Codon usage bias analysis for the spermidine synthase gene from Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze

The spermidine synthase (SPDS) gene exists widely in all types of plants. In this paper, the codon usage of the SPDS gene from Camellia sinensis (CsSPDS) was analyzed. The results showed that the codon usage of the CsSPDS gene is biased towards the T-ended or A-ended codons, which is similar to that observed in 73 genes selected from the C. sinensis genome. An ENC-plot for 15 SPDS genes from various plant species suggested that mutational bias was the major factor in shaping codon usage in these genes. Codon usage frequency analysis indicated that there was little difference between the CsSPDS gene and dicot genomes, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum, but significant differences in codon usage were observed between the CsSPDS gene and monocot genomes, such as Triticum aestivum and Zea mays. Therefore, A. thaliana and N. tabacum expression systems may be more suitable for the expression of the CsSPDS gene.

A myeloablative conditioning regimen with fludarabine demonstrates good results in UCBT for 30 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We retrospectively analyzed the safety and efficacy of a myeloablative conditioning regimen with fludarabine (FLU) in unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) of 30 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies. The conditioning regimen consisted of FLU, busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY). All of the patients received Cyclosporine (CSA) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. We achieved high engraftment rates (96.7%) and rapid hematopoietic reconstitution. Acute GVHD occurred in 12 cases of the 29 engraftment patients (41.4%), and 6 cases (20.7%) were of grade III-IV. Chronic GVHD only occurred in 1 of 28 evaluable patients (3.6%). Twenty-three patients (76.7%) became infected, and 3 cases (10.0%) died of severe infections. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation occurred in 70.0% of the patients, but no CMV diseases were observed, nor did any patients die of CMV infection. The cumulative incidence of relapse (6.7%) was significantly reduced, and none of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients relapsed. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 73.3% and 70.0%, respectively. The 3-year OS and EFS of the ALL patients was 75.0%. This conditioning regimen demonstrates good results and security in UCBT, especially in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Fact versus artifact: avoiding erroneous estimates of sulfated glycosaminoglycan content using the dimethylmethylene blue colorimetric assay for tissue-engineered constructs

The 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay is widely used to quantify sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) contents of engineered tissues, culture media, tissue samples and bodily fluids, but the assay is subject to interference from polyanions such as hyaluronic acid (HA), DNA and RNA. We examined whether specific combinations of dye pH and absorbance wavelength could minimize non-sGAG artifacts without compromising DMMB assay sensitivity. HA and DNA solutions generated substantial signal at pH 3 but not at pH 1.5. Reducing dye pH did not significantly alter sGAG measurements for normal cartilage and meniscus tissues, but eliminated anomalously high apparent sGAG contents for enzymatically isolated chondrocytes, adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC)-agarose constructs and ADSC pellets. In a cartilage tissue-engineering case study, pH 3 dye indicated high apparent sGAG readings throughout culture in both basal and chondrogenic media, with a marked decline between day 14 and 21 for chondrogenic constructs. The pH 1.5 dye, however, indicated minimal sGAG accumulation in basal medium and stable sGAG content throughout culture in chondrogenic medium. As it is often difficult to know a priori whether all groups in a study will have sGAG contents high enough to overwhelm artifacts, we recommend modifying the standard DMMB assay to reduce the risk of spurious findings in tissue engineering and clinical research. Specifically, we recommend shifting to a pH 1.5 DMMB dye and basing quantification on the absorbance difference between 525 nm (µ peak) and 595 nm (β peak) to compensate for the moderate loss of sensitivity associated with reducing the dye pH.

