Molecular cloning and expression of a C-type lectin-like protein from orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides

A C-type lectin-like protein (Ec-CTLP) was cloned from the grouper Epinephelus coioides. The full-length cDNA of Ec-CTLP was composed of 905 bp with a 522 bp open reading frame that encodes a 174-residue protein. The putative amino acid sequence of Ec-CTLP contains a signal peptide of 19 residues at the N-terminus and a CLECT domain from Cys43 to Arg169 and a conserved imperfect WND (Trp-Asn-Asp) motif. The homologous identity of deduced amino acid sequences is from 32 to 42% with other fishes. The expression of Ec-CTLP was differently upregulated in E. coioides spleen (germline stem) cells after being challenged at 16 and 4° C. Intracellular localization revealed that Ec-CTLP was distributed only in the cytoplasm. Recombinant Ec-CTLP (rEc-CTLP) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified for mouse Mus musculus anti-Ec-CTLP serum preparation. The rEc-CTLP fusion protein does not possess haemagglutinating activity, but improves survival from frozen bacteria. The survival of bacteria (including gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus) was positively correlated with the concentration of the rEc-CTLP. These findings can provide clues to help understand the probable C-type lectin in marine fish innate immunity.

Cell supermarket: adipose tissue as a source of stem cells

Adipose tissue is derived from numerous sources, and in recent years this tissue has been shown to provide numerous cells from what seemingly was a population of homogeneous adipocytes. Considering the types of cells that adipose tissue-derived cells may form, these cells may be useful in a variety of clinical and scientific applications. The focus of this paper is to reflect on this area of research and to provide a list of potential (future) research areas.

Oxidative stress and status of antioxidant enzymes in children with Kashin-Beck disease

OBJECTIVES

To clarify whether there is oxidative stress in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and if cartilage damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress mediate the chondral necrosis in articular cartilage of KBD.

METHODS

We recruited 64 KBD patients, 46 healthy children from severely affected KBD regions, 81 healthy children from a non-severely affected KBD endemic regions, and 91 healthy control children from a non-KBD region. Ten patients with KBD from the non-severely affected KBD regions were included in the experiment. The 2,3-DAN fluorescence technique was used to test selenium in the hair and blood. The biochemical techniques used to test the indicators of oxidative stress included thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and antioxidant enzyme activities in serum samples. Histochemical staining was used to detect proteoglycans in cartilage sections. The 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanisine (8-OHdG) were localized by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The levels of TBARS in serum were significantly increased in KBD children. The levels of antioxidants in serum were significantly higher in both KBD and normal children from KBD regions than in the normal children from non-KBD regions. The percentage of chondrocytes staining for 4-HNE and 8-OHdG in KBD patients was significantly higher than in controls. Staining for 4-HNE and 8-OHdG in KBD patients was prominent in all zones of articular cartilage, especially in the necrotic chondrocytes of the deep zone.

CONCLUSION

KBD is an oxidative stress-related disease, and the oxidative stress in cartilage contributes to the pathology of cartilage damage in KBD.

Long-term self-renewal of human pluripotent stem cells on peptide-decorated poly(OEGMA-co-HEMA) brushes under fully defined conditions

Realization of the full potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) in clinical applications requires the development of well-defined culture conditions for their long-term growth and directed differentiation. This paper describes a novel fully defined synthetic peptide-decorated substrate that supports self-renewal of hiPSC in commercially available xeno-free, chemically defined medium. The Au surface was deposited by a poly(OEGMA-co-HEMA) film, using the surface-initiated polymerization method (SIP) with the further step of carboxylation. The hiPSC generated from umbilical cord mesenchymal cells were successfully cultured for 10 passages on the peptide-tethered poly(OEGMA-co-HEMA) brushes for the first time. Cells maintained their characteristic morphology, proliferation and expressed high levels of markers of pluripotency, similar to the cells cultured on Matrigel™. Moreover, the cell adhesion could be tuned by the pattern and peptide concentration on the substrate. This well-defined, xeno-free and safe substrate, which supports long-term proliferation and self-renewal of hiPSC, will not only help to accelerate the translational perspectives of hiPSC, but also provide a platform to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms that regulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation via SIP technology.

