New phylogenetically distinct cyanophages found in the coastal Yellow Sea by Qingdao

Genetic composition of natural cyanophage population in the coastal Yellow Sea area near Qingdao was investigated using the g20 gene as a genetic marker. Amplification of this gene by PCR yielded sequences, which were cloned and subjected to the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Sixteen clones exhibiting different RFLP patterns were sequenced and analyzed. The sequence analysis indicated a diversity of cyanophages covering sixteen g20 genotypes. Their phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct phylogenetic groups. One group (7clones) localized with the cyanophage P77 in the cluster III described before. Second group (9 clones) did not localize with any of the cyanophage described so far and was designated as a novel W cluster. The study revealed a genetic diversity of cyanophages in the coastal Yellow Sea and confirmed the genetic differences between cyanophage populations in Western and Eastern Pacific.

Expression analyses of AtAGP17 and AtAGP19, two lysine-rich arabinogalactan proteins, in Arabidopsis

AtAGP17 and AtAGP19 are members of the lysine-rich arabinogalactan protein (AGP) subfamily in Arabidopsis. Detailed anatomical analysis of promoter activity of the AtAGP19 gene was carried out using transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing a P(AtAGP19):GUS fusion. AtAGP19 promoter activity was tissue-specific and associated with vascular bundles, particularly differentiating xylem elements. Peptide-specific antibodies were raised against the Lys-rich regions of AtAGP17 and AtAGP19 and used to study the organ-specific expression patterns of these two AGPs. AtAGP17 and AtAGP19 were most abundant in roots and flowers, moderately abundant in stems, seedlings and siliques and virtually absent in leaves. Antibodies specific for AtAGP17 and AtAGP19, as reported here, represent valuable tools for understanding the biology of these two AGPs.

δ-Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase genotype predicts toxic effects of lead on workers' peripheral nervous system

There is a wide variation in sensitivity to lead (Pb) exposure, which may be due to genetic susceptibility towards Pb. We investigated whether a polymorphism (rs1800435) in the δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) gene affected the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of Pb. Among 461 Chinese Pb-exposed storage battery and 175 unexposed workers, allele frequencies for the ALAD1 and ALAD2 alleles were 0.968 and 0.032, respectively. The Pb-exposed workers had a higher fraction of the ALAD1-2/2-2 genotype than unexposed workers (7.8% vs. 2.3%, p=0.01). The Pb levels in blood (B-Pb) and urine (U-Pb) were higher in Pb-exposed workers carrying the ALAD2 allele compared to homozygotes for ALAD1 (median B-Pb: 606 vs. 499 μg/L; U-Pb: 233 vs. 164 μg/g creatinine), while there was no statistically significant difference in the unexposed controls (median: 24 vs. 37 μg/L, and 3.9 vs. 6.4μg/g creatinine, respectively). High B-Pb and U-Pb were associated with statistically significantly lower sensory and motor conduction velocities in the median, ulnar and peroneal nerves. At the same B-Pb and U-Pb, ALAD1 homozygotes had lower conduction velocities than the ALAD2 carriers. There were similar trends for toxic effects on haem synthesis (zinc protoporphyrin and haemoglobin in blood) and renal function (albumin and N-acetyl-d-β-acetylglucosaminidase in urine), but without statistical significance. There was no difference in Pb toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics associated with VDR BsmI polymorphism. Our results show that the ALAD genotype modifies the relationship between Pb and its toxic effects on the peripheral nervous system. This must be considered in the assessment of risks at Pb exposure.

Overexpression of CXCL1 and its receptor CXCR2 promote tumor invasion in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) and its receptor CXCR2 are associated with metastasis potential. Our studies were designed to clarify the CXCL1 and CXCR2 expression patterns and to explore their potential role in gastric cancer.

