in PBMC is associated with eGFR and BMI. Resumen: Antecedentes: Los mecanismos moleculares responsables del aumento de la mortalidad cardiovascular en la enfermedad renal crónica (ERC asociada a la edad biológica no se conocen bien. Los estudios recientes apoyan la hipótesis de que los factores comunes responsables de este fenómeno son el envejecimiento celular y la disfunción telomérica. Objetivos: El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar

Rapid blockade of telomerase activity and tumor cell growth by the DPL lipofection of ribbon antisense to hTR.

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Bajpai, Arun K; Park, Jeong-Hoh; Moon, Ik-Jae; Kang, Hyungu; Lee, Yun-Han; Doh, Kyung-Oh; Suh, Seong-Il; Chang, Byeong-Churl; Park, Jong-Gu

2005-09-29

Ribbon antisense (RiAS) to the hTR RNA, a component of the telomerase complex, was employed to inhibit telomerase activity and cancer cell growth. The antisense molecule, hTR-RiAS, combined with enhanced cellular uptake was shown to effectively inhibit telomerase activity and cause rapid cell death in various cancer cell lines. When cancer cells were treated with hTR-RiAS, the level of hTR RNA was reduced by more than 90% accompanied with reduction in telomerase activity. When checked for cancer cell viability, cancer cell lines treated with hTR-RiAS using DNA+Peptide+Lipid complex showed 70-80% growth inhibition in 3 days. The reduced cell viability was due to apoptosis as the percentage of cells exhibiting the sub-G0 arrest and DNA fragmentation increased after antisense treatment. Further, when subcutaneous tumors of a colon cancer cell line (SW480) were treated intratumorally with hTR-RiAS, tumor growth was markedly suppressed with almost total ablation of hTR RNA in the tumor tissue. Cells in the tumor tissue were also found to undergo apoptosis after hTR-RiAS treatment. These results suggest that hTR-RiAS is an effective anticancer reagent, with a potential for broad efficacy to diverse malignant tumors.

Chemotherapeutic-Induced Cardiovascular Dysfunction: Physiological Effects, Early Detection—The Role of Telomerase to Counteract Mitochondrial Defects and Oxidative Stress

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Quryshi, Nabeel; Norwood Toro, Laura E.; Ait-Aissa, Karima; Kong, Amanda; Beyer, Andreas M.

2018-01-01

Although chemotherapeutics can be highly effective at targeting malignancies, their ability to trigger cardiovascular morbidity is clinically significant. Chemotherapy can adversely affect cardiovascular physiology, resulting in the development of cardiomyopathy, heart failure and microvascular defects. Specifically, anthracyclines are known to cause an excessive buildup of free radical species and mitochondrial DNA damage (mtDNA) that can lead to oxidative stress-induced cardiovascular apoptosis. Therefore, oncologists and cardiologists maintain a network of communication when dealing with patients during treatment in order to treat and prevent chemotherapy-induced cardiovascular damage; however, there is a need to discover more accurate biomarkers and therapeutics to combat and predict the onset of cardiovascular side effects. Telomerase, originally discovered to promote cellular proliferation, has recently emerged as a potential mechanism to counteract mitochondrial defects and restore healthy mitochondrial vascular phenotypes. This review details mechanisms currently used to assess cardiovascular damage, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and troponin levels, while also unearthing recently researched biomarkers, including circulating mtDNA, telomere length and telomerase activity. Further, we explore a potential role of telomerase in the mitigation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and maintenance of mtDNA integrity. Telomerase activity presents a promising indicator for the early detection and treatment of chemotherapy-derived cardiac damage. PMID:29534446

Telomerase level increase is related to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid efficacy in first episode schizophrenia: Secondary outcome analysis of the OFFER randomized clinical trial.

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Pawełczyk, Tomasz; Grancow-Grabka, Marta; Trafalska, Elżbieta; Szemraj, Janusz; Żurner, Natalia; Pawełczyk, Agnieszka

2018-04-20

Schizophrenia is associated with shortening of the lifespan mainly due to cardiovascular events, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Both telomere attrition and decrease of telomerase levels were observed in schizophrenia. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) influence multiple biochemical mechanisms which are postulated to accelerate telomere shortening and limit the longevity of patients with schizophrenia. Intervention studies based on add-on therapy with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in patients with schizophrenia did not assess the changes in telomerase levels. A randomized placebo-controlled trial named OFFER was designed to compare the efficacy of a 26-week intervention composed of either 2.2g/day of n-3 PUFA or olive oil placebo with regard to symptom severity in first-episode schizophrenia patients. The secondary outcome measure of the study was to describe the association between the clinical effect of n-3 PUFA and changes in telomerase levels. Seventy-one patients aged 16-35 were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to the study arms. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the change in symptom severity. Telomerase levels of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were assessed at three points: at baseline and at weeks 8 and 26 of the intervention. A significantly greater increase in PBMC telomerase levels in the intervention group compared to placebo was observed (p<0.001). Changes in telomerase levels significantly and inversely correlated with improvement in depressive symptoms and severity of the illness. The efficacy of a six-month intervention with n-3 PUFA observed in first-episode schizophrenia may be related to an increase in telomerase levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A second chance for telomerase reverse transcriptase in anticancer immunotherapy.

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Zanetti, Maurizio

2017-02-01

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a self-antigen that is expressed constitutively in many tumours, and is, therefore, an important target for anticancer immunotherapy. In the past 10 years, trials of immunotherapy with TERT-based vaccines have demonstrated only modest benefits. In this Perspectives, I discuss the possible immunological reasons for this limited antitumour efficacy, and propose that advances in our understanding of the genetics and biology of the involvement of TERT in cancer provides the basis for renewed interest in TERT- based immunotherapy. Telomerase and TERT are expressed in cancer cells at every stage of tumour evolution, from the cancer stem cell to circulating tumour cells and tumour metastases. Many cancer types also harbour cells with mutations in the TERT promoter region, which increase transcriptional activation of this gene. These new findings should spur new interest in the development of TERT-based immunotherapies that are redesigned in line with established immunological considerations and working principles, and are tailored to patients stratified on the basis of TERT-promoter mutations and other underlying tumour characteristics. Thus, despite the disappointment of previous clinical trials, TERT offers the potential for personalized immunotherapy, perhaps in combination with immune-checkpoint inhibition.

Activation of Telomerase by Ionizing Radiation: Differential Response to the Inhibition of DNA Double-Strand Break Repair by Abrogation of Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, by LY294002, or by Wortmannin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuhof, Dirk; Zwicker, Felix; Kuepper, Jan-Heiner; Debus, Juergen; Weber, Klaus-Josef

2007-01-01

Purpose: Telomerase activity represents a radiation-inducible function, which may be targeted by a double-strand break (DSB)-activated signal transduction pathway. Therefore, the effects of DNA-PK inhibitors (Wortmannin and LY294002) on telomerase upregulation after irradiation were studied. In addition, the role of trans-dominant inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, which strongly reduces DSB rejoining, was assessed in comparison with 3-aminobenzamide. Methods and Materials: COM3 rodent cells carry a construct for the dexamethasone-inducible overexpression of the DNA-binding domain of PARP1 and exhibit greatly impaired DSB rejoining after irradiation. Telomerase activity was measured using polymerase chain reaction ELISA 1 h after irradiation with doses up to 10 Gy. Phosphorylation status of PKB/Akt and of PKCα/β II was assessed by western blotting. Results: No telomerase upregulation was detectable for irradiated cells with undisturbed DSB rejoining. In contrast, incubation with LY294002 or dexamethasone yielded pronounced radiation induction of telomerase activity that could be suppressed by Wortmannin. 3-Aminobenzamide not only was unable to induce telomerase activity but also suppressed telomerase upregulation upon incubation with LY294002 or dexamethasone. Phospho-PKB was detectable independent of irradiation or dexamethasone pretreatment, but was undetectable upon incubations with LY294002 or Wortmannin, whereas phospho-PKC rested detectable. Conclusions: Telomerase activation postirradiation was triggered by different treatments that interfere with DNA DSB processing. This telomerase upregulation, however, was not reflected by the phosporylation status of the putative mediators of TERT activation, PKB and PKC. Although an involvement of PKB in TERT activation is not supported by the present findings, a respective role of PKC isoforms other than α/β II cannot be ruled out

Inhibition of telomerase activity preferentially targets aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cancer stem-like cells in lung cancer

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Iniesta Pilar

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mortality rates for advanced lung cancer have not declined for decades, even with the implementation of novel chemotherapeutic regimens or the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs are thought to be responsible for resistance to chemo/radiotherapy. Therefore, targeting CSCs with novel compounds may be an effective approach to reduce lung tumor growth and metastasis. We have isolated and characterized CSCs from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC cell lines and measured their telomerase activity, telomere length, and sensitivity to the novel telomerase inhibitor MST312. Results The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH positive lung cancer cell fraction is enriched in markers of stemness and endowed with stem cell properties. ALDH+ CSCs display longer telomeres than the non-CSC population. Interestingly, MST312 has a strong antiproliferative effect on lung CSCs and induces p21, p27 and apoptosis in the whole tumor population. MST312 acts through activation of the ATM/pH2AX DNA damage pathway (short-term effect and through decrease in telomere length (long-term effect. Administration of this telomerase inhibitor (40 mg/kg in the H460 xenograft model results in significant tumor shrinkage (70% reduction, compared to controls. Combination therapy consisting of irradiation (10Gy plus administration of MST312 did not improve the therapeutic efficacy of the telomerase inhibitor alone. Treatment with MST312 reduces significantly the number of ALDH+ CSCs and their telomeric length in vivo. Conclusions We conclude that antitelomeric therapy using MST312 mainly targets lung CSCs and may represent a novel approach for effective treatment of lung cancer.

Quantitative Determination of Telomerase Activity in Breast Cancer and Benign Breast Diseases

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimíčková, M.; Nekulová, M.; Pecen, Ladislav; Černoch, M.; Vagundová, M.; Pačovský, Z.

2001-01-01

Roč. 48, č. 4 (2001), s. 267-273 ISSN 0028-2685 R&D Projects: GA MZd NM17 Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : telomerase activity * quantitative analysis * breast cancer * benign breast diseases * prognisis Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.637, year: 2001

Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations in glandular lesions of the urinary bladder.

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Vail, Eric; Zheng, Xiaoyong; Zhou, Ming; Yang, Ximing; Fallon, John T; Epstein, Jonathan I; Zhong, Minghao

2015-10-01

Glandular lesions of the urinary bladder include a broad spectrum of entities ranging from completely benign to primary and secondary malignancies. The accurate diagnosis of these lesions is both important and challenging. Recently, studies suggest that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations could be a biomarker for urothelial carcinoma (UC). We hypothesized that these mutations can distinguish UC with glandular differentiation from nephrogenic adenoma, primary adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder (PAUB), or secondary malignancies. Twenty-five cases of benign glandular lesions (including nephrogenic adenoma); 29 cases of UC with glandular differentiation; 10 cases of PAUB; and 10 cases each of metastatic colon cancer, prostatic carcinoma, and carcinoma from Mullerian origin were collected. Slides were reviewed and selected to make sure the lesion was at least 10% to 20% of all tissue. Macrodissection was performed in some of cases, and genomic DNA was extracted from the tissue. Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations were determined by standard polymerase chain reaction sequencing. Twenty-one cases (72%) of UC with glandular differentiation were positive for TERT promoter mutations. However, none of the remaining cases (total 65 cases of benign lesions, PAUB, and metastatic carcinomas) was positive for TERT promoter mutation. Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations were highly associated with UC including UC with glandular differentiation but not other glandular lesions of bladder. Therefore, in conjunction with morphologic features, Immunohistochemistry stain profile, and clinical information, TERT promoter mutations could distinguish UC with glandular differentiation from other bladder glandular lesions. In addition, lack of TERT promoter mutations in primary adenocarcinoma of bladder suggests that this entity may have different origin or carcinogenesis from those of UC. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Food supplement 20070721-GX may increase CD34+ stem cells and telomerase activity.

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Lin, Po-Cheng; Chiou, Tzyy-Wen; Liu, Po-Yen; Chen, Shee-Ping; Wang, Hsin-I; Huang, Pi-Chun; Lin, Shinn-Zong; Harn, Horng-Jyh

2012-01-01

Few rejuvenation and antiaging markers are used to evaluate food supplements. We measured three markers in peripheral blood to evaluate the antiaging effects of a food supplement containing placental extract. Samples were evaluated for CD34(+) cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and telomerase activity, which are all markers related to aging. To control the quality of this food supplement, five active components were monitored. In total, we examined 44 individuals who took the food supplement from 1.2 months to 23 months; the average number of CD34(+) cells was almost 6-fold higher in the experimental group compared with the control group. Food supplement intake did not change serum IGF1 levels significantly. Finally, the average telomerase activity was 30% higher in the subjects taking this food supplement. In summary, our results suggest that the placental extract in the food supplement might contribute to rejuvenation and antiaging.

Curcumin Regulates Low-Linear Energy Transfer γ-Radiation-Induced NFκB-Dependent Telomerase Activity in Human Neuroblastoma Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aravindan, Natarajan; Veeraraghavan, Jamunarani; Madhusoodhanan, Rakhesh; Herman, Terence S.; Natarajan, Mohan

2011-01-01

Purpose: We recently reported that curcumin attenuates ionizing radiation (IR)-induced survival signaling and proliferation in human neuroblastoma cells. Also, in the endothelial system, we have demonstrated that NFκB regulates IR-induced telomerase activity (TA). Accordingly, we investigated the effect of curcumin in inhibiting IR-induced NFκB-dependent hTERT transcription, TA, and cell survival in neuroblastoma cells. Methods and Materials: SK-N-MC or SH-SY5Y cells exposed to IR and treated with curcumin (10-100 nM) with or without IR were harvested after 1 h through 24 h. NFκB-dependent regulation was investigated either by luciferase reporter assays using pNFκB-, pGL3-354-, pGL3-347-, or pUSE-IκBα-Luc, p50/p65, or RelA siRNA-transfected cells. NFκB activity was analyzed using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and hTERT expression using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. TA was determined using the telomerase repeat amplification protocol assay and cell survival using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltertrazolium bromide and clonogenic assay. Results: Curcumin profoundly inhibited IR-induced NFκB. Consequently, curcumin significantly inhibited IR-induced TA and hTERT mRNA at all points investigated. Furthermore, IR-induced TA is regulated at the transcriptional level by triggering telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter activation. Moreover, NFκB becomes functionally activated after IR and mediates TA upregulation by binding to the κB-binding region in the promoter region of the TERT gene. Consistently, elimination of the NFκB-recognition site on the telomerase promoter or inhibition of NFκB by the IκBα mutant compromises IR-induced telomerase promoter activation. Significantly, curcumin inhibited IR-induced TERT transcription. Consequently, curcumin inhibited hTERT mRNA and TA in NFκB overexpressed cells. Furthermore, curcumin enhanced the IR-induced inhibition of cell survival. Conclusions: These results

Distinct profiles of TERT promoter mutations and telomerase expression in head and neck cancer and cervical carcinoma.

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Annunziata, Clorinda; Pezzuto, Francesca; Greggi, Stefano; Ionna, Franco; Losito, Simona; Botti, Gerardo; Buonaguro, Luigi; Buonaguro, Franco M; Tornesello, Maria Lina

2018-03-31

Two recurrent mutations (-124 G > A and -146 G > A) in the core promoter region of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene create consensus binding sites for ETS transcription factors and cause increased TERT expression in several tumour types. We analyzed TERT promoter mutations and TERT mRNA levels in head and neck cancer, cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) as well as in C-4I, CaSki, HeLa and SiHa cervical cell lines. Nucleotide sequence analysis of TERT promoter region showed that 33.3% of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 16.8% of cervical SCC harboured mutually exclusive G to A transitions at nucleotide position -124 or -146. TERT promoter was mutated at nucleotide -146 (G > A) in SiHa cell line. Other nucleotide changes creating in some cases putative ETS binding sites were more frequent in oral SCC (26.7%) than in cervical carcinoma (4.8%). The frequency of mutations was independent of human papillomavirus (HPV) tumour status in both cervical and oral cancer. Expression of TERT gene was significantly higher in TERT promoter mutated (-124G > A or -146G > A) cervical SCC compared to not mutated SCC irrespective of HPV16 E6 and E7 levels. Such hot spot changes were not detected in oropharyngeal SCC, cervical adenocarcinoma and CIN lesions. Our results suggest that TERT promoter mutations play a relevant role in oral SCC as well as in cervical SCC, besides the already known effect of HPV16 E6 protein on TERT expression. © 2018 UICC.

Effective control of acute myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia progression by telomerase specific adoptive T-cell therapy.

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Sandri, Sara; De Sanctis, Francesco; Lamolinara, Alessia; Boschi, Federico; Poffe, Ornella; Trovato, Rosalinda; Fiore, Alessandra; Sartori, Sara; Sbarbati, Andrea; Bondanza, Attilio; Cesaro, Simone; Krampera, Mauro; Scupoli, Maria T; Nishimura, Michael I; Iezzi, Manuela; Sartoris, Silvia; Bronte, Vincenzo; Ugel, Stefano

2017-10-20

Telomerase (TERT) is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that preserves the molecular organization at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Since TERT deregulation is a common step in leukaemia, treatments targeting telomerase might be useful for the therapy of hematologic malignancies. Despite a large spectrum of potential drugs, their bench-to-bedside translation is quite limited, with only a therapeutic vaccine in the clinic and a telomerase inhibitor at late stage of preclinical validation. We recently demonstrated that the adoptive transfer of T cell transduced with an HLA-A2-restricted T-cell receptor (TCR), which recognize human TERT with high avidity, controls human B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) progression without severe side-effects in humanized mice. In the present report, we show the ability of our approach to limit the progression of more aggressive leukemic pathologies, such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). Together, our findings demonstrate that TERT-based adoptive cell therapy is a concrete platform of T cell-mediated immunotherapy for leukaemia treatment.

cDNA Library Screening Identifies Protein Interactors Potentially Involved in Non-telomeric Roles of Arabidopsis Telomerase

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Ladislav eDokládal

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Telomerase-reverse transcriptase (TERT plays an essential catalytic role in maintaining telomeres. However, in animal systems telomerase plays additional non-telomeric functional roles. We previously screened an Arabidopsis cDNA library for proteins that interact with the C-terminal extension (CTE TERT domain and identified a nuclear-localized protein that contains a RNA recognition motif (RRM. This RRM-protein forms homodimers in both plants and yeast. Mutation of the gene encoding the RRM-protein had no detectable effect on plant growth and development, nor did it affect telomerase activity or telomere length in vivo, suggesting a non-telomeric role for TERT/RRM-protein complexes. The gene encoding the RRM-protein is highly expressed in leaf and reproductive tissues. We further screened an Arabidopsis cDNA library for proteins that interact with the RRM-protein and identified five interactors. These proteins are involved in numerous non-telomere-associated cellular activities. In plants, the RRM-protein, both alone and in a complex with its interactors, localizes to nuclear speckles. Transcriptional analyses in wild-type and rrm mutant plants, as well as transcriptional co-analyses, suggest that TERT, the RRM-protein, and the RRM-protein interactors may play important roles in non-telomeric cellular functions.

Food Supplement 20070721-GX May Increase CD34+ Stem Cells and Telomerase Activity

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Po-Cheng Lin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Few rejuvenation and antiaging markers are used to evaluate food supplements. We measured three markers in peripheral blood to evaluate the antiaging effects of a food supplement containing placental extract. Samples were evaluated for CD34+ cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1, and telomerase activity, which are all markers related to aging. To control the quality of this food supplement, five active components were monitored. In total, we examined 44 individuals who took the food supplement from 1.2 months to 23 months; the average number of CD34+ cells was almost 6-fold higher in the experimental group compared with the control group. Food supplement intake did not change serum IGF1 levels significantly. Finally, the average telomerase activity was 30% higher in the subjects taking this food supplement. In summary, our results suggest that the placental extract in the food supplement might contribute to rejuvenation and antiaging.

Telomerase activity is spontaneously increased in lymphocytes from patients with atopic dermatitis and correlates with cellular proliferation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kehuai; Volke, Anne Rehné; Lund, Marianne

1999-01-01

blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from 15 patients with AD and 13 healthy donors. Cells were stimulated with purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin (10 microg/ml), interleukin 2 (IL-2) (100 U/ml), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (anti-CD3) (1 microg/ml), anti-CD3 plus IL-2......-thymidine incorporation. We found that telomerase activity in non-stimulated PBMC from patients with AD was significantly up-regulated without any stimulation during the 72 h of in vitro incubation. The most potent stimulator of telomerase activity was SEA, followed by anti-CD3 plus IL-2, anti-CD3 alone, and PPD. IL-2...

The TROVE module: a common element in Telomerase, Ro and Vault ribonucleoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, Alex; Kickhoefer, Valerie

2003-10-16

Ribonucleoproteins carry out a variety of important tasks in the cell. In this study we show that a number of these contain a novel module, that we speculate mediates RNA-binding. The TROVE module--Telomerase, Ro and Vault module--is found in TEP1 and Ro60 the protein components of three ribonucleoprotein particles. This novel module, consisting of one or more domains, may be involved in binding the RNA components of the three RNPs, which are telomerase RNA, Y RNA and vault RNA. A second conserved region in these proteins is shown to be a member of the vWA domain family. The vWA domain in TEP1 is closely related to the previously recognised vWA domain in VPARP a second component of the vault particle. This vWA domain may mediate interactions between these vault components or bind as yet unidentified components of the RNPs. This work suggests that a number of ribonucleoprotein components use a common RNA-binding module. The TROVE module is also found in bacterial ribonucleoproteins suggesting an ancient origin for these ribonucleoproteins.

Genotoxicity studies on DNA-interactive telomerase inhibitors with application as anti-cancer agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Dean J; Cemeli, Eduardo; Carder, Joanna; Fearnley, Jamie; Estdale, Sian; Perry, Philip J; Jenkins, Terence C; Anderson, Diana

2003-01-01

Telomerase-targeted strategies have aroused recent interest in anti-cancer chemotherapy, because DNA-binding drugs can interact with high-order tetraplex rather than double-stranded (duplex) DNA targets in tumour cells. However, the protracted cell-drug exposure times necessary for clinical application require that telomerase inhibitory efficacy must be accompanied by both low inherent cytotoxicity and the absence of mutagenicity/genotoxicity. For the first time, the genotoxicity of a number of structurally diverse DNA-interactive telomerase inhibitors is examined in the Ames test using six Salmonella typhimurium bacterial strains (TA1535, TA1537, TA1538, TA98, TA100, and TA102). DNA damage induced by each agent was also assessed using the Comet assay with human lymphocytes. The two assay procedures revealed markedly different genotoxicity profiles that are likely to reflect differences in metabolism and/or DNA repair between bacterial and mammalian cells. The mutational spectrum for a biologically active fluorenone derivative, shown to be mutagenic in the TA100 strain, was characterised using a novel and rapid assay method based upon PCR amplification of a fragment of the hisG46 allele, followed by RFLP analysis. Preliminary analysis indicates that the majority (84%) of mutations induced by this compound are C --> A transversions at position 2 of the missense proline codon of the hisG46 allele. However, despite its genotoxic bacterial profile, this fluorenone agent gave a negative response in the Comet assay, and demonstrates how unwanted systemic effects (e.g., cytotoxicity and genotoxicity) can be prevented or ameliorated through suitable molecular fine-tuning of a candidate drug in targeted human tumour cells. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Telomerase Activity, Cytokeratin 20 and Cytokeratin 19 in Urine Cells of Bladder Cancer Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morsi, M.I.; Youssef, A.I.; El-Sedafi, A.S.; Ghazal, A.A.; Zaher, E.R.; Hassouna, M.E.

2006-01-01

Aim of the Study: This work aims to search for markers suitable for the screening of bladder cancer, which should be specific, sensitive, reproducible, non-invasive and at acceptable cost. Patients and Methods: The study included 50 patients diagnosed as bladder cancer (35 TCC, 15 SCC) of different stages and grades, 30 patients with various urothelial diseases, besides 20 apparently healthy subjects of matched age and sex to the malignant group. A random midstream urine sample was collected in a sterile container for the determination of telomerase by RT-PCR, keratin 19 by ELSA CYFRA 21-1 IRMA kit, keratin 20 by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining, and urine cytology. Results: For all parameters (telomerase, K19, K20 and cytology) the malignant group was significantly different from both the benign and the control groups. None of the four studied parameters was correlated to the stage of the disease, and when it comes to grade, only KI9 showed a significant positive correlation with grade both in TCC and SCe. When ROC curves for all parameters were compared, K 19 had the largest area under the curve, and then comes K20 . o Conclusion: K 19 may be used as a biological marker for the diagnosis of bladder cancer. K 19 could not be used for differential diagnosis of different types of bladder cancer, meanwhile it could be a marker for differentiation that decreases in less differentiated tumors. As a tumor marker, K20 reflects inability to differentiate tumor type or grade in TCC, while in SCC of the bladder it is correlated with the grade. As a method, RT-PCR is superior to immunostaining for the detection of bladder cancer, meanwhile K20 immunohistochemistry ([HC) results were much better than urine cytology as a bladder cancer screening test. haematuria and inflammation reduced the specificity of telomerase assay, which reduced its validity as a tumor marker of bladder cancer. K 19 and K20 are the best candidates as screening tests for the diagnosis of bladder

Identification of the Types Properties and Functional Characteristics of Telomerase Expressing Cells in Breast Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hines, William

2003-01-01

... biochemical and functional properties may be characterized. Through examining the role of telomerase in cancer, this project also fosters the education of the candidate through the interaction with several experts in breast cancer pathology, epidemiology, bio...

Evolution of extreme stomach pH in bilateria inferred from gastric alkalization mechanisms in basal deuterostomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y; Tseng, Yung-Che; Guh, Ying-Jeh; Chen, Yi-Chih; Yu, Jr-Kai; Su, Yi-Hsien; Hwang, Pung-Pung

2015-06-08

The stomachs of most vertebrates operate at an acidic pH of 2 generated by the gastric H(+)/K(+)-ATPase located in parietal cells. The acidic pH in stomachs of vertebrates is believed to aid digestion and to protect against environmental pathogens. Little attention has been placed on whether acidic gastric pH regulation is a vertebrate character or a deuterostome ancestral trait. Here, we report alkaline conditions up to pH 10.5 in the larval digestive systems of ambulacraria (echinoderm + hemichordate), the closest relative of the chordate. Microelectrode measurements in combination with specific inhibitors for acid-base transporters and ion pumps demonstrated that the gastric alkalization machinery in sea urchin larvae is mainly based on direct H(+) secretion from the stomach lumen and involves a conserved set of ion pumps and transporters. Hemichordate larvae additionally utilized HCO3(-) transport pathways to generate even more alkaline digestive conditions. Molecular analyses in combination with acidification experiments supported these findings and identified genes coding for ion pumps energizing gastric alkalization. Given that insect larval guts were also reported to be alkaline, our discovery raises the hypothesis that the bilaterian ancestor utilized alkaline digestive system while the vertebrate lineage has evolved a strategy to strongly acidify their stomachs.

HOT1 is a mammalian direct telomere repeat-binding protein contributing to telomerase recruitment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kappei, D.; Butter, F.; Benda, C.; Scheibe, M.; Draskovic, Irena; Stevense, M.; Novo, C.L.; Basquin, C.; Araki, M.; Araki, K.; Krastev, D.B.; Kittler, R.; Jessberger, R.; Londono-Vallejo, J.A.; Mann, M.; Buchholz, F.

2013-01-01

Telomeres are repetitive DNA structures that, together with the shelterin and the CST complex, protect the ends of chromosomes. Telomere shortening is mitigated in stem and cancer cells through the de novo addition of telomeric repeats by telomerase. Telomere elongation requires the delivery of the

NBS1 plays a synergistic role with telomerase in the maintenance of telomeres in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Najdekrova Lucie

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Telomeres, as elaborate nucleo-protein complexes, ensure chromosomal stability. When impaired, the ends of linear chromosomes can be recognised by cellular repair mechanisms as double-strand DNA breaks and can be healed by non-homologous-end-joining activities to produce dicentric chromosomes. During cell divisions, particularly during anaphase, dicentrics can break, thus producing naked chromosome tips susceptible to additional unwanted chromosome fusion. Many telomere-building protein complexes are associated with telomeres to ensure their proper capping function. It has been found however, that a number of repair complexes also contribute to telomere stability. Results We used Arabidopsis thaliana to study the possible functions of the DNA repair subunit, NBS1, in telomere homeostasis using knockout nbs1 mutants. The results showed that although NBS1-deficient plants were viable, lacked any sign of developmental aberration and produced fertile seeds through many generations upon self-fertilisation, plants also missing the functional telomerase (double mutants, rapidly, within three generations, displayed severe developmental defects. Cytogenetic inspection of cycling somatic cells revealed a very early onset of massive genome instability. Molecular methods used for examining the length of telomeres in double homozygous mutants detected much faster telomere shortening than in plants deficient in telomerase gene alone. Conclusions Our findings suggest that NBS1 acts in concert with telomerase and plays a profound role in plant telomere renewal.

NBS1 plays a synergistic role with telomerase in the maintenance of telomeres in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Najdekrova, Lucie; Siroky, Jiri

2012-09-17

Telomeres, as elaborate nucleo-protein complexes, ensure chromosomal stability. When impaired, the ends of linear chromosomes can be recognised by cellular repair mechanisms as double-strand DNA breaks and can be healed by non-homologous-end-joining activities to produce dicentric chromosomes. During cell divisions, particularly during anaphase, dicentrics can break, thus producing naked chromosome tips susceptible to additional unwanted chromosome fusion. Many telomere-building protein complexes are associated with telomeres to ensure their proper capping function. It has been found however, that a number of repair complexes also contribute to telomere stability. We used Arabidopsis thaliana to study the possible functions of the DNA repair subunit, NBS1, in telomere homeostasis using knockout nbs1 mutants. The results showed that although NBS1-deficient plants were viable, lacked any sign of developmental aberration and produced fertile seeds through many generations upon self-fertilisation, plants also missing the functional telomerase (double mutants), rapidly, within three generations, displayed severe developmental defects. Cytogenetic inspection of cycling somatic cells revealed a very early onset of massive genome instability. Molecular methods used for examining the length of telomeres in double homozygous mutants detected much faster telomere shortening than in plants deficient in telomerase gene alone. Our findings suggest that NBS1 acts in concert with telomerase and plays a profound role in plant telomere renewal.

The putative Leishmania telomerase RNA (LeishTER undergoes trans-splicing and contains a conserved template sequence.

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Elton J R Vasconcelos

Full Text Available Telomerase RNAs (TERs are highly divergent between species, varying in size and sequence composition. Here, we identify a candidate for the telomerase RNA component of Leishmania genus, which includes species that cause leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. Merging a thorough computational screening combined with RNA-seq evidence, we mapped a non-coding RNA gene localized in a syntenic locus on chromosome 25 of five Leishmania species that shares partial synteny with both Trypanosoma brucei TER locus and a putative TER candidate-containing locus of Crithidia fasciculata. Using target-driven molecular biology approaches, we detected a ∼2,100 nt transcript (LeishTER that contains a 5' spliced leader (SL cap, a putative 3' polyA tail and a predicted C/D box snoRNA domain. LeishTER is expressed at similar levels in the logarithmic and stationary growth phases of promastigote forms. A 5'SL capped LeishTER co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with the telomerase protein component (TERT in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Prediction of its secondary structure strongly suggests the existence of a bona fide single-stranded template sequence and a conserved C[U/C]GUCA motif-containing helix II, representing the template boundary element. This study paves the way for further investigations on the biogenesis of parasite TERT ribonucleoproteins (RNPs and its role in parasite telomere biology.

Tumorigenic Heterogeneity in Cancer Stem Cells Evolved from Long-term Cultures of Telomerase-Immortalized

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burns, Jorge S; Abdallah, Basem M; Guldberg, Per

2005-01-01

Long-term cultures of telomerase-transduced adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) may evolve spontaneous genetic changes leading to tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mice (e.g., hMSC-TERT20). We wished to clarify whether this unusual phenotype reflected a rare but dominant subpopulation or if...

The TROVE module: A common element in Telomerase, Ro and Vault ribonucleoproteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bateman Alex

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ribonucleoproteins carry out a variety of important tasks in the cell. In this study we show that a number of these contain a novel module, that we speculate mediates RNA-binding. Results The TROVE module – Telomerase, Ro and Vault module – is found in TEP1 and Ro60 the protein components of three ribonucleoprotein particles. This novel module, consisting of one or more domains, may be involved in binding the RNA components of the three RNPs, which are telomerase RNA, Y RNA and vault RNA. A second conserved region in these proteins is shown to be a member of the vWA domain family. The vWA domain in TEP1 is closely related to the previously recognised vWA domain in VPARP a second component of the vault particle. This vWA domain may mediate interactions between these vault components or bind as yet unidentified components of the RNPs. Conclusions This work suggests that a number of ribonucleoprotein components use a common RNA-binding module. The TROVE module is also found in bacterial ribonucleoproteins suggesting an ancient origin for these ribonucleoproteins.

Distinct Responses of Stem Cells to Telomere Uncapping-A Potential Strategy to Improve the Safety of Cell Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang Ching; Ma, Dong Liang; Yan, Ting-Dong; Fan, XiuBo; Poon, Zhiyong; Poon, Lai-Fong; Goh, Su-Ann; Rozen, Steve G; Hwang, William Ying Khee; Tergaonkar, Vinay; Tan, Patrick; Ghosh, Sujoy; Virshup, David M; Goh, Eyleen L K; Li, Shang

2016-10-01

In most human somatic cells, the lack of telomerase activity results in progressive telomere shortening during each cell division. Eventually, DNA damage responses triggered by critically short telomeres induce an irreversible cell cycle arrest termed replicative senescence. However, the cellular responses of human pluripotent stem cells to telomere uncapping remain unknown. We generated telomerase knockout human embryonic stem (ES) cells through gene targeting. Telomerase inactivation in ES cells results in progressive telomere shortening. Telomere DNA damage in ES cells and neural progenitor cells induces rapid apoptosis when telomeres are uncapped, in contrast to fibroblast cells that enter a state of replicative senescence. Significantly, telomerase inactivation limits the proliferation capacity of human ES cells without affecting their pluripotency. By targeting telomerase activity, we can functionally separate the two unique properties of human pluripotent stem cells, namely unlimited self-renewal and pluripotency. We show that the potential of ES cells to form teratomas in vivo is dictated by their telomere length. By controlling telomere length of ES cells through telomerase inactivation, we can inhibit teratoma formation and potentially improve the safety of cell therapies involving terminally differentiated cells as well as specific progenitor cells that do not require sustained cellular proliferation in vivo, and thus sustained telomerase activity. Stem Cells 2016;34:2471-2484. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.

Evolutionary history of the alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia) gene family: tandem duplications in early deuterostomes explain most of the diversity found in the vertebrate ST8Sia genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Harduin-Lepers, Anne; Petit, Daniel; Mollicone, Rosella; Delannoy, Philippe; Petit, Jean-Michel; Oriol, Rafael

2008-09-23

The animal sialyltransferases, which catalyze the transfer of sialic acid to the glycan moiety of glycoconjugates, are subdivided into four families: ST3Gal, ST6Gal, ST6GalNAc and ST8Sia, based on acceptor sugar specificity and glycosidic linkage formed. Despite low overall sequence identity between each sialyltransferase family, all sialyltransferases share four conserved peptide motifs (L, S, III and VS) that serve as hallmarks for the identification of the sialyltransferases. Currently, twenty subfamilies have been described in mammals and birds. Examples of the four sialyltransferase families have also been found in invertebrates. Focusing on the ST8Sia family, we investigated the origin of the three groups of alpha2,8-sialyltransferases demonstrated in vertebrates to carry out poly-, oligo- and mono-alpha2,8-sialylation. We identified in the genome of invertebrate deuterostomes, orthologs to the common ancestor for each of the three vertebrate ST8Sia groups and a set of novel genes named ST8Sia EX, not found in vertebrates. All these ST8Sia sequences share a new conserved family-motif, named "C-term" that is involved in protein folding, via an intramolecular disulfide bridge. Interestingly, sequences from Branchiostoma floridae orthologous to the common ancestor of polysialyltransferases possess a polysialyltransferase domain (PSTD) and those orthologous to the common ancestor of oligosialyltransferases possess a new ST8Sia III-specific motif similar to the PSTD. In osteichthyans, we have identified two new subfamilies. In addition, we describe the expression profile of ST8Sia genes in Danio rerio. Polysialylation appeared early in the deuterostome lineage. The recent release of several deuterostome genome databases and paralogons combined with synteny analysis allowed us to obtain insight into events at the gene level that led to the diversification of the ST8Sia genes, with their corresponding enzymatic activities, in both invertebrates and vertebrates. The

Evolutionary history of the alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia gene family: Tandem duplications in early deuterostomes explain most of the diversity found in the vertebrate ST8Sia genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petit Jean-Michel

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The animal sialyltransferases, which catalyze the transfer of sialic acid to the glycan moiety of glycoconjugates, are subdivided into four families: ST3Gal, ST6Gal, ST6GalNAc and ST8Sia, based on acceptor sugar specificity and glycosidic linkage formed. Despite low overall sequence identity between each sialyltransferase family, all sialyltransferases share four conserved peptide motifs (L, S, III and VS that serve as hallmarks for the identification of the sialyltransferases. Currently, twenty subfamilies have been described in mammals and birds. Examples of the four sialyltransferase families have also been found in invertebrates. Focusing on the ST8Sia family, we investigated the origin of the three groups of α2,8-sialyltransferases demonstrated in vertebrates to carry out poly-, oligo- and mono-α2,8-sialylation. Results We identified in the genome of invertebrate deuterostomes, orthologs to the common ancestor for each of the three vertebrate ST8Sia groups and a set of novel genes named ST8Sia EX, not found in vertebrates. All these ST8Sia sequences share a new conserved family-motif, named "C-term" that is involved in protein folding, via an intramolecular disulfide bridge. Interestingly, sequences from Branchiostoma floridae orthologous to the common ancestor of polysialyltransferases possess a polysialyltransferase domain (PSTD and those orthologous to the common ancestor of oligosialyltransferases possess a new ST8Sia III-specific motif similar to the PSTD. In osteichthyans, we have identified two new subfamilies. In addition, we describe the expression profile of ST8Sia genes in Danio rerio. Conclusion Polysialylation appeared early in the deuterostome lineage. The recent release of several deuterostome genome databases and paralogons combined with synteny analysis allowed us to obtain insight into events at the gene level that led to the diversification of the ST8Sia genes, with their corresponding enzymatic

TERT promoter mutation as an early genetic event activating telomerase in follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) and atypical FTA.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Na; Liu, Tiantian; Sofiadis, Anastasios; Juhlin, C Christofer; Zedenius, Jan; Höög, Anders; Larsson, Catharina; Xu, Dawei

2014-10-01

The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations C228T and C250T have been found in many malignancies, including in thyroid carcinomas. However, it is unclear how early these mutations occur in thyroid tumorigenesis. The study included primary tumors from 58 patients initially diagnosed with follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), a benign entity, 18 with atypical FTA (AFTA) having an uncertain malignant potential, and 52 with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Sanger sequencing was used to investigate the mutational status of the TERT promoter. Telomere length and TERT messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Telomerase activity was assessed using a Telomerase PCR enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The C228T mutation was identified in 1 of 58 FTA (2%) and 3 of 18 AFTA (17%) samples. These 4 tumors all expressed TERT mRNA and telomerase activity, whereas the majority of C228T-negative adenomas lacked TERT expression (C228T versus wild-type, P = .008). The C228T mutation was associated with NRAS gene mutations (P = .016). The patient with C228T-mutated FTA later developed a scar recurrence and died of FTC, whereas none of the remaining 57 patients with FTA had recurrence. No recurrence occurred in 3 patients with AFTA who carried C228T during the follow-up period (36-285 months). Nine of the 52 FTCs (17%) exhibited the TERT mutation (8 of 9 C228T and 1 of 9 C250T), and the presence of the mutation was associated with shorter patient survival. TERT promoter mutations may occur as an early genetic event in thyroid follicular tumors that have not developed malignant features on routine histopathological workup. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Effects of Lifestyle Modification on Telomerase Gene Expression in Hypertensive Patients: A Pilot Trial of Stress Reduction and Health Education Programs in African Americans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shanthi Duraimani

Full Text Available African Americans suffer from disproportionately high rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Psychosocial stress, lifestyle and telomere dysfunction contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This study evaluated effects of stress reduction and lifestyle modification on blood pressure, telomerase gene expression and lifestyle factors in African Americans.Forty-eight African American men and women with stage I hypertension who participated in a larger randomized controlled trial volunteered for this substudy. These subjects participated in either stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation technique and a basic health education course (SR or an extensive health education program (EHE for 16 weeks. Primary outcomes were telomerase gene expression (hTERT and hTR and clinic blood pressure. Secondary outcomes included lifestyle-related factors. Data were analyzed for within-group and between-group changes.Both groups showed increases in the two measures of telomerase gene expression, hTR mRNA levels (SR: p< 0.001; EHE: p< 0.001 and hTERT mRNA levels (SR: p = 0.055; EHE: p< 0.002. However, no statistically significant between-group changes were observed. Both groups showed reductions in systolic BP. Adjusted changes were SR = -5.7 mm Hg, p< 0.01; EHE = -9.0 mm Hg, p < 0.001 with no statistically significant difference between group difference. There was a significant reduction in diastolic BP in the EHE group (-5.3 mm Hg, p< 0.001 but not in SR (-1.2 mm Hg, p = 0.42; the between-group difference was significant (p = 0.04. The EHE group showed a greater number of changes in lifestyle behaviors.In this pilot trial, both stress reduction (Transcendental Meditation technique plus health education and extensive health education groups demonstrated increased telomerase gene expression and reduced BP. The association between increased telomerase gene expression and reduced BP observed in this high

Telomeres and telomerase as therapeutic targets to prevent and treat age-related diseases [version 1; referees: 4 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Bär

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Telomeres, the protective ends of linear chromosomes, shorten throughout an individual’s lifetime. Telomere shortening is a hallmark of molecular aging and is associated with premature appearance of diseases associated with aging. Here, we discuss the role of telomere shortening as a direct cause for aging and age-related diseases. In particular, we draw attention to the fact that telomere length influences longevity. Furthermore, we discuss intrinsic and environmental factors that can impact on human telomere erosion. Finally, we highlight recent advances in telomerase-based therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diseases associated with extremely short telomeres owing to mutations in telomerase, as well as age-related diseases, and ultimately aging itself.

Telomerase-Deficient Mice Exhibit Bone Loss Owing to Defects in Osteoblasts and Increased Osteoclastogenesis by Inflammatory Microenvironment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, H.; Abdallah, B. M.; Ditzel, N.

2011-01-01

Telomere shortening owing to telomerase deficiency leads to accelerated senescence of human skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells (MSCs) in vitro, whereas overexpression leads to telomere elongation, extended life span, and enhanced bone formation. To study the role of telomere shortening in vivo, we...... studied the phenotype of telomerase-deficient mice (Terc(-/-)).Terc(-/-) mice exhibited accelerated age-related bone loss starting at 3 months of age and during 12 months of follow-up revealed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric (DXA) scanning and by micro-computed tomography (mu CT). Bone...... histomorphometry revealed decreased mineralized surface and bone-formation rate as well as increased osteoclast number and size in Terc(-/-) mice. Also, serum total deoxypyridinoline (tDPD) was increased in Terc(-/-) mice. MSCs and osteoprogenitors isolated from Terc(-l-) mice exhibited intrinsic defects...