Synaptic plasticity-related neural oscillations on hippocampus-prefrontal cortex pathway in depression

It is believed that phase synchronization facilitates neural communication and neural plasticity throughout the hippocampal-cortical network, and further supports cognition and memory. The pathway from the ventral hippocampus to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is thought to play a significant role in emotional memory processing. Therefore, the information transmission on the pathway was hypothesized to be disrupted in the depressive state, which could be related to its impaired synaptic plasticity. In this study, local field potentials (LFPs) from both ventral CA1 (vCA1) and mPFC were recorded in both normal and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model rats under urethane anesthesia. LFPs of all rats were recorded before and after the long-term potentiation (LTP) induced on the vCA1-mPFC pathway in order to figure out the correlation of oscillatory synchronization of LFPs and synaptic plasticity. Our results showed the vCA1-to-mPFC unidirectional phase coupling of the theta rhythm, rather than the power of either region, was significantly enhanced by LTP induction, with less enhancement in the CUS model rats compared to that in the normal rats. In addition, theta phase coupling was positively correlated with synaptic plasticity on vCA1-mPFC pathway. Moreover, the theta-slow gamma phase-amplitude coupling in vCA1 was long-term enhanced after high frequency stimulation. These results suggest that the impaired synaptic plasticity in vCA1-mPFC pathway could be reflected by the attenuated theta phase coupling and theta-gamma cross frequency coupling of LFPs in the depression state.

Erythropoietin promotes bone formation through EphrinB2/EphB4 signaling

Recent studies have demonstrated that erythropoietin (EPO) has extensive nonhematopoietic biological functions. However, little is known about how EPO regulates bone formation, although several studies suggested that EPO can affect bone homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of EPO on the communication between osteoclasts and osteoblasts through the ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling pathway. We found that EPO slightly promotes osteoblastic differentiation with the increased expression of EphB4 in ST2 cells. However, EPO increased the expression of Nfatc1 and ephrinB2 but decreased the expression of Mmp9 in RAW264.7 cells, resulting in an increase of ephrinB2-expressing osteoclasts and a decrease in resorption activity. The stimulation of ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling via ephrinB2-Fc significantly promoted EPO-mediated osteoblastic differentiation in ST2 cells. EphB4 knockdown through EphB4 shRNA inhibited EPO-mediated osteoblastic phenotypes. Furthermore, in vivo assays clearly demonstrated that EPO efficiently induces new bone formation in the alveolar bone regeneration model. Taken together, these results suggest that ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling may play an important role in EPO-mediated bone formation.

Nitrogen-doped porous graphene–activated carbon composite derived from “bucky gels” for supercapacitors

Graphene-based “bucky gels” are used to prepare nitrogen-doped porous graphene–AC composite material for supercapacitors.

Correlation between DQB1 genetic polymorphism and genetic susceptibility in patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

We examined patients of Han nationality diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) in Guangdong, China, to analyze the correlation between DQB1 allele polymorphisms and the genetic susceptibility to IBS-D. A total of 120 IBS-D patients of Han nationality in Guangdong, China, and 60 healthy control volunteers were included. DQB1 allele polymorphisms were investigated by polymerase chain reaction. Subjects' serum interleukin (IL)-10 level, colonic permeability, and tight junction marker zonula occludens 1 (ZO1) mRNA level were also investigated. Our data showed that the DQB1*02 allele frequency was significantly higher in IBS-D patients, while the DQB1*0603 frequency was lower than in healthy volunteers. The DQB1*03, DQB1*04, DQB1*05, DQB1*0601, DQB1*0602, and DQB1*0604 alleles did not show significant differences between IBS-D patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, patients with DQB1*03- positive and DQB1*0603-negative alleles showed more severe colonic permeability and lower serum IL-10 level and ZO1 level compared to healthy controls or even IBS-D patients with other genotypes. The present study indicated the DQB1*02 or DQB1*0603 alleles are related to IBS-D occurrence in Guangdong, China, and the mechanism of the disease may be related to reduced serum IL-10 levels.

