Genome sequencing reveals underdiagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia in bronchiectasis

BACKGROUND

Bronchiectasis can result from infectious, genetic, immunological and allergic causes. 60-80% of cases are idiopathic, but a well-recognised genetic cause is the motile ciliopathy, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Diagnosis of PCD has management implications including addressing comorbidities, implementing genetic and fertility counselling and future access to PCD-specific treatments. Diagnostic testing can be complex; however, PCD genetic testing is moving rapidly from research into clinical diagnostics and would confirm the cause of bronchiectasis.

METHODS

This observational study used genetic data from severe bronchiectasis patients recruited to the UK 100,000 Genomes Project and patients referred for gene panel testing within a tertiary respiratory hospital. Patients referred for genetic testing due to clinical suspicion of PCD were excluded from both analyses. Data were accessed from the British Thoracic Society audit, to investigate whether motile ciliopathies are underdiagnosed in people with bronchiectasis in the UK.

RESULTS

Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in motile ciliopathy genes in 17 (12%) out of 142 individuals by whole-genome sequencing. Similarly, in a single centre with access to pathological diagnostic facilities, 5-10% of patients received a PCD diagnosis by gene panel, often linked to normal/inconclusive nasal nitric oxide and cilia functional test results. In 4898 audited patients with bronchiectasis, <2% were tested for PCD and <1% received genetic testing.

CONCLUSIONS

PCD is underdiagnosed as a cause of bronchiectasis. Increased uptake of genetic testing may help to identify bronchiectasis due to motile ciliopathies and ensure appropriate management.

Effect of oestriol gel on dyspareunia in postmenopausal women in 2 weeks of treatment: a pilot study

This brief report evaluates the early effect of ultra-low dose 0.005% oestriol vaginal gel on dyspareunia in postmenopausal women within the first 2 weeks of treatment. This was a prospective and multicentre single-arm pilot study and the effect of the treatment on dyspareunia was evaluated by using a diary. In total 23 women and 150 coitus were studied. 8 coitus were painless in the first week and 42 during the second week (p < .0001). A reduction in pain from the baseline was seen in 116 (77.3%) out of the 150 coitus. 0.005% oestriol vaginal gel produced a rapid and progressive improvement in dyspareunia from the very first days of treatment in postmenopausal women.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Local oestrogen therapy has shown efficacy in the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and dyspareunia when used for a duration of greater than 3 weeks.What do the results of this study add? This study shows that the use of oestriol gel produces clinical effects from the beginning of its use, decreasing dyspareunia in postmenopausal women within just 14 days of daily use.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In cases of dyspareunia in relation to menopause, therapy with local oestrogens, in our case oestriol gel, produces an improvement from the beginning of its use. This information is clinically relevant when evaluating therapeutic options.

Removal efficiency for emerging contaminants in a WWTP from Madrid (Spain) after secondary and tertiary treatment and environmental impact on the Manzanares River

The effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be an important contamination source for receiving waters. In this work, a comprehensive study on the impact of a WWTP from Madrid on the aquatic environment has been performed, including a wide number of pharmaceuticals and pesticides, among them those included in the European Watch List. 24-h composite samples of influent (IWW) and effluent wastewater after secondary (EWW2) and after secondary + tertiary treatment (EWW3) were monitored along two campaigns. Average weekly concentrations in IWW and EWW2 and EWW3 allowed estimating the removal efficiency of the WWTP for pharmaceutical active substances (PhACs). In addition, the impact of EWW3 on the water quality of the Manzanares River was assessed, in terms of PhAC and pesticide concentrations, through analysis of the river water collected upstream and downstream of the discharge point. After a preliminary risk assessment, a detailed evaluation of the impact on the aquatic environment, including a toxicological study and screening of pharmaceutical metabolites, was made for the seven most relevant PhACs: sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin and clarithromycin (antibiotics), metoprolol (antihypertensive), diclofenac (anti-inflammatory/analgesic), irbesartan (antihypertensive), and the antidepressant venlafaxine. Among selected PhACs, irbesartan, clarithromycin and venlafaxine presented moderate or high risk in the river water downstream of the discharge. Albeit no acute toxicity was detected, more detailed studies should be carried out for these substances, including additional toxicological studies, to set up potential sublethal and chronic effects on aquatic organisms.

