A ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the transverse mesocolon: a case report

We discuss the long history of a patient still alive with a primary gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) of the transverse mesocolon: initially it presented as an acute complication, namely a haemorrhagic shock caused by rupture of the tumour and it recurred twice locally in the years following primary resection. Each time, a macroscopically complete resection could be achieved. Six years after the resection of the primary tumour, a liver metastasis was discovered, which was removed by radio frequency ablation (RFA). Eight months later, the patient developed a new liver metastasis and a retropancreatic mass deemed unresectable. He is treated with imatinib mesylate (Glyvec, Novartis, Vilvoorde, Belgium) since and has had a stable disease for 6 months. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours outside the gastrointestinal tract are rare. Until a few years ago the only possible therapy was surgical resection. Nowadays radio frequency ablation can be a solution for irresectable liver metastases, and imatinib mesylate can bring improvement for advanced and metastasized tumours. Whether this could also be useful as an adjuvant therapy has not yet been investigated, but it could be important knowing that 38% of the tumours recur locally and 15% metastasize. The most important prognostic factors for gastrointestinal stromal tumours are grading and complete resection.

Porcine PPARGC1A (peroxisome proliferative activated receptor gamma coactivator 1A): coding sequence, genomic organization, polymorphisms and mapping

We report here the characterisation of porcine PPARGC1A. Primers based on human PPARGC1A were used to isolate two porcine BAC clones. Porcine coding sequences of PPARGC1A were sequenced together with the splice site regions and the 5' and 3' regions. Using direct sequencing nine SNPs were found. Allele frequencies were determined in unrelated animals of five different pig breeds. In the MARC Meishan-White Composite resource population, the polymorphism in exon 9 was significantly associated with leaf fat weight. PPARGC1A has been mapped by FISH to SSC8p21. A (CA)n microsatellite (SGU0001) has been localised near marker SWR1101 on chromosome 8 by RH mapping and at the same position as marker KS195 (32.5 cM) by linkage mapping. The AseI (nt857, Asn/Asn489) polymorphism in exon 8 was used to perform linkage analysis in the Hohenheim pedigrees and located the gene in the same genomic region. Transcription of the gene was detected in adipose, muscle, kidney, liver, brain, heart and adrenal gland tissues, which is in agreement with the function of PPARGC1A in adaptive thermogenesis.

New slip regimes and the shape of dewetting thin liquid films

We compare the flow behavior of liquid polymer films on silicon wafers coated with either octadecyl-(OTS) or dodecyltrichlorosilane (DTS). Our experiments show that dewetting on DTS is significantly faster than on OTS. We argue that this is tied to the difference in the solid/liquid friction. As the film dewets, the profile of the rim advancing into the undisturbed film is monotonically decaying on DTS but has an oscillatory structure on OTS. For the first time we can describe this transition in terms of a lubrication model with a Navier-slip condition for the flow of a viscous Newtonian liquid.

Morphology, phylogeny and biology of Gliocephalis hyalina, a biotrophic contact mycoparasite of Fusarium species

Gliocephalis hyalina, a rarely seen microfungus with a morphology similar to the hyphomycete genus Aspergillus but with slimy conidia was found in a mixed microbial culture from soybean roots. This species has been reported sporadically since 1899, each time in association with other fungi or bacteria. Gliocephalis hyalina has not been maintained in monoxenic culture and requires other fungi to grow. Light and scanning electron microcope studies indicate that it is a biotrophic contact parasite of Fusarium species. The fungus may penetrate the cells but has no apparent deleterious effect on the growth or plant pathogenicity of its host. Phylogenetic analyses of partial nuclear small subunit rDNA sequences place G. hyalina near the Laboulbeniales, an order of obligate insect parasitic microfungi, and the related mycelial genus Pyxidiophora. Gliocephalis hyalina is mycoparasitic along with many Pyxidiophora species. These discoveries suggest that some "unculturable" microorganisms or "cryptic DNA" recovered from environmental DNA samples might represent obligate biotrophs that could be cultured and studied with simple techniques.

A refined comparative map between porcine chromosome 13 and human chromosome 3

We report here the localisation of BAIAP1 (13q24), HTR1F (13q45), PTPRG (13q23) and UBE1C (13q24) by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), and BAIAP1 (Swr2114; 21 cR; LOD = 11.03), GATA2 (Sw2448; 37 cR; LOD = 8.26), IL5RA (Swr2114; 64 cR; LOD = 3.85), LMCD1 (Sw2450; 61 cR; LOD = 4.73), MME (CP; 50 cR; LOD = 7.75), RYK (Swc22; 12 cR; LOD = 18.62) and SGU003 (Sw1876; 6 cR; LOD = 16.99) by radiation hybrid (RH) mapping to porcine chromosome 13 (SSC13). The mapping of these 10 different loci (all mapped to human chromosome 3; HSA3) not only confirms the extended conservation of synteny between HSA3 and SSC13, but also defines more precisely the regions with conserved linkage. The syntenic region of the centromeric part of SSC13 was determined by isolating porcine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones (842D4 and 1031H1) using primers amplifying porcine microsatellite markers S0219 and S0076 (mapped to this region). Sequence comparison of the BAC end sequences with the human genome sequence showed that the centromeric part of SSC13 is homologous with HSA3p24.