AdLTR2EF1α-FGF2-mediated prevention of fractionated irradiation-induced salivary hypofunction in swine

Patients frequently experience a loss of salivary function following irradiation (IR) for the treatment of an oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. Herein, we tested if transfer of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) cDNA could limit salivary dysfunction after fractionated IR (7.5 or 9 Gy for 5 consecutive days to one parotid gland) in the miniature pig (minipig). Parotid salivary flow rates steadily decreased by 16 weeks post-IR, whereas blood flow in the targeted parotid gland began to decrease ~3 days after beginning IR. By 2 weeks, post-IR salivary blood flow was reduced by 50%, at which point it remained stable for the remainder of the study. The single preadministration of a hybrid serotype 5 adenoviral vector encoding FGF2 (AdLTR2EF1a-FGF2) resulted in the protection of parotid microvascular endothelial cells from IR damage and significantly limited the decline of parotid salivary flow. Our results suggest that a local treatment directed at protecting salivary gland endothelial cells may be beneficial for patients undergoing IR for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Cladosporium oxysporum on Greenhouse Eggplant in China

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important vegetable crop that has significant economic value in northern regions of China, especially in Liaoning Province. In April 2013, a leaf spot was discovered on the eggplant cultivar 706 in ten 1-ha commercial greenhouses in Huludao, Liaoning Province, with 30% of the eggplants infected, resulting in reduced eggplant yield and quality. By July 2013, disease incidence was 35%. Spots were found mainly on the leaves. At the early stage of infection, small, chlorotic spots appeared on leaves and gradually expanded into brown, irregular spots with a diameter of 1 to 7 mm. Dark green mold developed in the spots on both sides of the leaves at high humidity, and the spots led to leaf yellowing and defoliation. Conidiophores in the lesions were straight or slightly flexuous with 1 to 7 septa, brown and smooth, with typical swellings at the junction of septa, and 45 to 670 × 3.0 to 5.3 μm. Conidia were oval or obpyriform with a smooth surface, brown or dark brown, with 0 to 2 septa and 5.5 to 14.8 × 2.5 to 4.0 μm. The pathogen was consistent morphologically with Cladosporium oxysporum (1). To identify the pathogen, leaf pieces (3 to 5 mm²) taken from the edge of lesions so that each leaf section included both infected and healthy leaf tissue, were surface-disinfested in 75% ethanol for 30 s, then transferred to a 0.1% aqueous mercuric chloride solution for 30 to 60 s, and rinsed with sterilized water three times. The sections were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C in the dark for 7 days. Three pure cultures were obtained from single spores. The conidia on PDA were oval or obpyriform, and 5.4 to 14.7 × 2.4 to 4.2 μm with 0 to 1 septa, and were smaller than the conidia examined directly from infected eggplant leaves. Two isolates were grown on synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) in slide cultures. The conidiophores on SNA were straight or slightly flexuous with swellings at the junctions of septa. On the grounds of these morphological characteristics, the pathogen was identified as C. oxysporum (1,3). For DNA extraction, cultures were grown in potato dextrose broth and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rNDA) was amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS4 (2). Sequence analysis showed that the ITS sequences of the two isolates were 99% identical to that of C. oxysporum (GenBank Accession No. EF029816). Two isolates were tested for pathogenicity on eggplant using 1 × 10⁷ conidia/ml in sterilized water atomized onto each of six 7-week-old plants of the cultivar Xi'an Green Eggplant. Sterilized water was applied similarly to another six plants as the control treatment. The plants were incubated at 25°C with 85% relative humidity for 8 to 10 days. After 10 days, light brown, irregular spots were found on inoculated leaves, whereas no symptoms were observed on control plants. The pathogen was re-isolated from lesions on inoculated plants but not from control plants. The re-isolates were confirmed to be C. oxysporum based on morphological characteristics. The pathogenicity test was repeated and the same results obtained. Therefore, the pathogen causing leaf spot on eggplant in these greenhouses was identified as C. oxysporum. This is the first report of C. oxysporum causing leaf spot on greenhouse eggplant in China. C. oxysporum is a known pathogen of pepper and tomato. Additional studies are needed to provide management recommendations for this pathogen on Solanaceae crops. References: (1) K. Bensch et al. Stud. Mycol. 67:1, 2010. (2) Q. Li and G. Wang. Microbiol. Res. 164:233, 2009. (3) W. T. H. Peregrine and K. B. Ahmad. Phytopathol. Pap. 27:1, 1982.