PyCellBase, an efficient python package for easy retrieval of biological data from heterogeneous sources

BACKGROUND

Biological databases and repositories are incrementing in diversity and complexity over the years. This rapid expansion of current and new sources of biological knowledge raises serious problems of data accessibility and integration. To handle the growing necessity of unification, CellBase was created as an integrative solution. CellBase provides a centralized NoSQL database containing biological information from different and heterogeneous sources. Access to this information is done through a RESTful web service API, which provides an efficient interface to the data.

RESULTS

In this work we present PyCellBase, a Python package that provides programmatic access to the rich RESTful web service API offered by CellBase. This package offers a fast and user-friendly access to biological information without the need of installing any local database. In addition, a series of command-line tools are provided to perform common bioinformatic tasks, such as variant annotation. CellBase data is always available by a high-availability cluster and queries have been tuned to ensure a real-time performance.

CONCLUSION

PyCellBase is an open-source Python package that provides an efficient access to heterogeneous biological information. It allows to perform tasks that require a comprehensive set of knowledge resources, as for example variant annotation. Queries can be easily fine-tuned to retrieve the desired information of particular biological features. PyCellBase offers the convenience of an object-oriented scripting language and provides the ability to integrate the obtained results into other Python applications and pipelines.

Testing the controllability of contextual cuing of visual search

Locating a target among distractors improves when the configuration of distractors consistently cues the target's location across search trials, an effect called contextual cuing of visual search (CC). The important issue of whether CC is automatic has previously been studied by asking whether it can occur implicitly (outside awareness). Here we ask the novel question: is CC of visual search controllable? In 3 experiments participants were exposed to a standard CC procedure during Phase 1. In Phase 2, they localized a new target, embedded in configurations (including the previous target) repeated from Phase 1. Despite robust contextual cuing, congruency effects - which would imply the orientation of attention towards the old target in repeated configurations - were found in none of the experiments. The results suggest that top-down control can be exerted over contextually-guided visual search.

CisMiner: genome-wide in-silico cis-regulatory module prediction by fuzzy itemset mining

Eukaryotic gene control regions are known to be spread throughout non-coding DNA sequences which may appear distant from the gene promoter. Transcription factors are proteins that coordinately bind to these regions at transcription factor binding sites to regulate gene expression. Several tools allow to detect significant co-occurrences of closely located binding sites (cis-regulatory modules, CRMs). However, these tools present at least one of the following limitations: 1) scope limited to promoter or conserved regions of the genome; 2) do not allow to identify combinations involving more than two motifs; 3) require prior information about target motifs. In this work we present CisMiner, a novel methodology to detect putative CRMs by means of a fuzzy itemset mining approach able to operate at genome-wide scale. CisMiner allows to perform a blind search of CRMs without any prior information about target CRMs nor limitation in the number of motifs. CisMiner tackles the combinatorial complexity of genome-wide cis-regulatory module extraction using a natural representation of motif combinations as itemsets and applying the Top-Down Fuzzy Frequent- Pattern Tree algorithm to identify significant itemsets. Fuzzy technology allows CisMiner to better handle the imprecision and noise inherent to regulatory processes. Results obtained for a set of well-known binding sites in the S. cerevisiae genome show that our method yields highly reliable predictions. Furthermore, CisMiner was also applied to putative in-silico predicted transcription factor binding sites to identify significant combinations in S. cerevisiae and D. melanogaster, proving that our approach can be further applied genome-wide to more complex genomes. CisMiner is freely accesible at: http://genome2.ugr.es/cisminer. CisMiner can be queried for the results presented in this work and can also perform a customized cis-regulatory module prediction on a query set of transcription factor binding sites provided by the user.

