Fibroblast growth factor 2 induces proliferation and distribution of G2 /M phase of bovine endometrial cells involving activation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK cell signaling and prevention of effects of ER stress

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is abundantly expressed in conceptuses and endometria during pregnancy in diverse animal models including domestic animals. However, its intracellular mechanism of action has not been reported for bovine endometrial cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify functional roles of FGF2 in bovine endometrial (BEND) cell line which has served as a good model system for investigating regulation of signal transduction following treatment with interferon-tau (IFNT) in vitro. Results of present study demonstrated that administration of FGF2 to BEND cells increased their proliferation and regulated the cell cycle through DNA replication by an increase of PCNA and Cyclin D1. FGF2 also increased phosphorylation of AKT, P70S6K, S6, ERK1/2, JNK, and P38 in BEND cells in a dose-dependent manner, and expression of each of those transcription factors was inhibited by their respective pharmacological inhibitor including Wormannin, U0126, and SP600125. In addition, the increase in proliferation of BEND cells and activation of the protein kinases in response to FGF2 was suppressed by BGJ398, a FGFR inhibitor. Furthermore, proliferation of BEND cells was inhibited by tunicamycin, but treatment of BEND cells with FGF2 restored proliferation of BEND cells. Consistent with this result, the stimulated unfolded protein response (UPR) regulatory proteins induced by tunicamycin were down-regulated by FGF2. Results of this study suggest that FGF2 promotes proliferation of BEND cells and likely enhances uterine capacity and maintenance of pregnancy by activating cell signaling via the PI3K and MAPK pathways and by restoring ER stress through the FGFR.

Bifunctional role of ephrin A1-Eph system in stimulating cell proliferation and protecting cells from cell death through the attenuation of ER stress and inflammatory responses in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Structural and functional development of the mammary gland is constant in the mammary gland life cycle. Eph receptors and their ligands, ephrins, control events through cell-to-cell interactions during embryonic development, and adult tissue homeostasis; however, little information on participation of ephrin A1, a representative ligand of the Eph receptor, in the development and function of normal mammary glands is known. In this study, we demonstrated functional effects of the ephrin A1-Eph system and mechanisms of its action on bovine mammary epithelial (MAC-T) cells. The in vitro cultured MAC-T cells expressed the ephrin A1 ligand and EphA1, A2, A4, A7, and A8 among the eight members of the Eph A family. Our results revealed that ephrin A1 induced MAC-T cell cycle progression and stimulated cell proliferation with abundant expression of nucleic PCNA and cyclin D1 proteins. Additionally, ephrin A1 induced activation of intracellular signaling molecules involved in PI3 K/AKT and MAPK signaling, and the proliferation-stimulating effect of ephrin A1 was mediated by activation of these pathways. Furthermore, ephrin A1 influenced expression and activation of various ER stress-related proteins and protected MAC-T cells from stress-induced cell death. Finally, ephrin A1 alleviated LPS-induced cell death through down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the Eph A-ephrin A1 system is a positive factor in the increase and maintenance of epithelial cells in mammary glands of cows; the signaling system contributes to development, remodeling, and functionality of normal mammary glands and could overcome mastitis in cows and other mammals.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor improves proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells by inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress during early pregnancy

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family binds to two transmembrane receptors; neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (NTRK2) with high affinity and p75 with low affinity. Although BDNF-NTRK2 signaling in the central nervous system is known, signaling in the female reproductive system is unknown. Therefore, we determined effects of BDNF on porcine endometrial luminal epithelial (pLE) cells isolated from Day 12 of pregnancy, as well as expression of BDNF and NTRK2 in endometria of cyclic and pregnant pigs. BDNF-NTRK2 genes were expressed in uterine glandular (GE) and luminal (LE) epithelia during early pregnancy. In addition, their expression in uterine GE and LE decreased with increasing parity of sows. Recombinant BDNF increased proliferation in pLE cells in a dose-dependent, as well as expression of PCNA and Cyclin D1 in nuclei of pLE cells. BDNF also activated phosphorylation of AKT, P70S6K, S6, ERK1/2, JNK, P38 proteins in pLE cells. In addition, cell death resulting from tunicamycin-induced ER stress was prevented when pLE cells were treated with the combination of tunicamycin and BDNF which also decreased cells in the Sub-G₁ phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, tunicamycin-induced unfolded protein response genes were mostly down-regulated to the basal levels as compared to non-treated pLE cells. Our finding suggests that BDNF acts via NTRK2 to induce development of pLE cells for maintenance of implantation and pregnancy by activating cell signaling via the PI3K and MAPK pathways and by inhibiting ER stress.