Antiproliferative Effect of the Isoquinoline Alkaloid Papaverine in Hepatocarcinoma HepG-2 Cells — Inhibition of Telomerase and Induction of Senescence

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Sakineh Kazemi Noureini

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Cancer cells are often immortal through up-regulation of the hTERT gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of a special reverse transcriptase to overcome end-replication problem of chromosomes. This study demonstrates that papaverine, an isoquinoline alkaloid from the Papaveraceae, can overcome telomerase dependent immortality of HepG-2 cells that was used as a model of hepatocarcinoma. Although this alkaloid does not directly interact with telomeric sequences, papaverine inhibits telomerase through down-regulation of hTERT, which was analysed using thermal FRET and qRT-PCR, respectively. The IC50 values for the reduction of both telomerase activity and hTERT expression was 60 µM, while IC50 for cytotoxicity was 120 µM. Repeated treatments of the cells with very low non-toxic concentrations of papaverine resulted in growth arrest and strong reduction of population doublings after 40 days. This treatment induced senescent morphology in HepG-2 cells, which was evaluated by beta-galactosidase staining. Altogether, papaverine can be regarded as a promising model compound for drug design targeting cancer development.

Triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum inhibit the activation of EBV antigens as telomerase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Dong-Shu; Chen, Liang-Shu

2017-10-01

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant disease that threatens the health of humans. To find effective agents for the inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, which is associated with NPC, a phytochemical investigation of Ganoderma lucidum was carried out in the present study. Five triterpenoids were identified, including ganoderic acid A (compound 1), ganoderic acid B (compound 2), ganoderol B (compound 3), ganodermanontriol (compound 4), and ganodermanondiol (compound 5), on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. An inhibition of EBV antigens activation assay was implemented to elucidate the triterpenoids from G. lucidum and potentially prevent NPC. All the triterpenoids showed significant inhibitory effects on both EBV EA and CA activation at 16 nmol. At 3.2 nmol, all the compounds moderately inhibited the activation of the two antigens. The activity of telomerase was inhibited by these triterpenoids at 10 µM. Molecular docking demonstrated that compound 1 was able to inhibit telomerase as a ligand. In addition, the physicochemical properties of these compounds were calculated to elucidate their drug-like properties. These results provided evidence for the application of these triterpenoids and whole G. lucidum in the treatment of NPC.

Telomerase promoter reprogramming and interaction with general transcription factors in the human mesenchymal stem cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serakinci, Nedime; Hoare, Stacey F.; Kassem, Moustapha

2006-01-01

The human adult mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) does not express telomerase and has been shown to be the target for neoplastic transformation after transduction with hTERT. These findings lend support to the stem cell hypothesis of cancer development but by supplying hTERT, the molecular events requ...

Binding of the sphingolipid S1P to hTERT stabilizes telomerase at the nuclear periphery by allosterically mimicking protein phosphorylation†

Science.gov (United States)

Selvam, Shanmugam P.; De Palma, Ryan M.; Oaks, Joshua J.; Oleinik, Natalia; Peterson, Yuri K.; Stahelin, Robert V.; Skordalakes, Emmanuel; Ponnusamy, Suriyan; Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth; Smith, Charles D.; Ogretmen, Besim

2015-01-01

During DNA replication, the enzyme telomerase maintains the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres. Shortened telomeres trigger cell senescence, and cancer cells often have increased telomerase activity to promote their ability to proliferate indefinitely. The catalytic subunit, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), is stabilized by phosphorylation. Here, we found that the lysophospholipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), generated by sphingosine kinase 2 (SK2), bound hTERT at the nuclear periphery in human and mouse fibroblasts. Docking predictions and mutational analyses revealed that binding occurred between a hydroxyl group (C′3-OH) in S1P and Asp684 in hTERT. Inhibiting or depleting SK2 or mutating the S1P binding site decreased the stability of hTERT in cultured cells and promoted senescence and loss of telomere integrity. S1P binding inhibited the interaction of hTERT with MKRN1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that tags hTERT for degradation. Murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells formed smaller tumors in mice lacking SK2 than in wild-type mice, and knocking down SK2 in LLC cells before implantation into mice suppressed their growth. Pharmacologically inhibiting SK2 decreased the growth of subcutaneous A549 lung cancer cell-derived xenografts in mice, and expression of wild-type hTERT, but not an S1P-binding mutant, restored tumor growth. Thus, our data suggest that S1P binding to hTERT allosterically mimicks phosphorylation, promoting telomerase stability and hence telomere maintenance, cell proliferation, and tumor growth PMID:26082434

Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis by oleanane triterpenoid (CDDO-Me) in pancreatic cancer cells is associated with the suppression of hTERT gene expression and its telomerase activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deeb, Dorrah; Gao, Xiaohua; Liu, Yongbo; Kim, Sahn-Ho; Pindolia, Kirit R.; Arbab, Ali S.; Gautam, Subhash C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► CDDO-Me inhibits hTERT gene expression. ► CDDO-Me inhibits hTERT protein expression. ► CDDO-Me inhibits hTERT telomerase activity. ► CDDO-Me inhibits hTERT regulatory proteins. -- Abstract: Methyl-2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oate (CDDO-Me) is a multifunctional oleanane synthetic triterpenoid with potent anti-inflammatory and antitumorigenic properties. The mechanisms of the antisurvival and apoptosis-inducing activities of CDDO-Me and related derivatives of oleanolic acid have been defined; however, to date, no study has been carried out on the effect of CDDOs on human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene or telomerase activity. Here we report for the first time that inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis by CDDO-Me in pancreatic cancer cell lines is associated with the inhibition of hTERT gene expression, hTERT telomerase activity and a number of proteins that regulate hTERT expression and activity. Furthermore, abrogation or overexpression of hTERT protein altered the susceptibility of tumor cells to CDDO-Me. These findings suggest that telomerase (hTERT) is a relevant target of CDDO-Me in pancreatic cancer cells.

Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Deficiency Prevents Neointima Formation Through Chromatin Silencing of E2F1 Target Genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Endorf, Elizabeth B; Qing, Hua; Aono, Jun; Terami, Naoto; Doyon, Geneviève; Hyzny, Eric; Jones, Karrie L; Findeisen, Hannes M; Bruemmer, Dennis

2017-02-01

Aberrant proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in response to injury induces pathological vascular remodeling during atherosclerosis and neointima formation. Telomerase is rate limiting for tissue renewal and cell replication; however, the physiological role of telomerase in vascular diseases remains to be determined. The goal of the present study was to determine whether telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) affects proliferative vascular remodeling and to define the molecular mechanism by which TERT supports SMC proliferation. We first demonstrate high levels of TERT expression in replicating SMC of atherosclerotic and neointimal lesions. Using a model of guidewire-induced arterial injury, we demonstrate decreased neointima formation in TERT-deficient mice. Studies in SMC isolated from TERT-deficient and TERT overexpressing mice with normal telomere length established that TERT is necessary and sufficient for cell proliferation. TERT deficiency did not induce a senescent phenotype but resulted in G1 arrest albeit hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein. This proliferative arrest was associated with stable silencing of the E2F1-dependent S-phase gene expression program and not reversed by ectopic overexpression of E2F1. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation and accessibility assays revealed that TERT is recruited to E2F1 target sites and promotes chromatin accessibility for E2F1 by facilitating the acquisition of permissive histone modifications. These data indicate a previously unrecognized role for TERT in neointima formation through epigenetic regulation of proliferative gene expression in SMC. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Amarogentin Induces Apoptosis of Liver Cancer Cells via Upregulation of p53 and Downregulation of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase in Mice

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Li, Runqin; Zhang, Yinglin

2016-01-01

Background and Objective: Amarogentin has been reported to have a preventive effect on liver cancer via inducing cancer cell apoptosis. We attempted to elucidate the roles of p53-associated apoptosis pathways in the chemopreventive mechanism of amarogentin. The findings of this study will facilitate the development of a novel supplementary strategy for the treatment of liver cancer. Materials and Methods: The purity of amarogentin was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The inhibitory ratios of the liver cell lines were determined using a Cell Counting Kit-8 following treatment with a gradient concentration of amarogentin. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry using annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide kits. The gene and protein expression of p53-associated molecules, such as Akt, human telomerase reverse transcriptase, RelA, and p38, was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining in liver cancer cells and mouse tumor tissues after treatment with amarogentin. Results: The inhibitory effect of amarogentin on cell proliferation was more obvious in liver cancer cells, and amarogentin was more likely to induce the apoptosis of liver cancer cells than that of normal liver cells. The gene and protein expression levels of Akt, RelA, and human telomerase reverse transcriptase were markedly higher in the control group than in the preventive group and treatment groups. Only the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase was downregulated, accompanied by the upregulation of p53. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that amarogentin promotes apoptosis of liver cancer cells by the upregulation of p53 and downregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase and prevents the malignant transformation of these cells. PMID:27402632

Evaluation of an oral telomerase activator for early age-related macular degeneration - a pilot study

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Dow CT

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coad Thomas Dow,1,2 Calvin B Harley3 1McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; 2Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, WI, USA; 3Independent Telomere Biology Consultant, Murphys, CA, USA Purpose: Telomere attrition and corresponding cellular senescence of the retinal pigment epithelium contribute to the changes of age-related macular degeneration. Activation of the enzyme telomerase can add telomeric DNA to retinal pigment epithelium chromosomal ends and has been proposed as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration. We report the use of a small molecule, oral telomerase activator (TA-65 in early macular degeneration. This study, focusing on early macular degeneration, provides a model for the use of TAs in age-related disease.Method: Thirty-eight (38 patients were randomly assigned to a 1-year, double-blinded, placebo-controlled interventional study with arms for oral TA-65 or placebo. Macular functions via micro-perimetry were the primary measured outcomes.Results: The macular function in the arm receiving the TA-65 showed significant improvement relative to the placebo control. The improvement was manifest at 6 months and was maintained at 1 year: macular threshold sensitivity (measured as average dB [logarithmic decibel scale of light attenuation] improved 0.97 dB compared to placebo (P-value 0.02 and percent reduced thresholds lessened 8.2% compared to the placebo arm (P-value 0.04. Conclusion: The oral TA significantly improved the macular function of treatment subjects compared to controls. Although this study was a pilot and a larger study is being planned, it is noteworthy in that it is, to our knowledge, the first randomized placebo-controlled study of a TA supplement. Keywords: drusen, macular degeneration, micro-perimetry, senescence, telomerase activation, telomere

Expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase in radiation-induced chronic human skin ulcer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Po; Li Zhijun; Lu Yali; Zhong Mei; Gu Qingyang; Wang Dewen

2001-01-01

Objective: To investigate the expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TRT) and the possible relationship between the TRT and cancer transformation or poor healing in radiation-induced chronic ulcer of human skin. Methods: Rabbit antibody against human TRT and SP immunohistochemical method were used to detect TRT expression in 24 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embed human skin chronic ulcer tissues induced by radiation, 5 cases of normal skin, 2 of burned skin, and 8 of carcinoma. Results: The positive rate for TRT was 58.3%(14/24) in chronic radiation ulcers, of which the strongly positive rate was 41.7%(10/24) and the weakly positive 16.7%(4/24), 0% in normal (0/5) and burned skin (0/2), and 100% in carcinoma (8/8). The strongly positive expression of TRT was observed almost always in the cytoplasm and nucleus of squamous epithelial cells of proliferative epidermis but the negative and partly weakly positive expression in the smooth muscles, endothelia of small blood vessels and capillaries, and fibroblasts. Chronic inflammtory cells, plasmacytes and lymphocytes also showed weakly positive for TRT. Conclusion: TRT expression could be involved in the malignant transformation of chronic radiation ulcer into squamous carcinoma, and in the poor healing caused by sclerosis of small blood vessels and lack of granulation tissue consisting of capillaries and fibroblasts

Human MLH1 suppresses the insertion of telomeric sequences at intra-chromosomal sites in telomerase-expressing cells

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Jia, Pingping; Chastain, Megan; Zou, Ying; Her, Chengtao

2017-01-01

Abstract Aberrant formation of interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) promotes genome instabilities. However, it is unclear how aberrant ITS formation is suppressed in human cells. Here, we report that MLH1, a key protein involved in mismatch repair (MMR), suppresses telomeric sequence insertion (TSI) at intra-chromosomal regions. The frequency of TSI can be elevated by double-strand break (DSB) inducer and abolished by ATM/ATR inhibition. Suppression of TSI requires MLH1 recruitment to DSBs, indicating that MLH1's role in DSB response/repair is important for suppressing TSI. Moreover, TSI requires telomerase activity but is independent of the functional status of p53 and Rb. Lastly, we show that TSI is associated with chromosome instabilities including chromosome loss, micronuclei formation and chromosome breakage that are further elevated by replication stress. Our studies uncover a novel link between MLH1, telomerase, telomere and genome stability. PMID:28180301

MNS16A tandem repeats minisatellite of human telomerase gene: a risk factor for colorectal cancer.

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Hofer, Philipp; Baierl, Andreas; Feik, Elisabeth; Führlinger, Gerhard; Leeb, Gernot; Mach, Karl; Holzmann, Klaus; Micksche, Michael; Gsur, Andrea

2011-06-01

Telomerase reactivation and expression of human telomerase gene [human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)] are hallmarks of unlimited proliferation potential of cancer cells. A polymorphic tandem repeats minisatellite of hTERT gene, termed MNS16A was reported to influence hTERT expression. To assess the role of MNS16A as potential biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC), we investigated for the first time the association of MNS16A genotypes with risk of colorectal polyps and CRC. In the ongoing colorectal cancer study of Austria (CORSA), 3842 Caucasian participants were recruited within a large screening project in the province Burgenland including 90 CRC cases, 308 high-risk polyps, 1022 low-risk polyps and 1822 polyp free controls verified by colonoscopy. MNS16A genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction from genomic DNA. Associations of MNS16A genotypes with CRC risk were estimated by logistic regression analysis computing odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We identified five different variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) of MNS16A including VNTR-364, a newly discovered rare variant. VNTR-274 allele was associated with a 2.7-fold significantly increased risk of CRC compared with the VNTR-302 wild-type (OR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.11-6.50; P = 0.028). In our CORSA study, the medium length VNTR-274 was identified as risk factor for CRC. Although, this population-based study herewith reports the largest cohort size concerning MNS16A thus far, further large-scale studies in diverse populations are warranted to confirm hTERT MNS16A genotype as potential biomarker for assessment of CRC risk.

Telomerase Activity in Breast Tumor Tissues and its Possible use for Detection of Circulating Carcinoma Cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimíčková, M.; Nekulová, M.; Pecen, Ladislav; Vagundová, M.; Maláska, J.; Obermannová, R.; Lauerová, L.

2002-01-01

Roč. 5, - (2002), s. 98 ISSN 1211-8869. [Central European Conference on Human Tumor Markers /4./. 13.02.2003-16.02.2003, Karlovy Vary] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1030915 Keywords : telomerase activity * early detection of distant metastases * cancer reccurence Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research

Telomerase activity, telomere length and hTERT DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from monozygotic twins with discordant smoking habits.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcon, Francesca; Siniscalchi, Ester; Andreoli, Cristina; Allione, Alessandra; Fiorito, Giovanni; Medda, Emanuela; Guarrera, Simonetta; Matullo, Giuseppe; Crebelli, Riccardo

2017-10-01

Increased telomerase expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung cancer and, since the primary cause of lung cancer is smoking, an association between telomerase reactivation and tobacco smoke has been proposed. In this work an investigation has been performed to assess the relationship between tobacco smoke exposure and telomerase activity (TA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy smokers. The methylation status of the catalytic subunit of telomerase hTERT was concurrently investigated to assess the possible association between epigenetic modifications of hTERT and TA. Besides, the association between smoke and telomere length (TL) has been evaluated. Healthy monozygotic twins with discordant smoking habits were selected as study population to minimize inter-individual differences because of demographic characteristics and genetic heterogeneity. Statistically significant higher values of TA and TL were observed in smokers compared to nonsmoker co-twins. The multivariate analysis of data showed, besides smoking habits (P = 0.02), an influence of gender (P = 0.006) and BMI (P = 0.001) on TA and a borderline effect of gender (P = 0.05) on TL. DNA methylation analysis, focused on 100 CpG sites mapping in hTERT, highlighted nine CpG sites differentially methylated in smokers. When co-twins were contrasted, selecting as variables the intra-twin difference in TA and hTERT DNA methylation, a statistically significant inverse correlation (P = 0.003) was observed between TA and DNA methylation at the cg05521538 site. In conclusion, these results indicate an association of tobacco smoke with TA and TL and suggest a possible association between smoke-induced epigenetic effects and TA in healthy smokers. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:551-559, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The role of telomerase activity in non-invasive diagnostics of bladder cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Glybochko, P V; Alyaev, J G; Potoldykova, N V; Polyakovsky, K A; Vinarov, A Z; Glukhov, A I; Gordeev, S A

2016-08-01

To evaluate the potentials of determining the telomerase activity (TA) in the cellular material of the urine for noninvasive diagnosis of bladder cancer (BC). Evaluation of TA was performed in the urine of 48 patients with bladder cancer (study group) before and after transurethral resection of the bladder wall (n=38), an open resection of the bladder (n=4), and cystectomy (n=6). TA was also evaluated in 48 tumor tissue samples obtained from these patients during removal of the bladder tumor. Each sample of the tumor tissue was separated into two parts, one of which was subjected to histological examination, and the latter was used to determine the telomerase activity. In all cases, the diagnosis of bladder cancer was confirmed morphologically. Determination of TA in the samples was performed by the modified TRAP-method (telomerase repeat amplification protocol), RT-PCR, PCR, and electrophoresis. As a control, cell material of the urine and tissue in 12 patients with chronic cystitis was investigated. TA before surgery was found in 45 (93.75%) of 48 samples of cellular material of the urine from patients with suspected bladder cancer. BC was histologically verified in all patients in this group. In the postoperative period, TA was not observed in the 48 samples of cellular material of the urine from patients with BC. In the control group of patients with histologically verified cystitis, weak TA was determined only in one sample of cellular material of the urine. The analysis indicates statistically significant predominance of patients with bladder cancer in case of TA in the urine (P=0.001). TA was detected in all samples of tumor tissue. We also analyzed the dependence of TA levels in urine and tissue on the degree of BC differentiation. In patients with highly differentiated BC, mean AT in the cellular materials of the urine was 0,61% (n=15), in patients with moderately differentiated BC - 0.95% (n=23), in patients with low-grade bladder cancer - 1.33% (n=10

Designed modulation of sex steroid signaling inhibits telomerase activity and proliferation of human prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Vikas; Sharma, Vikas; Singh, Vishal; Sharma, Siddharth; Bishnoi, Ajay Kumar; Chandra, Vishal; Maikhuri, J.P.; Dwivedi, Anila; Kumar, Atul; Gupta, Gopal

2014-01-01

The predominant estrogen-receptor (ER)-β signaling in normal prostate is countered by increased ER-α signaling in prostate cancer (CaP), which in association with androgen-receptor (AR) signaling results in pathogenesis of the disease. However CaP treatments mostly target AR signaling which is initially effective but eventually leads to androgen resistance, hence simultaneous targeting of ERs has been proposed. A novel series of molecules were designed with multiple sex-steroid receptor modulating capabilities by coalescing the pharmacophores of known anti-CaP molecules that act via modulation of ER(α/β) and/or AR, viz. 3,3′diindolylmethane (DIM), mifepristone, toremifene, tamoxifen and raloxifene. N,N-diethyl-4-((2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)methyl) aniline (DIMA) was identified as the most promising structure of this new series. DIMA increased annexin-V labelling, cell-cycle arrest and caspase-3 activity, and decreased expression of AR and prostate specific antigen in LNCaP cells, in vitro. Concurrently, DIMA increased ER-β, p21 and p27 protein levels in LNCaP cells and exhibited ∼ 5 times more selective binding for ER-β than ER-α, in comparison to raloxifene. DIMA exhibited a dose-dependent ER-β agonism and ER-α antagonism in classical gene reporter assay and decreased hTERT (catalytic subunit of telomerase) transcript levels in LNCaP at 3.0 μM (P < 0.05). DIMA also dose-dependently decreased telomerase enzyme activity in prostate cancer cells. It is thus concluded that DIMA acts as a multi-steroid receptor modulator and effectively inhibits proliferation of prostate cancer cells through ER-β mediated telomerase inhibition, by countering actions of ER-α and AR. Its unique molecular design can serve as a lead structure for generation of potent agents against endocrine malignancies like the CaP

Designed modulation of sex steroid signaling inhibits telomerase activity and proliferation of human prostate cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Vikas; Sharma, Vikas; Singh, Vishal [Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 031 (India); Sharma, Siddharth; Bishnoi, Ajay Kumar [Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 031 (India); Chandra, Vishal; Maikhuri, J.P.; Dwivedi, Anila [Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 031 (India); Kumar, Atul [Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 031 (India); Gupta, Gopal, E-mail: g_gupta@cdri.res.in [Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226 031 (India)

2014-10-15

The predominant estrogen-receptor (ER)-β signaling in normal prostate is countered by increased ER-α signaling in prostate cancer (CaP), which in association with androgen-receptor (AR) signaling results in pathogenesis of the disease. However CaP treatments mostly target AR signaling which is initially effective but eventually leads to androgen resistance, hence simultaneous targeting of ERs has been proposed. A novel series of molecules were designed with multiple sex-steroid receptor modulating capabilities by coalescing the pharmacophores of known anti-CaP molecules that act via modulation of ER(α/β) and/or AR, viz. 3,3′diindolylmethane (DIM), mifepristone, toremifene, tamoxifen and raloxifene. N,N-diethyl-4-((2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)methyl) aniline (DIMA) was identified as the most promising structure of this new series. DIMA increased annexin-V labelling, cell-cycle arrest and caspase-3 activity, and decreased expression of AR and prostate specific antigen in LNCaP cells, in vitro. Concurrently, DIMA increased ER-β, p21 and p27 protein levels in LNCaP cells and exhibited ∼ 5 times more selective binding for ER-β than ER-α, in comparison to raloxifene. DIMA exhibited a dose-dependent ER-β agonism and ER-α antagonism in classical gene reporter assay and decreased hTERT (catalytic subunit of telomerase) transcript levels in LNCaP at 3.0 μM (P < 0.05). DIMA also dose-dependently decreased telomerase enzyme activity in prostate cancer cells. It is thus concluded that DIMA acts as a multi-steroid receptor modulator and effectively inhibits proliferation of prostate cancer cells through ER-β mediated telomerase inhibition, by countering actions of ER-α and AR. Its unique molecular design can serve as a lead structure for generation of potent agents against endocrine malignancies like the CaP.

A novel peptide-nucleotide dual vaccine of human telomerase reverse transcriptase induces a potent cytotoxic T-cell response in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Hong; Hao, Jia; Wu, Chao; Shi, Yun; Zhao, Xiao-yan; Fang, Dian-chun

2007-01-01

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is highly expressed in over 85% of human cancers, which makes it a broadly applicable molecular target for cancer therapy. Several groups have demonstrated that hTERT can efficiently evoke specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses for malignant tumors. In the present study, we developed a novel virus-like particulate peptide-nucleotide dual vaccine (PNDV) of hTERT, which was composed of a low-affinity epitope variant with encoding full-length gene in the same virus-size particulate. We verified the formation of PNDV by DNA retarding assay, DNase I protection assay and transmission electron microscopy, and confirmed its immunogenicity and transfection activities in mammalian cells. Furthermore, in vivo immunization of HLA-A2.1 transgenic mice generated efficient IFN-γ secretion and hTERT-specific CTLs which are known to cause selective cell death of telomerase positive gastrointestinal cancer cells. To our knowledge, this represents the first report on collocating a low-affinity epitope variant with a full-length hTERT gene for anti-cancer vaccine design. This novel strategy for vaccine design not only enables enhanced immunity to a universal tumor antigen, but also has the potential to generate CTLs effective in telomerase-positive tumor cells of diverse tissue origins. Therefore, our findings bear significant implications for immunotherapy of human cancers

Glucose metabolite glyoxal induces senescence in telomerase-immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Simon Asbjørn; Kassem, Moustapha; Rattan, Suresh

2012-01-01

). Furthermore, the in vitro differentiation potential of hMSC-TERT to become functional osteoblasts was highly reduced in GO-treated stem cells, as determined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralized matrix (MM) formation. Conclusions The results of our study imply that an imbalanced glucose...... physiological metabolite produced by the auto-oxidation of glucose, and can form covalent adducts known as advanced glycation endproducts (AGE). We have previously reported that GO accelerates ageing and causes premature senescence in normal human skin fibroblasts. Results Using a bone marrow-derived telomerase...

EFEK EKSTRAK SAMBILOTO (ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA NEES PADA EKSPRESI TELOMERASE DARI KANKER PAYUDARA TIKUS YANG DIINDUKSI DENGAN DMBA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yurika Sastyarina

2010-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT   It has been well documented that chemical carcinogen, 7.12 dimethylbenz(aanthracene (DMBA,  plays a role in the incidence and growth of mammary cancer. Present study was designed to investigate the influence of Andrographis paniculata extract on telomerase activities on DMBA induced breast cancer in the female rat Sprague Dawley strain. DMBA-induced mammary cancer is a useful model to investigate the changes of epithelial cells that occur during mammary cancer progression. Mammary cancer model was induced 10 times twice a week by oral DMBA 20 mg/kg body weight. Mammary cancer occurred in 75 % animals nine weeks after oral administration of DMBA, it was represented with nodule on the mammary gland and the increasing of mammary gland volume compare with normal control F(1.8 = 731.711; p < 0.001. This study was also designed to investigate the effect of Andrographis paniculata extract mammary carcinoma induced by DMBA. Administration of three different dose of Andrographis paniculata (100 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg had statistically different with mammary gland volume of DMBA treated rat F (4.17 = 92.777; p<0.05. So, Andrographis paniculata has significant effect on the treatment of DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma. The Epithelial cells were harvested on day 90 and stained with routine histology staining, hematoxylineosin, for morphological qualitative analysis, immunohistochemical examination. The lesions observed from the removed samples ranged widely from benign to malignant. The results showed that DMBA induce cell proliferation, nuclear irregularities, and numerous mitoses and induced cell necrosis. The effect of Andrographis paniculata inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. On immunohistochemical examination, it shows that Andrographis paniculata can stimulate of telomerase enzyme.   Key word: Andrographis paniculata, DMBA, mammary cancer, cell proliferation     ABSTRAK   Telah dilakukan

Insights into the evolution of mammalian telomerase: Platypus TERT shares similarities with genes of birds and other reptiles and localizes on sex chromosomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hrdličková Radmila

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The TERT gene encodes the catalytic subunit of the telomerase complex and is responsible for maintaining telomere length. Vertebrate telomerase has been studied in eutherian mammals, fish, and the chicken, but less attention has been paid to other vertebrates. The platypus occupies an important evolutionary position, providing unique insight into the evolution of mammalian genes. We report the cloning of a platypus TERT (OanTERT ortholog, and provide a comparison with genes of other vertebrates. Results The OanTERT encodes a protein with a high sequence similarity to marsupial TERT and avian TERT. Like the TERT of sauropsids and marsupials, as well as that of sharks and echinoderms, OanTERT contains extended variable linkers in the N-terminal region suggesting that they were present already in basal vertebrates and lost independently in ray-finned fish and eutherian mammals. Several alternatively spliced OanTERT variants structurally similar to avian TERT variants were identified. Telomerase activity is expressed in all platypus tissues like that of cold-blooded animals and murine rodents. OanTERT was localized on pseudoautosomal regions of sex chromosomes X3/Y2, expanding the homology between human chromosome 5 and platypus sex chromosomes. Synteny analysis suggests that TERT co-localized with sex-linked genes in the last common mammalian ancestor. Interestingly, female platypuses express higher levels of telomerase in heart and liver tissues than do males. Conclusions OanTERT shares many features with TERT of the reptilian outgroup, suggesting that OanTERT represents the ancestral mammalian TERT. Features specific to TERT of eutherian mammals have, therefore, evolved more recently after the divergence of monotremes.

A pilot study of yogic meditation for family dementia caregivers with depressive symptoms: effects on mental health, cognition, and telomerase activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavretsky, H; Epel, E S; Siddarth, P; Nazarian, N; Cyr, N St; Khalsa, D S; Lin, J; Blackburn, E; Irwin, M R

2013-01-01

This study examined the effects of brief daily yogic meditation on mental health, cognitive functioning, and immune cell telomerase activity in family dementia caregivers with mild depressive symptoms. Thirty-nine family dementia caregivers (mean age 60.3 years old (SD = 10.2)) were randomized to practicing Kirtan Kriya or listening to relaxation music for 12 min per day for 8 weeks. The severity of depressive symptoms, mental and cognitive functioning were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) was examined in peripheral PBMC pre-intervention and post-intervention. The meditation group showed significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms and greater improvement in mental health and cognitive functioning compared with the relaxation group. In the meditation group, 65.2% showed 50% improvement on the Hamilton Depression Rating scale and 52% of the participants showed 50% improvement on the Mental Health Composite Summary score of the Short Form-36 scale compared with 31.2% and 19%, respectively, in the relaxation group (p dementia caregivers can lead to improved mental and cognitive functioning and lower levels of depressive symptoms. This improvement is accompanied by an increase in telomerase activity suggesting improvement in stress-induced cellular aging. These results need to be confirmed in a larger sample. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Rainbow T H; Chan, Jessie S M; Wang, Chong-Wen; Lau, Benson W M; So, Kwok Fai; Yuen, Li Ping; Sham, Jonathan S T; Chan, Cecilia L W

2012-10-01

Chronic fatigue is common in the general population. Complementary therapies are often used by patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome to manage their symptoms. This study aimed to assess the effect of a 4-month qigong intervention program among patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome. Sixty-four participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a wait list control group. Outcome measures included fatigue symptoms, physical functioning, mental functioning, and telomerase activity. Fatigue symptoms and mental functioning were significantly improved in the qigong group compared to controls. Telomerase activity increased in the qigong group from 0.102 to 0.178 arbitrary units (p chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Telomerase activity and telomere length in the colorectal polyp-carcinoma sequence Actividad de la telomerasa y longitud del telómero en la secuencia pólipo-carcinoma colorrectal

OpenAIRE

C. Valls Bautista; C. Piñol Felis; J. M. Reñe Espinet; J. Buenestado García; J. Viñas Salas

2009-01-01

Objective: the role of telomerase activity and telomere length in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colon carcinogenesis has not been well established. The objective of this study was to determine telomerase activity and telomere length patterns in patients with adenomatous polyps either associated or not with colorectal cancer, as well as the role of telomeric instability in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Patients and methods: we included in the study 14 patients who underwent surgery for c...

cDNA Library Screening Identifies Protein Interactors Potentially Involved in Non-Telomeric Roles of Arabidopsis Telomerase

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dokládal, Ladislav; Honys, David; Rana, Rajiv; Lee, L.-Y.; Gelvin, S.B.; Sýkorová, Eva

2015-01-01

Roč. 6, NOV2015 (2015) ISSN 1664-462X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-06943S; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0068 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LH10352 Institutional support: RVO:68081707 ; RVO:61389030 Keywords : telomerase * nuclear poly(A)-binding protein * telobox Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics; EF - Botanics (UEB-Q) Impact factor: 4.495, year: 2015

Fluorescence detection of DNA, adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP), and telomerase activity by zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX/G-quadruplex labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhanxia; Sharon, Etery; Freeman, Ronit; Liu, Xiaoqing; Willner, Itamar

2012-06-05

The zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX) fluorophore binds to G-quadruplexes, and this results in the enhanced fluorescence of the fluorophore. This property enabled the development of DNA sensors, aptasensors, and a sensor following telomerase activity. The DNA sensor is based on the design of a hairpin structure that includes a "caged" inactive G-quadruplex sequence. Upon opening the hairpin by the analyte DNA, the resulting fluorescence of the ZnPPIX/G-quadruplex provides the readout signal for the sensing event (detection limit 5 nM). Addition of Exonuclease III to the system allows the recycling of the analyte and its amplified analysis (detection limit, 200 pM). The association of the ZnPPIX to G-quadruplex aptamer-substrate complexes allowed the detection of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP, detection limit 10 μM). Finally, the association of ZnPPIX to the G-quadruplex repeat units of telomers allowed the detection of telomerase activity originating from 380 ± 20 cancer 293T cell extract.

Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase protein in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma: An immunohistochemical study

Science.gov (United States)

Raghunandan, Bangalore Nagarajachar; Sanjai, Karpagaselvi; Kumaraswamy, Jayalakshmi; Papaiah, Lokesh; Pandey, Bhavna; Jyothi, Bellur MadhavaRao

2016-01-01

Background: Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that synthesizes TTAGGG telomeric DNA sequences and almost universally provides the molecular basis for unlimited proliferative potential. The telomeres become shorter with each cycle of replication and reach a critical limit; most cells die or enter stage of replicative senescence. Telomere length maintenance by telomerase is required for all the cells that exhibit limitless replicative potential. It has been postulated that reactivation of telomerase expression is necessary for the continuous proliferation of neoplastic cells to attain immortality. Use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a useful, reliable method of localizing the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein in tissue sections which permits cellular localization. Although there exists a lot of information on telomerase in oral cancer, little is known about their expression in oral epithelial dysplasia and their progression to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) compared to normal oral mucosa. This study addresses this lacuna. Aims: To compare the expression of hTERT protein in oral epithelial dysplasia and OSCC with normal oral mucosa by Immunohistochemical method. Subjects and Methods: In this preliminary study, IHC was used to detect the expression of hTERT protein in OSCC (n = 20), oral epithelial dysplasia (n = 21) and normal oral mucosa (n = 10). The tissue localization of immunostain, cellular localization of immunostain, nature of stain, intensity of stain, percentage of cells stained with hTERT protein were studied. A total number of 100 cells were counted in each slide. Statistical Analysis: All the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0. The tissue localization, cellular localization of cytoplasmic/nuclear/both of hTERT stain, staining intensity was compared across the groups using Pearson's Chi-square test. The mean percentage of cells stained for oral epithelial dysplasia, OSCC and normal oral mucosa were

Transcriptional activity of telomerase complex in CD34- stem cells of cord blood in dependence of preparation time.

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M Bojdys-Szyndlar

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression of telomerase subunits encoding genes changes during the process of cord blood preparation. It should establish if the commonly accepted 24 hours time interval in stem cells kriopreservation procedure significantly influences their immortalization and so decreases the "quality" of cord blood stem cells. Investigation includes 69 women. Spontaneous labour was the inclusion condition. The material was collected at birth after clamping of umbilical cord by direct vasopuncture. CD34- cells were extracted from cord blood (MACS, Miltenyi Biotec; Bisley, Surrey, UK. The expression profile of telomerase activators and inhibitors encoding genes was determined using HG_U133A oligonucleotide microarray (Affymetrix. We used a real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay to quantify the telomerase TERT, hTR and TP1 subunits mRNA copy numbers in CD34- cells in 0, 6, 12 and 24 hours after cord blood collection. We observed significant decrease of numbers of copies of TERTA+B mRNA within the successive hours of observation. Significant decrease of numbers of TERTA mRNA copies was confirmed after 24 hours. However, we observed significant increase of numbers of copies of TERTB mRNA after 6 hours of observation. Similar level was maintained during another 6h. The significantly lower number of copies of TERTB mRNA was observed after 24h. We also observed significant increase of number of copies of TERT mRNA after 6 hours. Number of copies of TERT mRNA significantly decreased after another 6h, remaining, however, on a higher then initial one. The significant lower number of copies of TERT mRNA was observed 24h after delivery. The possible explanation of those results is discussed in the paper.

Sulforaphane modulates telomerase activity via epigenetic regulation in prostate cancer cell lines.

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Abbas, Ata; Hall, J Adam; Patterson, William L; Ho, Emily; Hsu, Anna; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Georgel, Philippe T

2016-02-01

Epidemiologic studies have revealed that diets rich in sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate present in cruciferous vegetables, are associated with a marked decrease in prostate cancer incidence. The chemo-preventive role of SFN is associated with its histone de-acetylase inhibitor activity. However, the effect of SFN on chromatin composition and dynamic folding, especially in relation to HDAC inhibitor activity, remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that SFN can inhibit the expression and activity of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, in 2 prostate cancer cell lines. This decrease in gene expression is correlated with SFN-induced changes in chromatin structure and composition. The SFN-mediated changes in levels of histone post-translational modifications, more specifically acetylation of histone H3 lysine 18 and di-methylation of histone H3 lysine 4, 2 modifications linked with high risk of prostate cancer recurrence, were associated with regulatory elements within the hTERT promoter region. Chromatin condensation may also play a role in SFN-mediated hTERT repression, since expression and recruitment of MeCP2, a known chromatin compactor, were altered in SFN treated prostate cancer cells. Chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP) of MeCP2 showed enrichment over regions of the hTERT promoter with increased nucleosome density. These combined results strongly support a role for SFN in the mediation of epigenetic events leading to the repression of hTERT in prostate cancer cells. This ability of SFN to modify chromatin composition and structure associated with target gene expression provides a new model by which dietary phytochemicals may exert their chemoprevention activity.

Apoptosis and reduced cell proliferation of HL-60 cell line caused by human telomerase reverse transcriptase inhibition by siRNA.

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Miri-Moghaddam, Ebrahim; Deezagi, Abdolkhaleg; Soheili, Zahra Sohaila; Shariati, Parvin

2010-01-01

The close correlation between telomerase activity and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression has made hTERT to be considered as a selective molecular target for human cancer therapy. In this study, the ability of short-interfering RNA (siRNA) to downregulate hTERT expression and its correlation with cell growth and apoptosis in the promyelocytic cell line HL-60 was evaluated. hTERT siRNA was designed and transfected to HL-60. hTERT mRNA expression, cell proliferation and apoptotic cells were measured. The results indicated that hTERT siRNA resulted in 97.2 ± 0.6% downregulation of the hTERT mRNA content; inhibition of the cell proliferation rate was about 52.8 ± 2.3% and the apoptotic index of cells was 30.5 ± 1.5%. hTERT plays an essential role in cell proliferation and control of the viability of leukemic cells, thus promising the development of drugs for leukemia. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

In vitro transfection of the hepatitis B virus PreS2 gene into the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 induces upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hua; Luan Fang; Ju Ying; Shen Hongyu; Gao Lifen; Wang Xiaoyan; Liu Suxia; Zhang Lining; Sun Wensheng; Ma Chunhong

2007-01-01

The preS2 domain is the minimal functional unit of transcription activators that is encoded by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene. It is present in more than one-third of the HBV-integrates in HBV induced hepatocarcinoma (HCC). To further understand the functional role of PreS2 in hepatocytes, a PreS2 expression plasmid, pcS2, was constructed and stably transfected into HepG2 cells. We conducted growth curve and colony-forming assays to study the impact of PreS2 expression on cell proliferation. Cells transfected with PreS2 proliferated more rapidly and formed colonies in soft agar. PreS2 expressing cells also induced upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase activation by RT-PCR and the modified TRAP assay. Blocking expression of hTERT with antisense oligonuleotide reversed the growth rate in cells stably transfected with PreS2. Our data suggest that PreS2 may increase the malignant transformation of human HCC cell line HepG2 by upregulating hTERT and inducing telomerase activation

In vitro transfection of the hepatitis B virus PreS2 gene into the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 induces upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase

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Hua, Liu [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Fang, Luan [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Ying, Ju [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Hongyu, Shen [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Lifen, Gao [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Xiaoyan, Wang [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Suxia, Liu [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Lining, Zhang [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Wensheng, Sun [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Chunhong, Ma [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education (China)]. E-mail: machunhong@sdu.edu.cn

2007-04-06

The preS2 domain is the minimal functional unit of transcription activators that is encoded by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene. It is present in more than one-third of the HBV-integrates in HBV induced hepatocarcinoma (HCC). To further understand the functional role of PreS2 in hepatocytes, a PreS2 expression plasmid, pcS2, was constructed and stably transfected into HepG2 cells. We conducted growth curve and colony-forming assays to study the impact of PreS2 expression on cell proliferation. Cells transfected with PreS2 proliferated more rapidly and formed colonies in soft agar. PreS2 expressing cells also induced upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase activation by RT-PCR and the modified TRAP assay. Blocking expression of hTERT with antisense oligonuleotide reversed the growth rate in cells stably transfected with PreS2. Our data suggest that PreS2 may increase the malignant transformation of human HCC cell line HepG2 by upregulating hTERT and inducing telomerase activation.

Telomerase deficiency in bone marrow-derived cells attenuates angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.

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Findeisen, Hannes M; Gizard, Florence; Zhao, Yue; Cohn, Dianne; Heywood, Elizabeth B; Jones, Karrie L; Lovett, David H; Howatt, Deborah A; Daugherty, Alan; Bruemmer, Dennis

2011-02-01

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are an age-related vascular disease and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we sought to determine whether the catalytic component of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), modulates angiotensin (Ang) II-induced AAA formation. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLr-/-) mice were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with bone marrow-derived cells from TERT-deficient (TERT-/-) mice or littermate wild-type mice. Mice were placed on a diet enriched in cholesterol, and AAA formation was quantified after 4 weeks of Ang II infusion. Repopulation of LDLr-/- mice with TERT-/- bone marrow-derived cells attenuated Ang II-induced AAA formation. TERT-deficient recipient mice revealed modest telomere attrition in circulating leukocytes at the study end point without any overt effect of the donor genotype on white blood cell counts. In mice repopulated with TERT-/- bone marrow, aortic matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity was reduced, and TERT-/- macrophages exhibited decreased expression and activity of MMP-2 in response to stimulation with Ang II. Finally, we demonstrated in transient transfection studies that TERT overexpression activates the MMP-2 promoter in macrophages. TERT deficiency in bone marrow-derived macrophages attenuates Ang II-induced AAA formation in LDLr-/- mice and decreases MMP-2 expression. These results point to a previously unrecognized role of TERT in the pathogenesis of AAA.