Diameter and polarization-dependent Raman scattering intensities of semiconductor nanowires

Diameter-dependent Raman scattering in single tapered silicon nanowires is measured and quantitatively reproduced by modeling with finite-difference time-domain simulations. Single crystal tapered silicon nanowires were produced by homoepitaxial radial growth concurrent with vapor-liquid-solid axial growth. Multiple electromagnetic resonances along the nanowire induce broad band light absorption and scattering. Observed Raman scattering intensities for multiple polarization configurations are reproduced by a model that accounts for the internal electromagnetic mode structure of both the exciting and scattered light. Consequences for the application of Stokes to anti-Stokes intensity ratio for the estimation of lattice temperature are discussed.

Functional analysis of Plasmodium vivax VIR proteins reveals different subcellular localizations and cytoadherence to the ICAM-1 endothelial receptor

The subcellular localization and function of variant subtelomeric multigene families in Plasmodium vivax remain vastly unknown. Among them, the vir superfamily is putatively involved in antigenic variation and in mediating adherence to endothelial receptors. In the absence of a continuous in vitro culture system for P. vivax, we have generated P. falciparum transgenic lines expressing VIR proteins to infer location and function. We chose three proteins pertaining to subfamilies A (VIR17), C (VIR14) and D (VIR10), with domains and secondary structures that predictably traffic these proteins to different subcellular compartments. Here, we showed that VIR17 remained inside the parasite and around merozoites, whereas VIR14 and VIR10 were exported to the membrane of infected red blood cells (iRBCs) in an apparent independent pathway of Maurer's clefts. Remarkably, VIR14 was exposed at the surface of iRBCs and mediated adherence to different endothelial receptors expressed in CHO cells under static conditions. Under physiological flow conditions, however, cytoadherence was only observed to ICAM-1, which was the only receptor whose adherence was specifically and significantly inhibited by antibodies against conserved motifs of VIR proteins. Immunofluorescence studies using these antibodies also showed different subcellular localizations of VIR proteins in P. vivax-infected reticulocytes from natural infections. These data suggest that VIR proteins are trafficked to different cellular compartments and functionally demonstrates that VIR proteins can specifically mediate cytoadherence to the ICAM-1 endothelial receptor.

Silicon nanowire polytypes: identification by Raman spectroscopy, generation mechanism, and misfit strain in homostructures

Silicon nanowires with predominant 9R, 27T, 2H and other polytype structures with respective hexagonalities of 50, 40 and 35.3% were identified by Raman microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that intrinsic stacking faults form the basic building blocks of these polytypes. We propose a generation mechanism in which polytypes are seeded from incoherent twin boundaries and associated partial dislocations. This mechanism explains observed prevalence of polytypes and trends in stacking for longer period structures. The percentage of hexagonal planes in a polytype is extracted from its Raman spectrum after correcting the zone-folded phonon frequencies to account for changes of the in-plane lattice parameter with respect to diamond cubic (3C) Si. The correction is found to be (i) of the same order of magnitude as frequency differences between modes of low period polytypes and (ii) proportional to the hexagonality. Corrected phonon frequencies agree with experimentally found values to within 0.4 cm(-1). Homostructures in which a central polytype region is bounded by 3C regions, with the planes (111)(3C)║(0001)(polytype) parallel to the nanowire axis, are found in <linear span>112<linear span> oriented nanowires. Strain-induced shifts of the Raman modes in such structures enable a rough estimation of the lattice misfit between polytypes, which compares favorably with first-principles calculations. Considerations presented here provide a simple and quantitative framework to interpret Raman frequencies and extract crystallographic information on polytype structures.