DESIGN

The expression of CXCL1 was determined in primary gastric cancer specimens using quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. To investigate the functional significance of CXCL1 expression, a CXCL1 expression vector and short hairpin RNA targeting the CXCL1 or CXCR2 were transfected into gastric cancer cell lines to examine the biological outcomes of these cells.

RESULTS

The expression of CXCL1 and CXCR2 was higher in gastric cancer tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. The upregulation of CXCL1 correlated significantly with tumor progression, advanced stage of gastric cancer patients, and was one of the independent prognostic factors for patient's survival. Furthermore, cancer cells expressing CXCL1 stably exhibited an increase in their migration and invasion ability, whereas CXCL1 or CXCR2 depletion significantly reduced the migration and invasion ability of each cell line.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide strong evidence that CXCL1 plays an important role in gastric cancer progression and migration and suggest that CXCL1 is a promising marker for the detection and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Laser Synthesis of Iron Nitride Nanoparticles from Pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5-NH3 System

By vapor-phase pyrolysis of Fe(CO) 5 and NH3 induced by CW CO2 laser, γ'-Fe4N and ε- Fe3N nanoparticles(≤35nm) were prepared in Ar and N2 atmospheres. In Ar, γ'-Fe4N accompanied by a little α-Fe was formed at low temperatures below 650°C, while higher temperatures favored the formation of γ-Fe. In N2 atmospheres, a mixture of Fe4N and Fe3N nanoparticles were obtained at high temperatures. In addition, the influences of synthesis parameters on the structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were discussed.

High dose human insulin and insulin glargine promote T24 bladder cancer cell proliferation via PI3K-independent activation of Akt

BACKGROUND

This study was to investigate the effects of human insulin and insulin glargine on proliferation of T24 human bladder cancer cells and the implication of the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways.

METHODS

After exposure to insulin or glargine at the indicated concentrations for certain time courses, in the absence or presence of inhibitor for MEK (PD98059) or PI3K (LY294002), T24 cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2 was analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTS

Insulin and glargine similarly induced phosphorylation of Akt and slight increases in T24 cell proliferation at 10-100IU/L. LY294002 remarkably reduced T24 cell proliferation in all groups. However, in the presence of LY294002, cell growth was still promoted by insulin and glargine relative to LY294002-treated group. Accordingly, LY294002 profoundly reduced protein levels of pAkt, while insulin and glargine increased pAkt in T24 cells pretreated with LY294002 as compared with cells treated with LY294002 alone. PD98059 reduced pERK while enhanced T24 cell proliferation. Insulin and glargine increased pERK at 15, 30, 60 min, not at 24h.

CONCLUSIONS

High dose human insulin and insulin glargine similarly promoted T24 bladder cancer cell proliferation via PI3K-independent activation of Akt.

Algal-derived organic matter as precursors of disinfection by-products and mutagens upon chlorination

Algal-derived organic materials (including algal cells, hydrophilic and hydrophobic proteins) from Chlamydomonas sp. (a common green alga in local reservoirs), were chlorinated in the laboratory (20 °C, pH 7, Cl(2)/DOC ratio of 20 mg Cl(2) mg(-1)). Levels of disinfection by-products and mutagenicity (via Salmonella T100 mutation assay, -S9) over 2 h of chlorination time were determined. The hydrophilic proteins were more effective precursors of chloroform (35.9 μmol L(-1) at 120 min), 35 times greater than that from the hydrophobic proteins; whereas the hydrophobic proteins were more potent precursors of direct-acting mutagens (maximum level of 50.1 rev μL(-1) at 30 s) than the hydrophilic proteins (maximum level of 3.38 rev μL(-1) at 60 min). The mutagenicity of the chlorinated solutions generally reached a peak level shortly after chlorination and then declined afterwards, a pattern different from that of chloroform generation. The results indicate that algal hydrophilic proteins, containing low aromaticity and difficult to be removed via coagulation/flocculation, are important chloroform precursors. It is also suggested that hydrophobic organic intermediates with low molecular weight formed during chlorination may serve as the direct-acting mutagens.