A critical role for adiponectin-mediated development of endometrial luminal epithelial cells during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy

Adiponectin is one of the adipokines in the collagen superfamily. It is secreted primarily by white adipocytes and influences reproductive processes including ovarian and uterine functions. Adiponectin regulates energy homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and is anti-inflammatory in various tissues. Its receptors (ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2) are widely expressed in mammalian tissues, including porcine conceptuses and endometrial during the estrous cycle and peri-implantation period of pregnancy. However, regulatory effects of adiponectin on endometrial epithelial cells are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of parity on expression of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 and the effects of adiponectin in the porcine endometrium during early pregnancy. Results of this study revealed robust expression of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 in uterine luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelia during early pregnancy and expression decreased as with increasing parity. For porcine luminal epithelial (pLE) cells, adiponectin enhanced proliferation, and increased phosphorylation of AKT, P70S6K, S6, ERK1/2, JNK, P38, and P90RSK in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, the abundance of adiponectin-activated signaling molecules were suppressed by pharmacological inhibitors including wortmannin, U0126, SP600125, and SB203580, respectively, in pLE cells. Furthermore, inhibition of each targeted signal transduction molecule influenced proliferation of adiponectin-stimulated pLE cells. In addition, adiponectin inhibited tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress through effects on ER stress regulated proteins in pLE cells. Collectively, these results suggest that adiponectin affects development of porcine uterine epithelia and reproductive performance through modulation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK cell signaling pathways.

Augmentation Effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Intervention in Pharmacotherapy-resistant PTSD

Aim

Both trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy and antidepressant medication are regarded as the first line treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about sequential or combined efficacy of these two different treatment options. This prospective study examined the add-on efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy among adult civilians with PTSD who continued to be symptomatic after antidepressant treatment.

Method

Adult patients with PTSD at a specialized trauma clinic who received treatment doses of antidepressants for more than 12 weeks were recruited; definition of symptomatic PTSD was a total score > 40 on the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). The CAPS and the global improvement from Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were rated prior to EMDR, after termination and six months follow-up.

Results

A total of 15 patients underwent an average of six sessions of EMDR and 7 (47%) of 15 no longer met the criteria for PTSD and 10 (67%) were given status of very much or much improved. The CAPS scores and significantly decreased after EMDR therapy (paired t = 7.38, df = 14, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

These results indicate that EMDR or trauma-focused CBT can be successfully added to those who failed to improve after initial pharmacotherapy for PTSD. Further studies are needed to explore the best sequence or components of therapies in the treatment of PTSD.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Direct Gingival Fibroblast/Osteoblast Transdifferentiation via Epigenetics

Alveolar bone resorption caused by trauma or periodontal diseases has represented a challenge for both dental clinicians and researchers. In this study, we evaluate the osteogenic potential of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) through a direct transdifferentiation from HGFs to functional osteoblasts via epigenetic modification and osteogenic signaling with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in vitro and in vivo. HGF treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) induced demethylation in the hypermethylated CpG islands of the osteogenic lineage marker genes RUNX2 and ALP, and subsequent BMP2 treatment successfully drove the fibroblasts to the osteoblasts' lineage. Cell morphological changes viewed under microscopy and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red S (ARS) staining confirmed the osteoblastic change mediated by epigenetic modification as did real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, which demonstrated the altered methylation patterns in the RUNX2 and ALP promoter regions and their effect on gene expression. Furthermore, micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis of in vivo mouse cell transplantation experiments showed high-density signal in the epigenetically modified HGF group; in addition, a significant amount of bone formation was observed in the transplanted material using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining as well. Collectively, our results indicate that epigenetic modification permits the direct programming of HGFs into functional osteoblasts, suggesting that this approach might open a novel therapeutic avenue in alveolar bone regeneration.

