Characterization of the autophagy-related gene BmATG8 in Bipolaris maydis

Autophagy is involved in cellular development and the maintenance of viability under nutrient deprivation in a wide range of eukaryotes. A filamentous ascomycete Bipolaris maydis, responsible for southern corn leaf blight, is also studied as a model fungus for sexual reproduction in filamentous ascomycetes that form filiform ascospores. In order to clarify the roles of autophagy in various stages of the life cycle of B. maydis, we constructed null mutants of BmATG8, an orthologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae autophagy gene ATG8 in B. maydis. Deletion of BmATG8 impaired localization of cytosolic components to the vacuole under nitrogen starvation, suggesting that autophagy was deficient in the null mutants. Additionally, fluorescent microscopic observations on a eGFP-fused BmATG8 expressing strain showed that BmATG8 is associated with autophagy-related structures. In vegetative growth, ΔBmATG8 strains showed a reduction in conidiation and aerial mycelial growth. Interestingly, the mutant conidia indicated loss of the germination rate under starvation conditions and affected longevity. However, germinated mutant conidia were still capable of infecting the host plant via appressoria. In sexual reproduction, ascospores with ΔBmATG8 genetic background were aborted. Our results revealed that autophagy plays a crucial role in the function of conidia, not in host infection via appressoria in B. maydis. In addition, conservation of the importance of autophagy in ascospore development is suggested among ascomycetes including species that form bitunicate ascus.

Geographic distribution and environmental control of vertebral count in Ammodytes spp. along the northern Pacific coast of Japan

To examine species composition and population structures in sand lance (Ammodytidae) along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, genetic analysis were carried out for specimens collected in 2014 from Otsuchi Bay, Iwate, Ishinomaki Bay, Miyagi, off Soma, Fukushima and Ise-Mikawa Bays, Aichi. The samples consisted of Ammodytes japonicus and Ammodytes heian, of which the latter is a recently described species. Neither species exhibited significant genetic differences among localities. Only A. japonicus was found in the most southern locality at Aichi, but it decreased northward to <90% in Miyagi and Fukushima and the two species occurred almost evenly in Iwate suggesting a latitudinal cline in their species composition along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, off Tohoku. The vertebral counts differed between A. japonicus and A. heian with modes of 65 and 63, respectively, but this characteristic did not differ significantly within a locality (Iwate). This suggests that the vertebral counts of Ammodytes spp. in Japanese waters are probably strongly determined by the environment than by a species-specific genetic trait.

High concentrations of intracellular Ap4A and/or Ap5A in developing Myxococcus xanthus cells inhibit sporulation

Diadenosine polyphosphates (ApnA) are thought to act as signalling molecules regulating stress responses and biofilm formation in prokaryotes. However, ApnA function in Myxococcus xanthus remains unknown. Here, we investigated the role of ApnA in M. xanthus, using the wild-type and ApnA hydrolase (apaH) mutant strains exposed to various stress conditions. In both wild-type and apaH mutant cells cultured on starvation medium (CF agar), the levels of intracellular diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and pentaphosphate (Ap5A) increased several fold during the first 16 h of development and decreased gradually thereafter. The levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in the apaH mutant were about 5- and 11-fold higher than those in the wild-type strain at 16 h, respectively. ApnA hydrolase activity of the wild-type strain increased 1.5-fold during the first 8 h of development, and it then gradually decreased. The apaH mutant formed spores 1-2 days after the wild-type strain did, and the yield of viable spores was 5.5 % of that in the wild-type strain 5 days after inoculation onto CF agar. These results suggest the possibility that high intracellular levels of Ap4A and/or Ap5A may inhibit M. xanthus sporulation at the early stage of development and that the bacteria reduce intracellular Ap4A and Ap5A accumulation through ApnA hydrolase activity.