Adenosine 2A receptor is protective against renal injury in MRL/lpr mice

OBJECTIVE

Adenosine is considered as a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive molecule. We examined the roles of A2A-adenosine receptor (A(2A)R) in the progression of lupus nephritis.

METHODS

MRL/lpr mice were given a selective A(2A)R agonist, CGS21680 (0.4 mg/kg per day, i.p.) while control mice received saline only. After 8 weeks of treatment, mice were sacrificed for assessment of functional and histological parameters as well as inflammatory infiltration in the kidneys. MCP-1, IFN-γ, MHC-II and A(2A)R mRNA expression was evaluated by RT-PCR. Expression of A(2A)R and nuclear NFκB p65 protein was determined by Western blot analysis. Levels of anti-dsDNA antibody and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

CGS21680 treatment resulted in significant decrease in proteinuria, blood urea and creatinine as well as improvement in renal histology. Renal macrophage and T-cell infiltration were significantly attenuated in association with suppressed expression of MCP-1, IFN-γ and MHC-II. CGS21680 treatment reduced the level of serum anti-dsDNA and renal immune complex deposition. CGS21680 inhibited the activation of NFκB and suppressed the expression of IFN-γ, MCP-1 and MHC-II in MRL/lpr splenocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

A(2A)R activation suppressed inflammation in the kidneys of MRL/lpr mice and can be considered as a novel therapeutic approach for human lupus nephritis.

Proteomic analysis of human serum for finding pathogenic factors and potential biomarkers in preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE(S)

To apply a novel proteomic method to discover potential pathogenic factors and biomarkers of preeclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN

Sera from five patients complicated with preeclampsia and five healthy pregnant controls were separately pooled. Each pool was treated with peptide ligand library beads (PLLBs) to remove high abundance proteins by affinity and thus enrich low abundance proteins. The proteins from the eluate were analyzed by a combination of 1D Gel-LC-MS/MS. Protein expression levels were quantified using spectral counts and the extracted ion current.

RESULTS

1172 unique proteins in preeclampsia and 1149 in healthy controls were identified in the present study. 51 proteins were differentially expressed between preeclampsia and healthy pregnant women including chorionic somatommammptropin hormone (CSH) and fibulin-1. 31 proteins identified were up-regulated and 20 were down-regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that peptide ligand library combining with 1D gel-LC-MS/MS analysis is an efficient method to identify differentially expressed proteins in sera and two biological processes of complement and coagulation activations and lipid metabolism were involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Pentachlorophenol induced physiological-biochemical changes in Chlorella pyrenoidosa culture

Present study investigated physiological and biochemical changes in a green alga culture (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) upon exposure to varied concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) (0, 0.4 mgL(-1), 2.5 mgL(-1) and 10 mgL(-1)). The results revealed that with the increase of PCP concentration, a decrease of the algal biomass, levels of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid), soluble protein and an increase of nitrate reductase (NR) activity were observed. This suggests that the PCP may serve as an uncoupler, causing low ATP level within the algal cells and led most of the NR molecules to be in the dephosphoration state (i.e. active from). Moreover, it shows that photosynthetic pigments especially carotenoid were more sensitive indicators to indicate PCP toxicity as compared to the other parameters.

Superiority of visipaque (iodixanol)-controlled density gradient over Ficoll-400 in adult porcine islet purification

OBJECTIVE

Sufficient and favorable biological functions of islets are major problems hindering xenotransplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects on harvesting, purity, viability, and function of using improved Visipaque (iodixanol) and Ficoll-400 for adult porcine islet purification.

METHODS

Twelve adult porcine pancreata were randomly divided into an Iodixanol-University of Wisconsin (UW) group and a Ficoll-400-UW group according to the purification method. Porcine pancreata were isolated by collagenase digestion. After isolation and purification, the islet yield and purity were evaluated by dithizone staining, and islet function assessed by in vitro insulin release assays and in vivo islet xenotransplantation.