Mechanism of Telomerase Inhibition Using a Small Inhibitory RNAs and Induction of Breast Tumor Cell Sensitization

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2007-04-01

immunoprecipitation; TnT- transcription and translation. References Cited Barik , S. 2004. Control of nonsegmented negative-strand RNA virus replication by siRNA...Virus Res. 102: 27-35. Barquinero, J . et al. 2004. Retroviral vectors: new applications for an old tool. Gene Ther. 11(suppl 1): S3-S9...proteins and heterochromatin. Oncogene. 21: 553-563. Chen, J -L., Blasco, M.A., and Greider, C.W. 2000. Secondary structure of vertebrate telomerase RNA

Telomerase activity and telomere length in the colorectal polyp-carcinoma sequence Actividad de la telomerasa y longitud del telómero en la secuencia pólipo-carcinoma colorrectal

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C. Valls Bautista

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: the role of telomerase activity and telomere length in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colon carcinogenesis has not been well established. The objective of this study was to determine telomerase activity and telomere length patterns in patients with adenomatous polyps either associated or not with colorectal cancer, as well as the role of telomeric instability in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Patients and methods: we included in the study 14 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer and/or polyps. In 6 of these patients fresh samples of tumor tissue, polyps, and normal mucosa were obtained; in the 8 remaining cases, we collected only polyps and normal mucosa. We used the fluorescent-telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay (TRAP-F to determine telomerase activity and telomere length using Southern-blot testing. Results: telomerase activity was detected in 86% of polyps and 50% of associated normal mucosa. Mean telomerase activity in polyp tissue was 5.85; in the normal mucosa it was 0.58 TPG. Mean telomere length was 6.78 Kbp and 7.78, respectively. Polyps in patients without synchronous cancer had a telomerase activity that was significantly higher (9.4 than in those with cancer (1.1. Conclusions: telomerase activity increases in the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence, concurrently with a decrease in telomere length. The presence of synchronous cancer modifies telomerase activity in polyps.Objetivo: el papel de la actividad de la telomerasa y la longitud del telómero en la secuencia adenoma-carcinoma de la carcinogénesis colónica no ha sido bien establecido. El objetivo fue determinar el comportamiento de la actividad de la telomerasa y la longitud del telómero en pacientes con pólipos adenomatosos asociados o no a cáncer colorrectal y conocer el papel de la inestabilidad telomérica en la secuencia adenoma-carcinoma. Pacientes y métodos: se estudiaron 14 pacientes intervenidos de cáncer colorrectal y

Reactive oxygen species-dependent HSP90 protein cleavage participates in arsenical As+3- and MMA+3-induced apoptosis through inhibition of telomerase activity via JNK activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, S.-C.; Yang, L.-Y.; Lin, H.-Y.; Wu, C.-Y.; Su, T.-H.; Chen, Y.-C.

2008-01-01

The effects of six arsenic compounds including As +3 , MMA +3 , DMA +3 , As +5 , MMA +5 , and DMA +5 on the viability of NIH3T3 cells were examined. As +3 and MMA +3 , but not the others, exhibited significant cytotoxic effects in NIH3T3 cells through apoptosis induction. The apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and chromosome condensation induced by As +3 and MMA +3 were prevented by the addition of NAC and CAT, and induction of HO-1 gene expression in accordance with cleavage of the HSP90 protein, and suppression of telomerase activity were observed in NIH3T3 cells under As +3 and MMA +3 treatments. An increase in the intracellular peroxide level was examined in As +3 - and MMA +3 -treated NIH3T3 cells, and As +3 - and MMA +3 -induced apoptotic events were blocked by NAC, CAT, and DPI addition. HSP90 inhibitors, GA and RD, significantly attenuated the telomerase activity in NIH3T3 cells with an enhancement of As +3 - and MMA +3 -induced cytotoxicity. Suppression of JNKs significantly inhibited As +3 - and MMA +3 -induced apoptosis by blocking HSP90 protein cleavage and telomerase reduction in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, Hb, SnPP, and dexferosamine showed no effect against As +3 - and MMA +3 -induced apoptosis, and overexpression of HO-1 protein or inhibition of HO-1 protein expression did not affect the apoptosis induced by As +3 or MMA +3 . These data provide the first evidence to indicate that apoptosis induced by As +3 and MMA +3 is mediated by an ROS-dependent degradation of HSP90 protein and reduction of telomerase via JNK activation, and HO-1 induction might not be involved

Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genetic variants interact with the mediterranean diet modifying the inflammatory status and its relationship with aging: CORDIOPREV study

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Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) attrition has been associated with age-related diseases. Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genetic variants have been associated with LTL; whereas fatty acids (FAs) can interact with genetic factors and influence in aging. We explore whether variability at t...

Elucidation of the TMab-6 Monoclonal Antibody Epitope Against Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase.

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Kaneko, Mika K; Yamada, Shinji; Itai, Shunsuke; Chang, Yao-Wen; Nakamura, Takuro; Yanaka, Miyuki; Harada, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Hiroyoshi; Kato, Yukinari

2018-05-03

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and mutations of the TERT promoter are significant in the pathogenesis of 1p/19q-codeleted oligodendrogliomas and isocitrate dehydrogenase gene wild-type glioblastomas, as well as melanomas and squamous cell carcinomas. We previously developed an antihuman TERT monoclonal antibody (mAb), TMab-6, which is applicable in immunohistochemistry for human tissues. However, the binding epitope of TMab-6 against TERT is yet to be elucidated. In this study, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry were utilized for investigating the epitope of TMab-6. The findings revealed that the critical epitope of TMab-6 is the TERT sequence PSTSRPPRPWD; Thr310 and Ser311 of TERT are especially significant amino acids for TMab-6 recognition.

miR-380-5p-mediated repression of TEP1 and TSPYL5 interferes with telomerase activity and favours the emergence of an “ALT-like” phenotype in diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cells

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Graziella Cimino-Reale

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the molecular/cellular underpinnings of diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM, a fatal malignancy with limited therapeutic options, is of utmost importance for the fruitful management of the disease. In this context, we previously found that telomerase activity (TA, which accounts for the limitless proliferative potential of cancer cells, is prognostic for disease relapse and cancer-related death in DMPM patients. Consequently, the identification of factors involved in telomerase activation/regulation may pave the way towards the development of novel therapeutic interventions for the disease. Here, the capability of miR-380-5p, a microRNA negligibly expressed in telomerase-positive DMPM clinical specimens, to interfere with telomerase-mediated telomere maintenance and, hence, with cancer cell growth was assessed on preclinical models of DMPM. Methods DMPM cells were transfected with a miR-380-5p synthetic precursor, and the effects of miRNA replacement were evaluated in terms of growing capability, induction of apoptosis and interference with TA. Reiterated weekly transfections were also performed in order to analyse the phenotype arising upon prolonged miR-380-5p reconstitution in DMPM cells. Results The ectopic expression of miR-380-5p elicited a remarkable inhibition of TA and resulted in DMPM cell growth impairment and apoptosis induction. In particular, we demonstrated for the first time that these effects were the result of a molecular circuitry converging on telomerase associated protein 1 (TEP1, where the miRNA was able to target the gene both directly in unconventional targeting modality and indirectly via p53 accumulation consequent to miRNA-mediated downregulation of testis-specific protein, Y-encoded-like 5 gene. Moreover, miR-380-5p did not cause telomere attrition and cell growth arrest in long-term DMPM transfectants, which in turn showed slightly elongated telomeres and molecular

Effects of water extract of Curcuma longa (L.) roots on immunity and telomerase function.

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Pan, Min-Hsiung; Wu, Jia-Ching; Ho, Chi-Tang; Badmaev, Vladimir

2017-05-12

Background Immunity and Longevity Methods A water extract of Curcuma longa (L.) [vern. Turmeric] roots (TurmericImmune™) standardized for a minimum 20 % of turmeric polysaccharides ukonan A, B, C and D was evaluated for its biological properties in in vitro tissue culture studies. Results The water extract of turmeric (TurP) exhibited induced-nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages. These results suggested the immunomodulatory effects of TurP. In addition, the polysaccharides up-regulated function of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) equally to the phenolic compound from turmeric, curcumin. Conclusions The ukonan family of polysaccharides may assist in promoting cellular immune responses, tissue repair and lifespan by enhancing immune response and telomere function.

Immortalization of Human Fetal Hepatocyte by Ectopic Expression of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase, Human Papilloma Virus (E7) and Simian Virus 40 Large T (SV40 T) Antigen Towards Bioartificial Liver Support.

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Giri, Shibashish; Bader, Augustinus

2014-09-01

Generation of genetically stable and non-tumoric immortalization cell line from primary cells would be enormously useful for research and therapeutic purposes, but progress towards this goal has so far been limited. It is now universal acceptance that immortalization of human fetal hepatocytes based on recent advances of telomerase biology and oncogene, lead to unlimited population doubling could be the possible source for bioartificial liver device. Immortalization of human fetal hepatocytes cell line by ectopic expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), human papilloma virus gene (E7) and simian virus 40 large T (SV40 T) antigens is main goal of present study. We used an inducible system containing human telomerase and E7, both of which are cloned into responder constructs controlled by doxycycline transactivator. We characterized the immortalized human fetal hepatocyte cells by analysis of green fluorescent cells (GFP) positive cells using flow cytometry (FACs) cell sorting and morphology, proliferative rate and antigen expression by immunohistochemical analysis. In addition to we analysized lactate formation, glucose consumption, albumin secretion and urea production of immortalized human fetal hepatocyte cells. After 25 attempts for transfection of adult primary hepatocytes by human telomerase and E7 to immortalize them, none of the transfection systems resulted in the production of a stable, proliferating cell line. Although the transfection efficiency was more than 70% on the first day, the vast majority of the transfected hepatocytes lost their signal within the first 5-7 days. The remaining transfected hepatocytes persisted for 2-4 weeks and divided one or two times without forming a clone. After 10 attempts of transfection human fetal hepatocytes using the same transfection system, we obtained one stable human fetal hepatocytes cell line which was able albumin secretion urea production and glucose consumption. We established a

Comparison of Inhibitory Effect of Curcumin Nanoparticles and Free Curcumin in Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene Expression in Breast Cancer

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Nosratollah Zarghami; Abbas Rami; Fatemeh Kazemi-Lomedasht

2013-01-01

Purpose: Telomerase is expressed in most cancers, including breast cancer. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound that obtained from the herb of Curcuma longa, has many anticancer effects. But, its effect is low due to poor water solubility. In order to improve its solubility and drug delivery, we have utilized a β-cyclodextrin-curcumin inclusion complex. Methods: To evaluate cytotoxic effects of cyclodextrin-curcumin and free curcumin, MTT assay was done. Cells were treated with equal concentrati...

Telomerase activity and cellular aging might be positively modified by a yoga-based lifestyle intervention.

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Kumar, Shiv Basant; Yadav, Rashmi; Yadav, Raj Kumar; Tolahunase, Madhuri; Dada, Rima

2015-06-01

Recent studies showed that a brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention was efficacious in reducing levels of oxidative stress and cellular aging in obese men. The objective of this case report was to assess the efficacy of this intervention in reducing the levels of biochemical markers of cellular ageing, oxidative stress, and inflammation at baseline (day 0), at the end of active intervention (day 10), and follow-up at day 90. Single case report from a prospective ongoing study with pre-post design assessing the level of various markers of cellular aging. Integral Health Clinic, an outpatient facility conducting meditation and yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for management of chronic diseases. A 31-year-old man with class I obesity (body-mass index, 29.5 kg/m(2)) who presented to the medicine outpatient department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, with a history of fatigue, difficulty losing weight, and lack of motivation. He noted a marked decrease in his energy level, particularly in the afternoon. A pretested intervention program included asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), stress management, group discussions, lectures, and individualized advice. From baseline (day 0) to day 90, the activity of telomerase and levels of β-endorphins, plasma cortisol, and interleukin-6 increased, and a sustained reduction in oxidative stress markers, such as reactive oxygen species and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine levels. Adopting yoga/meditation-based lifestyle modification causes reversal of markers of aging, mainly oxidative stress, telomerase activity, and oxidative DNA damage. This may not only delay aging and prolong a youthful healthy life but also delay or prevent onset of several lifestyle-related diseases, of which oxidative stress and inflammation are the chief cause. This report suggests this simple lifestyle intervention may be therapeutic for oxidative DNA damage and oxidative stress.

Different therapeutic effects of cells derived from human amniotic membrane on premature ovarian aging depend on distinct cellular biological characteristics.

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Ding, Chenyue; Li, Hong; Wang, Yun; Wang, Fuxin; Wu, Huihua; Chen, Rulei; Lv, Jinghuan; Wang, Wei; Huang, Boxian

2017-07-27

Many reports have shown that various kinds of stem cells have the ability to recover premature ovarian aging (POA) function. Transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) improves ovarian function damaged by chemotherapy in a mice model. Understanding of how to evaluate the distinct effects of adult stem cells in curing POA and how to choose stem cells in clinical application is lacking. To build a different degrees of POA model, mice were administered different doses of cyclophosphamide: light dose (70 mg/kg, 2 weeks), medium dose (70 mg/kg, 1 week; 120 mg/kg, 1 week), and high dose (120 mg/kg, 2 weeks). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected serum levels of sex hormones, and hematoxylin and eosin staining allowed follicle counting and showed the ovarian tissue structure. DiIC 18 (5)-DS was employed to label human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) and hAECs for detecting the cellular retention time in ovaries by a live imaging system. Proliferation of human ovarian granule cells (ki67, AMH, FSHR, FOXL2, and CYP19A1) and immunological rejection of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (CD4, CD11b, CD19, and CD56) were measured by flow cytometry (fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)). Distinction of cellular biological characteristics between hAECs and hAMSCs was evaluated, such as collagen secretory level (collagen I, II, III, IV, and VI), telomerase activity, pluripotent markers tested by western blot, expression level of immune molecules (HLA-ABC and HLA-DR) analyzed by FACS, and cytokines (growth factors, chemotactic factors, apoptosis factors, and inflammatory factors) measured by a protein antibody array methodology. After hAMSCs and hAECs were transplanted into a different degrees of POA model, hAMSCs exerted better therapeutic activity on mouse ovarian function in the high-dose administration group, promoting the proliferation rate of ovarian granular cells from premature ovarian failure patients, but also provoking immune

Repression of hTERT transcription by the introduction of chromosome 3 into human oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Nishio, Sachiyo [Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Biopathological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Ohira, Takahito; Sunamura, Naohiro [Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Oshimura, Mitsuo [Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Ryoke, Kazuo [Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Biopathological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Kugoh, Hiroyuki, E-mail: kugoh@med.tottori-u.ac.jp [Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan); Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8503 (Japan)

2015-10-30

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that maintains telomere length. Telomerase activity is primarily attributed to the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). It has been reported that introduction of an intact human chromosome 3 into the human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line HSC3 suppresses the tumorigenicity of these cells. However, the mechanisms that regulate tumorigenicity have not been elucidated. To determine whether this reduction in tumorigenicity was accompanied by a reduction in telomerase activity, we investigated the transcriptional activation of TERT in HSC3 microcell hybrid clones with an introduced human chromosome 3 (HSC3#3). HSC#3 cells showed inhibition of hTERT transcription compared to that of the parental HSC3 cells. Furthermore, cell fusion experiments showed that hybrids of HSC3 cells and cells of the RCC23 renal carcinoma cell line, which also exhibits suppression of TERT transcription by the introduction of human chromosome 3, also displayed suppressed TERT transcription. These results suggested that human chromosome 3 may carry functionally distinct, additional TERT repressor genes. - Highlights: • hTERT mRNA expression level decreased in the chromosome 3 introduced HSC3 clones. • hTERT mRNA expression level was tend to suppressed in HSC3 and RCC23 hybrid cells. • We provide evidence that human chromosome 3 carries at least two distinct hTERT regulatory factors.

Repression of hTERT transcription by the introduction of chromosome 3 into human oral squamous cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishio, Sachiyo; Ohira, Takahito; Sunamura, Naohiro; Oshimura, Mitsuo; Ryoke, Kazuo; Kugoh, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that maintains telomere length. Telomerase activity is primarily attributed to the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). It has been reported that introduction of an intact human chromosome 3 into the human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line HSC3 suppresses the tumorigenicity of these cells. However, the mechanisms that regulate tumorigenicity have not been elucidated. To determine whether this reduction in tumorigenicity was accompanied by a reduction in telomerase activity, we investigated the transcriptional activation of TERT in HSC3 microcell hybrid clones with an introduced human chromosome 3 (HSC3#3). HSC#3 cells showed inhibition of hTERT transcription compared to that of the parental HSC3 cells. Furthermore, cell fusion experiments showed that hybrids of HSC3 cells and cells of the RCC23 renal carcinoma cell line, which also exhibits suppression of TERT transcription by the introduction of human chromosome 3, also displayed suppressed TERT transcription. These results suggested that human chromosome 3 may carry functionally distinct, additional TERT repressor genes. - Highlights: • hTERT mRNA expression level decreased in the chromosome 3 introduced HSC3 clones. • hTERT mRNA expression level was tend to suppressed in HSC3 and RCC23 hybrid cells. • We provide evidence that human chromosome 3 carries at least two distinct hTERT regulatory factors.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase mediated immortalization of human bone marrow stromal cells

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Yong Teng

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Primary human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs were transfected with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT gene with lipofection method. The hTERT transfected hMSCs of passage 100 underwent chondrogenesis induction with dexamethasone, transforming the growth factor β and vitamin C, osteogenesis induction with dexamethasone, β glycerophosphoric acid and vitamin C, and cardiomyocyte induction with 5-azacytidine. After 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of induction, immunocytochemistry was performed to detect the expressions of type I and II collagen and osteocalcin, and alizarin red staining was performed to detect the bone nodule formation in osteogenesis induction. Immunocytochemistry was carried out to detect the striated muscle actin expression in cardiomyocytes. The hMSCs undergoing successful transfection were positive for the hTERT. The hTERT transfected cells were grown in vitro successfully and passaged for 136 generations. Results showed that these cells could be induced to differentiate into chondrocytes, bone and myocardial cells. Introduction of exogenous hTERT into hMSCs could achieve immortalized hMSCs with the potential of multi-directional differentiation. Thus, these cells could be applied as seed cells in tissue engineering.

Maintenance of differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells immortalized by human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene despite of extensive proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdallah, Basem M.; Haack-Sorensen, Mandana; Burns, Jorge S.; Elsnab, Birgitte; Jakob, Franz; Hokland, Peter; Kassem, Moustapha

2005-01-01

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) represent a population of stem cells that are capable of differentiation into multiple lineages. However, these cells exhibit senescence-associated growth arrest and phenotypic changes during long-term in vitro culture. We have recently demonstrated that overexpression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in hMSC reconstitutes telomerase activity and extends life span of the cells [Nat. Biotechnol. 20 (2002) 592]. In the present study, we have performed extensive characterization of three independent cell lines derived from the parental hMSC-TERT cell line based on different plating densities during expansion in culture: 1:2 (hMSC-TERT2), 1:4 (hMSC-TERT4), and 1:20 (hMSC-TERT20). The 3 cell lines exhibited differences in morphology and growth rates but they all maintained the characteristics of self-renewing stem cells and the ability to differentiate into multiple mesoderm-type cell lineages: osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and endothelial-like cells over a 3-year period in culture. Also, surface marker studies using flow cytometry showed a pattern similar to that known from normal hMSC. Thus, telomerization of hMSC by hTERT overexpression maintains the stem cell phenotype of hMSC and it may be a useful tool for obtaining enough number of cells with a stable phenotype for mechanistic studies of cell differentiation and for tissue engineering protocols

Details of the evolutionary history from invertebrates to vertebrates, as deduced from the sequences of 18S rDNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, H; Satoh, N

1994-01-01

Almost the entire sequences of 18S rDNA were determined for two chaetognaths, five echinoderms, a hemichordate, and two urochordates (a larvacean and a salp). Phylogenetic comparisons of the sequences, together with those of other deuterostomes (an ascidian, a cephalochordate, and vertebrates) and protostomes (an arthropod and a mollusc), suggest the monophyly of the deuterostomes, with the exception of the chaetognaths. Chaetognaths may not be a group of deuterostomes. The deuterostome group closest to vertebrates was the group of cephalochordates. Ascidians, larvaceans, and salps seem to form a discrete group (urochordates), in which the early divergence of larvaceans is evident. These results support the hypothesis that chordates evolved from free-living ancestors. PMID:8127885

Effects of exogenous ATM gene on mRNA expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in AT cells induced by irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng Fangjun; Cao Jianping; Luo Jialin; Zhu Wei; Liu Fenju; Feng Shuang; Song Jianyuan; Li Chong

2005-01-01

The study is to observe effects of exogenous ATM gene on mRNA expression of hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) in fibroblast cells (AT5BIVA cells) from skin of Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) patients and to study the regulation of ATM to hTERT. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), mRNA expression of hTERT in AT, PEBS7-AT, ATM + -AT and GM cells irradiated with 0 and 3 Gy of 60 Co γ-rays were examined respectively. The difference of the mRNA expression of hTERT among AT, PEBS7-AT, ATM + -AT and GM cells were analyzed. Difference of the mRNA expression of hTERT between 0 Gy and 3 Gy groups was analyzed, too. The results showed that the mRNA expression of hTERT in GM cells was negative, but positive mRNA expression of hTERT in AT cells. The mRNA expression of hTERT in ATM + -AT cells decreased significantly (p 60 Co γ-rays, the mRNA expression of hTERT in GM cells was positive, and that in AT, PEBS7-AT, ATM + -AT cells was increased (p + -AT cells was lower than that in AT and PEBS7-AT cells respectively (p<0.05). It is postulated that exogenous ATM is able to downregulate the mRNA expression of hTERT in AT cells, ionizing radiation can induce the mRNA expression of hTERT in cells and telomerase anticipates the repair of damaged DNA. (authors)

A gene expression signature classifying telomerase and ALT immortalization reveals an hTERT regulatory network and suggests a mesenchymal stem cell origin for ALT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lafferty-Whyte, K; Cairney, C J; Will, M B

2009-01-01

Telomere length is maintained by two known mechanisms, the activation of telomerase or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The molecular mechanisms regulating the ALT phenotype are poorly understood and it is unknown how the decision of which pathway to activate is made at the cellular le......TERT in different tumour types and normal tissues. We also show evidence to suggest a novel mesenchymal stem cell origin for ALT immortalization in cell lines and mesenchymal tissues....

Eradication of melanoma in vitro and in vivo via targeting with a Killer-Red-containing telomerase-dependent adenovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Takehara, Kiyoto; Yano, Shuya; Tazawa, Hiroshi; Kishimoto, Hiroyuki; Narii, Nobuhiro; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki; Urata, Yasuo; Kagawa, Shunsuke; Fujiwara, Toshiyoshi; Hoffman, Robert M

2017-08-18

Melanoma is a highly recalcitrant cancer and transformative therapy is necessary for the cure of this disease. We recently developed a telomerase-dependent adenovirus containing the fluorescent protein Killer-Red. In the present report, we first determined the efficacy of Killer-Red adenovirus combined with laser irradiation on human melanoma cell lines in vitro. Cell viability of human melanoma cells was reduced in a dose-dependent and irradiation-time-dependent manner. We used an intradermal xenografted melanoma model in nude mice to determine efficacy of the Killer-Red adenovirus. Intratumoral injection of Killer-Red adenovirus, combined with laser irradiation, eradicated the melanoma indicating the potential of a new paradigm of cancer therapy.

Similarities between long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) reverse transcriptase and telomerase.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopera, Huira C; Moldovan, John B; Morrish, Tammy A; Garcia-Perez, Jose Luis; Moran, John V

2011-12-20

Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposons encode two proteins (ORF1p and ORF2p) that contain activities required for conventional retrotransposition by a mechanism termed target-site primed reverse transcription. Previous experiments in XRCC4 or DNA protein kinase catalytic subunit-deficient CHO cell lines, which are defective for the nonhomologous end-joining DNA repair pathway, revealed an alternative endonuclease-independent (ENi) pathway for L1 retrotransposition. Interestingly, some ENi retrotransposition events in DNA protein kinase catalytic subunit-deficient cells are targeted to dysfunctional telomeres. Here we used an in vitro assay to detect L1 reverse transcriptase activity to demonstrate that wild-type or endonuclease-defective L1 ribonucleoprotein particles can use oligonucleotide adapters that mimic telomeric ends as primers to initiate the reverse transcription of L1 mRNA. Importantly, these ribonucleoprotein particles also contain a nuclease activity that can process the oligonucleotide adapters before the initiation of reverse transcription. Finally, we demonstrate that ORF1p is not strictly required for ENi retrotransposition at dysfunctional telomeres. Thus, these data further highlight similarities between the mechanism of ENi L1 retrotransposition and telomerase.

Dioxin exerts anti-estrogenic actions in a novel dioxin-responsive telomerase-immortalized epithelial cell line of the porcine oviduct (TERT-OPEC).

Science.gov (United States)

Hombach-Klonisch, Sabine; Pocar, Paola; Kauffold, Johannes; Klonisch, Thomas

2006-04-01

Oviduct epithelial cells are important for the nourishment and survival of ovulated oocytes and early embryos, and they respond to the steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone. Endocrine-disrupting polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAH) are environmental toxins that act in part through the ligand-activated transcription factor arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR; dioxin receptor), and exposure to PHAH has been shown to decrease fertility. To investigate effects of PHAHs on the oviduct epithelium as a potential target tissue of dioxin-type endocrine disruptors, we have established a novel telomerase-immortalized oviduct porcine epithelial cell line (TERT-OPEC). TERT-OPEC exhibited active telomerase and the immunoreactive epithelial marker cytokeratin but lacked the stromal marker vimentin. TERT-OPEC contained functional estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and AhR, as determined by the detection of ER-alpha- and AhR-specific target molecules. Treatment of TERT-OPEC with the AhR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) resulted in a significant increase in the production of the cytochrome P-450 microsomal enzyme CYP1A1. Activated AhR caused a downregulation of ER nuclear protein fraction and significantly decreased ER-signaling in TERT-OPEC as determined by ERE-luciferase transient transfection assays. In summary, the TCDD-induced and AhR-mediated anti-estrogenic responses by TERT-OPEC suggest that PHAH affect the predominantly estrogen-dependent differentiation of the oviduct epithelium within the fallopian tube. This action then alters the local endocrine milieu, potentially resulting in a largely unexplored cause of impaired embryonic development and female infertility.

Biomarkers of oxidative stress and cataract. Novel drug delivery therapeutic strategies targeting telomere reduction and the expression of telomerase activity in the lens epithelial cells with N-acetylcarnosine lubricant eye drops: anti-cataract which helps to prevent and treat cataracts in the eyes of dogs and other animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Babizhayev, Mark A; Yegorov, Yegor E

2014-01-01

Cataracts in small animals are shown to be at least partially caused by oxidative damage to lens epithelial cells (LECs) and the internal lens; biomarkers of oxidative stress in the lens are considered as general biomarkers for life expectancy in the canine and other animals. Telomeres lengths and expressed telomerase activity in canine LECs may serve as important monitors of oxidative damage in normal LECs with documented higher levels of telomerase activity in cataractous LECs during cells' lifespan. Loss of functional telomere length below a critical threshold in LECs of canines during the effect of UV and chronic oxidative stress or metabolic failure, can activate programs leading to LEC senescence or death. Telomerase is induced in LECs of canines at critical stages of cataractogenesis initiation and exposure to oxidative stress through the involvement of catalytically active prooxidant transition metal (iron) ions. This work documents that transition metal ions (such as, ferrous ions- catalytic oxidants) might induce premature senescence in LECs of canines, telomere shortening with increased telomerase activity as adaptive response to UV light, oxidative and metabolic stresses. The therapeutic treatment with 1% N-acetylcarnosine (NAC) prodrug delivery is beneficial for prevention and dissolution of ripe cataracts in canines. This biological activity is based on the findings of ferroxidase activity pertinent to the dipeptide carnosine released ophthalmically from NAC prodrug of L-carnosine, stabilizing properties of carnosine on biological membranes based on the ability of the imidazole-containing dipeptides to interact with lipid peroxidation products and reactive oxygen species (ROS), to prevent membrane damage and delute the associated with membrane fragements protein aggregates. The advent of therapeutic treatment of cataracts in canines with N-acetylcarnosine lubricant eye drops through targeting the prevention of loss of functional telomere length below

Mechanism of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Based on 3D Graphene-TiO2 Nanocomposites and Application to Real-Time Monitoring of Telomerase Activity in Differentiation of Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Tingting; Feng, Enduo; Wang, Zhiqiang; Gong, Xueqing; Tian, Yang

2017-10-25

With a burst development of new nanomaterials for plasmon-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the understanding of chemical mechanism (CM) and further applications have become more and more attractive. Herein, a novel SERS platform was specially designed through electrochemical deposition of graphene onto TiO 2 nanoarrays (EG-TiO 2 ). The developed EG-TiO 2 nanocomposite SERS platform possessed remarkable Raman activity using copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as a probe molecule. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement revealed that the chemical bond Ti-O-C was formed at the interface between graphene and TiO 2 in EG-TiO 2 nanocomposites. Both experimental and theoretical results demonstrated that the obvious Raman enhancement was attributed to TiO 2 -induced Fermi level shift of graphene, resulting in effective charge transfer between EG-TiO 2 nanocomposites and molecules. Taking advantage of a marked Raman response of the CuPc molecule on the EG-TiO 2 nanocomposite surface as well as specific recognition of CuPc toward multiple telomeric G-quadruplex, EG-TiO 2 nanocomposites were tactfully employed as the SERS substrate for selective and ultrasensitive determination of telomerase activity, with a low detection limit down to 2.07 × 10 -16 IU. Interestingly, the self-cleaning characteristic of EG-TiO 2 nanocomposites under visible light irradiation successfully provided a recycling ability for this plasmon-free EG-TiO 2 substrate. The present SERS biosensor with high analytical performance, such as high selectivity and sensitivity, has been further explored to determine telomerase activity in stem cells as well as to count the cell numbers. More importantly, using this useful tool, it was discovered that telomerase activity plays an important role in the proliferation and differentiation from human mesenchymal stem cells to neural stem cells. This work has not only established an approach for gaining fundamental insights into the chemical mechanism (CM

Risk of progression of early cervical lesions is associated with integration and persistence of HPV-16 and expression of E6, Ki-67, and telomerase

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Arianna Vega-Peña

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL are the earliest lesions of the uterine cervix, the persistence and integration of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV as type 16, which promotes the development of more aggressive lesions. Aim: To select more aggressive lesions with tendency to progress to invasive cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 75 cytological specimens in liquid base (Liqui-PREP were analyzed: 25 specimens were with no signs of SIL (NSIL and without HPV; 25 NSIL with HPV-16, and 25 with both LSIL and HPV-16. The expression of Ki-67, telomerase, and viral E6 was evaluated by immunocytochemistry; and the detection of viral DNA was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs for genotyping or sequencing of HPV-16. The physical state of HPV-16 was evaluated by in situ hybridization with amplification with tyramide. Results: Of the total group, 58.6% had LSIL associated with persistence and of these 59.3% was associated with integrated state of HPV as intense expression of E6, Ki-67 (P = 0.013, P = 0.055 has except for the expression of telomerase present a non-significant association (P<0.341. Conclusions: Overexpression of E6 and Ki-67 is associated with the integration of HPV-16, favoring viral persistence, and increasing the risk of progression in women with NSIL and LSIL.

Expression profile of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase and activation of telomerase in human ovarian surface epithelial cells undergoing immortalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Litaker, J R; Pan, J; Cheung, Y; Zhang, D K; Liu, Y; Wong, S C; Wan, T S; Tsao, S W

1998-11-01

Senescence is a specific physiological stage of cells characterized by long population doubling time. It accounts for the inability of normal somatic cells to undergo indefinite cell division. As the number of population doublings increase, cell cycle regulatory mechanisms come into play and signal cells to exit the cell cycle and become senescent. Senescence has been implicated in the aging process and may function as a tumor suppressor mechanism in human cells. The ability to measure the degree of cellular senescence is important in understanding the biological processes regulating cell aging and immortalization. Senescent cells exhibit an enzyme termed senescence-associated histochemical staining. Cells immortalized by viral oncogenes often enter a stage of crisis at the early phase of immortalization. The cells at crisis have a long population doubling time. Cells at the crisis stage resemble senescent cells and the expression of SA- beta-Gal may be used to monitor the process of immortalization. In this study the expression profile of SA-beta-Gal was examined in human ovarian surface epithelial cells (HOSE 6-3) undergoing immortalization by the human papilloma viral oncogene E6 and E7 (HPV E6 and E7). Our results showed a low percentage (12.0%) of HOSE 6-3 cells expressing SA-beta-Gal activity at the pre-crisis stage. The percentage of HOSE 6-3 cells expressing SA-beta-Gal activity was highest (39.2%) at the crisis stage. When HOSE 6-3 cells achieved immortalized status there was a sharp decrease in cells (1. 3%) expressing SA-beta-Gal activity. In addition, an inverse relationship between the expression of SA-beta-Gal activity and telomerase activity was noted in cells undergoing immortalization. The results confirm that the SA-beta-Gal enzyme is a good marker for monitoring the population of cells undergoing senescence at different stages of immortalization and that telomerase activation is a characteristic feature of post-crisis cells.

Zoology: A New Mouth for Amphioxus.

Science.gov (United States)

Soukup, Vladimir; Kozmik, Zbynek

2016-05-09

Deuterostomes - a key subdivision of animals - are characterized by the mouth developing anteriorly as a rupture between the outer epithelium and the foregut wall. A new study of amphioxus challenges this view and proposes separate evolutionary origins of deuterostome oral openings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recurrent TERT promoter mutations identified in a large-scale study of multiple tumor types are associated with increased TERT expression and telomerase activation

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Dong-Sheng; Wang, Zhaohui; He, Xu-Jun; Diplas, Bill H.; Yang, Rui; Killela, Patrick J.; Liang, Junbo; Meng, Qun; Ye, Zai-Yuan; Wang, Wei; Jiang, Xiao-Ting; Xu, Li; He, Xiang-Lei; Zhao, Zhong-Sheng; Xu, Wen-Juan; Wang, Hui-Ju; Ma, Ying-Yu; Xia, Ying-Jie; Li, Li; Zhang, Ru-Xuan; Jin, Tao; Zhao, Zhong-Kuo; Xu, Ji; Yu, Sheng; Wu, Fang; Wang, Si-Zhen; Jiao, Yu-Chen; Yan, Hai; Tao, Hou-Quan

2015-01-01

Background Several somatic mutation hotspots were recently identified in the TERT promoter region in human cancers. Large scale studies of these mutations in multiple tumor types are limited, in particular in Asian populations. This study aimed to: analyze TERT promoter mutations in multiple tumor types in a large Chinese patient cohort, investigate novel tumor types and assess the functional significance of the mutations. Methods TERT promoter mutation status was assessed by Sanger sequencing for 13 different tumor types and 799 tumor tissues from Chinese cancer patients. Thymic epithelial tumors, gastrointestinal leiomyoma, and gastric schwannoma were included, for which the TERT promoter has not been previously sequenced. Functional studies included TERT expression by RT-qPCR, telomerase activity by the TRAP assay, and promoter activity by the luciferase reporter assay. Results TERT promoter mutations were highly frequent in glioblastoma (83.9%), urothelial carcinoma (64.5%), oligodendroglioma (70.0%), medulloblastoma (33.3%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (31.4%). C228T and C250T were the most common mutations. In urothelial carcinoma, several novel rare mutations were identified. TERT promoter mutations were absent in GIST, thymic epithelial tumors, gastrointestinal leiomyoma, gastric schwannoma, cholangiocarcinoma, gastric and pancreatic cancer. TERT promoter mutations highly correlated with upregulated TERT mRNA expression and telomerase activity in adult gliomas. These mutations differentially enhanced the transcriptional activity of the TERT core promoter. Conclusions TERT promoter mutations are frequent in multiple tumor types and have similar distributions in Chinese cancer patients. The functional significance of these mutations reflect the importance to telomere maintenance and hence tumorigenesis, making them potential therapeutic targets. PMID:25843513

Distinct modulation of telomere length in two T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines by cytotoxic nucleoside phosphonates PMEG and PMEDAP

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájek, Miroslav; Cvilink, Viktor; Votruba, Ivan; Holý, Antonín; Mertlíková-Kaiserová, Helena

2010-01-01

Roč. 643, č. 1 (2010), s. 6-12 ISSN 0014-2999 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0508; GA AV ČR 1QS400550501 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : acyclic nucleoside phosphonates * PMEG * PMEDAP * telomere length * telomerase inhibition Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.737, year: 2010

Proinflammatory Cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α Increased Telomerase Activity through NF-κB/STAT1/STAT3 Activation, and Withaferin A Inhibited the Signaling in Colorectal Cancer Cells

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Seyung S. Chung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There are increasing evidences of proinflammatory cytokine involvement in cancer development. Here, we found that two cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, activated colorectal cancer cells to be more invasive and stem-like. Combined treatment of IL-6 and TNF-α phosphorylated transcription factors STAT3 in a synergistic manner. STAT3, STAT1, and NF-κB physically interacted upon the cytokine stimulation. STAT3 was bound to the promoter region of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT. IL-6 and TNF-α stimulation further enhanced STAT3 binding affinity. Stem cell marker Oct-4 was upregulated in colorectal cancer cells upon IL-6 and TNF-α stimulation. Withaferin A, an anti-inflammatory steroidal lactone, inhibited the IL-6- and TNF-α-induced cancer cell invasion and decreased colonosphere formation. Notably, withaferin A inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and abolished the STAT3, STAT1, and NF-κB interactions. Oct-4 expression was also downregulated by withaferin A inhibition. The binding of STAT3 to the hTERT promoter region and telomerase activity showed reduction with withaferin A treatments. Proinflammatory cytokine-induced cancer cell invasiveness is mediated by a STAT3-regulated mechanism in colorectal cancer cells. Our data suggest that withaferin A could be a promising anticancer agent that effectively inhibits the progression of colorectal cancer.

p53 and telomerase control rat myocardial tissue response to hypoxia and ageing

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A. Cataldi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Cellular senescence implies loss of proliferative and tissue regenerative capability. Also hypoxia, producing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS, can damage cellular components through the oxidation of DNA, proteins and lipids, thus influencing the shortening of telomeres. Since ribonucleoprotein Telomerase (TERT, catalyzing the replication of the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, promotes cardiac muscle cell proliferation, hypertrophy and survival, here we investigated its role in the events regulating apoptosis occurrence and life span in hearts deriving from young and old rats exposed to hypoxia. TUNEL (terminal-deoxinucleotidyl -transferase- mediated dUTP nick end-labeling analysis reveals an increased apoptotic cell number in both samples after hypoxia exposure, mainly in the young with respect to the old. TERT expression lowers either in the hypoxic young, either in the old in both experimental conditions, with respect to the normoxic young. These events are paralleled by p53 and HIF-1 ? expression dramatic increase and by p53/ HIF-1 ? co-immunoprecipitation in the hypoxic young, evidencing the young subject as the most stressed by such challenge. These effects could be explained by induction of damage to genomic DNA by ROS that accelerates cell senescence through p53 activation. Moreover, by preventing TERT enzyme down-regulation, cell cycle exit and apoptosis occurrence could be delayed and new possibilities for intervention against cell ageing and hypoxia could be opened.

A telomerase immortalized human proximal tubule cell line with a truncation mutation (Q4004X in polycystin-1.

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Brittney-Shea Herbert

Full Text Available Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD is associated with a variety of cellular phenotypes in renal epithelial cells. Cystic epithelia are secretory as opposed to absorptive, have higher proliferation rates in cell culture and have some characteristics of epithelial to mesenchymal transitions. In this communication we describe a telomerase immortalized cell line that expresses proximal tubule markers and is derived from renal cysts of an ADPKD kidney. These cells have a single detectable truncating mutation (Q4004X in polycystin-1. These cells make normal appearing but shorter cilia and fail to assemble polycystin-1 in the cilia, and less uncleaved polycystin-1 in membrane fractions. This cell line has been maintained in continuous passage for over 35 passages without going into senescence. Nephron segment specific markers suggest a proximal tubule origin for these cells and the cell line will be useful to study mechanistic details of cyst formation in proximal tubule cells.

A mutation in a functional Sp1 binding site of the telomerase RNA gene (hTERC promoter in a patient with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria

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Mason Philip J

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutations in the gene coding for the RNA component of telomerase, hTERC, have been found in autosomal dominant dyskeratosis congenita (DC and aplastic anemia. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH is a clonal blood disorder associated with aplastic anemia and characterized by the presence of one or more clones of blood cells lacking glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI anchored proteins due to a somatic mutation in the PIGA gene. Methods We searched for mutations in DNA extracted from PNH patients by amplification of the hTERC gene and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC. After a mutation was found in a potential transcription factor binding site in one patient electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to detect binding of transcription factors to that site. The effect of the mutation on the function of the promoter was tested by transient transfection constructs in which the promoter is used to drive a reporter gene. Results Here we report the finding of a novel promoter mutation (-99C->G in the hTERC gene in a patient with PNH. The mutation disrupts an Sp1 binding site and destroys its ability to bind Sp1. Transient transfection assays show that mutations in this hTERC site including C-99G cause either up- or down-regulation of promoter activity and suggest that the site regulates core promoter activity in a context dependent manner in cancer cells. Conclusions These data are the first report of an hTERC promoter mutation from a patient sample which can modulate core promoter activity in vitro, raising the possibility that the mutation may affect the transcription of the gene in hematopoietic stem cells in vivo, and that dysregulation of telomerase may play a role in the development of bone marrow failure and the evolution of PNH clones.

Imputation and subset-based association analysis across different cancer types identifies multiple independent risk loci in the TERT-CLPTM1L region on chromosome 5p15.33

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Zhaoming; Zhu, Bin; Zhang, Mingfeng

2014-01-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase and the latter may pl...

Quantum Distinction: Quantum Distinctiones!

OpenAIRE

Zeps, Dainis

2009-01-01

10 pages; How many distinctions, in Latin, quantum distinctiones. We suggest approach of anthropic principle based on anthropic reference system which should be applied equally both in theoretical physics and in mathematics. We come to principle that within reference system of life subject of mathematics (that of thinking) should be equated with subject of physics (that of nature). For this reason we enter notions of series of distinctions, quantum distinction, and argue that quantum distinct...

Phenotypic characterization of telomerase-immortalized primary non-malignant and malignant tumor-derived human prostate epithelial cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Yongpeng; Li Hongzhen; Miki, Jun; Kim, Kee-Hong; Furusato, Bungo; Sesterhenn, Isabell A.; Chu, Wei-Sing; McLeod, David G.; Srivastava, Shiv; Ewing, Charles M.; Isaacs, William B.; Rhim, Johng S.

2006-01-01

In vitro human prostate cell culture models are critical for clarifying the mechanism of prostate cancer progression and for testing preventive and therapeutic agents. Cell lines ideal for the study of human primary prostate tumors would be those derived from spontaneously immortalized tumor cells; unfortunately, explanted primary prostate cells survive only short-term in culture, and rarely immortalize spontaneously. Therefore, we recently have generated five immortal human prostate epithelial cell cultures derived from both the benign and malignant tissues of prostate cancer patients with telomerase, a gene that prevents cellular senescence. Examination of these cell lines for their morphologies and proliferative capacities, their abilities to grow in low serum, to respond to androgen stimulation, to grow above the agar layer, to form tumors in SCID mice, suggests that they may serve as valid, useful tools for the elucidation of early events in prostate tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the chromosome alterations observed in these immortalized cell lines expressing aspects of the malignant phenotypes imply that these cell lines accurately recapitulate the genetic composition of primary tumors. These novel in vitro models may offer unique models for the study of prostate carcinogenesis and also provide the means for testing both chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents

Improved Resection and Outcome of Colon-Cancer Liver Metastasis with Fluorescence-Guided Surgery Using In Situ GFP Labeling with a Telomerase-Dependent Adenovirus in an Orthotopic Mouse Model.