Demonstration of ignition radiation temperatures in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion hohlraums

We demonstrate the hohlraum radiation temperature and symmetry required for ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions. Cryogenic gas-filled hohlraums with 2.2 mm-diameter capsules are heated with unprecedented laser energies of 1.2 MJ delivered by 192 ultraviolet laser beams on the National Ignition Facility. Laser backscatter measurements show that these hohlraums absorb 87% to 91% of the incident laser power resulting in peak radiation temperatures of T(RAD)=300 eV and a symmetric implosion to a 100 μm diameter hot core.

Direct detection of hole gas in Ge-Si core-shell nanowires by enhanced Raman scattering

We report the direct detection of hole accumulation in the core of Ge-Si core-shell nanowire heterostructures by a Fano resonance between free holes and the F2g mode in Raman spectra. Raman enhancements of 10-10 000 with respect to bulk were observed and explained using finite difference time domain simulations of the electric fields concentrated in the nanowire. Numerical modeling of the radial carrier concentration revealed that the asymmetric line-shape is strongly influenced by inhomogeneous broadening.

Ordered stacking fault arrays in silicon nanowires

Correlated Raman microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the ordering of {111} planar defects in individual silicon nanowires. Detailed electron diffraction and polarization-dependent Raman analysis of individual nanowires enabled assessments of the stacking fault distribution, which varied from random to periodic, with the latter giving rise to local domains of 2H and 9R polytypes rather than the 3C diamond cubic structure. Some controversies and inconsistencies concerning earlier reports of polytypes in Si nanowires were resolved.

Treatment with selective estrogen receptor modulators regulates myelin specific T-cells and suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Steroidal estrogens can regulate inflammatory immune responses and may be involved in the suppression of multiple sclerosis (MS) during pregnancy. However, the risks and side effects associated with steroidal estrogens may limit their usefulness for long-term MS therapy. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) could provide an alternative therapeutic strategy, because they behave as estrogen agonists in some tissues, but are either inert or behave like estrogen antagonists in other tissues. In this study, we investigated the ability of two commercially available SERMs (tamoxifen and raloxifene) to regulate myelin specific immunity and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. Both tamoxifen and raloxifene suppressed myelin antigen specific T-cell proliferation. However, tamoxifen was more effective in this regard. Tamoxifen treatment reduced the induction of major histocompatibility complex II by lipopolysaccharide stimulated dendritic cells and decreased their ability to activate myelin specific T-cells. At lower doses, tamoxifen was found to increase the levels of Th2 transcription factors and induce a Th2 bias in cultures of myelin-specific splenocytes. EAE symptoms and the degree of demyelination were less severe in mice treated with tamoxifen than in control mice. These findings support the notion that tamoxifen or related SERMs are potential agents that could be used in the treatment of inflammatory autoimmune disorders that affect the central nervous system.

Fuzzy association rules for biological data analysis: a case study on yeast

Background

Last years' mapping of diverse genomes has generated huge amounts of biological data which are currently dispersed through many databases. Integration of the information available in the various databases is required to unveil possible associations relating already known data. Biological data are often imprecise and noisy. Fuzzy set theory is specially suitable to model imprecise data while association rules are very appropriate to integrate heterogeneous data.

Results

In this work we propose a novel fuzzy methodology based on a fuzzy association rule mining method for biological knowledge extraction. We apply this methodology over a yeast genome dataset containing heterogeneous information regarding structural and functional genome features. A number of association rules have been found, many of them agreeing with previous research in the area. In addition, a comparison between crisp and fuzzy results proves the fuzzy associations to be more reliable than crisp ones.

Conclusion

An integrative approach as the one carried out in this work can unveil significant knowledge which is currently hidden and dispersed through the existing biological databases. It is shown that fuzzy association rules can model this knowledge in an intuitive way by using linguistic labels and few easy-understandable parameters.

5(Z)-Benzylidene-1,2-dihydro-9-hydroxy-10-methoxy-2,2,4-trimethyl-5H-1-aza-6-oxa-chrysenes as non-steroidal glucocorticoid receptor modulators

A series of 5-benzylidene-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethyl-5H-1-aza-6-oxa-chrysenes was synthesized and profiled for their ability to act as selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SGRMs). The synthesis and structure-activity relationships for this series of compounds are presented.