RESULTS

There were no marked differences in the islet yield before purification (5254.67 +/- 189.44 IEQ/g vs 5092.67 +/- 178.94 IEQ/g, P > .05). After purification, there were significantly more islets harvested in Iodixanol-UW group than in the Ficoll-400-UW group: 4222.00 +/- 228.84 IEQ/g vs 3036.83 +/- 79.60 IEQ/g (P < .05). Islets from the two groups showed satisfactory insulin secretory ability. There were no significant differences in islet survival times between the two groups in diabetic rats: 8.2 +/- 1.619 days vs 6.9 +/- 1.197 days (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

The improved iodixanol-UW density gradient method was superior to Ficoll-400 method to improve the number, viability, and insulin secret of purified adult porcine islets although the benefits did not improve in vivo survival.

Neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity torque in collisionless regimes in tokamaks

Bumpiness in a magnetic field enhances the magnitude of the plasma viscosity and increases the rate of the plasma flow damping. A general solution of the neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity (NTV) torque induced by nonaxisymmetric magnetic perturbation (NAMP) in the collisionless regimes in tokamaks is obtained in this Letter. The plasma angular momentum can be strongly changed, when there is a small deviation of the toroidal symmetry caused by a NAMP of the order of 0.1% of the toroidal field strength.

Probing quark-gluon interactions with transverse polarized scattering

We have extracted QCD matrix elements from our data on doubly polarized inelastic scattering of electrons on nuclei. We find the higher twist matrix element d˜2, which arises strictly from quark-gluon interactions, to be unambiguously nonzero. The data also reveal an isospin dependence of higher twist effects if we assume that the Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule is valid. The fundamental Bjorken sum rule obtained from the a0 matrix element is satisfied at our low momentum transfer.

The antiapoptotic protein, FLIP, is regulated by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K and correlates with poor overall survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) mediates antiapoptotic activity in part by inducing downstream antiapoptotic genes. To systematically identify hnRNP K targets in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), affymetrix chips were used to identify genes that were both overexpressed in primary NPC and downregulated by hnRNP K knockdown in NPC-TW02 cells. The resulting gene set included the antiapoptotic gene, FLIP, which was selected for further study. In cells treated with hnRNP K siRNA, TRAIL-induced apoptosis was enhanced and the FLIP protein level was reduced. Promoter, DNA pull-down and chromatin-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that hnRNP K directly interacts with the poly(C) element on the FLIP promoter, resulting in transcriptional activation. Through iTRAQ-mass spectrometric identification of proteins differentially associated with the poly(C) element or its mutant, nucleolin was determined to be a cofactor of hnRNP K for FLIP activation. Furthermore, FLIP was highly expressed in tumor cells, and this high-level expression was significantly correlated with high-level hnRNP K expression (P=0.002) and poor overall survival (P=0.015) as examined in 67 NPC tissues. A multivariate analysis confirmed that FLIP was an independent prognostic factor for NPC. Taken together, these findings indicate that FLIP expression is transcriptionally regulated by hnRNP K and nucleolin, and may be a potential prognostic and therapeutic marker for NPC.

Multiresonance effect in type-I edge-localized mode control with low n fields on JET

Multiple resonances in the edge-localized mode (ELM) frequency (f(ELM)) as a function of the edge safety factor q(95) have been observed for the first time with an applied low n (=1,2) field on the JET tokamak. Without an n=1 field applied, f(ELM) increases slightly from 20 to 30 Hz by varying the q(95) from 4 to 5 in a type-I ELMy H-mode plasma. However, with an n=1 field applied, a strong increase in f(ELM) by a factor of 4-5 has been observed with resonant q(95) values, while the f(ELM) increased only by a factor of 2 for nonresonant values. A model, which assumes that the ELM width is determined by a localized relaxation triggered by an unstable ideal external peeling mode, can qualitatively predict the observed resonances when low n fields are applied.