Viscoelastic dynamics of polymer thin films and surfaces

The strain relaxation behavior in a viscoelastic material, such as a polymer melt, may be strongly affected by the proximity of a free surface or mobile interface. In this paper, the viscoelastic surface modes of the material are discussed with respect to their possible influence on the freezing temperature and dewetting morphology of thin polymer films. In particular, the mode spectrum is connected with mode coupling theory assuming memory effects in the melt. Based on the idea that the polymer freezes due to these memory effects, surface melting is predicted. As a consequence, the substantial shift of the glass transition temperature of thin polymer films with respect to the bulk is naturally explanied. The experimental findings of several independent groups can be accounted for quantitatively, with the elastic modulus at the glass transition temperature as the only fitting parameter. Finally, a simple model is put forward which accounts for the occurrence of certain generic dewetting morphologies in thin liquid polymer films. It demonstrates that by taking into account the viscoelastic properties of the film, a morphological phase diagram may be derived which describes the observed structures of dewetting fronts. It is demonstrated that dewetting morphologies may also serve to determine nanoscale rheological properties of liquids.

Polymorphisms of candidate genes for meat and carcass quality in Belgian pig populations

Polymorphisms described in literature for several candidate genes affecting meat and carcass quality traits were analysed in pigs of pure breeds and hybrid lines used in Belgium. Associations with phenotypic traits were also examined when possible. A total of 92 pigs were screened for a HincII polymorphism in the calpain, large polypeptide L3 (CAPN3) gene, but all tested animals revealed homogenous. A HinfI heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) gene polymorphism was tested in 74 pigs, of which 51 had known intramuscular fat content. The frequency of the H allele, characterised by an additional HinfI restriction site compared to the h allele, varied between 0.5 and 1 for the different breeds or lines. No animals of the hh genotype were present and no association with the intramuscular fat content was apparent. An AluI polymorphism in the adrenocorticotrope hormone receptor (MC2R) gene and a SacII polymorphism in the uncoupling protein (UCP2) gene were examined in 368 and 392 pigs respectively, with 330 pigs shared. For both genes, one allele was clearly predominant with an overall frequency of 0.90 and 0.94 respectively. A few lines or breeds differed from the overall pattern. There was no association between the frequencies of the MC2R and UCP2 gene polymorphisms. Due to the low frequency of one of the homozygous genotypes for both genes, a possible association with carcass fat thickness could not be properly examined, but the large differences between both homozygous genotypes nevertheless deserve further attention. The MC2R gene polymorphism was also tested on 246 piglets that have died from colibacillosis. Remarkably, the frequencies of the subordinate allele and the corresponding homozygous genotype were much higher in this population compared to the healthy pig population examined.

Characterization of the porcine melanocortin 2 receptor gene (MC2R )

A porcine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone, containing the melanocortin 2 receptor gene (MC2R) was isolated. The complete coding sequence of the MC2R gene, contained in 1 exon, was determined. Polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) was performed on a 241-bp coding fragment. An AluI polymorphism, detecting a silent mutation, was found and typed on unrelated animals of five different pig breeds. The Meishan, Piétrain and Large White breeds differ significantly in allele frequencies from the Landrace and Czech Meat Pig breeds. The melanocortin 5 receptor gene (MC5R) was detected by PCR in the same BAC clone, as could be expected from the human and porcine mapping data. PCR-SSCP was performed on a 200-bp coding of MC5R, but no polymorphisms were detected. The BAC clone was mapped to Sscr6q27 by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). A (CA)n microsatellite (SGU0002), isolated from the BAC, was localized on chromosome 6 by RH mapping near marker SW1473 and by linkage mapping on the MARC reference family at the same position as the marker SW2173 (97 cM). Allele frequencies, heterozygosity and polymorphism information contents (PIC) values were calculated for the five different pig breeds examined. The transcription of both genes in porcine liver, heart, kidney, fat, brain, pancreas, stomach, bladder, ovaries, lung, spleen, skin, adrenal gland and muscle tissues was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Transcription was detected in skin and adrenal gland tissues for MC2R, while a positive signal was detected for MC5R in kidney, fat, pancreas, skin, adrenal gland and spleen tissues.