Nutrient density and slaughter age have differential effects on carcase performance, muscle and meat quality in fast and slow growing broiler genotypes

1. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to investigate the differences in carcase, muscle and meat characteristics between fast and slow growing genotypes fed on low nutrient (LND) or high nutrient diets (HND) at their respective slaughter ages. 2. The birds were randomly assigned to treatments with 5 replicates of 145 birds for Wens Yellow-Feathered Chicken (WYFC, 5·75 birds/m(2)) or 115 birds for White Recessive Rock Chicken (WRRC, 7·25 birds/m(2)), according to the commercial recommendations for the two breeds and were fed on HND or LND. Birds were slaughtered at 63 d and 105 d of age. 3. The results showed WRRC had higher carcase yield and meat yield than that of WYFC, lower fat content, higher moisture content and lower cooking loss. The meat from WRRC was less tender and contained lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). 4. Birds fed on HND had higher breast meat yield, myofiber area and protein content in the breast muscle and lower fat content than birds fed on LND. The thigh muscle of birds fed on HND had higher levels of PUFA. Age had a positive effect on carcase parameters, but a negative effect on pH, meat tenderness and cooking loss, and the two genotypes exhibited different responses to the influence of nutrient density and age. 5. Genotype and age had the largest effect on carcase performance and meat quality. LND benefited meat quality and WRRC had larger responses in meat yield and shear force when fed on HND.

Acute and delayed protective effects of pharmacologically induced hypothermia in an intracerebral hemorrhage stroke model of mice

Hemorrhagic stroke, including intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), is a devastating subtype of stroke; yet, effective clinical treatment is very limited. Accumulating evidence has shown that mild to moderate hypothermia is a promising intervention for ischemic stroke and ICH. Current physical cooling methods, however, are less efficient and often impractical for acute ICH patients. The present investigation tested pharmacologically induced hypothermia (PIH) using the second-generation neurotensin receptor (NTR) agonist HPI-201 (formerly known as ABS-201) in an adult mouse model with ICH. Acute or delayed administrations of HPI-201 (2mg/kg bolus injection followed by 2 injections of 1mg/kg, i.p.) were initiated at 1 or 24h after ICH. HPI-201 induced mild hypothermia within 30 min and body and brain temperatures were maintained at 32.7 ± 0.4°C for at least 6h without causing observable shivering. With the 1-h delayed treatment, HPI-201-induced PIH significantly reduced ICH-induced cell death and brain edema compared to saline-treated ICH animals. When HPI-201-induced hypothermia was initiated 24h after the onset of ICH, it still significantly attenuated brain edema, cell death and blood-brain barrier breakdown. HPI-201 significantly decreased the expression of matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9), reduced caspase-3 activation, and increased Bcl-2 expression in the ICH brain. Moreover, ICH mice received 1-h delayed HPI-201 treatment performed significantly better in the neurological behavior test 48 h after ICH. All together, these data suggest that systemic injection of HPI-201 is an effective hypothermic strategy that protects the brain from ICH injury with a wide therapeutic window. The protective effect of this PIH therapy is partially mediated through the alleviation of apoptosis and neurovascular damage. We suggest that pharmacological hypothermia using the newly developed neurotensin analogs is a promising therapeutic treatment for ICH.

Serum biomarkers and the prognosis of AMI patients

BACKGROUND

It has been proven that serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total bilirubin (TB) increase during acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, how they influence the prognosis of AMI patients is still not completely known.