Toward gene therapy for growth hormone deficiency via salivary gland expression of growth hormone

OBJECTIVES

Salivary glands are useful targets for gene therapeutics. After gene transfer into salivary glands, regulated secretory pathway proteins, such as human growth hormone, are secreted into saliva, whereas constitutive secretory pathway proteins, such as erythropoietin, are secreted into the bloodstream. Secretion of human growth hormone (hGH) into the saliva is not therapeutically useful. In this study, we attempted to redirect the secretion of transgenic hGH from the saliva to the serum by site-directed mutagenesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We tested hGH mutants first in vitro with AtT20 cells, a model endocrine cell line that exhibits polarized secretion of regulated secretory pathway proteins. Selected mutants were further studied in vivo using adenoviral-mediated gene transfer to rat submandibular glands.

RESULTS

We identified two mutants with differences in secretion behavior compared to wild-type hGH. One mutant, ΔN1-6 , was detected in the serum of transduced rats, demonstrating that expression of this mutant in the salivary gland resulted in its secretion through the constitutive secretory pathway.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that mutagenesis of therapeutic proteins normally destined for the regulated secretory pathway may result in their secretion via the constitutive secretory pathway into the circulation for potential therapeutic benefit.

Abstract P4-01-20: Explore the differences and relationships between normal, ADH tissues and DCIS, IDC in breast by shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS)

Background: The mechanism that ADH changes to DCIS and even IDC is still not clear now. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful, non-invasive analytical tool which can provide detailed and meaningful information about biochemical composition of tissues at molecular level. Our aim was to find the differences and relationships between normal, ADH tissues and DCIS, IDC in breast based on their various biochemical characteristics by Raman spectroscopy.

Methods: The frozen sections were collected from 39 patients (all female; ages 27-74) who underwent surgical resection or mammotome biopsy at the Department of Breast Surgery, the First Hospital of Jilin University. After operation the samples were immediately frozen at -20∼-25°C and two contiguous sections (6 μm thickness) were cut from a sample by freezing microtome. One was stained with haematoxylin and eosin for routine histopathological analysis; the other was detected by Microscopic confocal Raman spectrometer (HORIBA JY Lab800, 633nm) with its mirror image (the H&E section). After the spectra we needed had been obtained, the Au@SiO2 shell-isolated nanoparticles (SHINs) were added to the surface of frozen sections immediately and then the spectra with SHINs were collected.

Results: A total of 475 Raman spectra and 470 SHINERS spectra were obtained from 9 normal breast tissues, 7 ADH, 8 DCIS, and 15 IDC breast tissues. The Raman signals were significantly enhanced by SHINs. The main spectral features of normal tissues at around 1301, 1442, 1654, and 1743 cm−1 are attributed to lipids. Meanwhile, no strong protein peaks emerged. The peaks of ADH, DCIS and IDC tissues located at 1004, 1033, 1610 and 1658 cm−1 from vibrational modes of proteins shows more stronger. 830, 880, 970, 1090 and 1157cm−1, representing DNA feature peaks, hold the same rules.

Table 1: Peak assignments of the Raman spectra of Breast tissues (wavenumbers in cm-1)NBADHDCISIDCMajor Assignments 880878880O-P-O stretch, DNA1003100410041003phenylalanine1092109210911090O-P-O stretch, DNA1301,14421302,14421303,14431303,1442CH2 twist and CH2 deformation, lipids  15261527C = C stretch of carotene 165816581658Amide I, α-helix1743174717451747C = O stretch, lipids

These show that diseased tissues contained more proteins and nucleic acids. The spectra of DCIS and IDC tissues contained 1527 cm−1, stemming from C = C stretching of carotene. The spectral features between ADH, DCIS and IDC tissues are described as followings: firstly, the concentrations of proteins, nucleic acids and carotene increased gradually but lipids content reduced from ADH to IDC. Secondly, ADH and DCIS tissues have extraordinary strong band of amide I, but in IDC tissues the peak almost cannot observed. Additionally, DCIS tissues have the red shifted and broad peak of CH2, which explains acyl backbone of lipids and proteins has fractured.