Structure–activity relationships and sub-type selectivity in an oxabicyclic estrogen receptor α/β agonist scaffold

An oxabicyclic template for estrogen receptor alpha and beta agonists has been identified which can be tuned to provide moderate levels of selectivity for either receptor sub-type. Structure-activity relationships within this phenol-substituted oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonene series are described. Select compounds from the present series showed activity in vivo after oral dosing in rodent models of uterine proliferation.

Synthesis, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of 3-(4-aryl-piperazin-1-ylalkyl)-uracils as uroselective alpha1A-antagonists

Predominance in the urethra and prostate of the alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor subtype, which is believed to be the receptor mediating noradrenaline induced smooth muscle contraction in these tissues, led to the preparation of alpha(1A)-selective antagonists to be tested as uroselective compounds for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Thus, a number of selective alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor antagonists were synthesized and assayed in vitro for potency and selectivity. Dog pharmacokinetic parameters of 12 (RO700004) and its metabolite 40 (RO1104253) were established. The relative selectivity of intravenously administered 12, 40 and standard prazosin to inhibit hypogastric nerve stimulation-induced increases in intraurethral prostatic pressure versus phenylephrine-induced increases in diastolic blood pressure in anesthetized dogs was 76, 71 and 0.6, respectively.

A high-resolution radiation hybrid map of the human genome draft sequence

We have constructed a physical map of the human genome by using a panel of 90 whole-genome radiation hybrids (the TNG panel) in conjunction with 40,322 sequence-tagged sites (STSs) derived from random genomic sequences as well as expressed sequences. Of 36,678 STSs on the TNG radiation hybrid map, only 3604 (9.8%) were absent from the unassembled draft sequence of the human genome. Of 20,030 STSs ordered on the TNG map as well as the assembled human genome draft sequence and the Celera assembled human genome sequence, 36% of the STSs had a discrepant order between the working draft sequence and the Celera sequence. The TNG map order was identical to one of the two sequence orders in 60% of these discrepant cases.

Use of solid-phase microextraction for the quantitative determination of herbicides in soil and water samples

An in-depth study of SPME optimization and application has been made, considering not only aqueous (surface water and groundwater samples) but also the more complex soil samples. Seven herbicides widely used in the area of study have been selected including five triazine herbicides (atrazine, simazine, terbumeton, terbuthylazine, terbutryn), molinate, and bromacil. linearity range was between 0.1 and 10 ng/mL and the repeatability below 10% when applying the optimized SPME procedure to water samples. Reproducibility was found to be lower than 20% at the 1 ng/mL level, and the limits of determination in environmental water samples using GC/MS (SIM mode) were well below 0.1 ng/mL (values ranging from 10 to 60 ng/L). Extraction of selected herbicides from soil was carried out by microwave-assisted solvent extraction using methanol in screw-capped vials, leading to recoveries over 80% in spiked soil samples at the 5-200 ng/g level. SPME application over methanolic soil extracts required a 10-fold dilution with distilled water. The recommended procedure was found to be fully applicable for quantitative determination of selected herbicides in soils containing low organic matter content with coefficients of variation below or around 10% and limits of determination ranging from 1 to 10 ng/g. Both procedures were applied to real-world surface water and soil samples where several pesticides were detected including atrazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, and molinate.

Estrogen activity and novel tissue selectivity of delta8,9-dehydroestrone sulfate in postmenopausal women