METHODS

A total of 239 patients diagnosed with AMI and admitted to the Fourth Clinical Hospital of Harbin Medical University, between 2007 and 2008, were enrolled in this study. All the patients had not undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because the time window (24 h) was missed. They all underwent PCI 1 week after the onset of symptoms. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), TB, LDH, and other biomarkers were determined between 24 and 48 h of symptom onset. All of the patients were followed up for an average of 3.2±0.4 years for occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

RESULTS

Patients with MACE had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP, LDH, cystatin C, uric acid, a higher ratio of LDH and TB (LDH/TB), and a lower level of TB: 8.48±3.84 vs. 2.13±1.32 μmol/l, p<0.01; 1,355.8±654.3 vs. 1,151.7±415.4 U/l, p<0.01; 1.69±0.76 vs. 1.00±0.46 mg/l, p<0.01; 419.6±109.2 vs. 343.2±108.2 μmol/l, p<0.01 and 141.1±46.2 vs. 61.2±26.5, p<0.01; 18.3±6.7 vs. 14.8±6.6 mg/l, p<0.01, respectively. In the multivariate COX analysis, LDH, cystatin C, and LDH/TB were significantly associated with the prognosis of these patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients under higher oxidative stress tend to have more MACE. LDH, cystatin C, and LDH/TB are strongly related to the prognosis of AMI patients undergoing elective PCI.

Bacterial census of poultry intestinal microbiome

The objective of this study was to generate a phylogenetic diversity census of bacteria identified in the intestinal tract of chickens and turkeys using a naïve analysis of all the curated 16S rRNA gene sequences archived in public databases. High-quality sequences of chicken and turkey gastrointestinal origin (3,184 and 1,345, respectively) were collected from the GenBank, Ribosomal Database Project, and Silva comprehensive ribosomal RNA database. Through phylogenetic and statistical analysis, 915 and 464 species-equivalent operational taxonomic units (defined at 0.03 phylogenetic distance) were found in the chicken and the turkey sequence collections, respectively. Of the 13 bacterial phyla identified in both bird species, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the largest phyla, accounting for >90% of all the sequences. The chicken sequences represent 117 established bacterial genera, and the turkey sequences represent 69 genera. The most predominant genera found in both the chicken and the turkey sequence data sets were Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroides, but with different distribution between the 2 bird species. The estimated coverage of bacterial diversity of chicken and turkey reached 89 and 68% at species-equivalent and 93 and 73% at genus-equivalent levels, respectively. Less than 7,000 bacterial sequences from each bird species from various locations would be needed to reach 99% coverage for either bird species. Based on annotation of the sequence records, cecum was the most sampled gut segment. Chickens and turkeys were shown to have distinct intestinal microbiomes, sharing only 16% similarity at the species-equivalent level. Besides identifying gaps in knowledge on bacterial diversity in poultry gastrointestinal tract, the bacterial census generated in this study may serve as a framework for future studies and development of analytic tools.

Motor neuron degeneration in a mouse model of seipinopathy

Heterozygosity for missense mutations (N88S/S90L) in BSCL2 (Berardinelli–Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2)/Seipin is associated with a broad spectrum of motoneuron diseases. To understand the underlying mechanisms how the mutations lead to motor neuropathy, we generated transgenic mice with neuron-specific expression of wild-type (tgWT) or N88S/S90L mutant (tgMT) human Seipin. Transgenes led to the broad expression of WT or mutant Seipin in the brain and spinal cord. TgMT, but not tgWT, mice exhibited late-onset altered locomotor activities and gait abnormalities that recapitulate symptoms of seipinopathy patients. We found loss of alpha motor neurons in tgMT spinal cord. Mild endoreticular stress was present in both tgMT and tgWT neurons; however, only tgMT mice exhibited protein aggregates and disrupted Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, autophagosomes were significantly increased, along with elevated light chain 3 (LC3)-II level in tgMT spinal cord, consistent with the activation of autophagy pathway in response to mutant Seipin expression and protein aggregation. These results suggest that induction of autophagy pathway is involved in the cellular response to mutant Seipin in seipinopathy and that motoneuron loss is a key pathogenic process underlying the development of locomotor abnormalities.