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Shuya Yano

Full Text Available Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS of cancer is an area of intense development. In the present report, we demonstrate that the telomerase-dependent green fluorescent protein (GFP-containing adenovirus OBP-401 could label colon-cancer liver metastasis in situ in an orthotopic mouse model enabling successful FGS. OBP-401-GFP-labeled liver metastasis resulted in complete resection with FGS, in contrast, conventional bright-light surgery (BLS did not result in complete resection of the metastasis. OBP-401-FGS reduced the recurrence rate and prolonged over-all survival compared with BLS. In conclusion, adenovirus OBP-401 is a powerful tool to label liver metastasis in situ with GFP which enables its complete resection, not possible with conventional BLS.

The Transition between Telomerase and ALT Mechanisms in Hodgkin Lymphoma and Its Predictive Value in Clinical Outcomes

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Radhia M’kacher

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: We analyzed telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs in lymph node samples from HL patients treated with standard therapy. The TMMs correlated with clinical outcomes of patients. Materials and Methods: Lymph node biopsies obtained from 38 HL patients and 24 patients with lymphadenitis were included in this study. Seven HL cell lines were used as in vitro models. Telomerase activity (TA was assessed by TRAP assay and verified through hTERT immunofluorescence expression; alternative telomere lengthening (ALT was also assessed, along with EBV status. Results: Both TA and ALT mechanisms were present in HL lymph nodes. Our findings were reproduced in HL cell lines. The highest levels of TA were expressed in CD30−/CD15− cells. Small cells were identified with ALT and TA. Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg cells contained high levels of PML bodies, but had very low hTERT expression. There was a significant correlation between overall survival (p < 10−3, event-free survival (p < 10−4, and freedom from progression (p < 10−3 and the presence of an ALT profile in lymph nodes of EBV+ patients. Conclusion: The presence of both types of TMMs in HL lymph nodes and in HL cell lines has not previously been reported. TMMs correlate with the treatment outcome of EBV+ HL patients.

The predictive and prognostic potential of plasma telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) RNA in rectal cancer patients

Science.gov (United States)

Rampazzo, Enrica; Del Bianco, Paola; Bertorelle, Roberta; Boso, Caterina; Perin, Alessandro; Spiro, Giovanna; Bergamo, Francesca; Belluco, Claudio; Buonadonna, Angela; Palazzari, Elisa; Leonardi, Sara; De Paoli, Antonino; Pucciarelli, Salvatore; De Rossi, Anita

2018-01-01

Background: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery is the standard care for locally advanced rectal cancer, but tumour response to CRT and disease outcome are variable. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of plasma telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) levels in predicting tumour response and clinical outcome. Methods: 176 rectal cancer patients were included. Plasma samples were collected at baseline (before CRT=T0), 2 weeks after CRT was initiated (T1), post-CRT and before surgery (T2), and 4–8 months after surgery (T3) time points. Plasma TERT mRNA levels and total cell-free RNA were determined using real-time PCR. Results: Plasma levels of TERT were significantly lower at T2 (P<0.0001) in responders than in non-responders. Post-CRT TERT levels and the differences between pre- and post-CRT TERT levels independently predicted tumour response, and the prediction model had an area under curve of 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73–0.87). Multiple analysis demonstrated that patients with detectable TERT levels at T2 and T3 time points had a risk of disease progression 2.13 (95% CI 1.10–4.11)-fold and 4.55 (95% CI 1.48–13.95)-fold higher, respectively, than those with undetectable plasma TERT levels. Conclusions: Plasma TERT levels are independent markers of tumour response and are prognostic of disease progression in rectal cancer patients who undergo neoadjuvant therapy. PMID:29449673

Whole genome duplications and expansion of the vertebrate GATA transcription factor gene family

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Bowerman Bruce

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background GATA transcription factors influence many developmental processes, including the specification of embryonic germ layers. The GATA gene family has significantly expanded in many animal lineages: whereas diverse cnidarians have only one GATA transcription factor, six GATA genes have been identified in many vertebrates, five in many insects, and eleven to thirteen in Caenorhabditis nematodes. All bilaterian animal genomes have at least one member each of two classes, GATA123 and GATA456. Results We have identified one GATA123 gene and one GATA456 gene from the genomic sequence of two invertebrate deuterostomes, a cephalochordate (Branchiostoma floridae and a hemichordate (Saccoglossus kowalevskii. We also have confirmed the presence of six GATA genes in all vertebrate genomes, as well as additional GATA genes in teleost fish. Analyses of conserved sequence motifs and of changes to the exon-intron structure, and molecular phylogenetic analyses of these deuterostome GATA genes support their origin from two ancestral deuterostome genes, one GATA 123 and one GATA456. Comparison of the conserved genomic organization across vertebrates identified eighteen paralogous gene families linked to multiple vertebrate GATA genes (GATA paralogons, providing the strongest evidence yet for expansion of vertebrate GATA gene families via genome duplication events. Conclusion From our analysis, we infer the evolutionary birth order and relationships among vertebrate GATA transcription factors, and define their expansion via multiple rounds of whole genome duplication events. As the genomes of four independent invertebrate deuterostome lineages contain single copy GATA123 and GATA456 genes, we infer that the 0R (pre-genome duplication invertebrate deuterostome ancestor also had two GATA genes, one of each class. Synteny analyses identify duplications of paralogous chromosomal regions (paralogons, from single ancestral vertebrate GATA123 and GATA456

Effects of DHA Supplementation on Vascular Function, Telomerase Activity in PBMC, Expression of Inflammatory Cytokines, and PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 Pathway in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Study Protocol for Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Omid Toupchian

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, as an omega-3 fatty acid, in a natural ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs. Regarding the combinative effects of Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics and due to the lack of in vivo studies conducted using natural ligands of PPARs, we aimed to evaluate the effects of DHA supplementation on vascular function, telomerase activity, and PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 pathway, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, based on the Pro12Ala polymorphism in PPARγ encoding gene. 72 T2DM patients (36 dominant and 36 recessive allele carriers, aged 30-70, with body mass index of 18.5 to 35 kg/m2, will be participated in this double blind randomized controlled trial. In each group, stratification will be performed based on sex and age and participants will be randomly assigned to receive 2.4 g/day DHA or placebo (paraffin for 8 weeks. PPARγ genotyping will be carried out using PCR-RFLP method; Telomerase activity will be estimated by PCR-ELISA TRAP assay; mRNA expression levels of target genes will be assessed using real time PCR. Serum levels of ADMA, sCD163 and adiponectin, will be measured using ELISA commercial kits. The present study is designed in order to help T2DM patients to modify their health conditions based on their genetic backgrounds, and to recommend the proper food ingredients as the natural agonists for PPARs in order to prevent and treat metabolic abnormalities of the disease.

Modularity of gene-regulatory networks revealed in sea-star development

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Degnan Bernard M

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Evidence that conserved developmental gene-regulatory networks can change as a unit during deutersostome evolution emerges from a study published in BMC Biology. This shows that genes consistently expressed in anterior brain patterning in hemichordates and chordates are expressed in a similar spatial pattern in another deuterostome, an asteroid echinoderm (sea star, but in a completely different developmental context (the animal-vegetal axis. This observation has implications for hypotheses on the type of development present in the deuterostome common ancestor. See research article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/143/abstract

The genome sequence of the protostome Daphnia pulex encodes respective orthologues of a neurotrophin, a Trk and a p75NTR: Evolution of neurotrophin signaling components and related proteins in the bilateria

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Wilson Karen HS

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neurotrophins and their Trk and p75NTR receptors play an important role in the nervous system. To date, neurotrophins, Trk and p75NTR have only been found concomitantly in deuterostomes. In protostomes, homologues to either neurotrophin, Trk or p75NTR are reported but their phylogenetic relationship to deuterostome neurotrophin signaling components is unclear. Drosophila has neurotrophin homologues called Spätzles (Spz, some of which were recently renamed neurotrophins, but direct proof that these are deuterostome neurotrophin orthologues is lacking. Trks belong to the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK family and among RTKs, Trks and RORs are closest related. Flies lack Trks but have ROR and ROR-related proteins called NRKs playing a neurotrophic role. Mollusks have so far the most similar proteins to Trks (Lymnaea Trk and Aplysia Trkl but the exact phylogenetic relationship of mollusk Trks to each other and to vertebrate Trks is unknown. p75NTR belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR superfamily. The divergence of the TNFR families in vertebrates has been suggested to parallel the emergence of the adaptive immune system. Only one TNFR representative, the Drosophila Wengen, has been found in protostomes. To clarify the evolution of neurotrophin signaling components in bilateria, this work analyzes the genome of the crustacean Daphnia pulex as well as new genetic data from protostomes. Results The Daphnia genome encodes a neurotrophin, p75NTR and Trk orthologue together with Trkl, ROR, and NRK-RTKs. Drosophila Spz1, 2, 3, 5, 6 orthologues as well as two new groups of Spz proteins (Spz7 and 8 are also found in the Daphnia genome. Searching genbank and the genomes of Capitella, Helobdella and Lottia reveals neurotrophin signaling components in other protostomes. Conclusion It appears that a neurotrophin, Trk and p75NTR existed at the protostome/deuterostome split. In protostomes, a "neurotrophin superfamily" includes

Amphioxus mouth after dorso-ventral inversion.

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Kaji, Takao; Reimer, James D; Morov, Arseniy R; Kuratani, Shigeru; Yasui, Kinya

2016-01-01

Deuterostomes (animals with 'secondary mouths') are generally accepted to develop the mouth independently of the blastopore. However, it remains largely unknown whether mouths are homologous among all deuterostome groups. Unlike other bilaterians, in amphioxus the mouth initially opens on the left lateral side. This peculiar morphology has not been fully explained in the evolutionary developmental context. We studied the developmental process of the amphioxus mouth to understand whether amphioxus acquired a new mouth, and if so, how it is related to or differs from mouths in other deuterostomes. The left first somite in amphioxus produces a coelomic vesicle between the epidermis and pharynx that plays a crucial role in the mouth opening. The vesicle develops in association with the amphioxus-specific Hatschek nephridium, and first opens into the pharynx and then into the exterior as a mouth. This asymmetrical development of the anterior-most somites depends on the Nodal-Pitx signaling unit, and the perturbation of laterality-determining Nodal signaling led to the disappearance of the vesicle, producing a symmetric pair of anterior-most somites that resulted in larvae lacking orobranchial structures. The vesicle expressed bmp2/4, as seen in ambulacrarian coelomic pore-canals, and the mouth did not open when Bmp2/4 signaling was blocked. We conclude that the amphioxus mouth, which uniquely involves a mesodermal coelomic vesicle, shares its evolutionary origins with the ambulacrarian coelomic pore-canal. Our observations suggest that there are at least three types of mouths in deuterostomes, and that the new acquisition of chordate mouths was likely related to the dorso-ventral inversion that occurred in the last common ancestor of chordates.

Kaempferol increases apoptosis in human cervical cancer HeLa cells via PI3K/AKT and telomerase pathways.

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Kashafi, Elham; Moradzadeh, Maliheh; Mohamadkhani, Ashraf; Erfanian, Saiedeh

2017-05-01

Cervical cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in women worldwide. Defects in the apoptotic pathways are responsible for both the disease pathogenesis and its therapy resistance. It is thus a good candidate for treatment by pro-apoptotic agents. Kaempferol as a flavonoid has antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. Kaempferol has been shown to induce apoptosis and cell death in cancer cells. However, due to the problems in the treatment of cervical cancer, this study is designed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which kaempferol suppresses the growth of cervical cancer HeLa cell as compared with HFF cells (normal cells). Cells treated with kaempferol (12-100μM) and 5-FU (1-10μM), as the positive control, up to 72h. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and real time PCR was used to investigate apoptosis and telomerase genes expression. The results showed that kaempferol decreased cell viability as concentration- and time-dependently. IC 50 values were 10.48μM for HeLa and 707.00μM for HFF cells, as compared with 1.40μM and 16.38μM for 5-FU after 72h treatment, respectively. Also, kaempferol induced cellular apoptosis and aging through down-regulating the PI3K/AKT and hTERT pathways. This study suggests that kaempferol may be a useful adjuvant therapeutic agent in the treatment of cervical cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Distinctive Citizenship

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Kaur, Ravinder

2009-01-01

The refugee, in India's Partition history, appears as an enigmatic construct - part pitiful, part heroic, though mostly shorn of agency - representing the surface of the human tragedy of Partition. Yet this archetype masks the undercurrent of social distinctions that produced hierarchies of post...

High levels of telomere dysfunction bestow a selective disadvantage during the progression of human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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Gordon, Katrina E; Ireland, Hazel; Roberts, Meryl; Steeghs, Karen; McCaul, James A; MacDonald, D Gordon; Parkinson, E Kenneth

2003-01-15

Human epithelial cells experience multiple barriers to cellular immortality in culture (mortality mechanisms 0, 1, and 2). Mortality mechanism 2 (M2) is termed crisis and involves telomere dysfunction due to lack of telomerase. However, proliferating normal keratinocytes in vivo can express telomerase, so it is unclear whether human squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), which usually have high telomerase levels, develop from preexisting telomerase-positive precursors or by the activation of telomerase in telomerase-deficient somatic cells. We show that 6 of 29 oral SCCs show characteristics of M2 crisis in vivo, as indicated by a high anaphase bridge index (ABI), which is a good correlate of telomere dysfunction, and that 25 of 29 tumors possess some anaphase bridges. ABIs in excess of 0.2 in the primary tumor showed a decrease in the corresponding lymph node metastases. This suggests that high levels of telomere dysfunction (>0.2) and, by inference, M2 crisis bestow a selective disadvantage on SCCs during progression stages of the disease. Supporting this, SCCs with high levels of telomere dysfunction grow poorly in culture, and the ectopic expression of telomerase corrects this, together with other features of M2 crisis. Our data suggest that a substantial proportion of oral SCCs in vivo ultimately arise from telomerase-deficient keratinocytes rather than putative telomerase-proficient cells in the undifferentiated parts of the epithelium. Furthermore, the presence of significant levels of telomere dysfunction in a high proportion of SCCs at diagnosis but not in the normal epithelium implies that the therapeutic inhibition of telomerase should selectively compromise the growth of such tumors.

Guanidinylated 3-gluconamidopropyl methacrylamide-s-3-aminopropyl methacrylamide copolymer as siRNA carriers for inhibiting human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression.

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Wu, Yang; Ji, Jinkai; Yang, Ran; Zhang, Xiaoqiang; Li, Yuanhui; Pu, Yuepu; Li, Xinsong

2013-01-01

In this report, a series of well-defined glucose- and guanidine-based cationic copolymers as gene carriers were developed to inhibit human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene expression. First of all, guandinylated 3-gluconamidopropyl methacrylamide-s-3-aminopropyl methacrylamide copolymers (guanidinylated GAPMA-s-APMA, abbreviated as GGA) were prepared via aqueous reversible addition--fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). Then, three target hTERT siRNA TERT-1, TERT-2 and TERT-3 were designed and combined with GGA copolymers to form siRNA/GGA polyplexes. The polyplexes were examined by dynamic light scattering and agarose gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that GGA copolymers can condense siRNA effectively to form particles with the diameter from 157 nm to 411 nm and zeta potential values in the range from +3.7 to +15.8 mV at various charge ratios (N/P). The MTT assay data of siRNA/GGA polyplexes on human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cells (HepG2) indicated that GGA copolymer had better cell viabilities than polyethylenimine (PEI). Furthermore, the transfection of siRNA/GGA polyplexes was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in HepG2. It was found that siRNA/GGA polyplexes could effectively silence hTERT mRNA expression in serum-free media (paminopropyl methacrylamide copolymers might be promise in gene delivery.

Counselor Identity: Conformity or Distinction?

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McLaughlin, Jerry E.; Boettcher, Kathryn

2009-01-01

The authors explore 3 debates in other disciplines similar to counseling's identity debate in order to learn about common themes and outcomes. Conformity, distinction, and cohesion emerged as common themes. They conclude that counselors should retain their distinctive, humanistic approach rather than conforming to the dominant, medical approach.

Leptin as a critical regulator of hepatocellular carcinoma development through modulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase

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Stefanou Nikolaos

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous epidemiological studies have documented that obesity is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological actions regulated by leptin, the obesity biomarker molecule, and its receptors in HCC and the correlation between leptin and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT, a known mediator of cellular immortalization. Methods We investigated the relationship between leptin, leptin receptors and hTERT mRNA expression in HCC and healthy liver tissue samples. In HepG2 cells, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was used to study signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3 and myc/mad/max transcription factors downstream of leptin which could be responsible for hTERT regulation. Flow cytometry was used for evaluation of cell cycle modifications and MMP1, 9 and 13 expression after treatment of HepG2 cells with leptin. Blocking of leptin's expression was achieved using siRNA against leptin and transfection with liposomes. Results We showed, for the first time, that leptin's expression is highly correlated with hTERT expression levels in HCC liver tissues. We also demonstrated in HepG2 cells that leptin-induced up-regulation of hTERT and TA was mediated through binding of STAT3 and Myc/Max/Mad network proteins on hTERT promoter. We also found that leptin could affect hepatocellular carcinoma progression and invasion through its interaction with cytokines and matrix mettaloproteinases (MMPs in the tumorigenic microenvironment. Furthermore, we showed that histone modification contributes to leptin's gene regulation in HCC. Conclusions We propose that leptin is a key regulator of the malignant properties of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through modulation of hTERT, a critical player of oncogenesis.

New prognostic factor telomerase reverse transcriptase promotor mutation presents without MR imaging biomarkers in primary glioblastoma

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Ersoy, Tunc F.; Simon, Matthias [University Hospital Bonn, Department of Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Bonn (Germany); Ev. Krankenhaus Bielefeld, Department of Neurosurgery, Bielefeld (Germany); Keil, Vera C.; Hadizadeh, Dariusch R.; Schild, Hans H. [University Hospital Bonn, Department of Radiology, Bonn (Germany); Gielen, Gerrit H.; Waha, Andreas [University Hospital Bonn, Institute of Neuropathology, Bonn (Germany); Fimmers, Rolf [IMBIE, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn (Germany); Heidenreich, Barbara; Kumar, Rajiv [DFKZ, Department of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-12-15

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging biomarkers can assist in the non-invasive assessment of the genetic status in glioblastomas (GBMs). Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are associated with a negative prognosis. This study was performed to identify MR imaging biomarkers to forecast the TERT mutation status. Pre-operative MRIs of 64/67 genetically confirmed primary GBM patients (51/67 TERT-mutated with rs2853669 polymorphism) were analyzed according to Visually AcceSAble Rembrandt Images (VASARI) (https: //wiki.cancerimagingarchive.net/display/Public/VASARI+Research+Project) imaging criteria by three radiological raters. TERT mutation and O{sup 6}-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) hypermethylation data were obtained through direct and pyrosequencing as described in a previous study. Clinical data were derived from a prospectively maintained electronic database. Associations of potential imaging biomarkers and genetic status were assessed by Fisher and Mann-Whitney U tests and stepwise linear regression. No imaging biomarkers could be identified to predict TERT mutational status (alone or in conjunction with TERT promoter polymorphism rs2853669 AA-allele). TERT promoter mutations were more common in patients with tumor-associated seizures as first symptom (26/30 vs. 25/37, p = 0.07); these showed significantly smaller tumors [13.1 (9.0-19.0) vs. 24.0 (16.6-37.5) all cm{sup 3}; p = 0.007] and prolonged median overall survival [17.0 (11.5-28.0) vs. 9.0 (4.0-12.0) all months; p = 0.02]. TERT-mutated GBMs were underrepresented in the extended angularis region (p = 0.03), whereas MGMT-methylated GBMs were overrepresented in the corpus callosum (p = 0.03) and underrepresented temporomesially (p = 0.01). Imaging biomarkers for prediction of TERT mutation status remain weak and cannot be derived from the VASARI protocol. Tumor-associated seizures are less common in TERT mutated glioblastomas. (orig.)

MNS16A tandem repeat minisatellite of human telomerase gene: functional studies in colorectal, lung and prostate cancer.

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Hofer, Philipp; Zöchmeister, Cornelia; Behm, Christian; Brezina, Stefanie; Baierl, Andreas; Doriguzzi, Angelina; Vanas, Vanita; Holzmann, Klaus; Sutterlüty-Fall, Hedwig; Gsur, Andrea

2017-04-25

MNS16A, a functional polymorphic tandem repeat minisatellite, is located in the promoter region of an antisense transcript of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene. MNS16A promoter activity depends on the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) presenting varying numbers of transcription factor binding sites for GATA binding protein 1. Although MNS16A has been investigated in multiple cancer epidemiology studies with incongruent findings, functional data of only two VNTRs (VNTR-243 and VNTR-302) were available thus far, linking the shorter VNTR to higher promoter activity.For the first time, we investigated promoter activity of all six VNTRs of MNS16A in cell lines of colorectal, lung and prostate cancer using Luciferase reporter assay. In all investigated cell lines shorter VNTRs showed higher promoter activity. While this anticipated indirect linear relationship was affirmed for colorectal cancer SW480 (P = 0.006), a piecewise linear regression model provided significantly better model fit in lung cancer A-427 (P = 6.9 × 10-9) and prostate cancer LNCaP (P = 0.039). In silico search for transcription factor binding sites in MNS16A core repeat element suggested a higher degree of complexity involving X-box binding protein 1, general transcription factor II-I, and glucocorticoid receptor alpha in addition to GATA binding protein 1.Further functional studies in additional cancers are requested to extend our knowledge of MNS16A functionality uncovering potential cancer type-specific differences. Risk alleles may vary in different malignancies and their determination in vitro could be relevant for interpretation of genotype data.

Telomere length is short in PCOS and oral contraceptive does not affect the telomerase activity in granulosa cells of patients with PCOS.

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Li, Ying; Deng, Bingbing; Ouyang, Nengyong; Yuan, Ping; Zheng, Lingyan; Wang, Wenjun

2017-07-01

Our study aimed to investigate the association of telomerase activity (TA) and telomere length (TL) in granulosa cells (GCs) with IVF outcomes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, and the effects of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pretreatment on these two parameters. One hundred sixty-three infertile women were enrolled and divided into a PCOS group (n = 65) and a non-PCOS group (n = 98). The PCOS group was further divided into an OCP pretreatment group (n = 35) and a non-OCP pretreatment group (n = 30), a TA PCOS group and 1.118 in non-PCOS group (P = 0.005). The patients with TL ≥1 accounted for 36.9% in PCOS group and 54.1% in non-PCOS group (P = 0.032). The average duration of infertility for PCOS patients was 5 years in TA PCOS patients. Shorter TL was found in PCOS patients. The TA levels did not change significantly in PCOS patients. PCOS patients with a lower TA level and shorter telomeres had an earlier onset of infertility symptoms. No predictive value was found for TA and TL in terms of embryo quality or IVF outcomes in PCOS patients, and no effect OCP pretreatment was observed on either TA and TL.

Pumping RNA: nuclear bodybuilding along the RNP pipeline.

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Matera, A Gregory; Shpargel, Karl B

2006-06-01

Cajal bodies (CBs) are nuclear subdomains involved in the biogenesis of several classes of small ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). A number of recent advances highlight progress in the understanding of the organization and dynamics of CB components. For example, a class of small Cajal body-specific (sca) RNPs has been discovered. Localization of scaRNPs to CBs was shown to depend on a conserved RNA motif. Intriguingly, this motif is also present in mammalian telomerase RNA and the evidence suggests that assembly of the active form of telomerase RNP occurs in and around CBs during S phase. Important steps in the assembly and modification of spliceosomal RNPs have also been shown to take place in CBs. Additional experiments have revealed the existence of kinetically distinct subclasses of CB components. Finally, the recent identification of novel markers for CBs in both Drosophila and Arabidopsis not only lays to rest questions about the evolutionary conservation of these nuclear suborganelles, but also should enable forward genetic screens for the identification of new components and pathways involved in their assembly, maintenance and function.

Characterization of a novel telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell line, St-T1b

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Brosens Jan J

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Coordinated differentiation of the endometrial compartments in the second half of the menstrual cycle is a prerequisite for the establishment of pregnancy. Endometrial stromal cells (ESC decidualize under the influence of ovarian progesterone to accommodate implantation of the blastocyst and support establishment of the placenta. Studies into the mechanisms of decidualization are often hampered by the lack of primary ESC. Here we describe a novel immortalized human ESC line. Methods Primary ESC were immortalized by the transduction of telomerase. The resultant cell line, termed St-T1b, was characterized for its morphological and biochemical properties by immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR and immunoblotting. Its progestational response was tested using progesterone and medroxyprogesterone acetate with and without 8-Br-cAMP, an established inducer of decidualization in vitro. Results St-T1b were positive for the fibroblast markers vimentin and CD90 and negative for the epithelial marker cytokeratin-7. They acquired a decidual phenotype indistinguishable from primary ESC in response to cAMP stimulation. The decidual response was characterized by transcriptional activation of marker genes, such as PRL, IGFBP1, and FOXO1, and enhanced protein levels of the tumor suppressor p53 and the metastasis suppressor KAI1 (CD82. Progestins alone had no effect on St-T1b cells, but medroxyprogesterone acetate greatly enhanced the cAMP-stimulated expression of IGFBP-1 after 3 and 7 days. Progesterone, albeit more weakly, also augmented the cAMP-induced IGFBP-1 production but only after 7 days of treatment. The cell line remained stable in continuous culture for more than 150 passages. Conclusion St-T1b express the appropriate phenotypic ESC markers and their decidual response closely mimics that of primary cultures. Decidualization is efficiently induced by cAMP analog and enhanced by medroxyprogesterone acetate, and, to a lesser extent, by natural

The pursuit of optimal distinctiveness and consumer preferences.

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He, Lingnan; Cong, Feng; Liu, Yanping; Zhou, Xinyue

2010-10-01

This article investigates the effect of optimal distinctiveness on consumer product consumption. The authors argue that consumers acquire and display material possessions to restore their optimal levels of distinctiveness. Results showed that placing consumers in a state of low distinctiveness increased desire to acquire distinctive products, whereas perceptions of high distinctiveness reduced desire to acquire such products. Consumers' desire for distinctiveness-related products held true for various consumer choices, including willingness to pay more for limited-edition products and preference for unpopular gifts. This finding has implications for understanding consumer choice in expressing identity. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase locus polymorphisms and cancer risk: a field synopsis and meta-analysis.

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Mocellin, Simone; Verdi, Daunia; Pooley, Karen A; Landi, Maria T; Egan, Kathleen M; Baird, Duncan M; Prescott, Jennifer; De Vivo, Immaculata; Nitti, Donato

2012-06-06

Several recent studies have provided evidence that polymorphisms in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene sequence are associated with cancer development, but a comprehensive synopsis is not available. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available molecular epidemiology data regarding the association between TERT locus polymorphisms and predisposition to cancer. A systematic review of the English literature was conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, Cancerlit, Google Scholar, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases for studies on associations between TERT locus polymorphisms and cancer risk. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to pool per-allele odds ratios for TERT locus polymorphisms and risk of cancer, and between-study heterogeneity and potential bias sources (eg, publication and chasing bias) were assessed. Because the TERT locus includes the cleft lip and palate transmembrane 1-like (CLPTM1L) gene, which is in linkage disequilibrium with TERT, CLPTM1L polymorphisms were also analyzed. Cumulative evidence for polymorphisms with statistically significant associations was graded as "strong," "moderate," and "weak" according to the Venice criteria. The joint population attributable risk was calculated for polymorphisms with strong evidence of association. Eighty-five studies enrolling 490 901 subjects and reporting on 494 allelic contrasts were retrieved. Data were available on 67 TERT locus polymorphisms and 24 tumor types, for a total of 221 unique combinations of polymorphisms and cancer types. Upon meta-analysis, a statistically significant association with the risk of any cancer type was found for 22 polymorphisms. Strong, moderate, and weak cumulative evidence for association with at least one tumor type was demonstrated for 11, 9, and 14 polymorphisms, respectively. For lung cancer, which was the most studied tumor type, the estimated joint population attributable risk for three polymorphisms (TERT rs2736100, intergenic

Association of telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations with clinicopathological features and prognosis of thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis

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Su X

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Xingyun Su,1 Xiaoxia Jiang,1 Weibin Wang,1 Haiyong Wang,1 Xin Xu,2 Aihui Lin,1 Xiaodong Teng,3 Huiling Wu,4 Lisong Teng1 1Department of Surgical Oncology, 2Department of Medical Oncology, 3Department of Pathology, 4Department of Plastic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT promoter mutations have been widely investigated in thyroid cancer; however, the results are still discrepant. Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid, and the Cochran Library databases for relevant articles prior to April 2016. Mutation rates were synthesized by R statistical software. The odds ratio or standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval was pooled by Stata. A total of 22 studies with 4,907 cases were included in this meta-analysis. TERT promoter mutations tended to present in aggressive histological types including poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (33.37%, anaplastic thyroid cancer (38.69%, and tall-cell variant papillary thyroid cancer (30.23%. These promoter mutations were likely to exist in older patients and males and were well associated with larger tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, advanced tumor stage, disease recurrence/persistence, and mortality. In addition, TERT promoter mutations (especially C228T tended to coexist with BRAFV600E mutation, which indicated more aggressive tumor behavior. Therefore, TERT promoter mutations may be promising biomarkers for early diagnosis, risk stratification, prognostic prediction, and management of thyroid cancer. Keywords: TERT promoter mutations, thyroid cancer, clinicopathological features, prognosis, BRAFV600E mutation

Distinctiveness of Saudi Arabian EFL Learners

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Manssour Habbash

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In view of the increasing concern among English language teachers dealing with students from Saudi Arabia, as it manifests in TESOL community discussions, about the uniqueness of Saudi Arabian EFL learners, this paper attempts to document the outcome of a study of their distinctiveness from the perspective of expatriate teachers working for PYPs (Preparatory Year Programs in Saudi Arabia. This study examines the distinctiveness with regard to the learning attitudes of Saudi students that are often cultivated by the culture and academic environment in their homeland. Employing an emic approach for collecting the required data an analysis was carried out in light of the other studies on ‘education’ in Saudi Arabia that have particular reference to the factors that can positively influence student motivation, student success and the academic environment. The findings were used in constructing the rationale behind such distinctiveness. Assuming that the outcome of the discussion on the findings of this exploration can be helpful for teachers in adapting their teaching methodology and improving their teacher efficacy in dealing with students both from the kingdom and in the kingdom, some recommendations are made. Keywords: China Distinctiveness, Saudi Arabian University context, Expatriate teachers’ perspective, Distinctiveness Theory

Social conformity despite individual preferences for distinctiveness.

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Smaldino, Paul E; Epstein, Joshua M

2015-03-01

We demonstrate that individual behaviours directed at the attainment of distinctiveness can in fact produce complete social conformity. We thus offer an unexpected generative mechanism for this central social phenomenon. Specifically, we establish that agents who have fixed needs to be distinct and adapt their positions to achieve distinctiveness goals, can nevertheless self-organize to a limiting state of absolute conformity. This seemingly paradoxical result is deduced formally from a small number of natural assumptions and is then explored at length computationally. Interesting departures from this conformity equilibrium are also possible, including divergence in positions. The effect of extremist minorities on these dynamics is discussed. A simple extension is then introduced, which allows the model to generate and maintain social diversity, including multimodal distinctiveness distributions. The paper contributes formal definitions, analytical deductions and counterintuitive findings to the literature on individual distinctiveness and social conformity.

Visual distinctiveness can enhance recency effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bornstein, B H; Neely, C B; LeCompte, D C

1995-05-01

Experimental efforts to meliorate the modality effect have included attempts to make the visual stimulus more distinctive. McDowd and Madigan (1991) failed to find an enhanced recency effect in serial recall when the last item was made more distinct in terms of its color. In an attempt to extend this finding, three experiments were conducted in which visual distinctiveness was manipulated in a different manner, by combining the dimensions of physical size and coloration (i.e., whether the stimuli were solid or outlined in relief). Contrary to previous findings, recency was enhanced when the size and coloration of the last item differed from the other items in the list, regardless of whether the "distinctive" item was larger or smaller than the remaining items. The findings are considered in light of other research that has failed to obtain a similar enhanced recency effect, and their implications for current theories of the modality effect are discussed.

On Hobbes’s distinction of accidents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lupoli Agostino

2012-06-01

Full Text Available An interpolation introduced by K. Schuhmann in his critical edition of "De corpore" (chap. VI, § 13 diametrically overturns the meaning of Hobbes’s doctrine of distinction of accidents in comparison with all previous editions. The article focuses on the complexity of this crucial juncture in "De corpore" argument on which depends the interpretation of Hobbes’s whole conception of science. It discusses the reasons pro and contra Schuhmann’s interpolation and concludes against it, because it is not compatible with the rationale underlying the complex architecture of "De corpore", which involves a symmetry between the ‘logical’ distinction of accidents and the ‘metaphysical’ distinction of phantasms.

Vascular dysfunction by myofibroblast activation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and prognostic significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.R. Parra

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, we demonstrated the importance of telomerase protein expression and determined the relationships among telomerase, endothelin-1 (ET-1 and myofibroblasts during early and late remodeling of parenchymal and vascular areas in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP using 27 surgical lung biopsies from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF. Telomerase+, myofibroblasts α-SMA+, smooth muscle cells caldesmon+, endothelium ET-1+ cellularity, and fibrosis severity were evaluated in 30 fields covering normal lung parenchyma, minimal fibrosis (fibroblastic foci, severe (mural fibrosis, and vascular areas of UIP by the point-counting technique and a semiquantitative score. The impact of these markers was determined in pulmonary functional tests and follow-up until death from IPF. Telomerase and ET-1 expression was significantly increased in normal and vascular areas compared to areas of fibroblast foci. Telomerase and ET-1 expression was inversely correlated with minimal fibrosis in areas of fibroblast foci and directly associated with severe fibrosis in vascular areas. Telomerase activity in minimal fibrosis areas was directly associated with diffusing capacity of the lung for oxygen/alveolar volume and ET-1 expression and indirectly associated with diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide and severe fibrosis in vascular areas. Cox proportional hazards regression revealed a low risk of death for females with minimal fibrosis displaying high telomerase and ET-1 expression in normal areas. Vascular dysfunction by telomerase/ET-1 expression was found earlier than vascular remodeling by myofibroblast activation in UIP with impact on IPF evolution, suggesting that strategies aimed at preventing the effect of these mediators may have a greater impact on patient outcome.

The functional polymorphism rs73598374:G>A (p.Asp8Asn) of the ADA gene is associated with telomerase activity and leukocyte telomere length.

Science.gov (United States)

Concetti, Fabio; Carpi, Francesco M; Nabissi, Massimo; Picciolini, Matteo; Santoni, Giorgio; Napolioni, Valerio

2015-02-01

Recent evidence demonstrated a relevant role of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in replicative senescence of T cells through its capacity to modulate telomerase activity (TA). Herein, we tested the impact of the functional polymorphism ADA rs73598374:G>A (c.22G>A, p.Asp8Asn) on telomere biology, by measuring TA and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in healthy subjects selected according to rs73598374 genotype. rs73598374-A carriers showed lower TA (P=0.019) and shorter LTL (P=0.003), respectively, compared to G/G carriers. rs73598374-A carriers showed a stronger cross-sectional age reduction of LTL (r=-0.314, P=0.005) compared to G/G carriers (r=-0.243, P=0.022). The reduced ADA activity associated to rs73598374-A variant predisposes those carriers to display higher levels of adenosine compared to G/G carriers. Consequently, it may lead to an accelerated process of replicative senescence, causing a stronger reduction of TA and in turn shorter LTL. In conclusion, the crucial role played by replicative senescence of the immune system in several human diseases and in the aging process underscores the relevance of the present findings and also spurs interest into the possible involvement of rs73598374 in shaping the susceptibility to several age-related diseases.

Immortalization of human myogenic progenitor cell clone retaining multipotentiality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Naohiro; Kiyono, Tohru; Wada, Michiko R.; Shimizu, Shirabe; Yasumoto, Shigeru; Inagawa, Masayo

2006-01-01

Human myogenic cells have limited ability to proliferate in culture. Although forced expression of telomerase can immortalize some cell types, telomerase alone delays senescence of human primary cultured myogenic cells, but fails to immortalize them. In contrast, constitutive expression of both telomerase and the E7 gene from human papillomavirus type 16 immortalizes primary human myogenic cells. We have established an immortalized primary human myogenic cell line preserving multipotentiality by ectopic expression of telomerase and E7. The immortalized human myogenic cells exhibit the phenotypic characteristics of their primary parent, including an ability to undergo myogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic terminal differentiation under appropriate culture conditions. The immortalized cells will be useful for both basic and applied studies aimed at human muscle disorders. Furthermore, immortalization by transduction of telomerase and E7 represents a useful method by which to expand human myogenic cells in vitro without compromising their ability to differentiate

A Novel Drug Delivery System for Preventing the Extension of the Telomeric Ends of DNA and Preventing the Unlimited Proliferation of Cancer Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laster, Brenda; Issacson, Carol; Msamra, Maha; Perez, Ekterina; Kost, Jospeh

2014-01-01

Telomerase is an enzyme present in the majority of malignant tumors. It is well-documented that radiotherapy and chemotherapy activate the enzyme telomerase that immortalizes cancer cells . Telomerase prevents the shortening of the telomeric ends of DNA that is required for cell lethality; therefore, inhibiting its activation would be a useful approach to cancer treatment. However, inhibiting telomerase activation (TA) is no easy task. Despite the plethora of new drugs synthesized as potential clinical candidates for telomerase inhibition, their success or failure in the medical clinic will probably be more a function of their mode of administration once they have demonstrated TI in the research laboratory. A major physiological barrier to TI is the absolute requirement for the inhibitor to remain continuously present in the tumor throughout the long term treatment period. This is due to both the reactivation of telomerase that occurs upon the removal of the inhibitor, and the re-lengthening of the telomeres in the absence of the inhibitor. Because the systemic i.v. administration of drugs is associated with their rapid clearance from the body, the effectiveness of the inhibitor drug would be dramatically reduced due to telomerase re-activation. Under normal conditions, when telomerase is inactive, the telomeres shorten with each cell division until such time as the cell reaches its normal life expectancy. The unrestricted proliferation of cancer cells, after treatments that activate telomerase, poses a risk for local recurrence, invasion, metastases, or even second primaries and present an issue that must be addressed. Therefore, critical for clinical success is the identification of an agent whose mechanism of action has been proven to inhibit TA and whose toxicity is negligible. Equally important is the development of a drug delivery system that assures the continuous long-term presence of the drug in the tumor. The latter criterion is required to compensate for

What makes health promotion research distinct?

Science.gov (United States)

Woodall, James; Warwick-Booth, Louise; South, Jane; Cross, Ruth

2018-02-01

There have been concerns about the decline of health promotion as a practice and discipline and, alongside this, calls for a clearer articulation of health promotion research and what, if anything, makes it distinct. This discussion paper, based on a review of the literature, the authors' own experiences in the field, and a workshop delivered by two of the authors at the 8th Nordic Health Promotion Conference, seeks to state the reasons why health promotion research is distinctive. While by no means exhaustive, the paper suggests four distinctive features. The paper hopes to be a catalyst to enable health promotion researchers to be explicit in their practice and to begin the process of developing an agreed set of research principles.

Unique case of oligoastrocytoma with recurrence and grade progression: Exhibiting differential expression of high mobility group-A1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Puneet; Khare, Richa; Niraj, Kavita; Garg, Nitin; Sorte, Sandeep K; Gulwani, Hanni

2016-01-01

Mixed gliomas, primarily oligoastrocytomas, account for about 5%-10% of all gliomas. Distinguishing oligoastrocytoma based on histological features alone has limitations in predicting the exact biological behavior, necessitating ancillary markers for greater specificity. In this case report, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and high mobility group-A1 (HMGA1); markers of proliferation and stemness, have been quantitatively analyzed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of a 34 years old patient with oligoastrocytoma. Customized florescence-based immunohistochemistry protocol with enhanced sensitivity and specificity is used in the study. The patient presented with a history of generalized seizures and his magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed infiltrative ill-defined mass lesion with calcified foci within the left frontal white matter, suggestive of glioma. He was surgically treated at our center for four consecutive clinical events. Histopathologically, the tumor was identified as oligoastrocytoma-grade II followed by two recurrence events and final progression to grade III. Overall survival of the patient without adjuvant therapy was more than 9 years. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, p53, Ki-67, nuclear atypia index, pre-operative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, are the other parameters assessed. Findings suggest that hTERT and HMGA1 are linked to tumor recurrence and progression. Established markers can assist in defining precise histopathological grade in conjuction with conventional markers in clinical setup. PMID:27672647

The use of hTERT-immortalized cells in tissue engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kassem, Moustapha; Abdallah, Basem; Yu, Zentao

2004-01-01

The use of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-immortalized cells in tissue engineering protocols is a potentially important application of telomere biology. Several human cell types have been created that overexpress the hTERT gene with enhanced telomerase activity, extended life span...... and maintained or even improved functional activities. Furthermore, some studies have employed the telomerized cells in tissue engineering protocols with very good results. However, high telomerase activity allows extensive cell proliferation that may be associated with genomic instability and risk for cell...... transformation. Thus, safety issues should be studied carefully before using the telomerized tissues in the clinic. Alternatively, the development of conditional or intermittent telomerase activation protocols is needed....

Telomere lengthening early in development.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lin; Bailey, Susan M; Okuka, Maja; Muñoz, Purificación; Li, Chao; Zhou, Lingjun; Wu, Chao; Czerwiec, Eva; Sandler, Laurel; Seyfang, Andreas; Blasco, Maria A; Keefe, David L

2007-12-01

Stem cells and cancer cells maintain telomere length mostly through telomerase. Telomerase activity is high in male germ line and stem cells, but is low or absent in mature oocytes and cleavage stage embryos, and then high again in blastocysts. How early embryos reset telomere length remains poorly understood. Here, we show that oocytes actually have shorter telomeres than somatic cells, but their telomeres lengthen remarkably during early cleavage development. Moreover, parthenogenetically activated oocytes also lengthen their telomeres, thus the capacity to elongate telomeres must reside within oocytes themselves. Notably, telomeres also elongate in the early cleavage embryos of telomerase-null mice, demonstrating that telomerase is unlikely to be responsible for the abrupt lengthening of telomeres in these cells. Coincident with telomere lengthening, extensive telomere sister-chromatid exchange (T-SCE) and colocalization of the DNA recombination proteins Rad50 and TRF1 were observed in early cleavage embryos. Both T-SCE and DNA recombination proteins decrease in blastocyst stage embryos, whereas telomerase activity increases and telomeres elongate only slowly. We suggest that telomeres lengthen during the early cleavage cycles following fertilization through a recombination-based mechanism, and that from the blastocyst stage onwards, telomerase only maintains the telomere length established by this alternative mechanism.

Tagging like Humans: Diverse and Distinct Image Annotation

KAUST Repository

Wu, Baoyuan

2018-03-31

In this work we propose a new automatic image annotation model, dubbed {\\\\bf diverse and distinct image annotation} (D2IA). The generative model D2IA is inspired by the ensemble of human annotations, which create semantically relevant, yet distinct and diverse tags. In D2IA, we generate a relevant and distinct tag subset, in which the tags are relevant to the image contents and semantically distinct to each other, using sequential sampling from a determinantal point process (DPP) model. Multiple such tag subsets that cover diverse semantic aspects or diverse semantic levels of the image contents are generated by randomly perturbing the DPP sampling process. We leverage a generative adversarial network (GAN) model to train D2IA. Extensive experiments including quantitative and qualitative comparisons, as well as human subject studies, on two benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed model can produce more diverse and distinct tags than the state-of-the-arts.

Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features

OpenAIRE

Zarkadi, Theodora; Wade, Kimberley A.; Stewart, Neil

2009-01-01

In their descriptions, eyewitnesses often refer to a culprit's distinctive facial features. However, in a police lineup, selecting the only member with the described distinctive feature is unfair to the suspect and provides the police with little further information. For fair and informative lineups, the distinctive feature should be either replicated across foils or concealed on the target. In the present experiments, replication produced more correct identifications in target-present lineup...

Combating oxidative stress as a hallmark of cancer and aging: Computational modeling and synthesis of phenylene diamine analogs as potential antioxidant

OpenAIRE

Abou-zeid, Laila; Baraka, Hany N.

2014-01-01

The cross talk between the over expression of oxygen-free radicals is known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) that is associated with the excessive telomerase activity (TA). Telomerase activity is an invariable finding where human telomerase (hTERT) has been implicated in tumor oxidative stress and redox-mediated malignancy. The hTERT over expression is a novel tumor marker and is promising as a novel class of therapeutic weapons to fight against cancer.

Defining poverty as distinctively human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.P.P. Lötter

2007-05-01

Full Text Available While it is relatively easy for most people to identify human beings suffering from poverty, it is rather more difficult to come to a proper understanding of poverty. In this article the author wants to deepen our understanding of poverty by interpreting the conventional definitions of poverty in a new light. The article starts with a defence of a claim that poverty is a concept uniquely applicable to humans. It then present a critical discussion of the distinction between absolute and relative poverty and it is then argued that a revision of this distinction can provide general standards applicable to humans everywhere.

NSAID gastropathy and enteropathy: distinct pathogenesis likely necessitates distinct prevention strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, John L

2012-01-01

The mechanisms underlying the ability of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to cause ulceration in the stomach and proximal duodenum are well understood, and this injury can largely be prevented through suppression of gastric acid secretion (mainly with proton pump inhibitors). In contrast, the pathogenesis of small intestinal injury induced by NSAIDs is less well understood, involving more complex mechanisms than those in the stomach and proximal duodenum. There is clear evidence for important contributions to NSAID enteropathy of enteric bacteria, bile and enterohepatic recirculation of the NSAID. There is no evidence that suppression of gastric acid secretion will reduce the incidence or severity of NSAID enteropathy. Indeed, clinical data suggest little, if any, benefit. Animal studies suggest a significant exacerbation of NSAID enteropathy when proton pump inhibitors are co-administered with the NSAID. This worsening of damage appears to be linked to changes in the number and types of bacteria in the small intestine during proton pump inhibitor therapy. The distinct mechanisms of NSAID-induced injury in the stomach/proximal duodenum versus the more distal small intestine likely dictate distinct strategies for prevention. © 2011 The Author. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

[Diagnostic significance of serum free DNA human telomerase reverse transcriptase quantitative determination on spinal cord injury].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, M K; Tang, J; Xiang, Z; Zhang, X; Wang, J; Li, Z; Li, Y; Sheng, W B

2018-02-06

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the content of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and its clinical features in serum free DNA in patients with different degree of spinal cord injury. Methods: From December 2013 to December 2016, inpatients of the Central Hospital of Bazhong, Sichuan Province were enrolledand divided into the experimental group, the disease control group and the negative control group. For the experimental group: 46 patients with spinal cord injury were graded according to the criteria of the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury (ASIA), including 12 cases of grade A, 10 cases of grade B, 10 cases of grade C, 7 cases of grade D and 7 cases of grade E; for the disease control group: 15 patients with spinal fractures (without spinal cord injury) at the same period were included; and for the negative control group: 20 healthy adult volunteers aged 18-50 years were selected.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunoblotting were performed to detect the content of hTERT in serum free DNA both in patients and healthy controls and to compare the difference between them. The results of the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) of all patients were compared and analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of hTERT content in serum free DNA in patients with spinal cord injury. Results: Comparison of serum free DNA hTERT content: in the experimental group, the serum free DNA hTERT content of grade A, B, C, D, E was (99.63±8.23), (76.24±4.37), (46.07±5.43), (16.30±0.95) and (15.74±1.12)μg/L, respectively.While it was (15.01±1.39)μg/L in the disease control group and (14.54±1.03)μg/L in the negative control group. The total difference was statistically significant between patients of each group and the control group ( F =857.917, P spinal cord injury has a certain guiding significance for the diagnosis of spinal cord injury and the degree of injury.

Distinctive Dynamic Capabilities for New Business Creation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenø, Axel; Enkel, Ellen; Mezger, Florian

2013-01-01

This study examines the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation in established companies. We argue that these are very different from those for managing incremental innovation within a company's core business. We also propose that such capabilities are needed in both slow...... and fast-paced industries, and that similarities exist across industries. Hence, the study contributes to dynamic capabilities literature by: 1) identifying the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation; 2) shifting focus away from dynamic capabilities in environments characterised by high...... clock-speed and uncertainty towards considering dynamic capabilities for the purpose of developing new businesses, which also implies a high degree of uncertainty. Based on interviews with 33 companies, we identify distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation, find that dynamic...

Detection of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism at Position rs2735940 in the Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene by the Introduction of a New Restriction Enzyme Site for the PCR-RFLP Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sihua; Ding, Mingcui; Duan, Xiaoran; Wang, Tuanwei; Feng, Xiaolei; Wang, Pengpeng; Yao, Wu; Wu, Yongjun; Yan, Zhen; Feng, Feifei; Yu, Songcheng; Wang, Wei

2017-09-01

It has been shown that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the rs2735940 site in the human telomerase reverse transcriptase ( hTERT ) gene is associated with increased cancer risk. The traditional method to detect SNP genotypes is polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). However, there is a limitation to utilizing PCR-RFLP due to a lack of proper restriction enzyme sites at many polymorphic loci. This study used an improved PCR-RFLP method with a mismatched base for detection of the SNP rs2735940. A new restriction enzyme cutting site was created by created restriction site PCR (CRS-PCR), and in addition, the restriction enzyme Msp I for CRS-PCR was cheaper than other enzymes. We used this novel assay to determine the allele frequencies in 552 healthy Chinese Han individuals, and found the allele frequencies to be 63% for allele C and 37% for allele T In summary, the modified PCR-RFLP can be used to detect the SNP of rs2735940 with low cost and high efficiency. © 2017 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Many-Objective Distinct Candidates Optimization using Differential Evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Peter; Ursem, Rasmus Kjær

2010-01-01

for each objective. The Many-Objective Distinct Candidates Optimization using Differential Evolution (MODCODE) algorithm takes a novel approach by focusing search using a user-defined number of subpopulations each returning a distinct optimal solution within the preferred region of interest. In this paper......, we present the novel MODCODE algorithm incorporating the ROD measure to measure and control candidate distinctiveness. MODCODE is tested against GDE3 on three real world centrifugal pump design problems supplied by Grundfos. Our algorithm outperforms GDE3 on all problems with respect to all...

Cortical cytasters: a highly conserved developmental trait of Bilateria with similarities to Ctenophora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salinas-Saavedra Miguel

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cytasters (cytoplasmic asters are centriole-based nucleation centers of microtubule polymerization that are observable in large numbers in the cortical cytoplasm of the egg and zygote of bilaterian organisms. In both protostome and deuterostome taxa, cytasters have been described to develop during oogenesis from vesicles of nuclear membrane that move to the cortical cytoplasm. They become associated with several cytoplasmic components, and participate in the reorganization of cortical cytoplasm after fertilization, patterning the antero-posterior and dorso-ventral body axes. Presentation of the hypothesis The specific resemblances in the development of cytasters in both protostome and deuterostome taxa suggest that an independent evolutionary origin is unlikely. An assessment of published data confirms that cytasters are present in several protostome and deuterostome phyla, but are absent in the non-bilaterian phyla Cnidaria and Ctenophora. We hypothesize that cytasters evolved in the lineage leading to Bilateria and were already present in the most recent common ancestor shared by protostomes and deuterostomes. Thus, cytasters would be an ancient and highly conserved trait that is homologous across the different bilaterian phyla. The alternative possibility is homoplasy, that is cytasters have evolved independently in different lineages of Bilateria. Testing the hypothesis So far, available published information shows that appropriate observations have been made in eight different bilaterian phyla. All of them present cytasters. This is consistent with the hypothesis of homology and conservation. However, there are several important groups for which there are no currently available data. The hypothesis of homology predicts that cytasters should be present in these groups. Increasing the taxonomic sample using modern techniques uniformly will test for evolutionary patterns supporting homology, homoplasy, or secondary loss of

The Function and Evolution of the Halloween Genes; the Pathway to the Arthropod Molting Hormone. In Ecdysone, Structures and Functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilbert, Lawrence; Rewitz, Kim

2009-01-01

, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and other Diptera allowed the development of a phylogenetic scheme for this gene family and suggests that the Halloween genes and vertebrate steroidogenic P450s originated from common ancestors that were perhaps destined for steroidogenesis, and arose before the deuterostome...

A phase II open label trial evaluating safety and efficacy of a telomerase peptide vaccination in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greten, Tim F; Bruix, Jordi; Forner, Alejandro; Korangy, Firouzeh; N'Kontchou, Gisele; Barget, Nathalie; Ayuso, Carmen; Ormandy, Lars A; Manns, Michael P; Beaugrand, Michel

2010-01-01

The sole effective option for patients with advanced HCC is sorafenib and there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy is a promising option that deserves major investigation. In this open label, single arm clinical trial, we analyzed the effect of a low dose cyclophosphamide treatment in combination with a telomerase peptide (GV1001) vaccination in patients with advanced HCC. 40 patients with advanced HCC were treated with 300 mg/m 2 cyclophosphamide on day -3 followed by GM-CSF + GV1001 vaccinations on days 1, 3, 5, 8, 15, 22, 36 followed by 4-weekly injections. Primary endpoint of this phase II trial was tumor response; secondary endpoints evaluated were TTP, TTSP, PFS, OS, safety and immune responses. None of the patients had a complete or partial response to treatment, 17 patients (45.9%) demonstrated a stable disease six months after initiation of treatment. The median TTP was 57.0 days; the median TTSP was estimated to be 358.0 days. Cyclophosphamide, GV1001 and GM-CSF treatment were well tolerated and most adverse events, which were of grade 1 or 2, were generally related to the injection procedure and injection site reactions. GV1001 treatment resulted in a decrease in CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells; however, no GV1001 specific immune responses were detected after vaccination. Low dose cyclophosphamide treatment followed by GV1001 vaccinations did not show antitumor efficacy as per tumor response and time to progression. Further studies are needed to analyze the effect of a combined chemo-immunotherapy to treat patients with HCC. NCT00444782

A phase II open label trial evaluating safety and efficacy of a telomerase peptide vaccination in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayuso Carmen

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The sole effective option for patients with advanced HCC is sorafenib and there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy is a promising option that deserves major investigation. In this open label, single arm clinical trial, we analyzed the effect of a low dose cyclophosphamide treatment in combination with a telomerase peptide (GV1001 vaccination in patients with advanced HCC. Methods 40 patients with advanced HCC were treated with 300 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide on day -3 followed by GM-CSF + GV1001 vaccinations on days 1, 3, 5, 8, 15, 22, 36 followed by 4-weekly injections. Primary endpoint of this phase II trial was tumor response; secondary endpoints evaluated were TTP, TTSP, PFS, OS, safety and immune responses. Results None of the patients had a complete or partial response to treatment, 17 patients (45.9% demonstrated a stable disease six months after initiation of treatment. The median TTP was 57.0 days; the median TTSP was estimated to be 358.0 days. Cyclophosphamide, GV1001 and GM-CSF treatment were well tolerated and most adverse events, which were of grade 1 or 2, were generally related to the injection procedure and injection site reactions. GV1001 treatment resulted in a decrease in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells; however, no GV1001 specific immune responses were detected after vaccination. Conclusions Low dose cyclophosphamide treatment followed by GV1001 vaccinations did not show antitumor efficacy as per tumor response and time to progression. Further studies are needed to analyze the effect of a combined chemo-immunotherapy to treat patients with HCC. Trial registration NCT00444782

Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarkadi, Theodora; Wade, Kimberley A; Stewart, Neil

2009-12-01

In their descriptions, eyewitnesses often refer to a culprit's distinctive facial features. However, in a police lineup, selecting the only member with the described distinctive feature is unfair to the suspect and provides the police with little further information. For fair and informative lineups, the distinctive feature should be either replicated across foils or concealed on the target. In the present experiments, replication produced more correct identifications in target-present lineups--without increasing the incorrect identification of foils in target-absent lineups--than did concealment. This pattern, and only this pattern, is predicted by the hybrid-similarity model of recognition.

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-06-0095 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-06-0095 gb|AAX19886.1| telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit [Doryanthes excel...sa] gb|AAX19887.1| telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit [Doryanthes excelsa] AAX19886.1 1e-44 25% ...

Amnesia, rehearsal, and temporal distinctiveness models of recall.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Gordon D A; Della Sala, Sergio; Foster, Jonathan K; Vousden, Janet I

2007-04-01

Classical amnesia involves selective memory impairment for temporally distant items in free recall (impaired primacy) together with relative preservation of memory for recency items. This abnormal serial position curve is traditionally taken as evidence for a distinction between different memory processes, with amnesia being associated with selectively impaired long-term memory. However recent accounts of normal serial position curves have emphasized the importance of rehearsal processes in giving rise to primacy effects and have suggested that a single temporal distinctiveness mechanism can account for both primacy and recency effects when rehearsal is considered. Here we explore the pattern of strategic rehearsal in a patient with very severe amnesia. When the patient's rehearsal pattern is taken into account, a temporal distinctiveness model can account for the serial position curve in both amnesic and control free recall. The results are taken as consistent with temporal distinctiveness models of free recall, and they motivate an emphasis on rehearsal patterns in understanding amnesic deficits in free recall.

Differences in gene expression of cells growing in conventional 2D versus 3D cell culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zschenker, Oliver; Cordes, Nils; Streichert, Thomas

2009-01-01

Full text: Telomeres are DNA protein complexes on the ends of chromosomes that distinguish the ends of chromosomes from double strand breaks and prevent degradation or fusion by nonhomologous end-joining. The loss of telomeres is associated with a loss of heterochromatic features leading to a less compact chromatin structure which allows e.g. DNA repair proteins to get better access to the site of the DNA damage and facilitate chromosome fusions. Telomerase is an enzyme that can counteract the loss of telomeres by adding telomeric repeats on the ends of chromosomes. Since telomerase is active in most tumor cells, telomerase is suggested to be the reason for the unlimited number of cell divisions of cancer cells. TRF2 is one of the most important proteins of the Shelterin complex protecting the telomeres from shortening by inhibiting ATM which is up-stream of the DNA repair mechanisms. Thus, we are concentrating on TRF2 and telomerase to investigate the differences in DNA repair in telomeric (heterochromatic) versus euchromatic regions. Human cancer cells with differences in status of p53 and telomerase like A549, UT-SCC15 and FaDu cells are used. Without any treatment, FaDu cells express high levels of telomerase and TRF2 in conventional 2D cell culture which is in contrast to e.g. A549. We found that telomerase is even higher expressed in 3D than in 2D cell culture. To connect telomere associated processes to both repair of radiogenic DNA damage/lesions and to cell-extracellular matrix interactions, we performed whole genome microarray analysis. By comparing the differential expression of genes associated with these three cell functions, we intend to yield new molecular insight into radiotherapy relevant tumor characteristics, particularly radioresistance and DNA damage response network processing. (author)

MDS shows a higher expression of hTERT and alternative splice variants in unactivated T-cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Wen; Wu, Lei; Sun, Houfang; Ren, Xiubao; Epling-Burnette, Pearlie K; Yang, Lili

2016-11-01

Telomere instability and telomerase reactivation are believed to play an important role in the development of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Abnormal enzymatic activity of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and its alternative splice variants have been reported to account for deregulated telomerase function in many cancers. In this study, we aim to compare the differences in expression of hTERT and hTERT splice variants, as well as telomere length and telomerase activity in unstimulated T-cells between MDS subgroups and healthy controls. Telomere length in MDS cases was significantly shorter than controls (n = 20, pMDS using World Health Organization classification (WHO subgroups versus control: RARS, p= 0.009; RCMD, p=0.0002; RAEB1/2, p=0.004, respectively) and the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS subgroups: Low+Int-1, pMDS patients (n=20) had significantly higher telomerase activity (p=0.002), higher total hTERT mRNA levels (p=0.001) and hTERT α+β- splice variant expression (pMDS (r=0.58, p=0.007). This data is in sharp contrast to data published previously by our group showing a reduction in telomerase and hTERT mRNA in MDS T-cells after activation. In conclusion, this study provides additional insight into hTERT transcript patterns and activity in peripheral T-cells of MDS patients. Additional studies are necessary to better understand the role of this pathway in MDS development and progression.

TERT promoter mutations are highly recurrent in SHH subgroup medulloblastoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Remke (Marc); E.A. Ramaswamy; M. Peacock (Munro); D.J.H. Shih (David J.); C. Koelsche (Christian); P.A. Northcott (Paul A.); N. Hill (Nadia); S. Cavalli (Silvia); M. Kool (Marcel); X. Wang (Xin); S. Mack (Stephen); M. Barszczyk (Mark); A.S. Morrissy (A. Sorana); X. Wu (Xiaochong); S. Agnihotri (Sameer); P. Luu (Phan); D. Jones (David); L. Garzia (Livia); A.M. Dubuc (Adrian); N. Zhukova (Nataliya); R. Vanner (Robert); J.M. Kros (Johan); P.J. French (Pim); E.G. van Meir (Erwin); R. Vibhakar (Rajeev); K. Zitterbart (Karel); J.A. Chan (Jennifer); L. Bognár (László); A. Klekner (Almos); B. Lach (Boleslaw); S. Jung (Shin); F. Saad (Fred); L.M. Liau (Linda); S. Albrecht (Steffen); M. Zollo (Maurizio); M.K. Cooper (Michael); R.C. Thompson (Reid); O. Delattre (Olivier); F. Bourdeaut (Franck); F.F. Doz (François); M. Garami (Miklós); P. Hauser (Peter); C.G. Carlotti (Carlos); T.E. Van Meter (Timothy); L. Massimi (Luca); D. Fults (Daniel); L.W. Pomeroy (Laura); T. Kumabe (Toshiro); Y.S. Ra (Young Shin); J.R. Leonard (Jeffrey); S.K. Elbabaa (Samer); J. Mora (Jaume); J.B. Rubin (Joshua); Y.-J. Cho (Yoon-Jae); R.E. McLendon (Roger); D.D. Bigner (Darell); C.G. Eberhart (Charles); M. Fouladi (Maryam); R.J. Wechsler-Reya (Robert); R. Faria (Rui); S.E. Croul (Sidney); A. Huang (Anding); E. Bouffet (Eric); C.E. Hawkins (Cynthia); M. Dirks (Maaike); W.A. Weiss (William); U. Schüller (Ulrich); A. Pollack (Aaron); P. Rutkowski (Piotr); D. Meyronet (David); A. Jouvet (Anne); M. Fèvre-Montange (Michelle); N. Jabado (Nada); M. Perek-Polnik (Marta); W.A. Grajkowska (Wieslawa); S.-K. Kim (Seung-Ki); J.T. Rutka (James); E. Malkin (Elissa); U. Tabori (Uri); S.M. Pfister (Stefan); A. Korshunov (Andrey); A. von Deimling (Andreas); M.D. Taylor (Michael)

2013-01-01

textabstractTelomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations were recently shown to drive telomerase activity in various cancer types, including medulloblastoma. However, the clinical and biological implications of TERT mutations in medulloblastoma have not been described. Hence, we sought

Adipokinetic hormones and their G protein-coupled receptors emerged in Lophotrochozoa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Shizhong; Hauser, Frank; Skadborg, Signe K.

2016-01-01

the neuropeptide systems used by proto- or deuterostomes. An exception, however, are members of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor superfamily, which occur in both evolutionary lineages, where GnRHs are the ligands in Deuterostomia and GnRH-like peptides, adipokinetic hormone (AKH), corazonin...

Epigenetic-based combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene alters DNA damage response by affecting SIRT1 and DNMT enzyme expression, including SIRT1-dependent γ-H2AX and telomerase regulation in triple-negative breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kala, Rishabh; Shah, Harsh N.; Martin, Samantha L.; Tollefsbol, Trygve O.

2015-01-01

Nutrition is believed to be a primary contributor in regulating gene expression by affecting epigenetic pathways such as DNA methylation and histone modification. Resveratrol and pterostilbene are phytoalexins produced by plants as part of their defense system. These two bioactive compounds when used alone have been shown to alter genetic and epigenetic profiles of tumor cells, but the concentrations employed in various studies often far exceed physiologically achievable doses. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an often fatal condition that may be prevented or treated through novel dietary-based approaches. HCC1806 and MDA-MB-157 breast cancer cells were used as TNBC cell lines in this study. MCF10A cells were used as control breast epithelial cells to determine the safety of this dietary regimen. CompuSyn software was used to determine the combination index (CI) for drug combinations. Combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene administered at close to physiologically relevant doses resulted in synergistic (CI <1) growth inhibition of TNBCs. SIRT1, a type III histone deacetylase (HDAC), was down-regulated in response to this combinatorial treatment. We further explored the effects of this novel combinatorial approach on DNA damage response by monitoring γ-H2AX and telomerase expression. With combination of these two compounds there was a significant decrease in these two proteins which might further resulted in significant growth inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HCC1806 and MDA-MB-157 breast cancer cells, while there was no significant effect on cellular viability, colony forming potential, morphology or apoptosis in control MCF10A breast epithelial cells. SIRT1 knockdown reproduced the effects of combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene-induced SIRT1 down-regulation through inhibition of both telomerase activity and γ-H2AX expression in HCC1806 breast cancer cells. As a part of the repair mechanisms and role of SIRT1 in recruiting DNMTs

Distinctiveness of Encoding and Memory for Learning Tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Glover, John A.; And Others

1982-01-01

A distinctiveness of encoding hypothesis, as applied to the facilitative effects that higher order objectives have on readers' prose recall, was evaluated in three experiments. Results suggest that distinctiveness of encoding may offer a theoretical basis for the effects of adjunct aids as well as a guide to their construction. (Author/GK)

Intergroup Leadership Across Distinct Subgroups and Identities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rast, David E; Hogg, Michael A; van Knippenberg, Daan

2018-03-01

Resolving intergroup conflict is a significant and often arduous leadership challenge, yet existing theory and research rarely, if ever, discuss or examine this situation. Leaders confront a significant challenge when they provide leadership across deep divisions between distinct subgroups defined by self-contained identities-The challenge is to avoid provoking subgroup identity distinctiveness threat. Drawing on intergroup leadership theory, three studies were conducted to test the core hypothesis that, where identity threat exists, leaders promoting an intergroup relational identity will be better evaluated and are more effective than leaders promoting a collective identity; in the absence of threat, leaders promoting a collective identity will prevail. Studies 1 and 2 ( N = 170; N = 120) supported this general proposition. Study 3 ( N = 136) extended these findings, showing that leaders promoting an intergroup relational identity, but not a collective identity, improved intergroup attitudes when participants experienced an identity distinctiveness threat.

The effects of distinctiveness on memory and metamemory for face-name associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Watier, Nicholas; Collin, Charles

2012-01-01

We examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and metamemory for face-name associations. Four types of monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and retrieval of face-name pairs that contained distinct or typical faces (Experiment 1) or names (Experiment 2). The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in metamemory. Estimates of prospective and retrospective memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Our results indicate that distinctiveness affects not only the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

Unusual Gene Order and Organization of the Sea Urchin HoxCluster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richardson, Paul M.; Lucas, Susan; Cameron, R. Andrew; Rowen,Lee; Nesbitt, Ryan; Bloom, Scott; Rast, Jonathan P.; Berney, Kevin; Arenas-Mena, Cesar; Martinez, Pedro; Davidson, Eric H.; Peterson, KevinJ.; Hood, Leroy

2005-05-10

The highly consistent gene order and axial colinear expression patterns found in vertebrate hox gene clusters are less well conserved across the rest of bilaterians. We report the first deuterostome instance of an intact hox cluster with a unique gene order where the paralog groups are not expressed in a sequential manner. The finished sequence from BAC clones from the genome of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, reveals a gene order wherein the anterior genes (Hox1, Hox2 and Hox3) lie nearest the posterior genes in the cluster such that the most 3' gene is Hox5. (The gene order is : 5'-Hox1,2, 3, 11/13c, 11/13b, '11/13a, 9/10, 8, 7, 6, 5 - 3)'. The finished sequence result is corroborated by restriction mapping evidence and BAC-end scaffold analyses. Comparisons with a putative ancestral deuterostome Hox gene cluster suggest that the rearrangements leading to the sea urchin gene order were many and complex.

A Novel Algorithm for the Generation of Distinct Kinematic Chain

Science.gov (United States)

Medapati, Sreenivasa Reddy; Kuchibhotla, Mallikarjuna Rao; Annambhotla, Balaji Srinivasa Rao

2016-07-01

Generation of distinct kinematic chains is an important topic in the design of mechanisms for various industrial applications i.e., robotic manipulator, tractor, crane etc. Many researchers have intently focused on this area and explained various processes of generating distinct kinematic chains which are laborious and complex. It is desirable to enumerate the kinematic chains systematically to know the inherent characteristics of a chain related to its structure so that all the distinct chains can be analyzed in depth, prior to the selection of a chain for a purpose. This paper proposes a novel and simple method with set of rules defined to eliminate isomorphic kinematic chains generating distinct kinematic chains. Also, this method simplifies the process of generating distinct kinematic chains even at higher levels i.e., 10-link, 11-link with single and multiple degree of freedom.

Therapeutic Cell-Cycle-Decoy Efficacy of a Telomerase-Dependent Adenovirus in an Orthotopic Model of Chemotherapy-Resistant Human Stomach Carcinomatosis Peritonitis Visualized With FUCCI Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Shuya; Takehara, Kiyoto; Tazawa, Hiroshi; Kishimoto, Hiroyuki; Urata, Yasuo; Kagawa, Shunsuke; Fujiwara, Toshiyoshi; Hoffman, Robert M

2017-11-01

We have established an orthotopic nude-mouse model of gastric cancer carcinomatosis peritonitis, a recalcitrant disease in human patients. Human MKN45 poorly-differentiated human gastric cancer cells developed carcinomatosis peritonitis upon orthotopic transplantation in nude mice. The MKN45 cells expressed the fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (FUCCI) that color codes the phases of the cell cycle. The intra-peritoneal tumors and ascites contained mostly quiescent G 1 /G o cancer cells visualized as red by FUCCI imaging. Cisplatinum (CDDP) treatment did not reduce bloody ascites, and larger tumors formed in the peritoneal cavity after CDDP treatment in an early-stage carcinomatosis peritonitis orthotopic mouse model. Paclitaxel-treated mice had reduced ascites, but also had large tumor masses in the peritonium after treatment with cancer cells mostly in G 0 /G 1 , visualized by FUCCI red. In contrast, OBP-301 telomerase-dependent adenovirus-treated mice had no ascites and only small tumor nodules consisting of cancer cells mostly in S/G 2 phases in the early-stage carcinomatosis peritonitis model, visualized by FUCCI green. Furthermore, OBP-301 significantly reduced the size of tumors (P < 0.01) and ascites even in a late-stage carcinomatosis peritonitis model. These results suggest that quiescent peritoneally-disseminated gastric cancer cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy, but OBP-301 significantly reduced the weight of the tumors and increased survival, suggesting clinical potential. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3635-3642, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The role of telomeres in Etoposide induced tumor cell death.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeyapalan, Jessie; Leake, Alan; Ahmed, Shaheda; Saretzki, Gabriele; Tilby, Michael; von Zglinicki, Thomas

2004-09-01

Etoposide, a topoisomerase II poison is used in the treatment of a number of solid tumors. Contradictory data exist on the role of the telomere/telomerase complex in etoposide induced apoptosis. Therefore we examined the effects of etoposide treatment in the neuroblastoma cell line SHSY5Y, with very short telomeres and the acute lymphoblastic T cell line 1301, which displays extremely long telomeres. Both short-term and continuous exposure to the drug were examined. Etoposide induced widespread DNA damage followed by DNA damage foci formation and ultimately growth arrest and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. However, length of telomeres and of single stranded telomeric G rich overhangs did not change significantly under the treatments in any cell line. There was no significant induction of single-strand breaks in the G-rich strand of telomeres. Telomerase activity was transiently upregulated under low concentrations of etoposide, while high concentrations resulted in decreased telomerase activity only after onset of apoptosis. Telomerase overexpression protected against etoposide induced apoptosis in fibroblasts. The data suggest that telomeres are not major signal transducers towards growth arrest or apoptosis after etoposide treatment. However, upregulation of telomerase might be part of an attempted adaptative response, which protects cells by a mechanism that might be independent of telomere length maintenance.

Fermionic bound states in distinct kinklike backgrounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazeia, D. [Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Departamento de Fisica, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba (Brazil); Mohammadi, A. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 10071, Campina Grande, Paraiba (Brazil)

2017-04-15

This work deals with fermions in the background of distinct localized structures in the two-dimensional spacetime. Although the structures have a similar topological character, which is responsible for the appearance of fractionally charged excitations, we want to investigate how the geometric deformations that appear in the localized structures contribute to the change in the physical properties of the fermionic bound states. We investigate the two-kink and compact kinklike backgrounds, and we consider two distinct boson-fermion interactions, one motivated by supersymmetry and the other described by the standard Yukawa coupling. (orig.)

SoxB2 in sea urchin development: implications in neurogenesis, ciliogenesis and skeletal patterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Anishchenko, Evgeniya; Arnone, Maria Ina; D'Aniello, Salvatore

2018-01-01

Current studies in evolutionary developmental biology are focused on the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks in target animal species. From decades, the scientific interest on genetic mechanisms orchestrating embryos development has been increasing in consequence to the fact that common features shared by evolutionarily distant phyla are being clarified. In 2011, a study across eumetazoan species showed for the first time the existence of a highly conserved non-coding element controlling the SoxB2 gene, which is involved in the early specification of the nervous system. This discovery raised several questions about SoxB2 function and regulation in deuterostomes from an evolutionary point of view. Due to the relevant phylogenetic position within deuterostomes, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus represents an advantageous animal model in the field of evolutionary developmental biology. Herein, we show a comprehensive study of SoxB2 functions in sea urchins, in particular its expression pattern in a wide range of developmental stages, and its co-localization with other neurogenic markers, as SoxB1 , SoxC and Elav . Moreover, this work provides a detailed description of the phenotype of sea urchin SoxB2 knocked-down embryos, confirming its key function in neurogenesis and revealing, for the first time, its additional roles in oral and aboral ectoderm cilia and skeletal rod morphology. We concluded that SoxB2 in sea urchins has a neurogenic function; however, this gene could have multiple roles in sea urchin embryogenesis, expanding its expression in non-neurogenic cells. We showed that SoxB2 is functionally conserved among deuterostomes and suggested that in S. purpuratus this gene acquired additional functions, being involved in ciliogenesis and skeletal patterning.

A pancreatic exocrine-like cell regulatory circuit operating in the upper stomach of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva.

Science.gov (United States)

Perillo, Margherita; Wang, Yue Julia; Leach, Steven D; Arnone, Maria Ina

2016-05-26

Digestive cells are present in all metazoans and provide the energy necessary for the whole organism. Pancreatic exocrine cells are a unique vertebrate cell type involved in extracellular digestion of a wide range of nutrients. Although the organization and regulation of this cell type is intensively studied in vertebrates, its evolutionary history is still unknown. In order to understand which are the elements that define the pancreatic exocrine phenotype, we have analyzed the expression of genes that contribute to specification and function of this cell-type in an early branching deuterostome, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We defined the spatial and temporal expression of sea urchin orthologs of pancreatic exocrine genes and described a unique population of cells clustered in the upper stomach of the sea urchin embryo where exocrine markers are co-expressed. We used a combination of perturbation analysis, drug and feeding experiments and found that in these cells of the sea urchin embryo gene expression and gene regulatory interactions resemble that of bona fide pancreatic exocrine cells. We show that the sea urchin Ptf1a, a key transcriptional activator of digestive enzymes in pancreatic exocrine cells, can substitute for its vertebrate ortholog in activating downstream genes. Collectively, our study is the first to show with molecular tools that defining features of a vertebrate cell-type, the pancreatic exocrine cell, are shared by a non-vertebrate deuterostome. Our results indicate that the functional cell-type unit of the vertebrate pancreas may evolutionarily predate the emergence of the pancreas as a discrete organ. From an evolutionary perspective, these results encourage to further explore the homologs of other vertebrate cell-types in traditional or newly emerging deuterostome systems.

The disparity between human cell senescence in vitro and lifelong replication in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, Harry

2002-07-01

Cultured human fibroblasts undergo senescence (a loss of replicative capacity) after a uniform, fixed number of approximately 50 population doublings, commonly termed the Hayflick limit. It has been long known from clonal and other quantitative studies, however, that cells decline in replicative capacity from the time of explantation and do so in a stochastic manner, with a half-life of only approximately 8 doublings. The apparent 50-cell doubling limit reflects the expansive propagation of the last surviving clone. The relevance of either figure to survival of cells in the body is questionable, given that stem cells in some renewing tissues undergo >1,000 divisions in a lifetime with no morphological sign of senescence. Oddly enough, these observations have had little if any effect on general acceptance of the Hayflick limit in its original form. The absence of telomerase in cultured human cells and the shortening of telomeres at each population doubling have suggested that telomere length acts as a mitotic clock that accounts for their limited lifespan. This concept assumed an iconic character with the report that ectopic expression of telomerase by a vector greatly extended the lifespan of human cells. That something similar might occur in vivo seemed consistent with initial reports that most human somatic tissues lack telomerase activity. More careful study, however, has revealed telomerase activity in stem cells and some dividing transit cells of many renewing tissues and even in dividing myocytes of repairing cardiac muscle. It now seems likely that telomerase is active in vivo where and when it is needed to maintain tissue integrity. Caution is recommended in applying telomerase inhibition to kill telomerase-expressing cancer cells, because it would probably damage stem cells in essential organs and even increase the likelihood of secondary cancers. The risk may be especially high in sun-exposed skin, where there are usually thousands of p53-mutant clones of

Grammar-Lexicon Distinction in a Neurocognitive Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ishkhanyan, Byurakn

hypotheses and testing them through using various methods. The grammar-lexicon distinction and working memory are thus central topics of this thesis. The results suggest a potential for a successful integration of the two theories. The findings further provide evidence for Boye & Harder’s (2012......) understanding of the grammar-lexicon distinction, and for the involvement of working memory in language production, as the REF-model would predict. As a starting point for integrating the two theories, the present thesis gives directions for future research on the neurocognitive underpinning of language and its...... relation to working memory....

The improbability of dorso-ventral axis inversion during animal evolution, as presumed by Geoffroy Saint Hilaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biggelaar, van den J.A.M.; Edsinger-Gonzales, E.; Schram, F.R.

2002-01-01

Recent discoveries in the field of developmental genetics have lead to the resurrection of the old idea, first proposed in the early 19th century, that the dorso-ventral axis of deuterostomes, such as vertebrates, has been inverted during the course of evolution from that noted in protostomes, i.e.,

Effect of radiation combined with Chinese medicinal monomers on Me180 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng Chuanying; Xu Bo; Li Hongyan; Chen Zhihua; Xia Qisheng; Xu Mei; Liu Xuan; Xiang Qing; Liu Yufeng

2009-01-01

Objective: To observe the effect of radiation treatment combined with Chinese medicinal monomers on the proliferation function, telomerase activity, expressions of apoptosis- and proliferation-related genes of Me180 cells. Methods: Me180 cells were cultured in the medium with oleanolic acid, curcumin and allicin. The survival rates of cells were detected by the methods of MTT, the telomerase activity by the method of telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and the apoptosis -and proliferation-related genes by the method of reverse transeriptase-PCR. Me180 cells were cultured in the medium with Chinese medicinal monomers, and exposed to X-ray irradiation and the survival rates were detected. Results: The results of MTY showed that survival rates of tumor cells exposed to X rays in combination with oleanolic acid, curcumin and allicin were decreased significantly(t=2.81, 4.16, and 3.42, P<0.05). Chinese medicinal monomers inhibited the telomerase activity of MelS0 cells and the inhibiting function changed with time. At 16 h, the telomerase activities of MelS0 cells administered with oleanolic acid and allicin were reduced markedly (t=5.11 and 5.29, P<0.05). After 48 h, the telomerase activities returned to the normal level. The gene expressions of p21 and p16 in Me180 cells treated with oleanolic acid were 2.43 and 2.78 times higher than the control, respectively, while those of cyclin D1 and CDK4 were 56% and 41% of the control, respectively. Conclusions: Chinese medicinal monomers could effectively kill tumor cells, inhibit the telomerase activity and the expression of proliferation-related genes, and enhance the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. (authors)

In-situ hybridization based quantification of hTR: a possible biomarker in malignant melanoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vagner, Josephine; Steiniche, Torben; Stougaard, Magnus

2015-01-01

thickness suggesting that hTR might be a valuable biomarker in MM. Furthermore, as ISH-based detection requires presence of both hTR and the reverse transcriptase (hTERT) it might be an indicator of active telomerase and thus have future relevance as a predictive biomarker for anti-telomerase treatment....

Assessment of DNA damage and telomerase activity in exfoliated urinary cells as sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of bladder cancer in ex-workers of a rubber tyres industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, Delia; Casadio, Valentina; Bravaccini, Sara; Iavicoli, Sergio; Pira, Enrico; Romano, Canzio; Fresegna, Anna Maria; Maiello, Raffaele; Ciervo, Aureliano; Buresti, Giuliana; Zoli, Wainer; Calistri, Daniele

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study was to identify sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers of early carcinogenic effect at target organ to use in biomonitoring studies of workers at risk for previous occupational exposure to potential carcinogens. Standard urine cytology (Papanicolaou staining test), comet assay, and quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay were performed in 159 ex-rubber workers employed in tyres production and 97 unexposed subjects. In TRAP positive cases, a second level analysis using FISH (Urovysion) was done. Cystoscopy results were available for 11 individuals whose 6 FISH/TRAP/comet positive showed in 3 cases a dysplastic condition confirmed by biopsy, 1 comet positive resulted in infiltrating UBC to the biopsy and with hyperplasia and slight dysplasia to the urinary cytology, 1 comet positive resulted in papillary superficial UBC to the biopsy, 1 FISH/TRAP positive showed a normal condition, and 2 TRAP positive showed in one case a phlogosis condition. The results evidenced good concordance of TRAP, comet, and FISH assays as early biomarkers of procarcinogenic effect confirmed by the dysplastic condition and UBC found by cystoscopy-biopsy analysis. The analysis of these markers in urine cells could be potentially more accurate than conventional cytology in monitoring workers exposed to mixture of bladder potential carcinogens.

Assessment of DNA Damage and Telomerase Activity in Exfoliated Urinary Cells as Sensitive and Noninvasive Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer in Ex-Workers of a Rubber Tyres Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delia Cavallo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to identify sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers of early carcinogenic effect at target organ to use in biomonitoring studies of workers at risk for previous occupational exposure to potential carcinogens. Standard urine cytology (Papanicolaou staining test, comet assay, and quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay were performed in 159 ex-rubber workers employed in tyres production and 97 unexposed subjects. In TRAP positive cases, a second level analysis using FISH (Urovysion was done. Cystoscopy results were available for 11 individuals whose 6 FISH/TRAP/comet positive showed in 3 cases a dysplastic condition confirmed by biopsy, 1 comet positive resulted in infiltrating UBC to the biopsy and with hyperplasia and slight dysplasia to the urinary cytology, 1 comet positive resulted in papillary superficial UBC to the biopsy, 1 FISH/TRAP positive showed a normal condition, and 2 TRAP positive showed in one case a phlogosis condition. The results evidenced good concordance of TRAP, comet, and FISH assays as early biomarkers of procarcinogenic effect confirmed by the dysplastic condition and UBC found by cystoscopy-biopsy analysis. The analysis of these markers in urine cells could be potentially more accurate than conventional cytology in monitoring workers exposed to mixture of bladder potential carcinogens.

3' terminal diversity of MRP RNA and other human noncoding RNAs revealed by deep sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Katherine C; Cech, Thomas R

2013-09-21

Post-transcriptional 3' end processing is a key component of RNA regulation. The abundant and essential RNA subunit of RNase MRP has been proposed to function in three distinct cellular compartments and therefore may utilize this mode of regulation. Here we employ 3' RACE coupled with high-throughput sequencing to characterize the 3' terminal sequences of human MRP RNA and other noncoding RNAs that form RNP complexes. The 3' terminal sequence of MRP RNA from HEK293T cells has a distinctive distribution of genomically encoded termini (including an assortment of U residues) with a portion of these selectively tagged by oligo(A) tails. This profile contrasts with the relatively homogenous 3' terminus of an in vitro transcribed MRP RNA control and the differing 3' terminal profiles of U3 snoRNA, RNase P RNA, and telomerase RNA (hTR). 3' RACE coupled with deep sequencing provides a valuable framework for the functional characterization of 3' terminal sequences of noncoding RNAs.

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Commissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The article finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships in the commissioning...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behavior’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, experts’ professional context, and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analyzing fractal distinctions provides a useful way to understand...... of work, constituent audiences, and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Fission yeast shelterin regulates DNA polymerases and Rad3(ATR kinase to limit telomere extension.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya-Ting Chang

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Studies in fission yeast have previously identified evolutionarily conserved shelterin and Stn1-Ten1 complexes, and established Rad3(ATR/Tel1(ATM-dependent phosphorylation of the shelterin subunit Ccq1 at Thr93 as the critical post-translational modification for telomerase recruitment to telomeres. Furthermore, shelterin subunits Poz1, Rap1 and Taz1 have been identified as negative regulators of Thr93 phosphorylation and telomerase recruitment. However, it remained unclear how telomere maintenance is dynamically regulated during the cell cycle. Thus, we investigated how loss of Poz1, Rap1 and Taz1 affects cell cycle regulation of Ccq1 Thr93 phosphorylation and telomere association of telomerase (Trt1(TERT, DNA polymerases, Replication Protein A (RPA complex, Rad3(ATR-Rad26(ATRIP checkpoint kinase complex, Tel1(ATM kinase, shelterin subunits (Tpz1, Ccq1 and Poz1 and Stn1. We further investigated how telomere shortening, caused by trt1Δ or catalytically dead Trt1-D743A, affects cell cycle-regulated telomere association of telomerase and DNA polymerases. These analyses established that fission yeast shelterin maintains telomere length homeostasis by coordinating the differential arrival of leading (Polε and lagging (Polα strand DNA polymerases at telomeres to modulate Rad3(ATR association, Ccq1 Thr93 phosphorylation and telomerase recruitment.