Sophorae radix reduces autoimmune response in NZB/w F1 systemic lupus erythematosus mouse model

The immunosuppressive effects of Sophorae radix (SR) make this plant an attractive agent for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The effect of SR on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the New Zealand Black/White F1 (NZB/w F1) mouse model system was investigated. Three-month-old NZB/w F1 mice were separated into two groups: one treated with SR (1% SR solution by oral administration, daily for 15 weeks) and one with water as a control. Experimental parameters include proteinuria, anti-dsDNA antibody titers, T-cell response and renal histopathological analysis. Results in the SR-treated group showed a significant reduction in proteinuria and anti-dsDNA antibodies either in serum or in glomerular capillaries, along with significant recovery from renal glomerular damage. The lymphocyte population was significantly increased in the SR-treated mice compared with the control group. In the T helper (Th)1/Th2 cytokine secretion profile, interferon-γ in splenocyte culture was significantly reduced in the SR-treated mice, while interleukin-4 secretion was not altered. These results strongly suggest SR therapy corrects the deviated Th1/Th2 balance, thereby alleviating SLE-like symptoms in the NZB/w F1 mice. Therefore, SR may be useful in the clinical treatment of SLE. Lupus (2007) 16, 335—341.

Aquaporin 3 is regulated by estrogen in the chicken oviduct and is involved in progression of epithelial cell-derived ovarian carcinomas

Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins that passively deliver water across the plasma membrane to play an important role in maintaining cell shape. Members of the AQP family are distributed in most of the tissues in the human body and perform a variety of functions based on the water homeostasis suitable for each organ. However, there is little known about the expression and regulation of AQP family members in chickens. Therefore, we determined the expression of AQPs in various tissues of chickens. Among 13 isotypes, AQP3 was highly expressed in the chicken oviduct. Expression of AQP3 messenger RNA (mRNA) increased in the magnum (P < 0.001) and isthmus (P < 0.001) of chick oviducts treated with diethylstilbestrol. Consistent with these results, the localization of AQP3 was detected in the glandular and luminal epithelia of the magnum and isthmus of oviducts of diethylstilbestrol-treated chicks. In addition, the pattern of expression of AQP3 changed in an estrogen-dependent manner during the molting period. During the regenerative period of the oviduct after molting, expression of AQP3 mRNA increased coordinately with increasing concentrations of estradiol (P < 0.001), whereas expression of AQP3 mRNA decreased as concentrations of estradiol in plasma decreased in response to induced molting (P < 0.001). Also, expression of the AQP3 increased (P < 0.001) in cancerous ovaries of laying hens. In conclusion, AQP3 does not simply function to transport water into and out of cells but also appears to be closely involved in development of the chicken oviduct, which is regulated by estrogens. Furthermore, our results suggest AQP3 as a new diagnostic for early detection and treatment of epithelial cell-derived ovarian carcinomas.

Diethylstilbestrol regulates expression of avian apolipoprotein D during regression and recrudescence of the oviduct and epithelial-derived ovarian carcinogenesis

Apolipoprotein D (APOD) is a glycoprotein which is widely expressed in mammalian tissues. It is structurally and functionally similar to the lipocalins which are multiple lipid-binding proteins that transport hydrophobic ligands and other small hydrophobic molecules, including cholesterol and several steroid hormones. Although multiple functions for APOD in various tissues have been reported, its expression, biological function, and hormonal regulation in the female reproductive system are not known. Thus, in this study, we focused on correlations between APOD and estrogen during development, differentiation, regression, and regeneration of the oviduct in chickens and in the development of ovarian carcinogenesis in laying hens. Results of the present study indicated that APOD messenger RNA (mRNA) expression increased (P < 0.001) in the luminal and glandular (GE) epithelia of the chicken oviduct in response to diethylstilbestrol (a nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen). In addition, the expression of APOD mRNA and protein decreased (P < 0.001) as the oviduct regressed during induced molting, and gradually increased (P < 0.001) with abundant expression in GE of the oviduct during recrudescence after molting. Furthermore, APOD mRNA and protein were predominantly localized in GE of cancerous, but not normal ovaries from laying hens. Collectively, results of the present study suggest that APOD is a novel estrogen-stimulated gene in the chicken oviduct which likely regulates growth, differentiation, and remodeling of the oviduct during oviposition cycles. Moreover, up-regulated expression of APOD in epithelial cell-derived ovarian cancerous tissue suggests that it could be a candidate biomarker for early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer in laying hens and in women.

BCL11A enhancer haplotypes and fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia

BACKGROUND

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in sickle cell anemia patients vary. We genotyped polymorphisms in the erythroid-specific enhancer of BCL11A to see if they might account for the very high HbF associated with the Arab-Indian (AI) haplotype and Benin haplotype of sickle cell anemia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Six BCL112A enhancer SNPs and their haplotypes were studied in Saudi Arabs from the Eastern Province and Indian patients with AI haplotype (HbF ~20%), African Americans (HbF ~7%), and Saudi Arabs from the Southwestern Province (HbF ~12%). Four SNPs (rs1427407, rs6706648, rs6738440, and rs7606173) and their haplotypes were consistently associated with HbF levels. The distributions of haplotypes differ in the 3 cohorts but not their genetic effects: the haplotype TCAG was associated with the lowest HbF level and the haplotype GTAC was associated with the highest HbF level and differences in HbF levels between carriers of these haplotypes in all cohorts were approximately 6%.