Recent basic and clinical advances have consolidated the concept of tissue-selective estrogens, i.e. molecules that express different degrees of partial agonist, full agonist or antagonist activity in different tissues or cells. Delta8,9-Dehydroestrone sulfate (delta8,9-DHES) is a conjugated estrogen and a component of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE). It is metabolized in the human in at least a 1:1 ratio to its 17beta form, 17beta-delta8,9-DHES. To evaluate its activity in different clinical and biochemical parameters, a clinical research study was conducted with delta8,9-DHES and estrone sulfate as a comparator in postmenopausal women. Delta8,9-DHES was given orally at a daily dose of 0.125 mg for 12 weeks in a group of 10 women. Two additional groups of women received either estrone sulfate alone (1.25 mg/day) or the combination of delta8,9-DHES and estrone sulfate at the previously specified doses. A significant and consistent suppression of hot flushes (number, severity, and total score) was observed with delta8,9-DHES, reaching more than 95% suppression in all parameters of vasomotor symptoms. This level of activity was equal to that obtained with the much higher dose of estrone sulfate, and it was sustained for the duration of the treatment period (12 weeks). Measurements of a bone resorption marker, i.e. urinary excretion of N-telopeptide, demonstrated that delta8,9-DHES at 8 weeks produced a degree of suppression (40%) similar to that observed with the higher dose of estrone sulfate. Gonadotropin secretion (FSH and LH) was significantly suppressed in women receiving delta8,9-DHES, similar to that observed with estrone sulfate alone or with the combination of the two. Other parameters, such as total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were not modified significantly, whereas serum globulins (sex hormone-binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin) showed only marginal increases after delta8,9-DHES administration. Taken together with preclinical data, it is found that delta8,9-DHES is an active estrogen with a distinct pharmacological profile that results in significant clinical activity in vasomotor, neuroendocrine (gonadotropin and PRL) and bone preservation parameters, whereas displaying little or no efficacy, at the dose tested, on other peripheral parameters normally affected by estrogens. Collectively, this information supports the concept that delta8,9-DHES is an integral component of CEE, with distinct tissue selectivity contributing to the CEE's overall clinical activity, and places this estrogen as a distinct member of a novel class of centrally active molecules with unique peripheral tissue selectivity.

Pharmacological characterization of soluble human FSH receptor extracellular domain: facilitated secretion by coexpression with FSH

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family that regulates gametogenesis and steroidogenesis. Glycoprotein hormones signal through a unique class of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that have a long extracellular domain (ECD), which is the primary site for hormone binding. The hFSHR-ECD was expressed in insect cells as a C-terminal, epitope-tagged protein resulting in production of soluble active receptor in the intracellular compartment and in the secreted culture medium. Coexpression of hFSHR-ECD with FSHbeta or FSHalpha/beta increased the secretion of the truncated receptor. Pharmacological studies to assess ligand-receptor interactions without the transmembrane domains showed higher affinity values (K(D)S) for [125I]hFSH using mammalian-expressed full-length receptor, secreted hFSHR-ECD, or secreted hFSHR-ECD coexpressed with FSHbeta, whereas the K(D) value for hFSHR-ECD coexpressed with FSHalpha/beta subunits showed lower affinity. Competition of other glycoprotein hormones for secreted hFSHR-ECD coexpressed with FSHbeta or mammalian full-length hFSHR resulted in similar binding profiles, indicating analogous pharmacology. Finally, we have demonstrated that a small molecule, suramin, which has been reported to interact with the mammalian full-length FSHR, competes for the binding of [125I]hFSH by interacting directly at the hFSHR-ECD.

Solid-phase microextraction for quantitative analysis of organophosphorus pesticides in environmental water samples

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a relatively new technique that appears as a convenient and efficient extraction method in contrast with more complex techniques used for pesticide residue analysis based on liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction. This extraction procedure involves the absorption of analytes into a polymeric film coated onto a fine silica fiber directly dipped in the aqueous sample. An SPME procedure for the determination of 12 organophosphorus pesticides in clean environmental water samples at low ng/ml concentration level has been developed by optimising variables involved in extraction and desorption. The absorption equilibrium has been estimated by mathematical treatment of the process using an expression that describes experimental absorption time profiles. The method was evaluated according to the reproducibility, linearity range and limits of detection using two different fiber coatings: 100 microm polydimethylsiloxane and 85 microm polyacrylate. The limits of detection obtained using nitrogen-phosphorus detection ranged between 0.01 and 0.2 ng/ml with relative standard deviations lower than 15% at the 1 ng/ml level. The method showed good linearity between 0.1 and 10 ng/ml with regression coefficients ranging between 0.97 and 0.999. Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water samples in concentration below 0.1 ng/ml can be easily carried out with this fast, economic and solvent-free SPME procedure.