HLA DRB allele polymorphisms and risk of cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus infection: a population study in China

OBJECTIVE

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. Environmental, behavioral, and ill-defined genetic factors have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease. To determine whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DRB alleles are associated with cervical cancer and HPV infections in the Chinese population, HLA genotypes were examined in 69 cervical cancer patients and 201 controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Polymorphisms in HLA-DRB genes were genotyped using oligoneucleotide arrays, and the magnitude of associations was determined by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

HLA-DRB1*13 (OR = 4.01 95% CI, 1.703-9.442) and HLA-DRB1*3(17) (OR = 2.661 95% CI, 1.267-5.558) were associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer, and DRB1*09012 (OR = 0.182, 95% CI, 0.079-0.418 and DRB1*1201 (OR = 0.35 95% CI, 0.142-0.863 were associated with a decreased risk. The risk associations of HPV infection were increased in women carrying the HLA-DRB1*09012 (OR = 1.924; 95% CI, 1.08 -3.427) and DRB3(52)*0101 (OR = 7.527 95% CI, 0.909-62.347) alleles. Among cervical cancer patients, the risk associations differed between HPV positive and negative cases for several alleles; increased risk of cervical cancer was associated with DRB3 (52)*02/03 (OR, 12.794; 95% CI, 5.007-32.691) and DRB1*3(17) (OR = 3.48; 95% CI, 1.261-9.604), and decreased risk was associated with DRB1*09012 and DRB5(51)*01/02. Furthermore, HPV16-containing cervical cancer cases differed from non-HPV16 subjects in their positive association with DRB1*1501 (OR = 4.173; 95% CI, 1.065-16.356) and DRB5(51)*0101/0201, and their negative association with DRB4(53)*0101 (OR = 0.329; 95% CI,0.122-0.888).

CONCLUSIONS

The present results provide further evidence that certain HLA class II allele polymorphisms are involved in the genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer and HPV infection in the Chinese population from an area with a high incidence of this neoplasia.

Fine mapping and characterization of BPH27, a brown planthopper resistance gene from wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål; BPH) is one of the most serious rice pests worldwide. Growing resistant varieties is the most effective way to manage this insect, and wild rice species are a valuable source of resistance genes for developing resistant cultivars. BPH27 derived from an accession of Guangxi wild rice, Oryza rufipogon Griff. (Accession no. 2183, hereafter named GX2183), was primarily mapped to a 17-cM region on the long arm of the chromosome four. In this study, fine mapping of BPH27 was conducted using two BC(1)F(2) populations derived from introgression lines of GX2183. Insect resistance was evaluated in the BC(1)F(2) populations with 6,010 individual offsprings, and 346 resistance extremes were obtained and employed for fine mapping of BPH27. High-resolution linkage analysis defined the BPH27 locus to an 86.3-kb region in Nipponbare. Regarding the sequence information of rice cultivars, Nipponbare and 93-11, all predicted open reading frames (ORFs) in the fine-mapping region have been annotated as 11 types of proteins, and three ORFs encode disease-related proteins. Moreover, the average BPH numbers showed significant differences in 96-120 h after release in comparisons between the preliminary near-isogenic lines (pre-NILs, lines harboring resistance genes) and BaiR54. BPH growth and development were inhibited and survival rates were lower in the pre-NIL plants compared with the recurrent parent BaiR54. The pre-NIL exhibited 50.7% reductions in population growth rates (PGR) compared to BaiR54. The new development in fine mapping of BPH27 will facilitate the efforts to clone this important resistant gene and to use it in BPH-resistance rice breeding.

Naive T-cells in myelodysplastic syndrome display intrinsic human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) deficiency

Telomeres are specialized structures providing chromosome integrity during cellular division along with protection against premature senescence and apoptosis. Accelerated telomere attrition in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) occurs by an undefined mechanism. Although the MDS clone originates within the myeloid compartment, T-lymphocytes display repertoire contraction and loss of naive T-cells. The replicative lifespan of T-cells is stringently regulated by telomerase activity. In MDS cases, we show that purified CD3+ T-cells have significantly shorter telomere length and reduced proliferative capacity upon stimulation compared with controls. To understand the mechanism, telomerase enzymatic activity and telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), gene expression were compared in MDS cases (n=35) and healthy controls (n=42) within different T-cell compartments. Telomerase activity is greatest in naive T-cells illustrating the importance of telomere repair in homeostatic repertoire regulation. Compared with healthy controls, MDS cases had lower telomerase induction (P<0.0001) that correlated with significantly lower hTERT mRNA (P<0.0001), independent of age and disease stratification. hTERT mRNA deficiency affected naive but not memory T-cells, and telomere erosion in MDS occurred without evidence of an hTERT-promoter mutation, copy number variation or deletion. Telomerase insufficiency may undermine homeostatic control within the hematopoietic compartment and promote a change in the T-cell repertoire in MDS.