Characterization of the porcine FABGL gene

The porcine major histocompatibility complex, also called swine lymphocyte antigen (SLA) complex, is of particular interest not only because of its central role in the immune response, but also because of its influence on many traits such as reproduction, fatness and meat quality. The porcine FABGL (FabG (beta-ketoacyl-[acyl-carrierprotein] reductase, Escherichia coli) like) gene, coding for a 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD), is a candidate gene for these traits. The complete gene was sequenced and compared with human and mouse FABGL sequences. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 85 and 83% sequence identity to human and mouse sequences, respectively. Polymorphicic BbvI and DdeI restriction sites were found in the porcine FABGL gene. The promoter was compared with the promoter regions of human and mouse FABGL sequence in order to identify putative regulatory elements. The transcription profile of the porcine gene was determined and showed a widespread tissue distribution.

Mechanisms of sodium fluoride-induced endothelial cell barrier dysfunction: role of MLC phosphorylation

NaF, a potent G protein activator and Ser/Thr phosphatase inhibitor, significantly increased albumin permeability and decreased transcellular electrical resistance (TER), indicating endothelial cell (EC) barrier impairment. EC barrier dysfunction induced by NaF was accompanied by the development of actin stress fibers, intercellular gap formation, and significant time-dependent increases in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. However, despite rapid, albeit transient, activation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent MLC kinase (MLCK), the specific MLCK inhibitor ML-7 failed to affect NaF-induced MLC phosphorylation, actin cytoskeletal rearrangement, and reductions in TER, suggesting a limited role of MLCK in NaF-induced EC activation. In contrast, strategies to reduce Rho (C3 exoenzyme or toxin B) or to inhibit Rho-associated kinase (Y-27632 or dominant/negative RhoK) dramatically reduced MLC phosphorylation and actin stress fiber formation and significantly attenuated NaF-induced EC barrier dysfunction. Consistent with this role for RhoK activity, NaF selectively inhibited myosin-specific phosphatase activity, whereas the total Ser/Thr phosphatase activity remained unchanged. These data strongly suggest that MLC phosphorylation, mediated primarily by RhoK, and not MLCK, participates in NaF-induced EC actin cytoskeletal changes and barrier dysfunction.

Papillary fibroelastoma of a mitral valve chorda

A 43-year-old woman presented with an ischemic stroke in the right middle cerebral artery territory. Cardiac echography disclosed a tumor of a primary chordae of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. After neurologic recovery, the patient was referred to surgery for excision of the tumor and plastic reconstruction using a chordal transfer technique. Histological examination of the tumor showed a typical papillary fibroelastoma. Papillary fibroelastoma is the third most frequent cardiac benign tumor. The high embolic potential of this tumor is in favor of an aggressive surgical attitude.

Shape of a liquid front upon dewetting

The profile of a liquid front of a polymer film dewetting a solid substrate is examined by atomic force microscopy. The material removed from the substrate is accumulated in a rim next to the three-phase contact line. Theory predicts the leading edge of the rim profile to be a damped harmonic oscillation for a large class of systems. This is investigated experimentally for the first time, and we show that a non-Newtonian liquid behaves qualitatively different due to viscoelastic effects. It is pointed out that analysis of the rim shapes allows one to study quantitatively the rheological properties of complex fluids on a nanometer scale.

Activation volumes for solid-solid transformations in nanocrystals

The transition between four- and six-coordinate structures in CdSe nanocrystals displays simple transition kinetics as compared with the extended solid, and we determined activation volumes from the pressure dependence of the relaxation times. Our measurements indicate that the transformation takes place by a nucleation mechanism and place strong constraints on the type of microscopic motions that lead to the transformation. The type of analysis presented here is difficult for extended solids, which transform by complicated kinetics and involve ill-defined domain volumes. Solids patterned on the nanoscale may prove to be powerful models for the general study of structural transitions in small systems, as well as in extended solids.

Bovine melanocortin receptor 4: cDNA sequence, polymorphisms and mapping

A cDNA encoding the bovine melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) was cloned and sequenced. Comparing human, pig and rat homologues showed a 87, 85 and 89% identity on the DNA level, respectively, and over 90% on the protein level. The bovine MC4R gene was mapped to BTU 24 by radiation hybrid mapping. Two nucleotide changes were identified by single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. The substitutions proved to be a T to C and G (allele B) to A (allele A) resulting, respectively, in a conservative valine to alanine substitution (Val 145 Ala) and an alanine to threonine (Ala 172 Thr). Using PCR-RFLP, 13 different cattle breeds were screened for the presence of the Ala 172 Thr substitution. With the exception of one Red Pied animal, allele A could only be detected in Red Holstein animals.