Multicenter phase II study of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and oxaliplatin, plus biweekly cetuximab as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CELINE trial)

The current phase II study investigated the efficacy and safety of biweekly cetuximab combined with standard oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy [infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-6)] in the first-line treatment of KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Sixty patients with a median age of 64 years (range, 38-82 syears) received a biweekly intravenous infusion of cetuximab (500 mg/m² on day 1) followed by FOLFOX-6 (2-hour oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² infusion on day 1 in tandem with a 2-h leucovorin 200 mg/m² infusion on days 1 and 2, and 5-FU as a 400 mg/m² bolus followed by a 46-hour 2,400 mg/m² infusion on days 1-3). Patient response rate was 70%, with 95% disease control rates. The median progression-free survival was 13.8 months. Thirteen patients (21.7%) were able to undergo resection of previously unresectable metastases, with the aim of curing them. The median follow-up was 22.7 months, and median overall survival was 31.0 months. Cetuximab did not increase FOLFOX-6 toxicity and was generally well tolerated. The results of the current study demonstrate that the combination of biweekly cetuximab with FOLFOX-6 was well tolerated and had a manageable safety profile for the first-line treatment of KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Efficacy was comparable to other treatment regimens. The results support the administration of biweekly cetuximab in combination with FOLFOX-6, which may be more convenient and provide treatment flexibility in this setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancers.

The (oxalato)aluminate complex as an antimicrobial substance protecting the "shiro" of Tricholoma matsutake from soil micro-organisms

Tricholoma matsutake, a basidiomycete, forms ectomycorrhizas with Pinus densiflora as the host tree. Its fruiting body, "matsutake" in Japanese, is an edible and highly prized mushroom, and it grows in a circle called a fairy ring. Beneath the fairy ring of T. matsutake, a whitish mycelium-soil aggregated zone, called "shiro" in Japanese, develops. The front of the shiro, an active mycorrhizal zone, functions to gather nutrients from the soil and roots to nourish the fairy ring. Bacteria and sporulating fungi decrease from the shiro front, whereas they increase inside and outside the shiro front. Ohara demonstrated that the shiro front exhibited antimicrobial activity, but the antimicrobial substance has remained unidentified for 50 years. We have identified the antimicrobial substance as the (oxalato)aluminate complex, known as a reaction product of oxalic acid and aluminum phosphate to release soluble phosphorus. The complex protects the shiro from micro-organisms, and contributes to its development.

The COMET Open-label Phase II Study of Neoadjuvant FOLFOX or XELOX Treatment Combined with Molecular Targeting Monoclonal Antibodies in Patients with Resectable Liver Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Advantages of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with monoclonal antibodies for treating patients with resectable colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CLM) have not been established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin-based regimen (FOLFOX or XELOX) plus monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab or bevacizumab) treatment in patients with resectable CLM.

METHODS

A single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase II trial was conducted for patients aged ≥ 20 years with resectable and untreated CLM. Patients received preoperative FOLFOX (6 cycles) or XELOX (4 cycles). Cetuximab or bevacizumab was administered to patients with wild-type or mutated KRAS codons 12 and 13, respectively. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Between January 2010 and June 2012, 47 patients were enrolled from 12 institutions. Wild-type or mutant KRAS sequences were examined in 32 and 15 patients, respectively. Twenty-one (45 %) patients experienced Grades 3/4 adverse events, and 55 % of all patients responded to therapy. The sizes of tumors of patients in the wild-type KRAS group were significantly reduced compared with those of the mutant KRAS group. The overall rates of liver resection and postoperative morbidity were 83 and 14 %, respectively, and the median PFS was 15.6 months. The median PFS times of the KRAS wild-type and mutant groups were 22.5 months and 10.5 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant therapy using FOLFOX/XELOX combined with monoclonal antibodies did not improve PFS, although it was administered safely and had less adverse effects after liver resection.