CONCLUSIONS

Common HbF BCL11A enhancer haplotypes in patients with African origin and AI sickle cell anemia have similar effects on HbF but they do not explain their differences in HbF.

Miniature Fabry-Perot pressure sensor created by using UV-molding process with an optical fiber based mold

We present a miniature Fabry-Perot pressure sensor fabricated at the tip of an optical fiber with a pre-written Bragg grating by using UV-molding polymer process. The mold is constructed by integrating an optical fiber of 80 μm diameter with a zirconia ferrule. The optical fiber based mold makes it possible to use optical aligning method to monitor the coupled intensity between the mold-side and replica-side fibers, rendering a maskless alignment process with a submicrometer accuracy. A polymer-metal composite thin diaphragm is employed as the pressure transducer. The overall sensor size is around 200 μm in diameter. Experimental study shows that the sensor exhibits a good linearity over a pressure range of 1.9-7.9 psi, with a sensitivity of 0.0106 μm/psi. The fiber Bragg grating is exploited for simultaneous temperature measurements or compensation for temperature effects in pressure readings. The sensor is expected to benefit many fronts that require miniature and inexpensive sensors for reliable pressure measurement, especially biomedical applications.

Sludge settleability detection using automated SV30 measurement and its application to a field WWTP

The need for automation & measurement technologies to detect the process state has been a driving force in the development of various measurements at wastewater treatment plants. While the number of applications of automation & measurement technologies to the field is increasing, there have only been a few cases where they have been applied to the area of sludge settling. This is because it is not easy to develop an automated operation support system for the detection of sludge settleability due to its site-specific characteristics. To automate the human operator's daily test and diagnosis works on sludge settling, an on-line SV30 measurement was developed and an automated detection algorithm on settleability was developed that imitated heuristics to detect settleability faults. The automated SV30 measurement is based on automatic pumping with a predefined schedule, the image capture of the settling test with a digital camera, and an analysis of the images to detect the settled sludge height. A sludge settleability detection method was developed and its applicability was investigated by field application.

Miniature surface-mountable Fabry-Perot pressure sensor constructed with a 45 degrees angled fiber

We present a surface-mountable miniature Fabry-Perot (FP) pressure sensor that utilizes the total internal reflection at a 45 degrees angled fiber end face to steer the optical axis by 90 degrees . By using the fiber as a waveguide, as well as a natural mask in photolithography, an FP cavity is constructed on the sidewall of the fiber. A polymer-metal composite diaphragm is employed as the pressure transducer. The sensor exhibits a good linearity over the pressure range of 1.9-14.2 psi, with a sensitivity of 0.009 microm/psi and a hysteresis of 2.7%. This sensor is expected to impact many fronts that require reliable static pressure measurements of fluids.

Microbial community structure and occurrence of diverse autotrophic ammonium oxidizing microorganisms in the anammox process

The enrichment of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria using an upflow anaerobic sludge bioreactor was successfully conducted for 400 days of continuous operation. The bacterial community structure of anammox bioreactor included Proteobacteria (42%), Chloroflexi (22%), Planctomycetes (20%), Chlorobi (7%), Bacteroidetes (5%), Acidobacteria (2%), and Actinobacteria (2%). All clones of Planctomycetes were affiliated with the anammox bacteria, Planctomycete KSU-1 (AB057453). The presence and diversity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) were identified by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) based on the amoA gene sequences. The AOB in anammox bioreactor were affiliated with the Nitrosomonas europaea cluster. The T-RFLP result of AOA showed the diverse microbial community structure of AOA with three terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs).

Phase modulation with micromachined resonant mirrors for low-coherence fiber-tip pressure sensors

This letter presents a simple phase modulation scheme for interrogation of low-coherence interferometry based fiber-tip pressure sensors to enable real-time monitoring and miniaturization of the entire sensor system. The key idea is to introduce a sinusoidal modulation signal and retrieve the sensing cavity length change using a simple algorithm, without resorting to any time information. In experiments, phase modulation has been achieved by using a silicon-micromachined tunable Fabry-Pérot interferometer, which is integrated with a light source and a photodiode onto a single chip. Compared with the conventional interrogation methods, this scheme possesses the merits of being less susceptible to disturbance, easy control and easy miniaturization, making it particularly suitable for sensing in constrained spaces and harsh environments.