Dewetting patterns and molecular forces: a reconciliation

We studied the dewetting of thin liquid polymer films from solid surfaces. Our experimental results lead to a consistent picture demonstrating the interplay between short- and long-range interfacial forces. Observations comprise nucleation and spinodal dewetting, as well as thermal nucleation of holes. The effective interface potential of the system, as reconstructed from the morphology of the dewetting patterns, agrees quantitatively with what is computed from the optical properties of the system. This shows that the assumption of additivity of dispersion potentials in multilayer systems yields good results.

Phylogenetic relationships in Leptographium based on morphological and molecular characters

Species of Leptographium Lagerberg & Melin are characterized by mononematous conidiophores with dark stipes and conidiogenous apparatuses with complex series of branches. These fungi generally inhabit woody substrates, are associated with bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) and cause blue-stain in conifers. Few phylogenetic studies have been conducted on Leptographium species, and those that have been undertaken have been focused on a small number of species. The objective of this study was to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among species in Leptographium based on partial DNA operon sequences and to ascertain whether morphological characters are congruent with DNA-based phylogeny. Morphological characters were analyzed and compared with results from DNA sequence analysis. Results indicate that there are three groups within Leptographium based on DNA sequence analysis. There was, however, no congruence between these groups and those emerging from morphological characters. Data from this study strongly support the connection between Leptographium and Ophiostoma Sydow & Sydow. They also provide us with an objective means to confirm the identity of many Leptographium species that are difficult to distinguish based on morphological characters.Key words: Leptographium, phylogeny, morphology, Ophiostoma, rRNA.

Myelodysplasia, hypophosphataemia, vitamin D and iron deficiency in an alpaca

A pregnant 2-year-old alpaca was presented for evaluation of progressive weight loss, decreased appetite and lethargy that developed in winter. Haematologic and serum biochemical analyses revealed marked anaemia, leukopenia, severe hypophosphataemia and mild hypocalcaemia. Evaluation of bone marrow core biopsies and aspirates revealed an increased proportion of immature haematopoietic cells, without sufficient numbers of blast cells to be termed an acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). 1 The haematological and bone marrow findings were suggestive of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The anaemia, leukopenia, lethargy and weight loss remained refractory to medical therapy and the alpaca was euthanased on humane grounds.

Interface dynamics of lipid membrane spreading on solid surfaces

As a model system for two-dimensional interface dynamics, we study the wetting front of a lipid membrane moving over a solid substrate that is structured with regularly spaced pinning centers. By analyzing the contour of the front, we derive the normal growth rate and the relaxation coefficient. Both exhibit a 1/t(1/2) time dependence. Moreover, the friction coefficient and the line tension can be determined. Randomly distributed pinning centers cause a fractal contour line, whereas on surfaces that are artificially roughened, self-affine contour lines are observed. The latter exhibit an anomalous roughness exponent of zeta = 0.81+/-0.05.

A taxonomic re-evaluation of Phialocephala phycomyces

Phialocephala was established for species that produce their conidia from phialides at the apex of dark mononematous conidiophores. Phialocephala phycomyces (Auersw.) Kendrick was described more than a century ago as the only species of the genus Hantzschia. The phialides of P. phycomyces are not as deep-seated as those found in Phialocephala dimorphospora Kendrick, the type of Phialocephala, and conidium development occurs near the apex of the conidiogenous cell. Furthermore, P. phycomyces is characterized by reddish-brown conidiophores and is cycloheximide resistant. Based on morphological, as well as molecular comparisons, we concluded that P. phycomyces is a distinct genus, Kendrickiella gen.nov.Key words: Leptographium complex, morphology, phylogeny, Phialocephala, Kendrickiella.

Release of an invasion promoter E-cadherin fragment by matrilysin and stromelysin-1

The function of many transmembrane molecules can be altered by cleavage and subsequent release of their ectodomains. We have investigated ectodomain cleavage of the cell-cell adhesion and signal-transducing molecule E-cadherin. The E-cadherin ectodomain is constitutively shed from the surface of MCF-7 and MDCKts.srcC12 cells in culture. Release of the 80 kDa soluble E-cadherin fragment is stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and is inhibited by overexpression of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2. The metalloproteinases matrilysin and stromelysin-1 both cleave E-cadherin at the cell surface and release sE-CAD into the medium. The soluble E-cadherin fragment thus released inhibits E-cadherin functions in a paracrine way, as indicated by induction of invasion into collagen type I and inhibition of E-cadherin-dependent cell aggregation. Our results, therefore, suggest a novel mechanism by which metalloproteinases can influence invasion.