CTC1-STN1 coordinates G- and C-strand synthesis to regulate telomere length.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Peili; Jia, Shuting; Takasugi, Taylor; Smith, Eric; Nandakumar, Jayakrishnan; Hendrickson, Eric; Chang, Sandy

2018-05-17

Coats plus (CP) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in CTC1, a component of the CST (CTC1, STN1, and TEN1) complex important for telomere length maintenance. The molecular basis of how CP mutations impact upon telomere length remains unclear. The CP CTC1 L1142H mutation has been previously shown to disrupt telomere maintenance. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer this mutation into both alleles of HCT116 and RPE cells to demonstrate that CTC1:STN1 interaction is required to repress telomerase activity. CTC1 L1142H interacts poorly with STN1, leading to telomerase-mediated telomere elongation. Impaired interaction between CTC1 L1142H :STN1 and DNA Pol-α results in increased telomerase recruitment to telomeres and further telomere elongation, revealing that C:S binding to DNA Pol-α is required to fully repress telomerase activity. CP CTC1 mutants that fail to interact with DNA Pol-α resulted in loss of C-strand maintenance and catastrophic telomere shortening. Our findings place the CST complex as an important regulator of both G-strand extensions by telomerase and C-strand synthesis by DNA Pol-α. © 2018 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MR molecular imaging of tumours using ferritin heavy chain reporter gene expression mediated by the hTERT promoter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yan [Third Military Medical University, Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hospital, ChongQing (China); The First Affiliated Hospital of ChengDu Medical College, Department of Radiology, ChengDu (China); Gong, Ming-fu; Yang, Hua; Zhang, Song; Wang, Guang-xian; Su, Tong-sheng; Wen, Li; Zhang, Dong [Third Military Medical University, Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hospital, ChongQing (China)

2016-11-15

Using the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter and the modified ferritin heavy chain (Fth) reporter gene, reporter gene expression for MRI was examined in telomerase positive and negative tumour cells and xenografts. Activity of the reporter gene expression vector Lenti-hTERT-Fth1-3FLAG-Puro was compared to constitutive CMV-driven expression and to the untransfected parental control in five tumour cell lines: A549, SKOV3, 293T, U2OS and HPDLF. In vitro, transfected cells were evaluated for FLAG-tagged protein expression, iron accumulation and transverse relaxation. In vivo, tumours transduced by lentiviral vector injection were imaged using T2*WI. Changes in tumour signal intensity were validated by histology. Only telomerase positive tumour cells expressed FLAG-tagged Fth and displayed an increase in R2* above the parental control, with a corresponding change in T2*WI. In addition, only telomerase positive tumours, transduced by injection of the reporter gene expression construct, exhibited a change in signal intensity on T2*WI. Tumour histology verified the expression of FLAG-tagged Fth and iron accumulation in telomerase positive tissue. Reporter gene expression for MRI, using the Fth reporter and the hTERT promoter, may be a useful strategy for the non-invasive diagnosis of many types of cancer. (orig.)

Juglans mandshurica Maxim extracts exhibit antitumor activity on HeLa cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Nian; Hasan, Murtaza; Li, Wei; Li, Yan

2014-04-01

The present study examined the potential application of Juglans mandshurica Maxim extracts (HT) for cancer therapy by assessing their anti‑proliferative activity, reduction of telomerase activity, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in S phase in HeLa cells. From the perspective of using HT as a herbal medicine, photomicroscopy and florescent microscopy techniques were utilized to characterize the effect of the extracts on telomerase activity and cell morphology. Flow cytometry was employed to study apoptosis and cell cycle of HeLa cells, and DNA laddering was performed. The results showed that HT inhibited cell proliferation and telomerase activity, induced apoptosis and caused S phase arrest of HeLa cells in vitro. HT inhibited HeLa cell proliferation significantly, and the highest inhibition rate was 83.7%. A trap‑silver staining assay showed that HT was capable of markedly decreasing telomerase activity of HeLa cells and this inhibition was enhanced in a time‑ and dose‑dependent manner. Results of a Hoechst 33258 staining assay showed that HeLa cells treated by HT induced cell death. Through DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA ladders of HeLa cells treated with HT were observed, indicating apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that HT exhibited anti‑tumor effects comprising the inhibition of growth and telomerase activity as well as apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HeLa cells.

Revitalizing the “civic” and “ethnic” distinction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christian Albrekt

2017-01-01

This article describes how contemporary publics think about the nation along Kohn’s classic distinction between “civic” and “ethnic” nationalism. The article makes three contributes to the existing literature. Firstly, it introduces a new statistical tool, multi-classification-analysis, to establ......This article describes how contemporary publics think about the nation along Kohn’s classic distinction between “civic” and “ethnic” nationalism. The article makes three contributes to the existing literature. Firstly, it introduces a new statistical tool, multi...

29 CFR 549.3 - Distinction between plan and trust.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinction between plan and trust. 549.3 Section 549.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS OF A âBONA FIDE PROFIT-SHARING PLAN OR TRUSTâ § 549.3 Distinction between plan and trust. As used in this part: (a) Profit-sharing plan...

Telomere dynamics and homeostasis in a transmissible cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujvari, Beata; Pearse, Anne-Maree; Taylor, Robyn; Pyecroft, Stephen; Flanagan, Cassandra; Gombert, Sara; Papenfuss, Anthony T; Madsen, Thomas; Belov, Katherine

2012-01-01

Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is a unique clonal cancer that threatens the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) with extinction. This transmissible cancer is passed between individual devils by cell implantation during social interactions. The tumour arose in a Schwann cell of a single devil over 15 years ago and since then has expanded clonally, without showing signs of replicative senescence; in stark contrast to a somatic cell that displays a finite capacity for replication, known as the "Hayflick limit". In the present study we investigate the role of telomere length, measured as Telomere Copy Number (TCN), and telomerase and shelterin gene expression, as well as telomerase activity in maintaining hyperproliferation of Devil Facial Tumour (DFT) cells. Our results show that DFT cells have short telomeres. DFTD TCN does not differ between geographic regions or between strains. However, TCN has increased over time. Unlimited cell proliferation is likely to have been achieved through the observed up-regulation of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (TERT) and concomitant activation of telomerase. Up-regulation of the central component of shelterin, the TRF1-intercating nuclear factor 2 (TINF2) provides DFT a mechanism for telomere length homeostasis. The higher expression of both TERT and TINF2 may also protect DFT cells from genomic instability and enhance tumour proliferation. DFT cells appear to monitor and regulate the length of individual telomeres: i.e. shorter telomeres are elongated by up-regulation of telomerase-related genes; longer telomeres are protected from further elongation by members of the shelterin complex, which may explain the lack of spatial and strain variation in DFT telomere copy number. The observed longitudinal increase in gene expression in DFT tissue samples and telomerase activity in DFT cell lines might indicate a selection for more stable tumours with higher proliferative potential.

Telomere dynamics and homeostasis in a transmissible cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Ujvari

Full Text Available Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD is a unique clonal cancer that threatens the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii with extinction. This transmissible cancer is passed between individual devils by cell implantation during social interactions. The tumour arose in a Schwann cell of a single devil over 15 years ago and since then has expanded clonally, without showing signs of replicative senescence; in stark contrast to a somatic cell that displays a finite capacity for replication, known as the "Hayflick limit".In the present study we investigate the role of telomere length, measured as Telomere Copy Number (TCN, and telomerase and shelterin gene expression, as well as telomerase activity in maintaining hyperproliferation of Devil Facial Tumour (DFT cells. Our results show that DFT cells have short telomeres. DFTD TCN does not differ between geographic regions or between strains. However, TCN has increased over time. Unlimited cell proliferation is likely to have been achieved through the observed up-regulation of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (TERT and concomitant activation of telomerase. Up-regulation of the central component of shelterin, the TRF1-intercating nuclear factor 2 (TINF2 provides DFT a mechanism for telomere length homeostasis. The higher expression of both TERT and TINF2 may also protect DFT cells from genomic instability and enhance tumour proliferation.DFT cells appear to monitor and regulate the length of individual telomeres: i.e. shorter telomeres are elongated by up-regulation of telomerase-related genes; longer telomeres are protected from further elongation by members of the shelterin complex, which may explain the lack of spatial and strain variation in DFT telomere copy number. The observed longitudinal increase in gene expression in DFT tissue samples and telomerase activity in DFT cell lines might indicate a selection for more stable tumours with higher proliferative

Genetic Determinism and the Innate-Acquired Distinction in Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

This article illustrates in which sense genetic determinism is still part of the contemporary interactionist consensus in medicine. Three dimensions of this consensus are discussed: kinds of causes, a continuum of traits ranging from monogenetic diseases to car accidents, and different kinds of determination due to different norms of reaction. On this basis, this article explicates in which sense the interactionist consensus presupposes the innate–acquired distinction. After a descriptive Part 1, Part 2 reviews why the innate–acquired distinction is under attack in contemporary philosophy of biology. Three arguments are then presented to provide a limited and pragmatic defense of the distinction: an epistemic, a conceptual, and a historical argument. If interpreted in a certain manner, and if the pragmatic goals of prevention and treatment (ideally specifying what medicine and health care is all about) are taken into account, then the innate–acquired distinction can be a useful epistemic tool. It can help, first, to understand that genetic determination does not mean fatalism, and, second, to maintain a system of checks and balances in the continuing nature–nurture debates. PMID:20234831

Single-strand DNA-binding protein SSB1 facilitates TERT recruitment to telomeres and maintains telomere G-overhangs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandita, Raj K; Chow, Tracy T; Udayakumar, Durga; Bain, Amanda L; Cubeddu, Liza; Hunt, Clayton R; Shi, Wei; Horikoshi, Nobuo; Zhao, Yong; Wright, Woodring E; Khanna, Kum Kum; Shay, Jerry W; Pandita, Tej K

2015-03-01

Proliferating mammalian stem and cancer cells express telomerase [telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)] in an effort to extend chromosomal G-overhangs and maintain telomere ends. Telomerase-expressing cells also have higher levels of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein SSB1, which has a critical role in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here, we report that SSB1 binds specifically to G-strand telomeric DNA in vitro and associates with telomeres in vivo. SSB1 interacts with the TERT catalytic subunit and regulates its interaction with telomeres. Deletion of SSB1 reduces TERT interaction with telomeres and leads to G-overhang loss. Although SSB1 is recruited to DSB sites, we found no corresponding change in TERT levels at these sites, implying that SSB1-TERT interaction relies upon a specific chromatin structure or context. Our findings offer an explanation for how telomerase is recruited to telomeres to facilitate G-strand DNA extension, a critical step in maintaining telomere ends and cell viability in all cancer cells. Cancer Res; 75(5); 858-69. ©2015 AACR. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Inhibitory effect of all-trans retinoic acid on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yun-Feng Piao; Yang Shi; Pu-Jun Gao

2003-01-01

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect of all-trans retinoic acid on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721and to explore the mechanism of its effect.METHODS: SMMC-7721 cells were divided into two groups, one treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for 5 days and the other as a control group. Light microscope and electron microscope were used to observe the morphological changes. Telomerase activity was analyzed with silver-stained telomere repeated assay protocal (TRAP). Expression of Caspase-3 was demonstrated with western blot.RESULTS: ATRA-treated cells showed differentiation features including small and pyknotic nuclei, densely stained chromatin and fewer microvilli. Besides, ATRA could inhibit the activity of telomerase, promote the expression of Caspase-3 and its activation.CONCLUSION: Telomerase activity and Caspase-3expression are changed in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 treated with all-trans retinioc acid.The inhibition of telomerase activity and the activation of Caspase-3 may be the key steps through which ATRA inhibits the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cell line.

Phylogenetic relationships of the Fox (Forkhead) gene family in the Bilateria

Science.gov (United States)

Mazet, Francoise; Yu, Jr Kai; Liberles, David A.; Holland, Linda Z.; Shimeld, Sebastian M.

2003-01-01

The Forkhead or Fox gene family encodes putative transcription factors. There are at least four Fox genes in yeast, 16 in Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) and 42 in humans. Recently, vertebrate Fox genes have been classified into 17 groups named FoxA to FoxQ. Here, we extend this analysis to invertebrates, using available sequences from D. melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae (Ag), Caenorhabditis elegans (Ce), the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis (Ci) and amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae (Bf), from which we also cloned several Fox genes. Phylogenetic analyses lend support to the previous overall subclassification of vertebrate genes, but suggest that four subclasses (FoxJ, L, N and Q) could be further subdivided to reflect their relationships to invertebrate genes. We were unable to identify orthologs of Fox subclasses E, H, I, J, M and Q1 in D. melanogaster, A. gambiae or C. elegans, suggesting either considerable loss in ecdysozoans or the evolution of these subclasses in the deuterostome lineage. Our analyses suggest that the common ancestor of protostomes and deuterostomes had a minimum complement of 14 Fox genes.

Identification of a new hTERT-derived HLA-A*0201 restricted, naturally processed CTL epitope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorn, Mette; Wang, Mingjun; Kloverpris, Henrik

2007-01-01

By the use of a neural network capable of performing quantitative predictions of peptides binding to HLA-A*0201 molecules, we identified a number of nonamer peptides derived from the catalytic subunit of telomerase, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Five nonimmunogenic peptides with...... in an ongoing phase 2 vaccine trial of patients with disseminated cancer....

Contesting the science/ethics distinction in the review of clinical research

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Angus J; Yentis, Steve M

2007-01-01

Recent policy in relation to clinical research proposals in the UK has distinguished between two types of review: scientific and ethical. This distinction has been formally enshrined in the recent changes to research ethics committee (REC) structure and operating procedures, introduced as the UK response to the EU Directive on clinical trials. Recent reviews and recommendations have confirmed the place of the distinction and the separate review processes. However, serious reservations can be mounted about the science/ethics distinction and the policy of separate review that has been built upon it. We argue here that, first, the science/ethics distinction is incoherent, and, second, that RECs should not only be permitted to consider a study's science, but that they have anobligation do so. PMID:17329389

Validity of Sensory Systems as Distinct Constructs

OpenAIRE

Su, Chia-Ting; Parham, L. Diane

2014-01-01

Confirmatory factor analysis testing whether sensory questionnaire items represented distinct sensory system constructs found, using data from two age groups, that such constructs can be measured validly using questionnaire data.

Identity-specific motivation: How distinct identities direct self-regulation across distinct situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Browman, Alexander S; Destin, Mesmin; Molden, Daniel C

2017-12-01

Research on self-regulation has traditionally emphasized that people's thoughts and actions are guided by either (a) domain-general motivations that emerge from a cumulative history of life experiences, or (b) situation-specific motivations that emerge in immediate response to the incentives present in a particular context. However, more recent studies have illustrated the importance of understanding the interplay between such domain-general and situation-specific motivations across the types of contexts people regularly encounter. The present research, therefore, expands existing perspectives on self-regulation by investigating how people's identities -the internalized roles, relationships, and social group memberships that define who they are-systemically guide when and how different domain-general motivations are activated within specific types of situations. Using the motivational framework described by regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997), Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that people indeed have distinct, identity-specific motivations that uniquely influence their current self-regulation when such identities are active. Studies 3-5 then begin to explore how identity-specific motivations are situated within people's larger self-concept. Studies 3a and 3b demonstrate that the less compatible people's specific identities, the more distinct are the motivations connected to those identities. Studies 4-5 then provide some initial, suggestive evidence that identity-specific motivations are not a separate, superordinate feature of people's identities that then alter how they pursue any subordinate, identity-relevant traits, but instead that such motivations emerge from the cumulative motivational significance of the subordinate traits to which the identities themselves become attached. Implications for understanding the role of the self-concept in self-regulation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Agent-specific learning signals for self-other distinction during mentalising.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Ereira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Humans have a remarkable ability to simulate the minds of others. How the brain distinguishes between mental states attributed to self and mental states attributed to someone else is unknown. Here, we investigated how fundamental neural learning signals are selectively attributed to different agents. Specifically, we asked whether learning signals are encoded in agent-specific neural patterns or whether a self-other distinction depends on encoding agent identity separately from this learning signal. To examine this, we tasked subjects to learn continuously 2 models of the same environment, such that one was selectively attributed to self and the other was selectively attributed to another agent. Combining computational modelling with magnetoencephalography (MEG enabled us to track neural representations of prediction errors (PEs and beliefs attributed to self, and of simulated PEs and beliefs attributed to another agent. We found that the representational pattern of a PE reliably predicts the identity of the agent to whom the signal is attributed, consistent with a neural self-other distinction implemented via agent-specific learning signals. Strikingly, subjects exhibiting a weaker neural self-other distinction also had a reduced behavioural capacity for self-other distinction and displayed more marked subclinical psychopathological traits. The neural self-other distinction was also modulated by social context, evidenced in a significantly reduced decoding of agent identity in a nonsocial control task. Thus, we show that self-other distinction is realised through an encoding of agent identity intrinsic to fundamental learning signals. The observation that the fidelity of this encoding predicts psychopathological traits is of interest as a potential neurocomputational psychiatric biomarker.

Embarrassment: its distinct form and appeasement functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Keltner, D; Buswell, B N

1997-11-01

The authors address 2 questions about embarrassment. First, Is embarrassment a distinct emotion? The evidence indicates that the antecedents, experience, and display of embarrassment, and to a limited extent its autonomic physiology, are distinct from shame, guilt, and amusement and share the dynamic, temporal characteristics of emotion. Second, What are the theoretical accounts of embarrassment? Three accounts focus on the causes of embarrassment, positioning that it follows the loss of self-esteem, concern for others' evaluations, or absence of scripts to guide interactions. A fourth account focuses on the effects of the remedial actions of embarrassment, which correct preceding transgressions. A fifth account focuses on the functional parallels between embarrassment and nonhuman appeasement. The discussion focuses on unanswered questions about embarrassment.

Culture and the distinctiveness motive: constructing identity in individualistic and collectivistic contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Maja; Vignoles, Vivian L; Owe, Ellinor; Brown, Rupert; Smith, Peter B; Easterbrook, Matt; Herman, Ginette; de Sauvage, Isabelle; Bourguignon, David; Torres, Ana; Camino, Leoncio; Lemos, Flávia Cristina Silveira; Ferreira, M Cristina; Koller, Silvia H; González, Roberto; Carrasco, Diego; Cadena, Maria Paz; Lay, Siugmin; Wang, Qian; Bond, Michael Harris; Trujillo, Elvia Vargas; Balanta, Paola; Valk, Aune; Mekonnen, Kassahun Habtamu; Nizharadze, George; Fülöp, Marta; Regalia, Camillo; Manzi, Claudia; Brambilla, Maria; Harb, Charles; Aldhafri, Said; Martin, Mariana; Macapagal, Ma Elizabeth J; Chybicka, Aneta; Gavreliuc, Alin; Buitendach, Johanna; Gallo, Inge Schweiger; Ozgen, Emre; Güner, Ulkü E; Yamakoğlu, Nil

2012-04-01

The motive to attain a distinctive identity is sometimes thought to be stronger in, or even specific to, those socialized into individualistic cultures. Using data from 4,751 participants in 21 cultural groups (18 nations and 3 regions), we tested this prediction against our alternative view that culture would moderate the ways in which people achieve feelings of distinctiveness, rather than influence the strength of their motivation to do so. We measured the distinctiveness motive using an indirect technique to avoid cultural response biases. Analyses showed that the distinctiveness motive was not weaker-and, if anything, was stronger-in more collectivistic nations. However, individualism-collectivism was found to moderate the ways in which feelings of distinctiveness were constructed: Distinctiveness was associated more closely with difference and separateness in more individualistic cultures and was associated more closely with social position in more collectivistic cultures. Multilevel analysis confirmed that it is the prevailing beliefs and values in an individual's context, rather than the individual's own beliefs and values, that account for these differences. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Knowledge Affords Distinctive Processing in Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, R. Reed; Rawson, Katherine A.

2011-01-01

The effect of knowledge on memory generally is processing. However, both conceptual and empirical reasons exist to suspect that the organizational account is incomplete. Recently a revised version of that account has been proposed under the rubric of distinctiveness theory (Rawson & Van Overschelde, 2008). The goal of the experiments reported…

Spontaneously immortalised bovine mammary epithelial cells exhibit a distinct gene expression pattern from the breast cancer cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Qianqian

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spontaneous immortalisation of cultured mammary epithelial cells (MECs is an extremely rare event, and the molecular mechanism behind spontaneous immortalisation of MECs is unclear. Here, we report the establishment of a spontaneously immortalised bovine mammary epithelial cell line (BME65Cs and the changes in gene expression associated with BME65Cs cells. Results BME65Cs cells maintain the general characteristics of normal mammary epithelial cells in morphology, karyotype and immunohistochemistry, and are accompanied by the activation of endogenous bTERT (bovine Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase and stabilisation of the telomere. Currently, BME65Cs cells have been passed for more than 220 generations, and these cells exhibit non-malignant transformation. The expression of multiple genes was investigated in BME65Cs cells, senescent BMECs (bovine MECs cells, early passage BMECs cells and MCF-7 cells (a human breast cancer cell line. In comparison with early passage BMECs cells, the expression of senescence-relevant apoptosis-related gene were significantly changed in BME65Cs cells. P16INK4a was downregulated, p53 was low expressed and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was reversed. Moreover, a slight upregulation of the oncogene c-Myc, along with an undetectable level of breast tumor-related gene Bag-1 and TRPS-1, was observed in BME65Cs cells while these genes are all highly expressed in MCF-7. In addition, DNMT1 is upregulated in BME65Cs. These results suggest that the inhibition of both senescence and mitochondrial apoptosis signalling pathways contribute to the immortality of BME65Cs cells. The expression of p53 and p16INK4a in BME65Cs was altered in the pattern of down-regulation but not "loss", suggesting that this spontaneous immortalization is possibly initiated by other mechanism rather than gene mutation of p53 or p16INK4a. Conclusions Spontaneously immortalised BME65Cs cells maintain many characteristics of normal BMEC cells and

Protective and therapeutic effects of cannabis plant extract on liver cancer induced by dimethylnitrosamine in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neveen Abd El Moneim Hussein

2014-09-01

Conclusion: The protective effect of cannabis extract is more pronounced in group taking cannabis before DMNA. Cannabinoids might exert their anti-tumor effects by the direct induction of apoptosis and can decrease telomerase activity by inhibiting the expression of the TERT gene. Coordination between inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis might be a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Expert Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

2014-01-01

to understand the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The contribution finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behaviour’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, the experts' professional context and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analysing fractal distinctions provides a useful way...... in the commissioning of work, constituent audiences and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Liquidity spillover in international stock markets through distinct time scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Righi, Marcelo Brutti; Vieira, Kelmara Mendes

2014-01-01

This paper identifies liquidity spillovers through different time scales based on a wavelet multiscaling method. We decompose daily data from U.S., British, Brazilian and Hong Kong stock markets indices in order to calculate the scale correlation between their illiquidities. The sample is divided in order to consider non-crisis, sub-prime crisis and Eurozone crisis. We find that there are changes in correlations of distinct scales and different periods. Association in finest scales is smaller than in coarse scales. There is a rise on associations in periods of crisis. In frequencies, there is predominance for significant distinctions involving the coarsest scale, while for crises periods there is predominance for distinctions on the finest scale.

Distinctiveness of Saudi Arabian EFL Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Habbash, Manssour; Idapalapati, Srinivasa Rao

2016-01-01

In view of the increasing concern among English language teachers dealing with students from Saudi Arabia, as it manifests in TESOL community discussions, about the uniqueness of Saudi Arabian EFL learners, this paper attempts to document the outcome of a study of their distinctiveness from the perspective of expatriate teachers working for PYPs…

Neural correlates of the food/non-food visual distinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsourides, Kleovoulos; Shariat, Shahriar; Nejati, Hossein; Gandhi, Tapan K; Cardinaux, Annie; Simons, Christopher T; Cheung, Ngai-Man; Pavlovic, Vladimir; Sinha, Pawan

2016-03-01

An evolutionarily ancient skill we possess is the ability to distinguish between food and non-food. Our goal here is to identify the neural correlates of visually driven 'edible-inedible' perceptual distinction. We also investigate correlates of the finer-grained likability assessment. Our stimuli depicted food or non-food items with sub-classes of appealing or unappealing exemplars. Using data-classification techniques drawn from machine-learning, as well as evoked-response analyses, we sought to determine whether these four classes of stimuli could be distinguished based on the patterns of brain activity they elicited. Subjects viewed 200 images while in a MEG scanner. Our analyses yielded two successes and a surprising failure. The food/non-food distinction had a robust neural counterpart and emerged as early as 85 ms post-stimulus onset. The likable/non-likable distinction too was evident in the neural signals when food and non-food stimuli were grouped together, or when only the non-food stimuli were included in the analyses. However, we were unable to identify any neural correlates of this distinction when limiting the analyses only to food stimuli. Taken together, these positive and negative results further our understanding of the substrates of a set of ecologically important judgments and have clinical implications for conditions like eating-disorders and anhedonia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MAGDM linear-programming models with distinct uncertain preference structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zeshui S; Chen, Jian

2008-10-01

Group decision making with preference information on alternatives is an interesting and important research topic which has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with distinct uncertain preference structures. We develop some linear-programming models for dealing with the MAGDM problems, where the information about attribute weights is incomplete, and the decision makers have their preferences on alternatives. The provided preference information can be represented in the following three distinct uncertain preference structures: 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first establish some linear-programming models based on decision matrix and each of the distinct uncertain preference structures and, then, develop some linear-programming models to integrate all three structures of subjective uncertain preference information provided by the decision makers and the objective information depicted in the decision matrix. Furthermore, we propose a simple and straightforward approach in ranking and selecting the given alternatives. It is worth pointing out that the developed models can also be used to deal with the situations where the three distinct uncertain preference structures are reduced to the traditional ones, i.e., utility values, fuzzy preference relations, and multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we use a practical example to illustrate in detail the calculation process of the developed approach.

A new fluorescence/PET probe for targeting intracellular human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) using Tat peptide-conjugated IgM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Kyung oh; Youn, Hyewon; Kim, Seung Hoo; Kim, Young-Hwa; Kang, Keon Wook; Chung, June-Key

2016-01-01

Despite an increasing need for methods to visualize intracellular proteins in vivo, the majority of antibody-based imaging methods available can only detect membrane proteins. The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an intracellular target of great interest because of its high expression in several types of cancer. In this study, we developed a new probe for hTERT using the Tat peptide. An hTERT antibody (IgG or IgM) was conjugated with the Tat peptide, a fluorescence dye and "6"4Cu. HT29 (hTERT+) and U2OS (hTERT−) were used to visualize the intracellular hTERT. The hTERT was detected by RT-PCR and western blot. Fluorescence signals for hTERT were obtained by confocal microscopy, live cell imaging, and analyzed by Tissue-FAXS. In nude mice, tumors were visualized using the fluorescence imaging devices Maestro™ and PETBOX. In RT-PCR and western blot, the expression of hTERT was detected in HT29 cells, but not in U2OS cells. Fluorescence signals were clearly observed in HT29 cells and in U2OS cells after 1 h of treatment, but signals were only detected in HT29 cells after 24 h. Confocal microscopy showed that 9.65% of U2OS and 78.54% of HT29 cells had positive hTERT signals. 3D animation images showed that the probe could target intranuclear hTERT in the nucleus. In mice models, fluorescence and PET imaging showed that hTERT in HT29 tumors could be efficiently visualized. In summary, we developed a new method to visualize intracellular and intranuclear proteins both in vitro and in vivo. - Highlights: • We developed new probes for imaging hTERT using Tat-conjugated IgM antibodies labeled with a fluorescent dye and radioisotope. • This probes could be used to overcome limitation of conventional antibody imaging system in live cell imaging. • This system could be applicable to monitor intracellular and intranuclear proteins in vitro and in vivo.

A new fluorescence/PET probe for targeting intracellular human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) using Tat peptide-conjugated IgM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Kyung oh [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center, Seoul National University (Korea, Republic of); Youn, Hyewon, E-mail: hwyoun@snu.ac.kr [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center, Seoul National University (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seung Hoo [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young-Hwa [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Keon Wook [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Chung, June-Key, E-mail: jkchung@snu.ac.kr [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center, Seoul National University (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-26

Despite an increasing need for methods to visualize intracellular proteins in vivo, the majority of antibody-based imaging methods available can only detect membrane proteins. The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an intracellular target of great interest because of its high expression in several types of cancer. In this study, we developed a new probe for hTERT using the Tat peptide. An hTERT antibody (IgG or IgM) was conjugated with the Tat peptide, a fluorescence dye and {sup 64}Cu. HT29 (hTERT+) and U2OS (hTERT−) were used to visualize the intracellular hTERT. The hTERT was detected by RT-PCR and western blot. Fluorescence signals for hTERT were obtained by confocal microscopy, live cell imaging, and analyzed by Tissue-FAXS. In nude mice, tumors were visualized using the fluorescence imaging devices Maestro™ and PETBOX. In RT-PCR and western blot, the expression of hTERT was detected in HT29 cells, but not in U2OS cells. Fluorescence signals were clearly observed in HT29 cells and in U2OS cells after 1 h of treatment, but signals were only detected in HT29 cells after 24 h. Confocal microscopy showed that 9.65% of U2OS and 78.54% of HT29 cells had positive hTERT signals. 3D animation images showed that the probe could target intranuclear hTERT in the nucleus. In mice models, fluorescence and PET imaging showed that hTERT in HT29 tumors could be efficiently visualized. In summary, we developed a new method to visualize intracellular and intranuclear proteins both in vitro and in vivo. - Highlights: • We developed new probes for imaging hTERT using Tat-conjugated IgM antibodies labeled with a fluorescent dye and radioisotope. • This probes could be used to overcome limitation of conventional antibody imaging system in live cell imaging. • This system could be applicable to monitor intracellular and intranuclear proteins in vitro and in vivo.

Role of hTERT in apoptosis of cervical cancer induced by histone deacetylase inhibitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Peng; Meng, Li; Wang, Hui; Zhou, Jianfeng; Xu, Gang; Wang, Shixuan; Xi, Ling; Chen, Gang; Wang, Beibei; Zhu, Tao; Lu, Yunping; Ma, Ding

2005-01-01

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase holoenzyme as well as the rate-limiting component of the telomerase enzyme complex. However, the role of the hTERT in apoptosis induced by histone deacetylase inhibitor has only been marginally addressed. For the first time, our study demonstrated that trichostatin A (TSA) briefly activated the proliferation of cervical cancer cell lines, HeLa and SiHa, within 12 h, but then inhibited cell growth after that time point. In response to TSA, hTERT expression, telomerase activity, and telomere length also underwent similar changes during the same time frame. Furthermore, the data in our study showed that cells transfected with dominant negative hTERT were more likely to undergo apoptosis induced by TSA than cells transfected with wild-type hTERT. The cyclin/cdk inhibitor p21 waf1 was down-regulated by hTERT without changing the expression of p53. Results from this study suggest that the hTERT might be a primary target of TSA and the anti-apoptosis effect of hTERT might be carried out through a p21 waf1 -dependent and p53-independent pathway

The death of distinctions: From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, John Ellis van Courtland

2004-09-01

War, the great simplifier, is the inevitable enemy of distinctions, especially when conflicts evoke survival fears, sounding echoes from humanity's environment of evolutionary adaptation. Throughout the twentieth century, attackers and targets grew more distant, weaponry grew more destructive, and distinctions -- between combatants and civilians, between legitimate and protected targets, between defensive and offensive strategies, between the innocent and the guilty -- faded. In the twenty-first century's first major conflict, "the war against terror," distinctions have faded still further, making nearly indistinguishable the frontier between preemption and prevention and between interrogation and torture. Proclaimed a "new type of war" in which old rules and customary safeguards would often be inapplicable, this conflict quickly came to be characterized by political embarrassment and operational scandal.

The physician-administrator as patient: distinctive aspects of medical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappell, Mitchell S

2011-01-01

This article examines distinctive aspects of medical care experienced by a 55-year-old hospitalized for quintuple coronary artery bypass surgery who was also a senior physician-administrator (chief of gastroenterology) at the same hospital. The article describes eight distinctive aspects of administrator-physicians as patients, including special patient treatment; exalted patient expectations by hospital personnel; patient suppression of emotions; patient denial; self-doctoring; job stress contributing to disease; self-sacrifice to achieve better health; and rational medical decisions when not under stress. Health-care workers should recognize how these distinctive aspects of medical care and behavior affect administrator-physicians as patients, in order to mitigate their negative effects, potentiate their positive effects, and optimize the care of these patients.

Place preference and vocal learning rely on distinct reinforcers in songbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Don; Chen, Ruidong; Goldberg, Jesse H

2018-04-30

In reinforcement learning (RL) agents are typically tasked with maximizing a single objective function such as reward. But it remains poorly understood how agents might pursue distinct objectives at once. In machines, multiobjective RL can be achieved by dividing a single agent into multiple sub-agents, each of which is shaped by agent-specific reinforcement, but it remains unknown if animals adopt this strategy. Here we use songbirds to test if navigation and singing, two behaviors with distinct objectives, can be differentially reinforced. We demonstrate that strobe flashes aversively condition place preference but not song syllables. Brief noise bursts aversively condition song syllables but positively reinforce place preference. Thus distinct behavior-generating systems, or agencies, within a single animal can be shaped by correspondingly distinct reinforcement signals. Our findings suggest that spatially segregated vocal circuits can solve a credit assignment problem associated with multiobjective learning.

False memories in children and adults: age, distinctiveness, and subjective experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghetti, Simona; Qin, Jianjian; Goodman, Gail S

2002-09-01

This study investigated developmental trends associated with the Deese/Roediger-McDermott false-memory effect, the role of distinctive information in false-memory formation, and participants' subjective experience of true and false memories. Children (5- and 7-year-olds) and adults studied lists of semantically associated words. Half of the participants studied words alone, and half studied words accompanied by pictures. There were significant age differences in recall (5-year-olds evinced more false memories than did adults) but not in recognition of critical lures. Distinctive information reduced false memory for all age groups. Younger children provided with distinctive information, and older children and adults regardless of whether they viewed distinctive information, expressed higher levels of confidence in true than in false memories. Source attributions did not significantly differ between true and false memories. Implications for theories of false memory and memory development are discussed.

The picture superiority effect in conceptual implicit memory: a conceptual distinctiveness hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Maryellen; Geraci, Lisa

2006-01-01

According to leading theories, the picture superiority effect is driven by conceptual processing, yet this effect has been difficult to obtain using conceptual implicit memory tests. We hypothesized that the picture superiority effect results from conceptual processing of a picture's distinctive features rather than a picture's semantic features. To test this hypothesis, we used 2 conceptual implicit general knowledge tests; one cued conceptually distinctive features (e.g., "What animal has large eyes?") and the other cued semantic features (e.g., "What animal is the figurehead of Tootsie Roll?"). Results showed a picture superiority effect only on the conceptual test using distinctive cues, supporting our hypothesis that this effect is mediated by conceptual processing of a picture's distinctive features.

An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

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Natalie C. Ebner

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years, middle-aged (44–55 years, and older (70–81 years men and women. We report novel findings supporting variations by face and perceiver age, in interaction with gender and emotion: although older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers generally rated faces of all ages as more attractive, young perceivers gave relatively higher attractiveness ratings to young compared to middle-aged and older faces. Controlling for variations in attractiveness, older compared to young faces were viewed as more distinctive by young and middle-aged perceivers. Age affected attractiveness more negatively for female than male faces. Furthermore, happy faces were rated as most attractive, while disgusted faces were rated as least attractive, particularly so by middle-aged and older perceivers and for young and female faces. Perceivers largely agreed on distinctiveness ratings for neutral and happy emotions, but older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers rated faces displaying negative emotions as more distinctive. These findings underscore the importance of a lifespan perspective on perception of facial characteristics and suggest possible effects of age on goal-directed perception, social motivation, and in-group bias. This publication makes available picture-specific normative data for experimental stimulus selection.

False Memories in Children and Adults: Age, Distinctiveness, and Subjective Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghetti, Simona; Qin, Jianjian; Goodman, Gail S.

2002-01-01

Investigated developmental trends associated with the Deese/Roediger-McDermott false-memory effect, the role of distinctive information, and subjective experience of true/false memories. Found that 5-year-olds recalled more false memories than adults but no age differences in recognition of critical lures. Distinctive information reduced false…

Natural Microbial Assemblages Reflect Distinct Organismal and Functional Partitioning

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmes, P.; Andersson, A.; Kalnejais, L. H.; Verberkmoes, N. C.; Lefsrud, M. G.; Wexler, M.; Singer, S. W.; Shah, M.; Bond, P. L.; Thelen, M. P.; Hettich, R. L.; Banfield, J. F.

2007-12-01

The ability to link microbial community structure to function has long been a primary focus of environmental microbiology. With the advent of community genomic and proteomic techniques, along with advances in microscopic imaging techniques, it is now possible to gain insights into the organismal and functional makeup of microbial communities. Biofilms growing within highly acidic solutions inside the Richmond Mine (Iron Mountain, Redding, California) exhibit distinct macro- and microscopic morphologies. They are composed of microorganisms belonging to the three domains of life, including archaea, bacteria and eukarya. The proportion of each organismal type depends on sampling location and developmental stage. For example, mature biofilms floating on top of acid mine drainage (AMD) pools exhibit layers consisting of a densely packed bottom layer of the chemoautolithotroph Leptospirillum group II, a less dense top layer composed mainly of archaea, and fungal filaments spanning across the entire biofilm. The expression of cytochrome 579 (the most highly abundant protein in the biofilm, believed to be central to iron oxidation and encoded by Leptospirillum group II) is localized at the interface of the biofilm with the AMD solution, highlighting that biofilm architecture is reflected at the functional gene expression level. Distinct functional partitioning is also apparent in a biological wastewater treatment system that selects for distinct polyphosphate accumulating organisms. Community genomic data from " Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" dominated activated sludge has enabled high mass-accuracy shotgun proteomics for identification of key metabolic pathways. Comprehensive genome-wide alignment of orthologous proteins suggests distinct partitioning of protein variants involved in both core-metabolism and specific metabolic pathways among the dominant population and closely related species. In addition, strain- resolved proteogenomic analysis of the AMD biofilms

An Objective Approach to Identify Spectral Distinctiveness for Hearing Impairment

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Yeou-Jiunn Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To facilitate the process of developing speech perception, speech-language pathologists have to teach a subject with hearing loss the differences between two syllables by manually enhancing acoustic cues of speech. However, this process is time consuming and difficult. Thus, this study proposes an objective approach to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness between two syllables, which is used for speech-perception training. To accurately represent the characteristics of speech, mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients are selected as analytical parameters. The mismatch between two syllables in time domain is handled by dynamic time warping. Further, a filter bank is adopted to estimate the components in different frequency bands, which are also represented as mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients. The spectral distinctiveness in different frequency bands is then easily estimated by using Euclidean metrics. Finally, a morphological gradient operator is applied to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness. To evaluate the proposed approach, the identified regions are manipulated and then the manipulated syllables are measured by a close-set based speech-perception test. The experimental results demonstrated that the identified regions of spectral distinctiveness are very useful in speech perception, which indeed can help speech-language pathologists in speech-perception training.

Common and distinct components in data fusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smilde, Age Klaas; Mage, Ingrid; Næs, Tormod

2016-01-01

and understanding their relative merits. This paper provides a unifying framework for this subfield of data fusion by using rigorous arguments from linear algebra. The most frequently used methods for distinguishing common and distinct components are explained in this framework and some practical examples are given...

3′ terminal diversity of MRP RNA and other human noncoding RNAs revealed by deep sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Post-transcriptional 3′ end processing is a key component of RNA regulation. The abundant and essential RNA subunit of RNase MRP has been proposed to function in three distinct cellular compartments and therefore may utilize this mode of regulation. Here we employ 3′ RACE coupled with high-throughput sequencing to characterize the 3′ terminal sequences of human MRP RNA and other noncoding RNAs that form RNP complexes. Results The 3′ terminal sequence of MRP RNA from HEK293T cells has a distinctive distribution of genomically encoded termini (including an assortment of U residues) with a portion of these selectively tagged by oligo(A) tails. This profile contrasts with the relatively homogenous 3′ terminus of an in vitro transcribed MRP RNA control and the differing 3′ terminal profiles of U3 snoRNA, RNase P RNA, and telomerase RNA (hTR). Conclusions 3′ RACE coupled with deep sequencing provides a valuable framework for the functional characterization of 3′ terminal sequences of noncoding RNAs. PMID:24053768

Distinctiveness enhances long-term event memory in non-human primates, irrespective of reinforcement.

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Lewis, Amy; Call, Josep; Berntsen, Dorthe

2017-08-01

Non-human primates are capable of recalling events that occurred as long as 3 years ago, and are able to distinguish between similar events; akin to human memory. In humans, distinctiveness enhances memory for events, however, it is unknown whether the same occurs in non-human primates. As such, we tested three great ape species on their ability to remember an event that varied in distinctiveness. Across three experiments, apes witnessed a baiting event in which one of three identical containers was baited with food. After a delay of 2 weeks, we tested their memory for the location of the baited container. Apes failed to recall the baited container when the event was undistinctive (Experiment 1), but were successful when it was distinctive (Experiment 2), although performance was equally good in a less-distinctive condition. A third experiment (Experiment 3) confirmed that distinctiveness, independent of reinforcement, was a consistent predictor of performance. These findings suggest that distinctiveness may enhance memory for events in non-human primates in the same way as in humans, and provides further evidence of basic similarities between the ways apes and humans remember past events. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distinct types of eigenvector localization in networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor-Satorras, Romualdo; Castellano, Claudio

2016-01-01

The spectral properties of the adjacency matrix provide a trove of information about the structure and function of complex networks. In particular, the largest eigenvalue and its associated principal eigenvector are crucial in the understanding of nodes’ centrality and the unfolding of dynamical processes. Here we show that two distinct types of localization of the principal eigenvector may occur in heterogeneous networks. For synthetic networks with degree distribution P(q) ~ q-γ, localization occurs on the largest hub if γ > 5/2 for γ < 5/2 a new type of localization arises on a mesoscopic subgraph associated with the shell with the largest index in the K-core decomposition. Similar evidence for the existence of distinct localization modes is found in the analysis of real-world networks. Our results open a new perspective on dynamical processes on networks and on a recently proposed alternative measure of node centrality based on the non-backtracking matrix.

Presidential address: distinction or extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Pressman, Barry D

2008-10-01

Despite its continuing scientific successes in imaging, radiology as a specialty is faced with a very difficult and competitive environment. Nonradiologists are more and more interested in vertically integrating imaging into their practices, while teleradiology and picture archiving and communication systems are resulting in the greater isolation of radiologists. Commoditization is a realistic and devastating threat to the survival and professionalism of the specialty. To remain viable as a specialty, radiologists must elevate their practice by subspecializing, becoming more involved with clinical care, and actively interacting with patients and referring clinicians. Distinction will prevent extinction.