Induction of promiscuous G protein coupling of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor: a novel mechanism for transducing pleiotropic actions of FSH isoforms

Under physiological conditions, FSH is secreted into the circulation as a complex mixture of several isoforms that vary in the degree of glycosylation. Although it is well established that the glycosylation of FSH is important for the serum half-life of the hormone and coupling of the receptor to adenylate cyclase, little is known concerning how physiologically occurring glycosylation patterns of this hormone affect receptor signaling. In this study, we have examined the biological activity of deglycosylated human FSH (DeGly-phFSH), recombinant mammalian-expressed hFSH (CHO-hFSH), and insect cell-expressed hFSH (BV-hFSH, alternatively glycosylated) as compared with that of purified human pituitary FSH (phFSH) using a Chinese hamster ovarian cell line stably expressing the hFSH receptor (3D2 cells). Differentially glycosylated forms of FSH did not bind to the FSH receptor in the same manner as phFSH. Although all hormones showed similar potency in competing for [125I]phFSH binding to the hFSH receptor, competition curves for deglycosylated and insect cell-produced FSH were steeper. Similarly, glycosylation of FSH had a profound effect on bioactivity of the hormone. Purified hFSH produced a sigmoidal dose-dependent stimulation in cAMP production, whereas DeGly-phFSH and BV-hFSH induced biphasic (bell-shaped) dose-response curves. BV-hFSH also elicited biphasic effects on steroidogenesis in primary cultures of rat granulosa cells. The cellular response to BV-hFSH was dependent on the degree of receptor-transducer activation. BV-hFSH bioactivity was strictly inhibitory when combined with the ED80 of phFSH. Lower concentrations of phFSH resulted in a gradual shift from inhibition to a biphasic activity in the presence of the ED20 of phFSH. Biphasic responses to BV-hFSH were attributed to activation of different G protein subtypes, since treatment of 3D2 cells with cholera toxin or pertussis toxin differentially blocked the two phases of BV-hFSH bioactivity. These data suggest that alternative glycosylation of FSH leads to a functionally altered form of the hormone. Functionally different hormones appear to convey distinct signals that are transduced by the receptor-transduction system as either stimulatory or inhibitory intracellular events via promiscuous, glycosylation-dependent G protein coupling. Promiscuity in signaling of the FSH receptor, in turn, may represent a potentially novel mechanism for FSH action, whereby the gonad may respond in diverse ways to complex hormonal signals such as those presented by circulating FSH isoforms.

Causal order does not affect cue selection in human associative learning

Waldmann and Holyoak (1992) presented evidence in support of the claim that cue selection does not emerge in "diagnostic" human learning tasks in which the cues are interpretable as effects and the outcomes as the causes of those effects. Waldmann and Holyoak argued that this evidence presents a major difficulty for associationist theories of learning and instead supports a "causal model" theory. We identify a number of flaws in Waldmann and Holyoak's experimental procedures and report three new experiments designed to test their claim. In Experiment 1, cue selection was observed regardless of causal order and regardless of whether the cues were abstractly or concretely specified. In Experiments 2 and 3, cue selection was again observed when subjects predicted causes from effects. We conclude that our results are consistent with simple associationist theories of learning but contradict Waldmann and Holyoak's causal model theory.

A versatile synthetic route to the anti-implantation agent, yuehchukene, and its analogues

A detailed study directed toward the development of a versatile synthetic route to the interesting dimeric natural product yuehchukene (1) and its epimer, 6a-epi-yuehchukene (2), has been completed. Due to the anti-implantation activity associated with 1, it was important to provide a synthetic strategy not only to 1, but to a family of yuehchukene analogues that, hopefully, would reveal superior chemical stability and (or) elevated biological activity. The experiments described herein and which utilize the readily available and inexpensive isophorone (6) satisfy these requirements. Key words: yuehchukene synthesis, yuehchukene analogues, anti-implantation activity.