Clinicopathological and prognostic role of cyclin D1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Cyclin D1 is one of the most commonly over-expressed oncogenes; however, its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of 20 studies, comprising 2,041 patients to clarify this issue. In all studies, paraffin-embedded surgical specimens were collected and the status of cyclin D1 was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The combined odds ratios (Ors) for cyclin D1 expression were 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-0.93) for well and moderately differentiated versus poorly differentiated tumors, 0.65 (95% CI: 0.45-0.94) for T1/T2 versus T3/ T4 tumors, 0.59 (95% CI: 0.39-0.90) for N0 versus N1 tumors, and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33-0.71) for stage I/II versus stage III/IV diseases, respectively. The association between cyclin D1 expression and prognosis was examined in 10 studies, and the combined hazard ratio was 1.78 (95% CI: 1.49-2.12). Cyclin D1 expression level detected by IHC is associated with worst clinicopathological features and prognosis for ESCC.

Broadly reactive polymerase chain reaction for pathogen detection in canine granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis and necrotizing meningoencephalitis

Background

Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME) and necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) are common inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system of dogs. Infectious pathogens, particularly viruses, are suspected to contribute to the etiopathogenesis of GME and NME.

Hypothesis

Broadly reactive PCR might aid in the identification of infectious agents in GME and NME.

Animals

Sixty‐eight client‐owned dogs evaluated by necropsy at 1 university referral hospital.

Methods

A mixed prospective/retrospective case‐control study was performed. Brain tissue prospectively collected at necropsy from GME, NME, and control cases was evaluated by broadly reactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for adenoviruses, bunyaviruses, coronaviruses, enteroviruses, flaviviruses, herpesviruses, paramyxoviruses, and parechoviruses. In addition, these tissues were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of mycoplasmas by PCR, culture, and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

Brain tissue was collected from 11 GME and 27 NME cases and 30 controls. Viral nucleic acids were not identified in the 6 GME cases, 25 NME cases, and 2 controls evaluated by viral PCR. Mycoplasma canis was identified by Mycoplasma genus PCR in 1/5 GME and 4/25 NME cases and subsequently was cultured from 4/5 GME and 4/8 NME cases as well as 2/9 controls. The IHC did not detect M. canis in any of the 11 GME and 27 NME cases or 14 controls evaluated with strain PG14 polyclonal antiserum.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The negative results suggest that viral pathogens are not common in the brain tissue of dogs with GME and NME. Further investigation is warranted to determine the importance of M. canis in cases of GME and NME.

Lenalidomide promotes p53 degradation by inhibiting MDM2 auto-ubiquitination in myelodysplastic syndrome with chromosome 5q deletion

Allelic deletion of the RPS14 gene is a key effector of the hypoplastic anemia in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chromosome 5q deletion (del(5q)). Disruption of ribosome integrity liberates free ribosomal proteins to bind to and trigger degradation of mouse double minute 2 protein (MDM2), with consequent p53 transactivation. Herein we show that p53 is overexpressed in erythroid precursors of primary bone marrow del(5q) MDS specimens accompanied by reduced cellular MDM2. More importantly, we show that lenalidomide (Len) acts to stabilize MDM2, thereby accelerating p53 degradation. Biochemical and molecular analyses showed that Len inhibits the haplodeficient protein phosphatase 2A catalytic domain alpha (PP2Acα) phosphatase resulting in hyperphosphorylation of inhibitory serine-166 and serine-186 residues on MDM2, and displaces binding of RPS14 to suppress MDM2 autoubiquitination whereas PP2Acα overexpression promotes drug resistance. Bone marrow specimens from del(5q) MDS patients resistant to Len overexpressed PP2Acα accompanied by restored accumulation of p53 in erythroid precursors. Our findings indicate that Len restores MDM2 functionality in the 5q- syndrome to overcome p53 activation in response to nucleolar stress, and therefore may warrant investigation in other disorders of ribosomal biogenesis.