Moral fiction or moral fact? The distinction between doing and allowing in medical ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Huddle, Thomas S

2013-06-01

Opponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) maintain that physician withdrawal-of-life-sustaining-treatment cannot be morally equated to voluntary active euthanasia. PAS opponents generally distinguish these two kinds of act by positing a possible moral distinction between killing and allowing-to-die, ceteris paribus. While that distinction continues to be widely accepted in the public discourse, it has been more controversial among philosophers. Some ethicist PAS advocates are so certain that the distinction is invalid that they describe PAS opponents who hold to the distinction as in the grip of 'moral fictions'. The author contends that such a diagnosis is too hasty. The possibility of a moral distinction between active euthanasia and allowing-to-die has not been closed off by the argumentative strategies employed by these PAS advocates, including the contrasting cases strategy and the assimilation of doing and allowing to a common sense notion of causation. The philosophical debate over the doing/allowing distinction remains inconclusive, but physicians and others who rely upon that distinction in thinking about the ethics of end-of-life care need not give up on it in response to these arguments. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Directed networks' different link formation mechanisms causing degree distribution distinction

Science.gov (United States)

Behfar, Stefan Kambiz; Turkina, Ekaterina; Cohendet, Patrick; Burger-Helmchen, Thierry

2016-11-01

Within undirected networks, scientists have shown much interest in presenting power-law features. For instance, Barabási and Albert (1999) claimed that a common property of many large networks is that vertex connectivity follows scale-free power-law distribution, and in another study Barabási et al. (2002) showed power law evolution in the social network of scientific collaboration. At the same time, Jiang et al. (2011) discussed deviation from power-law distribution; others indicated that size effect (Bagrow et al., 2008), information filtering mechanism (Mossa et al., 2002), and birth and death process (Shi et al., 2005) could account for this deviation. Within directed networks, many authors have considered that outlinks follow a similar mechanism of creation as inlinks' (Faloutsos et al., 1999; Krapivsky et al., 2001; Tanimoto, 2009) with link creation rate being the linear function of node degree, resulting in a power-law shape for both indegree and outdegree distribution. Some other authors have made an assumption that directed networks, such as scientific collaboration or citation, behave as undirected, resulting in a power-law degree distribution accordingly (Barabási et al., 2002). At the same time, we claim (1) Outlinks feature different degree distributions than inlinks; where different link formation mechanisms cause the distribution distinctions, (2) in/outdegree distribution distinction holds for different levels of system decomposition; therefore this distribution distinction is a property of directed networks. First, we emphasize in/outlink formation mechanisms as causal factors for distinction between indegree and outdegree distributions (where this distinction has already been noticed in Barker et al. (2010) and Baxter et al. (2006)) within a sample network of OSS projects as well as Java software corpus as a network. Second, we analyze whether this distribution distinction holds for different levels of system decomposition: open

An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

OpenAIRE

Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Joerg Luedicke; Manuel C. Voelkle; Manuel C. Voelkle; Michaela Riediger; Michaela Riediger; Tian Lin; Ulman Lindenberger; Ulman Lindenberger

2018-01-01

Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years), middle-aged (44–55 years), and older (70–81 years) men and women. We report novel findings su...

Tagging like Humans: Diverse and Distinct Image Annotation

KAUST Repository

Wu, Baoyuan; Chen, Weidong; Sun, Peng; Liu, Wei; Ghanem, Bernard; Lyu, Siwei

2018-01-01

including quantitative and qualitative comparisons, as well as human subject studies, on two benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed model can produce more diverse and distinct tags than the state-of-the-arts.

Evidence and characterization of a glide-vowel distinction in American English

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Zachary Scott Jaggers

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study tests whether native speakers of American English exhibit a glide-vowel distinction ([j]-[i] in a speech elicitation experiment. When reading sentences out loud, participants’ pronunciations of 4 near-minimal pairs of pre-existing lexical items (e.g., 'Eston'[iə] vs. 'pneumon'[jə] exhibit significant differences when acoustically measured, confirming the presence of a [j]-[i] distinction. This distinction is also found to be productively extended to the production of 20 near-minimal pairs of nonce words (e.g., 'Súmia '→ [sumiə] vs. 'Fímya '→ [fimjə], diversified and balanced along different phonologically relevant factors of the surrounding environment. Multiple acoustic measurements are compared to test what aspects most consistently convey the distinction: F2 (frontness, F1 (height, intensity, vocalic sequence duration, transition earliness, and transition speed. This serves the purpose of documenting the distinction’s acoustic phonetic realization. It also serves in the comparison of phonological representations. Multiple types of previously proposed phonological representations are considered along with the competing predictions they generate regarding the acoustic measurements performed. Results suggest that the primary and most consistent characteristic of the distinction is earliness of transition into the following vowel, with results also suggesting that the [j] glide has a greater degree of constriction. The [j] glide is found to have a significantly 'less 'anterior articulation, challenging the application of a representation based on place or articulator differences that would predict [j] to be 'more 'anterior.

Combined analysis of cell growth and apoptosis-regulating proteins in HPVs associated anogenital tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsuishi, Tsuyoshi; Kawana, Seiji; Ozaki, Kohji; Nakatake, Mayuka; Yamada, Osamu; Iwabu, Yukie; Tokunaga, Kenzo; Sata, Tetsutaro; Kaneko, Takehiko; Ohara, Kuniaki; Ohsawa, Ikuroh; Oda, Fumino; Yamada, Yuko

2010-01-01

The clinical course of human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with Bowenoid papulosis and condyloma acuminatum of anogenital tumors are still unknown. Here we evaluated molecules that are relevant to cellular proliferation and regulation of apoptosis in HPV associated anogenital tumors. We investigated the levels of telomerase activity, and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) family (c-IAP1, c-IAP2, XIAP) and c-Myc mRNA expression levels in 20 specimens of Bowenoid papulosis and 36 specimens of condyloma acuminatum in anogenital areas. Overall, phosphorylated (p-) AKT, p-ribosomal protein S6 (S6) and p-4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1) expression levels were examined by immunohistochemistry in anogenital tumors both with and without positive telomerase activity. Positive telomerase activity was detected in 41.7% of Bowenoid papulosis and 27.3% of condyloma acuminatum compared to normal skin (p < 0.001). In contrast, the expression levels of Bowenoid papulosis indicated that c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and XIAP mRNA were significantly upregulated compared to those in both condyloma acuminatum samples (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.022, respectively) and normal skin (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.034, respectively). Overall, 30% of Bowenoid papulosis with high risk HPV strongly promoted IAPs family and c-Myc but condyloma acuminatum did not significantly activate those genes. Immunohistochemically, p-Akt and p-S6 expressions were associated with positive telomerase activity but not with p-4EBP1 expression. Combined analysis of the IAPs family, c-Myc mRNA expression, telomerase activity levels and p-Akt/p-S6 expressions may provide clinically relevant molecular markers in HPV associated anogenital tumors

A novel approach for the detection and genetic analysis of live melanoma circulating tumor cells.

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Melody J Xu

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cell (CTC detection and genetic analysis may complement currently available disease assessments in patients with melanoma to improve risk stratification and monitoring. We therefore sought to establish the feasibility of a telomerase-based assay for detecting and isolating live melanoma CTCs.The telomerase-based CTC assay utilizes an adenoviral vector that, in the presence of elevated human telomerase activity, drives the amplification of green fluorescent protein. Tumor cells are then identified via an image processing system. The protocol was tested on melanoma cells in culture or spiked into control blood, and on samples from patients with metastatic melanoma. Genetic analysis of the isolated melanoma CTCs was then performed for BRAF mutation status.The adenoviral vector was effective for all melanoma cell lines tested with sensitivity of 88.7% (95%CI 85.6-90.4% and specificity of 99.9% (95%CI 99.8-99.9%. In a pilot trial of patients with metastatic disease, CTCs were identified in 9 of 10 patients, with a mean of 6.0 CTCs/mL. At a cutoff of 1.1 CTCs/mL, the telomerase-based assay exhibits test performance of 90.0% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity. BRAF mutation analysis of melanoma cells isolated from culture or spiked control blood, or from pilot patient samples was found to match the known BRAF mutation status of the cell lines and primary tumors.To our knowledge, this is the first report of a telomerase-based assay effective for detecting and isolating live melanoma CTCs. These promising findings support further studies, including towards integrating into the management of patients with melanoma receiving multimodality therapy.

Telomere length modulation in human astroglial brain tumors.

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Domenico La Torre

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Telomeres alteration during carcinogenesis and tumor progression has been described in several cancer types. Telomeres length is stabilized by telomerase (h-TERT and controlled by several proteins that protect telomere integrity, such as the Telomere Repeat-binding Factor (TRF 1 and 2 and the tankyrase-poli-ADP-ribose polymerase (TANKs-PARP complex. OBJECTIVE: To investigate telomere dysfunction in astroglial brain tumors we analyzed telomeres length, telomerase activity and the expression of a panel of genes controlling the length and structure of telomeres in tissue samples obtained in vivo from astroglial brain tumors with different grade of malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight Low Grade Astrocytomas (LGA, 11 Anaplastic Astrocytomas (AA and 11 Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM samples were analyzed. Three samples of normal brain tissue (NBT were used as controls. Telomeres length was assessed through Southern Blotting. Telomerase activity was evaluated by a telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay. The expression levels of TRF1, TRF2, h-TERT and TANKs-PARP complex were determined through Immunoblotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: LGA were featured by an up-regulation of TRF1 and 2 and by shorter telomeres. Conversely, AA and GBM were featured by a down-regulation of TRF1 and 2 and an up-regulation of both telomerase and TANKs-PARP complex. CONCLUSIONS: In human astroglial brain tumours, up-regulation of TRF1 and TRF2 occurs in the early stages of carcinogenesis determining telomeres shortening and genomic instability. In a later stage, up-regulation of PARP-TANKs and telomerase activation may occur together with an ADP-ribosylation of TRF1, causing a reduced ability to bind telomeric DNA, telomeres elongation and tumor malignant progression.

Distinctive skeletal dysplasia in Cockayne syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silengo, M.C.; Franceschini, P.; Bianco, R.; Biagioli, M.; Pastorin, L.; Vista, N.; Baldassar, A.; Benso, L.

1986-01-01

Cockayne syndrom is a well-known autosomal recessive form of dwarfism with senile-like appearance. Skeletal changes such as flattening of vertebral bodies, ivory epiphyses and thickening of cranial vault, have been observed in some patients with this condition. We describe here a 5.5-year-old girl with the typical clinical signs of Cockayne syndrome and a distinctive form of bone dysplasia with major involvment of the spine. (orig.)

Distinctive skeletal dysplasia in Cockayne syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silengo, M.C.; Franceschini, P.; Bianco, R.; Biagioli, M.; Pastorin, L.; Vista, N.; Baldassar, A.; Benso, L.

1986-03-01

Cockayne syndrome is a well-known autosomal recessive form of dwarfism with senile-like appearance. Skeletal changes such as flattening of vertebral bodies, ivory epiphyses and thickening of cranial vault, have been observed in some patients with this condition. We describe here a 5.5-year-old girl with the typical clinical signs of Cockayne syndrome and a distinctive form of bone dysplasia with major involvement of the spine.

Drosophila: Retrotransposons Making up Telomeres.

Science.gov (United States)

Casacuberta, Elena

2017-07-19

Drosophila and extant species are the best-studied telomerase exception. In this organism, telomere elongation is coupled with targeted retrotransposition of Healing Transposon (HeT-A) and Telomere Associated Retrotransposon (TART) with sporadic additions of Telomere Associated and HeT-A Related (TAHRE), all three specialized non-Long Terminal Repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons. These three very special retroelements transpose in head to tail arrays, always in the same orientation at the end of the chromosomes but never in interior locations. Apparently, retrotransposon and telomerase telomeres might seem very different, but a detailed view of their mechanisms reveals similarities explaining how the loss of telomerase in a Drosophila ancestor could successfully have been replaced by the telomere retrotransposons. In this review, we will discover that although HeT-A, TART, and TAHRE are still the only examples to date where their targeted transposition is perfectly tamed into the telomere biology of Drosophila, there are other examples of retrotransposons that manage to successfully integrate inside and at the end of telomeres. Because the aim of this special issue is viral integration at telomeres, understanding the base of the telomerase exceptions will help to obtain clues on similar strategies that mobile elements and viruses could have acquired in order to ensure their survival in the host genome.

Cancer telomeres and white crows.

Science.gov (United States)

Meeker, Alan K

2018-01-01

This mini-review article discusses past and present prostate-focused research on telomere and telomerase biology conducted at Johns Hopkins, through the eyes of a Donald S Coffey trainee. Included are past discoveries of abnormalities in telomere biology in the context of prostate cancer and its pre-malignant precursor prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN); the finding that telomerase activity is androgen-regulated in the prostate, and the potential role of telomerase in prostate epithelial stem cells. Also reviewed are more recent results showing that in situ telomere length measurements in patient tissue specimens may have utility in risk assessment and as a prognostic biomarker. Highlighted throughout the article are some of the training and mentorship approaches employed by the late Dr. Coffey, former Director of Urologic Research at the Brady Urological Research Institute, which inspired new research ideas, team science, and discovery.

The usefulness of the grammaticality-acceptability distinction in functional approaches to language

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Mads

2013-01-01

between competence and performance, rather than on a distinction between syntax and meaning. The basic rationale for having such a distinction is that much of linguistics is concerned with describing relatively stable grammatical knowledge, rather than the psycholinguistic dynamics of language use...

Nuclear hormone receptors in parasitic helminths

OpenAIRE

Wu, Wenjie; LoVerde, Philip T

2010-01-01

Nuclear receptors (NRs) belong to a large protein superfamily that are important transcriptional modulators in metazoans. Parasitic helminths include parasitic worms from the Lophotrochozoa (Platyhelminths) and Ecdysozoa (Nematoda). NRs in parasitic helminths diverged into two different evolutionary lineages. NRs in parasitic Platyhelminths have orthologues in Deuterostomes, in arthropods or both with a feature of extensive gene loss and gene duplication within different gene groups. NRs in p...

Chitinase family GH18: evolutionary insights from the genomic history of a diverse protein family

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Aronson Nathan N

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chitinases (EC.3.2.1.14 hydrolyze the β-1,4-linkages in chitin, an abundant N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine polysaccharide that is a structural component of protective biological matrices such as insect exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. The glycoside hydrolase 18 (GH18 family of chitinases is an ancient gene family widely expressed in archea, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Mammals are not known to synthesize chitin or metabolize it as a nutrient, yet the human genome encodes eight GH18 family members. Some GH18 proteins lack an essential catalytic glutamic acid and are likely to act as lectins rather than as enzymes. This study used comparative genomic analysis to address the evolutionary history of the GH18 multiprotein family, from early eukaryotes to mammals, in an effort to understand the forces that shaped the human genome content of chitinase related proteins. Results Gene duplication and loss according to a birth-and-death model of evolution is a feature of the evolutionary history of the GH18 family. The current human family likely originated from ancient genes present at the time of the bilaterian expansion (approx. 550 mya. The family expanded in the chitinous protostomes C. elegans and D. melanogaster, declined in early deuterostomes as chitin synthesis disappeared, and expanded again in late deuterostomes with a significant increase in gene number after the avian/mammalian split. Conclusion This comprehensive genomic study of animal GH18 proteins reveals three major phylogenetic groups in the family: chitobiases, chitinases/chitolectins, and stabilin-1 interacting chitolectins. Only the chitinase/chitolectin group is associated with expansion in late deuterostomes. Finding that the human GH18 gene family is closely linked to the human major histocompatibility complex paralogon on chromosome 1, together with the recent association of GH18 chitinase activity with Th2 cell inflammation, suggests that its late expansion

Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in Cancer

OpenAIRE

Tiago Bordeira Gaspar; Ana Sá; José Manuel Lopes; Manuel Sobrinho-Simões; Paula Soares; João Vinagre

2018-01-01

Tumour cells can adopt telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) to avoid telomere shortening, an inevitable process due to successive cell divisions. In most tumour cells, telomere length (TL) is maintained by reactivation of telomerase, while a small part acquires immortality through the telomerase-independent alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. In the last years, a great amount of data was generated, and different TMMs were reported and explained in detail, benefiting from g...

Autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter suppresses human ovarian carcinoma growth in vitro and in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yue; Xia, Zhijun; Shen, Keng; Zhai, Xingyue

2013-05-01

To construct recombinant adenoviruses AdHT-rev-casp3 and Ad-rev-casp3, which express autocatalysis caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and cytomegalovirus promoter, respectively; and to investigate their antitumor effects on ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Cell viabilities were determined using the cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometry. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting assays were used to detect cellular apoptotic activities after treatments. Tumor growth and survival of mice bearing AO cells were studied. AdHT-rev-casp3 significantly suppressed the survival of AO cells in a dose-dependent modality with a viability rate of 60.45% ± 7.8% at an multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 70 and 42.18 ± 5.3% at an MOI of 100, which was somewhat lower than that of the AO cells treated with Ad-rev-casp3 (32.28% ± 5.3% and 21.84% ± 3.4%, respectively). In contrast, AdHT-rev-casp3 induced little human umbilical vein epithelial cell (HUVEC) death with a viability rate of 98.52% ± 6.9% at an MOI of 70, whereas Ad-rev-casp3 induced significant cell death in HUVEC with a viability rate of 27.14% ± 5.4%. Additionally, AdHT-rev-casp3 (MOI = 70) caused significant apoptosis in AO cells with an apoptotic rate of 25.97%, whereas it caused undetectable apoptosis in HUVECs with the rate of only 1.75%. Ad-rev-casp3 (MOI = 70) caused strong apoptosis in both AO and HUVECs, with the rate of 35.82% and 38.12%, respectively. AdHT-rev-casp3 caused markedly higher levels of active caspase-3, causing no detectable active caspase-3 expression in HUVECs. The tumor growth suppression rate of AdHT-rev-casp3 was 54.94%, significantly higher than that of phosphate-buffered saline at the end point of the study. AdHT-rev-casp3 significantly improved the survival of mice receiving intraperitoneal inoculation of AO cells with little liver damage, with the mean survival of 177 ± 12 days. AdHT-rev-casp3 causes effective apoptosis

Genetically Distinct Subsets within ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

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Lyons, Paul A.; Rayner, Tim F.; Trivedi, Sapna; Holle, Julia U.; Watts, Richard A.; Jayne, David R.W.; Baslund, Bo; Brenchley, Paul; Bruchfeld, Annette; Chaudhry, Afzal N.; Tervaert, Jan Willem Cohen; Deloukas, Panos; Feighery, Conleth; Gross, Wolfgang L.; Guillevin, Loic; Gunnarsson, Iva; P, Lorraine Harper M.R.C; Hrušková, Zdenka; Little, Mark A.; Martorana, Davide; Neumann, Thomas; Ohlsson, Sophie; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Pusey, Charles D.; Salama, Alan D.; Sanders, Jan-Stephan F.; Savage, Caroline O.; Segelmark, Mårten; Stegeman, Coen A.; Tesař, Vladimir; Vaglio, Augusto; Wieczorek, Stefan; Wilde, Benjamin; Zwerina, Jochen; Rees, Andrew J.; Clayton, David G.; Smith, Kenneth G.C.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis is a severe condition encompassing two major syndromes: granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis) and microscopic polyangiitis. Its cause is unknown, and there is debate about whether it is a single disease entity and what role ANCA plays in its pathogenesis. We investigated its genetic basis. METHODS A genomewide association study was performed in a discovery cohort of 1233 U.K. patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and 5884 controls and was replicated in 1454 Northern European case patients and 1666 controls. Quality control, population stratification, and statistical analyses were performed according to standard criteria. RESULTS We found both major-histocompatibility-complex (MHC) and non-MHC associations with ANCA-associated vasculitis and also that granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis were genetically distinct. The strongest genetic associations were with the antigenic specificity of ANCA, not with the clinical syndrome. Anti–proteinase 3 ANCA was associated with HLA-DP and the genes encoding α1-antitrypsin (SERPINA1) and proteinase 3 (PRTN3) (P = 6.2×10−89, P = 5.6×10−12, and P = 2.6×10−7, respectively). Anti–myeloperoxidase ANCA was associated with HLA-DQ (P = 2.1×10−8). CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that the pathogenesis of ANCA-associated vasculitis has a genetic component, shows genetic distinctions between granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis that are associated with ANCA specificity, and suggests that the response against the autoantigen proteinase 3 is a central pathogenic feature of proteinase 3 ANCA–associated vasculitis. These data provide preliminary support for the concept that proteinase 3 ANCA–associated vasculitis and myeloperoxidase ANCA–associated vasculitis are distinct autoimmune syndromes. (Funded by the British Heart Foundation and others.) PMID

Participation and social participation: are they distinct concepts?

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Piškur, Barbara; Daniëls, Ramon; Jongmans, Marian J; Ketelaar, Marjolijn; Smeets, Rob J E M; Norton, Meghan; Beurskens, Anna J H M

2014-03-01

The concept of participation has been extensively used in health and social care literature since the World Health Organization introduced its description in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in 2001. More recently, the concept of social participation is frequently used in research articles and policy reports. However, in the ICF, no specific definition exists for social participation, and an explanation of differences between the concepts is not available. The central question in this discussion article is whether participation, as defined by the ICF, and social participation are distinct concepts. This article illustrates the concepts of participation and social participation, presents a critical discussion of their definitions, followed by implications for rehabilitation and possible future directions. A clear definition for participation or social participation does not yet exist. Definitions for social participation differ from each other and are not sufficiently distinct from the ICF definition of participation. Although the ICF is regarded an important conceptual framework, it is criticised for not being comprehensive. The relevance of societal involvement of clients is evident for rehabilitation, but the current ICF definition of participation does not sufficiently capture societal involvement. Changing the ICF's definition of participation towards social roles would overcome a number of its shortcomings. Societal involvement would then be understood in the light of social roles. Consequently, there would be no need to make a distinction between social participation and participation.

Processing vertical size disparities in distinct depth planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Philip A; Howard, Ian P

2012-08-17

A textured surface appears slanted about a vertical axis when the image in one eye is horizontally enlarged relative to the image in the other eye. The surface appears slanted in the opposite direction when the same image is vertically enlarged. Two superimposed textured surfaces with different horizontal size disparities appear as two surfaces that differ in slant. Superimposed textured surfaces with equal and opposite vertical size disparities appear as a single frontal surface. The vertical disparities are averaged. We investigated whether vertical size disparities are averaged across two superimposed textured surfaces in different depth planes or whether they induce distinct slants in the two depth planes. In Experiment 1, two superimposed textured surfaces with different vertical size disparities were presented in two depth planes defined by horizontal disparity. The surfaces induced distinct slants when the horizontal disparity was more than ±5 arcmin. Thus, vertical size disparities are not averaged over surfaces with different horizontal disparities. In Experiment 2 we confirmed that vertical size disparities are processed in surfaces away from the horopter, so the results of Experiment 1 cannot be explained by the processing of vertical size disparities in a fixated surface only. Together, these results show that vertical size disparities are processed separately in distinct depth planes. The results also suggest that vertical size disparities are not used to register slant globally by their effect on the registration of binocular direction of gaze.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa diversity in distinct paediatric patient groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tramper-Stranders, G.A.; Ent, C.K. van der; Wolfs, T.F.

2008-01-01

the other groups. A group of clonal isolates was observed among patients from the CF-chronic and CF-1 groups. These or different clonal isolates were not encountered among the three other patient groups. No characteristic resistance pattern could be identified among isolates from the distinct patient groups......Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that often infects patients who are either immunocompromised or have local defects in host defences. It is known that cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are sometimes infected with certain clonal isolates. It is not clear whether these clonal isolates also infect non......-CF patients and whether clonality of isolates occurs in other patient groups. The aim of this study was to investigate P. aeruginosa diversity and the occurrence of clones within five distinct paediatric patient groups susceptible to P. aeruginosa infection. P. aeruginosa isolates were cultured from 157...

European freshwater VHSV genotype Ia isolates divide into two distinct subpopulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kahns, Søren; Skall, Helle Frank; Kaas, Rolf Sommer

2012-01-01

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS), caused by the novirhabdovirus VHSV, often leads to significant economic losses to European rainbow trout production. The virus isolates are divided into 4 distinct genotypes with additional subgroups including sublineage Ia, isolates of which are the main...... detected in Denmark since January 2009. Full-length G-genes of all Danish VHSV isolates that were submitted for diagnostic analyses in the period 2004−2009 were sequenced and analysed. All 58 Danish isolates from rainbow trout grouped with sublineage Ia isolates. Furthermore, VHSV isolates from infected...... Danish freshwater catchments appear to have evolved into a distinct clade within sublineage Ia, herein designated clade Ia-1, whereas trout isolates originating from other continental European countries cluster in another distinct clade, designated clade Ia-2. In addition, phylogenetic analyses indicate...

Confluence for classical logic through the distinction between values and computations

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José Espírito Santo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available We apply an idea originated in the theory of programming languages - monadic meta-language with a distinction between values and computations - in the design of a calculus of cut-elimination for classical logic. The cut-elimination calculus we obtain comprehends the call-by-name and call-by-value fragments of Curien-Herbelin's lambda-bar-mu-mu-tilde-calculus without losing confluence, and is based on a distinction of "modes" in the proof expressions and "mode" annotations in types. Modes resemble colors and polarities, but are quite different: we give meaning to them in terms of a monadic meta-language where the distinction between values and computations is fully explored. This meta-language is a refinement of the classical monadic language previously introduced by the authors, and is also developed in the paper.

Unsentimental Ethics: Towards a Content-Specific Account of the Moral-Conventional Distinction

Science.gov (United States)

Royzman, Edward B.; Leeman, Robert F.; Baron, Jonathan

2009-01-01

In this paper, we offer an overview and a critique of the existing theories of the moral-conventional distinction, with emphasis on Nichols's [Nichols, S. (2002). Norms with feeling: Towards a psychological account of moral judgment. "Cognition, 84", 221-236] neo-sentimentalist approach. After discussing some distinctive features of Nichols's…

Number of perceptually distinct surface colors in natural scenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Franch, Iván; Foster, David H

2010-09-30

The ability to perceptually identify distinct surfaces in natural scenes by virtue of their color depends not only on the relative frequency of surface colors but also on the probabilistic nature of observer judgments. Previous methods of estimating the number of discriminable surface colors, whether based on theoretical color gamuts or recorded from real scenes, have taken a deterministic approach. Thus, a three-dimensional representation of the gamut of colors is divided into elementary cells or points which are spaced at one discrimination-threshold unit intervals and which are then counted. In this study, information-theoretic methods were used to take into account both differing surface-color frequencies and observer response uncertainty. Spectral radiances were calculated from 50 hyperspectral images of natural scenes and were represented in a perceptually almost uniform color space. The average number of perceptually distinct surface colors was estimated as 7.3 × 10(3), much smaller than that based on counting methods. This number is also much smaller than the number of distinct points in a scene that are, in principle, available for reliable identification under illuminant changes, suggesting that color constancy, or the lack of it, does not generally determine the limit on the use of color for surface identification.

Distinct Evening Fatigue Profiles in Oncology Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Fay; Cooper, Bruce A.; Conley, Yvette P.; Hammer, Marilyn J.; Chen, Lee-May; Paul, Steven M.; Levine, Jon D.; Miaskowski, Christine; Kober, Kord M.

2018-01-01

Background Fatigue is the most common and debilitating symptom experienced by oncology patients during chemotherapy (CTX). Fatigue severity demonstrates a large amount of inter-individual and diurnal variability. Purpose Study purposes were to evaluate for subgroups of patients with distinct evening fatigue profiles and evaluate how these subgroups differed on demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics. Methods Outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer (n=1332) completed questionnaires six times over two cycles of CTX. Lee Fatigue Scale (LFS) evaluated evening fatigue severity. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct evening fatigue profiles. Results Four distinct evening fatigue classes (i.e., Low (14.0%), Moderate (17.2%), High (36.0%), Very High (32.8%)) were identified. Compared to the Low class, patients in the Very High evening fatigue class were: younger, female, had childcare responsibilities, had more years of education, had a lower functional status, had a higher comorbidity burden, and were diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients in the Very High class reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, and evening fatigue at enrollment. Conclusions Findings provide new insights into modifiable risk factors for higher levels of evening fatigue. Clinicians can use this information to identify higher risk patients and plan appropriate interventions. PMID:29725554

Organism versus mechanism: Losing our grip on the distinction

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Henk Reitsema

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The distinction between organism and mechanism is often subtle or unclear and yet can prove to be fundamental to our understanding of the world. It has been tempting for many thinkers to seek to ‘understand’ all of reality through the lens of either the one or the other of these concepts rather than by giving both a place. This article sets out to argue that there is a substantial loss of understanding when either of these metaphors is absolutised to explain all causal processes and patterns in reality. Clarifying the distinction between the two may provide one more tool to grasp what is reductionist in many of the perspectives that have come to dominate public life and science today. This contention is tested on the quest for the design of self-replicating systems (i.e. synthetic organisms in the nanotech industry. It is common that the concepts of organic functioning and mechanism are used imprecisely and in an overlapping way. This is also true of much scientific debate, especially in the fields of biology, micro-biology and nano-science. This imprecise use signals a reductionist tendency both in the way that the organic is perceived and in terms of the distinctive nature of mechanisms.

Angiogenesis interactome and time course microarray data reveal the distinct activation patterns in endothelial cells.

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Liang-Hui Chu

Full Text Available Angiogenesis involves stimulation of endothelial cells (EC by various cytokines and growth factors, but the signaling mechanisms are not completely understood. Combining dynamic gene expression time-course data for stimulated EC with protein-protein interactions associated with angiogenesis (the "angiome" could reveal how different stimuli result in different patterns of network activation and could implicate signaling intermediates as points for control or intervention. We constructed the protein-protein interaction networks of positive and negative regulation of angiogenesis comprising 367 and 245 proteins, respectively. We used five published gene expression datasets derived from in vitro assays using different types of blood endothelial cells stimulated by VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A. We used the Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM to identify significant temporal gene expression profiles. The statistically significant patterns between 2D fibronectin and 3D type I collagen substrates for telomerase-immortalized EC (TIME show that different substrates could influence the temporal gene activation patterns in the same cell line. We investigated the different activation patterns among 18 transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors, and experimentally measured the protein level of the tyrosine-kinase receptors VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 in human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC and human microvascular EC (MEC. The results show that VEGFR1-VEGFR2 levels are more closely coupled than VEGFR1-VEGFR3 or VEGFR2-VEGFR3 in HUVEC and MEC. This computational methodology can be extended to investigate other molecules or biological processes such as cell cycle.

Dissociative effects of orthographic distinctiveness in pure and mixed lists: an item-order account.

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McDaniel, Mark A; Cahill, Michael; Bugg, Julie M; Meadow, Nathaniel G

2011-10-01

We apply the item-order theory of list composition effects in free recall to the orthographic distinctiveness effect. The item-order account assumes that orthographically distinct items advantage item-specific encoding in both mixed and pure lists, but at the expense of exploiting relational information present in the list. Experiment 1 replicated the typical free recall advantage of orthographically distinct items in mixed lists and the elimination of that advantage in pure lists. Supporting the item-order account, recognition performances indicated that orthographically distinct items received greater item-specific encoding than did orthographically common items in mixed and pure lists (Experiments 1 and 2). Furthermore, order memory (input-output correspondence and sequential contiguity effects) was evident in recall of pure unstructured common lists, but not in recall of unstructured distinct lists (Experiment 1). These combined patterns, although not anticipated by prevailing views, are consistent with an item-order account.

Mechanisms of telomere loss and their consequences for chromosome instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muraki, Keiko; Nyhan, Kristine; Han, Limei; Murnane, John P.

2012-01-01

The ends of chromosomes in mammals, called telomeres, are composed of a 6-bp repeat sequence, TTAGGG, which is added on by the enzyme telomerase. In combination with a protein complex called shelterin, these telomeric repeat sequences form a cap that protects the ends of chromosomes. Due to insufficient telomerase expression, telomeres shorten gradually with each cell division in human somatic cells, which limits the number of times they can divide. The extensive cell division involved in cancer cell progression therefore requires that cancer cells must acquire the ability to maintain telomeres, either through expression of telomerase, or through an alternative mechanism involving recombination. It is commonly thought that the source of many chromosome rearrangements in cancer cells is a result of the extensive telomere shortening that occurs prior to the expression of telomerase. However, despite the expression of telomerase, tumor cells can continue to show chromosome instability due to telomere loss. Dysfunctional telomeres in cancer cells can result from oncogene-induced replication stress, which results in double-strand breaks (DSBs) at fragile sites, including telomeres. DSBs near telomeres are especially prone to chromosome rearrangements, because telomeric regions are deficient in DSB repair. The deficiency in DSB repair near telomeres is also an important mechanism for ionizing radiation-induced replicative senescence in normal human cells. In addition, DSBs near telomeres can result in chromosome instability in mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting that telomere loss can contribute to heritable chromosome rearrangements. Consistent with this possibility, telomeric regions in humans are highly heterogeneous, and chromosome rearrangements near telomeres are commonly involved in human genetic disease. Understanding the mechanisms of telomere loss will therefore provide important insights into both human cancer and genetic disease.

Mechanisms of telomere loss and their consequences for chromosome instability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keiko eMuraki

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The ends of chromosomes in mammals, called telomeres, are composed of a 6 base pair repeat sequence, TTAGGG, which is added on by the enzyme telomerase. In combination with a protein complex called shelterin, these telomeric repeat sequences form a cap that protects the ends of chromosomes. Due to insufficient telomerase expression, telomeres shorten gradually with each cell division in human somatic cells, which limits the number of times they can divide. The extensive cell division involved in cancer cell progression therefore requires that cancer cells must acquire the ability to maintain telomeres, either through expression of telomerase, or through an alternative mechanism involving recombination. It is commonly thought that the source of many chromosome rearrangements in cancer cells is a result of the extensive telomere shortening that occurs prior to the expression of telomerase. However, despite the expression of telomerase, tumor cells can continue to show chromosome instability due to telomere loss. Dysfunctional telomeres in cancer cells can result from oncogene-induced replication stress, which results in double-strand breaks (DSBs at fragile sites, including telomeres. DSBs near telomeres are especially prone to chromosome rearrangements, because telomeric regions are deficient in DSB repair. The deficiency in DSB repair near telomeres is also an important mechanism for ionizing radiation-induced replicative senescence in normal human cells. In addition, DSBs near telomeres can result in chromosome instability in mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting that telomere loss can contribute to heritable chromosome rearrangements. Consistent with this possibility, telomeric regions in humans are highly heterogeneous, and chromosome rearrangements near telomeres are commonly involved in human genetic disease. Understanding the mechanisms of telomere loss will therefore provide important insights into both human cancer and genetic disease.

Mechanisms of telomere loss and their consequences for chromosome instability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muraki, Keiko; Nyhan, Kristine; Han, Limei; Murnane, John P., E-mail: jmurnane@radonc.ucsf.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2012-10-04

The ends of chromosomes in mammals, called telomeres, are composed of a 6-bp repeat sequence, TTAGGG, which is added on by the enzyme telomerase. In combination with a protein complex called shelterin, these telomeric repeat sequences form a cap that protects the ends of chromosomes. Due to insufficient telomerase expression, telomeres shorten gradually with each cell division in human somatic cells, which limits the number of times they can divide. The extensive cell division involved in cancer cell progression therefore requires that cancer cells must acquire the ability to maintain telomeres, either through expression of telomerase, or through an alternative mechanism involving recombination. It is commonly thought that the source of many chromosome rearrangements in cancer cells is a result of the extensive telomere shortening that occurs prior to the expression of telomerase. However, despite the expression of telomerase, tumor cells can continue to show chromosome instability due to telomere loss. Dysfunctional telomeres in cancer cells can result from oncogene-induced replication stress, which results in double-strand breaks (DSBs) at fragile sites, including telomeres. DSBs near telomeres are especially prone to chromosome rearrangements, because telomeric regions are deficient in DSB repair. The deficiency in DSB repair near telomeres is also an important mechanism for ionizing radiation-induced replicative senescence in normal human cells. In addition, DSBs near telomeres can result in chromosome instability in mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting that telomere loss can contribute to heritable chromosome rearrangements. Consistent with this possibility, telomeric regions in humans are highly heterogeneous, and chromosome rearrangements near telomeres are commonly involved in human genetic disease. Understanding the mechanisms of telomere loss will therefore provide important insights into both human cancer and genetic disease.

76 FR 14883 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

...-XZ58 Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of..., published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the... published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the...

The theory–practice distinction and the complexity of practical knowledge

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Bonnie Miller-McLemore

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Over the past few decades, theologians have recognised the value of practice but have been optimistic about the ease with which practice is incorporated into theology. People use all sorts of adjectives to characterise the complex relationship – ‘integrally related’, a ‘deeper reciprocity’, ‘bound up in thickly intertwined ways’ – but connecting the two is not as easy as these words suggest. This article returns to the age-old question about the relationship between theory and practice. But it studies this question from the angle of practice. Although many scholars have analysed the distinction between theory and practice as it functions conceptually, few have examined challenges in relating the two as they emerge in practice. The article argues that there is an inevitable distinction between theory and practice that receives considerably less attention and needs more understanding and even respect. It also argues that the discipline of practical theology adds a distinctive angle on this discussion because it considers how the concepts function practically.

Magnetic mirror fusion systems: Characteristics and distinctive features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1987-01-01

A tutorial account is given of the main characteristics and distinctive features of conceptual magnetic fusion systems employing the magnetic mirror principle. These features are related to the potential advantages that mirror-based fusion systems may exhibit for the generation of economic fusion power

Ethanol induces cell-cycle activity and reduces stem cell diversity to alter both regenerative capacity and differentiation potential of cerebral cortical neuroepithelial precursors

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Tingling Joseph D

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The fetal cortical neuroepithelium is a mosaic of distinct progenitor populations that elaborate diverse cellular fates. Ethanol induces apoptosis and interferes with the survival of differentiating neurons. However, we know little about ethanol's effects on neuronal progenitors. We therefore exposed neurosphere cultures from fetal rat cerebral cortex, to varying ethanol concentrations, to examine the impact of ethanol on stem cell fate. Results Ethanol promoted cell cycle progression, increased neurosphere number and increased diversity in neurosphere size, without inducing apoptosis. Unlike controls, dissociated cortical progenitors exposed to ethanol exhibited morphological evidence for asymmetric cell division, and cells derived from ethanol pre-treated neurospheres exhibited decreased proliferation capacity. Ethanol significantly reduced the numbers of cells expressing the stem cell markers CD117, CD133, Sca-1 and ABCG2, without decreasing nestin expression. Furthermore, ethanol-induced neurosphere proliferation was not accompanied by a commensurate increase in telomerase activity. Finally, cells derived from ethanol-pretreated neurospheres exhibited decreased differentiation in response to retinoic acid. Conclusion The reduction in stem cell number along with a transient ethanol-driven increase in cell proliferation, suggests that ethanol promotes stem to blast cell maturation, ultimately depleting the reserve proliferation capacity of neuroepithelial cells. However, the lack of a concomitant change in telomerase activity suggests that neuroepithelial maturation is accompanied by an increased potential for genomic instability. Finally, the cellular phenotype that emerges from ethanol pre-treated, stem cell depleted neurospheres is refractory to additional differentiation stimuli, suggesting that ethanol exposure ablates or delays subsequent neuronal differentiation.

Mapping Phylogenetic Trees to Reveal Distinct Patterns of Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendall, Michelle; Colijn, Caroline

2016-10-01

Evolutionary relationships are frequently described by phylogenetic trees, but a central barrier in many fields is the difficulty of interpreting data containing conflicting phylogenetic signals. We present a metric-based method for comparing trees which extracts distinct alternative evolutionary relationships embedded in data. We demonstrate detection and resolution of phylogenetic uncertainty in a recent study of anole lizards, leading to alternate hypotheses about their evolutionary relationships. We use our approach to compare trees derived from different genes of Ebolavirus and find that the VP30 gene has a distinct phylogenetic signature composed of three alternatives that differ in the deep branching structure. phylogenetics, evolution, tree metrics, genetics, sequencing. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

The telomere length dynamic and methods of its assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Kah-Wai; Yan, Ju

2005-01-01

Human telomeres are composed of long repeating sequences of TTAGGG, associated with a variety of telomere-binding proteins. Its function as an end-protector of chromosomes prevents the chromosome from end-to-end fusion, recombination and degradation. Telomerase acts as reverse transcriptase in the elongation of telomeres, which prevent the loss of telomeres due to the end replication problems. However, telomerase activity is detected at low level in somatic cells and high level in embryonic stem cells and tumor cells. It confers immortality to embryonic stem cells and tumor cells. In most tumor cells, telomeres are extremely short and stable. Telomere length is an important indicator of the telomerase activity in tumor cells and it may be used in the prognosis of malignancy. Thus, the assessment of telomeres length is of great experimental and clinical significance. This review describes the role of telomere and telomerase in cancer pathogenesis and the dynamics of the telomeres length in different cell types. The various methods of measurement of telomeres length, i.e. southern blot, hybridization protection assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization, primed in situ, quantitative PCR and single telomere length analysis are discussed. The principle and comparative evaluation of these methods are reviewed. The detection of G-strand overhang by telomeric-oligonucleotide ligation assay, primer extension/nick translation assay and electron microscopy are briefly discussed.

Substantial Union or Substantial Distinction of Mind and Body in Descartes' Metaphysics

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Fahime Jamei

2009-01-01

Full Text Available According to Descartes’ metaphysics there are two different kinds of substances in the world of creatures: “thinking substance” and “extended substance” or soul and matter. In Descartes’ philosophy the soul is equal to the mind and considered as a “thinking substance”. This immaterial substance is the essence of the human being. Body, being considered as a “matter“, is an “extended substance” and entirely distinct from the soul. The soul, therefore, exists and may be known prior to body and, not being corporeal, can exist after human death. Hence, Descartes can prove the immortality of human soul in the framework of the principle of substantial distinction. On the other hand, as a physiologist and psychologist, Descartes indeed believes in mind-body union, so that some causal interactions between mind and body show their substantial union. In this essay, the authors show that Descartes faces a serious problem in combining substantial union of mind and body with their substantial distinction; despite of his efforts in introducing the idea of pineal gland, the problem remains unsolved. Therefore it seems that as he cannot dispense with his only reason for proving the immortality of human soul, he has to hold the mind-body distinction theory in his metaphysics. Indeed, Descartes prefers to support the distinction theory rather than union theory in confronting a thesis and an antithesis stating one of two theories

Substantial :union: or Substantial Distinction of Mind and Body in Descartes\\' Metaphysics

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f Jamei

2009-06-01

Full Text Available According to Descartes’ metaphysics there are two different kinds of substances in the world of creatures: “thinking substance” and “extended substance” or soul and matter. In Descartes’ philosophy the soul is equal to the mind and considered as a “thinking substance”. This immaterial substance is the essence of the human being. Body, being considered as a “matter“, is an “extended substance” and entirely distinct from the soul. The soul, therefore, exists and may be known prior to body and, not being corporeal, can exist after human death. Hence, Descartes can prove the immortality of human soul in the framework of the principle of substantial distinction. On the other hand, as a physiologist and psychologist, Descartes indeed believes in mind-body :union:, so that some causal interactions between mind and body show their substantial :union:. In this essay, the authors show that Descartes faces a serious problem in combining substantial :union: of mind and body with their substantial distinction despite of his efforts in introducing the idea of pineal gland, the problem remains unsolved. Therefore it seems that as he cannot dispense with his only reason for proving the immortality of human soul, he has to hold the mind-body distinction theory in his metaphysics. Indeed, Descartes prefers to support the distinction theory rather than :union: theory in confronting a thesis and an antithesis stating one of two theories.

Morphological distinctiveness of Javan Tupaia hypochrysa (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Sargis, Eric J.; Woodman, Neal; Morningstar, Natalie C.; Reese, Aspen T.; Olson, Link E.

2013-01-01

The common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, represents a species complex with a complicated taxonomic history. It is distributed mostly south of the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands. In our recent revision of a portion of this species complex, we did not fully assess the population from Java (T. “glis” hypochrysa) because of our limited sample. Herein, we revisit this taxon using multivariate analyses in comparisons with T. glis, T. chrysogaster of the Mentawai Islands, and T. ferruginea from Sumatra. Analyses of both the manus and skull of Javan T. “glis” hypochrysa show it to be most similar to T. chrysogaster and distinct from both T. glis and T. ferruginea. Yet, the Javan population and T. chrysogaster have different mammae counts, supporting recognition of T. hypochrysa as a distinct species. The change in taxonomic status of T. hypochrysa has conservation implications for both T. glis and this Javan endemic.

Mistakes To Avoid In Attacking The Moral/Conventional Distinction

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Alejandro Rosas

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In an experimental critique of the moral/conventional (M/C distinction, Kelly et al. (2007 present new experimental data about responses to transgressions involving harm, where the novelty is that transgressors are grown-ups, rather than children. Their data do not support the moral/conventional distinction. The contrast between grown-up and schoolyard transgressions does not seem, however, to explain their results: they also use two schoolyard transgressions with similar negative results for the M/C distinction.I here attempt to explain away their results by calling attention to two mistakes in their experimental design. One refers to the use of questionnaire-items of the type that Turiel and collaborators have called mixed-domain situations, which extend over both a moral and a conventional domain. Participants respond to these cases differently than to prototypical moral situations, because some allow the authority rule to override the moral rule. The second mistake emerges in the grown-up transgressions labeled as Whipping/temporal, Whipping/Authority, Spanking/Authority, Prisoner abuse/Authority. These are not the typical transgressions unambiguously “involving a victim who has been harmed, whose rights have been violated, or who has been subject to an injustice”. The victims are also transgressors and harm is inflicted on them as punishment. Plausibly, rules about corporal punishment depend on authority in a way that rules about harming the innocent do not.

Unified thalamic model generates multiple distinct oscillations with state-dependent entrainment by stimulation.

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Guoshi Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The thalamus plays a critical role in the genesis of thalamocortical oscillations, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To understand whether the isolated thalamus can generate multiple distinct oscillations, we developed a biophysical thalamic model to test the hypothesis that generation of and transition between distinct thalamic oscillations can be explained as a function of neuromodulation by acetylcholine (ACh and norepinephrine (NE and afferent synaptic excitation. Indeed, the model exhibited four distinct thalamic rhythms (delta, sleep spindle, alpha and gamma oscillations that span the physiological states corresponding to different arousal levels from deep sleep to focused attention. Our simulation results indicate that generation of these distinct thalamic oscillations is a result of both intrinsic oscillatory cellular properties and specific network connectivity patterns. We then systematically varied the ACh/NE and input levels to generate a complete map of the different oscillatory states and their transitions. Lastly, we applied periodic stimulation to the thalamic network and found that entrainment of thalamic oscillations is highly state-dependent. Our results support the hypothesis that ACh/NE modulation and afferent excitation define thalamic oscillatory states and their response to brain stimulation. Our model proposes a broader and more central role of the thalamus in the genesis of multiple distinct thalamo-cortical rhythms than previously assumed.

Hypoxia induces telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT gene expression in non-tumor fish tissues in vivo: the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma model

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Mok Helen OL

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current understanding on the relationships between hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1 and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT gene expression are largely based on in vitro studies in human cancer cells. Although several reports demonstrated HIF-1- mediated upregulation of the human TERT gene under hypoxia, conflicting findings have also been reported. Thus far, it remains uncertain whether these findings can be directly extrapolated to non-tumor tissues in other whole animal systems in vivo. While fish often encounter environmental hypoxia, the in vivo regulation of TERT by hypoxia in non-neoplastic tissues of fish remains virtually unknown. Results The adult marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma was employed as a model fish in this study. We have cloned and characterized a 3261-bp full-length TERT cDNA, omTERT, which encodes a protein of 1086 amino acids. It contains all of the functional motifs that are conserved in other vertebrate TERTs. Motif E is the most highly conserved showing 90.9–100% overall identity among the fish TERTs and 63.6% overall identity among vertebrates. Analysis of the 5'-flanking sequence of the omTERT gene identified two HRE (hypoxia-responsive element; nt. – 283 and – 892 cores. Overexpression of the HIF-1α induced omTERT promoter activity as demonstrated using transient transfection assays. The omTERT gene is ubiquitously expressed in fish under normoxia, albeit at varying levels, where highest expression was observed in gonads and the lowest in liver. In vivo expression of omTERT was significantly upregulated in testis and liver in response to hypoxia (at 96 h and 48 h, respectively, where concomitant induction of the omHIF-1α and erythropoietin (omEpo genes was also observed. In situ hybridization analysis showed that hypoxic induction of omTERT mRNA was clearly evident in hepatocytes in the caudal region of liver and in spermatogonia-containing cysts in testis. Conclusion This

SIFT-CCH: Increasing the SIFT distinctness by color co-occurrence histograms

OpenAIRE

ANCUTI, Cosmin; BEKAERT, Philippe

2007-01-01

Describing regions in a distinctive way, in order to find correct correspondences in images of two separated views, represents a complex and essential task of computer vision. Until now, SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) has been proven to be the most reliable descriptor among the others. One of the main drawbacks of SIFT is its vulnerability to color images, being designed mainly for the gray images. To overcome this problem and also to increase the overall distinctness of the SIFT ...

Distinct types of glial cells populate the Drosophila antenna

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Jhaveri Dhanisha

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of nervous systems involves reciprocal interactions between neurons and glia. In the Drosophila olfactory system, peripheral glial cells arise from sensory lineages specified by the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Atonal. These glia wrap around the developing olfactory axons early during development and pattern the three distinct fascicles as they exit the antenna. In the moth Manduca sexta, an additional set of central glia migrate to the base of the antennal nerve where axons sort to their glomerular targets. In this work, we have investigated whether similar types of cells exist in the Drosophila antenna. Results We have used different P(Gal4 lines to drive Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP in distinct populations of cells within the Drosophila antenna. Mz317::GFP, a marker for cell body and perineural glia, labels the majority of peripheral glia. An additional ~30 glial cells detected by GH146::GFP do not derive from any of the sensory lineages and appear to migrate into the antenna from the brain. Their appearance in the third antennal segment is regulated by normal function of the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor and small GTPases. We denote these distinct populations of cells as Mz317-glia and GH146-glia respectively. In the adult, processes of GH146-glial cells ensheath the olfactory receptor neurons directly, while those of the Mz317-glia form a peripheral layer. Ablation of GH146-glia does not result in any significant effects on the patterning of the olfactory receptor axons. Conclusion We have demonstrated the presence of at least two distinct populations of glial cells within the Drosophila antenna. GH146-glial cells originate in the brain and migrate to the antenna along the newly formed olfactory axons. The number of cells populating the third segment of the antenna is regulated by signaling through the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor. These glia share several features of the sorting

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

OpenAIRE

Sadler, John Z

2006-01-01

Abstract In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism.

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia induce distinct host responses.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Kevin W; McDunn, Jonathan E; Clark, Andrew T; Dunne, W Michael; Dixon, David J; Turnbull, Isaiah R; Dipasco, Peter J; Osberghaus, William F; Sherman, Benjamin; Martin, James R; Walter, Michael J; Cobb, J Perren; Buchman, Timothy G; Hotchkiss, Richard S; Coopersmith, Craig M

2010-01-01

Pathogens that cause pneumonia may be treated in a targeted fashion by antibiotics, but if this therapy fails, then treatment involves only nonspecific supportive measures, independent of the inciting infection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether host response is similar after disparate infections with similar mortalities. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Animal laboratory in a university medical center. Pneumonia was induced in FVB/N mice by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or two different concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from septic animals was assayed by a microarray immunoassay measuring 18 inflammatory mediators at multiple time points. The host response was dependent on the causative organism as well as kinetics of mortality, but the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses were independent of inoculum concentration or degree of bacteremia. Pneumonia caused by different concentrations of the same bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, also yielded distinct inflammatory responses; however, inflammatory mediator expression did not directly track the severity of infection. For all infections, the host response was compartmentalized, with markedly different concentrations of inflammatory mediators in the systemic circulation and the lungs. Hierarchical clustering analysis resulted in the identification of five distinct clusters of the host response to bacterial infection. Principal components analysis correlated pulmonary macrophage inflammatory peptide-2 and interleukin-10 with progression of infection, whereas elevated plasma tumor necrosis factor sr2 and macrophage chemotactic peptide-1 were indicative of fulminant disease with >90% mortality within 48 hrs. Septic mice have distinct local and systemic responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Targeting specific host inflammatory responses induced by distinct bacterial infections could represent a

Distinct collective states due to trade-off between attractive and repulsive couplings

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Sathiyadevi, K.; Chandrasekar, V. K.; Senthilkumar, D. V.; Lakshmanan, M.

2018-03-01

We investigate the effect of repulsive coupling together with an attractive coupling in a network of nonlocally coupled oscillators. To understand the complex interaction between these two couplings we introduce a control parameter in the repulsive coupling which plays a crucial role in inducing distinct complex collective patterns. In particular, we show the emergence of various cluster chimera death states through a dynamically distinct transition route, namely the oscillatory cluster state and coherent oscillation death state as a function of the repulsive coupling in the presence of the attractive coupling. In the oscillatory cluster state, the oscillators in the network are grouped into two distinct dynamical states of homogeneous and inhomogeneous oscillatory states. Further, the network of coupled oscillators follow the same transition route in the entire coupling range. Depending upon distinct coupling ranges, the system displays different number of clusters in the death state and oscillatory state. We also observe that the number of coherent domains in the oscillatory cluster state exponentially decreases with increase in coupling range and obeys a power-law decay. Additionally, we show analytical stability for observed solitary state, synchronized state, and incoherent oscillation death state.

Adaptation of flower and fruit colours to multiple, distinct mutualists.

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Renoult, Julien P; Valido, Alfredo; Jordano, Pedro; Schaefer, H Martin

2014-01-01

Communication in plant-animal mutualisms frequently involves multiple perceivers. A fundamental uncertainty is whether and how species adapt to communicate with groups of mutualists having distinct sensory abilities. We quantified the colour conspicuousness of flowers and fruits originating from one European and two South American plant communities, using visual models of pollinators (bee and fly) and seed dispersers (bird, primate and marten). We show that flowers are more conspicuous than fruits to pollinators, and the reverse to seed dispersers. In addition, flowers are more conspicuous to pollinators than to seed dispersers and the reverse for fruits. Thus, despite marked differences in the visual systems of mutualists, flower and fruit colours have evolved to attract multiple, distinct mutualists but not unintended perceivers. We show that this adaptation is facilitated by a limited correlation between flower and fruit colours, and by the fact that colour signals as coded at the photoreceptor level are more similar within than between functional groups (pollinators and seed dispersers). Overall, these results provide the first quantitative demonstration that flower and fruit colours are adaptations allowing plants to communicate simultaneously with distinct groups of mutualists. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Differential autoshaping to common and distinctive elements of positive and negative discriminative stimuli.

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Wasserman, E A; Anderson, P A

1974-11-01

The learning by hungry pigeons of a discrimination between two successively presented compound visual stimuli was investigated using a two-key autoshaping procedure. Common and distinctive stimulus elements were simultaneously presented on separate keys and either followed by food delivery, S+, or not, S-. The subjects acquired both between-trial and within-trial discriminations. On S+ trials, pigeons pecked the distinctive stimulus more than the common stimulus; before responding ceased on S- trials, they pecked the common stimulus more than the distinctive one. Mastery of the within-display discrimination during S+ trials preceded mastery of the between-trials discrimination. These findings extend the Jenkins-Sainsbury analysis of discriminations based upon a single distinguishing feature to discriminations in which common and distinctive elements are associated with both the positive and negative discriminative stimuli. The similarity of these findings to other effects found in autoshaping-approach to signals that forecast reinforcement and withdrawal from signals that forecast nonreinforcement-is also discussed.

Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

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Xu, Chun; Krabbe, Sabine; Gründemann, Jan; Botta, Paolo; Fadok, Jonathan P; Osakada, Fumitaka; Saur, Dieter; Grewe, Benjamin F; Schnitzer, Mark J; Callaway, Edward M; Lüthi, Andreas

2016-11-03

Memories about sensory experiences are tightly linked to the context in which they were formed. Memory contextualization is fundamental for the selection of appropriate behavioral reactions needed for survival, yet the underlying neuronal circuits are poorly understood. By combining trans-synaptic viral tracing and optogenetic manipulation, we found that the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and the amygdala, two key brain structures encoding context and emotional experiences, interact via multiple parallel pathways. A projection from the vHC to the basal amygdala mediates fear behavior elicited by a conditioned context, whereas a parallel projection from a distinct subset of vHC neurons onto midbrain-projecting neurons in the central amygdala is necessary for context-dependent retrieval of cued fear memories. Our findings demonstrate that two fundamentally distinct roles of context in fear memory retrieval are processed by distinct vHC output pathways, thereby allowing for the formation of robust contextual fear memories while preserving context-dependent behavioral flexibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crafty Entanglements: Knitting and Hard Distinctions in Aesthetics and Political Theory

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Kate M. Daley

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Many theoretical writings on aesthetics and politics rely on hard distinctions between what is and is not art, and what is and is not political. In this article, I draw on the work of theorists, knitters, and fiber artists to argue that hand knitting provides a lens through which to unsettle some of these distinctions. I illustrate some of the ways in which aesthetic theory relies on hard distinctions between art and not-art and politics and not-politics, with particular focus on the work of Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and Rancière. I explain how knitting is often seen as falling clearly outside the definitions of art and politics, and explore the surprising ways in which knitting shows the instability of these categories and expectations. I show that common social traditions and practices that often go unanalyzed can provide insight into the limitations and complexities of prevalent theoretical assumptions.

Single-strand DNA binding protein SSB1 facilitates TERT recruitment to telomeres and maintains telomere G-overhangs

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Pandita, Raj K.; Chow, Tracy T.; Udayakumar, Durga; Bain, Amanda L.; Cubeddu, Liza; Hunt, Clayton R.; Shi, Wei; Horikoshi, Nobuo; Zhao, Yong; Wright, Woodring E.; Khanna, Kum Kum; Shay, Jerry W.; Pandita, Tej K.

2015-01-01

Proliferating mammalian stem and cancer cells express telomerase (TERT) in an effort to extend chromosomal G-overhangs and maintain telomere ends. Telomerase-expressing cells also have higher levels of the single-stranded DNA binding protein SSB1, which has a critical role in DNA double-strand break repair. Here we report that SSB1 binds specifically to G-strand telomeric DNA in vitro and associates with telomeres in vivo. SSB1 interacted with the TERT catalytic subunit and regulates its interaction with telomeres. Deletion of SSB1 reduced TERT interaction with telomeres and lead to G-overhang loss. While SSB1 was recruited to DSB sites, we found no corresponding change in TERT levels at these sites, implying that SSB1-TERT interaction relied upon a specific chromatin structure or context. Our findings offer an explanation for how telomerase is recruited to telomeres to facilitate G-strand DNA extension, a critical step in maintaining telomere ends and cell viability in all cancer cells. PMID:25589350

Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Prevents Cell Cycle Arrest and Elongates Telomere Length in Senescent Human Diploid Fibroblasts

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Suzana Makpol

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This study determined the molecular mechanisms of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF in preventing cellular senescence of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs. Primary culture of HDFs at various passages were incubated with 0.5 mg/mL TRF for 24 h. Telomere shortening with decreased telomerase activity was observed in senescent HDFs while the levels of damaged DNA and number of cells in G0/G1 phase were increased and S phase cells were decreased. Incubation with TRF reversed the morphology of senescent HDFs to resemble that of young cells with decreased activity of SA-β-gal, damaged DNA, and cells in G0/G1 phase while cells in the S phase were increased. Elongated telomere length and restoration of telomerase activity were observed in TRF-treated senescent HDFs. These findings confirmed the ability of tocotrienol-rich fraction in preventing HDFs cellular ageing by restoring telomere length and telomerase activity, reducing damaged DNA, and reversing cell cycle arrest associated with senescence.

What History Tells Us about the Distinct Nature of Chemistry.

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Chang, Hasok

2017-11-01

Attention to the history of chemistry can help us recognise the characteristics of chemistry that have helped to maintain it as a separate scientific discipline with a unique identity. Three such features are highlighted in this paper. First, chemistry has maintained a distinct type of theoretical thinking, independent from that of physics even in the era of quantum chemistry. Second, chemical research has always been shaped by its ineliminable practical relevance and usefulness. Third, the lived experience of chemistry, spanning the laboratory, the classroom and everyday life, is distinctive in its multidimensional sensuousness. Furthermore, I argue that the combination of these three features makes chemistry an exemplary science.

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, John Z

2006-01-01

In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism. PMID:16759356

Fetterman-House: A Process Use Distinction and a Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterman, David

2003-01-01

Discusses the concept of process use as an important distinction between the evaluation theories of E. House and D. Fetterman, thus helping to explain the discordant results of C. Christie for these two theories. (SLD)

MicroRNA-532 and microRNA-3064 inhibit cell proliferation and invasion by acting as direct regulators of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in ovarian cancer.

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Lin Bai

Full Text Available Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT plays a crucial role in ovarian cancer (OC progression. However, the mechanisms underlying hTERT upregulation in OC, and the specific microRNAs (miRNAs involved in the regulation of hTERT in OC cells, remains unclear. We performed a bioinformatics search to identify potential miRNAs that bind to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR region of the hTERT mRNA. We examined the expression levels of miR-532/miR-3064 in OC tissues and normal ovarian tissues, and analyzed the correlation between miRNA expression and OC patient outcomes. The impacts of miR-532/miR-3064 on hTERT expression were evaluated by western blot analysis and hTERT 3'-UTR reporter assays. We investigated the effects of miR-532/miR-3064 on proliferation and invasion in OC cells. We found that miR-532 and miR-3064 are down-regulated in OC specimens. We observed a significant association between reduced miR-532/miR-3064 expression and poorer survival of patients with OC. We confirmed that in OC cells, these two miRNAs downregulate hTERT levels by directly targeting its 3'-UTR region, and inhibited proliferation, EMT and invasion of OC cells. In addition, the overexpression of the hTERT cDNA lacking the 3'-UTR partially restored miR-532/miR-3064-inhibited OC cell proliferation and invasion. The silencing of hTERT by siRNA oligonucleotides abolished these malignant features, and phenocopied the effects of miR-532/miR-3064 overexpression. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-532/miR-3064 inhibits the growth of OC cells in vivo. Our findings demonstrate a miR-532/miR-3064-mediated mechanism responsible for hTERT upregulation in OC cells, and reveal a possibility of targeting miR-532/miR-3064 for future treatment of OC.

Role of the functional MNS16A VNTR-243 variant of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in progression and response to therapy of patients with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Wysoczanska, B; Wrobel, T; Dobrzynska, O; Mazur, G; Bogunia-Kubik, K

2015-04-01

MNS16A is a functional polymorphic tandem repeat within the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene. To investigate whether any of the MNS16A repeats represents a genetic risk factor for NHL susceptibility, progression of or response to therapy in 75 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) and 126 healthy individuals were genotyped using the PCR-VNTR technique. A slightly higher frequency of the MNS16A VNTR-243 variant was detected among patients who did not respond to treatment (NR) as compared to patients with complete or partial remission (0.83 vs. 0.51, P = 0.055). NR patients more frequently developed aggressive than indolent type of the disease (0.92 vs. 0.41, P = 0.001). The VNTR-243 allele was more frequently detected among patients with an intermediate-high/high International Prognostic Index (IPI 3-4) score (P = 0.063), especially in patients with advanced age and IPI 3-4 (P = 0.040). In multivariate analysis, higher IPI 3-4 score (OR = 11.364, P = 0.051) and aggressive type of the disease (OR = 18.182, P = 0.012) were found to be independent genetic markers associated with nonresponse to treatment. Presence of the MNS16A VNTR-243 variant also strongly tended to affect the risk of a less favourable response to therapy and was more frequently present among nonresponders (OR = 5.848, P = 0.059). Genetic variation within the hTERT gene may affect the progression and treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadler John Z

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism.

Identification of distinct phenotypes of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Teo, Minyuen

2013-03-01

A significant number of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma present as locally advanced disease. Optimal treatment remains controversial. We sought to analyze the clinical course of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPC) in order to identify potential distinct clinical phenotypes.

Touch communicates distinct emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertenstein, Matthew J; Keltner, Dacher; App, Betsy; Bulleit, Brittany A; Jaskolka, Ariane R

2006-08-01

The study of emotional signaling has focused almost exclusively on the face and voice. In 2 studies, the authors investigated whether people can identify emotions from the experience of being touched by a stranger on the arm (without seeing the touch). In the 3rd study, they investigated whether observers can identify emotions from watching someone being touched on the arm. Two kinds of evidence suggest that humans can communicate numerous emotions with touch. First, participants in the United States (Study 1) and Spain (Study 2) could decode anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, and sympathy via touch at much-better-than-chance levels. Second, fine-grained coding documented specific touch behaviors associated with different emotions. In Study 3, the authors provide evidence that participants can accurately decode distinct emotions by merely watching others communicate via touch. The findings are discussed in terms of their contributions to affective science and the evolution of altruism and cooperation. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved

The Distinction Between Curative and Assistive Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Stramondo, Joseph A

2018-05-01

Disability activists have sometimes claimed their disability has actually increased their well-being. Some even say they would reject a cure to keep these gains. Yet, these same activists often simultaneously propose improvements to the quality and accessibility of assistive technology. However, for any argument favoring assistive over curative technology (or vice versa) to work, there must be a coherent distinction between the two. This line is already vague and will become even less clear with the emergence of novel technologies. This paper asks and tries to answer the question: what is it about the paradigmatic examples of curative and assistive technologies that make them paradigmatic and how can these defining features help us clarify the hard cases? This analysis will begin with an argument that, while the common views of this distinction adequately explain the paradigmatic cases, they fail to accurately pick out the relevant features of those technologies that make them paradigmatic and to provide adequate guidance for parsing the hard cases. Instead, it will be claimed that these categories of curative or assistive technologies are defined by the role the technologies play in establishing a person's relational narrative identity as a member of one of two social groups: disabled people or non-disabled people.

Corticosteroid receptors adopt distinct cyclical transcriptional signatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Billan, Florian; Amazit, Larbi; Bleakley, Kevin; Xue, Qiong-Yao; Pussard, Eric; Lhadj, Christophe; Kolkhof, Peter; Viengchareun, Say; Fagart, Jérôme; Lombès, Marc

2018-05-07

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are two closely related hormone-activated transcription factors that regulate major pathophysiologic functions. High homology between these receptors accounts for the crossbinding of their corresponding ligands, MR being activated by both aldosterone and cortisol and GR essentially activated by cortisol. Their coexpression and ability to bind similar DNA motifs highlight the need to investigate their respective contributions to overall corticosteroid signaling. Here, we decipher the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that underlie selective effects of MRs and GRs on shared genomic targets in a human renal cellular model. Kinetic, serial, and sequential chromatin immunoprecipitation approaches were performed on the period circadian protein 1 ( PER1) target gene, providing evidence that both receptors dynamically and cyclically interact at the same target promoter in a specific and distinct transcriptional signature. During this process, both receptors regulate PER1 gene by binding as homo- or heterodimers to the same promoter region. Our results suggest a novel level of MR-GR target gene regulation, which should be considered for a better and integrated understanding of corticosteroid-related pathophysiology.-Le Billan, F., Amazit, L., Bleakley, K., Xue, Q.-Y., Pussard, E., Lhadj, C., Kolkhof, P., Viengchareun, S., Fagart, J., Lombès, M. Corticosteroid receptors adopt distinct cyclical transcriptional signatures.

Telomere dynamics and cytogenetic changes in human hematologic neoplasias: a working hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohyashiki, K; Ohyashiki, J H

1997-03-01

Chromosome termini, termed telomeres, provide important protection to avoid loss of master gene(s) that may exist at subtelomeric regions. Moreover, erosion of telomeres by cell division through end-replication problems resulted in telomeric-associated cytogenetic aberrations. To maintain a telomere length related to cell immortality, telomerase activity is upregulated in cancer cells, therefore, telomerase is considered to be a new marker of neoplasias. In this paper, we review and make suggestions regarding key aspects of telomere dynamics in both normal hematopoiesis and in malignant hematologic diseases.

STRUCTURAL IDENTIFICATION OF DISTINCT INVERSIONS OF PLANAR KINEMATIC CHAINS

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Dr. Shubhashis Sanyal

2011-12-01

Full Text Available 0 0 1 171 979 International Islamic University 8 2 1148 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Inversions are various structural possibilities of a kinematic chain. The number of inversions depends on the number of links of a kinematic chain. At the stage of structural synthesis, identification of distinct structural inversions of a particular type of kinematic chain is necessary. Various researchers have proposed methods for identification of distinct inversions. Present method based on Link joint connectivity is proposed to identify the distinct inversions of a planar kinematic chain. Method is tested successfully on single degree and multiple degree of freedom planar kinematic chains. ABSTRAK: Penyonsangan merupakan kebarangkalian pelbagai struktur suatu rangkaian kinematik. Jumlah songsangan bergantung kepada jumlah hubungan suatu rangkaian kinematik. Pada peringkat sintesis struktur, pengenalan songsangan struktur yang berbeza untuk suatu jenis rangkaian kinematik adalah perlu. Ramai penyelidik telah mencadangkan pelbagai kaedah pengenalan songsangan yang berbeza. Kaedah terkini berdasarkan hubungan kesambungan bersama telah dicadangkan untuk mengenalpasti songsangan yang berbeza dalam suatu satah rangkaian kinematik.

Ascidian Sperm Lysin System

OpenAIRE

Hitoshi, Sawada; Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University

2002-01-01

Fertilization is a precisely controlled process involving many gamete molecules in sperm binding to and penetration through the extracellular matrix of the egg. After sperm bind to the extracellular matrix (vitelline coat), they undergo the acrosome reaction which exposes and partially releases a lytic agent called "lysin" to digest the vitelline coat for the sperm penetration. The vitelline coat sperm lysin is generally a protease in deuterostomes. The molecular mechanism of the actual degra...

Telomere dysfunction reduces microglial numbers without fully inducing an aging phenotype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Asif Manzoor; Babcock, Alicia; Saeed, Hamid

2015-01-01

The susceptibility of the aging brain to neurodegenerative disease may in part be attributed to cellular aging of the microglial cells that survey it. We investigated the effect of cellular aging induced by telomere shortening on microglia by the use of mice lacking the telomerase RNA component...... (TERC) and design-based stereology. TERC knockout (KO) mice had a significantly reduced number of CD11b(+) microglia in the dentate gyrus. Because of an even greater reduction in dentate gyrus volume, microglial density was, however, increased. Microglia in TERC KO mice maintained a homogenous...... distribution and normal expression of CD45 and CD68 and the aging marker, ferritin, but were morphologically distinct from microglia in both adult and old wild-type mice. TERC KO mice also showed increased cellular apoptosis and impaired spatial learning. Our results suggest that individual microglia...

Distinctive safety aspects of the CANDU-PHW reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugler, G.

1980-01-01

Two lectures are presented in this report. They were prepared in response to a request from IAEA to provide information on the 'Special characteristics of the safety analysis of heavy water reactors' to delegates from member states attending the Interregional Training Course on Safety Analysis Review, held at Karlsruhe, November 19 to December 20, 1979. The CANDU-PHW reactor is used as a model for discussion. The first lecture describes the distinctive features of the CANDU reactor and how they impact on reactor safety. In the second lecture the Canadian safety philosophy, the safety design objective, and other selected topics on reactor safety analysis are discussed. The material in this report was selected with a view to assisting those not familiar with the CANDU heavy water reactor design in evaluating the distinctive safety aspects of these reactors. (auth)

Both differences in encoding processes and monitoring at retrieval reduce false alarms when distinctive information is studied.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanczakowski, Maciej; Mazzoni, Giuliana

2011-04-01

A reduction in false alarms to critical lures is observed in the DRM paradigm (Roediger & McDermott, 1995) when distinctive information is presented at encoding. Two mechanisms have been proposed to account for this reduction. According to the monitoring theory (e.g., the distinctiveness heuristic), lack of diagnostic recollection serves as a basis for discarding non-presented lures. According to the encoding theory, presenting distinctive information at study leads to impoverished relational processing, which results in a reduction in memorial information elicited by critical lures. In the present study a condition was created in which the use of the distinctiveness heuristic was precluded by associating, within the same study, lures with distinctive information in a context different from the study session. Under that condition reduction in false alarms to distinctive critical lures was still observed. This result supports the predictions of the encoding theory. However, when in the same study the use of the distinctiveness heuristic was not precluded, reductions in false alarms to unrelated lures were also observed when distinctive information was presented at study, indicating that both mechanisms are likely to contribute to the rejection of false memories.

Army nurses in wartime: distinction and pride.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, L P

1996-08-01

Nurses have served with distinction in wartime since Florence Nightingale went to the Crimea. Women often accompanied their husbands to battle during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, caring for the sick and wounded. Although not officially given officer status until 1920, Army nurses served in the Spanish-American War and World War I. As officers, thousands of nurses served in subsequent wars, distinguishing themselves by their heroism, devotion to duty, and sheer tenacity of spirit.

Neonatal lethal dwarfism with distinct skeletal malformations - a separate entity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosendahl, K.; Maurseth, K.; Olsen, Oe.E. [Dept. of Paediatric Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Halvorsen, O.J. [Dept. of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Gjelland, K. [Dept. of Gynaecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Engebretsen, L. [Dept. of Genetics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway)

2001-09-01

We describe a case of neonatal lethal dwarfism characterised by short trunk, short, stick-like tubular bones, deficient ossification of the axial skeleton and broad, sclerotic horizontal ribs. Two similar cases have previously been reported as examples of the Neu-Laxova syndrome. However, the radiological findings of the Neu-Laxova syndrome, as reported in 16 out of 40 documented cases, show a heterogeneous pattern of minor features, which differ distinctively from those found in the previous two cases and by us. A literature research did not reveal similar cases, and we therefore suggest that our case, together with the two previous cases, may represent a new distinctive form of neonatal lethal dwarfism. (orig.)

Neonatal lethal dwarfism with distinct skeletal malformations - a separate entity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosendahl, K.; Maurseth, K.; Olsen, Oe.E.; Halvorsen, O.J.; Gjelland, K.; Engebretsen, L.

2001-01-01

We describe a case of neonatal lethal dwarfism characterised by short trunk, short, stick-like tubular bones, deficient ossification of the axial skeleton and broad, sclerotic horizontal ribs. Two similar cases have previously been reported as examples of the Neu-Laxova syndrome. However, the radiological findings of the Neu-Laxova syndrome, as reported in 16 out of 40 documented cases, show a heterogeneous pattern of minor features, which differ distinctively from those found in the previous two cases and by us. A literature research did not reveal similar cases, and we therefore suggest that our case, together with the two previous cases, may represent a new distinctive form of neonatal lethal dwarfism. (orig.)

Blurring Boundaries : Carnap, Quine, and the Internal-External Distinction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaegh, Sander

Quine is routinely perceived as saving metaphysics from Carnapian positivism. Where Carnap rejects metaphysical existence claims as meaningless, Quine is taken to restore their intelligibility by dismantling the former's internal-external distinction. The problem with this picture, however, is that

BMP signalling differentially regulates distinct haematopoietic stem cell types

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Crisan (Mihaela); P. Solaimani Kartalaei (Parham); C.S. Vink (Chris); T. Yamada-Inagawa (Tomoko); K. Bollerot (Karine); W.F.J. van IJcken (Wilfred); R. Van Der Linden (Reinier); S.C. de Sousa Lopes (Susana Chuva); R. Monteiro (Rui); C.L. Mummery (Christine); E.A. Dzierzak (Elaine)

2015-01-01

textabstractAdult haematopoiesis is the outcome of distinct haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) subtypes with self-renewable repopulating ability, but with different haematopoietic cell lineage outputs. The molecular basis for this heterogeneity is largely unknown. BMP signalling regulates HSCs as they

Proteome alteration induced by hTERT transfection of human fibroblast cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzucchelli, Gabriel D; Gabelica, Valérie; Smargiasso, Nicolas; Fléron, Maximilien; Ashimwe, Wilson; Rosu, Frédéric; De Pauw-Gillet, Marie-Claire; Riou, Jean-François; De Pauw, Edwin

2008-04-17

Telomerase confers cellular immortality by elongating telomeres, thereby circumventing the Hayflick limit. Extended-life-span cells have been generated by transfection with the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene. hTERT transfected cell lines may be of outstanding interest to monitor the effect of drugs targeting the telomerase activity. The incidence of hTERT gene transfection at the proteome level is a prerequisite to that purpose. The effect of the transfection has been studied on the proteome of human fibroblast (WI38). Cytosolic and nuclear fractions of WI38 cells, empty vector transfected WI38 (WI38-HPV) and hTERT WI38 cells were submitted to a 2D-DIGE (Two-Dimensional Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis) analysis. Only spots that had a similar abundance in WI38 and WI38-HPV, but were differentially expressed in WI38 hTERT were selected for MS identification. This method directly points to the proteins linked with the hTERT expression. Number of false positive differentially expressed proteins has been excluded by using control WI38-HPV cells. The proteome alteration induced by hTERT WI38 transfection should be taken into account in subsequent use of the cell line for anti-telomerase drugs evaluation. 2D-DIGE experiment shows that 57 spots out of 2246 are significantly differentially expressed in the cytosolic fraction due to hTERT transfection, and 38 were confidently identified. In the nuclear fraction, 44 spots out of 2172 were selected in the differential proteome analysis, and 14 were identified. The results show that, in addition to elongating telomeres, hTERT gene transfection has other physiological roles, among which an enhanced ER capacity and a potent cell protection against apoptosis. We show that the methodology reduces the complexity of the proteome analysis and highlights proteins implicated in other processes than telomere elongation. hTERT induced proteome changes suggest that telomerase expression enhances natural cell repair

Proteome alteration induced by hTERT transfection of human fibroblast cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riou Jean-François

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Telomerase confers cellular immortality by elongating telomeres, thereby circumventing the Hayflick limit. Extended-life-span cells have been generated by transfection with the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT gene. hTERT transfected cell lines may be of outstanding interest to monitor the effect of drugs targeting the telomerase activity. The incidence of hTERT gene transfection at the proteome level is a prerequisite to that purpose. The effect of the transfection has been studied on the proteome of human fibroblast (WI38. Cytosolic and nuclear fractions of WI38 cells, empty vector transfected WI38 (WI38-HPV and hTERT WI38 cells were submitted to a 2D-DIGE (Two-Dimensional Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis analysis. Only spots that had a similar abundance in WI38 and WI38-HPV, but were differentially expressed in WI38 hTERT were selected for MS identification. This method directly points to the proteins linked with the hTERT expression. Number of false positive differentially expressed proteins has been excluded by using control WI38-HPV cells. The proteome alteration induced by hTERT WI38 transfection should be taken into account in subsequent use of the cell line for anti-telomerase drugs evaluation. Results 2D-DIGE experiment shows that 57 spots out of 2246 are significantly differentially expressed in the cytosolic fraction due to hTERT transfection, and 38 were confidently identified. In the nuclear fraction, 44 spots out of 2172 were selected in the differential proteome analysis, and 14 were identified. The results show that, in addition to elongating telomeres, hTERT gene transfection has other physiological roles, among which an enhanced ER capacity and a potent cell protection against apoptosis. Conclusion We show that the methodology reduces the complexity of the proteome analysis and highlights proteins implicated in other processes than telomere elongation. hTERT induced proteome changes suggest

Analysis of poly(ADP-Ribose polymerases in Arabidopsis telomere biology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara A Boltz

Full Text Available Maintaining the length of the telomere tract at chromosome ends is a complex process vital to normal cell division. Telomere length is controlled through the action of telomerase as well as a cadre of telomere-associated proteins that facilitate replication of the chromosome end and protect it from eliciting a DNA damage response. In vertebrates, multiple poly(ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs have been implicated in the regulation of telomere length, telomerase activity and chromosome end protection. Here we investigate the role of PARPs in plant telomere biology. We analyzed Arabidopsis thaliana mutants null for PARP1 and PARP2 as well as plants treated with the PARP competitive inhibitor 3-AB. Plants deficient in PARP were hypersensitive to genotoxic stress, and expression of PARP1 and PARP2 mRNA was elevated in response to MMS or zeocin treatment or by the loss of telomerase. Additionally, PARP1 mRNA was induced in parp2 mutants, and conversely, PARP2 mRNA was induced in parp1 mutants. PARP3 mRNA, by contrast, was elevated in both parp1 and parp2 mutants, but not in seedlings treated with 3-AB or zeocin. PARP mutants and 3-AB treated plants displayed robust telomerase activity, no significant changes in telomere length, and no end-to-end chromosome fusions. Although there remains a possibility that PARPs play a role in Arabidopsis telomere biology, these findings argue that the contribution is a minor one.

Analysis of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerases in Arabidopsis Telomere Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Townley, Jennifer M.; Shippen, Dorothy E.

2014-01-01

Maintaining the length of the telomere tract at chromosome ends is a complex process vital to normal cell division. Telomere length is controlled through the action of telomerase as well as a cadre of telomere-associated proteins that facilitate replication of the chromosome end and protect it from eliciting a DNA damage response. In vertebrates, multiple poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) have been implicated in the regulation of telomere length, telomerase activity and chromosome end protection. Here we investigate the role of PARPs in plant telomere biology. We analyzed Arabidopsis thaliana mutants null for PARP1 and PARP2 as well as plants treated with the PARP competitive inhibitor 3-AB. Plants deficient in PARP were hypersensitive to genotoxic stress, and expression of PARP1 and PARP2 mRNA was elevated in response to MMS or zeocin treatment or by the loss of telomerase. Additionally, PARP1 mRNA was induced in parp2 mutants, and conversely, PARP2 mRNA was induced in parp1 mutants. PARP3 mRNA, by contrast, was elevated in both parp1 and parp2 mutants, but not in seedlings treated with 3-AB or zeocin. PARP mutants and 3-AB treated plants displayed robust telomerase activity, no significant changes in telomere length, and no end-to-end chromosome fusions. Although there remains a possibility that PARPs play a role in Arabidopsis telomere biology, these findings argue that the contribution is a minor one. PMID:24551184

Everyday distinction and omnivorous orientation: An analysis of food choice, attitudinal dispositions and social background.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahma, Nina; Niva, Mari; Helakorpi, Satu; Jallinoja, Piia

2016-01-01

In recent years studies on cultural consumption have experienced a Bourdieusian renaissance. This is indicated by a growing body of research analysing distinctions in different areas of culture, and numerous studies on the homology thesis applying the concepts of distinction, field and capital. Concurrently, however, it has been argued that instead of distinctive tastes, distinction and class status are increasingly manifested by cultural omnivorousness. For a good part studies focussing on distinction in food have analysed eating out and stylization through restaurant preferences, rather than everyday food choices. In this article we investigate everyday food choices from the perspective of distinction and omnivorousness. Our analysis draws on cross-sectional quantitative data collected in 2012 among 15-64-year-old Finns (N = 2601). The article maps out the relationship between food choice frequencies, dispositions and social background with Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). The results show that the consumption of fruit and vegetables, ready-meals and convenience foods were among the most divisive food choices. The first structuring dimension juxtaposed processed, fatty and sugared foods with unprocessed foods and fresh ingredients. This dimension was associated with healthiness and weight control as dispositions. On the second structuring dimension there were differences in the valuation of taste, pleasure and sociability, and a contrast between moderate and restrictive choices. Particularly the first dimension was associated with educational, occupational, and gender differences. Distinction within everyday food choices was manifested in the use of healthy and unprocessed foods and 'moderate hedonism' in contrast to more restrictive tastes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The emotional memory effect: differential processing or item distinctiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Stephen R; Saari, Bonnie

2007-12-01

A color-naming task was followed by incidental free recall to investigate how emotional words affect attention and memory. We compared taboo, nonthreatening negative-affect, and neutral words across three experiments. As compared with neutral words, taboo words led to longer color-naming times and better memory in both within- and between-subjects designs. Color naming of negative-emotion nontaboo words was slower than color naming of neutral words only during block presentation and at relatively short interstimulus intervals (ISIs). The nontaboo emotion words were remembered better than neutral words following blocked and random presentation and at both long and short ISIs, but only in mixed-list designs. Our results support multifactor theories of the effects of emotion on attention and memory. As compared with neutral words, threatening stimuli received increased attention, poststimulus elaboration, and benefit from item distinctiveness, whereas nonthreatening emotional stimuli benefited only from increased item distinctiveness.

Tumor-selective replication herpes simplex virus-based technology significantly improves clinical detection and prognostication of viable circulating tumor cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Wen; Bao, Li; Yang, Shaoxing

2016-01-01

Detection of circulating tumor cells remains a significant challenge due to their vast physical and biological heterogeneity. We developed a cell-surface-marker-independent technology based on telomerase-specific, replication-selective oncolytic herpes-simplex-virus-1 that targets telomerase......-reverse-transcriptase-positive cancer cells and expresses green-fluorescent-protein that identifies viable CTCs from a broad spectrum of malignancies. Our method recovered 75.5-87.2% of tumor cells spiked into healthy donor blood, as validated by different methods, including single cell sequencing. CTCs were detected in 59-100% of 326...

Puerto Rico and Florida manatees represent genetically distinct groups

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Margaret E.; Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio A.; Tucker, Kimberly Pause; King, Timothy L.; Bonde, Robert K.; Gray, Brian A.; McGuire, Peter M.

2012-01-01

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) populations in Florida (T. m. latirostris) and Puerto Rico (T. m. manatus) are considered distinct subspecies and are listed together as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Sustained management and conservation efforts for the Florida subspecies have led to the suggested reclassification of the species to a threatened or delisted status. However, the two populations are geographically distant, morphologically distinct, and habitat degradation and boat strikes continue to threaten the Puerto Rico population. Here, 15 microsatellite markers and mitochondrial control region sequences were used to determine the relatedness of the two populations and investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic organization of the Puerto Rico population. Highly divergent allele frequencies were identified between Florida and Puerto Rico using microsatellite (F ST = 0.16; R ST = 0.12 (P ST = 0.66; Φ ST = 0.50 (P E = 0.45; NA = 3.9), were similar, but lower than those previously identified in Florida (HE = 0.48, NA = 4.8). Within Puerto Rico, the mitochondrial genetic diversity values (π = 0.001; h = 0.49) were slightly lower than those previously reported (π = 0.002; h = 0.54) and strong phylogeographic structure was identified (F ST global = 0.82; Φ ST global = 0.78 (P population size (N = 250), and distinct threats and habitat emphasize the need for separate protections in Puerto Rico. Conservation efforts including threat mitigation, migration corridors, and protection of subpopulations could lead to improved genetic variation in the endangered Puerto Rico manatee population.