Galanin stimulates luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone secretion from arcuate nucleus-median eminence fragments in vitro: involvement of an alpha-adrenergic mechanism

Galanin (GAL), a 29-amino acid peptide originally isolated from porcine intestine, has been shown to be widely distributed not only in the gut, but also in the central nervous system. Several studies have shown that GAL participates in the hypothalamic regulation of PRL, GH, and LH secretion. In this study, we evaluate the effects of rat GAL (rGAL) on LHRH and prostaglandin (PG) E2 release from arcuate nucleus-median eminence fragments in vitro. Fragments were incubated for 30-min periods in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing the different test substances. The addition to the medium of rGAL in concentrations ranging from 5-1000 nM increased the release of both LHRH and PGE2 in a concentration-dependent manner. The ED50 values were approximately 55 and 80 nM for LHRH and PGE2, respectively. rGAL-induced LHRH and PGE2 release were related, as suggested by the finding that the addition to the medium of indomethacin (10 microM), a PG synthesis blocker, completely blocked rGAL-induced LHRH release. In addition, an active catecholaminergic system appears to be necessary for obtaining the stimulatory effect of rGAL. The addition to the medium of the alpha-adrenergic blocker phentolamine or prazosin impaired the ability of rGAL to release both LHRH and PGE2. rGAL-induced stimulation of LHRH and PGE2 release was blocked by phentolamine at doses of 1-10 microM, while prazosin was able to block it at doses as low as 0.1 microM. In summary, rGAL stimulates LHRH and PGE2 release from arcuate nucleus-median eminence fragments in vitro in a dose-dependent fashion. Such an effect is blocked by both indomethacin and alpha-adrenergic blockers, indicating that rGAL-induced stimulation of LHRH secretion is exerted through alpha-adrenergic receptors and requires PGE2 as an intracellular mediator.

Colocalization of galanin and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in a subset of preoptic hypothalamic neurons: anatomical and functional correlates

Colocalization of neurotransmitters, including neuropeptides and amines, in the same neuron of certain areas or well-defined nuclei of the central and peripheral nervous systems appears to be the rule rather than the exception. The coexistent neurotransmitters can be coreleased and interact at pre- and postsynaptic levels in a synergistic or antagonistic manner. Galanin is a recently isolated and characterized "gut-brain" peptide. It is colocalized with many neurotransmitters in both the central and the peripheral nervous systems. Among other regions in the central nervous system, galanin is present in neuronal perikarya of the septum and the hypothalamus. The dense accumulation of nerve terminals in the external zone of the median eminence suggests that galanin is an important peptide regulating neuroendocrine functions. Although most galanin and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons have a distinctly different morphology, a subset of galanin-immunoreactive perikarya in the diagonal band of Broca and the medial preoptic area, near the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, have morphological features similar to those of LHRH neurons. By using double-labeling immunocytochemistry, we have found that in the preoptic region of the male rat brain approximately 15-20% of these "LHRH-like" galanin-immunoreactive neurons are also immunopositive for LHRH. Moreover, in the medial preoptic area and the diagonal band of Broca, some of the single-labeled LHRH cells are surrounded with galanin-immunoreactive nerve terminals, suggesting that LHRH perikarya have synaptic contacts with galanin-immunoreactive terminals. Additional studies indicated that galanin can readily enhance in vitro release of LHRH from nerve terminals in the median eminence. The observations that (i) galanin is coexpressed with LHRH, (ii) galanin seems to innervate LHRH-producing neurons, and (iii) galanin acts as a putative neurotransmitter to enhance the release of LHRH suggest that galanin should be considered an important regulator of LHRH-containing neurons and, therefore, of reproductive functions.