A new compound, 1H,8H-pyrano[3,4-c]pyran-1,8-dione, suppresses airway epithelial cell inflammatory responses in a murine model of asthma

Clinical and experimental studies have established eosinophilia as a sign of allergic disorders. Activation of eosinophils in the airways is believed to cause epithelial tissue injury, contraction of airway smooth muscle and increased bronchial responsiveness. As part of the search for new antiasthmatic agents produced by medicinal plants, the effects of 270 standardized medicinal plant extracts on cytokine-activated A549 human lung epithelial cells were evaluated. After several rounds of activity-guided screening, the new natural compound, 1H,8H-Pyrano[3,4-c]pyran-1,8-dione (PPY), was isolated from Vitex rotundifolia L. To elucidate the mechanism by which the anti-asthmatic responses of PPY occurred in vitro, lung epithelial cells (A549 cell) were stimulated with TNF-alpha, IL-4 and IL-1beta to induce the expression of chemokines and adhesion molecules involved in eosinophil chemotaxis. PPY treatments reduced the expression of eotaxin, IL-8, IL-16 and VCAM-1 mRNA significantly. Additionally, PPY reduced eotaxin secretion in a dose-dependent manner and significantly inhibited eosinophil migration toward A549 medium. In addition, PPY treatment suppressed the phosphorylation of p65 and ERK1/2, suggesting that it can inhibit the MAPK/NF-KB pathway. To clarify the anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic effects of PPY in vivo, we examined the influence of PPY on the development of pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation in a murine model of asthma. To accomplish this, mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and then examined for the following typical asthmatic reactions: an increase in the number of eosinophils in BALF; the presence of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-5 in the BALF; the presence of allergen-specific IgE in the serum; and a marked influx of inflammatory cells into the lung. Taken together, our results revealed that PPY exerts profound inhibitory effects on the accumulation of eosinophils into the airways while reducing the levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the BALF. Therefore, these results suggest that PPY may be useful as a new therapeutic drug for the treatment of allergic asthma.

Adenoviral gene transfer of acetylcholinesterase T subunit in the hypothalamus potentiates electroacupuncture analgesia in rats

Our previous studies, using cDNA microarray and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, showed that acetylcholinesterase T subunit (AChET) gene was more abundantly expressed in the hypothalamus of the responder rats that were sensitive to electroacupuncture (EA) in the tail flick latency (TFL) test than in that of the non-responder rats that were insensitive to EA. In this study, we hypothesized that the expression of the AChET gene in the hypothalamus modulates EA analgesia in rats. To explore the hypothesis, we constructed an AChET-encoding adenovirus and a control virus expressing only green fluorescence protein, either of which was then injected into the hypothalamus of Sprague-Dawley rats. The hypothalamic activity of acetylcholinesterase was significantly higher in rats that were injected with the AChET virus than in rats that were injected with the control virus. The basal pain threshold measured by a TFL test was not changed by microinjection of AChET or control virus into the hypothalamus when EA treatment was not conducted. However, the analgesic effect of EA was significantly enhanced from 7 days after microinjection of the AChET virus into the hypothalamus but not after injection of the control virus. Furthermore, expression of the AChET in the hypothalamus did not affect body core temperature, body weight, motor function or learning and memory ability. Taken together, these results suggest that adenoviral expression of the AChET gene in the hypothalamus potentiates EA analgesia in rats without apparent side-effects.

Fungal and plant gene expression during the colonization of cacao seedlings by endophytic isolates of four Trichoderma species