Children with nocturnal enuresis have posture and balance disorders

INTRODUCTION

Integration of the neuromuscular system is required for maintaining balance and adequate voiding function. Children with enuresis have delayed maturation of the motor cortex, with changes in the sensory and motor systems. Along with various alterations, including the genetic, hormonal, behavioral, and sleep disturbances, and neuromotor and sensory deficits associated with nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children and adults, a consistent alteration in the posture of children with NE has been observed in the current practice. Because posture and the balance control system are strongly connected, this study aimed to investigate posture and balance in children and teenagers with NE.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 111 children with enuresis were recruited to the enuretic group (EG) and 60 asymptomatic children made up the control group (CG). The participants were divided into two age subgroups: (A) 7-11 years old, N = 77 for EG/A, N = 38 for CG/A; and (B) 12-16 years old, N = 34 for EG/B, N = 22 for CG/B. Balance was assessed using an electronic force plate (100 Hz) to calculate the area of the center of pressure (COP) displacement. The COP is the point that results from the action of vertical forces projected onto the force plate. Sensory integration was analyzed using a 60-s trial with the subject standing under four conditions: (1) eyes open, stable surface; (2) eyes closed, stable surface; (3) eyes open, unstable surface; (4) eyes closed, unstable surface. Posture was assessed by placing reflective anatomical landmarks on the anterior superior iliac spine, the posterior superior iliac spine, the greater trochanter, and lateral malleolus. A photograph was taken while the subject stood quietly. The angles were obtained from landmark connections using software to assess the following posture variables: pelvic ante/retroversion and pelvic ante/retropulsion.

RESULTS

The EG showed a greater area of COP displacement compared with the CG under all four sensory conditions and both subgroups, except for EG/B in condition 3. Regarding posture, EG showed higher pelvic anteversion angles than CG.

CONCLUSIONS

Enuretic children showed forward inclination of the pelvis and had worse balance compared with control children.

Salvage pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy following definitive chemoradiotherapy

Historically, total pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy has been the standard radical surgical treatment for synchronous cancer of the thoracoabdominal esophagus and pharyngolaryngeal region, and for cancer of the cervical esophagus that has invaded as far as the thoracic esophagus. Although definitive chemoradiotherapy that enables preservation of the larynx has often been the first choice of treatment for cancers involving the cervical esophagus, total pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy is required as a salvage therapy for cases involving failure of complete remission or locoregional recurrence after chemoradiotherapy. However, salvage esophageal surgery after definitive high-dose chemoradiotherapy is generally associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the short-term outcome of salvage total pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy. From 2001 to 2014, nine patients underwent salvage total pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy at the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya University. The mortality and morbidity rates were high at 22% and 89%, respectively. Four patients (44%) developed tracheal necrosis, which in two patients eventually led to lethal hemorrhage. Salvage total pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy is an uncommon and highly demanding surgical procedure that should be carefully planned and conducted in selected centers of excellence. Measures must be taken to preserve the tracheal blood supply, thus avoiding fatal complications.

Preparation and Properties of Optically Clear Poly[(Arylenedioxy)(Diphenylsilylene)]s and Poly[(Alkylenedioxy)(Diphenylsilylene)]

Several types of poly[(arylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)]s and poly[(alkylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)] were synthesized from various diols and dichlorodiphenylsilane by the step polymerization method. The thermal properties, solubility in organic solvents and optical properties of the obtained polymers were investigated by focusing on the chemical structures of their repeating structural units. The weight-average molecular weight ( Mw) of the obtained polymers based on polystyrene ranged from 43000 to 194000. High molecular weight, ductile materials with a high degree of optical clarity were obtained. These polymers display glass transition temperatures ( Tg) between 96 and 130°C. The obtained poly[(arylenedioxy) (diphenylsilylene)]s and poly[(alkylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)] were soluble in chloroform and toluene. The refractive index ( nd) was 1.64 for a biphenol-based poly[(arylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)] and 1.61 for a bisphenol-A based poly[(arylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)]. The poly[(arylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)]s and poly[(alkylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)] display very low birefringence (Δ n) between 0.0005 and 0.0022. The 70 μm thick film transmission of bicyclohexanol-based poly[(alkylenedioxy)(diphenylsilylene)] was 91% at a 350 nm wavelength.