Conclusion: The changes including content and molecular structure of lipids, carotene, proteins and nucleic acids accompany with deterioration, indicating the Raman spectroscopy can be used to explore the differences and relationships between normal, ADH tissues and DCIS, IDC in breast. Simultaneously, it might be used to discover the mechanism that ADH convert to DCIS.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-01-20.

Characterization of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis: a survey of genetically diagnosed individuals

This exploratory study aims to create an evidence-based comprehensive characterization of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (hyperPP). HyperPP is a rare genetic disorder that causes episodes of flaccid paralysis. Disease descriptions in the literature are based upon isolated clinical encounters and case reports. We describe the experience of a large cohort of genetically diagnosed individuals with hyperPP. We surveyed genetically characterized individuals age 18 and over to assess disease comorbidities, diagnostic testing, management, and quality of life issues relevant to hyperPP. Myotonia was reported by 55.8 % of subjects and paramyotonia by 45.3 %. There is a relative risk of 3.6 (p < 0.0001) for thyroid dysfunction compared to the general population. Twenty-five percent of subjects experienced their sentinel attack in the second decade of life. It took an average of 19.4 years and visits to four physicians to arrive at the diagnosis of hyperPP. In addition to limbs and hands being affected during attacks, 26.1 % of subjects reported their breathing musculature was affected and 62.0 % reported their facial muscles were affected. There was a lifelong trend of increasing attack frequency, which was particularly common during childhood and adolescence. Approximately one-third of individuals experienced progressive myopathy. Permanent muscle weakness was evident and worsened during childhood and after age 40. Those with no chronic treatment regimen have a RR of 2.3 for inadequate disease control compared to those taking long-term medications. This study revealed a multitude of heretofore unidentified characteristics of hyperPP, in addition to providing a different perspective on some previously held notions regarding the condition.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infection in the immunocompetent host

Throughout much of the world, the incidence of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infections in immunocompetent hosts is on the rise. These organisms are widespread in the natural environment; the explanation for what appears to be an increased susceptibility among human hosts is uncertain. Among more than 120 known species, the most common pathogenic isolate in the USA is Mycobacterium avium complex. The diagnosis of pulmonary disease caused by M. avium complex requires a compatible history, suggestive radiographic findings (on chest computed tomography) and microbiologic confirmation on culture of respiratory samples (sputum or direct lung sampling). Treatment options have improved with inclusion of macrolide antibiotics in a multi-drug regimen, but failure rates remain high (20-40%) even after a prolonged course of therapy. Newer, less toxic and more effective anti-mycobacterial agents are greatly needed for treatment of this increasingly common respiratory disease.

Biodegradable and redox-responsive chitosan/poly(L-aspartic acid) submicron capsules for transmucosal delivery of proteins and peptides

The development of peptides and proteins is hampered by their rapid clearance in liver and other body tissues by proteolytic enzymes, so these drugs are difficult to administer except for the injection. Here, we designed and fabricated a novel biodegradable and redox-responsive submicron capsules through the layer-by-layer technique with poly(L-aspartic acid) and chitosan for transmucosal delivery of proteins and peptides. TEM graphs reveal that the intact submicron capsules were obtained and the shell of submicron capsules was about 40 nm. The mucoadhesion test indicates that the adsorption amount of the mucin could achieve up to 96.2 μg per 2 mg. The cell viability test shows that all types of submicron capsules had good cytocompatibility and the cell viability was above 90 %. As a drug model, the insulin could be loaded in the submicron capsules, and the loading efficiency was about 5 %. The release amount of insulin could be regulated by the levels of GSH. Therefore, the mucoadhesive submicron capsules as vehicles have a potential for the mucosal delivery (e.g. nasal and buccal) of therapeutic peptide and protein drugs.