Endophytic isolates of Trichoderma species are being considered as biocontrol agents for diseases of Theobroma cacao (cacao). Gene expression was studied during the interaction between cacao seedlings and four endophytic Trichoderma isolates, T. ovalisporum-DIS 70a, T. hamatum-DIS 219b, T. harzianum-DIS 219f, and Trichoderma sp.-DIS 172ai. Isolates DIS 70a, DIS 219b, and DIS 219f were mycoparasitic on the pathogen Moniliophthora roreri, and DIS 172ai produced metabolites that inhibited growth of M. roreri in culture. ESTs (116) responsive to endophytic colonization of cacao were identified using differential display and their expression analyzed using macroarrays. Nineteen cacao ESTs and 17 Trichoderma ESTs were chosen for real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Seven cacao ESTs were induced during colonization by the Trichoderma isolates. These included putative genes for ornithine decarboxylase (P1), GST-like proteins (P4), zinc finger protein (P13), wound-induced protein (P26), EF-calcium-binding protein (P29), carbohydrate oxidase (P59), and an unknown protein (U4). Two plant ESTs, extensin-like protein (P12) and major intrinsic protein (P31), were repressed due to colonization. The plant gene expression profile was dependent on the Trichoderma isolate colonizing the cacao seedling. The fungal ESTs induced in colonized cacao seedlings also varied with the Trichoderma isolate used. The most highly induced fungal ESTs were putative glucosyl hydrolase family 2 (F3), glucosyl hydrolase family 7 (F7), serine protease (F11), and alcohol oxidase (F19). The pattern of altered gene expression suggests a complex system of genetic cross talk occurs between the cacao tree and Trichoderma isolates during the establishment of the endophytic association.

Fungal and plant gene expression during the colonization of cacao seedlings by endophytic isolates of four Trichoderma species

Endophytic isolates of Trichoderma species are being considered as biocontrol agents for diseases of Theobroma cacao (cacao). Gene expression was studied during the interaction between cacao seedlings and four endophytic Trichoderma isolates, T. ovalisporum-DIS 70a, T. hamatum-DIS 219b, T. harzianum-DIS 219f, and Trichoderma sp.-DIS 172ai. Isolates DIS 70a, DIS 219b, and DIS 219f were mycoparasitic on the pathogen Moniliophthora roreri, and DIS 172ai produced metabolites that inhibited growth of M. roreri in culture. ESTs (116) responsive to endophytic colonization of cacao were identified using differential display and their expression analyzed using macroarrays. Nineteen cacao ESTs and 17 Trichoderma ESTs were chosen for real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Seven cacao ESTs were induced during colonization by the Trichoderma isolates. These included putative genes for ornithine decarboxylase (P1), GST-like proteins (P4), zinc finger protein (P13), wound-induced protein (P26), EF-calcium-binding protein (P29), carbohydrate oxidase (P59), and an unknown protein (U4). Two plant ESTs, extensin-like protein (P12) and major intrinsic protein (P31), were repressed due to colonization. The plant gene expression profile was dependent on the Trichoderma isolate colonizing the cacao seedling. The fungal ESTs induced in colonized cacao seedlings also varied with the Trichoderma isolate used. The most highly induced fungal ESTs were putative glucosyl hydrolase family 2 (F3), glucosyl hydrolase family 7 (F7), serine protease (F11), and alcohol oxidase (F19). The pattern of altered gene expression suggests a complex system of genetic cross talk occurs between the cacao tree and Trichoderma isolates during the establishment of the endophytic association.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphism is associated with prognosis of patients with gastric cancer

4019

Background: Recent studies demonstrated that the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family had a prognostic significance in patients with gastric cancer. The present study analyzed VEGF polymorphism and its impact on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: Five hundred three consecutive patients with surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma at a single institution between January 2000 and December 2001 were enrolled into the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue and four VEGF (-460T > C, +405C > G, 936C> T, and -1154G > A) genotypes were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay. Results: The median age of patients was 60.0 years (range, 25–83 years), and 337 (67.0%) patients were male. Pathologic stages after resection were as follows: stage 0 (n=6, 1.2%), stage I (n=277, 55.1%), stage II (n=105, 20.9%), stage III (n=74, 14.7%), and stage IV (n=41, 8.2%). The estimated 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates according to stage were significantly different (p < 0.0001). Three VEGF polymorphisms (+405C > G, 936C, and -1154G > A > T) were not associated with survival of patients, while -460T > C polymorphism had a prognostic significance. In patients with early stage gastric cancer (stage 0 or 1, n=283), the estimated 5-year DFS and carcinoma-specific survival (CSS) for patients with homozygous genotype (CC or TT) of -460T > C were superior to those for heterozygous genotype (CT) (98.1% versus 90.3%, p=0.0047; 98.1% versus 92.5%, p=0.0284). In Cox multivariate regression, stage and VEGF -460T > C genotype were an independent prognostic factors for both DFS (p=0.007; p=0.010) and CSS (p=0.013; p=0.038). Conclusions: VEGF -460T > C polymorphism was found to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with curatively resected early stage gastric adenocarcinoma. Accordingly, VEGF -460T > C polymorphism can help to identify patients with unfavorable clinical outcome and thereby may be useful to refine therapeutic decisions in early stage gastric cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.