A case of carcinoma of the papilla of Vater in a young man after subtotal colectomy for familial adenomatous polyposis

Background

Carcinoma and adenoma of the duodenum, including the papilla of Vater, are problematic diseases in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

Case presentation

A 36-year-old man underwent a periodic medical examination for early colon cancer originating from FAP for which laparoscopic-assisted subtotal colectomy with a J-shaped ileal pouch-rectal anastomosis was performed 3 years earlier. A tumor was detected at the papilla of Vater along with elevation of total bilirubin and hepatobiliary enzymes. Although cytology did not determine the tumor to be an adenocarcinoma, we suspected adenocarcinoma due to its hypervascularity shown by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy with modified Imanaga reconstruction and regional lymph node dissection (D2) was performed. The pathological study showed that the tumor was a papillary and moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. The patient is currently in good health without recurrence, weight loss, or severe diarrhea at 12 months after surgery.

Conclusions

Awareness of biliary-pancreatic symptoms and periodic gastroduodenoscopy might contribute both to the early detection of duodenal or periampullary polyps and cancer and to the radical treatment of FAP. Modified Imanaga reconstruction has the potential to become one of the more effective procedures for providing good quality of life to FAP patients with duodenal or periampullary cancer.

Phase II study of irinotecan and bevacizumab plus alternate day S-1 as second-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

749

Background: The recommended dose of combination chemotherapy of irinotecan, bevacizumab and oral S-1 is 100mg/m2, 5mg/kg and 80-120mg/body respectively. To evaluate whether the dose of irinotecan could be raised to 150mg/m2 with modified administration of S-1, we have conducted a phase II study of irinotecan and bevacizumab plus alternate day S-1 in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (UMIN000008947). Methods: Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after failure with first-line treatment of oxaliplatine and fluoropyrimidine were enrolled. Irinotecan (150 mg/m2) and bevacizumab (5mg/kg) were given intravenously on day 1. Oral S-1was administered on alternate days at a dose of 40-60mg twice a day. Cycles were repeated every two weeks. Results: A total of 51 patients were evaluated in the first fouur cycles. Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia were 10% (10/51) and 13.7%(7/10), grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia were 0%(0/51) and 2.0% (1/51). Grade 2 and 3 mucositis were 13.7% (7/51) and 3.9% (2/51). Grade 2 and 3 nausea were 11.8% (6/51) and 2.0% (1/51). Grade 2 and 3 diarrhea were 17.6% (9/51) and 15.7% (8/51). The relative dose intensities were 84.8% for irinotecan, 87.5% for bevacizumab, and 84.8% for S-1 respectively in the first four cycles. Conclusions: Our data suggest that irinotecan (150 mg/m2) and bevacizumab was administered safely with alternate day S-1 as second-line tratment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Clinical trial information: 000008947.

Relationships among different glycemic variability indices obtained by continuous glucose monitoring

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships among indices of glycemic variability obtained by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). CGM was performed in 88 patients with diabetes (20 type 1 and 68 type 2 diabetes, age 59 ± 15 years) admitted to our hospital (Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan) between 2010 and 2012. Mean glucose, glucose standard deviation (SDglu) and other glycemic indices such as index of glycemic control (ICG), J-index, mean of daily differences (MODD), continuous overlapping net glycemic action 1 (CONGA1), mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) and M value were calculated from CGM data, and the correlations among these indices were assessed. There were strong correlations between SDglu and the indices MAGE, CONGA1, MODD and M value (all r > 0.8, P < 0.05). On the other hand, mean glucose was strongly correlated with J index and M value (both r > 0.8, P < 0.05). SDglu and other glycemic variability indices were more strongly correlated with hypoglycemia than was mean glucose, and the combination of mean glucose and SDglu was useful for predicting hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes. In this study, we demonstrated the characteristics of various glycemic variability indices in relation to mean glucose and SDglu. This information will help physicians to understand the characteristics of various glycemic variability indices and to select an appropriate index for their purpose. Our results also underpin the importance of glycemic variability in relation to risk of hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes.