Sample records for nat rev cancer

  1. The Role of Stat3 Activation in Androgen Receptor Signaling and Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-07-01

    S. C. & Xiao, G. (2003) Cancer Metastasis Rev. 22, 405–422. 10. Karin, M. & Greten , F. R. (2005) Nat. Rev. Immunol. 5, 749–759. 11. Karin, M., Cao, Y... Greten , F. R. & Li, Z. W. (2002) Nat. Rev. Cancer 2, 301–310. 12. Fan, C. M. & Maniatis, T. (1991) Nature 354, 395–398. 13. Betts, J. C. & Nabel, G

  2. The Nuclear Death Domain Protein p84N5; A Candidate Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-05-01

    hallmarks of cancer. Cell 100, 57-70, 2000. 35. Karin M, Cao Y, Greten FR, Li ZW. NF-kappaB in cancer: from innocent bystander to major culprit. Nat Rev...D., and Weinberg, R. A. (2000) Cell 100, 57-70 46. Karin, M., Cao, Y., Greten , F. R., and Li, Z. W. (2002) Nat Rev Cancer 2, 301-310 47. Cogswell, P

  3. Comparison of receptor affinity of natSc-DOTA-TATE versus natGa-DOTA-TATE.

    PubMed

    Koumarianou, Eftychia; Pawlak, Dariusz; Korsak, Agnieszka; Mikolajczak, Renata

    2011-01-01

    44Sc as a positron emitter can be an interesting alternative to 68Ga (T½=67.71 min) due to its longer half-life (T½=3.97 h). Moreover, the b-emitter 47Sc can be used for therapy when attached to the same biomolecule vectors. DOTA as a chelating agent has been proven suitable for the radiolabelling of peptides recognising tumour cell receptors in vivo with M3+ radiometals. DOTA-derivatized peptides have been successfully labelled with 90Y and 177Lu for therapy, and with 68Ga for PET imaging. However, published data on 44Sc-labelled DOTA-biomolecules as potential PET radiotracers are still very limited. The aim of this study was to compare the affinity of natGa- and natSc-labelled DOTA-TATE to somatostatin receptors subtype 2 expressed in rat pancreatic cancer cell line AR42J. The cold complexes of DOTA-TATE with natGa and natSc were synthesized and identified by HPLC and MS analysis and evaluated in vitro for competitive binding to cancer cell line AR42J expressing somatostatin receptors subtype 2 (sstr2). The IC50 values calculated from the displacement curve of {125I-Tyr11}-SST-14 were: 0.20±0.18, 0.70±0.20, 0.64±0.22 and 0.67±0.12 for natGa-DOTA-TATE, natSc-DOTA-TATE, DOTA-TATE, and {Tyr11}-SST-14 complexes, respectively, with the affinity lowering in the decreasing order: natGa-DOTA-TATE>DOTA-TATE>Tyr11-SST-14>natSc-DOTA-TATE. The binding affinity of natGa-DOTA-TATE appeared higher than that of natSc-DOTA-TATE. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to verify the influence of the chelated metal on the affinity and uptake of the respective radiolabelled compounds. This information might be crucial when the in vivo applications of peptides labelled with 68Ga and 44Sc for PET, as well as the use of 47Sc for radiotherapy are considered.

  4. Red meat intake, NAT2, and risk of colorectal cancer: A pooled analysis of 11 studies

    PubMed Central

    Ananthakrishnan, Ashwin N.; Du, Mengmeng; Berndt, Sonja I.; Brenner, Hermann; Caan, Bette J.; Casey, Graham; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Duggan, David; Fuchs, Charles S.; Gallinger, Steven; Giovannucci, Edward L.; Harrison, Tabitha A.; Hayes, Richard B.; Hoffmeister, Michael; Hopper, John L.; Hou, Lifang; Hsu, Li; Jenkins, Mark A.; Kraft, Peter; Ma, Jing; Nan, Hongmei; Newcomb, Polly A.; Ogino, Shuji; Potter, John D.; Seminara, Daniela; Slattery, Martha L.; Thornquist, Mark; White, Emily; Wu, Kana; Peters, Ulrike; Chan, Andrew T.

    2014-01-01

    Background Red meat intake has been associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), potentially mediated through heterocyclic amines. The metabolic efficiency of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) required for the metabolic activation of such amines is influenced by genetic variation. The interaction between red meat intake, NAT2 genotype, and CRC has been inconsistently reported. Methods We used pooled individual-level data from the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR) and the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO). Red meat intake was collected by each study. We inferred NAT2 phenotype based on polymorphism at rs1495741, highly predictive of enzyme activity. Interaction was assessed using multiplicative interaction terms in multivariate-adjusted models. Results From 11 studies, 8,290 CRC cases and 9,115 controls were included. The highest quartile of red meat intake was associated with increased risk of CRC compared to the lowest quartile (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.29 – 1.55). However, a significant association was observed only for studies with retrospective diet data, not for studies with diet prospectively assessed before cancer diagnosis. Combining all studies, high red meat intake was similarly associated with CRC in those with a rapid/intermediate NAT2 genotype (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.20 – 1.59) as with a slow genotype (OR 1.43, 95%CI 1.28 – 1.61) (p- interaction=0.9). Conclusion We found that high red meat intake was associated with increased risk of CRC only from retrospective case-control studies and not modified by NAT2 enzyme activity. Impact Our results suggest no interaction between NAT2 genotype and red-meat intake in mediating risk of CRC. PMID:25342387

  5. Cancer-specific production of N-acetylaspartate via NAT8L overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer and its potential as a circulating biomarker

    PubMed Central

    Lou, Tzu-Fang; Sethuraman, Deepa; Dospoy, Patrick; Srivastva, Pallevi; Kim, Hyun Seok; Kim, Joongsoo; Ma, Xiaotu; Chen, Pei-Hsuan; Huffman, Kenneth E.; Frink, Robin E.; Larsen, Jill E.; Lewis, Cheryl; Um, Sang-Won; Kim, Duk-Hwan; Ahn, Jung-Mo; DeBerardinis, Ralph J.; White, Michael A.; Minna, John D.; Yoo, Hyuntae

    2015-01-01

    In order to identify new cancer-associated metabolites that may be useful for early detection of lung cancer, we performed a global metabolite profiling of a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) line and immortalized normal lung epithelial cells from the same patient. Among several metabolites with significant cancer/normal differences, we identified a unique metabolic compound, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in cancer cells — undetectable in normal lung epithelium. NAA’s cancer-specific detection was validated in additional cancer and control lung cells as well as selected NSCLC patient tumors and control tissues. NAA’s cancer-specificity was further supported in our analysis of NAA synthetase (gene symbol: NAT8L) gene expression levels in The Cancer Genome Atlas: elevated NAT8L expression in approximately 40% of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma cases (N=577), with minimal expression in all non-malignant lung tissues (N=74). We then showed that NAT8L is functionally involved in NAA production of NSCLC cells through siRNA-mediated suppression of NAT8L, which caused selective reduction of intracellular and secreted NAA. Our cell culture experiments also indicated that NAA biosynthesis in NSCLC cells depends on glutamine availability. For preliminary evaluation of NAA’s clinical potential as a circulating biomarker, we developed a sensitive NAA blood assay and found that NAA blood levels were elevated in 46% of NSCLC patients (N=13) in comparison with age-matched healthy controls (N=21) among individuals aged 55 years or younger. Taken together, these results indicate that NAA is produced specifically in NSCLC tumors through NAT8L overexpression and its extracellular secretion can be detected in blood. PMID:26511490

  6. NAT2, meat consumption and colorectal cancer incidence: an ecological study among 27 countries.

    PubMed

    Ognjanovic, Simona; Yamamoto, Jennifer; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Le Marchand, Loïc

    2006-11-01

    The polymorphic gene NAT2 is a major determinant of N-acetyltransferase activity and, thus, may be responsible for differences in one's ability to bioactivate heterocyclic amines, a class of procarcinogens in cooked meat. An unusually marked geographic variation in enzyme activity has been described for NAT2. The present study re-examines the international direct correlation reported for meat intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence, and evaluates the potential modifying effects of NAT2 phenotype and other lifestyle factors on this correlation. Country-specific CRC incidence data, per capita consumption data for meat and other dietary factors, prevalence of the rapid/intermediate NAT2 phenotype, and prevalence of smoking for 27 countries were used. Multiple linear regression models were fit and partial correlation coefficients (PCCs) were computed for men and women separately. Inclusion of the rapid/intermediate NAT2 phenotype with meat consumption improved the fit of the regression model for CRC incidence in both sexes (males-R (2) = 0.78, compared to 0.70 for meat alone; p for difference in model fit-0.009; females-R (2) = 0.76 compared to 0.69 for meat alone; p = 0.02). Vegetable consumption (inversely and in both sexes) and fish consumption (directly and in men only) were also weakly correlated with CRC, whereas smoking prevalence and alcohol consumption had no effects on the models. The PCC between NAT2 and CRC incidence was 0.46 in males and 0.48 in females when meat consumption was included in the model, compared to 0.14 and 0.15, respectively, when it was not. These data suggest that, in combination with meat intake, some proportion of the international variability in CRC incidence may be attributable to genetic susceptibility to heterocyclic amines, as determined by NAT2 genotype.

  7. Center of Excellence for Individualization of Therapy for Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-04-01

    cancer - a new therapeutic opportunity. Nat. Rev. Cancer 5, 505-515. Miller,L.D., Smeds ,J., George,J., Vega,V.B., Vergara,L., Ploner,A., Pawitan,Y., Hall...Huang,F., Klaar,S., Liu,E.T., Miller,L., Nordgren,H., Ploner,A., Sandelin,K., Shaw,P.M., Smeds ,J., Skoog,L., Wedren,S., and Bergh,J. (2005). Gene

  8. Active cigarette smoking and the risk of breast cancer at the level of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene polymorphisms.

    PubMed

    Kasajova, Petra; Holubekova, Veronika; Mendelova, Andrea; Lasabova, Zora; Zubor, Pavol; Kudela, Erik; Biskupska-Bodova, Kristina; Danko, Jan

    2016-06-01

    The aim of our study was to assess the correlation between the tobacco exposure and NAT2 gene (rs1041983 C/T, rs1801280 T/C, rs1799930 G/A) polymorphisms in association with breast cancer development. We wanted to determine the prognostic clinical importance of these polymorphisms in association with smoking and breast cancer. For the detection of possible association between smoking, NAT2 gene polymorphisms, and the risk of breast cancer, we designed a case-controlled study with 198 patients enrolled, 98 breast cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. Ten milliliters of peripheral blood from the cubital vein was withdrawn from every patient. The HRM (high resolution melting) analysis was used for the detection of three abovementioned NAT2 gene polymorphisms. When comparing a group of women smoking more than 5 cigarettes a day with the patients smoking fewer than 5 cigarettes a day, we found out that if women were the carriers of aberrant AA genotype for rs1799930, the first group of women had higher risk of breast carcinoma than the second group. If patients were the carriers of aberrant TT genotype for rs1041983, for rs1801280CC genotype, and rs1799930AA genotype and they smoked more than 5 cigarettes a day, they had higher risk of malignant breast disease than never-smoking women. Our results confirm the hypothesis that NAT2 gene polymorphisms (rs1041983 C/T, rs1801280 T/C, and rs1799930 G/A) in association with long-period active smoking could be the possible individual risk-predicting factors for breast cancer development in the population of Slovak women.

  9. Isolation and Characterization of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    et al. Targeting cancer stem cells by inhibiting Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2011;8:97–106. 26] Guise T. Examining the...Nitrogen or fixed in formalin and paraffin-embedded to evaluate anatomy and glandular architecture. The remainder of the tissue was mechan- ically and

  10. Genetic Variation at the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) Genes in Global Populations

    EPA Science Inventory

    Functional variability at the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) genes is associated with adverse drug reactions and cancer susceptibility in humans. Previous studies of small sets of ethnic groups have indicated that the NAT genes have high levels of amino acid variation that differ in f...

  11. Scanning the Human Genome for Novel Therapeutic Targets for Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-04-01

    colon cancer genome, in sum representing only 34 annotated genes (Figure 3A). Consistent with its role in the pathogenesis of human cancers ( Ruas and...high-confidence list includes two previously established tumor suppressors, p16INKaA and TGFI3RII (Derynck et al., 2001; Ruas and Peters, 1998; Siegel...cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 4, 118-132. Chong, J. A., Tapia- Ramirez , J., Kim, S., Toledo-Aral, J. J., Zheng, Y., Boutros, M. C.. Altshuller, Y. M., Frohman

  12. Interaction between Red Meat Intake and NAT2 Genotype in Increasing the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Japanese and African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Hansong; Iwasaki, Motoki; Haiman, Christopher A.; Kono, Suminori; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Keku, Temitope O.; Berndt, Sonja I.; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Le Marchand, Loïc

    2015-01-01

    Heterocyclic aromatic amines formed in cooked meat may be an underlying mechanism for the red meat-colorectal cancer (CRC) association. These compounds require bioactivaction by N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2). An interaction effect between red meat consumption and NAT2 in increasing CRC risk has been inconsistently reported in whites. We investigated this interaction in two populations in which the high-activity rapid NAT2 phenotype is 10- and 2-fold more common than in whites. We meta-analyzed four studies of Japanese (2,217 cases, 3,788 controls) and three studies of African Americans (527 cases, 4,527 controls). NAT2 phenotype was inferred from an optimized seven-SNP genotyping panel. Processed and total red meat intakes were associated with an increased CRC risk in Japanese and in both ethnic groups combined (P’s ≤ 0.002). We observed an interaction between processed meat intake and NAT2 in Japanese (P = 0.04), African Americans (P = 0.02), and in both groups combined (P = 0.006). The association of processed meat with CRC was strongest among individuals with the rapid NAT2 phenotype (combined analysis, OR for highest vs. lowest quartile: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.28–2.05; Ptrend = 8.0×10−5), intermediate among those with the intermediate NAT2 phenotype (1.29, 95% CI: 1.05–1.59; Ptrend = 0.05) and null among those with the slow phenotype (Ptrend = 0.45). A similar interaction was found for NAT2 and total red meat (Pinteraction = 0.03). Our findings support a role for NAT2 in modifying the association between red meat consumption and CRC in Japanese and African Americans. PMID:26683305

  13. Genomic Approaches for Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-07-01

    human cancers ( Ruas and Peters, 1998), the p 16 IN4A tumor suppressor was present within one of these focal deletions (Figure 3A). Remarkably, without a...suppressors, p16INK4A and TGFP3RII (Derynck et al., 2001; Ruas and Peters, 1998; Siegel and Massague, 2003), the latter of which was also identified as...G. (2004). Cell adhesion and signalling by cadherins and Ig-CAMs in cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 4, 118-132. Chong, J. A., Tapia- Ramirez , J., Kim, S

  14. Microvesicles as mediators of intercellular communication in cancer.

    PubMed

    Antonyak, Marc A; Cerione, Richard A

    2014-01-01

    :66-75, 2013; Al-Nedawi et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:3794-3799, 2009; Ge et al., Cancer Microenviron 5:323-332, 2012). Thus, the production of MVs by cancer cells plays crucial roles in driving the expansion of the primary tumor. However, it is now becoming increasingly clear that MVs are also stable in the circulation of cancer patients, where they can mediate long-range effects and contribute to the formation of the pre-metastatic niche, an essential step in metastasis (Skog et al., Nat Cell Biol 10:1470-1476, 2008; Noerholm et al., BMC Cancer 12:22, 2012; Peinado et al., Nat Med 18:883-891, 2012; Piccin et al., Blood Rev 21:157-171, 2007; van der Vos et al., Cell Mol Neurobiol 31:949-959, 2011). These findings, when taken together with the fact that MVs are being aggressively pursued as diagnostic markers, as well as being considered as potential targets for intervention against cancer (Antonyak et al., Small GTPases 3:219-224, 2012; Hosseini-Beheshti et al., Mol Cell Proteomics 11:863-885, 2012; Martins et al., Curr Opin Oncol 25:66-75, 2013; Ge et al., Cancer Microenviron 5:323-332, 2012; Peinado et al., Nat Med 18:883-891, 2012; Piccin et al., Blood Rev 21:157-171, 2007; Al-Nedawi et al., Cell Cycle 8:2014-2018, 2009; Cocucci and Meldolesi, Curr Biol 21:R940-R941, 2011; D'Souza-Schorey and Clancy, Genes Dev 26:1287-1299, 2012; Shao et al., Nat Med 18:1835-1840, 2012), point to critically important roles for MVs in human cancer progression that can potentially be exploited to develop new targeted approaches for treating this disease.

  15. Chemotherapeutic Targeting of Fibulin-5 to Suppress Breast Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Stimulated by Transforming Growth Factor-Beta

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-22

    Res. Commun 2004;316:997–1001. [PubMed: 15044083] 178. Karin M. NF-κB in cancer development and progression. Nature 2006;441:431. [PubMed: 16724054...of TWIST gene expression. Cancer Res 2007;67:9066–9076. [PubMed: 17909010] 199. Ali S, Coombes RC. Endocrine-responsive breast cancer and strategies...for combating resistance. Nat. Rev. Cancer 2002;2:101–112. [PubMed: 12635173] 200. Coombes RC, Gibson L, Hall E, Emson M, Bliss J. Aromatase

  16. Lack of association between NAT2 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jingyuan; Xu, Lingyan; Xu, Haoxiang; Li, Ran; Han, Peng; Yang, Haiwei

    2017-01-01

    Previous studies have investigated the association between NAT2 polymorphism and the risk of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the findings from these studies remained inconsistent. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to provide a more reliable conclusion about such associations. In the present meta-analysis, 13 independent case-control studies were included with a total of 14,469 PCa patients and 10,689 controls. All relevant studies published were searched in the databates PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, till March 1st, 2017. We used the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the strength of the association between NAT2*4 allele and susceptibility to PCa. Subgroup analysis was carried out by ethnicity, source of controls and genotyping method. What's more, we also performed trial sequential analysis (TSA) to reduce the risk of type I error and evaluate whether the evidence of the results was firm. Firstly, our results indicated that NAT2*4 allele was not associated with PCa susceptibility (OR = 1.00, 95% CI= 0.95–1.05; P = 0.100). However, after excluding two studies for its heterogeneity and publication bias, no significant relationship was also detected between NAT2*4 allele and the increased risk of PCa, in fixed-effect model (OR = 0.99, 95% CI= 0.94–1.04; P = 0.451). Meanwhile, no significant increased risk of PCa was found in the subgroup analyses by ethnicity, source of controls and genotyping method. Moreover, TSA demonstrated that such association was confirmed in the present study. Therefore, this meta-analysis suggested that no significant association between NAT2 polymorphism and the risk of PCa was found. PMID:28915684

  17. Human cancers converge at the HIF-2alpha oncogenic axis.

    PubMed

    Franovic, Aleksandra; Holterman, Chet E; Payette, Josianne; Lee, Stephen

    2009-12-15

    Cancer development is a multistep process, driven by a series of genetic and environmental alterations, that endows cells with a set of hallmark traits required for tumorigenesis. It is broadly accepted that growth signal autonomy, the first hallmark of malignancies, can be acquired through multiple genetic mutations that activate an array of complex, cancer-specific growth circuits [Hanahan D, Weinberg RA (2000) The hallmarks of cancer. Cell 100:57-70; Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW (2004) Cancer genes and the pathways they control. Nat Med 10:789-799]. The superfluous nature of these pathways is thought to severely limit therapeutic approaches targeting tumor proliferation, and it has been suggested that this strategy be abandoned in favor of inhibiting more systemic hallmarks, including angiogenesis (Ellis LM, Hicklin DJ (2008) VEGF-targeted therapy: Mechanisms of anti-tumor activity. Nat Rev Cancer 8:579-591; Stommel JM, et al. (2007) Coactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases affects the response of tumor cells to targeted therapies. Science 318:287-290; Kerbel R, Folkman J (2002) Clinical translation of angiogenesis inhibitors. Nat Rev Cancer 2:727-739; Kaiser J (2008) Cancer genetics: A detailed genetic portrait of the deadliest human cancers. Science 321:1280-1281]. Here, we report the unexpected observation that genetically diverse cancers converge at a common and obligatory growth axis instigated by HIF-2alpha, an element of the oxygen-sensing machinery. Inhibition of HIF-2alpha prevents the in vivo growth and tumorigenesis of highly aggressive glioblastoma, colorectal, and non-small-cell lung carcinomas and the in vitro autonomous proliferation of several others, regardless of their mutational status and tissue of origin. The concomitant deactivation of select receptor tyrosine kinases, including the EGFR and IGF1R, as well as downstream ERK/Akt signaling, suggests that HIF-2alpha exerts its proliferative effects by endorsing these major pathways. Consistently

  18. Changes in consensus arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) gene nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Hein, David W.; Boukouvala, Sotiria; Grant, Denis M.; Minchin, Rodney F.; Sim, Edith

    2008-01-01

    Changes in consensus arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) gene nomenclature determined at the 2007 international NAT workshop include: 1) Alleles in all species except mouse and rat are all uppercase. For mouse and rat, the first letter is upper case followed by lower case. 2) The nomenclature system is now species-specific. Thus, NAT2*1 (chicken), NAT2*2 & NAT2*3 (rabbit), Nat2*8 Nat2*9, Nat2*22 & Nat2*23 (mouse), NAT2*15, NAT2*16A & NAT2*16B (Syrian hamster), and NAT2*20, NAT2*21A & NAT2*21B (rat) are retired and renumbered within a species. A species modifier incorporated into the allele designation is written in upper case Roman font, e.g., (MOUSE)Nat1*1 is now the reference Nat1 allele in mouse; and 3) The NAT website also can now be accessed at a webbalias address: http://N-acetyltransferasenomenclature.louisville.edu. New NAT alleles should continue to be submitted to the NAT nomenclature committee for inclusion on the website to ensure proper categorization and to continue consistency in nomenclature. PMID:18334921

  19. Systemic functional expression of N-acetyltransferase polymorphism in the F344 Nat2 congenic rat

    PubMed Central

    Hein, David W.; Bendaly, Jean; Neale, Jason R.; Doll, Mark A.

    2008-01-01

    Rat lines congenic for the rat N-acetyltransferase 2 [(RAT)Nat2] gene were constructed and characterized. F344 (homozygous Nat2 rapid) males were mated to WKY (homozygous Nat2 slow) females to produce heterozygous F1. F1 females were then backcrossed to F344 males. Heterozygous acetylator female progeny from this and each successive backcross were identified by rat Nat2 genotyping and mated with F344 rapid acetylator males. Following ten generations of backcross mating, heterozygous acetylator brother/sister progeny were mated to produce the homozgygous rapid and slow acetylator Nat2 congenic rat lines. p-Aminobenzoic acid (selective for rat NAT2) and 4-aminobiphenyl N-acetyltransferase activities were expressed in all tissues examined (liver, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, pancreas, kidney, skin, leukocytes, and urinary bladder in male and female rats and in breast of female and prostate of male rats). NAT2 expression in rat extrahepatic tissues was much higher than in liver. In each tissue, activities were Nat2-genotype dependent, with highest levels in homozygous rapid acetylators, intermediate levels in heterozygous acetylators, and lowest in homozygous slow acetylators. Sulfamethazine (selective for rat NAT1) N-acetyltransferase activities were observed in all tissues examined in both male and female rats except for breast (females), bladder and leukocytes. In each tissue, the activity was Nat2-genotype independent, with similar levels in homozygous rapid, heterozygous, and homozygous slow acetylators. These congenic rat lines are useful to investigate the role of NAT2 genetic polymorphism in susceptibility to cancers related to arylamine carcinogen exposures. PMID:18799801

  20. Synthetic Lectins: New Tools for Detection and Management of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-01

    development of a prostate cancer diagnostic. AIM 1 describes a library based approach for the discovery of SLs targeting CAGs. AIM 2 describes biochemical...help with fluorescence polarization. This work was supported by funds provided from NIH COBRE grant P20RR17698.Notes and references 1 D. H. Dube and C...R. Bertozzi, Nat. Rev. Drug Discovery , 2005, 4, 477–488. 2 V. Harmat and G. Naray-Szabo, Croat. Chim. Acta, 2009, 82, 277– 282. 3 J. J. Lavigne and

  1. NATpipe: an integrative pipeline for systematical discovery of natural antisense transcripts (NATs) and phase-distributed nat-siRNAs from de novo assembled transcriptomes

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Dongliang; Meng, Yijun; Zuo, Ziwei; Xue, Jie; Wang, Huizhong

    2016-01-01

    Nat-siRNAs (small interfering RNAs originated from natural antisense transcripts) are a class of functional small RNA (sRNA) species discovered in both plants and animals. These siRNAs are highly enriched within the annealed regions of the NAT (natural antisense transcript) pairs. To date, great research efforts have been taken for systematical identification of the NATs in various organisms. However, developing a freely available and easy-to-use program for NAT prediction is strongly demanded by researchers. Here, we proposed an integrative pipeline named NATpipe for systematical discovery of NATs from de novo assembled transcriptomes. By utilizing sRNA sequencing data, the pipeline also allowed users to search for phase-distributed nat-siRNAs within the perfectly annealed regions of the NAT pairs. Additionally, more reliable nat-siRNA loci could be identified based on degradome sequencing data. A case study on the non-model plant Dendrobium officinale was performed to illustrate the utility of NATpipe. Finally, we hope that NATpipe would be a useful tool for NAT prediction, nat-siRNA discovery, and related functional studies. NATpipe is available at www.bioinfolab.cn/NATpipe/NATpipe.zip. PMID:26858106

  2. Synthetic Lectins: New Tools for Detection and Management of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-01

    providing a new paradigm for the development of a prostate cancer diagnostic. AIM 1 describes a library based approach for the discovery of SLs...This work was supported by funds provided from NIH COBRE grant P20RR17698.Notes and references 1 D. H. Dube and C. R. Bertozzi, Nat. Rev. Drug... Discovery , 2005, 4, 477–488. 2 V. Harmat and G. Naray-Szabo, Croat. Chim. Acta, 2009, 82, 277– 282. 3 J. J. Lavigne and E. V. Anslyn, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed

  3. PlantNATsDB: a comprehensive database of plant natural antisense transcripts.

    PubMed

    Chen, Dijun; Yuan, Chunhui; Zhang, Jian; Zhang, Zhao; Bai, Lin; Meng, Yijun; Chen, Ling-Ling; Chen, Ming

    2012-01-01

    Natural antisense transcripts (NATs), as one type of regulatory RNAs, occur prevalently in plant genomes and play significant roles in physiological and pathological processes. Although their important biological functions have been reported widely, a comprehensive database is lacking up to now. Consequently, we constructed a plant NAT database (PlantNATsDB) involving approximately 2 million NAT pairs in 69 plant species. GO annotation and high-throughput small RNA sequencing data currently available were integrated to investigate the biological function of NATs. PlantNATsDB provides various user-friendly web interfaces to facilitate the presentation of NATs and an integrated, graphical network browser to display the complex networks formed by different NATs. Moreover, a 'Gene Set Analysis' module based on GO annotation was designed to dig out the statistical significantly overrepresented GO categories from the specific NAT network. PlantNATsDB is currently the most comprehensive resource of NATs in the plant kingdom, which can serve as a reference database to investigate the regulatory function of NATs. The PlantNATsDB is freely available at http://bis.zju.edu.cn/pnatdb/.

  4. NAT2 gene diversity and its evolutionary trajectory in the Americas.

    PubMed

    Bisso-Machado, R; Ramallo, V; Paixão-Côrtes, V R; Acuña-Alonzo, V; Demarchi, D A; Sandoval, J R S; Granara, A A S; Salzano, F M; Hünemeier, T; Bortolini, M C

    2016-11-01

    N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is responsible for metabolizing xenobiotics; NAT2 polymorphisms lead to three phenotypes: rapid, intermediate and slow acetylators. We aimed to investigate NAT2 diversity in Native Americans. NAT2 exon 2 was sequenced for 286 individuals from 21 populations (Native American and American Mestizos). Excluding the basal/rapid haplotype NAT2*4, the most frequent haplotypes are NAT2*5B (35.95%) in hunter-gatherers and NAT2*7B (20.61%) and NAT2*5B (19.08%) in agriculturalists that were related to the slow phenotype. A new haplotype was identified in two Amerindians. Data from the ~44 kb region surrounding NAT2 in 819 individuals from Africa, East-Asia, Europe and America were used in additional analyses. No significant differences in the acetylator NAT2 haplotype and phenotype distributions were found between Native American populations practicing farming and/or herding and those practicing hunting and gathering, probably because of the absence or weakness of selection pressures and presence of demographic and random processes preventing detection of any selection signal.

  5. Comparison of CYP1A2 and NAT2 Phenotypes between Black and White Smokers

    PubMed Central

    Muscat, Joshua E.; Pittman, Brian; Kleinman, Wayne; Lazarus, Philip; Stellman, Steven D.; Richie, John P.

    2008-01-01

    The lower incidence rate of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in blacks than in whites may be due to racial differences in the catalytic activity of enzymes that metabolize carcinogenic arylamines in tobacco smoke. To examine this, we compared cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2) and N-acetyltransferase-2 activities (NAT2) in black and white smokers using urinary caffeine metabolites as a probe for enzyme activity in a community-based study of 165 black and 183 white cigarette smokers. The paraxanthine (1,7-dimethylxanthine, 17X)/caffeine (trimethylxanthine, 137X) ratio or [17X + 1,7-dimethyluric acid (17U)]/137X ratio was used as an indicator of CYP1A2 activity. The 5-acetyl-amino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil (AFMU)/1-methylxanthine (1X) ratio indicated NAT2 activity. The odds ratio for the slow NAT2 phenotype associated with black race was 0.4; 95% confidence intervals 0.2–0.7. The putative combined low risk phenotype (slow CYP1A2/rapid NAT2) was more common in blacks than in whites (25% vs. 15%, P<0.02). There were no significant racial differences in slow and rapid CYP1A2 phenotypes, and in the combined slow NAT2/rapid CYP1A2 phenotype. Age, education, cigarette smoking amount, body mass index, GSTM1 and GSTM3 genotypes were unrelated to CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity. Intake of cruciferous vegetables (primarily broccoli), red meat, carrots, grapefruit and onions predicted CYP1A2 activity either for all subjects or in race-specific analyses. Carrot and grapefruit consumption was related to NAT2 activity. Collectively, these results indicated that phenotypic differences in NAT2 alone or in combination with CYP1A2 might help explain the higher incidence rates of transitional cell bladder cancer in whites. PMID:18703023

  6. Green tea extract selectively targets nanomechanics of live metastatic cancer cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cross, Sarah E.; Jin, Yu-Sheng; Lu, Qing-Yi; Rao, JianYu; Gimzewski, James K.

    2011-05-01

    Green tea extract (GTE) is known to be a potential anticancer agent (Yang et al 2009 Nat. Rev. Cancer 9 429-39) with various biological activities (Lu et al 2005 Clin. Cancer Res. 11 1675-83 Yang et al 1998 Carcinogenesis 19 611-6) yet the precise mechanism of action is still unclear. The biomechanical response of GTE treated cells taken directly from patient's body samples was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM) (Binnig et al 1986 Phys. Rev. Lett. 56 930). We found significant increase in stiffness of GTE treated metastatic tumor cells, with a resulting value similar to untreated normal mesothelial cells, whereas mesothelial cell stiffness after GTE treatment is unchanged. Immunofluorescence analysis showed an increase in cytoskeletal-F-actin in GTE treated tumor cells, suggesting GTE treated tumor cells display mechanical, structural and morphological features similar to normal cells, which appears to be mediated by annexin-I expression, as determined by siRNA analysis of an in vitro cell line model. Our data indicates that GTE selectively targets human metastatic cancer cells but not normal mesothelial cells, a finding that is significantly advantageous compared to conventional chemotherapy agents.

  7. Quantitative Analysis of Human Cancer Cell Extravasation Using Intravital Imaging.

    PubMed

    Willetts, Lian; Bond, David; Stoletov, Konstantin; Lewis, John D

    2016-01-01

    Metastasis, or the spread of cancer cells from a primary tumor to distant sites, is the leading cause of cancer-associated death. Metastasis is a complex multi-step process comprised of invasion, intravasation, survival in circulation, extravasation, and formation of metastatic colonies. Currently, in vitro assays are limited in their ability to investigate these intricate processes and do not faithfully reflect metastasis as it occurs in vivo. Traditional in vivo models of metastasis are limited by their ability to visualize the seemingly sporadic behavior of where and when cancer cells spread (Reymond et al., Nat Rev Cancer 13:858-870, 2013). The avian embryo model of metastasis is a powerful platform to study many of the critical steps in the metastatic cascade including the migration, extravasation, and invasion of human cancer cells in vivo (Sung et al., Nat Commun 6:7164, 2015; Leong et al., Cell Rep 8, 1558-1570, 2014; Kain et al., Dev Dyn 243:216-28, 2014; Leong et al., Nat Protoc 5:1406-17, 2010; Zijlstra et al., Cancer Cell 13:221-234, 2008; Palmer et al., J Vis Exp 51:2815, 2011). The chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a readily accessible and well-vascularized tissue that surrounds the developing embryo. When the chicken embryo is grown in a shell-less, ex ovo environment, the nearly transparent CAM provides an ideal environment for high-resolution fluorescent microcopy approaches. In this model, the embryonic chicken vasculature and labeled cancer cells can be visualized simultaneously to investigate specific steps in the metastatic cascade including extravasation. When combined with the proper image analysis tools, the ex ovo chicken embryo model offers a cost-effective and high-throughput platform for the quantitative analysis of tumor cell metastasis in a physiologically relevant in vivo setting. Here we discuss detailed procedures to quantify cancer cell extravasation in the shell-less chicken embryo model with advanced fluorescence

  8. The neutron transmission of natFe, 197Au and natW

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyer, Roland; Junghans, Arnd R.; Schillebeeckx, Peter; Sirakov, Ivan; Song, Tae-Yung; Bemmerer, Daniel; Capote, Roberto; Ferrari, Anna; Hartmann, Andreas; Hannaske, Ronald; Heyse, Jan; Il Kim, Hyeon; Woon Kim, Jong; Kögler, Toni; Woo Lee, Cheol; Lee, Young-Ouk; Massarczyk, Ralph; Müller, Stefan E.; Reinhardt, Tobias P.; Röder, Marko; Schmidt, Konrad; Schwengner, Ronald; Szücs, Tamás; Takács, Marcell P.; Wagner, Andreas; Wagner, Louis; Yang, Sung-Chul

    2018-05-01

    Neutron total cross sections of natFe, 197Au and natW have been measured at the n ELBE neutron time-of-flight facility in the energy range 0.15-8MeV with an uncertainty due to counting statistics of up to 2% and a total uncertainty due to systematic effects of 1%. The neutrons are produced with the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE using a liquid lead circuit as photo-neutron target. By periodical sample-in-sample-out measurements the transmission of the sample materials has been determined using a low-threshold plastic scintillation detector. The resulting effective total cross sections show good agreement with previously measured data that cover only part of the energy range available at n ELBE. The results have also been compared to evaluated library files and recent calculations based on a dispersive coupled channel optical model potential.

  9. Human REV3 DNA Polymerase Zeta Localizes to Mitochondria and Protects the Mitochondrial Genome.

    PubMed

    Singh, Bhupendra; Li, Xiurong; Owens, Kjerstin M; Vanniarajan, Ayyasamy; Liang, Ping; Singh, Keshav K

    2015-01-01

    To date, mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (POLG) is the only polymerase known to be present in mammalian mitochondria. A dogma in the mitochondria field is that there is no other polymerase present in the mitochondria of mammalian cells. Here we demonstrate localization of REV3 DNA polymerase in the mammalian mitochondria. We demonstrate localization of REV3 in the mitochondria of mammalian tissue as well as cell lines. REV3 associates with POLG and mitochondrial DNA and protects the mitochondrial genome from DNA damage. Inactivation of Rev3 leads to reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced OXPHOS activity, and increased glucose consumption. Conversely, inhibition of the OXPHOS increases expression of Rev3. Rev3 expression is increased in human primary breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines. Inactivation of Rev3 decreases cell migration and invasion, and localization of Rev3 in mitochondria increases survival and the invasive potential of cancer cells. Taken together, we demonstrate that REV3 functions in mammalian mitochondria and that mitochondrial REV3 is associated with the tumorigenic potential of cells.

  10. NATb/NAT1*4 promotes greater arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 mediated DNA adducts and mutations than NATa/NAT1*4 following exposure to 4-aminobiphenyl

    PubMed Central

    Millner, Lori M.; Doll, Mark A.; Cai, Jian; States, J. Christopher; Hein, David W.

    2011-01-01

    N -acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is a phase II metabolic enzyme responsible for the biotransformation of aromatic and heterocyclic amine carcinogens such as 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP). NAT1 catalyzes N-acetylation of arylamines as well as the O-acetylation of N-hydroxylated arylamines. O-acetylation leads to the formation of electrophilic intermediates that result in DNA adducts and mutations. NAT1 is transcribed from a major promoter, NATb, and an alternative promoter, NATa, resulting in mRNAs with distinct 5′-untranslated regions (UTR). NATa mRNA is expressed primarily in the kidney, liver, trachea and lung while NATb mRNA has been detected in all tissues studied. To determine if differences in 5′-UTR have functional effect upon NAT1 activity and DNA adducts or mutations following exposure to ABP, pcDNA5/FRT plasmid constructs were prepared for transfection of full length human mRNAs including the 5′-UTR derived from NATa or NATb, the open reading frame, and 888 nucleotides of the 3′-UTR. Following stable transfection of NATb/NAT1*4 or NATa/NAT1*4 into nucleotide excision repair (NER) deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells, N-acetyltransferase activity (in vitro and in situ), mRNA, and protein expression were higher in NATb/NAT1*4 than NATa/NAT1*4 transfected cells (p<0.05). Consistent with NAT1 expression and activity, ABP-induced DNA adducts and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase mutants were significantly higher (p<0.05) in NATb/NAT1*4 than in NATa/NAT1*4 transfected cells following exposure to ABP. These differences observed between NATa and NATb suggest that the 5′-UTRs are differentially regulated. PMID:21837760

  11. A Biophysico-Computational Perspective of Breast Cancer Pathogenesis and Treatment Response

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    modification maps. Nat Rev Genet 8, 286-298 (2007). 51 Lo , P. K. & Sukumar, S. Epigenomics and breast cancer. Pharmacogenomics 9, 1879-1902 (2008). 52...P e rc e n t c e ll d e a th *** *** *** 0 7 14 21 28 0 100 200 300 400 Vector N-CoR2 Time after IR (days) C o lo n y s iz e ( m ) *** *** *** MDA...orchestrated processes.  In this respect, HOXA9 plays an important role in skeletal (41),  uro - genital tract (42), kidney (43), and mammary gland development

  12. N-acetyltransferase 1*10 genotype in bladder cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Höhne, Svetlana; Gerullis, Holger; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Selinski, Silvia; Hengstler, Jan G; Otto, Thomas; Golka, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    In a large bladder cancer study in the greater Berlin area with 425 cases and 343 controls, the haplotype N-acetyltransferase 1*10 (NAT1*10) was associated with a decreased bladder cancer risk. In a recently published meta-analysis, results of the studies were found to be inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of NAT1*10 in bladder cancer patients and controls recruited in an area without industries reported to be associated with increased bladder cancer risk. Rs1057126 (1088 T > A) and rs15561 (1095 C > A) were determined in 412 bladder cancer patients and 415 controls without a known history of malignancies. With these two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), it was possible to distinguish between NAT1*4 (wild type), NAT1*3 (1095 C > A), and NAT1*10 (1088 T > A, 1095C > A). The frequencies of the determined NAT1 haplotypes did not differ markedly between cases and controls: NAT1*4: 74%, NAT1*3: 6%, NAT1*10: 20%. Bladder cancer risk was not significantly modulated by NAT1*10/*10 (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.71-1.48) but was higher for NAT1*3/*3 genotypes (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.32-3.21). In contrast to the Berlin study from 2001, data in present study demonstrated that NAT1*10 haplotype was not associated with a significantly decreased bladder cancer risk. This may be due to local effects in the greater Berlin area, particularly at the time of investigation. The findings of the present study are in agreement with observations of a recently published meta-analysis which also showed no relevant impact of NAT1*10 haplotype on bladder cancer risk. The impact of the rare NAT1*3/*3 genotype was significant but this may be attributed to rarity without major practical relevance.

  13. Experimental study of the energy dependence of the total cross section for the 6He + natSi and 9Li + natSi reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sobolev, Yu. G.; Penionzhkevich, Yu. E.; Aznabaev, D.; Zemlyanaya, E. V.; Ivanov, M. P.; Kabdrakhimova, G. D.; Kabyshev, A. M.; Knyazev, A. G.; Kugler, A.; Lashmanov, N. A.; Lukyanov, K. V.; Maj, A.; Maslov, V. A.; Mendibayev, K.; Skobelev, N. K.; Slepnev, R. S.; Smirnov, V. V.; Testov, D.

    2017-11-01

    New experimental measurements of the total reaction cross sections for the 6He + natSi and 9Li + natSi processes in the energy range of 5 to 40 A MeV are presented. A modified transmission method based on high-efficiency detection of prompt n-γ radiation has been used in the experiment. A bump is observed for the first time in the energy dependence σR( E) at E ˜ 10-30 A MeV for the 9Li + natSi reaction, and existence of the bump in σR( E) at E ˜ 10-20 A MeV first observed in the standard transmission experiments is experimentally confirmed for the 6He + natSi reaction. Theoretical analysis of the measured 6He + natSi and 9Li + natSi reaction cross sections is performed within the microscopic double folding model. Disagreement is observed between the experimental and theoretical cross sections in the region of the bump at the energies of 10 to 20 A MeV, which requires further study.

  14. Role of Increased n-acetylaspartate Levels in Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Zand, Behrouz; Previs, Rebecca A.; Zacharias, Niki M.; Rupaimoole, Rajesha; Mitamura, Takashi; Nagaraja, Archana Sidalaghatta; Guindani, Michele; Dalton, Heather J.; Yang, Lifeng; Baddour, Joelle; Achreja, Abhinav; Hu, Wei; Pecot, Chad V.; Ivan, Cristina; Wu, Sherry Y.; McCullough, Christopher R.; Gharpure, Kshipra M.; Shoshan, Einav; Pradeep, Sunila; Mangala, Lingegowda S.; Rodriguez-Aguayo, Cristian; Wang, Ying; Nick, Alpa M.; Davies, Michael A.; Armaiz-Pena, Guillermo; Liu, Jinsong; Lutgendorf, Susan K.; Baggerly, Keith A.; Eli, Menashe Bar; Lopez-Berestein, Gabriel; Nagrath, Deepak; Bhattacharya, Pratip K.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The clinical and biological effects of metabolic alterations in cancer are not fully understood. Methods: In high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) samples (n = 101), over 170 metabolites were profiled and compared with normal ovarian tissues (n = 15). To determine NAT8L gene expression across different cancer types, we analyzed the RNA expression of cancer types using RNASeqV2 data available from the open access The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) website (http://www.cbioportal.org/public-portal/). Using NAT8L siRNA, molecular techniques and histological analysis, we determined cancer cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor growth in in vitro and in vivo (n = 6–10 mice/group) settings. Data were analyzed with the Student’s t test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Patients with high levels of tumoral NAA and its biosynthetic enzyme, aspartate N-acetyltransferase (NAT8L), had worse overall survival than patients with low levels of NAA and NAT8L. The overall survival duration of patients with higher-than-median NAA levels (3.6 years) was lower than that of patients with lower-than-median NAA levels (5.1 years, P = .03). High NAT8L gene expression in other cancers (melanoma, renal cell, breast, colon, and uterine cancers) was associated with worse overall survival. NAT8L silencing reduced cancer cell viability (HEYA8: control siRNA 90.61%±2.53, NAT8L siRNA 39.43%±3.00, P < .001; A2780: control siRNA 90.59%±2.53, NAT8L siRNA 7.44%±1.71, P < .001) and proliferation (HEYA8: control siRNA 74.83%±0.92, NAT8L siRNA 55.70%±1.54, P < .001; A2780: control siRNA 50.17%±4.13, NAT8L siRNA 26.52%±3.70, P < .001), which was rescued by addition of NAA. In orthotopic mouse models (ovarian cancer and melanoma), NAT8L silencing reduced tumor growth statistically significantly (A2780: control siRNA 0.52 g±0.15, NAT8L siRNA 0.08 g±0.17, P < .001; HEYA8: control siRNA 0.79 g±0.42, NAT8L siRNA 0.24 g±0.18, P = .008, A

  15. Association between NAT2, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 genotypes, heterocyclic aromatic amines, and prostate cancer risk: a case control study in Japan.

    PubMed

    Koda, Masahide; Iwasaki, Motoki; Yamano, Yuko; Lu, Xi; Katoh, Takahiko

    2017-10-24

    Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) may confer prostate cancer risk; however, the evidence is inconclusive and the activity of HAA-metabolizing enzymes is modulated by gene variants. The purpose of our study was to determine whether there was evidence of an association between HAA intake, polymorphisms in NAT2, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 and prostate cancer risk in Japanese men. Secondary data analysis of an observational case control study was performed. Among 750 patients with prostate cancer and 870 healthy controls, 351 cases and 351 age-matched controls were enrolled for analysis. HAA intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire and genotypes were scored by TaqMan real-time PCR assay. Logistic regression analysis was conducted according to affected/control status. We found that high HAA intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR), 1.90; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.40-2.59). The increased risk of prostate cancer was observed among individuals with the NAT2 slow acetylator phenotype (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.04-2.61), CYP1A1 GA + GG genotype (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02-1.59), and CYP1A2 CA + AA genotype (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03-2.00). In addition, CYP1A1 GA + GG genotypes were associated with increased cancer risk in low (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.19-3.63), moderate (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.07-2.76), and high (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.83-4.47) HAA intake groups. Our results suggest that high HAA intake is a risk factor of prostate cancer, and genotypes related to HAA metabolic enzymes can modulate the degree of the risk.

  16. REV-ERB and ROR nuclear receptors as drug targets

    PubMed Central

    Kojetin, Douglas J.; Burris, Thomas P.

    2016-01-01

    The nuclear receptors REV-ERB (consisting of REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ) and retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors (RORs; consisting of RORα, RORβ and RORγ) are involved in many physiological processes, including regulation of metabolism, development and immunity as well as the circadian rhythm. The recent characterization of endogenous ligands for these former orphan nuclear receptors has stimulated the development of synthetic ligands and opened up the possibility of targeting these receptors to treat several diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, autoimmunity and cancer. This Review focuses on the latest developments in ROR and REV-ERB pharmacology indicating that these nuclear receptors are druggable targets and that ligands targeting these receptors may be useful in the treatment of several disorders. PMID:24577401

  17. Thermochemical Kinetics of H2O and HNO3 on crystalline Nitric Acid Hydrates (alpha-, beta-NAT, NAD) in the range 175-200 K

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossi, Michel J.; Iannarelli, Riccardo

    2015-04-01

    The growth of NAT (Nitric Acid Trihydrate, HNO3x3H2O) and NAD (Nitric Acid Dihydrate, HNO3x2H2O) on an ice substrate, the evaporative lifetime of NAT and NAD as well as the interconversion of alpha- and beta-NAT competing with evaporation and growth under UT/LS conditions depends on the interfacial kinetics of H2O and HNO3 vapor on the condensed phase. Despite the existence of some literature results we have embarked on a systematic investigation of the kinetics using a multidiagnostic experimental approach enabled by the simultaneous observation of both the gas (residual gas mass spectrometry) as well as the condensed phase (FTIR absorption in transmission). We report on thermochemically consistent mass accommodation coefficients alpha and absolute evaporation rates Rev/molecule s-1cm-3 as a function of temperature which yields the corresponding vapor pressures of both H2O and HNO3 in equilibrium with the crystalline phases, hence the term thermochemical kinetics. These results have been obtained using a stirred flow reactor (SFR) using a macroscopic pure ice film of 1 micron or so thickness as a starting substrate mimicking atmospheric ice particles and are reported in a phase diagram specifically addressing UT (Upper Troposphere)/LS (Lower Stratosphere) conditions as far as temperature and partial pressures are concerned. The experiments have been performed either at steady-state flow conditions or in transient supersaturation using a pulsed solenoid valve in order to generate gas pulses whose decay were subsequently monitored in real time. Special attention has been given to the effect of the stainless-steel vessel walls in that Langmuir adsorption isotherms for H2O and HNO3 have been used to correct for wall-adsorption of both probe gases. Typically, the accommodation coefficients of H2O and HNO3 are similar throughout the temperature range whereas the rates of evaporation Rev of H2O are significantly larger than for HNO3 thus leading to the difference in

  18. Heterogeneous kinetics of H2O, HNO3 and HCl on HNO3 hydrates (α-NAT, β-NAT, NAD) in the range 175-200 K

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iannarelli, Riccardo; Rossi, Michel J.

    2016-09-01

    Experiments on the title compounds have been performed using a multidiagnostic stirred-flow reactor (SFR) in which the gas phase as well as the condensed phase has been simultaneously investigated under stratospheric temperatures in the range 175-200 K. Wall interactions of the title compounds have been taken into account using Langmuir adsorption isotherms in order to close the mass balance between deposited and desorbed (recovered) compounds. Thin solid films at 1 µm typical thickness have been used as a proxy for atmospheric ice particles and have been deposited on a Si window of the cryostat, with the optical element being the only cold point in the deposition chamber. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy in transmission as well as partial and total pressure measurement using residual gas mass spectrometry (MS) and sensitive pressure gauges have been employed in order to monitor growth and evaporation processes as a function of temperature using both pulsed and continuous gas admission and monitoring under SFR conditions. Thin solid H2O ice films were used as the starting point throughout, with the initial spontaneous formation of α-NAT (nitric acid trihydrate) followed by the gradual transformation of α- to β-NAT at T > 185 K. Nitric acid dihydrate (NAD) was spontaneously formed at somewhat larger partial pressures of HNO3 deposited on pure H2O ice. In contrast to published reports, the formation of α-NAT proceeded without prior formation of an amorphous HNO3 / H2O layer and always resulted in β-NAT. For α- and β-NAT, the temperature-dependent accommodation coefficient α(H2O) and α(HNO3), the evaporation flux Jev(H2O) and Jev(HNO3) and the resulting saturation vapor pressure Peq(H2O) and Peq(HNO3) were measured and compared to binary phase diagrams of HNO3 / H2O in order to afford a thermochemical check of the kinetic parameters. The resulting kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of activation energies for evaporation (Eev) and

  19. Proton and deuteron induced reactions on natGa: Experimental and calculated excitation functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hermanne, A.; Adam-Rebeles, R.; Tárkányi, F.; Takács, S.; Ditrói, F.

    2015-09-01

    Cross-sections for reactions on natGa, induced by protons (up to 65 MeV) and deuterons (up to 50 MeV), producing γ-emitting radionuclides with half-lives longer than 1 h were measured in a stacked-foil irradiation using thin Ga-Ni alloy (70-30%) targets electroplated on Cu or Au backings. Excitation functions for generation of 68,69Ge, 66,67,68,72Ga and 65,69mZn on natGa are discussed, relative to the monitor reactions natAl(d,x)24,22Na, natAl(p,x)24,22Na, natCu(p,x)62Zn and natNi(p,x)57Ni. The results are compared to our earlier measurements, the scarce literature values and to the results of the code TALYS 1.6 (online database TENDL-2014).

  20. Risks on N-acetyltransferase 2 and bladder cancer: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Zongheng; Zhang, Jinshan; Jiang, Wei; Zhang, Xianjue; Li, Youkong; Xu, Xiaoming

    2015-01-01

    It is known that bladder cancer disease is closely related to aromatic amine compounds, which could cause cancer by regulating of N-acetylation and N-acetyltransferase 1 and 2 (NAT1 and NAT2). The NAT2 slowed acetylation and would increase the risk of bladder cancer, with tobacco smoke being regarded as a risk factor for this increased risk. However, the relationship between NAT2 slow acetylation and bladder cancer is still debatable at present. This study aims to explore preliminarily correlation of NAT2 slow acetylation and the risk of bladder cancer. The articles were searched from PubMed, Cochran, McGrane English databases, CBM, CNKI, and other databases. The extraction of bladder cancer patients and a control group related with the NAT2 gene were detected by the state, and the referenced articles and publications were also used for data retrieval. Using a random effects model, the model assumes that the studies included in the analysis cases belong to the overall population in the study of random sampling, and considering the variables within and between studies. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 6.0 software, using the META module. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the literature study, 20 independent studies are included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that the individual differences of bladder cancer susceptibility might be part of the metabolism of carcinogens. Slow acetylation status of bladder cancer associated with the pooled odds ratio was 1.31 (95% confidence interval: 1.11-1.55). The status of NAT2 slow N-acetylation is associated with bladder cancer risks, and may increase the risk of bladder cancer.

  1. Yap1 as a New Therapeutic Target in Neurofibromatosis Type 2

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    Hedgehog and Notch has particularly contributed to the understanding and treatment of cancer1. A more recently discovered signalling cascade is the...Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 8, 97–106 (2011). 2. Zhao, B., Lei, Q. Y. & Guan, K. L. The Hippo-YAP pathway: new

  2. Biallelic inactivation of REV7 is associated with Fanconi anemia.

    PubMed

    Bluteau, Dominique; Masliah-Planchon, Julien; Clairmont, Connor; Rousseau, Alix; Ceccaldi, Raphael; Dubois d'Enghien, Catherine; Bluteau, Olivier; Cuccuini, Wendy; Gachet, Stéphanie; Peffault de Latour, Régis; Leblanc, Thierry; Socié, Gérard; Baruchel, André; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; D'Andrea, Alan D; Soulier, Jean

    2016-09-01

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive genetic disease characterized by congenital abnormalities, chromosome instability, progressive bone marrow failure (BMF), and a strong predisposition to cancer. Twenty FA genes have been identified, and the FANC proteins they encode cooperate in a common pathway that regulates DNA crosslink repair and replication fork stability. We identified a child with severe BMF who harbored biallelic inactivating mutations of the translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) gene REV7 (also known as MAD2L2), which encodes the mutant REV7 protein REV7-V85E. Patient-derived cells demonstrated an extended FA phenotype, which included increased chromosome breaks and G2/M accumulation upon exposure to DNA crosslinking agents, γH2AX and 53BP1 foci accumulation, and enhanced p53/p21 activation relative to cells derived from healthy patients. Expression of WT REV7 restored normal cellular and functional phenotypes in the patient's cells, and CRISPR/Cas9 inactivation of REV7 in a non-FA human cell line produced an FA phenotype. Finally, silencing Rev7 in primary hematopoietic cells impaired progenitor function, suggesting that the DNA repair defect underlies the development of BMF in FA. Taken together, our genetic and functional analyses identified REV7 as a previously undescribed FA gene, which we term FANCV.

  3. Biallelic inactivation of REV7 is associated with Fanconi anemia

    PubMed Central

    Masliah-Planchon, Julien; Clairmont, Connor; Rousseau, Alix; Ceccaldi, Raphael; Dubois d’Enghien, Catherine; Bluteau, Olivier; Cuccuini, Wendy; Gachet, Stéphanie; Peffault de Latour, Régis; Leblanc, Thierry; Socié, Gérard; Baruchel, André; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; D’Andrea, Alan D.

    2016-01-01

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive genetic disease characterized by congenital abnormalities, chromosome instability, progressive bone marrow failure (BMF), and a strong predisposition to cancer. Twenty FA genes have been identified, and the FANC proteins they encode cooperate in a common pathway that regulates DNA crosslink repair and replication fork stability. We identified a child with severe BMF who harbored biallelic inactivating mutations of the translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) gene REV7 (also known as MAD2L2), which encodes the mutant REV7 protein REV7-V85E. Patient-derived cells demonstrated an extended FA phenotype, which included increased chromosome breaks and G2/M accumulation upon exposure to DNA crosslinking agents, γH2AX and 53BP1 foci accumulation, and enhanced p53/p21 activation relative to cells derived from healthy patients. Expression of WT REV7 restored normal cellular and functional phenotypes in the patient’s cells, and CRISPR/Cas9 inactivation of REV7 in a non-FA human cell line produced an FA phenotype. Finally, silencing Rev7 in primary hematopoietic cells impaired progenitor function, suggesting that the DNA repair defect underlies the development of BMF in FA. Taken together, our genetic and functional analyses identified REV7 as a previously undescribed FA gene, which we term FANCV. PMID:27500492

  4. Effect of common NAT2 variant alleles in the acetylation of the major clonazepam metabolite, 7-aminoclonazepam.

    PubMed

    Olivera, M; Martínez, C; Gervasini, G; Carrillo, J A; Ramos, S; Benítez, J; García-Martin, E; Agúndez, J A G

    2007-01-01

    We investigated the role of NAT2 on clonazepam acetylation, using transiently expressed human NAT2 alleles. The NAT25*B and the NAT2*6A variant alleles cause a 20 and 22-fold reduction in the Vmax, respectively. We conclude that NAT2 is responsible for 7-aminoclonazepam acetylation and that NAT2 gene polymorphisms impair such metabolic pathway.

  5. N-Acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphism as a risk modifier of susceptibility to pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    PubMed

    Kamel, Azza M; Ebid, Gamal T A; Moussa, Heba S

    2015-08-01

    N-Acetyltransferases (NAT) have been known to modify the risk to a variety of solid tumors. However, the role of NAT2 polymorphism in risk susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is still not well known. We performed a case-control study to determine if the common NAT2 polymorphisms play a role in altering susceptibility to pediatric ALL. DNA of 92 pediatric ALL patients and 312 healthy controls was analyzed for the NAT2 polymorphisms using the PCR-RFLP method. The wild-type NAT2*4 was encountered in 8.6 % of patients versus 11.8 % of controls (P = 0.23). The rapid acetylators NAT2*12 803A>G, AG, GG, and AG/GG were overrepresented in controls (P = 0.0001; odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 0.19, and 0.21 respectively). NAT2*5D 341T>C and NAT2*11A 481C>T were of comparable frequencies. For their combination, NAT2*5A, a slow acetylator, both TCTT and CCCT were overrepresented in patients (P < 0.001; OR 15.8 and 17.9 respectively). NAT2*5B (803A>G, 341T>C, 481C>T) was overrepresented in controls (P < 0.001; OR 0.12). Apparently, 803A>G ameliorated the combined effect of 341T>C and 481C>T. A similar effect was obtained with NAT2*5C (341T>A, 803A>G) (P < 0.0001; OR 0.11). For slow acetylator NAT2*7A 857G>A, GA and GA/AA were overrepresented in patients (P = 0.009 and 0.01; OR 2.74 and 2.72 respectively). NAT2*13 282C>T, NAT2*6B 590G>A, and NAT2*14A 191G>A were of comparable frequencies. NAT2 282C>A in combination with NAT2 857G>A (NAT2*7B) showed a synergistic effect in patients versus controls (P < 0.0001; OR 3.51). In conclusion, NAT2 gene polymorphism(s) with slow acetylator phenotype is generally associated with the risk of development of ALL in children.

  6. SP-100 GES/NAT radiation shielding systems design and development testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Disney, R.K.; Kulikowski, H.D.; McGinnis, C.A.

    1991-01-10

    Advanced Energy Systems (AES) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation is under subcontract to the General Electric Company to supply nuclear radiation shielding components for the SP-100 Ground Engineering System (GES) Nuclear Assembly Test to be conducted at Westinghouse Hanford Company at Richland, Washington. The radiation shielding components are integral to the Nuclear Assembly Test (NAT) assembly and include prototypic and non-prototypic radiation shielding components which provide prototypic test conditions for the SP-100 reactor subsystem and reactor control subsystem components during the GES/NAT operations. W-AES is designing three radiation shield components for the NAT assembly; a prototypic Generic Flight System (GFS) shield,more » the Lower Internal Facility Shield (LIFS), and the Upper Internal Facility Shield (UIFS). This paper describes the design approach and development testing to support the design, fabrication, and assembly of these three shield components for use within the vacuum vessel of the GES/NAT. The GES/NAT shields must be designed to operate in a high vacuum which simulates space operations. The GFS shield and LIFS must provide prototypic radiation/thermal environments and mechanical interfaces for reactor system components. The NAT shields, in combination with the test facility shielding, must provide adequate radiation attenuation for overall test operations. Special design considerations account for the ground test facility effects on the prototypic GFS shield. Validation of the GFS shield design and performance will be based on detailed Monte Carlo analyses and developmental testing of design features. Full scale prototype testing of the shield subsystems is not planned.« less

  7. SP-100 GES/NAT radiation shielding systems design and development testing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Disney, Richard K.; Kulikowski, Henry D.; McGinnis, Cynthia A.; Reese, James C.; Thomas, Kevin; Wiltshire, Frank

    1991-01-01

    Advanced Energy Systems (AES) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation is under subcontract to the General Electric Company to supply nuclear radiation shielding components for the SP-100 Ground Engineering System (GES) Nuclear Assembly Test to be conducted at Westinghouse Hanford Company at Richland, Washington. The radiation shielding components are integral to the Nuclear Assembly Test (NAT) assembly and include prototypic and non-prototypic radiation shielding components which provide prototypic test conditions for the SP-100 reactor subsystem and reactor control subsystem components during the GES/NAT operations. W-AES is designing three radiation shield components for the NAT assembly; a prototypic Generic Flight System (GFS) shield, the Lower Internal Facility Shield (LIFS), and the Upper Internal Facility Shield (UIFS). This paper describes the design approach and development testing to support the design, fabrication, and assembly of these three shield components for use within the vacuum vessel of the GES/NAT. The GES/NAT shields must be designed to operate in a high vacuum which simulates space operations. The GFS shield and LIFS must provide prototypic radiation/thermal environments and mechanical interfaces for reactor system components. The NAT shields, in combination with the test facility shielding, must provide adequate radiation attenuation for overall test operations. Special design considerations account for the ground test facility effects on the prototypic GFS shield. Validation of the GFS shield design and performance will be based on detailed Monte Carlo analyses and developmental testing of design features. Full scale prototype testing of the shield subsystems is not planned.

  8. Development of Augmented Leukemia/Lymphoma-Specific T-Cell Immunotherapy for Deployment with Haploidentical, Hematompoietic Progenitor-Cell Transplant

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy ; Amy Phillips Charitable Foundation; The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Lymphoma Research Foundation; National Foundation...Y, Preffer FI, et al. Treatment of plasma cell dyscrasias by antibody-mediated immuno- therapy . Semin Oncol 1999;26:97–106. 15. Zhao S , Asgary Z...cell-transfer therapy for the treatment of patients with cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2003;3:666–75. 25. Gillies SD, Lan Y, Williams S , et al. An anti-CD20

  9. Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school.

    PubMed

    Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

    2011-01-01

    The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from r(tt)=.53 to r(tt)=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were r(tt)=.54 and r(tt )=.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students' achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test.

  10. Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school

    PubMed Central

    Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

    2011-01-01

    Objective: The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). Methods: 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Results: Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from rtt=.53 to rtt=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were rtt=.54 and rtt =.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. Conclusions: The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students’ achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test. PMID:21866246

  11. 4-Aminobiphenyl Downregulation of NAT2 Acetylator Genotype–Dependent N- and O-acetylation of Aromatic and Heterocyclic Amine Carcinogens in Primary Mammary Epithelial Cell Cultures from Rapid and Slow Acetylator Rats

    PubMed Central

    Jefferson, Felicia A.; Xiao, Gong H.; Hein, David W.

    2009-01-01

    Aromatic and heterocyclic amine carcinogens present in the diet and in cigarette smoke induce breast tumors in rats. N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzymes have important roles in their metabolic activation and deactivation. Human epidemiological studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms in NAT1 and/or NAT2 modify breast cancer risk in women exposed to these carcinogens. p-Aminobenzoic acid (selective for rat NAT2) and sulfamethazine (SMZ; selective for rat NAT1) N-acetyltransferase catalytic activities were both expressed in primary cultures of rat mammary epithelial cells. PABA, 2-aminofluorene, and 4-aminobiphenyl N-acetyltransferase and N-hydroxy-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine and N-hydroxy-2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline O-acetyltransferase activities were two- to threefold higher in mammary epithelial cell cultures from rapid than slow acetylator rats. In contrast, SMZ (a rat NAT1-selective substrate) N-acetyltransferase activity did not differ between rapid and slow acetylators. Rat mammary cells cultured in the medium supplemented 24 h with 10μM ABP showed downregulation in the N-and O-acetylation of all substrates tested except for the NAT1-selective substrate SMZ. This downregulation was comparable in rapid and slow NAT2 acetylators. These studies clearly show NAT2 acetylator genotype–dependent N- and O-acetylation of aromatic and heterocyclic amine carcinogens in rat mammary epithelial cell cultures to be subject to downregulation by the arylamine carcinogen ABP. PMID:18842621

  12. North Atlantic (NAT) aided inertial navigation system simulation volume I. : technical results

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1973-07-01

    Current air traffic operations over the North ATlantic (NAT) and the application of hybrid navigation systems to obtain more accurate performance on these NAT routes are reviewed. A digital computer simulation program (NATNAV - North ATlantic NAVigat...

  13. Induction of neuronal axon outgrowth by Shati/Nat8l by energy metabolism in mice cultured neurons.

    PubMed

    Sumi, Kazuyuki; Uno, Kyosuke; Matsumura, Shohei; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki; Furukawa-Hibi, Yoko; Muramatsu, Shin-Ichi; Nabeshima, Toshitaka; Nitta, Atsumi

    2015-09-09

    A novel N-acetyltransferase, Shati/Nat8l, was identified in the nucleus accumbens of mice repeatedly treated with methamphetamine (METH). Shati/Nat8l has been reported to inhibit the pharmacological action induced by METH. Shati/Nat8l produces N-acetylaspartate from aspartate and acetyl-CoA. Previously, we reported that overexpression of Shati/Nat8l in nucleus accumbens attenuates the response to METH by N-acetylaspartylglutamate (which is derived from N-acetylaspartate)-mGluR3 signaling in the mice brain. In the present study, to clarify the type of cells that produce Shati/Nat8l, we carried out in-situ hybridization for the detection of Shati/Nat8l mRNA along with immunohistochemical studies using serial sections of mice brain. Shati/Nat8l mRNA was detected in neuronal cells, but not in astrocytes or microglia cells. Next, we investigated the function of Shati/Nat8l in the neuronal cells in mice brain; then, we used an adeno-associated virus vector containing Shati/Nat8l for transfection and overexpression of Shati/Nat8l protein into the primary cultured neurons to investigate the contribution toward the neuronal activity of Shati/Nat8l. Overexpression of Shati/Nat8l in the mice primary cultured neurons induced axonal growth, but not dendrite elongation at day 1.5 (DIV). This finding indicated that Shati/Nat8l contributes toward neuronal development. LY341495, a selective group II mGluRs antagonist, did not abolish this axonal growth, and N-acetylaspartylglutamate itself did not abolish axon outgrowth in the same cultured system. The cultured neurons overexpressing Shati/Nat8l contained high ATP, suggesting that axon outgrowth is dependent on energy metabolism. This study shows that Shati/Nat8l in the neuron may induce axon outgrowth by ATP synthesis and not through mGluR3 signaling.

  14. Recent progress in N-acetyltransferase research: 7th international workshop on N-acetyltransferases (NAT): workshop report.

    PubMed

    Lichter, Jutta; Golka, Klaus; Sim, Edith; Blömeke, Brunhilde

    2017-07-01

    The 7th International Workshop on N-Acetyltransferases (NAT), held from 18 to 20 June 2016, was hosted by Brunhilde Blömeke and her team at the Trier University (Germany). The workshop addressed important aspects and latest advancements in the fields of NAT enzymes, endogenous functions of NATs, NAT gene nomenclature, genetic polymorphisms, and their associations with diseases as well as their use in diagnosis. Representatives from the leading teams performing research on NATs presented their excellent work, discussed the latest results, and created new ideas in the field of N-acetyltransferase research.

  15. Nat1 promotes translation of specific proteins that induce differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

    PubMed

    Sugiyama, Hayami; Takahashi, Kazutoshi; Yamamoto, Takuya; Iwasaki, Mio; Narita, Megumi; Nakamura, Masahiro; Rand, Tim A; Nakagawa, Masato; Watanabe, Akira; Yamanaka, Shinya

    2017-01-10

    Novel APOBEC1 target 1 (Nat1) (also known as "p97," "Dap5," and "Eif4g2") is a ubiquitously expressed cytoplasmic protein that is homologous to the C-terminal two thirds of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (Eif4g1). We previously showed that Nat1-null mouse embryonic stem cells (mES cells) are resistant to differentiation. In the current study, we found that NAT1 and eIF4G1 share many binding proteins, such as the eukaryotic translation initiation factors eIF3 and eIF4A and ribosomal proteins. However, NAT1 did not bind to eIF4E or poly(A)-binding proteins, which are critical for cap-dependent translation initiation. In contrast, compared with eIF4G1, NAT1 preferentially interacted with eIF2, fragile X mental retardation proteins (FMR), and related proteins and especially with members of the proline-rich and coiled-coil-containing protein 2 (PRRC2) family. We also found that Nat1-null mES cells possess a transcriptional profile similar, although not identical, to the ground state, which is established in wild-type mES cells when treated with inhibitors of the ERK and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) signaling pathways. In Nat1-null mES cells, the ERK pathway is suppressed even without inhibitors. Ribosome profiling revealed that translation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (Map3k3) and son of sevenless homolog 1 (Sos1) is suppressed in the absence of Nat1 Forced expression of Map3k3 induced differentiation of Nat1-null mES cells. These data collectively show that Nat1 is involved in the translation of proteins that are required for cell differentiation.

  16. Circadian Amplitude Regulation via FBXW7-Targeted REV-ERBα Degradation.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xuan; Hirota, Tsuyoshi; Han, Xuemei; Cho, Han; Chong, Ling-Wa; Lamia, Katja; Liu, Sihao; Atkins, Annette R; Banayo, Ester; Liddle, Christopher; Yu, Ruth T; Yates, John R; Kay, Steve A; Downes, Michael; Evans, Ronald M

    2016-06-16

    Defects in circadian rhythm influence physiology and behavior with implications for the treatment of sleep disorders, metabolic disease, and cancer. Although core regulatory components of clock rhythmicity have been defined, insight into the mechanisms underpinning amplitude is limited. Here, we show that REV-ERBα, a core inhibitory component of clock transcription, is targeted for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the F-box protein FBXW7. By relieving REV-ERBα-dependent repression, FBXW7 provides an unrecognized mechanism for enhancing the amplitude of clock gene transcription. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1)-mediated phosphorylation of REV-ERBα is necessary for FBXW7 recognition. Moreover, targeted hepatic disruption of FBXW7 alters circadian expression of core clock genes and perturbs whole-body lipid and glucose levels. This CDK1-FBXW7 pathway controlling REV-ERBα repression defines an unexpected molecular mechanism for re-engaging the positive transcriptional arm of the clock, as well as a potential route to manipulate clock amplitude via small molecule CDK1 inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Suitability of the HAM-Nat test and TMS module "basic medical-scientific understanding" for medical school selection

    PubMed Central

    Hissbach, Johanna; Feddersen, Lena; Sehner, Susanne; Hampe, Wolfgang

    2012-01-01

    Aims: Tests with natural-scientific content are predictive of the success in the first semesters of medical studies. Some universities in the German speaking countries use the ‘Test for medical studies’ (TMS) for student selection. One of its test modules, namely “medical and scientific comprehension”, measures the ability for deductive reasoning. In contrast, the Hamburg Assessment Test for Medicine, Natural Sciences (HAM-Nat) evaluates knowledge in natural sciences. In this study the predictive power of the HAM-Nat test will be compared to that of the NatDenk test, which is similar to the TMS module “medical and scientific comprehension” in content and structure. Methods: 162 medical school beginners volunteered to complete either the HAM-Nat (N=77) or the NatDenk test (N=85) in 2007. Until spring 2011, 84.2% of these successfully completed the first part of the medical state examination in Hamburg. Via different logistic regression models we tested the predictive power of high school grade point average (GPA or “Abiturnote”) and the test results (HAM-Nat and NatDenk) with regard to the study success criterion “first part of the medical state examination passed successfully up to the end of the 7th semester” (Success7Sem). The Odds Ratios (OR) for study success are reported. Results: For both test groups a significant correlation existed between test results and study success (HAM-Nat: OR=2.07; NatDenk: OR=2.58). If both admission criteria are estimated in one model, the main effects (GPA: OR=2.45; test: OR=2.32) and their interaction effect (OR=1.80) are significant in the HAM-Nat test group, whereas in the NatDenk test group only the test result (OR=2.21) significantly contributes to the variance explained. Conclusions: On their own both HAM-Nat and NatDenk have predictive power for study success, but only the HAM-Nat explains additional variance if combined with GPA. The selection according to HAM-Nat and GPA has under the current

  18. Synthetic Lectins: New Tools for Detection and Management of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-01

    work was supported by funds provided from NIH COBRE grant P20RR17698.Notes and references 1 D. H. Dube and C. R. Bertozzi, Nat. Rev. Drug Discovery ...describes a library based approach for the discovery of SLs targeting CAGs. AIM 2 describes biochemical and biophysical approaches to identify the factors

  19. Occult HBV infection in HIV-infected adults and evaluation of pooled NAT for HBV.

    PubMed

    Dinesha, T R; Boobalan, J; Sivamalar, S; Subashini, D; Solomon, S S; Murugavel, K G; Balakrishnan, P; Smith, D M; Saravanan, S

    2018-06-01

    The study aimed to determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection among HIV-infected persons and to evaluate the use of a pooling strategy to detect occult HBV infection in the setting of HIV infection. Five hundred and two HIV-positive individuals were tested for HBV, occult HBV and hepatitis C and D with serologic and nucleic acid testing (NAT). We also evaluated a pooled NAT strategy for screening occult HBV infection among the HIV-positive individuals. The prevalence of HBV infection among HIV-positive individuals was 32 (6.4%), and occult HBV prevalence was 10%. The pooling HBV NAT had a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 100%, compared to HBV DNA NAT of individual samples. In conclusion, this study found a high prevalence of occult HBV infection among our HIV-infected population. We also demonstrated that pooled HBV NAT is highly specific, moderately sensitive and cost-effective. As conventional HBV viral load assays are expensive in resource-limited settings such as India, pooled HBV DNA NAT might be a good way for detecting occult HBV infection and will reduce HBV-associated complications. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Antarctic NAT PSC Belt of June 2003: Observational Validation of the Mountain Wave Seeding Hypothesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eckermann, S. D.; Hoffmann, L.; Hoepfner, M.; Wu, D. L.; Alexander, M. J.

    2009-01-01

    Satellite observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) over Antarctica in June 2003 revealed small nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles forming suddenly along the vortex edge. Models suggest the trigger was mountain waves over the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) forming ice for NAT nucleation. We test this hypothesis by analyzing perturbations in stratospheric radiances from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). AIRS data show mountain waves over the AP on 10-14 June, with no resolved wave activity before or after. Peak wave temperature amplitudes derived from independent 40 hPa channels all return values of 10-12 K, in agreement with values used to model this NAT event. These observations support a NAT wake from a small region of mountain wave activity over the AP as the source of this circumpolar NAT outbreak.

  1. N-Acetyltransferase 1 Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Risk

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    reported that cancer risk associated with NAT1*10 is further modulated by exposure to environmental carcinogens found in cigarette smoke, meats cooked...at high temperatures, and the use of hair dye. For example, frequent 7 consumption of red meat in combination with NAT1*10 is associated with an...well- done meat intake, and breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 8, 233-239. Zhu, Y., and Hein, D.W. (2008). Functional effects of

  2. Heterogeneous Formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds- Part 1: Nucleation of Nitric Acid Trihydrate (NAT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoyle, C. R.; Engel, I.; Luo, B. P.; Pitts, M. C.; Poole, L. R.; Grooss, J.-U.; Peter, T.

    2013-01-01

    Satellite-based observations during the Arctic winter of 2009/2010 provide firm evidence that, in contrast to the current understanding, the nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) in the polar stratosphere does not only occur on preexisting ice particles. In order to explain the NAT clouds observed over the Arctic in mid-December 2009, a heterogeneous nucleation mechanism is required, occurring via immersion freezing on the surface of solid particles, likely of meteoritic origin. For the first time, a detailed microphysical modelling of this NAT formation pathway has been carried out. Heterogeneous NAT formation was calculated along more than sixty thousand trajectories, ending at Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) observation points. Comparing the optical properties of the modelled NAT with these observations enabled a thorough validation of a newly developed NAT nucleation parameterisation, which has been built into the Zurich Optical and Microphysical box Model (ZOMM). The parameterisation is based on active site theory, is simple to implement in models and provides substantial advantages over previous approaches which involved a constant rate of NAT nucleation in a given volume of air. It is shown that the new method is capable of reproducing observed polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) very well, despite the varied conditions experienced by air parcels travelling along the different trajectories. In a companion paper, ZOMM is applied to a later period of the winter, when ice PSCs are also present, and it is shown that the observed PSCs are also represented extremely well under these conditions.

  3. NAT1/DAP5/p97 and Atypical Translational Control in the Drosophila Circadian Oscillator

    PubMed Central

    Bradley, Sean; Narayanan, Siddhartha; Rosbash, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Circadian rhythms are driven by gene expression feedback loops in metazoans. Based on the success of genetic screens for circadian mutants in Drosophila melanogaster, we undertook a targeted RNAi screen to study the impact of translation control genes on circadian locomotor activity rhythms in flies. Knockdown of vital translation factors in timeless protein-positive circadian neurons caused a range of effects including lethality. Knockdown of the atypical translation factor NAT1 had the strongest effect and lengthened circadian period. It also dramatically reduced PER protein levels in pigment dispersing factor (PDF) neurons. BELLE (BEL) protein was also reduced by the NAT1 knockdown, presumably reflecting a role of NAT1 in belle mRNA translation. belle and NAT1 are also targets of the key circadian transcription factor Clock (CLK). Further evidence for a role of NAT1 is that inhibition of the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase increased oscillator activity in cultured wings, which is absent under conditions of NAT1 knockdown. Moreover, the per 5′- and 3′-UTRs may function together to facilitate cap-independent translation under conditions of TOR inhibition. We suggest that NAT1 and cap-independent translation are important for per mRNA translation, which is also important for the circadian oscillator. A circadian translation program may be especially important in fly pacemaker cells. PMID:22904033

  4. Effects of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase I knockdown in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines.

    PubMed

    Tiang, Jacky M; Butcher, Neville J; Minchin, Rodney F

    2015-04-01

    Expression of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase I (NAT1) has been associated with various cancer subtypes and inhibition of this enzyme with small molecule inhibitors or siRNA affects cell growth and survival. Here, we have investigated the role of NAT1 in the invasiveness of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. We knocked down NAT1 using a lentivirus-based shRNA approach and observed marked changes in cell morphology in the triple-negative breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, and BT-549. Most notable was a reduction in the number and size of the filopodia protrusions on the surface of the cells. The loss of filopodia could be rescued by the reintroduction of NAT1 into the knockdown cells. NAT1 expression was localized to the lamellipodia and extended into the filopodia protrusions. In vitro invasion through Geltrex was significantly inhibited in both the MDA cell lines but not in the BT-549 cells. The expression of Snail increased when NAT1 was knocked down, while other genes associated with mesenchymal to epithelial transition (vimentin, cytokeratin-18, and Twist) did not show any changes. By contrast, both N-cadherin and β-catenin were significantly reduced. When MDA-MB-231 cells expressing shRNA were injected in vivo into BALB/c nu/nu nude mice, a significant reduction in the number of colonies that formed in the lungs was observed. Taken together, the results show that NAT1 can alter the invasion and metastatic properties of some triple-negative breast cancer cells but not all. The study suggests that NAT1 may be a novel therapeutic target in a subset of breast cancers. © 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Adjuvant Brachytherapy Removes Survival Disadvantage of Local Disease Extension in Stage IIIC Endometrial Cancer: A SEER Registry Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rossi, Peter J.; Jani, Ashesh B.; Horowitz, Ira R.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the role of radiotherapy (RT) in women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials: The 17-registry Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for patients with lymph node-positive non-Stage IV epithelial endometrial cancer diagnosed and treated between 1988 and 1998. Two subgroups were identified: those with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and those with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. RT was coded as external beam RT (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT). Observed survival (OS) was reported with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up; the survival curves were comparedmore » using the log-rank test. Results: The therapy data revealed 611 women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer during this period. Of these women, 51% were treated with adjuvant EBRT, 21% with EBRT and BT, and 28% with no additional RT (NAT). Of the 611 patients, 293 had organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and 318 patients had Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. The 5-year OS rate for all patients was 40% with NAT, 56% after EBRT, and 64% after EBRT/BT. Adjuvant RT improved survival compared with NAT (p <0.001). In patients with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer, the 5-year OS rate was 50% for NAT, 64% for EBRT, and 67% for EBRT/BT. Again, adjuvant RT contributed to improved survival compared with NAT (p = 0.02). In patients with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and direct tumor extension, the 5-year OS rate was 34% for NAT, 47% for EBRT, and 63% for EBRT/BT. RT improved OS compared with NAT (p <0.001). Also, in this high-risk subgroup, adding BT to EBRT was superior to EBRT alone (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer receiving adjuvant EBRT and EBRT/BT had improved OS compared with patients receiving NAT. When direct extension of the primary tumor was present, the addition of BT to EBRT was even more beneficial.« less

  6. Adjuvant brachytherapy removes survival disadvantage of local disease extension in stage IIIC endometrial cancer: a SEER registry analysis.

    PubMed

    Rossi, Peter J; Jani, Ashesh B; Horowitz, Ira R; Johnstone, Peter A S

    2008-01-01

    To assess the role of radiotherapy (RT) in women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer. The 17-registry Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for patients with lymph node-positive non-Stage IV epithelial endometrial cancer diagnosed and treated between 1988 and 1998. Two subgroups were identified: those with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and those with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. RT was coded as external beam RT (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT). Observed survival (OS) was reported with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up; the survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. The therapy data revealed 611 women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer during this period. Of these women, 51% were treated with adjuvant EBRT, 21% with EBRT and BT, and 28% with no additional RT (NAT). Of the 611 patients, 293 had organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and 318 patients had Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. The 5-year OS rate for all patients was 40% with NAT, 56% after EBRT, and 64% after EBRT/BT. Adjuvant RT improved survival compared with NAT (p <0.001). In patients with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer, the 5-year OS rate was 50% for NAT, 64% for EBRT, and 67% for EBRT/BT. Again, adjuvant RT contributed to improved survival compared with NAT (p = 0.02). In patients with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and direct tumor extension, the 5-year OS rate was 34% for NAT, 47% for EBRT, and 63% for EBRT/BT. RT improved OS compared with NAT (p <0.001). Also, in this high-risk subgroup, adding BT to EBRT was superior to EBRT alone (p = 0.002). Women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer receiving adjuvant EBRT and EBRT/BT had improved OS compared with patients receiving NAT. When direct extension of the primary tumor was present, the addition of BT to EBRT was even more beneficial.

  7. NAT10, a nucleolar protein, localizes to the midbody and regulates cytokinesis and acetylation of microtubules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shen, Qi; Zheng, Xingzheng; McNutt, Michael A.

    2009-06-10

    The midbody is a structural organelle formed in late phase mitosis which is responsible for completion of cytokinesis. Although various kinds of proteins have been found to distribute or immigrate to this organelle, their functions have still not been completely worked out. In this study, we demonstrated that NAT10 (N-acetyltransferase 10, NAT10) is not only predominantly distributed in the nucleolus in interphase, but is also concentrated in the mitotic midbody during telophase. The domain in N-terminal residues 549-834 of NAT10 specifically mediated its subcellular localization. Treatment with genotoxic agents or irradiation increased concentration of NAT10 in both the nucleolus andmore » midbody. Moreover, DNA damage induced increase of NAT10 in the midbody apparently accompanied by in situ elevation of the level of acetylated {alpha}-tubulin, suggesting that it plays a role in maintaining or enhancing stability of {alpha}-tubulin. The depletion of NAT10 induced defects in nucleolar assembly, cytokinesis and decreased acetylated {alpha}-tubulin, leading to G2/M cell cycle arrest or delay of mitotic exit. In addition, over-expression of NAT10 was found in a variety of soft tissue sarcomas, and correlated with tumor histological grading. These results indicate that NAT10 may play an important role in cell division through facilitating reformation of the nucleolus and midbody in the late phase of cell mitosis, and stabilization of microtubules.« less

  8. Rapid birth-and-death evolution of the xenobiotic metabolizing NAT gene family in vertebrates with evidence of adaptive selection

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are a unique family of enzymes widely distributed in nature that play a crucial role in the detoxification of aromatic amine xenobiotics. Considering the temporal changes in the levels and toxicity of environmentally available chemicals, the metabolic function of NATs is likely to be under adaptive evolution to broaden or change substrate specificity over time, making NATs a promising subject for evolutionary analyses. In this study, we trace the molecular evolutionary history of the NAT gene family during the last ~450 million years of vertebrate evolution and define the likely role of gene duplication, gene conversion and positive selection in the evolutionary dynamics of this family. Results A phylogenetic analysis of 77 NAT sequences from 38 vertebrate species retrieved from public genomic databases shows that NATs are phylogenetically unstable genes, characterized by frequent gene duplications and losses even among closely related species, and that concerted evolution only played a minor role in the patterns of sequence divergence. Local signals of positive selection are detected in several lineages, probably reflecting response to changes in xenobiotic exposure. We then put a special emphasis on the study of the last ~85 million years of primate NAT evolution by determining the NAT homologous sequences in 13 additional primate species. Our phylogenetic analysis supports the view that the three human NAT genes emerged from a first duplication event in the common ancestor of Simiiformes, yielding NAT1 and an ancestral NAT gene which in turn, duplicated in the common ancestor of Catarrhini, giving rise to NAT2 and the NATP pseudogene. Our analysis suggests a main role of purifying selection in NAT1 protein evolution, whereas NAT2 was predicted to mostly evolve under positive selection to change its amino acid sequence over time. These findings are consistent with a differential role of the two human isoenzymes

  9. Molecular interaction between K-Ras and H-REV107 in the Ras signaling pathway.

    PubMed

    Han, Chang Woo; Jeong, Mi Suk; Jang, Se Bok

    2017-09-16

    Ras proteins are small GTPases that serve as master moderators of a large number of signaling pathways involved in various cellular processes. Activating mutations in Ras are found in about one-third of cancers. H-REV107, a K-Ras binding protein, plays an important role in determining K-Ras function. H-REV107 is a member of the HREV107 family of class II tumor suppressor genes and a growth inhibitory Ras target gene that suppresses cellular growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Expression of H-REV107 was strongly reduced in about 50% of human carcinoma cell lines. However, the specific molecular mechanism by which H-REV107 inhibits Ras is still unknown. In the present study, we suggest that H-REV107 forms a strong complex with activating oncogenic mutation Q61H K-Ras from various biochemical binding assays and modeled structures. In addition, the interaction sites between K-Ras and H-REV107 were predicted based on homology modeling. Here, we found that some structure-based mutants of the K-Ras disrupted the complex formation with H-REV107. Finally, a novel molecular mechanism describing K-Ras and H-REV107 binding is suggested and insights into new K-Ras effector target drugs are provided. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. N-Acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genetic variation and the susceptibility to noncardiac gastric adenocarcinoma in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chih-Hao; Huang, Yi-Shin; Perng, Chin-Lin; Lin, Han-Chieh

    2016-03-01

    N-Acetyltransferase (NAT) is an important enzyme with the capacity to metabolize carcinogenic aromatic amines. However, it remains controversial whether the encoded functional NAT2 genetic polymorphism is related to the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between NAT2 genetic variation and gastric adenocarcinoma (GA), with special reference to the gastric noncardiac adenocarcinoma (GNA). Peripheral white blood cell DNA from 368 GA patients and 368 age- and sex-matched controls were genotyped for NAT2 by a polymerase chain reaction method. The lifestyle habits of the participants were assessed using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. NAT2 genotype, interaction with lifestyle habits, and the risk of GA and GNA were analyzed by logistic regression. GA patients were more likely to have a smoking habit, ate more salted foods, and consumed more well-done meat than the controls. There was no association between the NAT2 genotypes and susceptibility to GA. However, if patients with gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma (GCA; n = 42) were excluded, the NAT2 slow acetylators (without rapid acetylator allele) had a higher risk of GA than intermediate and rapid acetylators (odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.23, p = 0.027). In addition, there was a synergic effect of NAT2 slow acetylator and well-done meat intake to the development of GNA (odds ratio = 3.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.68-8.76, p = 0.001). NAT2 slow acetylators have a higher risk of GNA than intermediate and rapid acetylators have in a Taiwanese population. The intake of well-done meat, an additive to the acetylator status, may contribute to the incidence of gastric carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

  11. Rapid identification of the NAT2 genotype in tuberculosis patients by multicolor melting curve analysis.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yanjie; Chen, Suting; Yu, Xia; Dai, Guangming; Dong, Lingling; Li, Yunxu; Zhao, Liping; Huang, Hairong

    2016-07-01

    NAT2 genotype is an indicator for isoniazid dosage adjusting for tuberculosis treatment. Multicolor melting curve analysis (MMCA) was evaluated as a potential method for NAT2 genotyping. 352 blood samples were analyzed by MMCA kit (Zeesan Biotech Co., Xiamen, China) targeting NAT2 SNPs at T341C, C481T, G590A and G857A, and direct sequencing was used as control. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the MMCA assay for rapid NAT2 genotype detection were 97.9, 99.6 and 99.1% respectively, whereas for intermediate genotypes the values were 99.5, 98.7 and 99.1%, respectively, and for slow genotypes the values were 100% for the three aspects. The 24 saliva and blood for the control samples were also successfully analyzed using the MMCA assay, both produced uniform outcomes. The MMCA assay described in our study is very promising for the efficient determination of NAT2 genotype, and can facilitate the personalized dosing of isoniazid.

  12. Structures and functions of insect arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (iaaNAT); a key enzyme for physiological and behavioral switch in arthropods.

    PubMed

    Hiragaki, Susumu; Suzuki, Takeshi; Mohamed, Ahmed A M; Takeda, Makio

    2015-01-01

    The evolution of N-acetyltransfeases (NATs) seems complex. Vertebrate arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT) has been extensively studied since it leads to the synthesis of melatonin, a multifunctional neurohormone prevalent in photoreceptor cells, and is known as a chemical token of the night. Melatonin also serves as a scavenger for reactive oxygen species. This is also true with invertebrates. NAT therefore has distinct functional implications in circadian function, as timezymes (aaNAT), and also xenobiotic reactions (arylamine NAT or simply NAT). NATs belong to a broader enzyme group, the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily. Due to low sequence homology and a seemingly fast rate of structural differentiation, the nomenclature for NATs can be confusing. The advent of bioinformatics, however, has helped to classify this group of enzymes; vertebrates have two distinct subgroups, the timezyme type and the xenobiotic type, which has a wider substrate range including imidazolamine, pharmacological drugs, environmental toxicants and even histone. Insect aaNAT (iaaNAT) form their own clade in the phylogeny, distinct from vertebrate aaNATs. Arthropods are unique, since the phylum has exoskeleton in which quinones derived from N-acetylated monoamines function in coupling chitin and arthropodins. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity is limited in insects, but NAT-mediated degradation prevails. However, unexpectedly iaaNAT occurs not only among arthropods but also among basal deuterostomia, and is therefore more apomorphic. Our analyses illustrate that iaaNATs has unique physiological roles but at the same time it plays a role in a timezyme function, at least in photoperiodism. Photoperiodism has been considered as a function of circadian system but the detailed molecular mechanism is not well understood. We propose a molecular hypothesis for photoperiodism in Antheraea pernyi based on the transcription regulation of NAT interlocked by the circadian system

  13. Accuracy of various human NAT2 SNP genotyping panels to infer rapid, intermediate and slow acetylator phenotypes

    PubMed Central

    Hein, David W; Doll, Mark A

    2012-01-01

    Aim Humans exhibit genetic polymorphism in NAT2 resulting in rapid, intermediate and slow acetylator phenotypes. Over 65 NAT2 variants possessing one or more SNPs in the 870-bp NAT2 coding region have been reported. The seven most frequent SNPs are rs1801279 (191G>A), rs1041983 (282C>T), rs1801280 (341T>C), rs1799929 (481C>T), rs1799930 (590G>A), rs1208 (803A>G) and rs1799931 (857G>A). The majority of studies investigate the NAT2 genotype assay for three SNPs: 481C>T, 590G>A and 857G>A. A tag-SNP (rs1495741) recently identified in a genome-wide association study has also been proposed as a biomarker for the NAT2 phenotype. Materials & methods Sulfamethazine N-acetyltransferase catalytic activities were measured in cryopreserved human hepatocytes from a convenience sample of individuals in the USA with an ethnic frequency similar to the 2010 US population census. These activities were segregated by the tag-SNP rs1495741 and each of the seven SNPs described above. We assessed the accuracy of the tag-SNP and various two-, three-, four- and seven-SNP genotyping panels for their ability to accurately infer NAT2 phenotype. Results The accuracy of the various NAT2 SNP genotype panels to infer NAT2 phenotype were as follows: seven-SNP: 98.4%; tag-SNP: 77.7%; two-SNP: 96.1%; three-SNP: 92.2%; and four-SNP: 98.4%. Conclusion A NAT2 four-SNP genotype panel of rs1801279 (191G>A), rs1801280 (341T>C), rs1799930 (590G>A) and rs1799931 (857G>A) infers NAT2 acetylator phenotype with high accuracy, and is recommended over the tag-, two-, three- and (for economy of scale) the seven-SNP genotyping panels, particularly in populations of non-European ancestry. PMID:22092036

  14. Effects of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase I knockdown in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines

    PubMed Central

    Tiang, Jacky M; Butcher, Neville J; Minchin, Rodney F

    2015-01-01

    Expression of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase I (NAT1) has been associated with various cancer subtypes and inhibition of this enzyme with small molecule inhibitors or siRNA affects cell growth and survival. Here, we have investigated the role of NAT1 in the invasiveness of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. We knocked down NAT1 using a lentivirus-based shRNA approach and observed marked changes in cell morphology in the triple-negative breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, and BT-549. Most notable was a reduction in the number and size of the filopodia protrusions on the surface of the cells. The loss of filopodia could be rescued by the reintroduction of NAT1 into the knockdown cells. NAT1 expression was localized to the lamellipodia and extended into the filopodia protrusions. In vitro invasion through Geltrex was significantly inhibited in both the MDA cell lines but not in the BT-549 cells. The expression of Snail increased when NAT1 was knocked down, while other genes associated with mesenchymal to epithelial transition (vimentin, cytokeratin-18, and Twist) did not show any changes. By contrast, both N-cadherin and β-catenin were significantly reduced. When MDA-MB-231 cells expressing shRNA were injected in vivo into BALB/c nu/nu nude mice, a significant reduction in the number of colonies that formed in the lungs was observed. Taken together, the results show that NAT1 can alter the invasion and metastatic properties of some triple-negative breast cancer cells but not all. The study suggests that NAT1 may be a novel therapeutic target in a subset of breast cancers. PMID:25627111

  15. Genetic and small molecule inhibition of arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 reduces anchorage-independent growth in human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

    PubMed

    Stepp, Marcus W; Doll, Mark A; Carlisle, Samantha M; States, J Christopher; Hein, David W

    2018-04-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) expression is reported to affect proliferation, invasiveness, and growth of cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were engineered such that NAT1 expression was elevated or suppressed, or treated with a small molecule inhibitor of NAT1. The MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines were engineered with a scrambled shRNA, a NAT1 specific shRNA or a NAT1 overexpression cassette stably integrated into a single flippase recognition target (FRT) site facilitating incorporation of these different genetic elements into the same genomic location. NAT1-specific shRNA reduced NAT1 activity in vitro by 39%, increased endogenous acetyl coenzyme A levels by 35%, and reduced anchorage-independent growth (sevenfold) without significant effects on cell morphology, growth rates, anchorage-dependent colony formation, or invasiveness compared to the scrambled shRNA cell line. Despite 12-fold overexpression of NAT1 activity in the NAT1 overexpression cassette transfected MDA-MB-231 cell line, doubling time, anchorage-dependent cell growth, anchorage-independent cell growth, and relative invasiveness were not changed significantly when compared to the scrambled shRNA cell line. A small molecule (5E)-[5-(4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodobenzylidene)-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one (5-HDST) was 25-fold more selective towards the inhibition of recombinant human NAT1 than N-acetyltransferase 2. Incubation of MDA-MB-231 cell line with 5-HDST resulted in 60% reduction in NAT1 activity and significant decreases in cell growth, anchorage-dependent growth, and anchorage-independent growth. In summary, inhibition of NAT1 activity by either shRNA or 5-HDST reduced anchorage-independent growth in the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line. These findings suggest that human NAT1 could serve as a target for the prevention and/or treatment of breast cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Structures and functions of insect arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (iaaNAT); a key enzyme for physiological and behavioral switch in arthropods

    PubMed Central

    Hiragaki, Susumu; Suzuki, Takeshi; Mohamed, Ahmed A. M.; Takeda, Makio

    2015-01-01

    The evolution of N-acetyltransfeases (NATs) seems complex. Vertebrate arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT) has been extensively studied since it leads to the synthesis of melatonin, a multifunctional neurohormone prevalent in photoreceptor cells, and is known as a chemical token of the night. Melatonin also serves as a scavenger for reactive oxygen species. This is also true with invertebrates. NAT therefore has distinct functional implications in circadian function, as timezymes (aaNAT), and also xenobiotic reactions (arylamine NAT or simply NAT). NATs belong to a broader enzyme group, the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily. Due to low sequence homology and a seemingly fast rate of structural differentiation, the nomenclature for NATs can be confusing. The advent of bioinformatics, however, has helped to classify this group of enzymes; vertebrates have two distinct subgroups, the timezyme type and the xenobiotic type, which has a wider substrate range including imidazolamine, pharmacological drugs, environmental toxicants and even histone. Insect aaNAT (iaaNAT) form their own clade in the phylogeny, distinct from vertebrate aaNATs. Arthropods are unique, since the phylum has exoskeleton in which quinones derived from N-acetylated monoamines function in coupling chitin and arthropodins. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity is limited in insects, but NAT-mediated degradation prevails. However, unexpectedly iaaNAT occurs not only among arthropods but also among basal deuterostomia, and is therefore more apomorphic. Our analyses illustrate that iaaNATs has unique physiological roles but at the same time it plays a role in a timezyme function, at least in photoperiodism. Photoperiodism has been considered as a function of circadian system but the detailed molecular mechanism is not well understood. We propose a molecular hypothesis for photoperiodism in Antheraea pernyi based on the transcription regulation of NAT interlocked by the circadian system

  17. Excitation function of alpha-particle-induced reactions on natNi from threshold to 44 MeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uddin, M. S.; Kim, K. S.; Nadeem, M.; Sudár, S.; Kim, G. N.

    2017-05-01

    Excitation functions of the natNi(α,x)62,63,65Zn, natNi(α,x)56,57Ni and natNi(α,x)56,57,58m+gCo reactions were measured from the respective thresholds to 44MeV using the stacked-foil activation technique. The tests for the beam characterization are described. The radioactivity was measured using HPGe γ-ray detectors. Theoretical calculations on α-particles-induced reactions on natNi were performed using the nuclear model code TALYS-1.8. A few results are new, the others strengthen the database. Our experimental data were compared with results of nuclear model calculations and described the reaction mechanism.

  18. Studies on N-Acetyltransferase (NAT2) Genotype Relationships in Emiratis: Confirmation of the Existence of Phenotype Variation among Slow Acetylators.

    PubMed

    Al-Ahmad, Mohammad M; Amir, Naheed; Dhanasekaran, Subramanian; John, Anne; Abdulrazzaq, Yousef M; Ali, Bassam R; Bastaki, Salim

    2017-09-01

    Individuals with slow N-acetylation phenotype often experience toxicity from drugs such as isoniazid, sulfonamides, procainamide, and hydralazine, whereas rapid acetylators may not respond to these medications. The highly polymorphic N-acetyltransferase 2 enzyme encoded by the NAT2 gene is one of the N-acetylators in humans with a clear impact on the metabolism of a significant number of important drugs. However, there are limited studies on N-acetylation phenotypes and NAT2 genotypes among Emiratis, and thus this study was carried out to fill this gap. Five hundred seventy-six Emirati subjects were asked to consume a soft drink containing caffeine (a nontoxic and reliable probe for predicting the acetylation phenotype) and then provide a buccal swab along with a spot urine sample. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to determine the genotype of each individual. Phenotyping was carried out by analyzing the caffeine metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We found that 78.5%, 19.1%, and 2.4% of the Emirati subjects were slow, intermediate, and rapid acetylators, respectively. In addition, we found that 77.4% of the subjects were homozygous or heterozygous for two nonreference alleles, whereas 18.4% and 4.2% were heterozygous or homozygous for the reference allele (NAT2*4), respectively. The most common genotypes found were NAT2*5B/*7B, NAT2*5B/*6A, NAT2*7B/*14B, and NAT2*4/*5B, with frequencies of 0.255, 0.135, 0.105, and 0.09, respectively. The degree of phenotype/genotype concordance was 96.2%. The NAT2*6A/*6A, NAT2*6A/*7B, NAT2*7B/*7B, and NAT2*5A/*5B genotypes were found to be associated with the lowest 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil/1-methylxanthine (AFMU/1X) ratios. There is a high percentage of slow acetylators among Emiratis, which correlates with the presence of nonreference alleles for the NAT2 gene. Individuals who carried NAT2*6A/*6A, NAT2*6A/*7B, NAT2*7B/*7B

  19. 64Cu, a powerful positron emitter for immunoimaging and theranostic: Production via natZnO and natZnO-NPs.

    PubMed

    Karimi, Zahra; Sadeghi, Mahdi; Mataji-Kojouri, Naimeddin

    2018-07-01

    64 Cu is one of the most beneficial radionuclide that can be used as a theranostic agent in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. In this current work, 64 Cu was produced with zinc oxide nanoparticles ( nat ZnONPs) and zinc oxide powder ( nat ZnO) via the 64 Zn(n,p) 64 Cu reaction in Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) and the activity values were compared with each other. The theoretical activity of 64 Cu also was calculated with MCNPX-2.6 and the cross sections of this reaction were calculated by using TALYS-1.8, EMPIRE-3.2.2 and ALICE/ASH nuclear codes and were compared with experimental values. Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis were used for samples characterizations. From these results, it's concluded that 64 Cu activity value with nanoscale target was achieved more than the bulk state target and had a good adaptation with the MCNPX result. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Association Between N-acetyltransferase 2 Polymorphism and Bladder Cancer Risk: Results From Studies of the Past Decade and a Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haoran; Wang, Xugang; Zhang, Liang; Mo, Naixin; Lv, Zhong

    2016-04-01

    Numerous studies have identified that the slow acetylation status of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is associated with an elevated bladder cancer risk. However, the results remain inconclusive. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of NAT2 acetylation status in patients with bladder cancer. Electronic databases were searched to retrieve related studies published in the past decade. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to calculate the strength of this relationship. Overall, a total of 18 studies were selected for the analysis, which included 4473 bladder cancer cases and 7204 matched controls. Our result showed that the NAT2 slow acetylation phenotypes were significantly associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer compared with the rapid phenotypes (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.33-1.82; P < .00001) in a random-effect model. This significant association was also found in a subgroup analysis of ethnicity (P < .05). Furthermore, the NAT2 slow phenotypes also significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer in smokers (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.90; P = .002). However, no correlation was found between the combined effect of NAT2 slow phenotypes and gender with bladder cancer risk (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.28-2.78; P = .84). In conclusion, our results suggest that the NAT2 slow acetylator, in particular, the NAT2 slow acetylator combined with smoking, are associated with an increased bladder cancer risk. Future well-designed studies with large populations and more ethnicities are needed to clarify this association further. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. 75 FR 22814 - Guidance for Industry: Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-30

    ... Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV): Testing, Product Disposition, and Donor Deferral... Industry: Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) and Hepatitis C Virus... Acid Test (NAT) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NAT, on testing individual samples or pooled samples from...

  2. The Role of Cyclin D1 in the Chemoresistance of Mantle Cell Lymphoma

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    Genetic and molecular pathogenesis of mantle cell lymphoma: perspectives for new targeted therapeutics. Nat Rev Cancer. 2007; 7:750–762. 16. Perez...understand the molecular mechanism underlying the resistant nature of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an aggressive and incurable B-cell malignancy that is...sufficient and additional genetic lesions are required for MCL development. For example, the Emu-CCND1 transgenic mouse, which mimics the t(11;14

  3. Diagnostic laparoscopy should be performed before definitive resection for pancreatic cancer: a financial argument.

    PubMed

    Jayakrishnan, Thejus T; Nadeem, Hasan; Groeschl, Ryan T; George, Ben; Thomas, James P; Ritch, Paul S; Christians, Kathleen K; Tsai, Susan; Evans, Douglas B; Pappas, Sam G; Gamblin, T Clark; Turaga, Kiran K

    2015-02-01

    Laparoscopy is recommended to detect radiographically occult metastases in patients with pancreatic cancer before curative resection. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) is cost-effective in patients undergoing curative resection with or without neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). Decision tree modelling compared routine DL with exploratory laparotomy (ExLap) at the time of curative resection in resectable cancer treated with surgery first, (SF) and borderline resectable cancer treated with NAT. Costs (US$) from the payer's perspective, quality-adjusted life months (QALMs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Base case estimates and multi-way sensitivity analyses were performed. Willingness to pay (WtP) was US$4166/QALM (or US$50,000/quality-adjusted life year). Base case costs were US$34,921 for ExLap and US$33,442 for DL in SF patients, and US$39,633 for ExLap and US$39,713 for DL in NAT patients. Routine DL is the dominant (preferred) strategy in both treatment types: it allows for cost reductions of US$10,695/QALM in SF and US$4158/QALM in NAT patients. The present analysis supports the cost-effectiveness of routine DL before curative resection in pancreatic cancer patients treated with either SF or NAT. © 2014 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

  4. Proflavine acts as a Rev inhibitor by targeting the high-affinity Rev binding site of the Rev responsive element of HIV-1.

    PubMed

    DeJong, Eric S; Chang, Chia-en; Gilson, Michael K; Marino, John P

    2003-07-08

    Rev is an essential regulatory HIV-1 protein that binds the Rev responsive element (RRE) within the env gene of the HIV-1 RNA genome, activating the switch between viral latency and active viral replication. Previously, we have shown that selective incorporation of the fluorescent probe 2-aminopurine (2-AP) into a truncated form of the RRE sequence (RRE-IIB) allowed the binding of an arginine-rich peptide derived from Rev and aminoglycosides to be characterized directly by fluorescence methods. Using these fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, proflavine has been identified, through a limited screen of selected small heterocyclic compounds, as a specific and high-affinity RRE-IIB binder which inhibits the interaction of the Rev peptide with RRE-IIB. Direct and competitive 2-AP fluorescence binding assays reveal that there are at least two classes of proflavine binding sites on RRE-IIB: a high-affinity site that competes with the Rev peptide for binding to RRE-IIB (K(D) approximately 0.1 +/- 0.05 microM) and a weaker binding site(s) (K(D) approximately 1.1 +/- 0.05 microM). Titrations of RRE-IIB with proflavine, monitored using (1)H NMR, demonstrate that the high-affinity proflavine binding interaction occurs with a 2:1 (proflavine:RRE-IIB) stoichiometry, and NOEs observed in the NOESY spectrum of the 2:1 proflavine.RRE-IIB complex indicate that the two proflavine molecules bind specifically and close to each other within a single binding site. NOESY data further indicate that formation of the 2:1 proflavine.RRE-IIB complex stabilizes base pairing and stacking within the internal purine-rich bulge of RRE-IIB in a manner analogous to what has been observed in the Rev peptide.RRE-IIB complex. The observation that proflavine competes with Rev for binding to RRE-IIB by binding as a dimer to a single high-affinity site opens the possibility for rational drug design based on linking and modifying it and related compounds.

  5. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 in situ N-acetylation on CD3+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlate with NATb mRNA and NAT1 haplotype.

    PubMed

    Salazar-González, Raúl A; Turiján-Espinoza, Eneida; Hein, David W; Niño-Moreno, Perla C; Romano-Moreno, Silvia; Milán-Segovia, Rosa C; Portales-Pérez, Diana P

    2018-02-01

    Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is responsible for the activation and elimination of xenobiotic compounds and carcinogens. Genetic polymorphisms in NAT1 modify both drug efficacy and toxicity. Previous studies have suggested a role for NAT1 in the development of several diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate NAT1 protein expression and in situ N-acetylation capacity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), as well as their possible associations with the expression of NAT1 transcript and NAT1 genotype. We report NAT1 protein, mRNA levels, and N-acetylation in situ activity for PBMC obtained from healthy donors. NAT1-specific protein expression was higher in CD3+ cells than other major immune cell subtypes (CD19 or CD56 cells). N-acetylation of pABA varied markedly among the PBMC of participants, but correlated very significantly with levels of NAT1 transcripts. NAT1*4 subjects showed significantly (p = 0.017) higher apparent pABA V max of 71.3 ± 3.7 versus the NAT1*14B subjects apparent V max of 58.5 ± 2.5 nmoles Ac-pABA/24 h/million cells. Levels of pABA N-acetylation activity at each concentration of substrate evaluated also significantly correlated with NAT1 mRNA levels for all samples (p < 0.0001). This highly significant correlation was maintained for samples with the NAT1*4 (p = 0.002) and NAT1*14B haplotypes (p = 0.0106). These results provide the first documentation that NAT1-catalyzed N-acetylation in PBMC is higher in T cell than in other immune cell subtypes and that individual variation in N-acetylation capacity is dependent upon NAT1 mRNA and NAT1 haplotype.

  6. Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) Genetic Diversity and Traditional Subsistence: A Worldwide Population Survey

    PubMed Central

    Sabbagh, Audrey; Darlu, Pierre; Crouau-Roy, Brigitte; Poloni, Estella S.

    2011-01-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is involved in human physiological responses to a variety of xenobiotic compounds, including common therapeutic drugs and exogenous chemicals present in the diet and the environment. Many questions remain about the evolutionary mechanisms that have led to the high prevalence of slow acetylators in the human species. Evidence from recent surveys of NAT2 gene variation suggests that NAT2 slow-causing variants might have become targets of positive selection as a consequence of the shift in modes of subsistence and lifestyle in human populations in the last 10,000 years. We aimed to test more extensively the hypothesis that slow acetylation prevalence in humans is related to the subsistence strategy adopted by the past populations. To this end, published frequency data on the most relevant genetic variants of NAT2 were collected from 128 population samples (14,679 individuals) representing different subsistence modes and dietary habits, allowing a thorough analysis at both a worldwide and continent scale. A significantly higher prevalence of the slow acetylation phenotype was observed in populations practicing farming (45.4%) and herding (48.2%) as compared to populations mostly relying on hunting and gathering (22.4%) (P = 0.0007). This was closely mirrored by the frequency of the slow 590A variant that was found to occur at a three-fold higher frequency in food producers (25%) as compared to hunter-gatherers (8%). These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the Neolithic transition to subsistence economies based on agricultural and pastoral resources modified the selective regime affecting the NAT2 acetylation pathway. Furthermore, the vast amount of data collected enabled us to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date description of NAT2 worldwide genetic diversity, thus building up a useful resource of frequency data for further studies interested in epidemiological or anthropological research questions involving

  7. Improving outcomes for people with progressive cancer: interrupted time series trial of a needs assessment intervention.

    PubMed

    Waller, Amy; Girgis, Afaf; Johnson, Claire; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Sibbritt, David; Forstner, Dion; Liauw, Winston; Currow, David C

    2012-03-01

    Improving the effectiveness of cancer care delivery has become a major focus of research. This study assessed the uptake and impact of the Palliative Care Needs Assessment Guidelines and Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease--Cancer (NAT: PD-C) on the outcomes of people with advanced cancer. Given widely varying survival in people with advanced cancer, an interrupted time series design was used, with data on unmet needs, depression, anxiety, and quality of life collected from 195 patients using telephone interviews every two months, for up to 18 months. Patients completed at least two baseline interviews before health professionals were academically detailed in the use of the Palliative Care Needs Assessment Guidelines and NAT: PD-C. Health professionals completed the NAT: PD-C with patients approximately monthly for the remainder of the study. Changes in patients' outcomes were compared prior to and following the introduction of the NAT: PD-C using general estimating equations. Moderate to high needs across all domains were frequently seen in the preintervention phase. The use of the NAT: PD-C was associated with a significant reduction in health system and information and patient care and support needs. These resources have the potential as an efficient and acceptable strategy for supporting needs-based cancer care. Further work is required to determine their unique contribution to improvements in patient outcomes. Copyright © 2012 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Urinary bladder cancer risk factors in an area of former coal, iron, and steel industries in Germany.

    PubMed

    Krech, Eugen; Selinski, Silvia; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Bürger, Hannah; Kadhum, Thura; Hengstler, Jan G; Truss, Michael C; Golka, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    This study was performed to investigate the frequency of bladder cancer in patients with an occupational history such as underground hard coal mining and/or painting after the structural change in the local industry. A total of 206 patients with bladder cancer and 207 controls were enlisted regarding occupational and nonoccupational bladder cancer risk factors by questionnaire. The phase II enzymes N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), glutathione S-transferases M1 (GSTM1), and T1 (GSTT1) and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11892031[A/C] reported to be associated with bladder cancer in genome-wide association studies were genotyped. The bladder cancer risk in varnishers and underground hard coal miners was increased as previously shown in a study in this area performed in the 1980s. The occupation of a car mechanic was associated with a significantly elevated bladder cancer risk and higher in the case of underground hard coal miners even though the mine was closed in 1987. The frequency of GSTM1 negative genotype was comparable in cases and controls (53% versus 54%). In the case of NAT2, the slow NAT2 genotype was more frequent (62% versus 58%) and ultra-slow NAT2 genotype (NAT2*6A and/or *7B alleles only) was 23% versus 15%. An occupational history of a varnisher or an underground hard coal miner remains a risk factor for bladder cancer occurrence. Data indicate that in the case of bladder cancer, GSTM1 is a susceptibility factor related to environmental and/or occupational exposure.

  9. Breast cancer, heterocyclic aromatic amines from meat and N-acetyltransferase 2 genotype.

    PubMed

    Delfino, R J; Sinha, R; Smith, C; West, J; White, E; Lin, H J; Liao, S Y; Gim, J S; Ma, H L; Butler, J; Anton-Culver, H

    2000-04-01

    Breast cancer risk has been hypothesized to increase with exposure to heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) formed from cooking meat at high temperature. HAAs require enzymatic activation to bind to DNA and initiate carcinogenesis. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzyme activity may play a role, its rate determined by a polymorphic gene. We examined the effect of NAT2 genetic polymorphisms on breast cancer risk from exposure to meat by cooking method, doneness and estimated HAA [2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazole[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx)] intake. Women were recruited with suspicious breast masses and questionnaire data were collected prior to biopsy to blind subjects and interviewers to diagnoses. For 114 cases with breast cancer and 280 controls with benign breast disease, NAT2 genotype was determined using allele-specific PCR amplification to detect slow acetylator mutations. HAAs were estimated from interview data on meat type, cooking method and doneness, combined with a quantitative HAA database. Logistic regression models controlled for known risk factors, first including all controls, then 108 with no or low risk (normal breast or no hyperplasia) and finally 149 with high risk (hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, complex fibroadenomas). Meat effects were examined within NAT2 strata to assess interactions. We found no association between NAT2 and breast cancer. These Californian women ate more white than red meat (control median 46 versus 8 g/day). There were no significant associations of breast cancer with red meat for any doneness. White meat was significantly protective (>67 versus <26 g/day, OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.94, P for trend = 0.02), as was chicken, including well done, pan fried and barbecued chicken. MeIQx and DiMeIQx were not associated with breast cancer. A protective effect of PhIP was confounded after controlling for well done chicken

  10. N-acetyltransferase (nat) is a critical conjunct of photoperiodism between the circadian system and endocrine axis in Antheraea pernyi.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Ahmed A M; Wang, Qiushi; Bembenek, Jadwiga; Ichihara, Naoyuki; Hiragaki, Susumu; Suzuki, Takeshi; Takeda, Makio

    2014-01-01

    Since its discovery in 1923, the biology of photoperiodism remains a mystery in many ways. We sought the link connecting the circadian system to an endocrine switch, using Antheraea pernyi. PER-, CLK- and CYC-ir were co-expressed in two pairs of dorsolateral neurons of the protocerebrum, suggesting that these are the circadian neurons that also express melatonin-, NAT- and HIOMT-ir. The results suggest that a melatonin pathway is present in the circadian neurons. Melatonin receptor (MT2 or MEL-1B-R)-ir in PTTH-ir neurons juxtaposing clock neurons suggests that melatonin gates PTTH release. RIA showed a melatonin rhythm with a peak four hours after lights off in adult brain both under LD16:8 (LD) and LD12:12 (SD), and both the peak and the baseline levels were higher under LD than SD, suggesting a photoperiodic influence. When pupae in diapause were exposed to 10 cycles of LD, or stored at 4 °C for 4 months under constant darkness, an increase of NAT activity was observed when PTTH released ecdysone. DNA sequence upstream of nat contained E-boxes to which CYC/CLK could bind, and nat transcription was turned off by clk or cyc dsRNA. dsRNA(NAT) caused dysfunction of photoperiodism. dsRNA(PER) upregulated nat transcription as anticipated, based on findings in the Drosophila melanogaster circadian system. Transcription of nat, cyc and clk peaked at ZT12. RIA showed that dsRNA(NAT) decreased melatonin while dsRNA(PER) increased melatonin. Thus nat, a clock controlled gene, is the critical link between the circadian clock and endocrine switch. MT-binding may release PTTH, resulting in termination of diapause. This study thus examined all of the basic functional units from the clock: a photoperiodic counter as an accumulator of mRNA(NAT), to endocrine switch for photoperiodism in A. pernyi showing this system is self-complete without additional device especially for photoperiodism.

  11. Diagnostic laparoscopy should be performed before definitive resection for pancreatic cancer: a financial argument

    PubMed Central

    Jayakrishnan, Thejus T; Nadeem, Hasan; Groeschl, Ryan T; George, Ben; Thomas, James P; Ritch, Paul S; Christians, Kathleen K; Tsai, Susan; Evans, Douglas B; Pappas, Sam G; Gamblin, T Clark; Turaga, Kiran K

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Laparoscopy is recommended to detect radiographically occult metastases in patients with pancreatic cancer before curative resection. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) is cost-effective in patients undergoing curative resection with or without neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). Methods Decision tree modelling compared routine DL with exploratory laparotomy (ExLap) at the time of curative resection in resectable cancer treated with surgery first, (SF) and borderline resectable cancer treated with NAT. Costs (US$) from the payer's perspective, quality-adjusted life months (QALMs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Base case estimates and multi-way sensitivity analyses were performed. Willingness to pay (WtP) was US$4166/QALM (or US$50 000/quality-adjusted life year). Results Base case costs were US$34 921 for ExLap and US$33 442 for DL in SF patients, and US$39 633 for ExLap and US$39 713 for DL in NAT patients. Routine DL is the dominant (preferred) strategy in both treatment types: it allows for cost reductions of US$10 695/QALM in SF and US$4158/QALM in NAT patients. Conclusions The present analysis supports the cost-effectiveness of routine DL before curative resection in pancreatic cancer patients treated with either SF or NAT. PMID:25123702

  12. Genetics Home Reference: Williams syndrome

    MedlinePlus

    ... Berman KF. Neural correlates of genetically abnormal social cognition in Williams syndrome. Nat Neurosci. 2005 Aug;8( ... syndrome: a unique window to genetic influences on cognition and behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2006 May;7( ...

  13. Identification of Small Molecule Translesion Synthesis Inhibitors That Target the Rev1-CT/RIR Protein-Protein Interaction.

    PubMed

    Sail, Vibhavari; Rizzo, Alessandro A; Chatterjee, Nimrat; Dash, Radha C; Ozen, Zuleyha; Walker, Graham C; Korzhnev, Dmitry M; Hadden, M Kyle

    2017-07-21

    Translesion synthesis (TLS) is an important mechanism through which proliferating cells tolerate DNA damage during replication. The mutagenic Rev1/Polζ-dependent branch of TLS helps cancer cells survive first-line genotoxic chemotherapy and introduces mutations that can contribute to the acquired resistance so often observed with standard anticancer regimens. As such, inhibition of Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS has recently emerged as a strategy to enhance the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy and reduce the acquisition of chemoresistance by decreasing tumor mutation rate. The TLS DNA polymerase Rev1 serves as an integral scaffolding protein that mediates the assembly of the active multiprotein TLS complexes. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the C-terminal domain of Rev1 (Rev1-CT) and the Rev1-interacting region (RIR) of other TLS DNA polymerases play an essential role in regulating TLS activity. To probe whether disrupting the Rev1-CT/RIR PPI is a valid approach for developing a new class of targeted anticancer agents, we designed a fluorescence polarization-based assay that was utilized in a pilot screen for small molecule inhibitors of this PPI. Two small molecule scaffolds that disrupt this interaction were identified, and secondary validation assays confirmed that compound 5 binds to Rev1-CT at the RIR interface. Finally, survival and mutagenesis assays in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells treated with cisplatin and ultraviolet light indicate that these compounds inhibit mutagenic Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS in cells, validating the Rev1-CT/RIR PPI for future anticancer drug discovery and identifying the first small molecule inhibitors of TLS that target Rev1-CT.

  14. Innovative T Cell-Targeted Therapy for Ovarian Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    cell effector functions: a blend of innate programming and acquired plasticity. Nat Rev Immunol 2010; 10(7): 467-78. 22. Gomes AQ, Martins DS...costimulator (ICOS) is critical for the development of human T(H)17 cells . Sci Transl Med 2010; 2(55): 55ra78. 36. Cua DJ, Tato CM. Innate IL-17...intestinal epithelial lympho- cytes (17, 18). In contrast, circulating γδ T cells can be found in the blood and lymphoid organs, and are dominated by γδ

  15. Structure-activity relationships and colorimetric properties of specific probes for the putative cancer biomarker human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1.

    PubMed

    Egleton, James E; Thinnes, Cyrille C; Seden, Peter T; Laurieri, Nicola; Lee, Siu Po; Hadavizadeh, Kate S; Measures, Angelina R; Jones, Alan M; Thompson, Sam; Varney, Amy; Wynne, Graham M; Ryan, Ali; Sim, Edith; Russell, Angela J

    2014-06-01

    A naphthoquinone inhibitor of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (hNAT1), a potential cancer biomarker and therapeutic target, has been reported which undergoes a distinctive concomitant color change from red to blue upon binding to the enzyme. Here we describe the use of in silico modeling alongside structure-activity relationship studies to advance the hit compound towards a potential probe to quantify hNAT1 levels in tissues. Derivatives with both a fifty-fold higher potency against hNAT1 and a two-fold greater absorption coefficient compared to the initial hit have been synthesized; these compounds retain specificity for hNAT1 and its murine homologue mNat2 over the isoenzyme hNAT2. A relationship between pKa, inhibitor potency and colorimetric properties has also been uncovered. The high potency of representative examples against hNAT1 in ZR-75-1 cell extracts also paves the way for the development of inhibitors with improved intrinsic sensitivity which could enable detection of hNAT1 in tissue samples and potentially act as tools for elucidating the unknown role hNAT1 plays in ER+ breast cancer; this could in turn lead to a therapeutic use for such inhibitors. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. In vivo evaluation of a cancer therapy strategy combining HSV1716-mediated oncolysis with gene transfer and targeted radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Sorensen, Annette; Mairs, Robert J; Braidwood, Lynne; Joyce, Craig; Conner, Joe; Pimlott, Sally; Brown, Moira; Boyd, Marie

    2012-04-01

    Oncolytic herpes viruses show promise for cancer treatment. However, it is unlikely that they will fulfill their therapeutic potential when used as monotherapies. An alternative strategy is to use these viruses not only as oncolytic agents but also as a delivery mechanism of therapeutic transgenes to enhance tumor cell killing. The herpes simplex virus 1 deletion mutant HSV1716 is a conditionally replicating oncolytic virus that selectively replicates in and lyses dividing tumor cells. It has a proven safety profile in clinical trials and has demonstrated efficacy as a gene-delivery vehicle. To enhance its therapeutic potential, we have engineered HSV1716 to convey the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) gene (HSV1716/NAT), whose expression endows infected cells with the capacity to accumulate the noradrenaline analog metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG). Thus, the NAT gene-infected cells are susceptible to targeted radiotherapy using radiolabeled (131)I-MIBG, a strategy that has already shown promise for combined targeted radiotherapy-gene therapy in cancer cells after plasmid-mediated transfection. We used HSV1716/NAT as a dual cell lysis-gene delivery vehicle for targeting the NAT transgene to human tumor xenografts in vivo. In tumor xenografts that did not express NAT, intratumoral or intravenous injection of HSV1716/NAT induced the capacity for active uptake of (131)I-MIBG. Administration of HSV1716/NAT and (131)I-MIBG resulted in decreased tumor growth and enhanced survival relative to injection of either agent alone. Efficacy was dependent on the scheduling of delivery of the 2 agents. These findings support a role for combination radiotherapy-gene therapy for cancer using HSV1716 expressing the NAT transgene and targeted radionuclide therapy.

  17. Suppression of atherosclerosis by synthetic REV-ERB agonist

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sitaula, Sadichha; Billon, Cyrielle; Kamenecka, Theodore M.

    2015-05-08

    The nuclear receptors for heme, REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, play important roles in the regulation of metabolism and inflammation. Recently it was demonstrated that reduced REV-ERBα expression in hematopoetic cells in LDL receptor null mice led to increased atherosclerosis. We sought to determine if synthetic REV-ERB agonists that we have developed might have the ability to suppress atherosclerosis in this model. A previously characterized synthetic REV-ERB agonist, SR9009, was used to determine if activation of REV-ERB activity would affect atherosclerosis in LDL receptor deficient mice. Atherosclerotic plaque size was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in mice administered SR9009 (100 mg/kg) for seven weeks comparedmore » to control mice (n = 10 per group). SR9009 treatment of bone marrow-derived mouse macrophages (BMDM) reduced the polarization of BMDMs to proinflammatory M1 macrophage while increasing the polarization of BMDMs to anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. Our results suggest that pharmacological targeting of REV-ERBs may be a viable therapeutic option for treatment of atherosclerosis. - Highlights: • Synthetic REV-ERB agonist treatment reduced atherosclerosis in a mouse model. • Pharmacological activation of REV-ERB decreased M1 macrophage polarization. • Pharmacological activation of REV-ERB increased M2 macrophage polarization.« less

  18. Polymorphisms in NAT2 (N-acetyltransferase 2) gene in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    PubMed

    Santos, Elaine Cristina Lima Dos; Pinto, Amanda Chaves; Klumb, Evandro Mendes; Macedo, Jacyara Maria Brito

    To investigate potential associations of four substitutions in NAT2 gene and of acetylator phenotype of NAT2 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and clinical phenotypes. Molecular analysis of 481C>T, 590G>A, 857G>A, and 191G>A substitutions in the NAT2 gene was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique, from DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples obtained from patients with SLE (n=91) and controls (n=97). The 857GA genotype was more prevalent among nonwhite SLE patients (OR=4.01, 95% CI=1.18-13.59). The 481T allele showed a positive association with hematological disorders that involve autoimmune mechanisms, specifically autoimmune hemolytic anemia or autoimmune thrombocytopenia (OR=1.97; 95% CI=1.01-3.81). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. N-acetyltransferase 2 polymorphism and breast cancer risk with smoking: a case control study in Japanese women.

    PubMed

    Hara, Akio; Taira, Naruto; Mizoo, Taeko; Nishiyama, Keiko; Nogami, Tomohiro; Iwamoto, Takayuki; Motoki, Takayuki; Shien, Tadahiko; Matsuoka, Junji; Doihara, Hiroyoshi; Ishihara, Setsuko; Kawai, Hiroshi; Kawasaki, Kensuke; Ishibe, Youichi; Ogasawara, Yutaka; Miyoshi, Shinichiro

    2017-03-01

    Recent studies have suggested that the association between smoking and breast cancer risk might be modified by polymorphisms in the N-acetyltransferase 2 gene (NAT2). Most of these studies were conducted in Western countries, with few reports from East Asia. We conducted a case-control study of 511 breast cancer cases and 527 unmatched healthy controls from December 2010 to November 2011 in Japan. Unconditional logistic regression was used to analyze the association of smoking with breast cancer risk stratified by NAT2 phenotype. In this population, 11 % of the cases and 10 % of the controls were classified as a slow acetylator phenotype. Compared to never smokers, current smokers had an increased breast cancer risk in multivariate analysis [odds ratio (OR) = 2.27, 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI) = 1.38-3.82]. Subgroup analyses of menopausal status indicated the same tendency. Subgroup analyses of NAT2 phenotype, the ORs in both of rapid and slow acetylator phenotype subgroups were comparable, and no interactions were observed between smoking status and NAT2 phenotype (p = 0.97). A dose-dependent effect of smoking on breast cancer risk was seen for the rapid acetylator phenotype, but not for the slow acetylator phenotype. Given the high frequency of the rapid acetylator phenotype, these results show that smoking is a risk factor for breast cancer among most Japanese women. It may be of little significance to identify the NAT2 phenotype in the Japanese population.

  20. Association between N-Acetyltransferase 2 Polymorphism and Bladder Cancer Risk: a Meta-Analysis in a Single Ethnic Group.

    PubMed

    Xu, Wan-Jiang; Wen, Li-Ping; Jiang, Xiang-Xin; Ye, Li-Yin; Meng, Fan-Hua; Guan, Sheng; Qian, Ying-Jun; Wei, Jing-Feng

    2017-02-01

    Many studies have evaluated the correlation between N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) slow acetylation genotype and bladder cancer risk. However, the results are inconsistent and remain to be confirmed in each ethnic group. To assess the effects of NAT2 acetylation status on the risk of bladder cancer in the Chinese population, a meta-analysis was performed. Studies were identified using PubMed and Chinese databases through February 2016. The associations were assessed with pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This meta-analysis included 10 studies with 896 bladder cancer cases and 1188 controls. In the overall analysis, NAT2 slow acetylation phenotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in the Chinese population (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.11 - 2.53). In the subgroup analyses by geographic areas and sources of controls, significant risk was found in Mainland China (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.04 - 3.20) and hospitalbased studies (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.27 - 2.38), but not in Taiwan China. This meta-analysis suggested that the NAT2 slow acetylation genotype is associated with an increased bladder cancer risk in Chinese individuals.

  1. Association between N-acetyltransferase 2 polymorphisms and pancreatic cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Liang, J X; Gao, W; Liang, Y; Zhou, X M

    2015-12-17

    N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is an essential phase II enzyme in the metabolism of aromatic and heterocyclic amines and of hydrazines. NAT2 activity can be divided into three phenotypes: rapid, intermediate, and slow. Studies identifying an association between NAT2 polymorphism and the risk of pancreatic cancer have shown conflicting results. In order to assess this relationship comprehensively, we performed a meta-analysis that involved 1607 patients with pancreatic cancer and 1682 controls from six studies, which were selected from a group of ten, identified by a search of PubMed and Embase databases up to July 2014. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the relationships. In the overall analysis, no significant associations between NAT2 rapid acetylation genotypes and pancreatic cancer risk (RR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.73-1.19) were found; however, the results showed significant heterogeneity (I2 = 55.0%). The results from subgroup analysis suggested that the rapid genotypes might decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer (RR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.38-0.84) in Turkey, although the association was not significant in the United States population (RR = 0.97, 95%CI = 0.71-1.34) or in the multi-center studies (RR = 1.10, 95%CI = 0.90-1.34). Analysis of the slow acetylation genotypes demonstrated the converse outcomes. In conclusion, the results of our study suggested that the NAT2 slow acetylation genotypes might increase the susceptibility to pancreatic cancer in Europe but that these have no significant effects in the United States and multi-center populations.

  2. Synthetic Lectins: New Tools for Detection and Management of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    diagnostic. AIM 1 describes a library based approach for the discovery of SLs targeting CAGs. AIM 2 describes biochemical and biophysical...Obianyo for their help with fluorescence polarization. This work was supported by funds provided from NIH COBRE grant P20RR17698.Notes and references...1 D. H. Dube and C. R. Bertozzi, Nat. Rev. Drug Discovery , 2005, 4, 477–488. 2 V. Harmat and G. Naray-Szabo, Croat. Chim. Acta, 2009, 82, 277– 282. 3

  3. Differential association for N-acetyltransferase 2 genotype and phenotype with bladder cancer risk in Chinese population.

    PubMed

    Quan, Lei; Chattopadhyay, Koushik; Nelson, Heather H; Chan, Kenneth K; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Renwei; Gao, Yu-Tang; Yuan, Jian-Min

    2016-06-28

    N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is involved in both carcinogen detoxification through hepatic N-acetylation and carcinogen activation through local O-acetylation. NAT2 slow acetylation status is significantly associated with increased bladder cancer risk among European populations, but its association in Asian populations is inconclusive. NAT2 acetylation status was determined by both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and caffeine metabolic ratio (CMR), in a population-based study of 494 bladder cancer patients and 507 control subjects in Shanghai, China. The CMR, a functional measure of hepatic N-acetylation, was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner among both cases and controls possessing the SNP-inferred NAT2 slow acetylation status (all P-values<5.0×10-10). The CMR-determined slow N-acetylation status (CMR<0.34) was significantly associated with a 50% increased risk of bladder cancer (odds ratio = 1.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.10-2.06) whereas the SNP-inferred slow acetylation statuses were significantly associated with an approximately 50% decreased risk of bladder cancer. The genotype-disease association was strengthened after the adjustment for CMR and was primarily observed among never smokers. The apparent differential associations for phenotypic and genetic measures of acetylation statuses with bladder cancer risk may reflect dual functions of NAT2 in bladder carcinogenesis because the former only measures the capacity of carcinogen detoxification pathway while the latter represents both carcinogen activation and detoxification pathways. Future studies are warranted to ascertain the specific role of N- and O-acetylation in bladder carcinogenesis, particularly in populations exposed to different types of bladder carcinogens.

  4. The Role of Mitochondrial TCA Cycle Enzymes in Determining Prostate Cancer Chemosensitivity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    phosphorylation, Nat Rev Genet 2, 342-352. 17. Higgins , L. H., Withers, H. G., Garbens, A., Love, H. D., Magnoni, L., Hayward, S. W., and Moyes, C. D. (2009...MalateDehydrogenase 2ConfersDocetaxel Resistancevia Regulations of JNKSignaling andOxidativeMetabolism Qiong Liu, Chris T. Harvey, Hao Geng, Changhui...1036 Liuet al. The Prostate 40. Higgins LH, Withers HG, Garbens A, Love HD, Magnoni L, Hayward SW, Moyes CD. Hypoxia and the metabolic pheno- type of

  5. Cysteamine effects on somatostatin, catecholamines, pineal NAT and melatonin in rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Webb, S.M.; Champney, T.H.; Steger, R.W.

    The thiol reagent cysteamine was administered to adult male rats with the aim of investigating its effect on different neural and pineal components. As expected, immunoreactive somatostatin decreased in the median eminence (ME) (p less than 0.05) and gastric antrum (p less than 0.05) after cysteamine; however, no significant change was observed in the pineal IRS content after drug treatment. A decrease in norepinephrine was observed in the ME (p less than 0.001), hypothalamus (p less than 0.001) and pineal gland (p less than 0.05), together with a rise in ME (p less than 0.005) and hypothalamic dopamine (p lessmore » than 0.005) content; these results are consistent with a dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibiting effect of cysteamine. No effect was observed on hypothalamic serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid content. Pineal N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) after cysteamine than after saline, but no statistically significant effect was observed on pineal melatonin content. The mechanism involved in the NAT rise is presumably not related to the known stimulatory effect of norepinephrine, which fell after cysteamine. It is suggested that cysteamine may act at an intracellular level, inhibiting NAT degradation, an effect demonstrated in vitro and thought to be related to a thiol:disulfide exchange mechanism.« less

  6. Optimized Chemical Probes for REV-ERBα

    PubMed Central

    Trump, Ryan P.; Bresciani, Stefano; Cooper, Anthony W. J.; Tellam, James P.; Wojno, Justyna; Blaikley, John; Orband-Miller, Lisa A.; Kashatus, Jennifer A.; Dawson, Helen C.; Loudon, Andrew; Ray, David; Grant, Daniel; Farrow, Stuart N.; Willson, Timothy M.; Tomkinson, Nicholas C. O.

    2015-01-01

    REV-ERBα has emerged as an important target for regulation of circadian rhythm and its associated physiology. Herein, we report on the optimization of a series of REV-ERBα agonists based on GSK4112 (1) for potency, selectivity, and bioavailability. Potent REV-ERBα agonists 4, 10, 16, and 23 are detailed for their ability to suppress BMAL and IL-6 expression from human cells while also demonstrating excellent selectivity over LXRα. Amine 4 demonstrated in vivo bioavailability after either IV or oral dosing. PMID:23656296

  7. Proper regulation of a sperm-specific cis-nat-siRNA is essential for double fertilization in Arabidopsis

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    /Cis/-nat-siRNAs are a recently characterized class of small regulatory RNAs that are widespread in eukaryotes. Despite their abundance the importance of their regulatory activity is largely unknown. The only functional role for eukaryotic /cis/-nat-siRNAs that has been described to date is in envir...

  8. Genetic determinants in the metabolism of bladder carcinogens in relation to risk of bladder cancer

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, Jian-Min; Chan, Kenneth K.; Coetzee, Gerhard A.; Castelao, J.Esteban; Watson, Mary A.; Bell, Douglas A.; Wang, Renwei; Yu, Mimi C.

    2008-01-01

    Genetically determined factors that alter the metabolism of tobacco carcinogens can influence an individual’s susceptibility to bladder cancer. The associations between the genotypes of glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1, GSTP1, GSTT1 and N-acetyltransferase (NAT) 1 and the phenotypes of NAT2 and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 and bladder cancer risk were examined in a case–control study involving 731 bladder cancer patients and 740 control subjects in Los Angeles County, California. Individual null/low-activity genotypes of GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 were associated with a 19–48% increase in odds ratio (OR) of bladder cancer. The strongest association was noted for GSTM1 [OR for the null genotype = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19–1.83]. When the three GST genes were examined together, there was a monotonic, statistically significant association between increasing number of null/low-activity genotypes and risk (P for trend = 0.002). OR (95% CI) for one and two or more null/low-activity GST genotypes was 1.42 (1.12–1.81) and 1.71 (1.25–2.34), respectively, relative to the absence of null/low-activity GST genotype. NAT2 slow acetylation was associated with doubled risk of bladder cancer among individuals with known high exposures to carcinogenic arylamines (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.12–3.69, P = 0.02). The effect of NAT2 slow acetylation was even stronger in the presence of two or more null/low-activity GST genotypes. There were no associations between bladder cancer risk and NAT1 genotype or CYP1A2 phenotype. PMID:18544563

  9. DeepNAT: Deep convolutional neural network for segmenting neuroanatomy.

    PubMed

    Wachinger, Christian; Reuter, Martin; Klein, Tassilo

    2018-04-15

    We introduce DeepNAT, a 3D Deep convolutional neural network for the automatic segmentation of NeuroAnaTomy in T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. DeepNAT is an end-to-end learning-based approach to brain segmentation that jointly learns an abstract feature representation and a multi-class classification. We propose a 3D patch-based approach, where we do not only predict the center voxel of the patch but also neighbors, which is formulated as multi-task learning. To address a class imbalance problem, we arrange two networks hierarchically, where the first one separates foreground from background, and the second one identifies 25 brain structures on the foreground. Since patches lack spatial context, we augment them with coordinates. To this end, we introduce a novel intrinsic parameterization of the brain volume, formed by eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator. As network architecture, we use three convolutional layers with pooling, batch normalization, and non-linearities, followed by fully connected layers with dropout. The final segmentation is inferred from the probabilistic output of the network with a 3D fully connected conditional random field, which ensures label agreement between close voxels. The roughly 2.7million parameters in the network are learned with stochastic gradient descent. Our results show that DeepNAT compares favorably to state-of-the-art methods. Finally, the purely learning-based method may have a high potential for the adaptation to young, old, or diseased brains by fine-tuning the pre-trained network with a small training sample on the target application, where the availability of larger datasets with manual annotations may boost the overall segmentation accuracy in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Interactions of Cigarette Smoking with NAT2 Polymorphisms Impact Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk in African Americans

    PubMed Central

    Mikuls, Ted R.; LeVan, Tricia; Gould, Karen A.; Yu, Fang; Thiele, Geoffrey M.; Bynote, Kimberly K.; Conn, Doyt; Jonas, Beth L.; Callahan, Leigh F.; Smith, Edwin; Brasington, Richard; Moreland, Larry W.; Reynolds, Richard; Gaffo, Angelo; Bridges, S. Louis

    2011-01-01

    Objective To examine whether polymorphisms in genes coding for drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) impact rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk due to cigarette smoking in African Americans. Methods Smoking status was evaluated in African American RA cases and non-RA controls categorized as heavy (≥ 10 pack-years) vs. other. Individuals were genotyped for a homozygous deletion polymorphism in glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 (GSTM1-null) in addition to tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in N-acetyltransferase (NAT)1, NAT2, and epoxide hydrolase (EPXH1). Associations of genotypes with RA were examined using logistic regression and gene-smoking interactions were assessed. Results There were no significant associations of any DME genotype with RA. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, there were significant additive interactions between heavy smoking and NAT2 SNPs rs9987109 (Padd = 0.000003) and rs1208 (Padd = 0.00001); attributable proportions (APs) due to interaction ranged from 0.61 to 0.67. None of the multiplicative gene-smoking interactions examined remained significant after adjustment for multiple testing in overall disease risk. There was no evidence of significant gene-smoking interactions in analyses of GSTM1-null, NAT1, or EPXH1. DME gene-smoking interactions were similar when cases were limited to anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) positive individuals. Conclusion Among African Americans, RA risk imposed by heavy smoking appears to be mediated in part by genetic variation in NAT2. While further studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms underpinning these interactions, these SNPs appear to identify African American smokers at a much higher risk for RA with relative risks that are at least two-fold higher compared to non-smokers lacking these risk alleles. PMID:21989592

  11. REV7 counteracts DNA double-strand break resection and impacts PARP inhibition

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Guotai; Yuan, Jingsong; Mistrik, Martin; Bouwman, Peter; Bartkova, Jirina; Gogola, Ewa; Warmerdam, Daniël; Barazas, Marco; Jaspers, Janneke E.; Watanabe, Kenji; Pieterse, Mark; Kersbergen, Ariena; Sol, Wendy; Celie, Patrick H. N.; Schouten, Philip C.; van den Broek, Bram; Salman, Ahmed; Nieuwland, Marja; de Rink, Iris; de Ronde, Jorma; Jalink, Kees; Boulton, Simon J.; Chen, Junjie; van Gent, Dik C.; Bartek, Jiri; Jonkers, Jos; Borst, Piet; Rottenberg, Sven

    2015-01-01

    Summary Error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) is achieved by homologous recombination (HR), and BRCA1 is an important factor for this repair pathway1. In the absence of BRCA1-mediated HR, administration of PARP inhibitors induces synthetic lethality of tumor cells of patients with breast or ovarian cancers2,3. Despite the benefit of this tailored therapy, drug resistance can occur by HR restoration4. Genetic reversion of BRCA1-inactivating mutations can be the underlying mechanism of drug resistance, but this does not explain resistance in all cases5. In particular, little is known about BRCA1-independent restoration of HR. Here, we show that loss of REV7 (also known as MAD2L2) re-establishes CtIP-dependent end resection of DSBs in BRCA1-deficient cells, leading to HR restoration and PARP inhibitor resistance, reversed by ATM kinase inhibition. REV7 is recruited to DSBs in a manner dependent on the H2AX-MDC1-RNF8-RNF168-53BP1 chromatin pathway, and appears to block HR and promote end joining in addition to its regulatory role in DNA damage tolerance6. Finally, we establish that REV7 blocks DSB resection to promote non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) during immunoglobulin class switch recombination. Our results reveal an unexpected critical function of REV7 downstream of 53BP1 in coordinating pathological DSB repair pathway choices in BRCA1-deficient cells. PMID:25799992

  12. Suppression of atherosclerosis by synthetic REV-ERB agonist

    PubMed Central

    Sitaula, Sadichha; Billon, Cyrielle; Kamenecka, Theodore M.; Solt, Laura A.; Burris, Thomas P.

    2015-01-01

    The nuclear receptors for heme, REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, play important roles in the regulation of metabolism and inflammation. Recently it was demonstrated that reduced REV-ERBα expression in hematopoetic cells in LDL receptor null mice led to increased atherosclerosis. We sought to determine if synthetic REV-ERB agonists that we have developed might have the ability to suppress atherosclerosis in this model. A previously characterized synthetic REV-ERB agonist, SR9009, was used to determine if activation of REV-ERB activity would affect atherosclerosis in LDL receptor deficient mice. Atherosclerotic plaque size was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in mice administered SR9009 (100 mg/kg) for seven weeks compared to control mice (n = 10 per group). SR9009 treatment of bone marrow-derived mouse macrophages (BMDM) reduced the polarization of BMDMs to proinflammatory M1 macrophage while increasing the polarization of BMDMs to anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. Our results suggest that pharmacological targeting of REV-ERBs may be a viable therapeutic option for treatment of atherosclerosis. PMID:25800870

  13. Clinical Outcomes in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IA Endometrial Cancer With Myometrial Invasion Treated With or Without Postoperative Vaginal Brachytherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Diavolitsis, V.; Rademaker, A.; Lurain, J.

    2012-10-01

    Purpose: To assess the clinical outcomes of patients with Stage IA endometrial cancer with myometrial invasion treated with postoperative vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) with those who received no adjuvant therapy (NAT). Methods and Materials: All patients treated with hysterectomy for endometrial cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital between 1978 and 2005 were identified. Those patients with Stage IA disease with myometrial invasion who were treated with VBT alone or NAT were identified and included in the present analysis. Results: Of 252 patients with Stage IA endometrial cancer with superficial (<50%) myometrial invasion who met the inclusion criteria, 169 underwent VBT and 83more » received NAT. The median follow-up in the VBT and NAT groups was 103 and 61 months, respectively. In the VBT group, 56.8% had Grade 1, 37.9% had Grade 2, and 5.3% had Grade 3 tumors. In the NAT group, 75.9%, 20.5%, and 3.6% had Grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors, respectively. Lymphatic or vascular space invasion was noted in 12.4% of the VBT patients and 5.6% of the NAT patients. The 5-year overall survival rate was 95.5%. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 92.4% for all patients, 94.4% for the VBT group, and 87.4% for the NAT group (p = NS). Of the 169 VBT patients and 83 NAT patients, 8 (4.7%) and 6 (7.2%) developed recurrent disease. One vaginal recurrence occurred in the VBT group (0.6%) and three in the NAT group (3.8%). Recurrences developed 2-102 months after surgical treatment. Two of the four vaginal recurrences were salvaged. No Grade 3 or higher acute or late radiation toxicity was noted. Conclusions: The use of postoperative VBT in patients with Stage I endometrial cancer with <50% myometrial invasion yielded excellent vaginal disease control and disease-free survival, with minimal toxicity.« less

  14. A national look at carbon capture and storage-National carbon sequestration database and geographical information system (NatCarb)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, T.R.; Iqbal, A.; Callaghan, N.; ,; Look, K.; Saving, S.; Nelson, K.

    2009-01-01

    The US Department of Energy's Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) are responsible for generating geospatial data for the maps displayed in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada. Key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential storage sites, transportation, land use, etc.) are required for the Atlas, and for efficient implementation of carbon sequestration on a national and regional scale. The National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographical Information System (NatCarb) is a relational database and geographic information system (GIS) that integrates carbon storage data generated and maintained by the RCSPs and various other sources. The purpose of NatCarb is to provide a national view of the carbon capture and storage potential in the U.S. and Canada. The digital spatial database allows users to estimate the amount of CO2 emitted by sources (such as power plants, refineries and other fossil-fuel-consuming industries) in relation to geologic formations that can provide safe, secure storage sites over long periods of time. The NatCarb project is working to provide all stakeholders with improved online tools for the display and analysis of CO2 carbon capture and storage data. NatCarb is organizing and enhancing the critical information about CO2 sources and developing the technology needed to access, query, model, analyze, display, and distribute natural resource data related to carbon management. Data are generated, maintained and enhanced locally at the RCSP level, or at specialized data warehouses, and assembled, accessed, and analyzed in real-time through a single geoportal. NatCarb is a functional demonstration of distributed data-management systems that cross the boundaries between institutions and geographic areas. It forms the first step toward a functioning National Carbon Cyberinfrastructure (NCCI). NatCarb provides access to first-order information to evaluate the costs, economic potential and societal issues of

  15. Measurement of the natHf(d,x)177Ta cross section and impact of erroneous gamma-ray intensities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simonelli, F.; Abbas, K.; Bulgheroni, A.; Pommé, S.; Altzitzoglou, T.; Suliman, G.

    2012-08-01

    In this work, excitation functions for deuteron-induced reactions on natural hafnium have been measured in the energy range 7-17 MeV, using the stacked-foil technique. Particular attention has been paid to the reaction natHf(d,x)177Ta, because reported γ-ray intensities have been found to be in disagreement with previously published data. This discrepancy is due to an error in the 2003 ENSDF absolute γ-ray intensities of 177Hf following the decay of 177Ta, which are about a factor of three higher compared to other available data. As a consquence, some peer reviewed papers reporting on natHf(d,x)177Ta, and also on natHf(p,x) 177Ta and natW(p,x) 177Ta, need to be reviewed. An upcoming re-evaluation of the 177Ta decay data shows new significant changes in the absolute γ-ray intensities, which in turn will affect again the 177Ta producing cross sections.

  16. Interaction of HCl with a beta-NAT Surface: Prediction of the IR Spectrum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin-Llorente, B.; Escribano, R. M.; Fernandez-Torre, D.; Galvez, O.; Herrero, V. J.; Mate, B.; Moreno, M. A.

    2009-04-01

    Heterogeneous reactions that take place over the surface of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles are thought to play an important role on stratospheric ozone depletion. Chlorine reservoir species, such as HCl and ClONO2, adsorbed on those particles, can be converted to reactive chlorine compounds, responsible for the destruction of ozone. The high temperature phase of nitric acid trihydrate (β-NAT) is one of the most important constituents of PSC. We present here a theoretical study of the system formed by HCl and β-NAT, by means of DFT calculations[1]. The adsorption of HCl on the most favourable site of the (001) surface of the β-NAT crystal[2] is simulated with a suitable model for the description of the vibrational properties of the system. Other possible adsorption sites will also be revised. An assignment of the different spectroscopic features, such as a small band at 2150 cm-1 attributed to the stretching of the adsorbed HCl molecule, is performed by comparing the predicted absorption spectrum with the experimental results[3] [1] J. M. Soler, E. Artacho, J. D. Gale, A. Garc

  17. Estimating Skin Cancer Risk: Evaluating Mobile Computer-Adaptive Testing.

    PubMed

    Djaja, Ngadiman; Janda, Monika; Olsen, Catherine M; Whiteman, David C; Chien, Tsair-Wei

    2016-01-22

    Response burden is a major detriment to questionnaire completion rates. Computer adaptive testing may offer advantages over non-adaptive testing, including reduction of numbers of items required for precise measurement. Our aim was to compare the efficiency of non-adaptive (NAT) and computer adaptive testing (CAT) facilitated by Partial Credit Model (PCM)-derived calibration to estimate skin cancer risk. We used a random sample from a population-based Australian cohort study of skin cancer risk (N=43,794). All 30 items of the skin cancer risk scale were calibrated with the Rasch PCM. A total of 1000 cases generated following a normal distribution (mean [SD] 0 [1]) were simulated using three Rasch models with three fixed-item (dichotomous, rating scale, and partial credit) scenarios, respectively. We calculated the comparative efficiency and precision of CAT and NAT (shortening of questionnaire length and the count difference number ratio less than 5% using independent t tests). We found that use of CAT led to smaller person standard error of the estimated measure than NAT, with substantially higher efficiency but no loss of precision, reducing response burden by 48%, 66%, and 66% for dichotomous, Rating Scale Model, and PCM models, respectively. CAT-based administrations of the skin cancer risk scale could substantially reduce participant burden without compromising measurement precision. A mobile computer adaptive test was developed to help people efficiently assess their skin cancer risk.

  18. Small molecule inhibition of arylamine N-acetyltransferase Type I inhibits proliferation and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tiang, Jacky M.; Butcher, Neville J., E-mail: n.butcher@uq.edu.au; Minchin, Rodney F.

    2010-02-26

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 is a phase II metabolizing enzyme that has been associated with certain breast cancer subtypes. While it has been linked to breast cancer risk because of its role in the metabolic activation and detoxification of carcinogens, recent studies have suggested it may be important in cell growth and survival. To address the possible importance of NAT1 in breast cancer, we have used a novel small molecule inhibitor (Rhod-o-hp) of the enzyme to examine growth and invasion of the breast adenocarcinoma line MDA-MB-231. The inhibitor significantly reduced cell growth by increasing the percent of cells in G2/M phasemore » of the cell cycle. Rhod-o-hp also reduced the ability of the MDA-MB-231 cells to grow in soft agar. Using an in vitro invasion assay, the inhibitor significantly reduced the invasiveness of the cells. To test whether this effect was due to inhibition of NAT1, the enzyme was knocked down using a lentivirus-based shRNA approach and invasion potential was significantly reduced. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that NAT1 activity may be important in breast cancer growth and metastasis. The study suggests that NAT1 is a novel target for breast cancer treatment.« less

  19. Cancer-Associated Perturbations in Alternative Pre-messenger RNA Splicing.

    PubMed

    Shkreta, Lulzim; Bell, Brendan; Revil, Timothée; Venables, Julian P; Prinos, Panagiotis; Elela, Sherif Abou; Chabot, Benoit

    2013-01-01

    removed by the spliceosome, other splice junctions are not used systematically, generating the phenomenon of alternative splicing. Alternative splicing is therefore the process by which a single species of pre-mRNA can be matured to produce different mRNA molecules (Fig. 1). Depending on the number and types of alternative splicing events, a pre-mRNA can generate from two to several thousands different mRNAs leading to the production of a corresponding number of proteins. It is now believed that the expression of at least 70 % of human genes is subjected to alternative splicing, implying an enormous contribution to proteomic diversity, and by extension, to the development and the evolution of complex animals. Defects in splicing have been associated with human diseases (Caceres and Kornblihtt, Trends Genet 18(4):186-93, 2002, Cartegni et al., Nat Rev Genet 3(4):285-98, 2002, Pagani and Baralle, Nat Rev Genet 5(5):389-96, 2004), including cancer (Brinkman, Clin Biochem 37(7):584-94, 2004, Venables, Bioessays 28(4):378-86, 2006, Srebrow and Kornblihtt, J Cell Sci 119(Pt 13):2635-2641, 2006, Revil et al., Bull Cancer 93(9):909-919, 2006, Venables, Transworld Res Network, 2006, Pajares et al., Lancet Oncol 8(4):349-57, 2007, Skotheim and Nees, Int J Biochem Cell Biol 39:1432-1449, 2007). Numerous studies have now confirmed the existence of specific differences in the alternative splicing profiles between normal and cancer tissues. Although there are a few cases where specific mutations are the primary cause for these changes, global alterations in alternative splicing in cancer cells may be primarily derived from changes in the expression of RNA-binding proteins that control splice site selection. Overall, these cancer-specific differences in alternative splicing offer an immense potential to improve the diagnosis and the prognosis of cancer. This review will focus on the functional impact of cancer-associated alternative splicing variants, the molecular determinants that

  20. Quicklook overview of model changes in Melcor 2.2: Rev 6342 to Rev 9496

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Humphries, Larry L.

    2017-05-01

    MELCOR 2.2 is a significant official release of the MELCOR code with many new models and model improvements. This report provides the code user with a quick review and characterization of new models added, changes to existing models, the effect of code changes during this code development cycle (rev 6342 to rev 9496), a preview of validation results with this code version. More detailed information is found in the code Subversion logs as well as the User Guide and Reference Manuals.

  1. Activation of mTor Signaling by Gene Transduction to Induce Axon Regeneration in the Central Nervous System Following Neural Injury

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    terminus amino acids of amyloid precursor protein (cAPP). cAPP was found in our recent publication in Gene Therapy (2013) to be the most effective...Therapy. 2012;20:275-86 PubMed PMID: 22008911. 7. Zoncu R, Efeyan A, Sabatini DM. mTOR: from growth signal integration to cancer, diabetes and ageing...NatRevMolCell Biol. 2011;12:21-35. 8. Morita T, Sobue K. Specification of neuronal polarity regulated by local translation of CRMP2 and Tau via the mTOR

  2. Establishment of the Ph. Eur. Hepatitis A virus RNA for NAT testing BRP batch 1.

    PubMed

    Chudy, M; Nübling, C M; Blümel, J; Daas, A; Costanzo, A

    2017-01-01

    Detection of viral contamination in plasma donations is critical to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) monograph 1646 'Human plasma (pooled and treated for virus inactivation)', requires that plasma pools used for the manufacture of this product be tested, among others, for the presence of hepatitis A virus RNA by nucleic acid testing (NAT) using a positive control containing 100 International Units (IU) of hepatitis A virus (HAV) RNA per mL. To this end, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM, Council of Europe) organised an international collaborative study under the aegis of the Biological Standardisation Programme, for the establishment of the 1 st Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) for HAV RNA for NAT testing. A freeze-dried candidate material was thus prepared and calibrated against the WHO 2 nd International Standard for HAV for NAT (00/562) in a study in which thirteen European and North American laboratories including Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCLs), manufacturers of plasma-derived products, producers of in vitro diagnostic kits and a blood transfusion centre participated. Based on the outcome of the study, an HAV RNA content of 40 000 IU/vial (corresponding approximately to 4.6 log 10 IU/vial) was assigned to the BRP, which was adopted by the Ph. Eur. Commission in March 2016 as Ph. Eur. hepatitis A virus RNA for NAT testing BRP batch 1.

  3. A Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) to assess spatial behavior in open-field and structured mazes.

    PubMed

    Jarlier, Frédéric; Arleo, Angelo; Petit, Géraldine H; Lefort, Julie M; Fouquet, Céline; Burguière, Eric; Rondi-Reig, Laure

    2013-05-15

    Spatial navigation calls upon mnemonic capabilities (e.g. remembering the location of a rewarding site) as well as adaptive motor control (e.g. fine tuning of the trajectory according to the ongoing sensory context). To study this complex process by means of behavioral measurements it is necessary to quantify a large set of meaningful parameters on multiple time scales (from milliseconds to several minutes), and to compare them across different paradigms. Moreover, the issue of automating the behavioral analysis is critical to cope with the consequent computational load and the sophistication of the measurements. We developed a general purpose Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) that provides an integrated architecture consisting of a data management system (implemented in MySQL), a core analysis toolbox (in MATLAB), and a graphical user interface (in JAVA). Its extensive characterization of trajectories over time, from exploratory behavior to goal-oriented navigation with decision points using a wide range of parameters, makes NAT a powerful analysis tool. In particular, NAT supplies a new set of specific measurements assessing performances in multiple intersection mazes and allowing navigation strategies to be discriminated (e.g. in the starmaze). Its user interface enables easy use while its modular organization provides many opportunities of extension and customization. Importantly, the portability of NAT to any type of maze and environment extends its exploitation far beyond the field of spatial navigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. N-acetyltransferase (nat) Is a Critical Conjunct of Photoperiodism between the Circadian System and Endocrine Axis in Antheraea pernyi

    PubMed Central

    Bembenek, Jadwiga; Hiragaki, Susumu; Suzuki, Takeshi; Takeda, Makio

    2014-01-01

    Since its discovery in 1923, the biology of photoperiodism remains a mystery in many ways. We sought the link connecting the circadian system to an endocrine switch, using Antheraea pernyi. PER-, CLK- and CYC-ir were co-expressed in two pairs of dorsolateral neurons of the protocerebrum, suggesting that these are the circadian neurons that also express melatonin-, NAT- and HIOMT-ir. The results suggest that a melatonin pathway is present in the circadian neurons. Melatonin receptor (MT2 or MEL-1B-R)-ir in PTTH-ir neurons juxtaposing clock neurons suggests that melatonin gates PTTH release. RIA showed a melatonin rhythm with a peak four hours after lights off in adult brain both under LD16∶8 (LD) and LD12∶12 (SD), and both the peak and the baseline levels were higher under LD than SD, suggesting a photoperiodic influence. When pupae in diapause were exposed to 10 cycles of LD, or stored at 4°C for 4 months under constant darkness, an increase of NAT activity was observed when PTTH released ecdysone. DNA sequence upstream of nat contained E-boxes to which CYC/CLK could bind, and nat transcription was turned off by clk or cyc dsRNA. dsRNANAT caused dysfunction of photoperiodism. dsRNAPER upregulated nat transcription as anticipated, based on findings in the Drosophila melanogaster circadian system. Transcription of nat, cyc and clk peaked at ZT12. RIA showed that dsRNANAT decreased melatonin while dsRNAPER increased melatonin. Thus nat, a clock controlled gene, is the critical link between the circadian clock and endocrine switch. MT-binding may release PTTH, resulting in termination of diapause. This study thus examined all of the basic functional units from the clock: a photoperiodic counter as an accumulator of mRNANAT, to endocrine switch for photoperiodism in A. pernyi showing this system is self-complete without additional device especially for photoperiodism. PMID:24667367

  5. The Nuclear Receptor Rev-erbα Controls Circadian Thermogenic Plasticity

    PubMed Central

    Gerhart-Hines, Zachary; Everett, Logan J.; Loro, Emanuele; Briggs, Erika R.; Bugge, Anne; Hou, Catherine; Ferrara, Christine; Seale, Patrick; Pryma, Daniel A.; Khurana, Tejvir S.; Lazar, Mitchell A.

    2013-01-01

    Circadian oscillation of body temperature is a basic, evolutionary-conserved feature of mammalian biology1. Additionally, homeostatic pathways allow organisms to protect their core temperatures in response to cold exposure2. However, the mechanism responsible for coordinating daily body temperature rhythm and adaptability to environmental challenges is unknown. Here we show that the nuclear receptor Rev-erbα, a powerful transcriptional repressor, links circadian and thermogenic networks through the regulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) function. Mice exposed to cold fare dramatically better at 5 AM (Zeitgeber time 22) when Rev-erbα is barely expressed than at 5 PM (ZT10) when Rev-erbα is abundant. Deletion of Rev-erbα markedly improves cold tolerance at 5 PM, indicating that overcoming Rev-erbα-dependent repression is a fundamental feature of the thermogenic response to cold. Physiological induction of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) by cold temperatures is preceded by rapid down-regulation of Rev-erbα in BAT. Rev-erbα represses UCP1 in a brown adipose cell-autonomous manner and BAT UCP1 levels are high in Rev-erbα-null mice even at thermoneutrality. Genetic loss of Rev-erbα also abolishes normal rhythms of body temperature and BAT activity. Thus, Rev-erbα acts as a thermogenic focal point required for establishing and maintaining body temperature rhythm in a manner that is adaptable to environmental demands. PMID:24162845

  6. Circadian clock component REV-ERBα controls homeostatic regulation of pulmonary inflammation.

    PubMed

    Pariollaud, Marie; Gibbs, Julie E; Hopwood, Thomas W; Brown, Sheila; Begley, Nicola; Vonslow, Ryan; Poolman, Toryn; Guo, Baoqiang; Saer, Ben; Jones, D Heulyn; Tellam, James P; Bresciani, Stefano; Tomkinson, Nicholas Co; Wojno-Picon, Justyna; Cooper, Anthony Wj; Daniels, Dion A; Trump, Ryan P; Grant, Daniel; Zuercher, William; Willson, Timothy M; MacDonald, Andrew S; Bolognese, Brian; Podolin, Patricia L; Sanchez, Yolanda; Loudon, Andrew Si; Ray, David W

    2018-06-01

    Recent studies reveal that airway epithelial cells are critical pulmonary circadian pacemaker cells, mediating rhythmic inflammatory responses. Using mouse models, we now identify the rhythmic circadian repressor REV-ERBα as essential to the mechanism coupling the pulmonary clock to innate immunity, involving both myeloid and bronchial epithelial cells in temporal gating and determining amplitude of response to inhaled endotoxin. Dual mutation of REV-ERBα and its paralog REV-ERBβ in bronchial epithelia further augmented inflammatory responses and chemokine activation, but also initiated a basal inflammatory state, revealing a critical homeostatic role for REV-ERB proteins in the suppression of the endogenous proinflammatory mechanism in unchallenged cells. However, REV-ERBα plays the dominant role, as deletion of REV-ERBβ alone had no impact on inflammatory responses. In turn, inflammatory challenges cause striking changes in stability and degradation of REV-ERBα protein, driven by SUMOylation and ubiquitination. We developed a novel selective oxazole-based inverse agonist of REV-ERB, which protects REV-ERBα protein from degradation, and used this to reveal how proinflammatory cytokines trigger rapid degradation of REV-ERBα in the elaboration of an inflammatory response. Thus, dynamic changes in stability of REV-ERBα protein couple the core clock to innate immunity.

  7. Excitation functions of the natCr(p,x)44Ti, 56Fe(p,x)44Ti, natNi(p,x)44Ti and 93Nb(p,x)44Ti reactions at energies up to 2.6 GeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titarenko, Yu. E.; Batyaev, V. F.; Pavlov, K. V.; Titarenko, A. Yu.; Zhivun, V. M.; Chauzova, M. V.; Balyuk, S. A.; Bebenin, P. V.; Ignatyuk, A. V.; Mashnik, S. G.; Leray, S.; Boudard, A.; David, J. C.; Mancusi, D.; Cugnon, J.; Yariv, Y.; Nishihara, K.; Matsuda, N.; Kumawat, H.; Stankovskiy, A. Yu.

    2016-06-01

    The paper presents the measured cumulative yields of 44Ti for natCr, 56Fe, natNi and 93Nb samples irradiated by protons at the energy range 0.04-2.6 GeV. The obtained excitation functions are compared with calculations of the well-known codes: ISABEL, Bertini, INCL4.2+ABLA, INCL4.5+ABLA07, PHITS, CASCADE07 and CEM03.02. The predictive power of these codes regarding the studied nuclides is analyzed.

  8. Association of N-acetyltransferase 1 polymorphism and bladder cancer risk: an updated meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

    PubMed

    Xu, Zicheng; Li, Xiao; Qin, Zhiqiang; Xue, Jianxin; Wang, Jingyuan; Liu, Zhentao; Cai, Hongzhou; Yu, Bin; Xu, Ting; Zou, Qin

    2017-07-24

    Individual studies of the association between N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1)*10 allele and bladder cancer susceptibility have shown inconclusive results. To derive a more precise estimation of any such relationship, we performed this systemic review and updated meta-analysis based on 17 publications. A total of 17 studies were investigated with 4,322 bladder cancer cases and 4,944 controls. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on ethnicity, sex, source of controls and detecting methods. Then trial sequential analysis was performed to evaluate whether the evidence of the results was sufficient and reduce the risk of type I error. There was no association between NAT1*10 allele and bladder cancer risk in a random-effects model (OR = 0.96, 95% CI, 0.84-1.10) or in a fixed-effects model (OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.87-1.03). In addition, no significantly increased risk of bladder cancer was found in any other subgroup analysis. Then, trial sequential analyses demonstrated that the results of our study need to be further verified. Despite its limitations, the results of the present meta-analysis suggested that there was no association between NAT1*10 allele and bladder cancer risk. More importantly, our findings need to be further validated regarding whether being without the NAT1*10 allele could in the future be shown to be a potential marker for the risk of bladder cancer.

  9. RNA helicase MOV10 functions as a co-factor of HIV-1 Rev to facilitate Rev/RRE-dependent nuclear export of viral mRNAs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Feng; Zhang, Junsong; Zhang, Yijun

    Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exploits multiple host factors during its replication. The REV/RRE-dependent nuclear export of unspliced/partially spliced viral transcripts needs the assistance of host proteins. Recent studies have shown that MOV10 overexpression inhibited HIV-1 replication at various steps. However, the endogenous MOV10 was required in certain step(s) of HIV-1 replication. In this report, we found that MOV10 potently enhances the nuclear export of viral mRNAs and subsequently increases the expression of Gag protein and other late products through affecting the Rev/RRE axis. The co-immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that MOV10 interacts with Rev in an RNA-independent manner. The DEAG-boxmore » of MOV10 was required for the enhancement of Rev/RRE-dependent nuclear export and the DEAG-box mutant showed a dominant-negative activity. Our data propose that HIV-1 utilizes the anti-viral factor MOV10 to function as a co-factor of Rev and demonstrate the complicated effects of MOV10 on HIV-1 life cycle. - Highlights: • MOV10 can function as a co-factor of HIV-1 Rev. • MOV10 facilitates Rev/RRE-dependent transport of viral mRNAs. • MOV10 interacts with Rev in an RNA-independent manner. • The DEAG-box of MOV10 is required for the enhancement of Rev/RRE-dependent export.« less

  10. The Hamburg Selection Procedure for Dental Students – Introduction of the HAM-Nat as subject-specific test for study aptitude

    PubMed Central

    Kothe, Christian; Hissbach, Johanna; Hampe, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: The present study examines the question whether the selection of dental students should be based solely on average school-leaving grades (GPA) or whether it could be improved by using a subject-specific aptitude test. Methods: The HAM-Nat Natural Sciences Test was piloted with freshmen during their first study week in 2006 and 2007. In 2009 and 2010 it was used in the dental student selection process. The sample size in the regression models varies between 32 and 55 students. Results: Used as a supplement to the German GPA, the HAM-Nat test explained up to 12% of the variance in preclinical examination performance. We confirmed the prognostic validity of GPA reported in earlier studies in some, but not all of the individual preclinical examination results. Conclusion: The HAM-Nat test is a reliable selection tool for dental students. Use of the HAM-Nat yielded a significant improvement in prediction of preclinical academic success in dentistry. PMID:24282449

  11. Methamphetamine-induced neuronal protein NAT8L is the NAA biosynthetic enzyme: implications for specialized acetyl coenzyme A metabolism in the CNS.

    PubMed

    Ariyannur, Prasanth S; Moffett, John R; Manickam, Pachiappan; Pattabiraman, Nagarajan; Arun, Peethambaran; Nitta, Atsumi; Nabeshima, Toshitaka; Madhavarao, Chikkathur N; Namboodiri, Aryan M A

    2010-06-04

    N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is a concentrated, neuron-specific brain metabolite routinely used as a magnetic resonance spectroscopy marker for brain injury and disease. Despite decades of research, the functional roles of NAA remain unclear. Biochemical investigations over several decades have associated NAA with myelin lipid synthesis and energy metabolism. However, studies have been hampered by an inability to identify the gene for the NAA biosynthetic enzyme aspartate N-acetyltransferase (Asp-NAT). A very recent report has identified Nat8l as the gene encoding Asp-NAT and confirmed that the only child diagnosed with a lack of NAA on brain magnetic resonance spectrograms has a 19-bp deletion in this gene. Based on in vitro Nat8l expression studies the researchers concluded that many previous biochemical investigations have been technically flawed and that NAA may not be associated with brain energy or lipid metabolism. In studies done concurrently in our laboratory we have demonstrated via cloning, expression, specificity for acetylation of aspartate, responsiveness to methamphetamine treatment, molecular modeling and comparative immunolocalization that NAT8L is the NAA biosynthetic enzyme Asp-NAT. We conclude that NAA is a major storage and transport form of acetyl coenzyme A specific to the nervous system, thus linking it to both lipid synthesis and energy metabolism. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. The expression of Per1 and Aa-nat genes in the pineal gland of postnatal rats.

    PubMed

    Wongchitrat, Prapimpun; Govitrapong, Piyarat; Phansuwan-Pujito, Pansiri

    2012-12-01

    The circadian rhythm of melatonin synthesis is controlled by the master clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The level of melatonin changes throughout the aging process. The SCN's rhythm is driven by autoregulatory feedback loop composed of a set of clock genes families and their corresponding proteins. The Period (Per1), one of clock gene develops gradually during postnatal ontogenesis in the rat SCN and is also expressed in the pineal gland. It is of interest to study the relationship between the postnatal development of Per1 and Aa-nat, genes that produce the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis, in the pineal. Daily profiles of mRNA expression of Per1 and Aa-nat were analyzed in the pineal gland of pups at postnatal ages 4 (P4), P8, P16 and P32, at puberty age of 6 weeks; and in 8 week-old adult rats by real-time PCR. As early as P4, Per1 and Aa-nat mRNAs were expressed and existed at relatively high levels during the nighttime. They gradually increased until puberty and decreased at 8 weeks of age. Additionally, the nocturnal changes of Per1 and Aa-nat mRNA levels in the rat pineal gland from P4 to adults were strongly correlated at r = 0.97 (p < 0.01). The present data indicate that there is a close relationship between the expression pattern of Per1 and that of melatonin synthesis during the development of postnatal rats.

  13. AmeriFlux US-SP1 Slashpine-Austin Cary- 65yrs nat regen

    DOE Data Explorer

    Martin, Tim [University of Florida

    2016-01-01

    This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-SP1 Slashpine-Austin Cary- 65yrs nat regen. Site Description - The ACMF site is a 67 hectare naturally regenerated Pinus palustris and Pinus elliottii mixed stand.

  14. NMR Structure and Dynamics of the C-terminal Domain from Human Rev1 and its Complex with Rev1 Interacting Region of DNA Polymerase η

    PubMed Central

    Pozhidaeva, Alexandra; Pustovalova, Yulia; D'Souza, Sanjay; Bezsonova, Irina; Walker, Graham C.; Korzhnev, Dmitry M.

    2013-01-01

    Rev1 is a translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase essential for DNA damage tolerance in eukaryotes. In the process of TLS stalled high-fidelity replicative DNA polymerases are temporarily replaced by specialized TLS enzymes that can bypass sites of DNA damage (lesions), thus allowing replication to continue or postreplicational gaps to be filled. Despite its limited catalytic activity, human Rev1 plays a key role in TLS by serving as a scaffold that provides an access of Y-family TLS polymerases polη, ι, and κ to their cognate DNA lesions and facilitates their subsequent exchange to polζ that extends the distorted DNA primer-template. Rev1 interaction with the other major human TLS polymerases, polη, ι, κ and the regulatory subunit Rev7 of polζ, is mediated by Rev1 C-terminal domain (Rev1-CT). We used NMR spectroscopy to determine the spatial structure of the Rev1-CT domain (residues 1157-1251) and its complex with Rev1 interacting region (RIR) from polη (residues 524-539). The domain forms a four-helix bundle with a well-structured N-terminal β-hairpin docking against helices 1 and 2, creating a binding pocket for the two conserved Phe residues of the RIR motif that upon binding folds into an α-helix. NMR spin-relaxation and NMR relaxation dispersion measurements suggest that free Rev1-CT and Rev1-CT/polη-RIR complex exhibit μs-ms conformational dynamics encompassing the RIR binding site, which might facilitate selection of the molecular configuration optimal for binding. These results offer new insights into the control of TLS in human cells by providing a structural basis for understanding the recognition of the Rev1-CT by Y-family DNA polymerases. PMID:22691049

  15. Binding and thermodynamics of REV peptide-ctDNA interaction.

    PubMed

    Upadhyay, Santosh Kumar

    2017-03-01

    The thermodynamics of DNA-ligand binding is important as it provides useful information to understand the details of binding processes. HIV-1 REV response element (RRE) located in the env coding region of the viral genome is reported to be well conserved across different HIV-1 isolates. In this study, the binding characteristics of Calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) and REV peptide from HIV-1 were investigated using spectroscopic (UV-visible, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD)) and isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) techniques. Thermal stability and ligand binding properties of the ctDNA revealed that native ctDNA had a T m of 75.5 °C, whereas the ctDNA-REV peptide complex exhibited an incremental shift in the T m by 8 °C, indicating thermal stability of the complex. CD data indicated increased ellipticity due to large conformational changes in ctDNA molecule upon binding with REV peptide and two binding stoichiometric modes are apparent. The ctDNA experienced condensation due to large conformational changes in the presence of REV peptide and positive B→Ψ transition was observed at higher molar charge ratios. Fluorescence studies performed at several ligand concentrations revealed a gradual decrease in the fluorescence intensity of EtBr-bound ctDNA in response to increasing ligand concentrations. The fluorescence data further confirmed two stoichiometric modes of binding for ctDNA-REV peptide complex as previously observed with CD studies. The binding enthalpies were determined using ITC in the temperature range of 293 K-308 K. The ITC binding isotherm was exothermic at all temperatures examined, with low ΔH values indicating that the ctDNA-REV peptide interaction is driven largely by entropy. The heat capacity change (ΔC p ) was insignificant, an unusual finding in the area of DNA-peptide interaction studies. The variation in the values obtained for ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG with temperature further suggests that ctDNA-REV peptide interaction is entropically

  16. RevManHAL: towards automatic text generation in systematic reviews.

    PubMed

    Torres Torres, Mercedes; Adams, Clive E

    2017-02-09

    Systematic reviews are a key part of healthcare evaluation. They involve important painstaking but repetitive work. A major producer of systematic reviews, the Cochrane Collaboration, employs Review Manager (RevMan) programme-a software which assists reviewers and produces XML-structured files. This paper describes an add-on programme (RevManHAL) which helps auto-generate the abstract, results and discussion sections of RevMan-generated reviews in multiple languages. The paper also describes future developments for RevManHAL. RevManHAL was created in Java using NetBeans by a programmer working full time for 2 months. The resulting open-source programme uses editable phrase banks to envelop text/numbers from within the prepared RevMan file in formatted readable text of a chosen language. In this way, considerable parts of the review's 'abstract', 'results' and 'discussion' sections are created and a phrase added to 'acknowledgements'. RevManHAL's output needs to be checked by reviewers, but already, from our experience within the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group (200 maintained reviews, 900 reviewers), RevManHAL has saved much time which is better employed thinking about the meaning of the data rather than restating them. Many more functions will become possible as review writing becomes increasingly automated.

  17. Pharmacological Targeting the REV-ERBs in Sleep/Wake Regulation

    PubMed Central

    Amador, Ariadna; Huitron-Resendiz, Salvador; Roberts, Amanda J.; Kamenecka, Theodore M.; Solt, Laura A.; Burris, Thomas P.

    2016-01-01

    The circadian clock maintains appropriate timing for a wide range of behaviors and physiological processes. Circadian behaviors such as sleep and wakefulness are intrinsically dependent on the precise oscillation of the endogenous molecular machinery that regulates the circadian clock. The identical core clock machinery regulates myriad endocrine and metabolic functions providing a link between sleep and metabolic health. The REV-ERBs (REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ) are nuclear receptors that are key regulators of the molecular clock and have been successfully targeted using small molecule ligands. Recent studies in mice suggest that REV-ERB-specific synthetic agonists modulate metabolic activity as well as alter sleep architecture, inducing wakefulness during the light period. Therefore, these small molecules represent unique tools to extensively study REV-ERB regulation of sleep and wakefulness. In these studies, our aim was to further investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting the REV-ERBs for regulation of sleep by characterizing efficacy, and optimal dosing time of the REV-ERB agonist SR9009 using electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. Applying different experimental paradigms in mice, our studies establish that SR9009 does not lose efficacy when administered more than once a day, nor does tolerance develop when administered once a day over a three-day dosing regimen. Moreover, through use of a time response paradigm, we determined that although there is an optimal time for administration of SR9009 in terms of maximal efficacy, there is a 12-hour window in which SR9009 elicited a response. Our studies indicate that the REV-ERBs are potential therapeutic targets for treating sleep problems as those encountered as a consequence of shift work or jet lag. PMID:27603791

  18. Excitation functions of nuclear reactions induced by alpha particles up to 42 MeV on natTi for monitoring purposes and TLA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hermanne, A.; Sonck, M.; Takács, S.; Szelecsényi, F.; Tárkányi, F.

    1999-05-01

    Excitation functions for the reactions induced by alpha particles on natTi foils and leading to the formation of 44m,44g,46,47,48Sc; 48,51Cr and 48V were determined using the stacked foil technique for energies from the respective reaction thresholds up to 42 MeV. The new experimental values are compared to earlier literature values and generally good accordance is found. It appears that the natTi(α,x) 51Cr reaction is particularly useful for monitoring α-beams in the 10-20 MeV region while for energies above 20 MeV the natTi(α,x) 47Sc reaction or the natTi(α,x) 48V reaction are more suited. The excitation functions established can be used to determine calibration curves for thin layer activation (TLA) as well.

  19. Altered Sleep Homeostasis in Rev-erbα Knockout Mice

    PubMed Central

    Mang, Géraldine M.; La Spada, Francesco; Emmenegger, Yann; Chappuis, Sylvie; Ripperger, Jürgen A.; Albrecht, Urs; Franken, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Study Objectives: The nuclear receptor REV-ERBα is a potent, constitutive transcriptional repressor critical for the regulation of key circadian and metabolic genes. Recently, REV-ERBα's involvement in learning, neurogenesis, mood, and dopamine turnover was demonstrated suggesting a specific role in central nervous system functioning. We have previously shown that the brain expression of several core clock genes, including Rev-erbα, is modulated by sleep loss. We here test the consequences of a loss of REV-ERBα on the homeostatic regulation of sleep. Methods: EEG/EMG signals were recorded in Rev-erbα knockout (KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates during baseline, sleep deprivation, and recovery. Cortical gene expression measurements after sleep deprivation were contrasted to baseline. Results: Although baseline sleep/wake duration was remarkably similar, KO mice showed an advance of the sleep/wake distribution relative to the light-dark cycle. After sleep onset in baseline and after sleep deprivation, both EEG delta power (1–4 Hz) and sleep consolidation were reduced in KO mice indicating a slower increase of homeostatic sleep need during wakefulness. This slower increase might relate to the smaller increase in theta and gamma power observed in the waking EEG prior to sleep onset under both conditions. Indeed, the increased theta activity during wakefulness predicted delta power in subsequent NREM sleep. Lack of Rev-erbα increased Bmal1, Npas2, Clock, and Fabp7 expression, confirming the direct regulation of these genes by REV-ERBα also in the brain. Conclusions: Our results add further proof to the notion that clock genes are involved in sleep homeostasis. Because accumulating evidence directly links REV-ERBα to dopamine signaling the altered homeostatic regulation of sleep reported here are discussed in that context. Citation: Mang GM, La Spada F, Emmenegger Y, Chappuis S, Ripperger JA, Albrecht U, Franken P. Altered sleep homeostasis in Rev

  20. The Role of Ubiquitin E3 Ligase SCF-SKP2 in Prostate Cancer Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-02-01

    2004; 303:1371-4. 26. Nag A, Bondar T, Shiv S, Raychaudhuri P. The xeroderma pigmentosum group E gene product DDB2 is a specific target of cullin 4A...ubiquitin ligases. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2005; 6:9-20. 2. Nag A, Bondar T, Shiv S, Raychaudhuri P. The xeroderma pigmentosum group E gene product DDB2 is... xeroderma pigmentosum group E patient and the subsequent inability to bind DDB1 (ref. 16). This motif is present in most of the WDR proteins we found (see

  1. The NatCarb geoportal: Linking distributed data from the Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, T.R.; Rich, P.M.; Bartley, J.D.

    2007-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships are generating the data for a "carbon atlas" of key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential sinks, etc.) required for rapid implementation of carbon sequestration on a broad scale. The NATional CARBon Sequestration Database and Geographic Information System (NatCarb) provides Web-based, nation-wide data access. Distributed computing solutions link partnerships and other publicly accessible repositories of geological, geophysical, natural resource, infrastructure, and environmental data. Data are maintained and enhanced locally, but assembled and accessed through a single geoportal. NatCarb, as a first attempt at a national carbon cyberinfrastructure (NCCI), assembles the data required to address technical and policy challenges of carbon capture and storage. We present a path forward to design and implement a comprehensive and successful NCCI. ?? 2007 The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Altered Sleep Homeostasis in Rev-erbα Knockout Mice.

    PubMed

    Mang, Géraldine M; La Spada, Francesco; Emmenegger, Yann; Chappuis, Sylvie; Ripperger, Jürgen A; Albrecht, Urs; Franken, Paul

    2016-03-01

    The nuclear receptor REV-ERBα is a potent, constitutive transcriptional repressor critical for the regulation of key circadian and metabolic genes. Recently, REV-ERBα's involvement in learning, neurogenesis, mood, and dopamine turnover was demonstrated suggesting a specific role in central nervous system functioning. We have previously shown that the brain expression of several core clock genes, including Rev-erbα, is modulated by sleep loss. We here test the consequences of a loss of REV-ERBα on the homeostatic regulation of sleep. EEG/EMG signals were recorded in Rev-erbα knockout (KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates during baseline, sleep deprivation, and recovery. Cortical gene expression measurements after sleep deprivation were contrasted to baseline. Although baseline sleep/wake duration was remarkably similar, KO mice showed an advance of the sleep/wake distribution relative to the light-dark cycle. After sleep onset in baseline and after sleep deprivation, both EEG delta power (1-4 Hz) and sleep consolidation were reduced in KO mice indicating a slower increase of homeostatic sleep need during wakefulness. This slower increase might relate to the smaller increase in theta and gamma power observed in the waking EEG prior to sleep onset under both conditions. Indeed, the increased theta activity during wakefulness predicted delta power in subsequent NREM sleep. Lack of Rev-erbα increased Bmal1, Npas2, Clock, and Fabp7 expression, confirming the direct regulation of these genes by REV-ERBα also in the brain. Our results add further proof to the notion that clock genes are involved in sleep homeostasis. Because accumulating evidence directly links REV-ERBα to dopamine signaling the altered homeostatic regulation of sleep reported here are discussed in that context. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  3. Toxicokinetics of novel psychoactive substances: characterization of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) isoenzymes involved in the phase II metabolism of 2C designer drugs.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Markus R; Robert, Anja; Maurer, Hans H

    2014-06-05

    The 2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine-derived designer drugs (so-called "2Cs") recently became of great importance on the illicit drug market as stimulating hallucinogens. They are distributed and consumed as "novel psychoactive substances" (NPS) without any safety testing at the forefront. As previous studies have shown, the 2Cs are mainly metabolized by O-demethylation, N-acetylation, or deamination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of the recombinant human N-acetyltransferase (NAT) isoforms 1 and 2 in the phase II metabolism of 2Cs. For these studies, cDNA-expressed recombinant human NATs were used and formation of metabolites after incubation was measured using GC-MS. NAT2 could be shown to be the only isoform catalyzing the reaction in vitro, hence it should be the only relevant enzyme for in vivo acetylation. In general, all metabolite formation reactions followed classic Michaelis-Menten kinetics and the affinity to human NAT2 was increasing with the volume of the 4-substituent. In consequence, a slow acetylator phenotype or inhibition of NAT2 could lead to decreased N-acetylation and might lead to an increased risk of side effects caused by these novel psychoactive substances. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. PSA-Based Screening Outcomes, Dietary Heterocyclic Amine Exposure, and Prostate Cancer Risk in African-Americans

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    associated micronutrients , and risk of prostate cancer. Epidemiol. Rev. 2001a: 23: 82-86. Chan J., and Giovannucci E. Dairy products, calcium, and...118. Chan J., and Giovannucci E. Vegetables, fruits, associated micronutrients , and risk of prostate cancer. Epidemiol. Rev. 2001a: 23: 82-86...Chan J., and Giovannucci E. Dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D, and risk of prostate cancer. Epidemiol. Rev. 2001b: 23: 87-92. Cohen J.H., Kristal

  5. Evaluation of the Procleix Ultrio Elite Assay and the Panther-System for Individual NAT Screening of Blood, Hematopoietic Stem Cell, Tissue and Organ Donors

    PubMed Central

    Heim, Albert

    2016-01-01

    Summary Background The performance of the multiplex Procleix Ultrio Elite assay as individual donor nucleic acid test (ID-NAT) for the detection of HIV-1, HIV-2, HCV, and HBV was evaluated in a retrospective, single center study. Methods ID-NAT results of 21,181 blood donors, 984 tissue donors, 293 hematopoietic stem cell donors and 4 organ donors were reviewed in synopsis with results of serological screening and additional discriminatory and repetitive NAT in case of positive donors. Results Specificity of the initial Procleix Ultrio Elite assay was 99.98% and after discriminatory testing 100.00%. Initially invalid results were observed in 75 of 21,181 blood donors (0.35%) but 16 of 984 tissue donors (1.62%, p < 0.001) which included non-heart-beating (‘cadaveric’) donors. All these had valid negative ID-NAT results after repeated testing or testing of 1:5 diluted specimens in case of tissue donors. Occult hepatitis B (defined here as HBV DNAemia without HBsAg detection) was demonstrated by ID-NAT in two anti-HBc-positive tissue donors and suspected in two other tissue donors, where a definite diagnosis was not achieved due to the insufficient sample volumes available. Conclusion The Procleix Ultrio Elite assay proved to be specific, robust and rapid. Therefore, routine ID-NAT may also be feasible for organ and granulocyte donors. PMID:27403089

  6. Evaluation of the Procleix Ultrio Elite Assay and the Panther-System for Individual NAT Screening of Blood, Hematopoietic Stem Cell, Tissue and Organ Donors.

    PubMed

    Heim, Albert

    2016-05-01

    The performance of the multiplex Procleix Ultrio Elite assay as individual donor nucleic acid test (ID-NAT) for the detection of HIV-1, HIV-2, HCV, and HBV was evaluated in a retrospective, single center study. ID-NAT results of 21,181 blood donors, 984 tissue donors, 293 hematopoietic stem cell donors and 4 organ donors were reviewed in synopsis with results of serological screening and additional discriminatory and repetitive NAT in case of positive donors. Specificity of the initial Procleix Ultrio Elite assay was 99.98% and after discriminatory testing 100.00%. Initially invalid results were observed in 75 of 21,181 blood donors (0.35%) but 16 of 984 tissue donors (1.62%, p < 0.001) which included non-heart-beating ('cadaveric') donors. All these had valid negative ID-NAT results after repeated testing or testing of 1:5 diluted specimens in case of tissue donors. Occult hepatitis B (defined here as HBV DNAemia without HBsAg detection) was demonstrated by ID-NAT in two anti-HBc-positive tissue donors and suspected in two other tissue donors, where a definite diagnosis was not achieved due to the insufficient sample volumes available. The Procleix Ultrio Elite assay proved to be specific, robust and rapid. Therefore, routine ID-NAT may also be feasible for organ and granulocyte donors.

  7. Simulations of the Vertical Redistribution of HNO3 by NAT or NAD PSCs: The Sensitivity to the Number of Cloud Particles Formed and the Cloud Lifetime

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jensen, Eric J.; Tabazadeh, Azadeh; Drdla, Katja; Toon, Owen B.; Gore, Warren J. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Recent satellite and in situ measurements have indicated that limited denitrification can occur in the Arctic stratosphere. In situ measurements from the SOLVE campaign indicate polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) composed of small numbers (about 3 x 10^ -4 cm^-3) of 10-20 micron particles (probably NAT or NAD). These observations raise the issue of whether low number density NAT PSCs can substantially denitrify the air with reasonable cloud lifetimes. In this study, we use a one dimensional cloud model to investigate the verticle redistribution of HNO3 by NAT/NAD PSCs. The cloud formation is driven by a temperature oscillation which drops the temperature below the NAT/NAD formation threshold (about 195 K) for a few days. We assume that a small fraction of the available aerosols act as NAT nuclei when the saturation ratio of HNO3 over NAT(NAD) exceeds 10(l.5). The result is a cloud between about 16 and 20 km in the model, with NAT/NAD particle effective radii as large as about 10 microns (in agreement with the SOLVE data). We find that for typical cloud lifetimes of 2-3 days or less, the net depletion of HNO3 is no more than 1-2 ppbv, regardless of the NAT or NAD particle number density. Repeated passes of the air column through the cold pool build up the denitrification to 3-4 ppbv, and the cloud altitude steadily decreases due to the downward transport of nitric acid. Increasing the cloud lifetime results in considerably more effective denitrification, even with very low cloud particle number densities. As expected, the degree of denitrification by NAT clouds is much larger than that by NAD Clouds. Significant denitrification by NAD Clouds is only possible if the cloud lifetime is several days or more. The clouds also cause a local maximum HNO3 mixing ratio at cloud base where the cloud particles sublimate.

  8. Polymorphisms in xenobiotic metabolizing genes, intakes of heterocyclic amines and red meat, and postmenopausal breast cancer

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hae-Jeung; Wu, Kana; Cox, David G.; Hunter, David; Hankinson, Susan E.; Willett, Walter C.; Sinha, Rashmi; Cho, Eunyoung

    2013-01-01

    Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are mutagenic compounds generated when meats are cooked at high temperature and for long duration. The findings from previous studies on the relation between HCAs and breast cancer are inconsistent, possibly due to genetic variations in the enzymes metabolizing HCAs. To evaluate whether the associations of intakes of estimated HCAs, meat-derived mutagenicity (MDM), and red meat with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer were modified by N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) acetylator genotype or cytochrome P450 1A2 -164 A/C (CYP1A2) polymorphism, we conducted a nested case-control study with 579 cases and 981 controls within a prospective cohort, the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS). HCAs and MDM intakes were derived using a cooking method questionnaire administered in 1996. NAT2 acetylator genotype, the CYP1A2 polymorphism, and intakes of HCAs, MDM, and red meat were not associated with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. There was also no interaction between NAT2 acetylator genotype or CYP1A2 polymorphism and HCAs and MDM and red meat intake in relation to breast cancer. These results do not support the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic enzymes involved in the metabolism of HCAs may modify the associations between intakes of red meat or meat-related mutagens and breast cancer risk. PMID:24099317

  9. Nuclear Export Signal Masking Regulates HIV-1 Rev Trafficking and Viral RNA Nuclear Export.

    PubMed

    Behrens, Ryan T; Aligeti, Mounavya; Pocock, Ginger M; Higgins, Christina A; Sherer, Nathan M

    2017-02-01

    HIV-1's Rev protein forms a homo-oligomeric adaptor complex linking viral RNAs to the cellular CRM1/Ran-GTP nuclear export machinery through the activity of Rev's prototypical leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). In this study, we used a functional fluorescently tagged Rev fusion protein as a platform to study the effects of modulating Rev NES identity, number, position, or strength on Rev subcellular trafficking, viral RNA nuclear export, and infectious virion production. We found that Rev activity was remarkably tolerant of diverse NES sequences, including supraphysiological NES (SNES) peptides that otherwise arrest CRM1 transport complexes at nuclear pores. Rev's ability to tolerate a SNES was both position and multimerization dependent, an observation consistent with a model wherein Rev self-association acts to transiently mask the NES peptide(s), thereby biasing Rev's trafficking into the nucleus. Combined imaging and functional assays also indicated that NES masking underpins Rev's well-known tendency to accumulate at the nucleolus, as well as Rev's capacity to activate optimal levels of late viral gene expression. We propose that Rev multimerization and NES masking regulates Rev's trafficking to and retention within the nucleus even prior to RNA binding. HIV-1 infects more than 34 million people worldwide causing >1 million deaths per year. Infectious virion production is activated by the essential viral Rev protein that mediates nuclear export of intron-bearing late-stage viral mRNAs. Rev's shuttling into and out of the nucleus is regulated by the antagonistic activities of both a peptide-encoded N-terminal nuclear localization signal and C-terminal nuclear export signal (NES). How Rev and related viral proteins balance strong import and export activities in order to achieve optimal levels of viral gene expression is incompletely understood. We provide evidence that multimerization provides a mechanism by which Rev transiently masks its NES peptide

  10. Nuclear Export Signal Masking Regulates HIV-1 Rev Trafficking and Viral RNA Nuclear Export

    PubMed Central

    Behrens, Ryan T.; Aligeti, Mounavya; Pocock, Ginger M.; Higgins, Christina A.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT HIV-1's Rev protein forms a homo-oligomeric adaptor complex linking viral RNAs to the cellular CRM1/Ran-GTP nuclear export machinery through the activity of Rev's prototypical leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). In this study, we used a functional fluorescently tagged Rev fusion protein as a platform to study the effects of modulating Rev NES identity, number, position, or strength on Rev subcellular trafficking, viral RNA nuclear export, and infectious virion production. We found that Rev activity was remarkably tolerant of diverse NES sequences, including supraphysiological NES (SNES) peptides that otherwise arrest CRM1 transport complexes at nuclear pores. Rev's ability to tolerate a SNES was both position and multimerization dependent, an observation consistent with a model wherein Rev self-association acts to transiently mask the NES peptide(s), thereby biasing Rev's trafficking into the nucleus. Combined imaging and functional assays also indicated that NES masking underpins Rev's well-known tendency to accumulate at the nucleolus, as well as Rev's capacity to activate optimal levels of late viral gene expression. We propose that Rev multimerization and NES masking regulates Rev's trafficking to and retention within the nucleus even prior to RNA binding. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 infects more than 34 million people worldwide causing >1 million deaths per year. Infectious virion production is activated by the essential viral Rev protein that mediates nuclear export of intron-bearing late-stage viral mRNAs. Rev's shuttling into and out of the nucleus is regulated by the antagonistic activities of both a peptide-encoded N-terminal nuclear localization signal and C-terminal nuclear export signal (NES). How Rev and related viral proteins balance strong import and export activities in order to achieve optimal levels of viral gene expression is incompletely understood. We provide evidence that multimerization provides a mechanism by which Rev transiently masks

  11. Significance of the genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 and NAT2 in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

    PubMed

    Dudarewicz, Michał; Rychlik-Sych, Mariola; Barańska, Małgorzata; Wojtczak, Anna; Trzciński, Radzisław; Dziki, Adam; Skrętkowicz, Jadwiga

    2014-08-01

    The main types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). There is evidence that, in addition to immunological and environmental factors, genetic factors also play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD. Determination of polymorphism of CYP2D6 and NAT2 genes encoding I and II phase enzymes of xenobiotic biotransformation may have clinical value as an indicator of individual predisposition to diseases, and also contribute to effective and safe pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 and NAT2 and the incidence of IBD, including UC and CD, among inhabitants of central Poland. The study was performed in 258 individuals from central Poland (115 patients with IBD, including 65 patients with UC and 50 with CD; and in 143 healthy controls). The CYP2D6 genotypes of oxidation and NAT2 genotypes of acetylation were analyzed using the PCR-RFLP method. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of the CYP2D6 genotypes and alleles in patients with IBD, UC and CD in comparison with the control group. The relative risk (OR) of IBD, UC and CD was higher in carriers of the allele NAT2*7 and was OR=3.49 (p=0.0019), OR=3.86 (p=0.0019), and OR=3.02 (p=0.0247), respectively. Polymorphism of the gene encoding CYP2D6 does not affect the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases. The carriers of the NAT2*7 allele which determines slow acetylation may be more predisposed to inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  12. Evaluation of Quality of Life Following Placement of Self-Expanding Plastic Stents as a Bridge to Surgery in Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy for Esophageal Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Cannon, Robert M.; Brown, Russell E.; Ellis, Susan F.; Williams, Sharon; Scoggins, C.R.; Abbas, Abbas E.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose. To determine whether self-expanding plastic stent (SEPS) placement significantly improves quality of life and maintains optimal nutrition while allowing full-dose neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with esophageal cancer. Patients and Methods. A prospective, dual-institution, single-arm, phase II (http://ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00727376) evaluation of esophageal cancer patients undergoing NAT prior to resection. All patients had a self-expanding polymer stent placed prior to NAT. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Anorexia, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General surveys were administered prior to stenting, within 1 week post-stent placement, and at the completion of neoadjuvant therapy. Results. Fifty-two patients were enrolled; 3 (5.8%) had stent migrations requiring replacement. There were no instances of esophageal erosion or perforation. All patients received some form of neoadjuvant therapy. Thirty-six (69%) received chemoradiation; 34 (93%) of these patients received the planned dose of chemotherapy, and 27 (75%) received the full planned dose of radiotherapy. There were 16 (31%) patients receiving chemotherapy alone; 12 (74%) of patients in the chemotherapy-alone group completed the planned dose of therapy. Conclusion. Placement of SEPS appears to provide significant improvement in quality of life related to dysphagia and eating restriction in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. Consideration of SEPS instead of percutaneous feeding tube should be initiated as a first line in dysphagia palliation and NAT nutritional support. PMID:24567281

  13. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene polymorphism as a predisposing factor for phenytoin intoxication in tuberculous meningitis or tuberculoma patients having seizures - A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Adole, Prashant S; Kharbanda, Parampreet S; Sharma, Sadhna

    2016-05-01

    Simultaneous administration of phenytoin and isoniazid (INH) in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) or tuberculoma patients with seizures results in higher plasma phenytoin level and thus phenytoin intoxication. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzyme catalyses two acetylation reactions in INH metabolism and NAT2 gene polymorphism leads to slow and rapid acetylators. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of allelic variants of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene as a predisposing factor for phenytoin toxicity in patients with TBM or tuberculoma having seizures, and taking INH and phenytoin simultaneously. Sixty patients with TBM or tuberculoma with seizures and taking INH and phenytoin simultaneously for a minimum period of seven days were included in study. Plasma phenytoin was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. NAT2 gene polymorphism was studied using restriction fragment length polymorphism and allele specific PCR. The patients were grouped into those having phenytoin intoxication and those with normal phenytoin level, and also classified as rapid or slow acetylators by NAT2 genotyping. Genotypic analysis showed that of the seven SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) of NAT2 gene studied, six mutations were found to be associated with phenytoin intoxication. For rs1041983 (C282T), rs1799929 (C481T), rs1799931 (G857A), rs1799930 (G590A), rs1208 (A803G) and rs1801280 (T341C) allelic variants, the proportion of homozygous mutant was higher in phenytoin intoxicated group than in phenytoin non-intoxicated group. Homozygous mutant allele of NAT2 gene at 481site may act as a predisposing factor for phenytoin intoxication among TBM or tuberculoma patients having seizures.

  14. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene polymorphism as a predisposing factor for phenytoin intoxication in tuberculous meningitis or tuberculoma patients having seizures - A pilot study

    PubMed Central

    Adole, Prashant S.; Kharbanda, Parampreet S.; Sharma, Sadhna

    2016-01-01

    Background & objectives: Simultaneous administration of phenytoin and isoniazid (INH) in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) or tuberculoma patients with seizures results in higher plasma phenytoin level and thus phenytoin intoxication. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzyme catalyses two acetylation reactions in INH metabolism and NAT2 gene polymorphism leads to slow and rapid acetylators. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of allelic variants of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene as a predisposing factor for phenytoin toxicity in patients with TBM or tuberculoma having seizures, and taking INH and phenytoin simultaneously. Methods: Sixty patients with TBM or tuberculoma with seizures and taking INH and phenytoin simultaneously for a minimum period of seven days were included in study. Plasma phenytoin was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. NAT2 gene polymorphism was studied using restriction fragment length polymorphism and allele specific PCR. Results: The patients were grouped into those having phenytoin intoxication and those with normal phenytoin level, and also classified as rapid or slow acetylators by NAT2 genotyping. Genotypic analysis showed that of the seven SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) of NAT2 gene studied, six mutations were found to be associated with phenytoin intoxication. For rs1041983 (C282T), rs1799929 (C481T), rs1799931 (G857A), rs1799930 (G590A), rs1208 (A803G) and rs1801280 (T341C) allelic variants, the proportion of homozygous mutant was higher in phenytoin intoxicated group than in phenytoin non-intoxicated group. Interpretation & conclusions: Homozygous mutant allele of NAT2 gene at 481site may act as a predisposing factor for phenytoin intoxication among TBM or tuberculoma patients having seizures. PMID:27488001

  15. Structure and function of human Naa60 (NatF), a Golgi-localized bi-functional acetyltransferase

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Ji-Yun; Liu, Liang; Cao, Chun-Ling; ...

    2016-08-23

    N-terminal acetylation (Nt-acetylation), carried out by N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs), is a conserved and primary modification of nascent peptide chains. Naa60 (also named NatF) is a recently identified NAT found only in multicellular eukaryotes. This protein was shown to locate on the Golgi apparatus and mainly catalyze the Nt-acetylation of transmembrane proteins, and it also harbors lysine Nε -acetyltransferase (KAT) activity to catalyze the acetylation of lysine ε-amine. Here, we report the crystal structures of human Naa60 (hNaa60) in complex with Acetyl-Coenzyme A (Ac-CoA) or Coenzyme A (CoA). The hNaa60 protein contains an amphipathic helix following its GNAT domain that maymore » contribute to Golgi localization of hNaa60, and the β7-β8 hairpin adopted different conformations in the hNaa60(1-242) and hNaa60(1-199) crystal structures. Remarkably, we found that the side-chain of Phe 34 can influence the position of the coenzyme, indicating a new regulatory mechanism involving enzyme, co-factor and substrates interactions. Moreover, structural comparison and biochemical studies indicated that Tyr 97 and His 138 are key residues for catalytic reaction and that a non-conserved β3-β4 long loop participates in the regulation of hNaa60 activity.« less

  16. RNA helicase MOV10 functions as a co-factor of HIV-1 Rev to facilitate Rev/RRE-dependent nuclear export of viral mRNAs.

    PubMed

    Huang, Feng; Zhang, Junsong; Zhang, Yijun; Geng, Guannan; Liang, Juanran; Li, Yingniang; Chen, Jingliang; Liu, Chao; Zhang, Hui

    2015-12-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exploits multiple host factors during its replication. The REV/RRE-dependent nuclear export of unspliced/partially spliced viral transcripts needs the assistance of host proteins. Recent studies have shown that MOV10 overexpression inhibited HIV-1 replication at various steps. However, the endogenous MOV10 was required in certain step(s) of HIV-1 replication. In this report, we found that MOV10 potently enhances the nuclear export of viral mRNAs and subsequently increases the expression of Gag protein and other late products through affecting the Rev/RRE axis. The co-immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that MOV10 interacts with Rev in an RNA-independent manner. The DEAG-box of MOV10 was required for the enhancement of Rev/RRE-dependent nuclear export and the DEAG-box mutant showed a dominant-negative activity. Our data propose that HIV-1 utilizes the anti-viral factor MOV10 to function as a co-factor of Rev and demonstrate the complicated effects of MOV10 on HIV-1 life cycle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Interaction between the Rev1 C-terminal Domain and the PolD3 Subunit of Polζ Suggests a Mechanism of Polymerase Exchange upon Rev1/Polζ-Dependent Translesion Synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Pustovalova, Yulia; Magalhães, Mariana T. Q.; D’Souza, Sanjay; Rizzo, Alessandro A.; Korza, George; Walker, Graham C.; Korzhnev, Dmitry M.

    2016-01-01

    Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a mutagenic branch of cellular DNA damage tolerance that enables bypass replication over DNA lesions carried out by specialized low-fidelity DNA polymerases. The replicative bypass of most types of DNA damage is performed in a two-step process of Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS. In the first step, a Y-family TLS enzyme, typically Polη, Polι or Polκ, inserts a nucleotide across DNA lesion. In the second step, a four-subunit B-family DNA polymerase Polζ (Rev3/Rev7/PolD2/PolD3 complex) extends the distorted DNA primer-template. The coordinated action of error-prone TLS enzymes is regulated through their interactions with the two scaffold proteins, the sliding clamp PCNA and the TLS polymerase Rev1. Rev1 interactions with all other TLS enzymes are mediated by its C-terminal domain (Rev1-CT), which can simultaneously bind the Rev7 subunit of Polζ and Rev1-interacting regions (RIRs) from Polη, Polι or Polκ. In this work, we identified a previously unknown RIR motif in the C-terminal part of PolD3 subunit of Polζ whose interaction with the Rev1-CT is among the tightest mediated by RIR motifs. Three-dimensional structure of the Rev1-CT/PolD3-RIR complex determined by NMR spectroscopy revealed a structural basis for the relatively high affinity of this interaction. The unexpected discovery of PolD3-RIR motif suggests a mechanism of 'inserter' to 'extender' DNA polymerase switch upon Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS, in which the PolD3-RIR binding to the Rev1-CT (i) helps displace the 'inserter' Polη, Polι or Polκ from its complex with Rev1, and (ii) facilitates assembly of the four-subunit 'extender' Polζ through simultaneous interaction of Rev1-CT with Rev7 and PolD3 subunits. PMID:26982350

  18. An assessment of differences in costs and health benefits of serology and NAT screening of donations for blood transfusion in different Western countries.

    PubMed

    Janssen, M P; van Hulst, M; Custer, B

    2017-08-01

    The cost-utility of safety interventions is becoming increasingly important as a driver of implementation decisions. The aim of this study was to compare the cost-utility of different blood screening strategies in various settings, and to analyse the extent and cause of differences in health economic results. For eight Western countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, The Netherlands, UK and the United States of America), data were collected on donor and recipient populations, blood products, screening tests, and on patient treatment practices and costs. An existing ISBT web-tool model was used to assess the cost-utility of various strategies for HIV, HCV and HBV screening. The cost-utility ratio of serology screening for these eight countries ranges between -11 000 and 92 000 US$ per QALY, and for NAT between -12 000 and 113 000 US$ per QALY when compared to no screening. Combined serology and NAT ranges between 600 and 217 000 US$ per QALY. The incremental cost-utility of NAT after implementation of serology screening ranges from 2 231 000 to 15 778 000 US$ per QALY. There are substantial differences in costs per QALY between countries for various HIV, HBV and HCV screening strategies. These differences are primarily caused by costs of screening tests and infection rates in the donor population. Within each country, similar cost per QALY results for serology and NAT compared to no screening, coupled with evidence of limited value of serology and NAT together prompts the need for further discussion on the acceptability of parallel testing by serology and NAT. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  19. Use of Bifunctional Immunotherapeutic Agents to Target Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-07-01

    Science 270, 1500–1502. 32. Pasqualini , R., Koivunen, E., and Ruoslahti, E. (1997) v integrins as receptors for tumor targeting by circulating ligands...Nat. Biotech- nol. 15, 542–546. 33. Arap, W., Pasqualini , R., and Ruoslahti, E. (1998) Cancer treatment by targeted drug delivery to tumor...Cancer Res. 2, 663–673. 47. Arap, W., Pasqualini , R., and Ruoslahti, E. (1998) Cancer treatment by targeted drug delivery to tumor vasculature in a

  20. Molecular Determinants and Clinical Implications of Breast Cancer Dormancy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    repair mediates resistance of hair follicle bulge stem cells to DNA-damage- induced cell death. Nat Cell Biol 2010; 12: 572–582. 7. Chiruvella KK1...on the role of cellular dormancy in promoting cancer aggressiveness and drug resistance in recurred breast cancer. We aimed to determine the impact...period, we have successfully established a reliable in vitro breast cancer dormancy cell model. Using this model, we tested and confirmed the

  1. No Association Between Variant N-acetyltransferase Genes, Cigarette Smoking and Prostate Cancer Susceptibility Among Men of African Descent

    PubMed Central

    Kidd, La Creis Renee; VanCleave, Tiva T.; Doll, Mark A.; Srivastava, Daya S.; Thacker, Brandon; Komolafe, Oyeyemi; Pihur, Vasyl; Brock, Guy N.; Hein, David W.

    2011-01-01

    Objective We evaluated the individual and combination effects of NAT1, NAT2 and tobacco smoking in a case-control study of 219 incident prostate cancer (PCa) cases and 555 disease-free men. Methods Allelic discriminations for 15 NAT1 and NAT2 loci were detected in germ-line DNA samples using Taqman polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Single gene, gene-gene and gene-smoking interactions were analyzed using logistic regression models and multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) adjusted for age and subpopulation stratification. MDR involves a rigorous algorithm that has ample statistical power to assess and visualize gene-gene and gene-environment interactions using relatively small samples sizes (i.e., 200 cases and 200 controls). Results Despite the relatively high prevalence of NAT1*10/*10 (40.1%), NAT2 slow (30.6%), and NAT2 very slow acetylator genotypes (10.1%) among our study participants, these putative risk factors did not individually or jointly increase PCa risk among all subjects or a subset analysis restricted to tobacco smokers. Conclusion Our data do not support the use of N-acetyltransferase genetic susceptibilities as PCa risk factors among men of African descent; however, subsequent studies in larger sample populations are needed to confirm this finding. PMID:21709725

  2. Transfusion-Transmitted Hepatitis E: NAT Screening of Blood Donations and Infectious Dose.

    PubMed

    Dreier, Jens; Knabbe, Cornelius; Vollmer, Tanja

    2018-01-01

    The risk and importance of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E virus (TT-HEV) infections by contaminated blood products is currently a controversial discussed topic in transfusion medicine. The infectious dose, in particular, remains an unknown quantity. In the present study, we illuminate and review this aspect seen from the viewpoint of a blood donation service with more than 2 years of experience in routine HEV blood donor screening. We systematically review the actual status of presently known cases of TT-HEV infections and available routine NAT-screening assays. The review of the literature revealed a significant variation regarding the infectious dose causing hepatitis E. We also present the outcome of six cases confronted with HEV-contaminated blood products, identified by routine HEV RNA screening of minipools using the highly sensitive RealStar HEV RT-PCR Kit (95% LOD: 4.7 IU/mL). Finally, the distribution of viral RNA in different blood components [plasma, red blood cell concentrate (RBC), platelet concentrates (PC)] was quantified using the first WHO international standard for HEV RNA for NAT-based assays. None of the six patients receiving an HEV-contaminated blood product from five different donors (donor 1: RBC, donor 2-5: APC) developed an acute hepatitis E infection, most likely due to low viral load in donor plasma (<100 IU/mL). Of note, the distribution of viral RNA in blood components depends on the plasma content of the component; nonetheless, HEV RNA could be detected in RBCs even when low viral plasma loads of 100-1,000 IU/mL are present. Comprehensive retrospective studies of TT-HEV infection offered further insights into the infectivity of HEV RNA-positive blood products. Minipool HEV NAT screening (96 samples) of blood donations should be adequate as a routine screening assay to identify high viremic donors and will cover at least a large part of viremic phases.

  3. Detection of spallation neutrons and protons using the (nat)Cd activation technique in transmutation experiments at Dubna.

    PubMed

    Manolopoulou, M; Stoulos, S; Fragopoulou, M; Brandt, R; Westmeier, W; Krivopustov, M; Sosnin, A; Zamani, M

    2006-07-01

    Various spallation sources have been used to transmute long-lived radioactive waste, mostly making use of the wide energy neutron fluence. In addition to neutrons, a large number of protons and gamma rays are also emitted from these sources. In this paper (nat)Cd is proved to be a useful activation detector for determining both thermal-epithermal neutron as well as secondary proton fluences. The fluences measured with (nat)Cd compared with other experimental data and calculations of DCM-DEM code were found to be in reasonable agreement. An accumulation of thermal-epithermal neutrons around the center of the target (i.e. after approx. 10 cm) and of secondary protons towards the end of the target is observed.

  4. Tamavidin 2-REV: an engineered tamavidin with reversible biotin-binding capability.

    PubMed

    Takakura, Yoshimitsu; Sofuku, Kozue; Tsunashima, Masako

    2013-03-10

    A biotin-binding protein with reversible biotin-binding capability is of great technical value in the affinity purification of biotinylated biomolecules. Although several proteins, chemically or genetically modified from avidin or streptavidin, with reversible biotin-binding have been reported, they have been problematic in one way or another. Tamavidin 2 is a fungal protein similar to avidin and streptavidin in biotin-binding. Here, a mutein, tamavidin 2-REV, was engineered from tamavidin 2 by replacing the serine at position 36 (S36) with alanine. S36 is thought to form a hydrogen bond with biotin in tamavidin 2/biotin complexes and two hydrogen bonds with V38 within the protein. Tamavidin 2-REV bound to biotin-agarose and was eluted with excess free biotin at a neutral pH. In addition, the model substrate biotinylated bovine serum albumin was efficiently purified from a crude extract from Escherichia coli by means of single-step affinity chromatography with tamavidin 2-REV-immobilized resin. Tamavidin 2-REV thus demonstrated reversible biotin-binding capability. The Kd value of tamavidin 2-REV to biotin was 2.8-4.4×10(-7)M.Tamavidin 2-REV retained other convenient characteristics of tamavidin 2, such as high-level expression in E. coli, resistance to proteases, and a neutral isoelectric point, demonstrating that tamavidin 2-REV is a powerful tool for the purification of biotinylated biomolecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Infrared spectroscopic characterization of dehydration and accompanying phase transition behaviors in NAT-topology zeolites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Hsiu-Wen; Bishop, David

    2012-01-01

    Relative humidity (PH2O, partial pressure of water)-dependent dehydration and accompanying phase transitions in NAT-topology zeolites (natrolite, scolecite, and mesolite) were studied under controlled temperature and known PH2O conditions by in situ diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and parallel X-ray powder diffraction. Dehydration was characterized by the disappearance of internal H2O vibrational modes. The loss of H2O molecules caused a sequence of structural transitions in which the host framework transformation path was coupled primarily via the thermal motion of guest Na?/Ca2? cations and H2O molecules. The observation of different interactions of H2O molecules and Na?/Ca2? cations with host aluminosilicate frameworks undermore » highand low-PH2O conditions indicated the development of different local strain fields, arising from cation H2O interactions in NAT-type channels. These strain fields influence the Si O/Al O bond strength and tilting angles within and between tetrahedra as the dehydration temperature is approached. The newly observed infrared bands (at 2,139 cm-1 in natrolite, 2,276 cm-1 in scolecite, and 2,176 and 2,259 cm-1 in mesolite) result from strong cation H2O Al Si framework interactions in NAT-type channels, and these bands can be used to evaluate the energetic evolution of Na?/Ca2? cations before and after phase transitions, especially for scolecite and mesolite. The 2,176 and 2,259 cm-1 absorption bands in mesolite also appear to be related to Na?/Ca2? order disorder that occur when mesolite loses its Ow4 H2O molecules.« less

  6. Mutational definition of functional domains within the Rev homolog encoded by human endogenous retrovirus K.

    PubMed

    Bogerd, H P; Wiegand, H L; Yang, J; Cullen, B R

    2000-10-01

    Nuclear export of the incompletely spliced mRNAs encoded by several complex retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), is dependent on a virally encoded adapter protein, termed Rev in HIV-1, that directly binds both to a cis-acting viral RNA target site and to the cellular Crm1 export factor. Human endogenous retrovirus K, a family of ancient endogenous retroviruses that is not related to the exogenous retrovirus HIV-1, was recently shown to also encode a Crm1-dependent nuclear RNA export factor, termed K-Rev. Although HIV-1 Rev and K-Rev display little sequence identity, they share the ability not only to bind to Crm1 and to RNA but also to form homomultimers and shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm. We have used mutational analysis to identify sequences in the 105-amino-acid K-Rev protein required for each of these distinct biological activities. While mutations in K-Rev that inactivate any one of these properties also blocked K-Rev-dependent nuclear RNA export, several K-Rev mutants were comparable to wild type when assayed for any of these individual activities yet nevertheless defective for RNA export. Although several nonfunctional K-Rev mutants acted as dominant negative inhibitors of K-Rev-, but not HIV-1 Rev-, dependent RNA export, these were not defined by their inability to bind to Crm1, as is seen with HIV-1 Rev. In total, this analysis suggests a functional architecture for K-Rev that is similar to, but distinct from, that described for HIV-1 Rev and raises the possibility that viral RNA export mediated by the approximately 25 million-year-old K-Rev protein may require an additional cellular cofactor that is not required for HIV-1 Rev function.

  7. Arylamine N-acetyltransferases: from drug metabolism and pharmacogenetics to drug discovery

    PubMed Central

    Sim, E; Abuhammad, A; Ryan, A

    2014-01-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are polymorphic drug-metabolizing enzymes, acetylating arylamine carcinogens and drugs including hydralazine and sulphonamides. The slow NAT phenotype increases susceptibility to hydralazine and isoniazid toxicity and to occupational bladder cancer. The two polymorphic human NAT loci show linkage disequilibrium. All mammalian Nat genes have an intronless open reading frame and non-coding exons. The human gene products NAT1 and NAT2 have distinct substrate specificities: NAT2 acetylates hydralazine and human NAT1 acetylates p-aminosalicylate (p-AS) and the folate catabolite para-aminobenzoylglutamate (p-abaglu). Human NAT2 is mainly in liver and gut. Human NAT1 and its murine homologue are in many adult tissues and in early embryos. Human NAT1 is strongly expressed in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and may contribute to folate and acetyl CoA homeostasis. NAT enzymes act through a catalytic triad of Cys, His and Asp with the architecture of the active site-modulating specificity. Polymorphisms may cause unfolded protein. The C-terminus helps bind acetyl CoA and differs among NATs including prokaryotic homologues. NAT in Salmonella typhimurium supports carcinogen activation and NAT in mycobacteria metabolizes isoniazid with polymorphism a minor factor in isoniazid resistance. Importantly, nat is in a gene cluster essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis survival inside macrophages. NAT inhibitors are a starting point for novel anti-tuberculosis drugs. Human NAT1-specific inhibitors may act in biomarker detection in breast cancer and in cancer therapy. NAT inhibitors for co-administration with 5-aminosalicylate (5-AS) in inflammatory bowel disease has prompted ongoing investigations of azoreductases in gut bacteria which release 5-AS from prodrugs including balsalazide. PMID:24467436

  8. Immunotherapies in transplantation and cancer: 22nd NAT meeting/2nd NAT LabEx IGO joint meeting; 1-2 June 2017, Nantes, France.

    PubMed

    Simon, Sylvain; Charpentier, Maud; Anegon, Ignacio; Labarriere, Nathalie

    2017-09-01

    This 22nd edition of the Nantes Actualités Transplantation annual meeting was co-organized for the second time with the LabEx Immuno-Graft Oncology network. This international meeting was held on 1 and 2 June 2017 in Nantes (western France). The topic of this 2-day meeting was 'Immunotherapies in transplantation and cancer'. This meeting brought together 17 international invited speakers, young researchers and 220 attendees mainly from Europe and North America. It was a unique opportunity to bring together the pioneers and leading immunologists in the fields of transplantation and cancer, focusing on shared mechanisms that control immune responses in organ or bone marrow transplantation and in cancer.

  9. Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Fleet Revs up With Natural Gas

    Science.gov Websites

    New Hampshire Fleet Revs up With Natural Gas to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Fleet Revs up With Natural Gas on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Fleet Revs up With Natural Gas on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center

  10. The translesion polymerase Rev3L in the tolerance of alkylating anticancer drugs.

    PubMed

    Roos, Wynand Paul; Tsaalbi-Shtylik, Anastasia; Tsaryk, Roman; Güvercin, Fatma; de Wind, Niels; Kaina, Bernd

    2009-10-01

    Temozolomide and fotemustine, representing methylating and chloroethylating agents, respectively, are used in the treatment of glioma and malignant melanoma. Because chemoresistance of these tumors is a common phenomenon, identification of the underlying mechanisms is needed. Here we show that Rev3L, the catalytic subunit of the translesion DNA polymerase zeta, mediates resistance to both temozolomide and fotemustine. Rev3L knockout cells are hypersensitive to both agents. It is remarkable that cells heterozygous for Rev3L showed an intermediate sensitivity. Rev3L is not involved in the tolerance of the toxic O6-methylguanine lesion. However, a possible role of Rev3L in the tolerance of O6-chloroethylguanine or the subsequently formed N1-guanine-N3-cytosine interstrand cross-link is shown. Rev3L had no influence on base excision repair (BER) of the N-alkylation lesions but is very likely to be involved in the tolerance of N-alkylations or apurinic/apyrimidinic sites originating from them. We also show that Rev3L exerts its protective effect in replicating cells and that loss of Rev3L leads to a significant increase in DNA double-strand breaks after temozolomide and fotemustine treatment. These data show that Rev3L contributes to temozolomide and fotemustine resistance, thus acting in concert with O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, BER, mismatch repair, and double-strand break repair in defense against simple alkylating anticancer drugs.

  11. Structural Basis for the Interaction of Mutasome Assembly Factor REV1 with Ubiquitin.

    PubMed

    Cui, Gaofeng; Botuyan, Maria Victoria; Mer, Georges

    2018-05-18

    REV1 is an evolutionarily conserved translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase and an assembly factor key for the recruitment of other TLS polymerases to DNA damage sites. REV1-mediated recognition of ubiquitin in the proliferative cell nuclear antigen is thought to be the trigger for TLS activation. Here we report the solution NMR structure of a 108-residue fragment of human REV1 encompassing the two putative ubiquitin-binding motifs UBM1 and UBM2 in complex with ubiquitin. While in mammals UBM1 and UBM2 are both required for optimal association of REV1 with replication factories after DNA damage, we show that only REV1 UBM2 binds ubiquitin. Structure-guided mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae further highlights the importance of UBM2 for REV1-mediated mutagenesis and DNA damage tolerance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Optical Measurement and Modeling of Interactions between Two Hole Spins or Two Electron Spins in Coupled InAs Quantum Dots

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-12

    Loss, Phys. Rev. B 62, 2581 (2000). [10] R. I. Dzhioev, K.V. Kavokin, V. L. Korenev , M.V. Lazarev, B.Y. Meltser, M.N. Stepanova, B. P. Zakharchenya... Korenev , T. L. Reinecke, and D. Gammon, Phys. Rev. B 75, 245318 (2007). [12] D. Kim, S. G. Carter, A. Greilich, A. S. Bracker, and D. Gammon, Nat. Phys. 7...I. V. Ponomarev, E. A. Stinaff, A. S. Bracker, V. L. Korenev , T. L. Reinecke, and D. Gammon, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 197202 (2006). [30] W. Liu, S

  13. Molecular basis of essential amino acid transport from studies of insect nutrient amino acid transporters of the SLC6 family (NAT-SLC6)

    PubMed Central

    Boudko, Dmitri Y.

    2012-01-01

    Two protein families that represent major components of essential amino acid transport in insects have been identified. They are annotated as the SLC6 and SLC7 families of transporters according to phylogenetic proximity to characterized amino acid transporters (HUGO nomenclature). Members of these families have been identified as important apical and basolateral parts of transepithelial essential amino acid absorption in the metazoan alimentary canal. Synergistically, they play critical physiological roles as essential substrate providers to diverse metabolic processes, including generic protein synthesis. This review briefly clarifies the requirements for amino acid transport and a variety of amino acid transport mechanisms, including the aforementioned families. Further it focuses on the large group of Nutrient Amino acid Transporters (NATs), which comprise a recently identified subfamily of the Neurotransmitter Sodium Symporter family (NSS or SLC6). The first insect NAT, cloned from the caterpillar gut, has a broad substrate spectrum similar to mammalian B0 transporters. Several new NAT-SLC6 members have been characterized in an effort to explore mechanisms for the essential amino acid absorption in model dipteran insects. The identification and functional characterization of new B0-like and narrow specificity transporters of essential amino acids in fruit fly and mosquitoes leads to a fundamentally important insight: that NATs evolved and act together as the integrated active core of a transport network that mediates active alimentary absorption and systemic distribution of essential amino acids. This role of NATs is projected from the most primitive prokaryotes to the most complex metazoan organisms, and represents an interesting platform for unraveling the molecular evolution of amino acid transport and modeling amino acid transport disorders. The comparative study of NATs elucidates important adaptive differences between essential amino acid transportomes

  14. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT2) mutations and their allelic linkage in unrelated caucasian individuals: Correlation with phenotypic activity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cascorbi, I.; Drakoulis, N.; Brockmoeller, J.

    1995-09-01

    The polymorphic arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT2; EC2.3.1.5) is supposed to be a susceptibility factor for several drug side effects and certain malignancies. A group of 844 unrelated German subjects was genotyped for their acetylation type, and 563 of them were also phenotyped. Seven mutations of the NAT2 gene were evaluated by allele-specific PCR (mutation 341C to T) and PCR-RFLP for mutations at nt positions 191, 282, 481, 590, 803, and 857. From the mutation pattern eight different alleles, including the wild type coding for rapid acetylation and seven alleles coding for slow phenotype, were determined. Four hundred ninety-seven subjects had amore » genotype of slow acetylation (58.9%; 95% confidence limits 55.5%-62.2%). Phenotypic acetylation capacity was expressed as the ratio of 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil and 1-methylxanthine in urine after caffeine intake. Some 6.7% of the cases deviated in genotype and phenotype, but sequencing DNA of these probands revealed no new mutations. Furthermore, linkage pattern of the mutations was always confirmed, as tested in 533 subjects. In vivo acetylation capacity of homozygous wild-type subjects (NAT2{sup *}4/{sup *}4) was significantly higher than in heterozygous genotypes (P = .001). All mutant alleles showed low in vivo acetylation capacities, including the previously not-yet-defined alleles {sup *}5A, {sup *}5C, and {sup *}13. Moreover, distinct slow genotypes differed significantly among each other, as reflected in lower acetylation capacity of {sup *}6A, {sup *}7B, and {sup *}13 alleles than the group of {sup *}5 alleles. The study demonstrated differential phenotypic activity of various NAT2 genes and gives a solid basis for clinical and molecular-epidemiological investigations. 34 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs.« less

  15. Lessons learned from the recovered heatshield of the USERS REV capsule

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamada, Tetsuya; Matsuda, Seiji; Okuyama, Keiichi; Ishii, Nobuaki

    2008-01-01

    The USERS Reentry Vehicle (REV) capsule carried out reentry flight from the low earth orbit and was successfully recovered on the sea in May, 2003. This paper presents the post-flight analysis of the recovered heatshield of REV capsule and summarizes the lessons learned. REV capsule, totally about 670 kg, has the combined shape of the nose hemisphere and the rear cone part, and its size is about 1.5 m in diameter and 1.9 m in length. REV is thermally protected against the aerodynamic heating by the carbon phenolic ablator heatshield. The recovered REV heatshield was scrutinized based on the outside aspect and the cross-sections. In general, the temperature profiles of the heatshield have been compared between the flight data and the prediction. The origin of the surface shallow cracks and slight delamination observed in the heatshield have been investigated based on the flight data and taking account of the ablator internal pyrolysis gas pressure, the thermal stress, and the allowable stress. The heatshield has proven to satisfy thermal protection requirements, and the validity of the designing has been confirmed.

  16. E4bp4 regulates carboxylesterase 2 enzymes through repression of the nuclear receptor Rev-erbα in mice.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Mengjing; Zhang, Tianpeng; Yu, Fangjun; Guo, Lianxia; Wu, Baojian

    2018-06-01

    Carboxylesterases (CES) are a family of phase I enzymes that play an important role in xenobiotic clearance and lipid metabolism. Here, we investigate a potential role of E4 promoter-binding protein 4 (E4bp4) in regulation of Ces and CPT-11 (irinotecan, a first-line drug for treating colorectal cancer) pharmacokinetics in mice. Mouse hepatoma Hepa-1c1c7 cells were transfected with Rev-erbα expression plasmid or siRNA targeting E4bp4. The relative mRNA and protein levels of Ces enzymes in the cells or the livers of wild-type and E4bp4-deficient (E4bp4 -/- ) mice were determined by qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. Transcriptional regulation of Ces by E4bp4/Rev-erbα were investigated using luciferase reporter, mobility shift, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed with wild-type and E4bp4 -/- mice after intraperitoneal injection of CPT-11. E4bp4 ablation down-regulated an array of hepatic Ces genes in mice. E4bp4 -/- mice also showed reduced Ces-mediated metabolism and elevated systemic exposure of CPT-11, a well-known Ces substrate. Consistently, E4bp4 knockdown reduced the expression of Ces genes (Ces2b, Ces2e and Ces2f) in Hepa-1c1c7 cells. Furthermore, Rev-erbα repressed the transcription of Ces2b, whereas E4bp4 antagonized this repressive action. Co-IP experiment confirmed a direct interaction between E4bp4 and Rev-erbα. Through a combination of promoter analysis and mobility shift assays, we demonstrated that Rev-erbα trans-repressed Ces (Ces2b) through its specific binding to the -767 to-754 bp promoter region. In conclusion, E4bp4 regulates Ces enzymes through inhibition of the transrepression activity of Rev-erbα, thereby impacting the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of Ces substrates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Discrete Functions of Nuclear Receptor Rev-erbα Couple Metabolism to the Clock

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yuxiang; Fang, Bin; Emmett, Matthew J.; Damle, Manashree; Sun, Zheng; Feng, Dan; Armour, Sean M.; Remsberg, Jarrett R.; Jager, Jennifer; Soccio, Raymond E.; Steger, David J.; Lazar, Mitchell A.

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY Circadian and metabolic physiology are intricately intertwined, as illustrated by Rev-erbα, a transcription factor (TF) that functions both as a core repressive component of the cell autonomous clock and as a regulator of metabolic genes. Here we show that Rev-erbα modulates the clock and metabolism by different genomic mechanisms. Clock control requires Rev-erbα to bind directly to the genome at its cognate sites, where it competes with activating ROR TFs. By contrast, Rev-erbα regulates metabolic genes primarily by recruiting the HDAC3 corepressor to sites to which it is tethered by cell type-specific transcription factors. Thus, direct competition between Rev-erbα and ROR TFs provides a universal mechanism for self-sustained control of molecular clock across all tissues, whereas Rev-erbα utilizes lineage-determining factors to convey a tissue-specific epigenomic rhythm that regulates metabolism tailored to the specific need of that tissue. PMID:26044300

  18. In vitro effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan, indoleamines and leptin on arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) activity in pineal organ of the fish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) during different phases of the breeding cycle.

    PubMed

    Gupta, B B P; Yanthan, L; Singh, Ksh Manisana

    2010-08-01

    Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) is the rate-limiting enzyme of melatonin biosynthetic pathway. In vitro effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and indoleamines (serotonin, N-acetylserotonin and melatonin) were studied on AA-NAT activity in the pineal organ of the fish, C. gariepinus during different phases of its annual breeding cycle. Further, in vitro effects of leptin on AA-NAT activity in the pineal organ were studied in fed and fasted fishes during summer and winter seasons. Treatments with 5-HTP and indoleamines invariably stimulated pineal AA-NAT activity in a dose-dependent manner during all the phases. However, leptin increased AA-NAT activity in a dose-dependent manner only in the pineal organ of the fed fishes, but not of the fasted fishes irrespective of the seasons.

  19. N-Acetyltransferase Polymorphism and Risk of Colorectal Adenoma and Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Variations from 59 Studies

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiaoxue; Chen, Yizhi; Li, Rong; Zhang, Ying; Luo, Rongcheng

    2012-01-01

    Background There have been an increasing number of studies with evidence suggesting that the N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genotypes may be implicated in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal adenoma (CRA). So far the published data on this association has remained controversial, however. We performed a meta-analysis of case-cohort and case-control studies using a subset of the published data, with an aim to derive a better understanding of the underlying relationship. Methods/Principal Findings A literature search was performed using Medline database for relevant studies published through October 31, 2011. A total of 39 publications were selected for this meta-analysis, including 11,724 cases and 16,215 controls for CRC, and 3,701 cases and 5,149 controls for CRA. In our pooled analysis of all these studies, the results of our meta-analysis suggested that the NAT1 genotype was not significantly associated with an elevated CRC risk (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.91–1.07). We also found that individuals with the rapid NAT2 genotype did have an elevated risk of CRC (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.13). There was no evidence for an association between the NAT1 and 2 rapid genotype and an elevated CRA risk (NAT1: OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.99–1.29; NAT2: OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.86–1.03). Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that individuals with NAT2 genotype had an elevated risk of CRC. There was no evidence for the association between NAT1 and 2 rapid genotype and CRA risk. PMID:22905173

  20. [Construction of Rev-erbβ gene knockout HEK293 cell line with CRISPR/Cas9 system].

    PubMed

    Chen, Fang; Zhang, Weifeng; Zhao, Junli; Yang, Peiyan; Ma, Rui; Xia, Haibin

    2016-11-01

    Objective To prepare Rev-erbβ knockout HEK293 cells using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas 9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) gene editing technology. Methods The knock-in or knockout of Rev-erbβ gene could be realized by single-guide RNA (sgRNA)-mediated Cas9 cutting of target DNA, and followed by DNA homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining-mediated DNA repair. Firstly, four sgRNAs were designed for Rev-erbβ gene. The sgRNA1 and sgRNA2 with the higher activity were respectively used to construct pCMV-hCas9-U6-Rev-erbβ sgRNA1 and pCMV-hCas9-U6-Rev-erbβ sgRNA2. Then, pCMV-hCas9-U6-Rev-erbβ sgRNA1, pCMV-hCas9-U6-Rev-erbβ sgRNA2 and pAd5-E1/hRev-erbβ donor plasmid vectors were co-transfected into HEK293 cells. Through drug screening, cloning and sequencing, the Rev-erbβ gene-knockout HEK293 (Rev-erbβ -/- ) cell lines were obtained with one chain integrated with exogenous gene fragment and the other chain for deletion mutants. Finally, the HEK293 (Rev-erbβ -/- ) cell lines (C3-6) was detected with real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting. Results Expression of Rev-erbβ mRNA and protein was undetectable in HEK293 Rev-erbβ -/- cell line. Conclusion Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the HEK293 Rev-erbβ -/- cell line has been successfully constructed, which would provide an effective tool for the study on the function of Rev-erbβ.

  1. The Previously Undetected Presence of Culex restuans (Diptera: Culicidae) in Central America, with Notes on Identification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-01-01

    geografica actualizada. Rev. Inv. Salud Publica (Mexico) 33: 11 I - 125. Heinemann, S.J. and J.N. Belkin. 1977. Collection records of the project...Mosquitoes of Middle America” 8. Central America: Belize (BH), Guatemala (GUA), El Salvador ( SAL ), Honduras (HON), Nicaragua (NI, NIC). Mosq. Syst...Culicidae). Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Biol. Notes 52, 50 pp. Vargas, L. 1956. Especies y distribucidn de mosquitos mexicanos no anofelinos. Rev. Instit. de

  2. RevBayes: Bayesian Phylogenetic Inference Using Graphical Models and an Interactive Model-Specification Language

    PubMed Central

    Höhna, Sebastian; Landis, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    Programs for Bayesian inference of phylogeny currently implement a unique and fixed suite of models. Consequently, users of these software packages are simultaneously forced to use a number of programs for a given study, while also lacking the freedom to explore models that have not been implemented by the developers of those programs. We developed a new open-source software package, RevBayes, to address these problems. RevBayes is entirely based on probabilistic graphical models, a powerful generic framework for specifying and analyzing statistical models. Phylogenetic-graphical models can be specified interactively in RevBayes, piece by piece, using a new succinct and intuitive language called Rev. Rev is similar to the R language and the BUGS model-specification language, and should be easy to learn for most users. The strength of RevBayes is the simplicity with which one can design, specify, and implement new and complex models. Fortunately, this tremendous flexibility does not come at the cost of slower computation; as we demonstrate, RevBayes outperforms competing software for several standard analyses. Compared with other programs, RevBayes has fewer black-box elements. Users need to explicitly specify each part of the model and analysis. Although this explicitness may initially be unfamiliar, we are convinced that this transparency will improve understanding of phylogenetic models in our field. Moreover, it will motivate the search for improvements to existing methods by brazenly exposing the model choices that we make to critical scrutiny. RevBayes is freely available at http://www.RevBayes.com. [Bayesian inference; Graphical models; MCMC; statistical phylogenetics.] PMID:27235697

  3. Epigenetics of prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    McKee, Tawnya C; Tricoli, James V

    2015-01-01

    The introduction of novel technologies that can be applied to the investigation of the molecular underpinnings of human cancer has allowed for new insights into the mechanisms associated with tumor development and progression. They have also advanced the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer. These technologies include microarray and other analysis methods for the generation of large-scale gene expression data on both mRNA and miRNA, next-generation DNA sequencing technologies utilizing a number of platforms to perform whole genome, whole exome, or targeted DNA sequencing to determine somatic mutational differences and gene rearrangements, and a variety of proteomic analysis platforms including liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis to survey alterations in protein profiles in tumors. One other important advancement has been our current ability to survey the methylome of human tumors in a comprehensive fashion through the use of sequence-based and array-based methylation analysis (Bock et al., Nat Biotechnol 28:1106-1114, 2010; Harris et al., Nat Biotechnol 28:1097-1105, 2010). The focus of this chapter is to present and discuss the evidence for key genes involved in prostate tumor development, progression, or resistance to therapy that are regulated by methylation-induced silencing.

  4. Rev-erb beta regulates the Srebp-1c promoter and mRNA expression in skeletal muscle cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ramakrishnan, Sathiya N.; Lau, Patrick; Crowther, Lisa M.

    2009-10-30

    The nuclear hormone receptor, Rev-erb beta operates as a transcriptional silencer. We previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of Rev-erb{beta}{Delta}E in skeletal muscle cells increased Srebp-1c mRNA expression. We validated these in vitro observations by injection of an expression vector driving Rev-erb{beta}{Delta}E expression into mouse tibialis muscle that resulted in increased Srebp-1c mRNA expression. Paradoxically, Rev-erb{beta} siRNA expression in skeletal muscle cells repressed Srebp-1c expression, and indicated that Rev-erb{beta} expression was necessary for Srebp-1c expression. ChIP analysis demonstrated that Rev-erb{beta} was recruited to the Srebp-1c promoter. Moreover, Rev-erb{beta} trans-activated the Srebp-1c promoter, in contrast, Rev-erb{beta} efficiently repressed the Rev-erb{alpha} promoter, amore » previously characterized target gene. Finally, treatment with the Rev-erb agonist (hemin) (i) increased the trans-activation of the Srebp-1c promoter by Rev-erb{beta}; and (ii) increased Rev-erb{beta} and Srebp-1c mRNA expression. These data suggest that Rev-erb{beta} has the potential to activate gene expression, and is a positive regulator of Srebp-1c, a regulator of lipogenesis.« less

  5. Respiratory Plasticity Following Spinal Injury: Role of Chloride-Dependent Inhibitory Neurotransmission

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    respiratory pathways following spinal cord injury. J Appl Physiol. 94(2):795-810. Raineteau O and Schwab ME (2001). Plasticity of motor systems after incomplete spinal cord injury. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2(4):262-73. APPENDICES : None

  6. RevBayes: Bayesian Phylogenetic Inference Using Graphical Models and an Interactive Model-Specification Language.

    PubMed

    Höhna, Sebastian; Landis, Michael J; Heath, Tracy A; Boussau, Bastien; Lartillot, Nicolas; Moore, Brian R; Huelsenbeck, John P; Ronquist, Fredrik

    2016-07-01

    Programs for Bayesian inference of phylogeny currently implement a unique and fixed suite of models. Consequently, users of these software packages are simultaneously forced to use a number of programs for a given study, while also lacking the freedom to explore models that have not been implemented by the developers of those programs. We developed a new open-source software package, RevBayes, to address these problems. RevBayes is entirely based on probabilistic graphical models, a powerful generic framework for specifying and analyzing statistical models. Phylogenetic-graphical models can be specified interactively in RevBayes, piece by piece, using a new succinct and intuitive language called Rev. Rev is similar to the R language and the BUGS model-specification language, and should be easy to learn for most users. The strength of RevBayes is the simplicity with which one can design, specify, and implement new and complex models. Fortunately, this tremendous flexibility does not come at the cost of slower computation; as we demonstrate, RevBayes outperforms competing software for several standard analyses. Compared with other programs, RevBayes has fewer black-box elements. Users need to explicitly specify each part of the model and analysis. Although this explicitness may initially be unfamiliar, we are convinced that this transparency will improve understanding of phylogenetic models in our field. Moreover, it will motivate the search for improvements to existing methods by brazenly exposing the model choices that we make to critical scrutiny. RevBayes is freely available at http://www.RevBayes.com [Bayesian inference; Graphical models; MCMC; statistical phylogenetics.]. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists.

  7. Photo-neutron reaction cross-sections for natMo in the bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 12-16 and 45-70 MeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naik, H.; Kim, G. N.; Kapote Noy, R.; Schwengner, R.; Kim, K.; Zaman, M.; Shin, S. G.; Gey, Y.; Massarczyk, R.; John, R.; Junghans, A.; Wagner, A.; Cho, M.-H.

    2016-07-01

    The natMo( γ, xn)90, 91, 99Mo reaction cross-sections were experimentally determined for the bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 12, 14, 16, 45, 50, 55, 60 and 70MeV by activation and off-line γ -ray spectrometric technique and using the 20MeV electron linac (ELBE) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany, and the 100MeV electron linac at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang, Korea. The natMo( γ, xn)88, 89, 90, 91, 99Mo reaction cross-sections as a function of photon energy were also calculated using the computer code TALYS 1.6. The flux-weighted average cross-sections were obtained from the literature data and the calculated values of TALYS based on mono-energetic photons and are found to be in general agreement with the present results. The flux-weighted average experimental and theoretical cross-sections for the natMo( γ, xn)88, 89, 90, 91, 99Mo reactions increase with the bremsstrahlung end-point energy, which indicates the role of excitation energy. After a certain energy, the individual natMo( γ, xn) reaction cross-sections decrease with the increase of bremsstrahlung energy due to opening of other reactions, which indicates sharing of energy in different reaction channels. The 100Mo( γ, n) reaction cross-section is important for the production of 99Mo , which is a probable alternative to the 98Mo(n, γ) and 235U(n, f ) reactions.

  8. The orphan receptor Rev-erbα gene is a target of the circadian clock pacemaker

    PubMed Central

    Triqueneaux, Gérard; Thenot, Sandrine; Kakizawa, Tomoko; Antoch, Marina P; Safi, Rachid; Takahashi, Joseph S; Delaunay, Franck; Laudet, Vincent

    2013-01-01

    Rev-erbα is a ubiquitously expressed orphan nuclear receptor which functions as a constitutive transcriptional repressor and is expressed in vertebrates according to a robust circadian rhythm. We report here that two Rev-erbα mRNA isoforms, namely Rev-erbα1 and Rev-erbα2, are generated through alternative promoter usage and that both show a circadian expression pattern in an in vitro system using serum-shocked fibroblasts. Both promoter regions P1 (Rev-erbα1) and P2 (Rev-erbα2) contain several E-box DNA sequences, which function as response elements for the core circadian-clock components: CLOCK and BMAL1. The CLOCK–BMAL1 heterodimer stimulates the activity of both P1 and P2 promoters in transient transfection assay by 3–6-fold. This activation was inhibited by the overexpression of CRY1, a component of the negative limb of the circadian transcriptional loop. Critical E-box elements were mapped within both promoters. This regulation is conserved in vertebrates since we found that the CLOCK–BMAL1 heterodimer also regulates the zebrafish Rev-erbα gene. In line with these data Rev-erbα circadian expression was strongly impaired in the livers of Clock mutant mice and in the pineal glands of zebrafish embryos treated with Clock and Bmal1 antisense oligonucleotides. Together these data demonstrate that CLOCK is a critical regulator of Rev-erbα circadian gene expression in evolutionarily distant vertebrates and suggest a role for Rev-erbα in the circadian clock output. PMID:15591021

  9. Contributions of individual domains to function of the HIV-1 Rev response element.

    PubMed

    O'Carroll, Ina P; Thappeta, Yashna; Fan, Lixin; Ramirez-Valdez, Edric A; Smith, Sean; Wang, Yun-Xing; Rein, Alan

    2017-08-16

    The HIV-1 Rev response element (RRE) is a 351-base element in unspliced and partially spliced viral RNA; binding of the RRE by the viral Rev protein induces nuclear export of RRE-containing RNAs, as required for virus replication. It contains one long, imperfect double helix (domain I), one branched domain (domain II) containing a high-affinity Rev-binding site, and two or three additional domains. We previously reported that the RRE assumes an "A" shape in solution and suggested that the location of the Rev binding sites in domains I and II, opposite each other on the two legs of the A, is optimal for Rev binding and explains Rev's specificity for RRE-containing RNAs. Using SAXS and a quantitative functional assay, we have now analyzed a panel of RRE mutants. All the results support the essential role of the A shape for RRE function. Moreover, they suggest that the distal portion of domain I and the three crowning domains all contribute to the maintenance of the A shape. Domains I and II are necessary and sufficient for substantial RRE function, provided they are joined by a flexible linker that allows the two domains to face each other. IMPORTANCE Retroviral replication requires that some of the viral RNAs transcribed in the cell nucleus be exported to the cytoplasm without being spliced. To achieve this, HIV-1 encodes a protein, Rev, which binds to a complex, highly structured element within viral RNA, the Rev Response Element (RRE), and escorts RRE-containing RNAs from the nucleus. We previously reported that the RRE is "A"-shaped and suggested that this architecture, with the 2 legs opposite one another, can explain the specificity of Rev for the RRE. We have analyzed the functional contributions of individual RRE domains, and now report that several domains contribute, with some redundancy, to maintenance of the overall RRE shape. The data strongly support the hypothesis that the opposed placement of the 2 legs is essential for RRE function. Copyright © 2017

  10. Contributions of Individual Domains to Function of the HIV-1 Rev Response Element

    PubMed Central

    O'Carroll, Ina P.; Thappeta, Yashna; Fan, Lixin; Ramirez-Valdez, Edric A.; Smith, Sean; Wang, Yun-Xing

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The HIV-1 Rev response element (RRE) is a 351-base element in unspliced and partially spliced viral RNA; binding of the RRE by the viral Rev protein induces nuclear export of RRE-containing RNAs, as required for virus replication. It contains one long, imperfect double helix (domain I), one branched domain (domain II) containing a high-affinity Rev-binding site, and two or three additional domains. We previously reported that the RRE assumes an “A” shape in solution and suggested that the location of the Rev binding sites in domains I and II, opposite each other on the two legs of the A, is optimal for Rev binding and explains Rev's specificity for RRE-containing RNAs. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and a quantitative functional assay, we have now analyzed a panel of RRE mutants. All the results support the essential role of the A shape for RRE function. Moreover, they suggest that the distal portion of domain I and the three crowning domains all contribute to the maintenance of the A shape. Domains I and II are necessary and sufficient for substantial RRE function, provided they are joined by a flexible linker that allows the two domains to face each other. IMPORTANCE Retroviral replication requires that some of the viral RNAs transcribed in the cell nucleus be exported to the cytoplasm without being spliced. To achieve this, HIV-1 encodes a protein, Rev, which binds to a complex, highly structured element within viral RNA, the Rev response element (RRE), and escorts RRE-containing RNAs from the nucleus. We previously reported that the RRE is “A” shaped and suggested that this architecture, with the 2 legs opposite one another, can explain the specificity of Rev for the RRE. We have analyzed the functional contributions of individual RRE domains and now report that several domains contribute, with some redundancy, to maintenance of the overall RRE shape. The data strongly support the hypothesis that the opposed placement of the 2 legs

  11. 7Li-induced reaction on natMo: A study of complete versus incomplete fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Deepak; Maiti, Moumita; Lahiri, Susanta

    2017-07-01

    Background: Several investigations on the complete-incomplete fusion (CF-ICF) dynamics of α -cluster well-bound nuclei have been contemplated above the Coulomb barrier (˜4 -7 MeV/nucleon) in recent years. It is therefore expected to observe significant ICF over CF in the reactions induced by a weakly bound α -cluster nucleus at slightly above the barrier. Purpose: Study of the CF-ICF dynamics by measuring the populated residues in the weakly bound 7Li+natMo system at energies slightly above the Coulomb barrier to well above it. Method: In order to investigate CF-ICF in the loosely bound system, 7Li beam was bombarded on the natMo foils, separated by the aluminium (Al) catcher foils alternatively, within ˜3 -6.5 MeV/nucleon. Evaporation residues produced in each foil were identified by the off-line γ -ray spectrometry. Measured cross section data of the residues were compared with the theoretical model calculations based on the equilibrium (EQ) and pre-equilibrium (PEQ) reaction mechanisms. Results: The experimental cross section of Rh 101 m,100 ,99 m,97 ,Ru,9597,Tc 99 m,96 ,95 ,94 ,93 m+g , and 93mMo residues measured at various projectile energies were satisfactorily reproduced by the simplified coupled channel approach in comparison to single barrier penetration model calculation. Significant cross section enhancement in the α -emitting channels was observed compared to EQ and PEQ model calculations throughout observed energy region. The ICF process over CF was analyzed by comparing with EMPIRE. The increment of the incomplete fusion fraction was observed with increasing projectile energies. Conclusions: Theoretical model calculations reveal that the compound reaction mechanism is the major contributor to the production of residues in 7Li+natMo reaction. Theoretical evaluations substantiate the contribution of ICF over the CF in α -emitting channels. EMPIRE estimations shed light

  12. HIV-1 Rev expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli: purification, polymerization, and conformational properties.

    PubMed

    Wingfield, P T; Stahl, S J; Payton, M A; Venkatesan, S; Misra, M; Steven, A C

    1991-07-30

    The high-level expression of HIV-1 Rev in Escherichia coli is described. Protein in crude bacterial extracts was dissociated from bound nucleic acid with urea. A simple purification and renaturation protocol, monitored by circular dichroism, is described which results in high yields of pure protein. The purified protein binds with high affinity to the Rev-responsive element mRNA and has nativelike spectroscopic properties. The protein exhibits concentration-dependent self-association as judged by analytical ultracentrifugation and gel filtration measurements. Purified Rev showed reversible heat-induced aggregation over the temperature range 0-30 degrees C. This hydrophobic-driven and nonspecific protein association was inhibited by low concentrations of sulfate ions. Rev solutions at greater than 80 micrograms/mL, incubated at 0-4 degrees C, slowly polymerized to form long hollow fibers of 20-nm diameter. Filament formation occurs at a lower protein concentration and more rapidly in the presence of Rev-responsive mRNA. The nucleic acid containing filaments are about 8 nm in diameter and up to 0.4 micron in length. On the basis of physical properties of the purified protein, we have suggested that in the nucleus of infected cells, Rev binding to the Rev-responsive region of env mRNA may be followed by helical polymerization of the protein which results in coating of the nucleic acid. Coated nucleic acid could be protected from splicing in the nucleus and exported to the cytoplasm.

  13. REV, A BRET-Based Sensor of ERK Activity

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Chanjuan; Peter, Marion; Bouquier, Nathalie; Ollendorff, Vincent; Villamil, Ignacio; Liu, Jianfeng; Fagni, Laurent; Perroy, Julie

    2013-01-01

    Networks of signaling molecules are activated in response to environmental changes. How are these signaling networks dynamically integrated in space and time to process particular information? To tackle this issue, biosensors of single signaling pathways have been engineered. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based biosensors have proven to be particularly efficient in that matter due to the high sensitivity of this technology to monitor protein–protein interactions or conformational changes in living cells. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) are ubiquitously expressed and involved in many diverse cellular functions that might be encoded by the strength and spatio-temporal pattern of ERK activation. We developed a BRET-based sensor of ERK activity, called Rluc8-ERKsubstrate-Venus (REV). As expected, BRET changes of REV were correlated with ERK phosphorylation, which is required for its kinase activity. In neurons, the nature of the stimuli determines the strength, the location, or the moment of ERK activation, thus highlighting how acute modulation of ERK may encode the nature of initial stimulus to specify the consequences of this activation. This study provides evidence for suitability of REV as a new biosensor to address biological questions. PMID:23908646

  14. Integrated prostate cancer centers might cause an overutilization of radiotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer: A comparison of treatment trends in the United States and Germany from 2004 to 2011.

    PubMed

    Hager, Benjamin; Kraywinkel, Klaus; Keck, Bastian; Katalinic, Alexander; Meyer, Martin; Zeissig, Sylke Ruth; Stabenow, Roland; Froehner, Michael; Huber, Johannes

    2015-04-01

    Aim of the study was to analyze changes in primary treatment for low-risk prostate cancer across different healthcare systems. We compared "Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results" data (USA) with data from four German federal epidemiological cancer registries, both from 2004 to 2011. We excluded metastatic disease and patients aged ⩾80 years. Thereof, we identified 132,506 (USA) and 54,159 (Germany) patients with low-risk according to the 2014 EAU guidelines. We tested treatment trends for statistical significance with a linear regression model. Active treatment was radical prostatectomy (RP) in 36.1% vs. 66.2% and radiotherapy (RT) in 38.4% vs. 11.8%. No active treatment (NAT) was reported in 24.2% vs. 16.2% (p<0.001 each). Through the study period the use of RP decreased from 37.1% to 34.2% in the USA (p=0.04) and was constant at a mean of 66.2% in Germany (p=0.8). The use of RT in the USA decreased from 42.8% to 31.8% (p<0.001), while it was stable in Germany (p=0.09). The NAT group grew from 18.0% to 33.2% in the USA (p<0.001), while it was stable in Germany until 2009 (p=0.3). From 2009 to 2011 there also was an increase of the NAT group in Germany from 15.2% to 19.4% (p=0.001). In contrast to former evidence we found the relative use of RT for low-risk prostate cancer much higher in the USA compared to Germany. The implementation of integrated prostate cancer centers in the USA might explain this observation. Deferred and defensive treatment strategies showed a steady increase in the USA. This development seems delayed in Germany by several years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. REV-ERBs agonism suppresses osteoclastogenesis and prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss partially via FABP4 upregulation.

    PubMed

    Song, Chao; Tan, Peng; Zhang, Zheng; Wu, Wei; Dong, Yonghui; Zhao, Liming; Liu, Huiyong; Guan, Hanfeng; Li, Feng

    2018-01-22

    REV-ERBs (REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ) are transcription repressors and circadian regulators. Previous investigations have shown that REV-ERBs repress the expression of target genes, including MMP9 and CX3CR1, in macrophages. Because MMP9 and CX3CR1 reportedly participate in receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis, we inferred that REV-ERBs might play a role in osteoclastogenesis. In the present study, we found that the REV-ERBα level decreased significantly during RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation from primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). REV-ERBα knockdown by small interfering RNA in BMMs resulted in the enhanced formation of osteoclasts, whereas REV-ERBβ knockdown showed no effect on osteoclast differentiation. Moreover, the REV-ERB agonist SR9009 inhibited osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Intraperitoneal SR9009 administration prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss; this effect was accompanied by decreased serum RANKL and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen levels and increased osteoprotegerin levels. Further investigation revealed that NF-κB and MAPK activation and nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1, and c-fos expression were suppressed by SR9009. The level of reactive oxygen species was also decreased by SR9009, with NADPH oxidase subunits also being down-regulated. In addition, an expression microarray showed that FABP4, an intracellular lipid-binding protein, was up-regulated by REV-ERB agonism. BMS309403, an inhibitor of FABP4, partially prevented the suppression of osteoclastogenesis by SR9009 through stabilizing phosphorylation of p65. To summarize, our results proved that the REV-ERB agonism inhibited osteoclastogenesis partially via FABP4 up-regulation.-Song, C., Tan, P., Zhang, Z., Wu, W., Dong, Y., Zhao, L., Liu, H., Guan, H., Li, F. REV-ERBs agonism suppresses osteoclastogenesis and prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss partially via FABP4 upregulation.

  16. Prostate Cancer Mortality in Puerto Rican Men: The Effect of Body Habitus and Physical Activity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-02-01

    2001 ;23(1):3-13. 3. Chan, J. M. and Giovannucci, E. L. Vegetables, Fruits, Associated Micronutrients , and Risk of Prostate Cancer. Epidemiol.Rev...2001;23(1):82-6. 4. Chan, J. M. and Giovannucci, E. L. Dairy Products, Calcium, and Vitamin D and Risk of Prostate Cancer. Epidemiol.Rev. 2001 ;23( 1): 87...92. 5. Chan, J. M., Stampfer, M. J., Ma, J., Gann, P. H., Gaziano, J. M., and Giovannucci, E. L. Dairy Products, Calcium, and Prostate Cancer Risk in

  17. Targeting Ligand-Dependent and Ligand-Independent Androgen Receptor Signaling in Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    Nat Commun 2013: 4:1923. PMID: 23715282. Centenera MM, Gillis JL, Hanson AR, Jindal S, Taylor RA, Risbridger GP, Sutherland PD, Scher HI, Raj GV...Risbridger GP, Sutherland PD, Scher HI, Raj GV, Knudsen KE, Yeadon T; Australian Prostate Cancer BioResource, Tilley WD, Butler LM. Evidence for

  18. Combined MIPAS (airborne/satellite), CALIPSO and in situ study on large potential NAT particles observed in early Arctic winter stratosphere in December 2011

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woiwode, Wolfgang; Höpfner, Michael; Pitts, Michael; Poole, Lamont; Oelhaf, Hermann; Molleker, Sergej; Borrmann, Stephan; Ebersoldt, Andreas; Frey, Wiebke; Gulde, Thomas; Maucher, Guido; Piesch, Christof; Sartorius, Christian; Orphal, Johannes

    2015-04-01

    The understanding of the characteristics of large HNO3-containing particles (potential 'NAT-rocks') involved in vertical redistribution of HNO3 in the polar winter stratosphere is limited due to the difficult accessibility of these particles by observations. While robust polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) classification schemes exist for observations by the space-borne lidar aboard CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) as well as for the passive mid-infrared limb observations by MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding), these observations are hardly exploited for the detection of large (diameter >10 μm) NAT particles. This is due to the facts that these particles have low overall number densities, resulting in weak detectable signatures, and that the physical characteristics of these particles (i.e. shape, morphology, HNO3-content and optical characteristics) are uncertain. We investigate collocated and complementary observations of a low-density potential large NAT particle field by the space-borne instruments CALIPSO and MIPAS-ENVISAT as well as the airborne observations by the limb-sounder MIPAS-STR and the in situ particle probe FSSP-100 (Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe 100) aboard the high-altitude aircraft Geophysica. The observations aboard the Geophysica on 11 December 2011 associated to ESSenCe (ESa Sounder Campaign 2011) provided us the unique opportunity to study in detail the lower boundary region of a PSC where large potential NAT particles (>20 μm in diameter) were detected in situ. We analyse the ambient temperatures and gas-phase composition (HNO3 and H2O), the signatures of the observed particles in the CALIPSO and MIPAS observations, the HNO3-content of these particles suggested by the FSSP-100 and MIPAS-STR observations, and focus on the spectral fingerprint of these particles in the MIPAS-STR observations. While the spectral characterisation of the observed particles is subject

  19. Advancing Individualized Medicine by Understanding Phenotypic Integration Using the Human Skeleton as a Model System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    Angle ( NSA ) was measured as the angle formed between the neck axis and the shaft axis. The trochanter-to-trochanter distance was measured as the...Rev Neurosci 7(7):563-74. 4. Hopkins SR, Harms CA 2004 Gender and pulmonary gas exchange during exercise. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 32(2):50-6. 5...Marder E 2009 Functional consequences of animal- to-animal variation in circuit parameters. Nat Neurosci 12(11):1424-30. 7. Ruff C 2005 Growth tracking of

  20. The Shift From Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Performed Either Before or After Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in the Clinical Negative Nodes of Breast Cancer Patients. Results, and the Advantages and Disadvantages of Both Procedures.

    PubMed

    Fernandez-Gonzalez, Sergi; Falo, Catalina; Pla, Maria Jesus; Pernas, Sonia; Bajen, Maite; Soler, Teresa; Ortega, Raul; Quetglas, Cecilia; Perez-Martin, Xavier; Fernandez Montoli, Maria Eulalia; Campos, Miriam; Varela-Rodriguez, Mar; Ponce, Jordi; Garcia-Tejedor, Amparo

    2018-02-01

    In patients with breast cancer who are candidates for neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), the timing of when to perform sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) remains under discussion. The aim of this study was to compare the advantages and disadvantages of SLNB performed before and after NAT. One hundred seventy-two patients, T1c to T3 and N0 (clinically and according to ultrasound) candidates for NAT were included. We compared the outcomes of 2 groups: (1) 122 patients of whom SLNB was performed before NAT (pre-NAT) from December 2006 to April 2014; and (2) 50 patients with SLNB performed after NAT (post-NAT) from May 2014 to July 2016. Both groups were homogeneous in baseline patient characteristics. The SLNB was positive in 50 patients [41.7%] (33 macrometastases [66%] and 17 micrometastases [34%]) versus 6 patients [12%] (5 macrometastases [83.3%] and 1 micrometastases [16.7%]) in pre- and post-NAT groups, respectively. The lymphadenectomy was performed in 34 patients [28.3%] versus 4 patients [8%], with an odds ratio of 3.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.3-9.3). The recurrences in the pre-NAT group after a median follow-up of 62 months were 12 systemic, 2 local and systemic, and none axillary. In the post-NAT group were no recurrences after a median follow-up of 16 months. Finally, SLNB after NAT reduces the delay in starting NAT from 24 to 14 days (medians; P < .001) and the identification of the SLNB was in 122 patients [100%] versus 49 patients [98%]. SLNB performed after NAT significantly reduces the rate of lymphadenectomies without any increase in recurrences at early follow-up. Furthermore, it allows systemic treatment to be started earlier without interfering in the SLNB identification rate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. GENE REGULATION. Discrete functions of nuclear receptor Rev-erbα couple metabolism to the clock.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuxiang; Fang, Bin; Emmett, Matthew J; Damle, Manashree; Sun, Zheng; Feng, Dan; Armour, Sean M; Remsberg, Jarrett R; Jager, Jennifer; Soccio, Raymond E; Steger, David J; Lazar, Mitchell A

    2015-06-26

    Circadian and metabolic physiology are intricately intertwined, as illustrated by Rev-erbα, a transcription factor (TF) that functions both as a core repressive component of the cell-autonomous clock and as a regulator of metabolic genes. Here, we show that Rev-erbα modulates the clock and metabolism by different genomic mechanisms. Clock control requires Rev-erbα to bind directly to the genome at its cognate sites, where it competes with activating ROR TFs. By contrast, Rev-erbα regulates metabolic genes primarily by recruiting the HDAC3 co-repressor to sites to which it is tethered by cell type-specific transcription factors. Thus, direct competition between Rev-erbα and ROR TFs provides a universal mechanism for self-sustained control of the molecular clock across all tissues, whereas Rev-erbα uses lineage-determining factors to convey a tissue-specific epigenomic rhythm that regulates metabolism tailored to the specific need of that tissue. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  2. RevEcoR: an R package for the reverse ecology analysis of microbiomes.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yang; Wang, Yuanyuan; Zheng, Xiaofei; Li, Fei; Bo, Xiaochen

    2016-07-29

    All species live in complex ecosystems. The structure and complexity of a microbial community reflects not only diversity and function, but also the environment in which it occurs. However, traditional ecological methods can only be applied on a small scale and for relatively well-understood biological systems. Recently, a graph-theory-based algorithm called the reverse ecology approach has been developed that can analyze the metabolic networks of all the species in a microbial community, and predict the metabolic interface between species and their environment. Here, we present RevEcoR, an R package and a Shiny Web application that implements the reverse ecology algorithm for determining microbe-microbe interactions in microbial communities. This software allows users to obtain large-scale ecological insights into species' ecology directly from high-throughput metagenomic data. The software has great potential for facilitating the study of microbiomes. RevEcoR is open source software for the study of microbial community ecology. The RevEcoR R package is freely available under the GNU General Public License v. 2.0 at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/RevEcoR/ with the vignette and typical usage examples, and the interactive Shiny web application is available at http://yiluheihei.shinyapps.io/shiny-RevEcoR , or can be installed locally with the source code accessed from https://github.com/yiluheihei/shiny-RevEcoR .

  3. 78 FR 27971 - Determination That REV-EYES (Dapiprazole Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution), 0.5%, Was Not...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-13

    ...] Determination That REV-EYES (Dapiprazole Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution), 0.5%, Was Not Withdrawn From Sale.... SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that REV-EYES (dapiprazole hydrochloride... CFR 314.161)). FDA may not approve an ANDA that does not refer to a listed drug. REV-EYES (dapiprazole...

  4. REV-ERB and ROR: therapeutic targets for treating myopathies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welch, Ryan D.; Flaveny, Colin A.

    2017-08-01

    Muscle is primarily known for its mechanical roles in locomotion, maintenance of posture, and regulation of cardiac and respiratory function. There are numerous medical conditions that adversely affect muscle, myopathies that disrupt muscle development, regeneration and protein turnover to detrimental effect. Skeletal muscle is also a vital secretory organ that regulates thermogenesis, inflammatory signaling and directs context specific global metabolic changes in energy substrate preference on a daily basis. Myopathies differ in the causative factors that drive them but share common features including severe reduction in quality of life and significantly increased mortality all due irrefutably to the loss of muscle mass. Thus far clinically viable approaches for preserving muscle proteins and stimulating new muscle growth without unwanted side effects or limited efficacy has been elusive. Over the last few decades, evidence has emerged through in vitro and in vivo studies that suggest the nuclear receptors REV-ERB and ROR might modulate pathways involved in myogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. Hinting that REV-ERB and ROR might be targeted to treat myopathies. However there is still a need for substantial investigation into the roles of these nuclear receptors in in vivo rodent models of degenerative muscle diseases and acute injury. Although exciting, REV-ERB and ROR have somewhat confounding roles in muscle physiology and therefore more studies utilizing in vivo models of skeletal muscle myopathies are needed. In this review we highlight the molecular forces driving some of the major degenerative muscular diseases and showcase two promising molecular targets that may have the potential to treat myopathies: ROR and REV-ERB.

  5. Production of ⁶¹Cu by the natZn(p,α) reaction: Improved separation and specific activity determination by titration with three chelators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Asad, Ali H.; Smith, Suzanne V.; Morandeau, Laurence M.

    In this study, the cyclotron-based production of position-emitting ⁶¹Cu using the (p,α) reaction at 11.7 MeV was investigated starting from natural-zinc ( natZn) and enriched ⁶⁴Zn-foil targets, as well as its subsequent purification. For natZn, a combination of three resins were assessed to separate ⁶¹Cu from contaminating 66,67,68Ga and natZn. The specific activity of the purified ⁶¹Cu determined using ICP-MS analysis ranged from 143.3±14.3(SD) to 506.2±50.6 MBq/μg while the titration method using p-SCN-Bn-DOTA, p-SCN-Bn-NOTA and diamsar gave variable results (4.7±0.2 to 412.5±15.3 MBq/μg), with diamsar lying closest to the ICP-MS values. Results suggest that the p-SCN-Bn-DOTA and p-SCN-Bn-NOTA titration methodsmore » are significantly affected by the presence of trace-metal contaminants.« less

  6. Production of ⁶¹Cu by the natZn(p,α) reaction: Improved separation and specific activity determination by titration with three chelators

    DOE PAGES

    Asad, Ali H.; Smith, Suzanne V.; Morandeau, Laurence M.; ...

    2015-09-01

    In this study, the cyclotron-based production of position-emitting ⁶¹Cu using the (p,α) reaction at 11.7 MeV was investigated starting from natural-zinc ( natZn) and enriched ⁶⁴Zn-foil targets, as well as its subsequent purification. For natZn, a combination of three resins were assessed to separate ⁶¹Cu from contaminating 66,67,68Ga and natZn. The specific activity of the purified ⁶¹Cu determined using ICP-MS analysis ranged from 143.3±14.3(SD) to 506.2±50.6 MBq/μg while the titration method using p-SCN-Bn-DOTA, p-SCN-Bn-NOTA and diamsar gave variable results (4.7±0.2 to 412.5±15.3 MBq/μg), with diamsar lying closest to the ICP-MS values. Results suggest that the p-SCN-Bn-DOTA and p-SCN-Bn-NOTA titration methodsmore » are significantly affected by the presence of trace-metal contaminants.« less

  7. NAT2 genotype guided regimen reduces isoniazid-induced liver injury and early treatment failure in the 6-month four-drug standard treatment of tuberculosis: a randomized controlled trial for pharmacogenetics-based therapy.

    PubMed

    Azuma, Junichi; Ohno, Masako; Kubota, Ryuji; Yokota, Soichiro; Nagai, Takayuki; Tsuyuguchi, Kazunari; Okuda, Yasuhisa; Takashima, Tetsuya; Kamimura, Sayaka; Fujio, Yasushi; Kawase, Ichiro

    2013-05-01

    This study is a pharmacogenetic clinical trial designed to clarify whether the N-acetyltransferase 2 gene (NAT2) genotype-guided dosing of isoniazid improves the tolerability and efficacy of the 6-month four-drug standard regimen for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis. In a multicenter, parallel, randomized, and controlled trial with a PROBE design, patients were assigned to either conventional standard treatment (STD-treatment: approx. 5 mg/kg of isoniazid for all) or NAT2 genotype-guided treatment (PGx-treatment: approx. 7.5 mg/kg for patients homozygous for NAT2 4: rapid acetylators; 5 mg/kg, patients heterozygous for NAT2 4: intermediate acetylators; 2.5 mg/kg, patients without NAT2 4: slow acetylators). The primary outcome included incidences of 1) isoniazid-related liver injury (INH-DILI) during the first 8 weeks of therapy, and 2) early treatment failure as indicated by a persistent positive culture or no improvement in chest radiographs at the 8th week. One hundred and seventy-two Japanese patients (slow acetylators, 9.3 %; rapid acetylators, 53.5 %) were enrolled in this trial. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, INH-DILI occurred in 78 % of the slow acetylators in the STD-treatment, while none of the slow acetylators in the PGx-treatment experienced either INH-DILI or early treatment failure. Among the rapid acetylators, early treatment failure was observed with a significantly lower incidence rate in the PGx-treatment than in the STD-treatment (15.0 % vs. 38 %). Thus, the NAT2 genotype-guided regimen resulted in much lower incidences of unfavorable events, INH-DILI or early treatment failure, than the conventional standard regimen. Our results clearly indicate a great potential of the NAT2 genotype-guided dosing stratification of isoniazid in chemotherapy for tuberculosis.

  8. Tumor Immunotherapy by Gene-circuit Recruited Immunomodulatory Systems (TIGRIS) for Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    Fu, X., Huang, W., and Cai, Z. (2014). Syn- thesizing AND gate genetic circuits based on CRISPR -Cas9 for identification of bladder cancer cells. Nat...and Lu, T.K. (2014). Multi- plexed and programmable regulation of gene networks with an integrated RNA and CRISPR /Cas toolkit in human cells. Mol

  9. Theranostic Perspectives in Prostate Cancer with the Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Antagonist NeoBOMB1: Preclinical and First Clinical Results.

    PubMed

    Nock, Berthold A; Kaloudi, Aikaterini; Lymperis, Emmanouil; Giarika, Athina; Kulkarni, Harshad R; Klette, Ingo; Singh, Aviral; Krenning, Eric P; de Jong, Marion; Maina, Theodosia; Baum, Richard P

    2017-01-01

    We recently introduced the potent gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) antagonist 68 Ga-SB3 ( 68 Ga-DOTA-p-aminomethylaniline-diglycolic acid-DPhe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-NHEt), showing excellent tumor localizing efficacy in animal models and in patients. By replacement of the C-terminal Leu 13 -Met 14 -NH 2 dipeptide of SB3 by Sta 13 -Leu 14 -NH 2 , the novel GRPR antagonist NeoBOMB1 was generated and labeled with different radiometals for theranostic use. We herein report on the biologic profile of resulting 67/68 Ga-, 111 In-, and 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1 radioligands in GRPR-expressing cells and mouse models. The first evidence of prostate cancer lesion visualization in men using 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 and PET/CT is also presented. NeoBOMB1 was radiolabeled with 67/68 Ga, 111 In, and 177 Lu according to published protocols. The respective metalated species nat Ga-, nat In-, and nat Lu-NeoBOMB1 were also synthesized and used in competition binding experiments against [ 125 I-Tyr 4 ]BBN in GRPR-positive PC-3 cell membranes. Internalization of 67 Ga-, 111 In-, and 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1 radioligands was studied in PC-3 cells at 37°C, and their metabolic stability in peripheral mouse blood was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of blood samples. Biodistribution was performed by injecting a 67 Ga-, 111 In-, or 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1 bolus (74, 74, or 370 kBq, respectively, 100 μL, 10 pmol total peptide ± 40 nmol Tyr 4 -BBN: for in vivo GRPR blockade) in severe combined immunodeficiency mice bearing PC-3 xenografts. PET/CT images with 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 were acquired in prostate cancer patients. NeoBOMB1 and nat Ga-, nat In-, and nat Lu-NeoBOMB1 bound to GRPR with high affinity (half maximal inhibitory concentration, 1-2 nM). 67 Ga-, 111 In-, and 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1 specifically and strongly bound on the cell membrane of PC-3 cells displaying low internalization, as expected for receptor antagonists. They showed excellent metabolic stability in peripheral mouse blood

  10. CRISPR-Cas9 systems: versatile cancer modelling platforms and promising therapeutic strategies.

    PubMed

    Wen, Wan-Shun; Yuan, Zhi-Min; Ma, Shi-Jie; Xu, Jiang; Yuan, Dong-Tang

    2016-03-15

    The RNA-guided nuclease CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated nuclease 9) and its variants such as nickase Cas9, dead Cas9, guide RNA scaffolds and RNA-targeting Cas9 are convenient and versatile platforms for site-specific genome editing and epigenome modulation. They are easy-to-use, simple-to-design and capable of targeting multiple loci simultaneously. Given that cancer develops from cumulative genetic and epigenetic alterations, CRISPR-Cas9 and its variants (hereafter referred to as CRISPR-Cas9 systems) hold extensive application potentials in cancer modeling and therapy. To date, they have already been applied to model oncogenic mutations in cell lines (e.g., Choi and Meyerson, Nat Commun 2014;5:3728) and in adult animals (e.g., Xue et al., Nature 2014;514:380-4), as well as to combat cancer by disabling oncogenic viruses (e.g., Hu et al., Biomed Res Int 2014;2014:612823) or by manipulating cancer genome (e.g., Liu et al., Nat Commun 2014;5:5393). Given the importance of epigenome and transcriptome in tumourigenesis, manipulation of cancer epigenome and transcriptome for cancer modeling and therapy is a promising area in the future. Whereas (epi)genetic modifications of cancer microenvironment with CRISPR-Cas9 systems for therapeutic purposes represent another promising area in cancer research. Herein, we introduce the functions and mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas9 systems in genome editing and epigenome modulation, retrospect their applications in cancer modelling and therapy, discuss limitations and possible solutions and propose future directions, in hope of providing concise and enlightening information for readers interested in this area. © 2015 UICC.

  11. Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Progression

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-01-01

    Beijersbergen RL, Knoll JH, Meyerson M, Weinberg RA (1999) Inhibition of telomerase limits the growth of human cancer cells. Nat Med 5:1164-70. Hayflick ...nontumorigenic cells and show an increase in p23 without a concomitant increase in telomerase activity, suggesting that p23 is not limiting in these cells...without an increase in assembly as chaperones are limiting . Interestingly, we observe a significant increase in activity after hTERT expression (see

  12. Rev1 Recruits Ung to Switch Regions and Enhances dU Glycosylation for Immunoglobulin Class Switch DNA Recombination

    PubMed Central

    Zan, Hong; White, Clayton A.; Thomas, Lisa M.; Mai, Thach; Li, Guideng; Xu, Zhenming; Zhang, Jinsong; Casali, Paolo

    2012-01-01

    SUMMARY By diversifying the biological effector functions of antibodies, class switch DNA recombination (CSR) plays a critical role in the maturation of the immune response. It is initiated by AID-mediated dC deamination, yielding dUs, and dU glycosylation by Ung in antibody switch (S) region DNA. Here we showed that the translesion DNA synthesis polymerase Rev1 directly interacted with Ung and targeted in an AID-dependent and Ung-independent fashion the S regions undergoing CSR. Rev1–/– Ung+/+ B cells reduced Ung recruitment to S regions, DNA-dU glycosylation and CSR. This together with an S region spectrum of mutations similar to that of Rev1+/+ Ung–/– B cells suggested that Rev1 operated in the same pathway as Ung, as emphasized by further decreased CSR in Rev1–/– Msh2–/– B cells. Rescue of CSR in Rev1–/– B cells by a catalytically inactive Rev1 mutant showed that the important role of Rev1 in CSR is mediated by Rev1 scaffold, not enzymatic function. PMID:23140944

  13. Measurement of excitation functions in alpha induced reactions on natCu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahid, Muhammad; Kim, Kwangsoo; Kim, Guinyun; Zaman, Muhammad; Nadeem, Muhammad

    2015-09-01

    The excitation functions of 66,67,68Ga, 62,63,65Zn, 61,64Cu, and 58,60Co radionuclides in the natCu(α, x) reaction were measured in the energy range from 15 to 42 MeV by using a stacked-foil activation method at the MC-50 cyclotron of the Korean Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. The measured results were compared with the literature data as well as the theoretical values obtained from the TENDL-2013 and TENDL-2014 libraries based on the TALYS-1.6 code. The integral yields for thick targets of the produced radionuclides were also determined from the measured excitation functions and the stopping power of natural copper.

  14. Screening for Novel Germline Rare Mutations Associated with Aggressive Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    Schmidt S., Peshkin L., et al. A method and server for predicting damaging missense mutations. Nat Methods. 7, 248-249 (2010). Akbari MR, Trachtenberg...Inst. 2012 Aug 1;104(16):1260-2. Epub 2012 Jul 9. Castro E. G.C.L., Olmos D., et al. Correlation of germ-line BRCA2 mutations with aggressive...prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 16, 2115-2121 (2010). 20    Hammer GE, Gonzalez F, Champsaur M, Cado D, Shastri N. The aminopeptidase ERAAP shapes the

  15. NREL Fuels and Engines R&D Revs Up Vehicle Efficiency, Performance (Text

    Science.gov Websites

    Version) | News | NREL Fuels and Engines R&D Revs Up Vehicle Efficiency, Performance (Text Version) NREL Fuels and Engines R&D Revs Up Vehicle Efficiency, Performance (Text Version) NREL's combustion to the evolution of how fuels interact with engine and vehicle design. This is a text version of

  16. Activation cross-sections of proton induced reactions on natHf in the 38-65 MeV energy range: Production of 172Lu and of 169Yb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tárkányi, F.; Hermanne, A.; Ditrói, F.; Takács, S.; Ignatyuk, A. V.

    2018-07-01

    In the frame of a systematical study of light ion induced nuclear reactions on hafnium, activation cross sections for proton induced reactions were investigated. Excitation functions were measured in the 38-65 MeV energy range for the natHf(p,xn)180g,177,176,175,173Ta, natHf(p,x)180m,179m,175,173,172,171Hf, 177g,173,172,171,170,169Lu and natHf(p,x)169Yb reactions by using the activation method, combining stacked foil irradiation and off line gamma ray spectroscopy. The experimental results are compared with earlier results in the overlapping energy range, and with the theoretical predictions of the ALICE IPPE and EMPIRE theoretical codes and of the TALYS code reported in the TENDL-2015 and TENDL-2017 libraries. The production routes of 172Lu (and its parent 172Hf) and of 169Yb are reviewed.

  17. A simple and cost-saving approach to optimize the production of subtilisin NAT by submerged cultivation of Bacillus subtilis natto.

    PubMed

    Ku, Ting-Wei; Tsai, Ruei-Lan; Pan, Tzu-Ming

    2009-01-14

    Subtilisin NAT, formerly designated nattokinase or subtilisin BSP, is a potent cardiovascular drug because of its strong fibrinolytic activity and safety. In this study, one Bacillus subtilis natto strain with high fibrinolytic activity was isolated. We further studied the optimal conditions for subtilisin NAT production by submerged cultivation and three variables/three levels of response surface methodology (RSM) using various inoculum densities, glucose concentrations, and defatted soybean concentrations as the three variables. According to the RSM analysis, while culturing by 2.93% defatted soybean, 1.75% glucose, and 4.00% inoculum density, we obtained an activity of 13.78 SU/mL. Processing the batch fermentation with this optimal condition, the activity reached 13.69 SU/mL, which is equal to 99.3% of the predicted value.

  18. B23/nucleophosmin interacts with bovine immunodeficiency virus Rev protein and facilitates viral replication.

    PubMed

    Passos-Castilho, Ana Maria; Marchand, Claude; Archambault, Denis

    2018-02-01

    The bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) Rev shuttling protein contains nuclear/nucleolar localization signals and nuclear import/export mechanisms that are novel among lentivirus Rev proteins. Several viral proteins localize to the nucleolus, which may play a role in processes that are essential to the outcome of viral replication. Although BIV Rev localizes to the nucleoli of transfected/infected cells and colocalizes with one of its major proteins, nucleophosmin (NPM1, also known as B23), the role of the nucleolus and B23 in BIV replication remains to be determined. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that BIV Rev interacts with nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 in cells. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, we show that depletion of B23 expression inhibits virus production by BIV-infected cells, indicating that B23 plays an important role in BIV replication. The interaction between Rev and B23 may represent a potential new target for the development of antiviral drugs against lentiviruses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. DIYA: A Bacterial Annotation Pipeline for any Genomics Lab

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-02-12

    make more modules available. Functions we are looking to add to the DIYA pipeline include software for detection of prophages, CRISPR elements (Sorek...R. et al. (2008) CRISPR –a widespread system that provides acquired resistance against phages in bacteria and archaea. Nat. Rev. Microbiol., 6, 181

  20. CARCINOGEN METABOLISM GENES, RED MEAT AND POULTRY INTAKE, AND COLORECTAL CANCER RISK

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jun; Joshi, Amit D.; Corral, Román; Siegmund, Kimberly D.; Le Marchand, Loïc; Martinez, Maria Elena; Haile, Robert W.; Ahnen, Dennis J.; Sandler, Robert S.; Lance, Peter; Stern, Mariana C.

    2011-01-01

    Diets high in red meat are established risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC). Carcinogenic compounds generated during meat cooking have been implicated as causal agents. We conducted a family-based case-control study to investigate the association between polymorphisms in carcinogen metabolism genes (CYP1A2 -154A>C, CYP1B1 Leu432Val, CYP2E1 -1054C>T, GSTP1 Ile105Val, PTGS2 5UTR -765, EPHX1 Tyr113His, NAT2 Ile114Thr, NAT2 Arg197Gln and NAT2 Gly286Glu) and CRC risk. We tested for gene-environment interactions using case-only analyses (N = 577) and compared statistically significant results to those obtained using case-unaffected sibling comparisons (N = 307 sibships). Our results suggested that CYP1A2 -154A>C might modify the association between intake of red meat cooked using high temperature methods and well done on the inside and CRC risk (case-only interaction OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.19-1.97; p = 0.0008) and the association between intake of red meat heavily browned on the outside and rectal cancer risk (case-only interaction OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.48-0.86; p = 0.003). We also found that GSTP1 Ile105Val might modify the association between intake of poultry cooked with high temperature methods and CRC risk (p = 0.0035), a finding that was stronger among rectal cancer cases. Our results support a role for heterocyclic amines that form in red meat as a potential explanation for the observed association between diets high in red meat and CRC. Our findings also suggest a possible role for diets high in poultry cooked at high temperatures in CRC risk. PMID:21618522

  1. Congenic rats with higher arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 activity exhibit greater carcinogen-induced mammary tumor susceptibility independent of carcinogen metabolism.

    PubMed

    Stepp, Marcus W; Doll, Mark A; Samuelson, David J; Sanders, Mary Ann G; States, J Christopher; Hein, David W

    2017-03-31

    Recent investigations suggest role(s) of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) in breast cancer. Rat NAT2 is orthologous to human NAT1 and the gene products are functional homologs. We conducted in vivo studies using F344.WKY-Nat2 rapid/slow rats, congenic at rat Nat2 for high (rapid) and low (slow) arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity, to assess a possible role for rat NAT2 in mammary tumor susceptibility. Mammary carcinogens, methylnitrosourea (MNU) and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) neither of which is metabolized by N-acetyltransferase, were administered to assess mammary tumors. MNU was administered at 3 or 8 weeks of age. DMBA was administered at 8 weeks of age. NAT2 enzymatic activity and endogenous acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA) levels were measured in tissue samples and embryonic fibroblasts isolated from the congenic rats. Tumor latency was shorter in rapid NAT2 rats compared to slow NAT2 rats, with statistical significance for MNU administered at 3 and 8 weeks of age (p = 0.009 and 0.050, respectively). Tumor multiplicity and incidence were higher in rapid NAT2 rats compared to slow NAT2 rats administered MNU or DMBA at 8 weeks of age (MNU, p = 0.050 and 0.035; DMBA, p = 0.004 and 0.027, respectively). Recombinant rat rapid-NAT2, as well as tissue samples and embryonic fibroblasts derived from rapid NAT2 rats, catalyzed p-aminobenzoic acid N-acetyl transfer and folate-dependent acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA) hydrolysis at higher rates than those derived from rat slow-NAT2. Embryonic fibroblasts isolated from rapid NAT2 rats displayed lower levels of cellular AcCoA than slow NAT2 rats (p < 0.01). A novel role for rat NAT2 in mammary cancer was discovered unrelated to carcinogen metabolism, suggesting a role for human NAT1 in breast cancer.

  2. UV-induced reversion of his4 frameshift mutations in rad6, rev1, and rev3 mutants of yeast.

    PubMed

    Lawrence, C W; O'Brien, T; Bond, J

    1984-01-01

    The UV-induced reversion of two his4 frameshift alleles was much reduced in rad6 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an observation that is consistent with the hypothesis that RAD6 function is required for the induction of all types of genetic alteration in misrepair mutagenesis. The reversion of these his4 alleles, together with two others of the same type, was also reduced in rev1 and rev3 mutant strains; in these, however, the extent of the reduction varied considerably with test allele used, in a manner analogous to the results in these strains for base repair substitution test alleles. The general features of UV-induced frameshift and substitution mutagenesis therefore appear quite similar, indicating that they may depend on related processes. If this conclusion is correct, greater attention must be given to integrating models which account for the production of nucleotide additions and deletions into those concerning misrepair mutagenesis.

  3. Sterilization of tumor-positive lymph nodes of esophageal cancer by neo-adjuvant treatment is associated with worse survival compared to tumor-negative lymph nodes treated with surgery first.

    PubMed

    Mantziari, Styliani; Allemann, Pierre; Winiker, Michael; Sempoux, Christine; Demartines, Nicolas; Schäfer, Markus

    2017-09-01

    Lymph node (LN) involvement by esophageal cancer is associated with compromised long-term prognosis. This study assessed whether LN downstaging by neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) might offer a survival benefit compared to patients with a priori negative LN. Patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer between 2005 and 2014 were screened for inclusion. Group 1 included cN0 patients confirmed as pN0 who were treated with surgery first, whereas group 2 included patients initially cN+ and down-staged to ypN0 after NAT. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. Fifty-seven patients were included in our study, 24 in group 1 and 33 in group 2. Group 2 patients had more locally advanced lesions compared to a priori negative patients, and despite complete LN sterilization by NAT they still had worse long-term survival. Overall 3-year survival was 86.8% for a priori LN negative versus 63.3% for downstaged patients (P = 0.013), while disease-free survival was 79.6% and 57.9%, respectively (P = 0.021). Tumor recurrence was also earlier and more disseminated for the down-staged group. Downstaged LN, despite the systemic effect of NAT, still inherit an increased risk for early tumor recurrence and worse long-term survival compared to a priori negative LN. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Progression

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    Weinberg. 1999. Inhibition of telomerase limits the growth of human cancer cells. Nat. Med. 5:1164-1170. 16. Hayflick , L. 1965. The limited in vitro...radicicol 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: a. REPORT u b. ABSTRACT u c. THIS PAGE u 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT uu 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 35...P69 nontumorigenic cells and show an increase in p23 without a concomitant increase in telomerase activity, suggesting that p23 is not limiting in

  5. Computational Approach to Characterize Causative Factors and Molecular Indicators of Chronic Wound Inflammation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    Monocyte and macrophage heterogeneity. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 5: 953–964. 61. Koh , T. J., and L. A. DiPietro. 2011. Inflammation and wound healing: the role...of the macrophage. Expert Rev. Mol. Med. 13: e23. 62. Mirza, R., L. A. DiPietro, and T. J. Koh . 2009. Selective and specific macrophage ablation is... Raman spectroscopic mapping. Wound Repair Regen. 18: 409–416. 66. Forsberg, J. A., E. A. Elster, R. C. Andersen, E. Nylen, T. S. Brown, M. W. Rose, A

  6. Rev7 and 53BP1/Crb2 prevent RecQ helicase-dependent hyper-resection of DNA double-strand breaks.

    PubMed

    Leland, Bryan A; Chen, Angela C; Zhao, Amy Y; Wharton, Robert C; King, Megan C

    2018-04-26

    Poly(ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) target cancer cells deficient in homology-directed repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In preclinical models, PARPi resistance is tied to altered nucleolytic processing (resection) at the 5' ends of a DSB. For example, loss of either 53BP1 or Rev7/MAD2L2/FANCV derepresses resection to drive PARPi resistance, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. Long-range resection can be catalyzed by two machineries: the exonuclease Exo1, or the combination of a RecQ helicase and Dna2. Here, we develop a single-cell microscopy assay that allows the distinct phases and machineries of resection to be interrogated simultaneously in living S. pombe cells. Using this assay, we find that the 53BP1 orthologue and Rev7 specifically repress long-range resection through the RecQ helicase-dependent pathway, thereby preventing hyper-resection. These results suggest that 'rewiring' of BRCA1-deficient cells to employ an Exo1-independent hyper-resection pathway is a driver of PARPi resistance. © 2018, Leland et al.

  7. A HIV-1 Tat mutant protein disrupts HIV-1 Rev function by targeting the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX1.

    PubMed

    Lin, Min-Hsuan; Sivakumaran, Haran; Jones, Alun; Li, Dongsheng; Harper, Callista; Wei, Ting; Jin, Hongping; Rustanti, Lina; Meunier, Frederic A; Spann, Kirsten; Harrich, David

    2014-12-14

    Previously we described a transdominant negative mutant of the HIV-1 Tat protein, termed Nullbasic, that downregulated the steady state levels of unspliced and singly spliced viral mRNA, an activity caused by inhibition of HIV-1 Rev activity. Nullbasic also altered the subcellular localizations of Rev and other cellular proteins, including CRM1, B23 and C23 in a Rev-dependent manner, suggesting that Nullbasic may disrupt Rev function and trafficking by intervening with an unidentified component of the Rev nucleocytoplasmic transport complex. To seek a possible mechanism that could explain how Nullbasic inhibits Rev activity, we used a proteomics approach to identify host cellular proteins that interact with Nullbasic. Forty-six Nullbasic-binding proteins were identified by mass spectrometry including the DEAD-box RNA helicase, DDX1. To determine the effect of DDX1 on Nullbasic-mediated Rev activity, we performed cell-based immunoprecipitation assays, Rev reporter assays and bio-layer interferometry (BLI) assays. Interaction between DDX1 and Nullbasic was observed by co-immunoprecipitation of Nullbasic with endogenous DDX1 from cell lysates. BLI assays showed a direct interaction between Nullbasic and DDX1. Nullbasic affected DDX1 subcellular distribution in a Rev-independent manner. Interestingly overexpression of DDX1 in cells not only restored Rev-dependent mRNA export and gene expression in a Rev reporter assay but also partly reversed Nullbasic-induced Rev subcellular mislocalization. Moreover, HIV-1 wild type Tat co-immunoprecipitated with DDX1 and overexpression of Tat could rescue the unspliced viral mRNA levels inhibited by Nullbasic in HIV-1 expressing cells. Nullbasic was used to further define the complex mechanisms involved in the Rev-dependent nuclear export of the 9 kb and 4 kb viral RNAs. All together, these data indicate that DDX1 can be sequestered by Nullbasic leading to destabilization of the Rev nucleocytoplasmic transport complex and decreased

  8. Genetic heterogeneity among slow acetylator N-acetyltransferase 2 phenotypes in cryopreserved human hepatocytes.

    PubMed

    Doll, Mark A; Hein, David W

    2017-07-01

    Genetic polymorphisms in human N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) modify the metabolism of numerous drugs and carcinogens. These genetic polymorphisms modify both drug efficacy and toxicity and cancer risk associated with carcinogen exposure. Previous studies have suggested phenotypic heterogeneity among different NAT2 slow acetylator genotypes. NAT2 phenotype was investigated in vitro and in situ in samples of human hepatocytes obtained from various NAT2 slow and intermediate NAT2 acetylator genotypes. NAT2 gene dose response (NAT2*5B/*5B > NAT2*5B/*6A > NAT2*6A/*6A) was observed towards the N-acetylation of the NAT2-specific drug sulfamethazine by human hepatocytes both in vitro and in situ. N-acetylation of 4-aminobiphenyl, an arylamine carcinogen substrate for both N-acetyltransferase 1 and NAT2, showed the same trend both in vitro and in situ although the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). The N-acetylation of the N-acetyltransferase 1-specific substrate p-aminobenzoic acid did not follow this trend. In comparisons of NAT2 intermediate acetylator genotypes, differences in N-acetylation between NAT2*4/*5B and NAT2*4/*6B hepatocytes were not observed in vitro or in situ towards any of these substrates. These results further support phenotypic heterogeneity among NAT2 slow acetylator genotypes, consistent with differential risks of drug failure or toxicity and cancer associated with carcinogen exposure.

  9. HIV-1 Rev protein specifies the viral RNA export pathway by suppressing TAP/NXF1 recruitment

    PubMed Central

    Taniguchi, Ichiro; Mabuchi, Naoto; Ohno, Mutsuhito

    2014-01-01

    Nuclear RNA export pathways in eukaryotes are often linked to the fate of a given RNA. Therefore, the choice of export pathway should be well-controlled to avoid an unfavorable effect on gene expression. Although some RNAs could be exported by more than one pathway, little is known about how the choice is regulated. This issue is highlighted when the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev protein induces the export of singly spliced and unspliced HIV-1 transcripts. How these RNAs are exported is not well understood because such transcripts should have the possibility of utilizing CRM1-dependent export via Rev or cellular TAP/NXF1-dependent export via the transcription/export (TREX) complex, or both. Here we found that Rev suppressed TAP/NXF1-dependent export of model RNA substrates that recapitulated viral transcripts. In this effect, Rev interacted with the cap-binding complex and inhibited the recruitment of the TREX complex. Thus, Rev controls the identity of the factor occupying the cap-proximal region that determines the RNA export pathway. This ribonucleoprotein remodeling activity of Rev may favor viral gene expression. PMID:24753416

  10. Role of N-acetyltransferase 2 acetylation polymorphism in 4, 4'-methylene bis (2-chloroaniline) biotransformation.

    PubMed

    Hein, David W; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Doll, Mark A

    2018-02-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) and 2 (NAT2) catalyze the acetylation of arylamine carcinogens. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NAT2 coding exon present in NAT2 haplotypes encode allozymes with reduced N-acetyltransferase activity towards the N-acetylation of arylamine carcinogens and the O-acetylation of their N-hydroxylated metabolites. NAT2 acetylator phenotype modifies urinary bladder cancer risk following exposures to arylamine carcinogens such as 4-aminobiphenyl. 4, 4'-methylene bis (2-chloroaniline) (MOCA) is a Group 1 carcinogen for which a role of the NAT2 acetylation polymorphism on cancer risk is unknown. We investigated the role of NAT2 and the genetic acetylation polymorphism on both MOCA N-acetylation and N-hydroxy-MOCA O-acetylation. MOCA N-acetylation exhibited a robust gene dose response in rabbit liver cytosol and in cryopreserved human hepatocytes derived from individuals of rapid, intermediate and slow acetylator NAT2 genotype. MOCA exhibited about 4-fold higher affinity for recombinant human NAT2 than NAT1. Recombinant human NAT2*4 (reference) and 15 variant recombinant human NAT2 allozymes catalyzed both the N-acetylation of MOCA and the O-acetylation of N-hydroxy-MOCA. Human NAT2 5, NAT2 6, NAT2 7 and NAT2 14 allozymes catalyzed MOCA N-acetylation and N-hydroxy-O-acetylation at rates much lower than the reference NAT2 4 allozyme. In conclusion, our results show that NAT2 acetylator genotype has an important role in MOCA metabolism and suggest that risk assessments related to MOCA exposures consider accounting for NAT2 acetylator phenotype in the analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Comparative genomic survey, exon-intron annotation and phylogenetic analysis of NAT-homologous sequences in archaea, protists, fungi, viruses, and invertebrates

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We have previously published extensive genomic surveys [1-3], reporting NAT-homologous sequences in hundreds of sequenced bacterial, fungal and vertebrate genomes. We present here the results of our latest search of 2445 genomes, representing 1532 (70 archaeal, 1210 bacterial, 43 protist, 97 fungal,...

  12. Clean Cities Conference to Rev Up Alternative Fuels Market

    Science.gov Websites

    Cities Conference to Rev Up Alternative Fuels Market For more information contact: George Douglas , 303-275-4096 email: George Douglas Golden, Colo., Jan. 26, 2001 - Cleaner air and greater energy

  13. User Instructions for the Systems Assessment Capability, Rev. 1, Computer Codes Volume 3: Utility Codes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eslinger, Paul W.; Aaberg, Rosanne L.; Lopresti, Charles A.

    2004-09-14

    This document contains detailed user instructions for a suite of utility codes developed for Rev. 1 of the Systems Assessment Capability. The suite of computer codes for Rev. 1 of Systems Assessment Capability performs many functions.

  14. Identification of Brucella melitensis Rev.1 vaccine-strain genetic markers: Towards understanding the molecular mechanism behind virulence attenuation.

    PubMed

    Issa, Mohammad Nouh; Ashhab, Yaqoub

    2016-09-22

    Brucella melitensis Rev.1 is an avirulent strain that is widely used as a live vaccine to control brucellosis in small ruminants. Although an assembled draft version of Rev.1 genome has been available since 2009, this genome has not been investigated to characterize this important vaccine. In the present work, we used the draft genome of Rev.1 to perform a thorough genomic comparison and sequence analysis to identify and characterize the panel of its unique genetic markers. The draft genome of Rev.1 was compared with genome sequences of 36 different Brucella melitensis strains from the Brucella project of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The comparative analyses revealed 32 genetic alterations (30 SNPs, 1 single-bp insertion and 1 single-bp deletion) that are exclusively present in the Rev.1 genome. In silico analyses showed that 9 out of the 17 non-synonymous mutations are deleterious. Three ABC transporters are among the disrupted genes that can be linked to virulence attenuation. Out of the 32 mutations, 11 Rev.1 specific markers were selected to test their potential to discriminate Rev.1 using a bi-directional allele-specific PCR assay. Six markers were able to distinguish between Rev.1 and a set of control strains. We succeeded in identifying a panel of 32 genome-specific markers of the B. melitensis Rev.1 vaccine strain. Extensive in silico analysis showed that a considerable number of these mutations could severely affect the function of the associated genes. In addition, some of the discovered markers were able to discriminate Rev.1 strain from a group of control strains using practical PCR tests that can be applied in resource-limited settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Low Temperature Power Coating (LTPC) Phase 2 Laboratory Test Plan and Procedures for PACAF (Rev D)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-03-20

    Δa*, LTPC Phase II Laboratory Test Plan and Procedures Rev D (CDRL A004) BATTELLE | 20 March 2018 | 6 Δb* and ΔE will be calculated post ...BATTELLE | CONTRACT NUMBER: FA8532-17-C-0008 (CDRL A004) LTPC Phase II Laboratory Test Plan and Procedures (Rev D) Prepared by... Test Plan and Procedures Rev D (CDRL A004) BATTELLE | 20 March 2018 | i List of Acronyms AGE Aircraft Ground Equipment ASTM American

  16. Measurement of excitation function of {sup nat}B(p,x){sup 7}Be nuclear reaction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ditroi, F.; Fenyvesi, A.; Takacs, S.

    1994-12-31

    Boron of natural composition was irradiated to measure the cross section function of the {sup nat}B(p,x){sup 7}Be nuclear reaction. The reaction is very important from the point of view of Thin Layer Activation (TLA) technique to monitor the wear of boron containing superhard materials (e.g. BN). The aim was to determine the cross section of above reaction in the energy region used in wear measurements because practically there is no cross section data available below 10 MeV.

  17. Activation cross sections of α-induced reactions on natZn for Ge and Ga production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aikawa, M.; Saito, M.; Ebata, S.; Komori, Y.; Haba, H.

    2018-07-01

    The production cross sections of 68,69Ge and 66,67Ga by α-induced reactions on natZn have been measured using the stacked-foil activation method and off-line γ-ray spectrometry from their threshold energies to 50.7 MeV. The derived cross sections were compared with the previous experimental data and the calculated values in the TENLD-2017 library. Our result shows a slightly larger amplitude than the previous data at the peak, though the peak energy is consistent with them.

  18. 75 FR 27840 - NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, Supplement 3, Guidance for Protective Action Recommendations for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-18

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0080] NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, Supplement 3...: ``NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, Supplement 3, Guidance for Protective Action Recommendations for General... the existing guidance contained in Supplement 3 to NUREG- 0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, ``Criteria for...

  19. Depth profile of production yields of natPb(p, xn) 206,205,204,203,202,201Bi nuclear reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mokhtari Oranj, Leila; Jung, Nam-Suk; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Arim; Bae, Oryun; Lee, Hee-Seock

    2016-11-01

    Experimental and simulation studies on the depth profiles of production yields of natPb(p, xn) 206,205,204,203,202,201Bi nuclear reactions were carried out. Irradiation experiments were performed at the high-intensity proton linac facility (KOMAC) in Korea. The targets, irradiated by 100-MeV protons, were arranged in a stack consisting of natural Pb, Al, Au foils and Pb plates. The proton beam intensity was determined by activation analysis method using 27Al(p, 3p1n)24Na, 197Au(p, p1n)196Au, and 197Au(p, p3n)194Au monitor reactions and also by Gafchromic film dosimetry method. The yields of produced radio-nuclei in the natPb activation foils and monitor foils were measured by HPGe spectroscopy system. Monte Carlo simulations were performed by FLUKA, PHITS/DCHAIN-SP, and MCNPX/FISPACT codes and the calculated data were compared with the experimental results. A satisfactory agreement was observed between the present experimental data and the simulations.

  20. Did Rev-1 small ruminants vaccination helped improve cattle brucellosis prevalence status in Algeria?

    PubMed

    Kardjadj, Moustafa

    2017-12-01

    In 2006, the Algerian authorities started the Rev-1 vaccination of sheep and goats; consequently, there was a significant improvement of small ruminant brucellosis sanitary status. In this paper, we attempt to study the effect of Rev-1 small ruminants' vaccination on cattle brucellosis prevalence in Algeria. Our results showed an overall cattle herd seroprevalence of 12% (9 positive herds of 75). The risk factor analysis using a logistic regression model indicated that the presence of small ruminants along with cattle in the herd (mixed herds) decreased the odds for brucellosis seropositivity by 1.69 [95% CI 0.54-2.84; P = 0.042] compared to the cattle herds only. Likewise, the present study showed that the presence of Rev-1 vaccinated small ruminants in the herd decreased also the odds for brucellosis seropositivity by 4.10 [95% CI 3.20-5.00; P = 0.003] compared to other herds. This result lead to the assumption that the small ruminants Rev-1 vaccination diminish Brucella microbisme pressure in the mixed herds and help decrease the cattle brucellosis prevalence in these herds.

  1. Cooperativity among Rev-Associated Nuclear Export Signals Regulates HIV-1 Gene Expression and Is a Determinant of Virus Species Tropism

    PubMed Central

    Aligeti, Mounavya; Behrens, Ryan T.; Pocock, Ginger M.; Schindelin, Johannes; Dietz, Christian; Eliceiri, Kevin W.; Swanson, Chad M.; Malim, Michael H.; Ahlquist, Paul

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Murine cells exhibit a profound block to HIV-1 virion production that was recently mapped to a species-specific structural attribute of the murine version of the chromosomal region maintenance 1 (mCRM1) nuclear export receptor and rescued by the expression of human CRM1 (hCRM1). In human cells, the HIV-1 Rev protein recruits hCRM1 to intron-containing viral mRNAs encoding the Rev response element (RRE), thereby facilitating viral late gene expression. Here we exploited murine 3T3 fibroblasts as a gain-of-function system to study hCRM1's species-specific role in regulating Rev's effector functions. We show that Rev is rapidly exported from the nucleus by mCRM1 despite only weak contributions to HIV-1's posttranscriptional stages. Indeed, Rev preferentially accumulates in the cytoplasm of murine 3T3 cells with or without hCRM1 expression, in contrast to human HeLa cells, where Rev exhibits striking en masse transitions between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Efforts to bias Rev's trafficking either into or out of the nucleus revealed that Rev encoding a second CRM1 binding domain (Rev-2xNES) or Rev-dependent viral gag-pol mRNAs bearing tandem RREs (GP-2xRRE), rescue virus particle production in murine cells even in the absence of hCRM1. Combined, these results suggest a model wherein Rev-associated nuclear export signals cooperate to regulate the number or quality of CRM1's interactions with viral Rev/RRE ribonucleoprotein complexes in the nucleus. This mechanism regulates CRM1-dependent viral gene expression and is a determinant of HIV-1's capacity to produce virions in nonhuman cell types. IMPORTANCE Cells derived from mice and other nonhuman species exhibit profound blocks to HIV-1 replication. Here we elucidate a block to HIV-1 gene expression attributable to the murine version of the CRM1 (mCRM1) nuclear export receptor. In human cells, hCRM1 regulates the nuclear export of viral intron-containing mRNAs through the activity of the viral Rev

  2. Activation cross sections of alpha-induced reactions on natIn for 117mSn production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aikawa, M.; Saito, M.; Ukon, N.; Komori, Y.; Haba, H.

    2018-07-01

    The production of 117mSn by charged-particle induced reactions is an interesting topic for medical application. Production cross sections of α-induced reactions on natIn for 117mSn up to 50 MeV were measured using the stacked foil technique and activation method. The integral yield of 117mSn was estimated using the measured cross sections. The results were compared with experimental data investigated earlier and theoretical calculation. Measured cross sections for 113Sn and 116m,117,118mSb isotopes were also presented.

  3. Inhibition of Androgen-Independent Growth of Prostate Cancer by siRNA-Mediated Androgen Receptor Gene Silencing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-02-01

    was gradually increased along with increasing dosage of the AAV.ARHP8 particles injected. No GFP expression was observed in PBS-injected xenograft...receptor. Cancer Gene Ther 2002;9:117–25. 16. Craft N, Shostak Y , Carey M, Sawyers CL. A mechanism for hormone- independent prostate cancer through...modulation of androgen receptor signaling by the HER-2/neu tyrosine kinase. Nat Med 1999;5:280–5. 17. Wen Y , Hu MC, Makino K, et al. HER-2/neu promotes

  4. A New In Vitro Model of Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-01

    videomicroscopy [11, 12] have revealed that early stage, pre-angiogenic interactions between the cancer cells and the bone environment are crucial regulators of...1995) Steps in tumor metastasis: new concepts from intravital videomicroscopy . Cancer Metastasis Rev 14:279–301. doi:10.1007/BF00690599 12. Chambers AF

  5. Potent Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication by an Intracellular Anti-Rev Single-Chain Antibody

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Lingxun; Bagasra, Omar; Laughlin, Mark A.; Oakes, Joseph W.; Pomerantz, Roger J.

    1994-05-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has a complex life cycle, which has made it a difficult target for conventional therapeutic modalities. A single-chain antibody moiety, directed against the HIV-1 regulatory protein Rev, which rescues unspliced viral RNA from the nucleus of infected cells, has now been developed. This anti-Rev single-chain construct (SFv) consists of both light and heavy chain variable regions of an anti-Rev monoclonal antibody, which, when expressed intracellularly within human cells, potently inhibits HIV-1 replication. This intracellular SFv molecule is demonstrated to specifically antagonize Rev function. Thus, intracellular SFv expression, against a retroviral regulatory protein, may be useful as a gene therapeutic approach to combat HIV-1 infections.

  6. Computational investigation of the HIV-1 Rev multimerization using molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations.

    PubMed

    Venken, Tom; Daelemans, Dirk; De Maeyer, Marc; Voet, Arnout

    2012-06-01

    The HIV Rev protein mediates the nuclear export of viral mRNA, and is thereby essential for the production of late viral proteins in the replication cycle. Rev forms a large organized multimeric protein-protein complex for proper functioning. Recently, the three-dimensional structures of a Rev dimer and tetramer have been resolved and provide the basis for a thorough structural analysis of the binding interaction. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) and binding free energy calculations were performed to elucidate the forces thriving dimerization and higher order multimerization of the Rev protein. It is found that despite the structural differences between each crystal structure, both display a similar behavior according to our calculations. Our analysis based on a molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) and a configurational entropy approach demonstrates that the higher order multimerization site is much weaker than the dimerization site. In addition, a quantitative hot spot analysis combined with a mutational analysis reveals the most contributing amino acid residues for protein interactions in agreement with experimental results. Additional residues were found in each interface, which are important for the protein interaction. The investigation of the thermodynamics of the Rev multimerization interactions performed here could be a further step in the development of novel antiretrovirals using structure based drug design. Moreover, the variability of the angle between each Rev monomer as measured during the MD simulations suggests a role of the Rev protein in allowing flexibility of the arginine rich domain (ARM) to accommodate RNA binding. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. REV-ERB-ALPHA circadian gene variant associates with obesity in two independent populations: Mediterranean and North American.

    PubMed

    Garaulet, Marta; Smith, Caren E; Gomez-Abellán, Purificación; Ordovás-Montañés, María; Lee, Yu-Chi; Parnell, Laurence D; Arnett, Donna K; Ordovás, José M

    2014-04-01

    Despite the solid connection between REV-ERB and obesity, the information about whether genetic variations at this locus may be associated with obesity traits is scarce. Therefore our objective was to study the association between REV-ERB-ALPHA1 rs2314339 and obesity in two independent populations. Participants were 2214 subjects from Spanish Mediterranean (n = 1404) and North American (n = 810) populations. Anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, and genotype analyses were performed. We found novel associations between the REV-ERB-ALPHA1 rs2314339 genotype and obesity in two independent populations: in Spanish Mediterranean and North American groups, the frequency of the minor-allele-carriers (AA+ AG) was significantly lower in the "abdominally obese" group than in those of the "nonabdominally obese" group (p < 0.05). Minor allele carriers had lower probability of abdominal obesity than noncarriers, and the effect was of similar magnitude for both populations (OR ≈ 1.50). There were consistent associations between REV-ERB-ALPHA1 genotype and obesity-related traits (p < 0.05). Energy intake was not significantly associated with REV-ERB-ALPHA1 rs2314339. However, physical activity significantly differed by genotype. A significant interaction between the REV-ERB-ALPHA1 variant and monounsaturated-fatty-acids (MUFA) intake for obesity was also detected in the Mediterranean population. This new discovery highlights the importance of REV-ERB-ALPHA1 in obesity and provides evidence for the connection between our biological clock and obesity-related traits. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Roles of Rev1, Pol ζ, Pol32 and Pol η in the bypass of chromosomal abasic sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Auerbach, Paul A.; Demple, Bruce

    2010-01-01

    Translesion synthesis (TLS) on DNA is a process by which potentially cytotoxic replication-blocking lesions are bypassed, but at the risk of increased mutagenesis. The exact in vivo role of the individual TLS enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been difficult to determine from previous studies due to differing results from the variety of systems used. We have generated a series of S.cerevisiae strains in which each of the TLS-related genes REV1, REV3, REV7, RAD30 and POL32 was deleted, and in which chromosomal apyrimidinic sites were generated during normal cell growth by the activity of altered forms of human uracil-DNA glycosylase that remove undamaged cytosines or thymines. Deletion of REV1, REV3 or REV7 resulted in slower growth dependent on (rev3Δ and rev7Δ) or enhanced by (rev1Δ) expression of the mutator glycosylases and a nearly complete abolition of glycosylase-induced mutagenesis. Deletion of POL32 resulted in cell death when the mutator glycosylases were expressed and, in their absence, diminished spontaneous mutagenesis. RAD30 appeared to be unnecessary for mutagenesis in response to abasic sites, as deleting this gene caused no significant change in either the mutation rates or the mutational spectra due to glycosylase expression. PMID:19901007

  9. Involvement of the Clock Gene Rev-erb alpha in the Regulation of Glucagon Secretion in Pancreatic Alpha-Cells

    PubMed Central

    Vieira, Elaine; Marroquí, Laura; Figueroa, Ana Lucia C.; Merino, Beatriz; Fernandez-Ruiz, Rebeca; Nadal, Angel; Burris, Thomas P.; Gomis, Ramon; Quesada, Ivan

    2013-01-01

    Disruption of pancreatic clock genes impairs pancreatic beta-cell function, leading to the onset of diabetes. Despite the importance of pancreatic alpha-cells in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and in diabetes pathophysiology, nothing is known about the role of clock genes in these cells. Here, we identify the clock gene Rev-erb alpha as a new intracellular regulator of glucagon secretion. Rev-erb alpha down-regulation by siRNA (60–70% inhibition) in alphaTC1-9 cells inhibited low-glucose induced glucagon secretion (p<0.05) and led to a decrease in key genes of the exocytotic machinery. The Rev-erb alpha agonist GSK4112 increased glucagon secretion (1.6 fold) and intracellular calcium signals in alphaTC1-9 cells and mouse primary alpha-cells, whereas the Rev-erb alpha antagonist SR8278 produced the opposite effect. At 0.5 mM glucose, alphaTC1-9 cells exhibited intrinsic circadian Rev-erb alpha expression oscillations that were inhibited by 11 mM glucose. In mouse primary alpha-cells, glucose induced similar effects (p<0.001). High glucose inhibited key genes controlled by AMPK such as Nampt, Sirt1 and PGC-1 alpha in alphaTC1-9 cells (p<0.05). AMPK activation by metformin completely reversed the inhibitory effect of glucose on Nampt-Sirt1-PGC-1 alpha and Rev-erb alpha. Nampt inhibition decreased Sirt1, PGC-1 alpha and Rev-erb alpha mRNA expression (p<0.01) and glucagon release (p<0.05). These findings identify Rev-erb alpha as a new intracellular regulator of glucagon secretion via AMPK/Nampt/Sirt1 pathway. PMID:23936124

  10. Autocrine and Paracrine Hh Signaling Regulate Prostate Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 6, 306–317 7. Wang, B. E., Shou, J., Ross, S., Koeppen, H., De Sauvage, F. J., and Gao, W. Q. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 18506...and Placzek, M. (2006) Nat. Rev. Genet. 7, 841–850 13. Callahan, C. A., Ofstad, T., Horng, L.,Wang, J. K., Zhen, H. H., Coulombe , P. A., and Oro, A. E...Albig, A. R., and Schiemann, W. P. (2005)Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 609–625 45. Olsen, M. W., Ley , C. D., Junker, N., Hansen, A. J., Lund, E. L., and Krist

  11. Tumor Suppressor Activity of the EphB2 Receptor in Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-11-01

    receptor, ephrin, tumor suppressor, signal transduction 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18 . NUMBER OF PAGES 19a...Concepts in Angiogenesis”. Eds. M Simons and G Rubanyi, Imperial College Press, London, Chapter 18 , pp. 27-66. CONCLUSIONS The work we have...Nat Med 10, 594-601. 17. Majumder PK, and WR Sellers (2005) Akt-regulated pathways in prostate cancer. Oncogene 24, 7465-7474. 18 . Nelson EC, CP

  12. Innocuity and immune response to Brucella melitensis Rev.1 vaccine in camels (Camelus dromedarius)

    PubMed Central

    Benkirane, A.; Idrissi, A.H. El; Doumbia, A.; de Balogh, K.

    2014-01-01

    A field trial was conducted in a camel brucellosis-free herd to evaluate antibody response to the Brucella melitensis Rev.1 vaccine in camels and assess shedding of the vaccine strain in milk. Twenty eight camels were divided into four groups according to their age and vaccination route. Groups A (n=3) and B (n=3) consisted of non-pregnant lactating female camels, vaccinated through subcutaneous and conjunctival routes, respectively. Groups C (n=10) consisted of 8-11 months old calves vaccinated through conjunctival route. The rest of the herd (n=12) composed of female and young camels were not vaccinated and were considered as the control group. Each animal from groups A, B and C was given the recommended dose of 2 × 109 colony forming units of Rev.1 vaccine irrespective of age or route of vaccination. Blood samples were collected from all the animals at the time of vaccination and at weekly, bi-weekly and monthly interval until 32 weeks post vaccination and from controls at weeks 8 and 24. The serological tests used were modified Rose Bengal Test, sero-agglutination test, and an indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Milk samples were collected from all vaccinated female camels and tested for the presence of Rev.1 vaccine strain. Most vaccinated animals started to show an antibody response at week 2 and remained positive until week 16. By week 20 post-vaccination all animals in the three groups were tested negative for Brucella antibodies. Bacteriological analysis of milk samples did not allow any isolation of Brucella melitensis. All samples were found Brucella negative in PCR analysis. The results of this study indicate that the Rev.1 vaccine induces seroconversion in camels. Rev.1 vaccine strain is not excreted in the milk of camels. These findings are promising as to the safe use of the Rev.1 vaccine in camels. PMID:26623347

  13. Depletion of histone N-terminal-acetyltransferase Naa40 induces p53-independent apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway.

    PubMed

    Pavlou, Demetria; Kirmizis, Antonis

    2016-03-01

    Protein N-terminal acetylation is an abundant post-translational modification in eukaryotes implicated in various fundamental cellular and biochemical processes. This modification is catalysed by evolutionarily conserved N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs) whose deregulation has been linked to cancer development and thus, are emerging as useful diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Naa40 is a highly selective NAT that acetylates the amino-termini of histones H4 and H2A and acts as a sensor of cell growth in yeast. In the present study, we examine the role of Naa40 in cancer cell survival. We demonstrate that depletion of Naa40 in HCT116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cells decreases cell survival by enhancing apoptosis, whereas Naa40 reduction in non-cancerous mouse embryonic fibroblasts has no effect on cell viability. Specifically, Naa40 knockdown in colon cancer cells activates the mitochondrial caspase-9-mediated apoptotic cascade. Consistent with this, we show that caspase-9 activation is required for the induced apoptosis because treatment of cells with an irreversible caspase-9 inhibitor impedes apoptosis when Naa40 is depleted. Furthermore, the effect of Naa40-depletion on cell-death is mediated through a p53-independent mechanism since p53-null HCT116 cells still undergo apoptosis upon reduction of the acetyltransferase. Altogether, these findings reveal an anti-apoptotic role for Naa40 and exhibit its potential as a therapeutic target in colorectal cancers.

  14. Human protein Staufen-2 promotes HIV-1 proliferation by positively regulating RNA export activity of viral protein Rev.

    PubMed

    Banerjee, Atoshi; Benjamin, Ronald; Balakrishnan, Kannan; Ghosh, Payel; Banerjee, Sharmistha

    2014-02-13

    The export of intron containing viral RNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is an essential step in the life cycle of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1). As the eukaryotic system does not permit the transport of intron containing RNA out of the nucleus, HIV-1 makes a regulatory protein, Rev, that mediates the transportation of unspliced and partially spliced viral mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, thereby playing a decisive role in the generation of new infectious virus particles. Therefore, the host factors modulating the RNA export activity of Rev can be major determinants of virus production in an infected cell. In this study, human Staufen-2 (hStau-2) was identified as a host factor interacting with HIV-1 Rev through affinity chromatography followed by MALDI analyses. Our experiments involving transient expressions, siRNA mediated knockdowns and infection assays conclusively established that hStau-2 is a positive regulator of HIV-1 pathogenesis. We demonstrated that Rev-hStau-2 interactions positively regulated the RNA export activity of Rev and promoted progeny virus synthesis. The Rev-hStau-2 interaction was independent of RNA despite both being RNA binding proteins. hStau-2 mutant, with mutations at Q314R-A318F-K319E, deficient of binding Rev, failed to promote hStau-2 dependent Rev activity and viral production, validating the essentiality of this protein-protein interaction. The expression of this positive regulator was elevated upon HIV-1 infection in both human T-lymphocyte and astrocyte cell lines. With this study, we establish that human Staufen-2, a host factor which is up-regulated upon HIV-1 infection, interacts with HIV-1 Rev, thereby promoting its RNA export activity and progeny virus formation. Altogether, our study provides new insights into the emerging role of the Staufen family of mRNA transporters in host-pathogen interaction and supports the notion that obliterating interactions between viral and host proteins that positively

  15. The Role of MMP-1 in Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis to the Brain in a Xenograft Model

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-07

    growing metastases [32]. Fitzgerald et al. [33] reported high proliferation rates of brain metastases of this cell line, as we also found for metastases of...EP: Brain metastases: the HER2 paradigm. Clin Cancer Res 2007, 13:1648–1655. 3. Palmieri D, Fitzgerald D, Shreeve SM, et al: Analyses of resected...2005, 87:273–286. 9. Murray GI, Duncan ME, O’Neil P, et al: Matrix metalloproteinase-1 is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Nat

  16. Treatment with the fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide influences the appearance of mutations in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 regulatory protein rev.

    PubMed

    Svicher, Valentina; Alteri, Claudia; D'Arrigo, Roberta; Laganà, Alessandro; Trignetti, Maria; Lo Caputo, Sergio; Callegaro, Anna Paola; Maggiolo, Franco; Mazzotta, Francesco; Ferro, Alfredo; Dimonte, Salvatore; Aquaro, Stefano; di Perri, Giovanni; Bonora, Stefano; Tommasi, Chiara; Trotta, Maria Paola; Narciso, Pasquale; Antinori, Andrea; Perno, Carlo Federico; Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca

    2009-07-01

    The gp41-encoding sequence of the env gene contains in two separate regions the Rev-responsive elements (RRE) and the alternative open reading frame of the second exon of the regulatory protein Rev. The binding of Rev to the RRE allows the transport of unspliced/singly spliced viral mRNAs out of the nucleus, an essential step in the life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In this study, we have investigated whether the fusion-inhibitor enfuvirtide (ENF) can induce mutations in Rev and if these mutations correlate with the classical ENF resistance gp41 mutations and with viremia and CD4 cell count. Specific Rev mutations were positively associated with ENF treatment and significantly correlated with classical ENF resistance gp41 mutations. In particular, a cluster was observed for the Rev mutations E57A (E57A(rev)) and N86S(rev) with the ENF resistance gp41 mutations Q40H (Q40H(gp41)) and L45M(gp41). In addition, the presence at week 48 of the E57A(rev) correlates with a significant viremia increase from baseline to week 48 and with a CD4 cell count loss from baseline to week 48. By modeling the RRE structure, we found that the Q40(gp41) and L45(gp41) codons form complementary base pairs in a region of the RRE involved in Rev binding. The conformation of this Rev-binding site is disrupted when Q40H(gp41) and L45M(gp41) occur alone while it is restored when both mutations are present. In conclusion, our study shows that ENF pressure may also affect both Rev and RRE structures and can provide an excellent example of compensatory evolution. This highlights the multiple roles of ENF (and perhaps other entry inhibitors) in modulating the correct interplay between the different HIV-1 genes and proteins during the HIV-1 life cycle.

  17. Biological Characterization of CVRM2-BAC, A Recombinant CV1988 Virus Containing an REV LTR Insertion

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    It has been previously reported that avian retroviruses, i.e. avian leukosis virus (ALV) and reticoloendotheliosis virus (REV), integrate in the Marek’s disease virus genome affecting MDV pathogenicity. RM-2 is an attenuated serotype 1 MDV virus generated by insertion of the REV LTR in the genome of...

  18. Enhancing international earth science competence in natural hazards through 'geoNatHaz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giardino, Marco; Clague, John J.

    2010-05-01

    "geoNatHaz" is a Transatlantic Exchange Partnership project (TEP 2009-2012) within the framework of the EU-Canada programme for co-operation in higher education, training, and youth. The project is structured to improve knowledge and skills required to assess and manage natural hazards in mountain regions. It provides student exchanges between European and Canadian universities in order to enhance international competence in natural hazard research. The university consortium is led by Simon Fraser University (Canada) and Università degli studi di Torino (Italy). Partner universities include the University of British Columbia, Queen's University, Università di Bologna, Université de Savoie, and the University of Athens. Université de Lausanne (Switzerland) supports the geoNatHaz advisory board through its bilateral agreements with Canadian partner universities. The geoNatHaz project promotes cross-cultural understanding and internationalization of university natural hazard curricula through common lectures, laboratory exercises, and field activities. Forty graduate students from the seven Canadian and European partner universities will benefit from the project between 2009 and 2012. Some students enrolled in graduate-level earth science and geologic engineering programs spend up to five months at the partner universities, taking courses and participating in research teams under the direction of project scientists. Other students engage in short-term (four-week) exchanges involving training in classic natural hazard case-studies in mountain regions of Canada and Europe. Joint courses are delivered in English, but complementary cultural activities are offered in the languages of the host countries. Supporting organizations offer internships and technical and scientific support. Students benefit from work-study programs with industry partners. Supporting organizations include government departments and agencies (Geological Survey of Canada; CNR-IRPI National

  19. Stimulation of nuclear receptor REV-ERBs regulates tumor necrosis factor-induced expression of proinflammatory molecules in C6 astroglial cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morioka, Norimitsu, E-mail: mnori@hiroshima-u.ac.jp; Tomori, Mizuki; Zhang, Fang Fang

    Under physiological conditions, astrocytes maintain homeostasis in the CNS. Following inflammation and injury to the CNS, however, activated astrocytes produce neurotoxic molecules such as cytokines and chemokines, amplifying the initial molecular-cellular events evoked by inflammation and injury. Nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ (REV-ERBs) are crucial in the regulation of inflammation- and metabolism-related gene transcription. The current study sought to elucidate a role of REV-ERBs in rat C6 astroglial cells on the expression of inflammatory molecules following stimulation with the neuroinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Stimulation of C6 cells with TNF (10 ng/ml) significantly increased the mRNA expression of CCL2, interleukin-6more » (IL-6), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9, but not fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and MMP-2. Treatment with either REV-ERB agonists GSK4112 or SR9009 significantly blocked TNF-induced upregulation of CCL2 mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA, but not IL-6 mRNA and iNOS mRNA expression. Furthermore, treatment with RGFP966, a selective histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) inhibitor, potently reversed the inhibitory effects of GSK4112 on TNF-induced expression of MMP-9 mRNA, but not CCL2 mRNA. Expression of Rev-erbs mRNA in C6 astroglial cells, primary cultured rat cortical and spinal astrocytes was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Together, the findings demonstrate an anti-inflammatory effect, downregulating of MMP-9 and CCL2 transcription, of astroglial REV-ERBs activation through HDAC3-dependent and HDAC3-independent mechanisms. - Highlights: • Rev-erbα mRNA and Rev-erbβ mRNA are expressed in C6 astroglial cells. • TNF increases the expression of CCL2, IL-6, MMP-9 and iNOS mRNA. • REV-ERB activation inhibits CCL2 mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA expression. • HDAC3 activity is involved in the inhibitory effect of REV-ERB on MMP-9

  20. The Oncogenic Role of RhoGAPs in Basal-Like Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-01

    somatic mutations of RhoA in peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) (16-18) and in diffuse-type gastric carcinomas (19-21). Surprisingly, unlike Rac1...Diffuse-type gastric cancers exhibited mutations in the effector binding domain of RhoA, most commonly Y42C (19-21), which prevents binding to the...Impiombato A, Perez-Garcia A, et al. Recurrent mutations in epigenetic regulators, RHOA and FYN kinase in peripheral T cell lymphomas . Nat Genet 2014;46

  1. Role for human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 in the methionine salvage pathway.

    PubMed

    Witham, Katey L; Minchin, Rodney F; Butcher, Neville J

    2017-02-01

    The Phase II drug metabolizing enzyme arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) has been implicated in the growth and survival of cancer cells, although the mechanisms that underlies these effects are unknown. Here, a focused metabolomics approach was used to identify changes in folate catabolism as well as the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) cycle following NAT1 knockdown with shRNA. Although acetylation of the folate catabolite p-aminobenzoylglutamate (pABG) was significantly decreased, there were no changes in intracellular pABG or the various components of the SAM cycle. By contrast, the flux of homocysteine in the medium was different following NAT1 knockdown after the methionine content was exhausted suggesting a need for this metabolite in methionine synthesis. Analysis of the growth of various cancer cells in methylthioadenosine-supplemented medium showed that NAT1 knockdown inhibited the methionine salvage pathway in HT-29 cells but not in HeLa or MDA-MB-436 cells. The cause of this was a low level of expression of the isomerase MRI-1 in the HT-29 cells. Knocking down both NAT1 and MRI-1 in HeLa cells with siRNA further demonstrated a redundancy between these 2 enzymes, although direct isomerase activity by NAT1 could not be demonstrated. The present study has identified a novel endogenous role for human NAT1 that might explain some of its effects in cancer cell growth and survival. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Identification of Molecular Receptors for Therapeutic Targeting in Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-12-01

    125:385–398. 11. Arap W, et al. (2002) Steps toward mapping the human vasculature by phage display. Nat Med 8:121–127. 12. Arap W, Pasqualini R...surface expression of the stress response chaperone GRP78 enables tumor targeting by circulating ligands. Cancer Cell 6:275–284. 14. Pasqualini R...Ruoslahti E (1996) Organ targeting in vivo using phage display peptide libraries. Nature 380:364–366. 15. Pasqualini R, Arap W, Rajotte D, Ruoslahti E (2001

  3. Codominant Expression of N-Acetylation and O-Acetylation Activities Catalyzed by N-Acetyltransferase 2 in Human Hepatocytes

    PubMed Central

    Doll, Mark A.; Zang, Yu; Moeller, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    Human populations exhibit genetic polymorphism in N-acetylation capacity, catalyzed by N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2). We investigated the relationship between NAT2 acetylator genotype and phenotype in cryopreserved human hepatocytes. NAT2 genotypes determined in 256 human samples were assigned as rapid (two rapid alleles), intermediate (one rapid and one slow allele), or slow (two slow alleles) acetylator phenotypes based on functional characterization of the NAT2 alleles reported previously in recombinant expression systems. A robust and significant relationship was observed between deduced NAT2 phenotype (rapid, intermediate, or slow) and N-acetyltransferase activity toward sulfamethazine (p < 0.0001) and 4-aminobiphenyl (p < 0.0001) and for O-acetyltransferase-catalyzed metabolic activation of N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl (p < 0.0001), N-hydroxy-2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline (p < 0.01), and N-hydroxy-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine (p < 0.0001). NAT2-specific protein levels also significantly associated with the rapid, intermediate, and slow NAT2 acetylator phenotypes (p < 0.0001). As a negative control, p-aminobenzoic acid (an N-acetyltransferase 1-selective substrate) N-acetyltransferase activities from the same samples did not correlate with the three NAT2 acetylator phenotypes (p > 0.05). These results clearly document codominant expression of human NAT2 alleles resulting in rapid, intermediate, and slow acetylator phenotypes. The three phenotypes reflect levels of NAT2 protein catalyzing both N- and O-acetylation. Our results suggest a significant role of NAT2 acetylation polymorphism in arylamine-induced cancers and are consistent with differential cancer risk and/or drug efficacy/toxicity in intermediate compared with rapid or slow NAT2 acetylator phenotypes. PMID:20430842

  4. Chimeric RNase H–Competent Oligonucleotides Directed to the HIV-1 Rev Response Element

    PubMed Central

    Prater, Chrissy E.; Saleh, Anthony D.; Wear, Maggie P.; Miller, Paul S.

    2007-01-01

    Chimeric oligo-2′-O-methylribonucleotides containing centrally located patches of contiguous 2′-deoxyribonucleotides and terminating in a nuclease resistant 3′-methylphosphonate internucleotide linkage were prepared. The oligonucleotides were targeted to the 3′-side of HIV Rev response element (RRE) stem-loop IIB RNA, which is adjacent to the high affinity Rev protein binding site and is critical to virus function. Thermal denaturation experiments showed that chimeric oligonucleotides form very stable duplexes with a complementary single-stranded RNA, and gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that they bind with high affinity and specificity to RRE stem-loop II RNA (KD approximately 200 nM). The chimeric oligonucleotides promote RNase H-mediated hydrolysis of RRE stem-loop II RNA and have half lives exceeding 24 h when incubated in cell culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. One of the chimeric oligonucleotides inhibited RRE mediated expression of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) approximately 60% at a concentration of 300 nM in HEK 293T cells co-transfected with p-RRE/CAT and p-Rev mammalian expression vectors. PMID:17566743

  5. Identification of aaNAT5b as a spermine N-acetyltransferase in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

    PubMed

    Guan, Huai; Wang, Maoying; Liao, Chenghong; Liang, Jing; Mehere, Prajwalini; Tian, Meiling; Liu, Hairong; Robinson, Howard; Li, Jianyong; Han, Qian

    2018-01-01

    Mosquitoes transmit a number of diseases in animals and humans, including Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses that affect millions of people each year. Controlling the disease-transmitting mosquitoes has proven to be a successful strategy to reduce the viruses transmission. Polyamines are required for the life cycle of the RNA viruses, Chikungunya virus and Zika virus, and a depletion of spermidine and spermine in the host via induction of spermine N-acetyltransferase restricts their replication. Spermine N-acetyltransferase is a key catabolic enzyme in the polyamine pathway, however there is no information of the enzyme identification in any insects. Aliphatic polyamines play a fundamental role in tissue growth and development in organisms. They are acetylated by spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT). In this study we provided a molecular and biochemical identification of SAT from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Screening of purified recombinant proteins against polyamines established that aaNAT5b, named previously based on sequence similarity with identified aaNAT1 in insects, is active to spermine and spermidine. A crystal structure was determined and used in molecular docking in this study. Key residues were identified to be involved in spermine binding using molecular docking and simulation. In addition, SAT transcript was down regulated by blood feeding using a real time PCR test. Based on its substrate profile and transcriptional levels after blood feeding, together with previous reports for polyamines required in arboviruses replication, SAT might be potentially used as a target to control arboviruses with human interference.

  6. Comparative Proteome Analysis of Brucella melitensis Vaccine Strain Rev 1 and a Virulent Strain, 16M

    PubMed Central

    Eschenbrenner, Michel; Wagner, Mary Ann; Horn, Troy A.; Kraycer, Jo Ann; Mujer, Cesar V.; Hagius, Sue; Elzer, Philip; DelVecchio, Vito G.

    2002-01-01

    The genus Brucella consists of bacterial pathogens that cause brucellosis, a major zoonotic disease characterized by undulant fever and neurological disorders in humans. Among the different Brucella species, Brucella melitensis is considered the most virulent. Despite successful use in animals, the vaccine strains remain infectious for humans. To understand the mechanism of virulence in B. melitensis, the proteome of vaccine strain Rev 1 was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compared to that of virulent strain 16M. The two strains were grown under identical laboratory conditions. Computer-assisted analysis of the two B. melitensis proteomes revealed proteins expressed in either 16M or Rev 1, as well as up- or down-regulation of proteins specific for each of these strains. These proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. It was found that certain metabolic pathways may be deregulated in Rev 1. Expression of an immunogenic 31-kDa outer membrane protein, proteins utilized for iron acquisition, and those that play a role in sugar binding, lipid degradation, and amino acid binding was altered in Rev 1. PMID:12193611

  7. Comparative proteome analysis of Brucella melitensis vaccine strain Rev 1 and a virulent strain, 16M.

    PubMed

    Eschenbrenner, Michel; Wagner, Mary Ann; Horn, Troy A; Kraycer, Jo Ann; Mujer, Cesar V; Hagius, Sue; Elzer, Philip; DelVecchio, Vito G

    2002-09-01

    The genus Brucella consists of bacterial pathogens that cause brucellosis, a major zoonotic disease characterized by undulant fever and neurological disorders in humans. Among the different Brucella species, Brucella melitensis is considered the most virulent. Despite successful use in animals, the vaccine strains remain infectious for humans. To understand the mechanism of virulence in B. melitensis, the proteome of vaccine strain Rev 1 was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compared to that of virulent strain 16M. The two strains were grown under identical laboratory conditions. Computer-assisted analysis of the two B. melitensis proteomes revealed proteins expressed in either 16M or Rev 1, as well as up- or down-regulation of proteins specific for each of these strains. These proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. It was found that certain metabolic pathways may be deregulated in Rev 1. Expression of an immunogenic 31-kDa outer membrane protein, proteins utilized for iron acquisition, and those that play a role in sugar binding, lipid degradation, and amino acid binding was altered in Rev 1.

  8. Measurement of neutron energy spectra for Eg=23.1 and 26.6 MeV mono-energetic photon induced reaction on natC using laser electron photon beam at NewSUBARU

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Itoga, Toshiro; Nakashima, Hiroshi; Sanami, Toshiya; Namito, Yoshihito; Kirihara, Yoichi; Miyamoto, Shuji; Takemoto, Akinori; Yamaguchi, Masashi; Asano, Yoshihiro

    2017-09-01

    Photo-neutron energy spectra for Eg=23.1 and 26.6 MeV mono-energetic photons on natC were measured using laser Compton scattering facility at NewSUBARU BL01. The photon energy spectra were evaluated through measurements and simulations with collimator sizes and arrangements for the laser electron photon. The neutron energy spectra for the natC(g,xn) reaction were measured at 60 degrees in horizontal and 90 degrees in horizontal and vertical with respect to incident photon. The spectra show almost isotropic angular distribution and flat energy distribution from detection threshold to upper limit defined by reaction Q-value.

  9. REV-ERB-ALPHA circadian gene variant associates with obesity in two independent populations: Mediterranean and North American

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Despite the solid connection between REV-ERB and obesity, the information about whether genetic variations at this locus may be associated with obesity traits is scarce. Therefore our objective was to study the association between REV-ERB-ALPHA1 rs2314339 and obesity in two independent populations. ...

  10. Unprecedented NES non-antagonistic inhibitor for nuclear export of Rev from Sida cordifolia.

    PubMed

    Tamura, Satoru; Kaneko, Masafumi; Shiomi, Atsushi; Yang, Guang-Ming; Yamaura, Toshiaki; Murakami, Nobutoshi

    2010-03-15

    Bioassay-guided separation from the MeOH extract of the South American medicinal plant Sida cordifolia resulted in isolation of (10E,12Z)-9-hydroxyoctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid (1) as an unprecedented NES non-antagonistic inhibitor for nuclear export of Rev. This mechanism of action was established by competitive experiment by the biotinylated probe derived from leptomycin B, the known NES antagonistic inhibitor. Additionally, structure-activity relationship analysis by use of the synthesized analogs clarified cooperation of several functionalities in the Rev-export inhibitory activity of 1. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Molecular typing of Brucella melitensis endemic strains and differentiation from the vaccine strain Rev-1.

    PubMed

    Noutsios, Georgios T; Papi, Rigini M; Ekateriniadou, Loukia V; Minas, Anastasios; Kyriakidis, Dimitrios A

    2012-03-01

    In the present study forty-four Greek endemic strains of Br. melitensis and three reference strains were genotyped by Multi locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat (ML-VNTR) analysis based on an eight-base pair tandem repeat sequence that was revealed in eight loci of Br. melitensis genome. The forty-four strains were discriminated from the vaccine strain Rev-1 by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). The ML-VNTR analysis revealed that endemic, reference and vaccine strains are genetically closely related, while most of the loci tested (1, 2, 4, 5 and 7) are highly polymorphic with Hunter-Gaston Genetic Diversity Index (HGDI) values in the range of 0.939 to 0.775. Analysis of ML-VNTRs loci stability through in vitro passages proved that loci 1 and 5 are non stable. Therefore, vaccine strain can be discriminated from endemic strains by allele's clusters of loci 2, 4, 6 and 7. RFLP and DGGE were also employed to analyse omp2 gene and reveled different patterns among Rev-1 and endemic strains. In RFLP, Rev-1 revealed three fragments (282, 238 and 44 bp), while endemic strains two fragments (238 and 44 bp). As for DGGE, the electrophoretic mobility of Rev-1 is different from the endemic strains due to heterologous binding of DNA chains of omp2a and omp2b gene. Overall, our data show clearly that it is feasible to genotype endemic strains of Br. melitensis and differentiate them from vaccine strain Rev-1 with ML-VNTR, RFLP and DGGE techniques. These tools can be used for conventional investigations in brucellosis outbreaks.

  12. Molecular Profiles for Lung Cancer Pathogenesis and Detection in US Veterans

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-01

    data was analyzed using the BRB-ArrayTools v .4.1.0 developed by Dr. Richard Simon and the BRB-ArrayTools Development Team and then normalized and log...Spira A, Beane J, Shah V , et al. Effects of cigarette smoke on the human airway epithelial cell transcriptome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004;101:10143...10148 15. Spira A, Beane JE, Shah V , et al. Airway epithelial gene expression in the diagnostic evaluation of smokers with suspect lung cancer. Nat

  13. Lipoxygenase, Angiogenicity, and Prostate Cancer Radioresistance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    radical prosta - tectomy (7).Approximately 38%of the 138prostate cancer patients studied exhibited an elevated expression of 12-LOX at themRNA level in...Biol. Chem. 270, 19761–19766 26. Xie, K., Wei, D., Shi, Q., and Huang, S. (2004) Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 15, 297– 324 27. Pidgeon, G. P., Tang, K

  14. Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Breast Cancer: Preclinical And Clinical Trials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-01

    term restoration of immunity against Epstein - Barr virus infection by adoptive transfer of gene-modified virus -specific T lymphocytes. (1996) Nat Med...7 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………….7 INTRODUCTION This project is focused on the development of novel tumor vaccines ...result in anti-tumor immunity. We propose to develop an optimal cancer vaccine using MUC1 peptides or MUC1-expressing tumors presented by DCs as

  15. Trajectory Studies of Large HNO3-Containing PSC Particles in the Arctic: Evidence for the Role of NAT

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McKinney, K. A.; Wennberg, P. O.; Dhaniyala, S.; Fahey, D. W.; Northway, M. J.; Kuenzi, K. F.; Kleinboehl, A.; Sinnhuber, M.; Kuellmann, H.; Bremer, H.; hide

    2004-01-01

    Large (5 to >20 micron diameter) nitric-acid-containing polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles were observed in the Arctic stratosphere during the winter of 1999-2000. We use a particle growth and sedimentation model to investigate the environment in which these particles grew and the likely phase of the largest particles. Particle trajectory calculations show that, while simulated nitric acid dihydrate (NAD) particle sizes are significantly smaller than the observed maximum particle sizes, nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particle trajectories are consistent with the largest observed particle sizes.

  16. International Space Station Research Plan, Assembly Sequence Rev., F

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-08-01

    muscles ü Higher risk for bone fracture upon return to Earth ü Potential for “slipped discs” ü Diminished ability to quickly respond to emergencies...Office of Biological and Physical Research International Space Station Research Plan Assembly Sequence Rev. F, Aug. 2000l . , . Report...Organization Name(s) and Address(es) NASA, Office of Biological and Physical Research Performing Organization Report Number Sponsoring/Monitoring Agency

  17. LLNL Radiation Protection Program (RPP) Rev 9.2, Implementation of 10 CFR 835, 'Occupational Radiation Protection'

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shingleton, K. L.

    2011-06-15

    The Department of Energy (DOE) originally issued Part 10 CFR 835, Occupational Radiation Protection, on January 1, 1994. This regulation, hereafter referred to as “the Rule”, required DOE contractors to develop and maintain a DOE-approved Radiation Protection Program (RPP); DOE approved the initial Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) RPP (Rev 2) on 6/29/95. DOE issued a revision to the Rule on December 4, 1998 and approved LLNL’s revised RPP (Rev 7.1) on 11/18/99. DOE issued a second Rule revision on June 8, 2007 (effective July 9, 2007) and on June 13, 2008 approved LLNL’s RPP (Rev 9.0) which contained plansmore » and measures for coming into compliance with the 2007 Rule changes. DOE issued a correction to the Rule on April 21, 2009.« less

  18. Locoregional outcomes in clinical stage IIB breast cancer after neoadjuvant therapy and mastectomy with or without radiation.

    PubMed

    Diaz, Dayssy A; Hurley, Judith; Reis, Isildinha; Takita, Cristiane; Zhao, Wei; Wright, Jean

    2014-12-01

    Low rates of locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with clinical stage IIB breast cancer (cT2N1 or cT3N0) who undergo neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and mastectomy have been reported. We aimed to quantify the risk of LRR and the relationship between LRR and potential risk factors in this subset of patients. We conducted a retrospective review of 116 patients with clinical IIB breast cancer who underwent NAT followed by mastectomy +/- postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) between 2000 and 2009. We estimated the rate of LRR by cumulative incidence. The effect of prognostic factors was examined by Gray's test and Fine and Gray's test. Median follow-up: 63 months. Median age: 49. 28.4% cT2N1 and 71.6% cT3N0. 62.1% of tumors were ER+, 22.6% HER2+, 19% triple negative (TN). All patients underwent NAT and mastectomy. The majority of patients (87%) received PMRT; 32.3% were treated to chest wall (CW) only, and 67.7% to CW plus supraclavicular (SCV) field. Compared to cT2N1, patients with cT3N0 disease were more likely to be pN0 (60% vs 27%, P = 0.005). There was no significant relationship between risk of LRR and pathologic complete response (pCR), use of PMRT, RT to SCV field, or TN status, but there was higher risk of LRR in cT2N1 than cT3N0 (HR 6.03, P = 0.015). LRR was more common in cT2N1 than in cT3N0 disease, emphasizing the negative prognostic implication of clinically node-positive presentation.

  19. 75 FR 69741 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Rev. Proc. 2007-99 (RP-127367-07), 9100 Relief Under...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    .... Proc. 2007-99 (RP- 127367-07), 9100 Relief Under Sections 897 and 1445 AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service...)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Rev. Proc. 2007-99 (RP-127367-07), 9100 Relief Under...: Rev. Proc. 2007-99 (RP-127367-07), 9100 Relief Under Sections 897 and 1445. OMB Number: 1545-2098...

  20. Temperature inducible β-sheet structure in the transactivation domains of retroviral regulatory proteins of the Rev family

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thumb, Werner; Graf, Christine; Parslow, Tristram; Schneider, Rainer; Auer, Manfred

    1999-11-01

    The interaction of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) regulatory protein Rev with cellular cofactors is crucial for the viral life cycle. The HIV-1 Rev transactivation domain is functionally interchangeable with analog regions of Rev proteins of other retroviruses suggesting common folding patterns. In order to obtain experimental evidence for similar structural features mediating protein-protein contacts we investigated activation domain peptides from HIV-1, HIV-2, VISNA virus, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) by CD spectroscopy, secondary structure prediction and sequence analysis. Although different in polarity and hydrophobicity, all peptides showed a similar behavior with respect to solution conformation, concentration dependence and variations in ionic strength and pH. Temperature studies revealed an unusual induction of β-structure with rising temperatures in all activation domain peptides. The high stability of β-structure in this region was demonstrated in three different peptides of the activation domain of HIV-1 Rev in solutions containing 40% hexafluoropropanol, a reagent usually known to induce α-helix into amino acid sequences. Sequence alignments revealed similarities between the polar effector domains from FIV and EIAV and the leucine rich (hydrophobic) effector domains found in HIV-1, HIV-2 and VISNA. Studies on activation domain peptides of two dominant negative HIV-1 Rev mutants, M10 and M32, pointed towards different reasons for the biological behavior. Whereas the peptide containing the M10 mutation (L 78E 79→D 78L 79) showed wild-type structure, the M32 mutant peptide (L 78L 81L 83→A 78A 81A 83) revealed a different protein fold to be the reason for the disturbed binding to cellular cofactors. From our data, we conclude, that the activation domain of Rev proteins from different viral origins adopt a similar fold and that a β-structural element is involved in binding to a

  1. Organizing the Cellular and Molecular Heterogeneity in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer by Mass Cytometry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0591 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Garry P. Nolan, Ph.D. 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Wendy J . Fantl...viable HG-SOC single cells prepared from clinically anno - tated samples where the parameters measured at the single-cell level will provide critical...models by comparison of genomic profiles. Nat Commun, 2013. 4: p. 2126. 2. Coticchia, C.M., J . Yang, and M.A. Moses, Ovarian cancer biomarkers: current

  2. Improvements to laser wakefield accelerated electron beam stability, divergence, and energy spread using three-dimensional printed two-stage gas cell targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vargas, M.; Schumaker, W.; He, Z.-H.

    2014-04-28

    High intensity, short pulse lasers can be used to accelerate electrons to ultra-relativistic energies via laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) [T. Tajima and J. M. Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 267 (1979)]. Recently, it was shown that separating the injection and acceleration processes into two distinct stages could prove beneficial in obtaining stable, high energy electron beams [Gonsalves et al., Nat. Phys. 7, 862 (2011); Liu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 035001 (2011); Pollock et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 045001 (2011)]. Here, we use a stereolithography based 3D printer to produce two-stage gas targets for LWFA experiments on themore » HERCULES laser system at the University of Michigan. We demonstrate substantial improvements to the divergence, pointing stability, and energy spread of a laser wakefield accelerated electron beam compared with a single-stage gas cell or gas jet target.« less

  3. Targeting Common but Complex Proteoglycans on Breast Cancer Cells and Stem Cells Using Evolutionary Refined Malaria Proteins

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    clearance and infect placental cells, thereby causing pregnancy - associated malaria outbreaks in epidemic regions of the world. Prior to this...recognition and activity. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2, 467–473. Holtan, S.G., Creedon, D.J., Haluska, P., and Markovic, S.N. (2009). Cancer and pregnancy : parallels...falciparum involved in pregnancy -associated malaria. Mol. Microbiol. 49, 179–191. Salanti, A., Dahlbäck, M., Turner, L., Nielsen, M.A., Barfod, L

  4. A Novel Therapeutic Modality for Advanced-Stage Prostate Cancer Treatment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    as an oral contraceptive [6, 7]. Recently, its anti-cancer activity has been reported against advanced breast cancer [8] and head and neck squamous...profile of Centchroman--a new post-coital contraceptive . Indian J Exp Biol, 1977. 15(12): p. 1144-50. 7. Misra, N.C., et al., Centchroman--a non-steroidal... contraceptive and for the management of hormone-related clinical disorders. Med Res Rev, 2001. 21(4): p. 302-47. 11. Jaggi, M., et al., Bryostatin 1 modulates

  5. Aberrant DNA methylation of WNT pathway genes in the development and progression of CIMP-negative colorectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Galamb, Orsolya; Kalmár, Alexandra; Péterfia, Bálint; Csabai, István; Bodor, András; Ribli, Dezső; Krenács, Tibor; Patai, Árpád V; Wichmann, Barnabás; Barták, Barbara Kinga; Tóth, Kinga; Valcz, Gábor; Spisák, Sándor; Tulassay, Zsolt; Molnár, Béla

    2016-08-02

    The WNT signaling pathway has an essential role in colorectal carcinogenesis and progression, which involves a cascade of genetic and epigenetic changes. We aimed to analyze DNA methylation affecting the WNT pathway genes in colorectal carcinogenesis in promoter and gene body regions using whole methylome analysis in 9 colorectal cancer, 15 adenoma, and 6 normal tumor adjacent tissue (NAT) samples by methyl capture sequencing. Functional methylation was confirmed on 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine-treated colorectal cancer cell line datasets. In parallel with the DNA methylation analysis, mutations of WNT pathway genes (APC, β-catenin/CTNNB1) were analyzed by 454 sequencing on GS Junior platform. Most differentially methylated CpG sites were localized in gene body regions (95% of WNT pathway genes). In the promoter regions, 33 of the 160 analyzed WNT pathway genes were differentially methylated in colorectal cancer vs. normal, including hypermethylated AXIN2, CHP1, PRICKLE1, SFRP1, SFRP2, SOX17, and hypomethylated CACYBP, CTNNB1, MYC; 44 genes in adenoma vs. NAT; and 41 genes in colorectal cancer vs. adenoma comparisons. Hypermethylation of AXIN2, DKK1, VANGL1, and WNT5A gene promoters was higher, while those of SOX17, PRICKLE1, DAAM2, and MYC was lower in colon carcinoma compared to adenoma. Inverse correlation between expression and methylation was confirmed in 23 genes, including APC, CHP1, PRICKLE1, PSEN1, and SFRP1. Differential methylation affected both canonical and noncanonical WNT pathway genes in colorectal normal-adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Aberrant DNA methylation appears already in adenomas as an early event of colorectal carcinogenesis.

  6. Lipid Identification by Untargeted Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Ultra-High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography.

    PubMed

    Gugiu, Gabriel B

    2017-01-01

    Lipidomics refers to the large-scale study of lipids in biological systems (Wenk, Nat Rev Drug Discov 4(7):594-610, 2005; Rolim et al., Gene 554(2):131-139, 2015). From a mass spectrometric point of view, by lipidomics we understand targeted or untargeted mass spectrometric analysis of lipids using either liquid chromatography (LC) (Castro-Perez et al., J Proteome Res 9(5):2377-2389, 2010) or shotgun (Han and Gross, Mass Spectrom Rev 24(3):367-412, 2005) approaches coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. This chapter describes the former methodology, which is becoming rapidly the preferred method for lipid identification owing to similarities with established omics workflows, such as proteomics (Washburn et al., Nat Biotechnol 19(3):242-247, 2001) or genomics (Yadav, J Biomol Tech: JBT 18(5):277, 2007). The workflow described consists in lipid extraction using a modified Bligh and Dyer method (Bligh and Dyer, Can J Biochem Physiol 37(8):911-917, 1959), ultra high pressure liquid chromatography fractionation of lipid samples on a reverse phase C18 column, followed by tandem mass spectrometric analysis and in silico database search for lipid identification based on MSMS spectrum matching (Kind et al., Nat Methods 10(8):755-758, 2013; Yamada et al., J Chromatogr A 1292:211-218, 2013; Taguchi and Ishikawa, J Chromatogr A 1217(25):4229-4239, 2010; Peake et al., Thermoscientifices 1-3, 2015) and accurate mass of parent ion (Sud et al., Nucleic Acids Res 35(database issue):D527-D532, 2007; Wishart et al., Nucleic Acids Res 35(database):D521-D526, 2007).

  7. The REV-ERBs and RORs: molecular links between circadian rhythms and lipid homeostasis

    PubMed Central

    Solt, Laura A; Kojetin, Douglas J; Burris, Thomas P

    2011-01-01

    Research efforts spanning the past two decades have established a clear link between nuclear receptor function, regulation of the circadian clock and lipid homeostasis. As such, this family of receptors represents an important area of research. Recent advances in the field have identified two nuclear receptor subfamilies, the REV-ERBs and the ‘retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors’ (RORs), as critical regulators of the circadian clock with significant roles in lipid homeostasis. In this review, the latest information garnered from cutting-edge research on these two nuclear receptor subfamilies will be discussed. Through direct targeting of the REV-ERBs and RORs with synthetic ligands, generation of novel tools aimed at characterizing their function in vivo have been developed, which may lead to novel therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic disorders. PMID:21526899

  8. Identification of Novel Myelin-Associated CD4+ T cell Autoantigens Targeted in MS Using a High-Throughput Gene Synthesis Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    epitopes from Epstein - Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus, influenza and tetanus toxoid linked to the LC3 tag were constructed and in vitro transcribed...of these proteins in the CNS, their ability to elicit MS-like disease in the mouse experimental autoimmune encephalitis model, and the presence of T...Goverman, J. 2009. Autoimmune T cell responses in the central nervous system . Nat. Rev. Immunol. 9: 393-407. 3. Jahn, O., S. Tenzer, and H. B

  9. The Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA)-interacting Protein (PIP) Motif of DNA Polymerase η Mediates Its Interaction with the C-terminal Domain of Rev1*

    PubMed Central

    Boehm, Elizabeth M.; Powers, Kyle T.; Kondratick, Christine M.; Spies, Maria; Houtman, Jon C. D.; Washington, M. Todd

    2016-01-01

    Y-family DNA polymerases, such as polymerase η, polymerase ι, and polymerase κ, catalyze the bypass of DNA damage during translesion synthesis. These enzymes are recruited to sites of DNA damage by interacting with the essential replication accessory protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the scaffold protein Rev1. In most Y-family polymerases, these interactions are mediated by one or more conserved PCNA-interacting protein (PIP) motifs that bind in a hydrophobic pocket on the front side of PCNA as well as by conserved Rev1-interacting region (RIR) motifs that bind in a hydrophobic pocket on the C-terminal domain of Rev1. Yeast polymerase η, a prototypical translesion synthesis polymerase, binds both PCNA and Rev1. It possesses a single PIP motif but not an RIR motif. Here we show that the PIP motif of yeast polymerase η mediates its interactions both with PCNA and with Rev1. Moreover, the PIP motif of polymerase η binds in the hydrophobic pocket on the Rev1 C-terminal domain. We also show that the RIR motif of human polymerase κ and the PIP motif of yeast Msh6 bind both PCNA and Rev1. Overall, these findings demonstrate that PIP motifs and RIR motifs have overlapping specificities and can interact with both PCNA and Rev1 in structurally similar ways. These findings also suggest that PIP motifs are a more versatile protein interaction motif than previously believed. PMID:26903512

  10. Segregation of Clock and Non-Clock Regulatory Functions of REV-ERB.

    PubMed

    Butler, Andrew A; Burris, Thomas P

    2015-08-04

    The molecular clock is a master controller of circadian cellular processes that affect growth, metabolic homeostasis, and behavior. A report in Science by Zhang et al. (2015) redefines our understanding of how Rev-erba acts as an internal feedback inhibitor that modulates activity of the core clock while simultaneously regulating tissue-specific metabolic processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Deleted in breast cancer 1 (DBC1) protein regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis.

    PubMed

    Nin, Veronica; Chini, Claudia C S; Escande, Carlos; Capellini, Verena; Chini, Eduardo N

    2014-02-28

    Liver gluconeogenesis is essential to provide energy to glycolytic tissues during fasting periods. However, aberrant up-regulation of this metabolic pathway contributes to the progression of glucose intolerance in individuals with diabetes. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) expression plays a critical role in the modulation of gluconeogenesis. Several pathways contribute to the regulation of PEPCK, including the nuclear receptor Rev-erbα and the histone deacetylase SIRT1. Deleted in breast cancer 1 (DBC1) is a nuclear protein that binds to and regulates both Rev-erbα and SIRT1 and, therefore, is a candidate to participate in the regulation of PEPCK. In this work, we provide evidence that DBC1 regulates glucose metabolism and the expression of PEPCK. We show that DBC1 levels decrease early in the fasting state. Also, DBC1 KO mice display higher gluconeogenesis in a normal and a high-fat diet. DBC1 absence leads to an increase in PEPCK mRNA and protein expression. Conversely, overexpression of DBC1 results in a decrease in PEPCK mRNA and protein levels. DBC1 regulates the levels of Rev-erbα, and manipulation of Rev-erbα activity or levels prevents the effect of DBC1 on PEPCK. In addition, Rev-erbα levels decrease in the first hours of fasting. Finally, knockdown of the deacetylase SIRT1 eliminates the effect of DBC1 knockdown on Rev-erbα levels and PEPCK expression, suggesting that the mechanism of PEPCK regulation is, at least in part, dependent on the activity of this enzyme. Our results point to DBC1 as a novel regulator of gluconeogenesis.

  12. Functional Effects of Genetic Polymorphisms in the N-acetyltransferase 1 Coding and 3′ Untranslated Regions

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Yuanqi; States, J. Christopher; Wang, Yang; Hein, David W.

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND The functional effects of N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) polymorphisms and haplotypes are poorly understood, compromising the validity of associations reported with diseases including birth defects and numerous cancers. METHODS We investigated the effects of genetic polymorphisms within the NAT1 coding region and the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) and their associated haplotypes on N- and O-acetyltransferase catalytic activities, and NAT1 mRNA and protein levels following recombinant expression in COS-1 cells. RESULTS 1088T>A (rs1057126; 3′-UTR) and 1095C>A (rs15561; 3′-UTR) each slightly reduced NAT1 catalytic activity and NAT1 mRNA and protein levels. A 9-base pair (TAATAATAA) deletion between nucleotides 1065-1090 (3′-UTR) reduced NAT1 catalytic activity and NAT1 mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, a 445G>A (rs4987076; V149I), 459G>A (rs4986990; T153T), 640T>G (rs4986783; S214A) coding region haplotype present in NAT1*11 increased NAT1 catalytic activity and NAT1 protein, but not NAT1 mRNA levels. A combination of the 9-base pair (TAATAATAA) deletion and the 445G>A, 459G>A, 640T>G coding region haplotypes, both present in NAT1*11, appeared to neutralize the opposing effects on NAT1 protein and catalytic activity, resulting in levels of NAT1 protein and catalytic activity that did not differ significantly from the NAT1*4 reference. CONCLUSIONS Since 1095C>A (3′-UTR) is the sole polymorphism present in NAT1*3, our data suggests that NAT1*3 is not functionally equivalent to the NAT1*4 reference. Furthermore, our findings provide biological support for reported associations of 1088T>A and 1095C>A polymorphisms with birth defects. PMID:21290563

  13. Characterization of an internal ribosomal entry segment within the 5' leader of avian reticuloendotheliosis virus type A RNA and development of novel MLV-REV-based retroviral vectors.

    PubMed

    López-Lastra, M; Gabus, C; Darlix, J L

    1997-11-01

    The murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related type C viruses constitute a major class of retroviruses that includes numerous endogenous and exogenous mammalian viruses and the related avian spleen necrosis virus (SNV). The MLV-related viruses possess a long and multifunctional 5' untranslated leader involved in key steps of the viral life cycle--splicing, translation, RNA dimerization, encapsidation, and reverse transcription. Recent studies have shown that the 5' leader of Friend murine leukemia virus and Moloney murine leukemia virus can direct cap independent translation of gag precursor proteins (Berlioz et al., 1995; Vagner et al., 1995b). These data, together with structural homology studies (Koning et al., 1992), prompted us to undertake a search for new internal ribosome entry segment (IRES) of retroviral origin. Here we describe an IRES element within the 5' leader of avian reticuloendotheliosis virus type A (REV-A) genomic RNA. Data show that the REV-A 5' IRES element maps downstream of the packaging/dimerization (E/DLS) sequence (Watanabe and Temin, 1982; Darlix et al., 1992) and the minimal IRES sequence appears to be within a 129 nt fragment (nucleotides 452-580) of the 5' leader, immediately upstream of the gag AUG codon. The REV-A IRES has been successfully utilized in the construction of novel high titer MLV-based retroviral vectors, containing one or more IRES elements of retroviral origin. These retroviral constructs, which represent a starting point for the design of novel vectors suitable for gene therapy, are also of interest as a model system of internal translation initiation and its possible regulation during development, cancer, or virus infection.

  14. Alpha particle induced reactions on natCr up to 39 MeV: Experimental cross-sections, comparison with theoretical calculations and thick target yields for medically relevant 52gFe production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hermanne, A.; Adam Rebeles, R.; Tárkányi, F.; Takács, S.

    2015-08-01

    Thin natCr targets were obtained by electroplating, using 23.75 μm Cu foils as backings. In five stacked foil irradiations, followed by high resolution gamma spectroscopy, the cross sections for production of 52gFe, 49,51cumCr, 52cum,54,56cumMn and 48cumV in Cr and 61Cu,68Ga in Cu were measured up to 39 MeV incident α-particle energy. Reduced uncertainty is obtained by simultaneous remeasurement of the natCu(α,x)67,66Ga monitor reactions over the whole energy range. Comparisons with the scarce literature values and results from the TENDL-2013 on-line library, based on the theoretical code family TALYS-1.6, were made. A discussion of the production routes for 52gFe with achievable yields and contamination rates was made.

  15. Pharmacological Studies of NOP Receptor Agonists as Novel Analgesics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    found in hot-chili peppers that evokes pain sensation by activating at the TRPV1 . TRPV1 and the up-regulation of its expression have been strongly...via nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptors. Br J Pharmacol 137:1355-1361. Knotkova H, Pappagallo M, Szallasi A (2008) Capsaicin ( TRPV1 Agonist) therapy...Szallasi A, Cortright DN, Blum CA, Eid SR (2007). The vanilloid receptor TRPV1 : 10 years from channel cloning to antagonist proof of concept. Nat Rev Drug

  16. Junior Leader Training Development in Operational Units

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-01

    ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18 . NUMBER OF PAGES 38 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS...PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39- 18 U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social...ad r development, training development, 8-step training model, opera · nat un· • training job a· s 16. REPORT Unclassified 17. ABSTAACT 18 . THIS

  17. Suicide Deaths of Active-Duty U.S. Military and Omega-3 Fatty-Acid Status: A Case-Control Comparison

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    consumed at US military dining facilities, available restaurants , and choices made at home.35 Low DHA status can be readily reversed using low-cost...Finnish subjects, consuming fish less than twice per week was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms and suicidal thinking.8 Low DHA...Neurobiology of suicidal behaviour . Nat Rev Neurosci. 2003; 4(10):819–828. doi:10.1038/nrn1220 PubMed 24. McNamara RK, Able J, Jandacek R, et al

  18. Conjunctival vaccination of pregnant ewes and goats with Brucella melitensis Rev 1 vaccine: safety and serological responses.

    PubMed

    Zundel, E; Verger, J M; Grayon, M; Michel, R

    1992-01-01

    When Brucella melitensis strain Rev 1 vaccine (Rev 1) is administered by the standard method (1-2 x 10(9) viable bacteria injected subcutaneously), it may induce long-lasting serological responses and/or cause abortion in pregnant animals. The conjunctival route considerably reduces these drawbacks. In the present experiment a 1 x 10(8) CFU dose for both ewes and goats conjunctivally vaccinated at mid-pregnancy was tested for innocuousness (outcome of pregnancy, contamination of unvaccinated contact animals, duration of serological responses) in comparison with 3 x 10(8) CFU (ewes and goats), 1 x 10(9) and 3 x 10(9) CFU (ewes) doses. No reaction was observed at the time of vaccination, and the risk of environmental contamination with Rev 1, due to the conjunctival administration of the vaccine, is negligible. Abortions occurred later at surprisingly severe rates (over 60% of pregnant vaccinated animals), except in the 1 x 10(8) CFU ewes group (20%). Moreover, the serological reactions of the 1 x 10(8) CFU ewes which normally lambed were negative again as early as 12 weeks after vaccination. Although the dose of 1 x 10(8) CFU Rev 1 was safer for pregnancy than the standard dose mainly in ewes as compared to goats, the innocuousness was not yet sufficient to propose the former dose to indiscriminately vaccinate sheep and goats by the conjunctival route, whatever the age or physiological status.

  19. Stochastic Models of Macroscale Quantities for the Prediction of the REV Scale for Multiphase Flow through Porous Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Talbot, C.; McClure, J. E.; Armstrong, R. T.; Mostaghimi, P.; Hu, Y.; Miller, C. T.

    2017-12-01

    Microscale experimental and computational methods can be used to evaluate fundamental microscale mechanisms and deduce macroscale constitutive relationships and parameter values. The link between the microscale and the macroscale is especially demanding, because technical issues arise regarding the necessary scale of the system needed for a meaningful set of macroscale measures to be insensitive to the size of the system, which is known as a representative elementary volume (REV). While the REV scale is routinely determined for single-phase flow in porous media, no systematic study of the scale of a REV for the comprehensive set of macroscale measures considered here has been reported in the literature. A comprehensive set of measures of the macroscale state is developed. We further develop and apply methods to predict the REV scale and quantify the uncertainty of the estimate for this set of macroscale quantities. We model the system state in terms of standard errors of macroscale quantities as a multivariate Gaussian process dependent on the size of the domain simulated. We determine predictive distributions of function values and a posterior distributions of weights using standard kernels, as well as a kernel constructed using relationships between physical quantities. For each kernel, we discuss the decay of the mean and covariance with increasing domain size, and use cross-validation to facilitate model selection. The procedure yields a model of the domain size needed to achieve a REV with quantifiable uncertainty. We present results in the context of multiphase fluid flow through a highly resolved realization of sandstone imaged using micro-CT. A 1440x1440x4320 section of the full 2520x2520x5280 imaged medium is simulated using the lattice-Boltzmann method. We compare the fidelity of the predictive model with results obtained by an analogous approach using polynomial regression.

  20. NatHER: protocol for systematic evaluation of trends in survival among patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Korner, Eli J; Morris, Anne; Allen, Isabel Elaine; Hurvitz, Sara; Beattie, Mary S; Kalesan, Bindu

    2015-10-01

    Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer and is historically associated with poor outcomes compared with HER2-negative MBC. Since 1998, four drugs have been globally approved for the targeted treatment of HER2-positive MBC. Additional advances in patient care-such as improved breast cancer screening, HER2 testing, and supportive care-have also occurred. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine whether there has been a cumulative change in survival over time in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer based on results from interventional clinical trials (ICTs) and observational studies and to compare outcomes across these types of studies. A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be performed. Two investigators will independently assess each abstract for inclusion. English language reports of ICTs and observational studies that include patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer from 1987 onwards will be considered. The primary outcome of interest is overall survival; secondary outcomes include progression-free survival and safety. Data on clinical outcomes, as well as on study design, study population, treatment/intervention, methodological quality, and outcomes, will be extracted using a structured codebook developed by the authors for this study. Standard and cumulative random effects meta-analysis will be performed to derive pooled risk estimates, both overall and by study design, controlling for covariates such as aggregate demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, treatment/intervention, and study characteristics. Heterogeneity of studies will be evaluated using the I(2) statistic. Differences in risk estimates by quality characteristics will be performed using meta-regression. This study will evaluate current and evolving trends in survival associated with

  1. Collaborative study for the establishment of the Ph. Eur. Hepatitis E virus RNA for NAT testing biological reference preparation batch 1.

    PubMed

    Baylis, S A; Terao, E; Blümel, J; Hanschmann, K-M O

    2017-01-01

    A new European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) biological reference preparation (BRP) had to be established further to the decision to include nucleic acid testing (NAT) for the detection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA in the monograph Human plasma (pooled and treated for virus inactivation) (1646). To this purpose, an international collaborative study was launched in the framework of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) and the Commission of the European Union (EU). The study was run in conjunction with the establishment of the 1 st World Health Organization (WHO) international reference panel (IRP) for hepatitis E virus RNA genotypes (8578/13). Twenty-three laboratories used in-house developed and commercially available assays to calibrate a lyophilised candidate BRP prepared from a HEV 3f strain positive human plasma against the 1 st WHO International Standard (IS) for HEV RNA (6329/10). Results from quantitative and qualitative assays were in good agreement and were combined to calculate an assigned potency. Real-time stability studies indicated that the candidate BRP is very stable at lower temperatures and is thus suitable for long-term use. Based on these results, in February 2016, the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted the candidate material as the hepatitis E virus RNA for NAT testing BRP batch 1, with an assigned unitage of 2.1 × 10 4 IU/vial (4.32 log 10 IU/vial).

  2. Biophysical Characterization of Nucleophosmin Interactions with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Rev and Herpes Simplex Virus US11

    PubMed Central

    Nouri, Kazem; Moll, Jens M.; Milroy, Lech-Gustav; Hain, Anika; Dvorsky, Radovan; Amin, Ehsan; Lenders, Michael; Nagel-Steger, Luitgard; Howe, Sebastian; Smits, Sander H. J.; Hengel, Hartmut; Schmitt, Lutz; Münk, Carsten; Brunsveld, Luc; Ahmadian, Mohammad R.

    2015-01-01

    Nucleophosmin (NPM1, also known as B23, numatrin or NO38) is a pentameric RNA-binding protein with RNA and protein chaperon functions. NPM1 has increasingly emerged as a potential cellular factor that directly associates with viral proteins; however, the significance of these interactions in each case is still not clear. In this study, we have investigated the physical interaction of NPM1 with both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev and Herpes Simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) US11, two functionally homologous proteins. Both viral proteins show, in mechanistically different modes, high affinity for a binding site on the N-terminal oligomerization domain of NPM1. Rev, additionally, exhibits low-affinity for the central histone-binding domain of NPM1. We also showed that the proapoptotic cyclic peptide CIGB-300 specifically binds to NPM1 oligomerization domain and blocks its association with Rev and US11. Moreover, HIV-1 virus production was significantly reduced in the cells treated with CIGB-300. Results of this study suggest that targeting NPM1 may represent a useful approach for antiviral intervention. PMID:26624888

  3. 48 CFR 53.301-18 - SF 18 (Rev. 6/95), Request for Quotations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false SF 18 (Rev. 6/95), Request for Quotations. 53.301-18 Section 53.301-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION... for Quotations. EC01MY91.002 [60 FR 34763, July 3, 1995] ...

  4. Specificity of RSG-1.2 Peptide Binding to RRE-IIB RNA Element of HIV-1 over Rev Peptide Is Mainly Enthalpic in Origin

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Santosh; Bose, Debojit; Suryawanshi, Hemant; Sabharwal, Harshana; Mapa, Koyeli; Maiti, Souvik

    2011-01-01

    Rev is an essential HIV-1 regulatory protein which binds to the Rev responsive element (RRE) present within the env gene of HIV-1 RNA genome. This binding facilitates the transport of the RNA to the cytoplasm, which in turn triggers the switch between viral latency and active viral replication. Essential components of this complex have been localized to a minimal arginine rich Rev peptide and stem IIB region of RRE. A synthetic peptide known as RSG-1.2 binds with high binding affinity and specificity to the RRE-IIB than the Rev peptide, however the thermodynamic basis of this specificity has not yet been addressed. The present study aims to probe the thermodynamic origin of this specificity of RSG-1.2 over Rev Peptide for RRE-IIB. The temperature dependent melting studies show that RSG-1.2 binding stabilizes the RRE structure significantly (ΔT m = 4.3°C), in contrast to Rev binding. Interestingly the thermodynamic signatures of the binding have also been found to be different for both the peptides. At pH 7.5, RSG-1.2 binds RRE-IIB with a Ka = 16.2±0.6×107 M−1 where enthalpic change ΔH = −13.9±0.1 kcal/mol is the main driving force with limited unfavorable contribution from entropic change TΔS = −2.8±0.1 kcal/mol. A large part of ΔH may be due to specific stacking between U72 and Arg15. In contrast binding of Rev (Ka = 3.1±0.4×107 M−1) is driven mainly by entropy (ΔH = 0 kcal/mol and TΔS = 10.2±0.2 kcal/mol) which arises from major conformational changes in the RNA upon binding. PMID:21853108

  5. Specificity of RSG-1.2 peptide binding to RRE-IIB RNA element of HIV-1 over Rev peptide is mainly enthalpic in origin.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Santosh; Bose, Debojit; Suryawanshi, Hemant; Sabharwal, Harshana; Mapa, Koyeli; Maiti, Souvik

    2011-01-01

    Rev is an essential HIV-1 regulatory protein which binds to the Rev responsive element (RRE) present within the env gene of HIV-1 RNA genome. This binding facilitates the transport of the RNA to the cytoplasm, which in turn triggers the switch between viral latency and active viral replication. Essential components of this complex have been localized to a minimal arginine rich Rev peptide and stem IIB region of RRE. A synthetic peptide known as RSG-1.2 binds with high binding affinity and specificity to the RRE-IIB than the Rev peptide, however the thermodynamic basis of this specificity has not yet been addressed. The present study aims to probe the thermodynamic origin of this specificity of RSG-1.2 over Rev Peptide for RRE-IIB. The temperature dependent melting studies show that RSG-1.2 binding stabilizes the RRE structure significantly (ΔT(m) = 4.3°C), in contrast to Rev binding. Interestingly the thermodynamic signatures of the binding have also been found to be different for both the peptides. At pH 7.5, RSG-1.2 binds RRE-IIB with a K(a) = 16.2±0.6×10(7) M(-1) where enthalpic change ΔH = -13.9±0.1 kcal/mol is the main driving force with limited unfavorable contribution from entropic change TΔS = -2.8±0.1 kcal/mol. A large part of ΔH may be due to specific stacking between U72 and Arg15. In contrast binding of Rev (K(a) = 3.1±0.4×10(7) M(-1)) is driven mainly by entropy (ΔH = 0 kcal/mol and TΔS = 10.2±0.2 kcal/mol) which arises from major conformational changes in the RNA upon binding.

  6. Antibody-Mediated BRCC36 Silencing: A Novel Approach for Targeted Breast Cancer Therapy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-01

    complexes: new targets to overcome breast cancer radiation resistance. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 6(2):187-96. Chen X, Arciero CA, Wang C, Broccoli D...1752s- 1756s. Chen X, Arciero CA, Wang C, Broccoli D, Godwin AK (2006). BRCC36 is essential for ionizing radiation-induced BRCA1 phosphorylation

  7. Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in the loco-regional staging of patients with rectal cancer

    PubMed Central

    Marone, Pietro; de Bellis, Mario; D’Angelo, Valentina; Delrio, Paolo; Passananti, Valentina; Di Girolamo, Elena; Rossi, Giovanni Battista; Rega, Daniela; Tracey, Maura Claire; Tempesta, Alfonso Mario

    2015-01-01

    The prognosis of rectal cancer (RC) is strictly related to both T and N stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. RC staging is crucial for choosing the best multimodal therapy: patients with high risk locally advanced RC (LARC) undergo surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (NAT); those with low risk LARC are operated on after a preoperative short-course radiation therapy; finally, surgery alone is recommended only for early RC. Several imaging methods are used for staging patients with RC: computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). EUS is highly accurate for the loco-regional staging of RC, since it is capable to evaluate precisely the mural infiltration of the tumor (T), especially in early RC. On the other hand, EUS is less accurate in restaging RC after NAT and before surgery. Finally, EUS is indicated for follow-up of patients operated on for RC, where there is a need for the surveillance of the anastomosis. The aim of this review is to highlight the impact of EUS on the management of patients with RC, evaluating its role in both preoperative staging and follow-up of patients after surgery. PMID:26140096

  8. Electrokinetic-flow-induced viscous drag on a tethered DNA inside a nanopore.

    PubMed

    Ghosal, Sandip

    2007-12-01

    Recent work has shown that the resistive force arising from viscous effects within the pore region could explain observed translocation times in certain experiments involving voltage-driven translocations of DNA through nanopores [Ghosal, Phys. Rev. E 71, 051904 (2006); Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 238104 (2007)]. The electrokinetic flow inside the pore and the accompanying viscous effects also play a crucial role in the interpretation of experiments where the DNA is immobilized inside a nanopore [Keyser, Nat. Phys. 2, 473 (2006)]. In this paper the viscous force is explicitly calculated for a nanopore of cylindrical geometry. It is found that the reductions of the tether force due to viscous drag and due to charge reduction by Manning condensation are of similar size. The result is of importance in the interpretation of experimental data on tethered DNA.

  9. Catalytic properties and heat stabilities of novel recombinant human N-acetyltransferase 2 allozymes support existence of genetic heterogeneity within the slow acetylator phenotype.

    PubMed

    Hein, David W; Doll, Mark A

    2017-08-01

    Human N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) catalyzes the N-acetylation of numerous aromatic amine drugs such as sulfamethazine (SMZ) and hydrazine drugs such as isoniazid (INH). NAT2 also catalyzes the N-acetylation of aromatic amine carcinogens such as 2-aminofluorene and the O- and N,O-acetylation of aromatic amine and heterocyclic amine metabolites. Genetic polymorphism in NAT2 modifies drug efficacy and toxicity as well as cancer risk. Acetyltransferase catalytic activities and heat stability associated with six novel NAT2 haplotypes (NAT2*6C, NAT2*14C, NAT2*14D, NAT2*14E, NAT2*17, and NAT2*18) were compared with that of the reference NAT2*4 haplotype following recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. N-acetyltransferase activities towards SMZ and INH were significantly (p < 0.0001) lower when catalyzed by the novel recombinant human NAT2 allozymes compared to NAT2 4. SMZ and INH N-acetyltransferase activities catalyzed by NAT2 14C and NAT2 14D were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than catalyzed by NAT2 6C and NAT2 14E. N-Acetylation catalyzed by recombinant human NAT2 17 was over several hundred-fold lower than by recombinant NAT2 4 precluding measurement of its kinetic or heat inactivation constants. Similar results were observed for the O-acetylation of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene and N-hydroxy-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b] pyridine and the intramolecular N,O-acetylation of N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene. The apparent V max of the novel recombinant NAT2 allozymes NAT2 6C, NAT2 14C, NAT2 14D, and NAT2 14E towards AF, 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), and 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMABP) were each significantly (p < 0.001) lower while their apparent K m values did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from recombinant NAT2 4. The apparent V max catalyzed by NAT2 14C and NAT2 14D were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the apparent V max catalyzed by NAT2 6C and NAT2 14E towards AF, ABP, and DMABP. Heat inactivation rate constants for recombinant

  10. A Proteomic Approach to Identify Phosphorylation-Dependent Targets of BRCT Domains

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    Elias, P. & de Lange, T. (1997) EMBO J. 16, 1785–1794. 45. Broccoli , D., Smogorzewska, A., Chong, L. & de Lange, T. (1997) Nat. Genet. 17, 231–235...mammalian telomere interactome: regulation and regulatory activities of telomeres. Crit. Rev. Eukaryot. Gene Expr. 16, 103–118 (2006). 13. Broccoli , D... Broccoli , D., Dai, Y., Hardy, S. & de Lange, T. p53- and ATM-dependent apoptosis induced by telomeres lacking TRF2. Science 283, 1321–1325 (1999). 30. Liu

  11. Production of Sn and Sb isotopes in high-energy neutron-induced fission of natU

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mattera, A.; Pomp, S.; Lantz, M.; Rakopoulos, V.; Solders, A.; Al-Adili, A.; Penttilä, H.; Moore, I. D.; Rinta-Antila, S.; Eronen, T.; Kankainen, A.; Pohjalainen, I.; Gorelov, D.; Canete, L.; Nesterenko, D.; Vilén, M.; Äystö, J.

    2018-03-01

    The first systematic measurement of neutron-induced fission yields has been performed at the upgraded IGISOL-4 facility at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The fission products from high-energy neutron-induced fission of nat U were stopped in a gas cell filled with helium buffer gas, and were online separated with a dipole magnet. The isobars, with masses in the range A = 128-133 , were transported to a tape-implantation station and identified using γ -spectroscopy. We report here the relative cumulative isotopic yields of tin ( Z = 50) and the relative independent isotopic yields of antimony ( Z = 51) . Isomeric yield ratios were also obtained for five nuclides. The yields of tin show a staggered behaviour around A = 131 , not observed in the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation. The yields of antimony also contradict the trend from the evaluation, but are in agreement with a calculation performed using the GEF model that shows the yield increasing with mass in the range A = 128-133.

  12. Estimation of the REV Size and Equivalent Permeability Coefficient of Fractured Rock Masses with an Emphasis on Comparing the Radial and Unidirectional Flow Configurations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhechao; Li, Wei; Bi, Liping; Qiao, Liping; Liu, Richeng; Liu, Jie

    2018-05-01

    A method to estimate the representative elementary volume (REV) size for the permeability and equivalent permeability coefficient of rock mass with a radial flow configuration was developed. The estimations of the REV size and equivalent permeability for the rock mass around an underground oil storage facility using a radial flow configuration were compared with those using a unidirectional flow configuration. The REV sizes estimated using the unidirectional flow configuration are much higher than those estimated using the radial flow configuration. The equivalent permeability coefficient estimated using the radial flow configuration is unique, while those estimated using the unidirectional flow configuration depend on the boundary conditions and flow directions. The influences of the fracture trace length, spacing and gap on the REV size and equivalent permeability coefficient were investigated. The REV size for the permeability of fractured rock mass increases with increasing the mean trace length and fracture spacing. The influence of the fracture gap length on the REV size is insignificant. The equivalent permeability coefficient decreases with the fracture spacing, while the influences of the fracture trace length and gap length are not determinate. The applicability of the proposed method to the prediction of groundwater inflow into rock caverns was verified using the measured groundwater inflow into the facility. The permeability coefficient estimated using the radial flow configuration is more similar to the representative equivalent permeability coefficient than those estimated with different boundary conditions using the unidirectional flow configuration.

  13. Whole-exome sequencing and targeted gene sequencing provide insights into the role of PALB2 as a male breast cancer susceptibility gene.

    PubMed

    Silvestri, Valentina; Zelli, Veronica; Valentini, Virginia; Rizzolo, Piera; Navazio, Anna Sara; Coppa, Anna; Agata, Simona; Oliani, Cristina; Barana, Daniela; Castrignanò, Tiziana; Viel, Alessandra; Russo, Antonio; Tibiletti, Maria Grazia; Zanna, Ines; Masala, Giovanna; Cortesi, Laura; Manoukian, Siranoush; Azzollini, Jacopo; Peissel, Bernard; Bonanni, Bernardo; Peterlongo, Paolo; Radice, Paolo; Palli, Domenico; Giannini, Giuseppe; Chillemi, Giovanni; Montagna, Marco; Ottini, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease whose etiology appears to be largely associated with genetic factors. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for about 10% of all MBC cases. Thus, a fraction of MBC cases are expected to be due to genetic factors not yet identified. To further explain the genetic susceptibility for MBC, whole-exome sequencing (WES) and targeted gene sequencing were applied to high-risk, BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases. Germ-line DNA of 1 male and 2 female BRCA1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer (BC) cases from a pedigree showing a first-degree family history of MBC was analyzed with WES. Targeted gene sequencing for the validation of WES results was performed for 48 high-risk, BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases from an Italian multicenter study of MBC. A case-control series of 433 BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC and female breast cancer (FBC) cases and 849 male and female controls was included in the study. WES in the family identified the partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) c.419delA truncating mutation carried by the proband, her father, and her paternal uncle (all affected with BC) and the N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) c.97C>T nonsense mutation carried by the proband's maternal aunt. Targeted PALB2 sequencing detected the c.1984A>T nonsense mutation in 1 of the 48 BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases. NAT1 c.97C>T was not found in the case-control series. These results add strength to the evidence showing that PALB2 is involved in BC risk for both sexes and indicate that consideration should be given to clinical testing of PALB2 for BRCA1/2 mutation-negative families with multiple MBC and FBC cases. Cancer 2017;123:210-218. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

  14. Criticality Safety Analysis on the Mixed Be, Nat-U, and C (Graphite) Reflectors in 55-Gallon Waste Drums and Their Equivalents for HWM Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chou, P

    The objective of this analysis is to develop and establish the technical basis on the criticality safety controls for the storage of mixed beryllium (Be), natural uranium (Nat-U), and carbon (C)/graphite reflectors in 55-gallon waste containers and/or their equivalents in Hazardous Waste Management (HWM) facilities. Based on the criticality safety limits and controls outlined in Section 3.0, the operations involving the use of mixed-reflector drums satisfy the double-contingency principle as required by DOE Order 420.1 and are therefore criticality safe. The mixed-reflector mass limit is 120 grams for each 55-gallon drum or its equivalent. a reflector waiver of 50 gramsmore » is allowed for Be, Nat-U, or C/graphite combined. The waived reflectors may be excluded from the reflector mass calculations when determining if a drum is compliant. The mixed-reflector drums are allowed to mix with the typical 55-gallon one-reflector drums with a Pu mass limit of 120 grams. The fissile mass limit for the mixed-reflector container is 65 grams of Pu equivalent each. The corresponding reflector mass limits are 300 grams of Be, and/or 100 kilograms of Nat-U, and/or 110 kilograms of C/graphite for each container. All other unaffected control parameters for the one-reflector containers remain in effect for the mixed-reflector drums. For instance, Superior moderators, such as TrimSol, Superla white mineral oil No. 9, paraffin, and polyethylene, are allowed in unlimited quantities. Hydrogenous materials with a hydrogen density greater than 0.133 gram/cc are not allowed. Also, an isolation separation of no less than 76.2 cm (30-inch) is required between a mixed array and any other array. Waste containers in the action of being transported are exempted from this 76.2-cm (30-inch) separation requirement. All deviations from the CS controls and mass limits listed in Section 3.0 will require individual criticality safety analyses on a case-by-case basis for each of them to confirm their

  15. Molecular Imaging with Quantum Dots Probing EMT and Prostate Cancer Metastasis in Live Animals

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-10-01

    Grignon DJ, Cher ML. Severe combined immunodeficient-humodel of humanprostate cancer metastasis to human bone. Cancer Res 1999;59(8): 1987 – 1993. 14... Eisler , H. J., and Bawendi, M. (2003) Type-II quantum dots: CdTe/CdSe(core/shell) and CdSe/ZinTe(core/shell) heterostructures. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125...S1044. 39. Cunha GR, Donjacour AA, Cooke PS, et al. The endocrinology and developmen- tal biology of the prostate. Endocr Rev 1987 ; 8:338-362. 40

  16. Functional effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding region of human N-acetyltransferase 1

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Yuanqi; Hein, David W.

    2007-01-01

    Genetic variants of human N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) are associated with cancer and birth defects. N- and O-acetyltransferase catalytic activities, Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants (Km & Vmax), and steady state expression levels of NAT1-specific mRNA and protein were determined for the reference NAT1*4 and variant human NAT1 haplotypes possessing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the open reading frame. Although none of the SNPs caused a significant effect on steady state levels of NAT1-specific mRNA, C97T(R33stop), C190T(R64W), C559T (R187stop) and A752T(D251V) each reduced NAT1 protein level and/or N- and O-acetyltransferase catalytic activities to levels below detection. G560A(R187Q) substantially reduced NAT1 protein level and catalytic activities and increased substrate Km. The G445A(V149I), G459A(synonymous) and T640G(S214A) haplotype present in NAT1*11 significantly (p<0.05) increased NAT1 protein level and catalytic activity. Neither T21G(synonymous), T402C(synonymous), A613G(M205V), T777C(synonymous), G781A(E261K), or A787G(I263V) significantly affected Km, catalytic activity, mRNA or protein level. These results suggest heterogeneity among slow NAT1 acetylator phenotypes. PMID:17909564

  17. Tissue damage drives co-localization of NF-κB, Smad3, and Nrf2 to direct Rev-erb sensitive wound repair in mouse macrophages

    PubMed Central

    Eichenfield, Dawn Z; Troutman, Ty Dale; Link, Verena M; Lam, Michael T; Cho, Han; Gosselin, David; Spann, Nathanael J; Lesch, Hanna P; Tao, Jenhan; Muto, Jun; Gallo, Richard L; Evans, Ronald M; Glass, Christopher K

    2016-01-01

    Although macrophages can be polarized to distinct phenotypes in vitro with individual ligands, in vivo they encounter multiple signals that control their varied functions in homeostasis, immunity, and disease. Here, we identify roles of Rev-erb nuclear receptors in regulating responses of mouse macrophages to complex tissue damage signals and wound repair. Rather than reinforcing a specific program of macrophage polarization, Rev-erbs repress subsets of genes that are activated by TLR ligands, IL4, TGFβ, and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPS). Unexpectedly, a complex damage signal promotes co-localization of NF-κB, Smad3, and Nrf2 at Rev-erb-sensitive enhancers and drives expression of genes characteristic of multiple polarization states in the same cells. Rev-erb-sensitive enhancers thereby integrate multiple damage-activated signaling pathways to promote a wound repair phenotype. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13024.001 PMID:27462873

  18. Treatment of Rats with Apocynin Has Considerable Inhibitory Effects on Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase Activity in the Liver.

    PubMed

    Francis, Sheena; Laurieri, Nicola; Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka; Delgoda, Rupika

    2016-05-31

    The effect of apocynin on the activity of arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) in excised liver samples was examined using eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats. Three groups of six animals each were fed a normal diet alone or a treatment of 50 or 100 mg/kg/day of apocynin via gavages for eight (8) weeks. Chronic in vivo administration of apocynin led to significant (p < 0.001) reduction of in vitro liver NAT activity up to 93% as compared with untreated rats (18.80 ± 2.10 μmols p-anisidine/min/μg liver protein). In vitro exposure of untreated liver homogenates to apocynin led to a dose-dependent inhibition of NAT activity with IC50 = 0.69 ± 0.02 mM. In silico modelling of apocynin tautomers and radical species into human NAT crystal structures supported the hypothesis that thiol functionalities in NAT enzymes may be crucial in apocynin binding. The involvement of human NAT enzymes in different pathological conditions, such as cancer, has encouraged the research for selective NAT inhibitors in both humans and animal models with possible chemopreventive properties.

  19. Materials for Optical Cryocoolers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-07

    Melgaard, R. I . Epstein, A. Di Lieto, M. Tonelli, and M. Sheik- Bahae , “Precise determination of minimum achievable temperature for solid-state optical...M. G. Brik and K. W. Krämer, J. Lumin., 2013, 136, 221–239. 13 D. V. Seletskiy, M. P. Hehlen, R. I . Epstein and M. Sheik- Bahae , Adv. Opt... I . Epstein, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2004, 92, 24740. 16 M. Sheik- Bahae and R. I . Epstein, Nat. Photonics, 2007, 1, 693–699. 17 G. Rupper, N. H. Kwong and R

  20. The mid-IR Absorption Cross Sections of α- and β-NAT (HNO3 · 3H2O) in the range 170 to 185 K and of metastable NAD (HNO3 · 2H2O) in the range 172 to 182 K

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iannarelli, R.; Rossi, M. J.

    2015-11-01

    Growth and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption in transmission of the title nitric acid hydrates have been performed in a stirred flow reactor (SFR) under tight control of the H2O and HNO3 deposition conditions affording a closed mass balance of the binary mixture. The gas and condensed phases have been simultaneously monitored using residual gas mass spectrometry and FTIR absorption spectroscopy, respectively. Barrierless nucleation of the metastable phases of both α-NAT (nitric acid trihydrate) and NAD (nitric acid dihydrate) has been observed when HNO3 was admitted to the SFR in the presence of a macroscopic thin film of pure H2O ice of typically 1 µm thickness. The stable β-NAT phase was spontaneously formed from the precursor α-NAT phase through irreversible thermal rearrangement beginning at 185 K. This facile growth scheme of nitric acid hydrates requires the presence of H2O ice at thicknesses in excess of approximately hundred nanometers. Absolute absorption cross sections in the mid-IR spectral range (700-4000 cm-1) of all three title compounds have been obtained after spectral subtraction of excess pure ice at temperatures characteristic of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. Prominent IR absorption frequencies correspond to the antisymmetric nitrate stretch vibration (ν3(NO3-)) in the range 1300 to 1420 cm-1 and the bands of hydrated protons in the range 1670 to 1850 cm-1 in addition to the antisymmetric O-H stretch vibration of bound H2O in the range 3380 to 3430 cm-1 for NAT.

  1. Tuning Rashba spin-orbit coupling in homogeneous semiconductor nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wójcik, Paweł; Bertoni, Andrea; Goldoni, Guido

    2018-04-01

    We use k .p theory to estimate the Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in large semiconductor nanowires. We specifically investigate GaAs- and InSb-based devices with different gate configurations to control symmetry and localization of the electron charge density. We explore gate-controlled SOC for wires of different size and doping, and we show that in high carrier density SOC has a nonlinear electric field susceptibility, due to large reshaping of the quantum states. We analyze recent experiments with InSb nanowires in light of our calculations. Good agreement is found with the SOC coefficients reported in Phys. Rev. B 91, 201413(R) (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.201413, but not with the much larger values reported in Nat. Commun. 8, 478 (2017), 10.1038/s41467-017-00315-y. We discuss possible origins of this discrepancy.

  2. Rise of Racetrack Memory! Domain Wall Spin-Orbitronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parkin, Stuart

    Memory-storage devices based on the current controlled motion of a series of domain walls (DWs) in magnetic racetracks promise performance and reliability beyond that of conventional magnetic disk drives and solid state storage devices (1). Racetracks that are formed from atomically thin, perpendicularly magnetized nano-wires, interfaced with adjacent metal layers with high spin-orbit coupling, give rise to domain walls that exhibit a chiral Néel structure (2). These DWs can be moved very efficiently with current via chiral spin-orbit torques (2,3). Record-breaking current-induced DW speeds exceeding 1,000 m/sec are found in synthetic antiferromagnetic structures (3) in which the net magnetization of the DWs is tuned to almost zero, making them ``invisible''. Based on these recent discoveries, Racetrack Memory devices have the potential to operate on picosecond timescales and at densities more than 100 times greater than other memory technologies. (1) S.S.P. Parkin et al., Science 320, 5873 (2008); S.S.P. Parkin and S.-H. Yang, Nat. Nano. 10, 195 (2015). (2) K.-S. Ryu metal. Nat. Nano. 8, 527 (2013). (3) S.-H. Yang, K.-S. Ryu and S.S.P. Parkin, Nat. Nano. 10, 221 (2015). (4). S.S.P. Parkin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 3598 (1991).

  3. Measurements of 67Ga production cross section induced by protons on natZn in the low energy range from 1.678 to 2.444 MeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wachter, J. A.; Miranda, P. A.; Morales, J. R.; Cancino, S. A.; Correa, R.

    2015-02-01

    The experimental production cross section for the reaction natZn(p,x)67Ga has been measured in the energy range from 1.678 to 2.444 MeV. The methodology used in this work is based on characteristic X-ray emitted after irradiation by the daughter nuclei that decays by electron capture (EC) and the use of a complementary PIXE experiment. By doing so, expressions needed to determine cross section values are simplified since experimental factors such as geometric setup and an detector efficiency are avoided. 67Ga is a radionuclide particularly suited for this method since it decays by electron capture in 100% and the subsequent characteristic X-ray emission is easily detected. Natural zinc targets were fabricated by PVD technique and afterwards their thicknesses were determined by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. Cross sections measurements were carried out by using the Van de Graaff accelerator located at Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile. It was found that our data for the natZn(p,x)67Ga reaction are, in general, in good agreement when compared to existing experimental data and to those calculated ALICE/ASH nuclear code. On the other hand, values predicted by Talys-1.6 are showing systematically lower magnitudes than our measured data.

  4. Determinants of G quadruplex-induced epigenetic instability in REV1-deficient cells

    PubMed Central

    Schiavone, Davide; Guilbaud, Guillaume; Murat, Pierre; Papadopoulou, Charikleia; Sarkies, Peter; Prioleau, Marie-Noëlle; Balasubramanian, Shankar; Sale, Julian E

    2014-01-01

    REV1-deficient chicken DT40 cells are compromised in replicating G quadruplex (G4)-forming DNA. This results in localised, stochastic loss of parental chromatin marks and changes in gene expression. We previously proposed that this epigenetic instability arises from G4-induced replication fork stalls disrupting the accurate propagation of chromatin structure through replication. Here, we test this model by showing that a single G4 motif is responsible for the epigenetic instability of the BU-1 locus in REV1-deficient cells, despite its location 3.5 kb from the transcription start site (TSS). The effect of the G4 is dependent on it residing on the leading strand template, but is independent of its in vitro thermal stability. Moving the motif to more than 4 kb from the TSS stabilises expression of the gene. However, loss of histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K9/14ac) around the transcription start site correlates with the position of the G4 motif, expression being lost only when the promoter is affected. This supports the idea that processive replication is required to maintain the histone modification pattern and full transcription of this model locus. PMID:25190518

  5. Analysis of mutagenic DNA repair in a thermoconditional mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. III. Dose-response pattern of mutation induction in UV-irradiated rev2ts cells.

    PubMed

    Siede, W; Eckardt, F

    1986-01-01

    Recent studies regarding the influence of cycloheximide on the temperature-dependent increase in survival and mutation frequencies of a thermoconditional rev2 mutant lead to the suggestion that the REV2-coded mutagenic repair function is UV-inducible. In the present study we show that stationary-phase rev2ts cells are characterized by a biphasic linear-quadratic dose-dependence of mutation induction ("mutation kinetics") of ochre alleles at 23 degrees C (permissive temperature) but linear kinetics at the restrictive temperature of 36 degrees C. Mathematical analysis using a model based on Poisson statistics and a further mathematical procedure, the calculation of "apparent survival", support the assumption that the quadratic component of the reverse mutation kinetics investigated can be attributed to a UV-inducible component of mutagenic DNA repair controlled by the REV2 gene.

  6. A comprehensive experiment for molecular biology: Determination of single nucleotide polymorphism in human REV3 gene using PCR-RFLP.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xu; Shao, Meng; Gao, Lu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Zixuan; Zhou, Liping; Yan, Yongmin; Shao, Qixiang; Xu, Wenrong; Qian, Hui

    2017-07-08

    Laboratory exercise is helpful for medical students to understand the basic principles of molecular biology and to learn about the practical applications of molecular biology. We have designed a lab course on molecular biology about the determination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in human REV3 gene, the product of which is a subunit of DNA polymerase ζ and SNPs in this gene are associated with altered susceptibility to cancer. This newly designed experiment is composed of three parts, including genomic DNA extraction, gene amplification by PCR, and genotyping by RFLP. By combining these activities, the students are not only able to learn a series of biotechniques in molecular biology, but also acquire the ability to link the learned knowledge with practical applications. This comprehensive experiment will help the medical students improve the conceptual understanding of SNP and the technical understanding of SNP detection. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(4):299-304, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  7. Neutron-Induced Fission Cross Sections of 240Pu, 243Am, and natW in the Energy Range 1-200 MeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laptev, A. B.; Donets, A. Yu.; Dushin, V. N.; Fomichev, A. V.; Fomichev, A. A.; Haight, R. C.; Shcherbakov, O. A.; Soloviev, S. M.; Tuboltsev, Yu. V.; Vorobyev, A. S.

    2005-05-01

    A long-range research program devoted to measurements of neutron-induced fission cross-sections of actinides and stable isotopes is under way at the GNEIS facility. By now the new series of experiments for measurements of fission cross-section ratios relative to 235U has been completed for 240Pu, 243Am, and natW in a wide energy range of incident neutrons from 1 MeV to 200 MeV in the frame of the ISTC Project ♯1971. The measurements were performed using the multiplate ionization chamber and time-of-flight techniques. The results obtained in this measurement are presented in comparison with the other data.

  8. The HIV-1 Rev/RRE system is required for HIV-1 5' UTR cis elements to augment encapsidation of heterologous RNA into HIV-1 viral particles

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The process of HIV-1 genomic RNA (gRNA) encapsidation is governed by a number of viral encoded components, most notably the Gag protein and gRNA cis elements in the canonical packaging signal (ψ). Also implicated in encapsidation are cis determinants in the R, U5, and PBS (primer binding site) from the 5' untranslated region (UTR). Although conventionally associated with nuclear export of HIV-1 RNA, there is a burgeoning role for the Rev/RRE in the encapsidation process. Pleiotropic effects exhibited by these cis and trans viral components may confound the ability to examine their independent, and combined, impact on encapsidation of RNA into HIV-1 viral particles in their innate viral context. We systematically reconstructed the HIV-1 packaging system in the context of a heterologous murine leukemia virus (MLV) vector RNA to elucidate a mechanism in which the Rev/RRE system is central to achieving efficient and specific encapsidation into HIV-1 viral particles. Results We show for the first time that the Rev/RRE system can augment RNA encapsidation independent of all cis elements from the 5' UTR (R, U5, PBS, and ψ). Incorporation of all the 5' UTR cis elements did not enhance RNA encapsidation in the absence of the Rev/RRE system. In fact, we demonstrate that the Rev/RRE system is required for specific and efficient encapsidation commonly associated with the canonical packaging signal. The mechanism of Rev/RRE-mediated encapsidation is not a general phenomenon, since the combination of the Rev/RRE system and 5' UTR cis elements did not enhance encapsidation into MLV-derived viral particles. Lastly, we show that heterologous MLV RNAs conform to transduction properties commonly associated with HIV-1 viral particles, including in vivo transduction of non-dividing cells (i.e. mouse neurons); however, the cDNA forms are episomes predominantly in the 1-LTR circle form. Conclusions Premised on encapsidation of a heterologous RNA into HIV-1 viral particles

  9. FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE A411T (L137F) and G364A (D122N) GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS IN HUMAN N-ACETYLTRANSFERASE 2

    PubMed Central

    Zang, Yu; Zhao, Shuang; Doll, Mark A.; States, J Christopher; Hein, David W.

    2007-01-01

    Human N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genetic polymorphisms may modify drug efficacy and toxicity and individual cancer susceptibility from carcinogen exposure. A411T (L137F) and G364A (D122N) are two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that coexist with other SNPs in human NAT2 alleles NAT2*5I and NAT2*12D, respectively. Cloning and expression in COS-1 cells showed that both A411T and G364A reduced NAT2 immunoreactive protein to an undetectable level without causing changes in mRNA level. Missense mutants displayed different effects on sulfamethazine N-acetylation activity for both L137 (wild-type: 70.2±5.2; L137F: 1.34±0.03; L137W: non-detectable; L137I: 34.2±2.0; L137G: 0.52±0.04 nmol/min/mg) and D122 (wildtype: 70.2±5.2; D122R: non-detectable; D122Q: non-detectable; D122E: 1.72±0.24 nmol/min/mg). To further test our hypothesis that A411T (L137F) and G364A (D122N) accelerate protein degradation, various NAT2 alleles were cloned and expressed in E. coli, which does not possess the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway. In contrast to the expression in mammalian cells, recombinant NAT2 possessing either of these two SNPs showed no reduction in immunoreactive NAT2 level when expressed in E. coli. These findings suggest that both A411T (L137F) and G364A (D122N) enhance NAT2 degradation, resulting in reduced NAT2 protein and catalytic activity for NAT2 5I and NAT2 12D. PMID:17264801

  10. Cryogenic Optical Refrigeration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-22

    Applications of Laser Cooling of Solids, 1st ed. (Wiley-VCH, 2009). 12. M. Sheik- Bahae and R. I . Epstein, “Optical refrigeration,” Nat. Photonics 1(12), 693–699...2007). Advances in Optics and Photonics 4, 78–107 (2012) doi:10.1364/AOP.4.000078 99 13. M. Sheik- Bahae and R. I . Epstein, “Laser cooling of solids...Sheik- Bahae and R. I . Epstein, “Can laser light cool semiconductors,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 92(24), 247403 (2004). 18. P. Asbeck, “Self-absorption effects

  11. Exact coupling threshold for structural transition reveals diversified behaviors in interconnected networks.

    PubMed

    Darabi Sahneh, Faryad; Scoglio, Caterina; Van Mieghem, Piet

    2015-10-01

    An interconnected network features a structural transition between two regimes [F. Radicchi and A. Arenas, Nat. Phys. 9, 717 (2013)]: one where the network components are structurally distinguishable and one where the interconnected network functions as a whole. Our exact solution for the coupling threshold uncovers network topologies with unexpected behaviors. Specifically, we show conditions that superdiffusion, introduced by Gómez et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 028701 (2013)], can occur despite the network components functioning distinctly. Moreover, we find that components of certain interconnected network topologies are indistinguishable despite very weak coupling between them.

  12. Genetic polymorphisms of NAT2, CYP2E1 and GST enzymes and the occurrence of antituberculosis drug-induced hepatitis in Brazilian TB patients.

    PubMed

    Teixeira, Raquel Lima de Figueiredo; Morato, Renata Gomes; Cabello, Pedro Hernan; Muniz, Ligia Mayumi Kitada; Moreira, Adriana da Silva Rezende; Kritski, Afrânio Lineu; Mello, Fernanda Carvalho Queiroz; Suffys, Philip Noel; Miranda, Antonio Basilio de; Santos, Adalberto Rezende

    2011-09-01

    Isoniazid (INH), one of the most important drugs used in antituberculosis (anti-TB) treatment, is also the major drug involved in hepatotoxicity. Differences in INH-induced toxicity have been attributed to genetic variability at several loci, such as NAT2, CYP2E1, GSTM1 and GSTT1, that code for drug-metabolising enzymes. Our goal was to examine the polymorphisms in these enzymes as susceptibility factors to anti-TB drug-induced hepatitis in Brazilian individuals. In a case-control design, 167 unrelated active tuberculosis patients from the University Hospital of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were enrolled in this study. Patients with a history of anti-TB drug-induced acute hepatitis (cases with an increase to 3 times the upper limit of normal serum transaminases and symptoms of hepatitis) and patients with no evidence of anti-TB hepatic side effects (controls) were genotyped for NAT2, CYP2E1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms. Slow acetylators had a higher incidence of hepatitis than intermediate/rapid acetylators [22% (18/82) vs. 9.8% (6/61), odds ratio (OR), 2.86, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-7.68, p = 0.04). Logistic regression showed that slow acetylation status was the only independent risk factor (OR 3.59, 95% CI, 2.53-4.64, p = 0.02) for the occurrence of anti-TB drug-induced hepatitis during anti-TB treatment with INH-containing schemes in Brazilian individuals.

  13. Analysis of mutagenic DNA repair in a thermoconditional mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. IV. Influence of DNA replication and excision repair on REV2 dependent UV-mutagenesis and repair.

    PubMed

    Siede, W; Eckardt, F

    1986-01-01

    A double mutant being thermoconditionally defective in mutation induction as well as in repair of pre-lethal UV-induced DNA damage (rev2ts) and deficient in excision repair (rad3-2) was studied in temperature-shift experiments. The influence of inhibitors of DNA replication (hydroxyurea, aphidicolin) was determined. Additionally, an analysis of the dose-response pattern of mutation induction ("mutation kinetics") at several ochre alleles was carried out. It was concluded that the UV-inducible REV2 dependent mutagenic repair process is not induced in excision-deficient cells. In excision-deficient cells, REV2 dependent mutation fixation is slow and mostly post-replicative though not dependent on DNA replication. The REV2 mediated mutagenic process could be separated from the repair function.

  14. Addendum: New approach to the resummation of logarithms in Higgs-boson decays to a vector quarkonium plus a photon [Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017)

    DOE PAGES

    Bodwin, Geoffrey T.; Chung, Hee Sok; Ee, June-Haak; ...

    2017-12-20

    In this addendum to Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017) we recompute the rates for the decays of the Higgs boson to a vector quarkonium plus a photon, where the vector quarkonium is J/psi, Upsilon(1S) Upsilon(2S). We correct an error in the Abel-Pad'e summation formula that was used to carry out the evolution of the quarkonium light-cone distribution amplitude in Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017). We also correct an error in the scale of quarkonium wave function at the origin in Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017) and introduce several additional refinements in the calculation.

  15. Addendum: New approach to the resummation of logarithms in Higgs-boson decays to a vector quarkonium plus a photon [Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bodwin, Geoffrey T.; Chung, Hee Sok; Ee, June-Haak

    In this addendum to Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017) we recompute the rates for the decays of the Higgs boson to a vector quarkonium plus a photon, where the vector quarkonium is J/psi, Upsilon(1S) Upsilon(2S). We correct an error in the Abel-Pad'e summation formula that was used to carry out the evolution of the quarkonium light-cone distribution amplitude in Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017). We also correct an error in the scale of quarkonium wave function at the origin in Phys. Rev. D 95, 054018 (2017) and introduce several additional refinements in the calculation.

  16. Measurements of the total cross section of natBe with thermal neutrons from a photo-neutron source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, L. X.; Wang, H. W.; Ma, Y. G.; Cao, X. G.; Cai, X. Z.; Chen, J. G.; Zhang, G. L.; Han, J. L.; Zhang, G. Q.; Hu, J. F.; Wang, X. H.; Li, W. J.; Yan, Z.; Fu, H. J.

    2017-11-01

    The total neutron cross sections of natural beryllium in the neutron energy region of 0.007 to 0.1 eV were measured by using a time-of-flight (TOF) technique at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP). The low energy neutrons were obtained by moderating the high energy neutrons from a pulsed photo-neutron source generated from a 16 MeV electron linac. The time dependent neutron background component was determined by employing the 12.8 cm boron-loaded polyethylene (PEB) (5% w.t.) to block neutron TOF path and using the Monte Carlo simulation methods. The present data was compared with the fold Harvey data with the response function of the photo-neutron source (PNS, phase-1). The present measurement of total cross section of natBe for thermal neutrons based on PNS has been developed for the acquisition of nuclear data needed for the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR).

  17. Chemical-potential flow equations for graphene with Coulomb interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fräßdorf, Christian; Mosig, Johannes E. M.

    2018-06-01

    We calculate the chemical potential dependence of the renormalized Fermi velocity and static dielectric function for Dirac quasiparticles in graphene nonperturbatively at finite temperature. By reinterpreting the chemical potential as a flow parameter in the spirit of the functional renormalization group (fRG) we obtain a set of flow equations, which describe the change of these functions upon varying the chemical potential. In contrast to the fRG the initial condition of the flow is nontrivial and has to be calculated separately. Our results are consistent with a charge carrier-independent Fermi velocity v (k ) for small densities n ≲k2/π , supporting the comparison of the zero-density fRG calculation of Bauer et al. [Phys. Rev. B 92, 121409 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.121409], with the experiment of Elias et al. [Nat. Phys. 7, 701 (2011), 10.1038/nphys2049].

  18. Creating a Community Coalition to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Yakima County, Washington: Rev It Up! 2008

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Jessica; Bindler, Ruth C.; Miller, Kris

    2012-01-01

    Background One-third of the US population is obese, and childhood obesity has tripled since the late 1970s. Childhood obesity is a significant health issue requiring interventions on individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels. Community coalitions offer successful strategies for engaging community partners with health improvement goals. Community Context In 2008, Yakima County, an agricultural community in eastern Washington, was ranked the eighth fattest city in the United States. Recognizing the obesity problem, the Yakima Health District (YHD) established 2 objectives: to decrease rates of childhood obesity in Yakima County and to recruit and establish a community coalition of key stakeholders and experts to help address the problem. Methods The YHD spearheaded a movement to create a community coalition. The coalition applied for and received state and federal grants. In September 2008, the YHD held the first recruitment event for Rev It Up!, its community-based effort to address the obesity problem in Yakima. YHD invited the Washington State Department of Health to advise the coalition-building and action-planning process. Outcome The community coalition achieved 5 of 7 objectives, including developing a common vision, creating an advisory committee, and conducting a community inventory, prioritization process, and action plan. However, unexpected public health challenges in the YHD delayed coalition efforts. Interpretation Creating the Rev It Up! coalition met a community need and engaged community partners. Some potential partners were dissuaded by the 6-month period required to establish the coalition. Rev It Up! continues as a community effort to reduce rates of obesity in Yakima County. PMID:22765932

  19. Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Fiscal Year 2012 Report to Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-02-21

    ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18 . NUMBER OF PAGES 24 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS...PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39- 18 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Fiscal Year 2012 Report to...Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 18 :1740-1745 10. Ajene A, Bohnker B, Malakooti MA, Riegodedios A, and Sack DM. 2004. Neoplasms in the Navy, 1998-2000

  20. Identification of Epigenetic Changes in Prostate Cancer using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    somatic cells in human iPS cells. Nat Cell Bioi, 13: 541, 2011 5. Polo, J. M., Liu, S., Figueroa , M. E. et al.: Cell type of origin influences the...human iPS cells. Nat Cell Bioi 13: 5•1 \\ - 5•19. 18. Poloj:\\ə, Lu S, Figueroa ME, Kulalert W, Eminli S, ct a!. (20 10) Cell type of origin

  1. 5-alpha-reductase type I (SRD5A1) is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer but does not impact proliferation, cell cycle distribution or apoptosis

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most frequent malignancies and has a high mortality rate due to late detection and lack of efficient treatments. Identifying novel drug targets for this indication may open the way for new treatment strategies. Comparison of gene expression profiles of NSCLC and normal adjacent tissue (NAT) allowed to determine that 5-alpha-reductase type I (SRD5A1) was up-regulated in NSCLC compared to NAT. This raised the question whether SRD5A1 was involved in sustained proliferation and survival of NSCLC. Methods siRNA-mediated silencing of SRD5A1 was performed in A549 and NCI-H460 lung cancer cell lines in order to determine the impact on proliferation, on distribution during the different phases of the cell cycle, and on apoptosis/necrosis. In addition, lung cancer cell lines were treated with 4-azasteroids, which specifically inhibit SRD5A1 activity, and the effects on proliferation were measured. Statistical analyses using ANOVA and post-hoc Tamhane-T2-test were performed. In the case of non-parametric data, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post-hoc Mann-Whitney-U-test were used. Results The knock-down of SRDA51 expression was very efficient with the SRD5A1 transcripts being reduced to 10% of control levels. Knock-down efficiency was furthermore confirmed at the protein level. However, no effect of SRD5A1 silencing was observed in the proliferation assay, the cell cycle analysis, and the apoptosis/necrosis assay. Treatment of lung cancer cell lines with 4-azasteroids did not significantly inhibit proliferation. Conclusions In summary, the results suggest that SRD5A1 is not a crucial enzyme for the sustained proliferation of NSCLC cell lines. PMID:22257483

  2. 5-alpha-reductase type I (SRD5A1) is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer but does not impact proliferation, cell cycle distribution or apoptosis.

    PubMed

    Kapp, Friedrich G; Sommer, Anette; Kiefer, Thomas; Dölken, Gottfried; Haendler, Bernard

    2012-01-18

    Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most frequent malignancies and has a high mortality rate due to late detection and lack of efficient treatments. Identifying novel drug targets for this indication may open the way for new treatment strategies. Comparison of gene expression profiles of NSCLC and normal adjacent tissue (NAT) allowed to determine that 5-alpha-reductase type I (SRD5A1) was up-regulated in NSCLC compared to NAT. This raised the question whether SRD5A1 was involved in sustained proliferation and survival of NSCLC. siRNA-mediated silencing of SRD5A1 was performed in A549 and NCI-H460 lung cancer cell lines in order to determine the impact on proliferation, on distribution during the different phases of the cell cycle, and on apoptosis/necrosis. In addition, lung cancer cell lines were treated with 4-azasteroids, which specifically inhibit SRD5A1 activity, and the effects on proliferation were measured. Statistical analyses using ANOVA and post-hoc Tamhane-T2-test were performed. In the case of non-parametric data, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post-hoc Mann-Whitney-U-test were used. The knock-down of SRDA51 expression was very efficient with the SRD5A1 transcripts being reduced to 10% of control levels. Knock-down efficiency was furthermore confirmed at the protein level. However, no effect of SRD5A1 silencing was observed in the proliferation assay, the cell cycle analysis, and the apoptosis/necrosis assay. Treatment of lung cancer cell lines with 4-azasteroids did not significantly inhibit proliferation. In summary, the results suggest that SRD5A1 is not a crucial enzyme for the sustained proliferation of NSCLC cell lines.

  3. Fertility preservation with ovarian stimulation and time to treatment in women with stage II-III breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy.

    PubMed

    Chien, A Jo; Chambers, Julia; Mcauley, Fiona; Kaplan, Tessa; Letourneau, Joseph; Hwang, Jimmy; Kim, Mi-Ok; Melisko, Michelle E; Rugo, Hope S; Esserman, Laura J; Rosen, Mitchell P

    2017-08-01

    To determine whether fertility preservation with ovarian stimulation (OS) results in treatment delay in breast cancer (BC) patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). This is a retrospective study of women screened for the prospective neoadjuvant ISPY2 trial at the University of California San Francisco. All patients were <43, had stage II-III BC, and received neoadjuvant therapy. Time to initiation of NAT was compared between women who underwent OS (STIM) and women who did not (control). Patient and tumor characteristics, as well as oncologic outcomes, were compared between STIM and control groups. 82 patients were included (34 STIM and 48 control). STIM patients were overall younger (mean = 35 vs. 36.9 years old, p = 0.06), and more likely to be childless (79.4 vs 31.2%, p < 0.0001) than controls. Mean time from diagnosis to initiation of NAT was 40 days, with no significant difference between STIM and control groups (mean 39.8 days vs 40.9 days, p = 0.75). Mean time from diagnosis to fertility consultation was 16.3 days. With median follow-up of 79 months, 16 (19.5%) patients have recurred or died from BC. Rates of pCR, recurrence, and death were similar in both groups. Six of 34 STIM patients have undergone embryo transfer, resulting in one patient with two live births. Fertility preservation with OS can be performed in the neoadjuvant setting without delay in initiation of systemic therapy and should be discussed with all early-stage BC patients of reproductive age.

  4. Public Data Set: Erratum: "Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment" [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012)

    DOE Data Explorer

    Burke, Marcus G. [University of Wisconsin-Madison] (ORCID:0000000176193724); Fonck, Raymond J. [University of Wisconsin-Madison] (ORCID:0000000294386762); Bongard, Michael W. [University of Wisconsin-Madison] (ORCID:0000000231609746); Schlossberg, David J. [University of Wisconsin-Madison] (ORCID:0000000287139448); Winz, Gregory R. [University of Wisconsin-Madison] (ORCID:0000000177627184)

    2016-07-18

    This data set contains openly-documented, machine readable digital research data corresponding to figures published in M.G. Burke et al., 'Erratum: "Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment" [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012)],' Rev. Sci. Instrum. 87, 079902 (2016).

  5. Influence of GSTM1 and NAT2 genotypes on placental DNA adducts in an environmentally exposed population.

    PubMed

    Topinka, J; Binková, B; Mracková, G; Stávková, Z; Peterka, V; Benes, I; Dejmek, J; Lenícek, J; Pilcík, T; Srám, R J

    1997-01-01

    The placenta bulky DNA adducts have been studied in relation to metabolic genotypes for glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2) in 158 mothers (113 nonsmokers and 45 smokers) living in two regions with different annual average air pollution levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter < 10 microns, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. One region was the district of Teplice as the polluted industrial region with mines and brown coal power plants, and the other was the district of Prachatice, an agricultural region without heavy industry. DNA adduct levels were determined by using a butanol extraction enrichment procedure of 32P-postlabeling. GSTM1 and NAT2 genotypes were studied by using polymerase chain reaction. The total DNA adduct levels included a diagonal radioactive zone (DRZ) and one distinct spot outside DRZ (termed X), which was detected in almost all placenta samples and correlated with DRZ (r = .682; P < .001). We found the total DNA adduct levels 2.12 +/- 1.46 (0.04-7.70) and 1.48 +/- 1.09 (0.11-4.98) adducts per 10(8) nucleotides for Teplice and Prachatice districts, respectively, indicating significant differences between both regions studied (P = .004). Elevated DNA adduct levels were found in smoking mothers (10 or more cigarettes per day) by comparison with nonsmoking mothers (3.21 +/- 1.39 versus 1.32 +/- 0.88 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides; P < .001). Placental DNA adduct levels in smokers correlated with cotinine measured in plasma (r = .432; P = .003). This relation indicates that cigarette smoking could be predominantly responsible for DNA adduct formation in placentas of smoking mothers. DNA adduct levels were evaluated separately for non-smokers (1.50 +/- 1.00 vs. 1.09 +/- 0.66 adducts/10(8) nucleotides for the Teplice and Prachatice districts, respectively; P = .046) and smokers (3.35 +/- 1.47 vs. 2.91 +/- 1.20 adducts/10(8) nucleotides for Teplice and Prachatice districts, respectively; P

  6. Macroscopic character of composite high-temperature superconducting wires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kivelson, S. A.; Spivak, B.

    2015-11-01

    The "d -wave" symmetry of the superconducting order in the cuprate high temperature superconductors is a well established fact [J. Tsuei and J. R. Kirtley, Rev. Mod. Phys. 72, 969 (2000), 10.1103/RevModPhys.72.969 and D. J. Vanharlingen, Rev. Mod. Phys. 67, 515 (1995), 10.1103/RevModPhys.67.515], and one which identifies them as "unconventional." However, in macroscopic contexts—including many potential applications (i.e., superconducting "wires")—the material is a composite of randomly oriented superconducting grains in a metallic matrix, in which Josephson coupling between grains mediates the onset of long-range phase coherence. [See, e.g., D. C. Larbalestier et al., Nat. Mater. 13, 375 (2014), 10.1038/nmat3887, A. P. Malozemoff, MRS Bull. 36, 601 (2011), 10.1557/mrs.2011.160, and K. Heine et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 55, 2441 (1989), 10.1063/1.102295] Here we analyze the physics at length scales that are large compared to the size of such grains, and in particular the macroscopic character of the long-range order that emerges. While X Y -superconducting glass order and macroscopic d -wave superconductivity may be possible, we show that under many circumstances—especially when the d -wave superconducting grains are embedded in a metallic matrix—the most likely order has global s -wave symmetry.

  7. Final Report - DuraMelter 100 Tests to Support LAW Glass Formulation Correlation Development, VSL-06R6480-1, Rev. 0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kruger, Albert A.; Muller, I. S.; Gong, W.

    2013-12-03

    This report describes the results of work and testing specified by Test Specifications 24590-LAW-TSP-RT-04-004, Rev. 0, Test Plans VSL-05T5480-1, Rev. 0 and Text Exceptions 24590-LAW-TEF-RT-05-00002. The work and any associated testing followed established quality assurance requirements and was conducted as authorized. The descriptions provided in this test report are an accurate account of both the conduct of the work and the data collected. Results required by the Test Plan are reported. Also reported are any unusual or anomalous occurences that are different from the starting hypotheses. The test results and this report have been reviewed and verified.

  8. Double differential neutron spectra generated by the interaction of a 12 MeV/nucleon 36S beam on a thick natCu target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trinh, N. D.; Fadil, M.; Lewitowicz, M.; Ledoux, X.; Laurent, B.; Thomas, J.-C.; Clerc, T.; Desmezières, V.; Dupuis, M.; Madeline, A.; Dessay, E.; Grinyer, G. F.; Grinyer, J.; Menard, N.; Porée, F.; Achouri, L.; Delaunay, F.; Parlog, M.

    2018-07-01

    Double differential neutron spectra (energy, angle) originating from a thick natCu target bombarded by a 12 MeV/nucleon 36S16+ beam were measured by the activation method and the Time-of-flight technique at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL). A neutron spectrum unfolding algorithm combining the SAND-II iterative method and Monte-Carlo techniques was developed for the analysis of the activation results that cover a wide range of neutron energies. It was implemented into a graphical user interface program, called GanUnfold. The experimental neutron spectra are compared to Monte-Carlo simulations performed using the PHITS and FLUKA codes.

  9. A Simple System for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-07-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0231 TITLE: A Simple System for Early Detection of Breast Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Stephen Johnston CONTRACTING...ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE July 2016 2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 1Jul2015 - 30Jun2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Simple System for the Early...Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 W81XWH-14-1-0231 Abstract: We invented the immunosignature technology (IMS) as a simple , universal

  10. Benchmarking the evaluated proton differential cross sections suitable for the EBS analysis of natSi and 16O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kokkoris, M.; Dede, S.; Kantre, K.; Lagoyannis, A.; Ntemou, E.; Paneta, V.; Preketes-Sigalas, K.; Provatas, G.; Vlastou, R.; Bogdanović-Radović, I.; Siketić, Z.; Obajdin, N.

    2017-08-01

    The evaluated proton differential cross sections suitable for the Elastic Backscattering Spectroscopy (EBS) analysis of natSi and 16O, as obtained from SigmaCalc 2.0, have been benchmarked over a wide energy and angular range at two different accelerator laboratories, namely at N.C.S.R. 'Demokritos', Athens, Greece and at Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), Zagreb, Croatia, using a variety of high-purity thick targets of known stoichiometry. The results are presented in graphical and tabular forms, while the observed discrepancies, as well as, the limits in accuracy of the benchmarking procedure, along with target related effects, are thoroughly discussed and analysed. In the case of oxygen the agreement between simulated and experimental spectra was generally good, while for silicon serious discrepancies were observed above Ep,lab = 2.5 MeV, suggesting that a further tuning of the appropriate nuclear model parameters in the evaluated differential cross-section datasets is required.

  11. Genome-wide interaction study of smoking and bladder cancer risk

    PubMed Central

    Figueroa, Jonine D.; Han, Summer S.; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Baris, Dalsu; Jacobs, Eric J.; Kogevinas, Manolis; Schwenn, Molly; Malats, Nuria; Johnson, Alison; Purdue, Mark P.; Caporaso, Neil; Landi, Maria Teresa; Prokunina-Olsson, Ludmila; Wang, Zhaoming; Hutchinson, Amy; Burdette, Laurie; Wheeler, William; Vineis, Paolo; Siddiq, Afshan; Cortessis, Victoria K.; Kooperberg, Charles; Cussenot, Olivier; Benhamou, Simone; Prescott, Jennifer; Porru, Stefano; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H.Bas; Trichopoulos, Dimitrios; Ljungberg, Börje; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Krogh, Vittorio; Dorronsoro, Miren; Travis, Ruth; Tjønneland, Anne; Brenan, Paul; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Riboli, Elio; Conti, David; Gago-Dominguez, Manuela; Stern, Mariana C.; Pike, Malcolm C.; Van Den Berg, David; Yuan, Jian-Min; Hohensee, Chancellor; Rodabough, Rebecca; Cancel-Tassin, Geraldine; Roupret, Morgan; Comperat, Eva; Chen, Constance; De Vivo, Immaculata; Giovannucci, Edward; Hunter, David J.; Kraft, Peter; Lindstrom, Sara; Carta, Angela; Pavanello, Sofia; Arici, Cecilia; Mastrangelo, Giuseppe; Karagas, Margaret R.; Schned, Alan; Armenti, Karla R.; Hosain, G.M.Monawar; Haiman, Chris A.; Fraumeni, Joseph F.; Chanock, Stephen J.; Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Rothman, Nathaniel; Silverman, Debra T.

    2014-01-01

    Bladder cancer is a complex disease with known environmental and genetic risk factors. We performed a genome-wide interaction study (GWAS) of smoking and bladder cancer risk based on primary scan data from 3002 cases and 4411 controls from the National Cancer Institute Bladder Cancer GWAS. Alternative methods were used to evaluate both additive and multiplicative interactions between individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and smoking exposure. SNPs with interaction P values < 5 × 10− 5 were evaluated further in an independent dataset of 2422 bladder cancer cases and 5751 controls. We identified 10 SNPs that showed association in a consistent manner with the initial dataset and in the combined dataset, providing evidence of interaction with tobacco use. Further, two of these novel SNPs showed strong evidence of association with bladder cancer in tobacco use subgroups that approached genome-wide significance. Specifically, rs1711973 (FOXF2) on 6p25.3 was a susceptibility SNP for never smokers [combined odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20–1.50, P value = 5.18 × 10− 7]; and rs12216499 (RSPH3-TAGAP-EZR) on 6q25.3 was a susceptibility SNP for ever smokers (combined OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.67–0.84, P value = 6.35 × 10− 7). In our analysis of smoking and bladder cancer, the tests for multiplicative interaction seemed to more commonly identify susceptibility loci with associations in never smokers, whereas the additive interaction analysis identified more loci with associations among smokers—including the known smoking and NAT2 acetylation interaction. Our findings provide additional evidence of gene–environment interactions for tobacco and bladder cancer. PMID:24662972

  12. Cyclotron production of 48V via natTi(d,x)48V nuclear reaction; a promising radionuclide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Usman, A. R.; Khandaker, M. U.; Haba, H.

    2017-06-01

    In this experimental work, we studied the excitation function of natTi(d,x)48V nuclear reactions from 24 MeV down to threshold energy. Natural titanium foils were arranged in the popular stacked-foil method and activated with deuteron beam generated from an AVF cyclotron at RIKEN, Wako, Japan. The emitted γ activities from the activated foils were measured using an offline γ-ray spectrometry. The present results were analyzed, compared with earlier published experimental data and also with the evaluated data of Talys code. Our new measured data agree with some of the earlier reported experimental data while a partial agreement is found with the evaluated theoretical data. In addition to the use of 48V as a beam intensity monitor, recent studies indicate its potentials as calibrating source in PET cameras and also as a (radioactive) label for medical applications. The results are also expected to further enrich the experimental database and also to play an important role in nuclear reactions model codes design.

  13. Inhibition of angiotensin I converting enzyme by subtilisin NAT (nattokinase) in natto, a Japanese traditional fermented food.

    PubMed

    Murakami, Keiko; Yamanaka, Naoki; Ohnishi, Katsunori; Fukayama, Minoru; Yoshino, Masataka

    2012-06-01

    Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) was inhibited by the culture medium of Bacillus subtilis subsp. natto, which ferments boiled soy beans to natto, a Japanese traditional food. Subtilisin NAT (nattokinase) produced by B. subtilis also inhibited ACE, and the inhibition was markedly stimulated by heat treatment of subtilisin at 120 °C for 15 min. Inhibition of ACE by subtilisin was of a mixed type: the decrease in V(max) and the increase in K(m) value. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that heat treatment of subtilisin caused inactivation with fragmentation of the enzyme protein into small peptides. The inhibitory action of subtilisin was not due to an enzymatic action of protease, but may be ascribed to the potent ACE-inhibitory peptides such as LY and FY, amino acid sequences in subtilisin. HPLC-MS analysis of heat-inactivated subtilisin confirmed that LY and FY were liberated by fragmentation of the enzyme. Inhibition of ACE by subtilisin and its degradation peptides such as LY and FY may participate in the suppression of blood pressure by ingestion of natto.

  14. rs1495741 as a tag single nucleotide polymorphism of N-acetyltransferase 2 acetylator phenotype associates bladder cancer risk and interacts with smoking: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Ma, Chong; Gu, Liyan; Yang, Mingyuan; Zhang, Zhensheng; Zeng, Shuxiong; Song, Ruixiang; Xu, Chuanliang; Sun, Yinghao

    2016-08-01

    Rs1495741 has been identified to infer N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) acetylator phenotype, and to decrease the risk of bladder cancer. However, a number of studies conducted in various regions showed controversial results. To quantify the association between rs1495741 and the risk of bladder cancer and to estimate the interaction effect of this genetic variant with smoking, we performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis involving 14,815 cases and 58,282 controls from 29 studies. Our results indicates rs1495741 significantly associated with bladder cancer risk (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.82-0.89, test for heterogeneity P = 0.36, I = 7.0%). And we verified this association in populations from Europe, America, and Asia. Further, our stratified meta-analysis showed rs1495741's role is typically evident only in ever smokers, which suggests its interaction with smoking. This study may provide new insight into gene-environment study on bladder cancer.

  15. Scanning Gate Microscopy on a Quantum Hall Interferometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martins, Frederico; Hackens, Benoit; Dutu, Augustin; Bayot, Vincent; Sellier, Hermann; Huant, Serge; Desplanque, Ludovic; Wallart, Xavier; Pala, Marco

    2010-03-01

    We perform scanning gate microscopy (SGM) experiments [1] at very low temperature (down to 100 mK) in the Quantum Hall regime on a mesoscopic quantum ring (QR) patterned in an InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructure. Close to integer filling factors ν=6, 8 and 10,the magnetoresistance of the QR is decorated with fast periodic oscillations, with a magnetic field period close to AB/ν, where AB is the Aharonov-Bohm period. We analyze the data in terms of electron tunneling between edge states trapped inside the QR and those transmitted through the QR openings [2]. SGM images reveal that the tip-induced perturbation of the electron confining potential gives rise to a rich pattern of narrow and wide concentric conductance fringes in the vicinity of the QR. [1] F. Martins et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 136807 (2007); B. Hackens et al. Nat. Phys. 2 826 (2006). [2] B. Rosenow and B. I. Halperin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 106801 (2007).

  16. Erratum: Binary neutron stars with arbitrary spins in numerical relativity [Phys. Rev. D 92, 124012 (2015)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tacik, Nick; Foucart, Francois; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Haas, Roland; Ossokine, Serguei; Kaplan, Jeff; Muhlberger, Curran; Duez, Matt D.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilágyi, Béla

    2016-08-01

    The code used in [Phys. Rev. D 92, 124012 (2015)] erroneously computed the enthalpy at the center of the neutron stars. Upon correcting this error, density oscillations in evolutions of rotating neutron stars are significantly reduced (from ˜20 % to ˜0.5 % ). Furthermore, it is possible to construct neutron stars with faster rotation rates.

  17. Remote reprogramming of hepatic circadian transcriptome by breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Hojo, Hiroaki; Enya, Sora; Arai, Miki; Suzuki, Yutaka; Nojiri, Takashi; Kangawa, Kenji; Koyama, Shinsuke; Kawaoka, Shinpei

    2017-05-23

    Cancers adversely affect organismal physiology. To date, the genes within a patient responsible for systemically spreading cancer-induced physiological disruption remain elusive. To identify host genes responsible for transmitting disruptive, cancer-driven signals, we thoroughly analyzed the transcriptome of a suite of host organs from mice bearing 4T1 breast cancer, and discovered complexly rewired patterns of circadian gene expression in the liver. Our data revealed that 7 core clock transcription factors, represented by Rev-erba and Rorg, exhibited abnormal daily expression rhythm in the liver of 4T1-bearing mice. Accordingly, expression patterns of specific set of downstream circadian genes were compromised. Osgin1, a marker for oxidative stress, was an example. Specific downstream genes, including E2f8, a transcriptional repressor that controls cellular polyploidy, displayed a striking pattern of disruption, "day-night reversal." Meanwhile, we found that the liver of 4T1-bearing mice suffered from increased oxidative stress. The tetraploid hepatocytes population was concomitantly increased in 4T1-bearing mice, which has not been previously appreciated as a cancer-induced phenotype. In summary, the current study provides a comprehensive characterization of the 4T1-affected hepatic circadian transcriptome that possibly underlies cancer-induced physiological alteration in the liver.

  18. 76 FR 13449 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Revenue Procedure 2009-41 (Rev. Proc. 2002-59 Is...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-11

    ... Classification Elections. DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 10, 2011 to be assured of... Classification Elections. OMB Number: 1545-1771. Revenue Procedure Number: Revenue Procedure 2009-41. (Rev. Proc... Internal Revenue Code for an eligible entity that requests relief for a late classification election filed...

  19. The circadian gene Rev-erbα improves cellular bioenergetics and provides preconditioning for protection against oxidative stress.

    PubMed

    Sengupta, Shaon; Yang, Guang; O'Donnell, John C; Hinson, Maurice D; McCormack, Shana E; Falk, Marni J; La, Ping; Robinson, Michael B; Williams, Monica L; Yohannes, Mekdes T; Polyak, Erzsebet; Nakamaru-Ogiso, Eiko; Dennery, Phyllis A

    2016-04-01

    Diurnal oscillations in the expression of antioxidant genes imply that protection against oxidative stress is circadian-gated. We hypothesized that stabilization of the core circadian gene Rev-erbα (Nr1d1) improves cellular bioenergetics and protects against nutrient deprivation and oxidative stress. Compared to WT, mouse lung fibroblasts (MLG) stably transfected with a degradation resistant Rev-erbα (Ser(55/59) to Asp; hence referred to as SD) had 40% higher protein content, 1.5-fold higher mitochondrial area (confocal microscopy), doubled oxidative phosphorylation by high-resolution respirometry (Oroboros) and were resistant to glucose deprivation for 24h. This resulted from a 4-fold reduction in mitophagy (L3CB co-localized with MitoTracker Red) versus WT. Although PGC1α protein expression was comparable between SD and WT MLG cells, the role of mitochondrial biogenesis in explaining increased mitochondrial mass in SD cells was less clear. Embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) from C57Bl/6-SD transgenic mice, had a 9-fold induction of FoxO1 mRNA and increased mRNA of downstream antioxidant targets heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Mn superoxide dismutase and catalase (1.5, 2 fold and 2 fold respectively) versus WT. This allowed the SD cells to survive 1h incubation with 500 µM H2O2 as well as 24h of exposure to 95% O2 and remain attached whereas most WT cells did not. These observations establish a mechanistic link between the metabolic functions of Rev-erbα with mitochondrial homeostasis and protection against oxidative stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Families of quantum fingerprinting protocols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lovitz, Benjamin; Lütkenhaus, Norbert

    2018-03-01

    We introduce several families of quantum fingerprinting protocols to evaluate the equality function on two n -bit strings in the simultaneous message passing model. The original quantum fingerprinting protocol uses a tensor product of a small number of O (logn ) -qubit high-dimensional signals [H. Buhrman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 167902 (2001), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.167902], whereas a recently proposed optical protocol uses a tensor product of O (n ) single-qubit signals, while maintaining the O (logn ) information leakage of the original protocol [J. M. Arazola and N. Lütkenhaus, Phys. Rev. A 89, 062305 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevA.89.062305]. We find a family of protocols which interpolate between the original and optical protocols while maintaining the O (logn ) information leakage, thus demonstrating a tradeoff between the number of signals sent and the dimension of each signal. There has been interest in experimental realization of the recently proposed optical protocol using coherent states [F. Xu et al., Nat. Commun. 6, 8735 (2015), 10.1038/ncomms9735; J.-Y. Guan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 240502 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.240502], but as the required number of laser pulses grows linearly with the input size n , eventual challenges for the long-time stability of experimental setups arise. We find a coherent state protocol which reduces the number of signals by a factor 1/2 while also reducing the information leakage. Our reduction makes use of a simple modulation scheme in optical phase space, and we find that more complex modulation schemes are not advantageous. Using a similar technique, we improve a recently proposed coherent state protocol for evaluating the Euclidean distance between two real unit vectors [N. Kumar et al., Phys. Rev. A 95, 032337 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevA.95.032337] by reducing the number of signals by a factor 1/2 and also reducing the information leakage.

  1. Assessment of the Activation State of RAS and Map Kinase in Human Breast Cancer Specimens (96Breast)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-09-01

    Cancer 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18 . SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF...THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified Unlimited NSN 7640-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39- 18 ...transformation and regulate cell morphology, adhesion and motility through cytoskeletal dynamics and play an important role in carcinogenesis ( 18 ). Rho

  2. 78 FR 63964 - Request for Comments on Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7628 Rev. 1, Guidelines for Smart...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-25

    ... Grid Cyber Security AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of... and Technology (NIST) seeks comments on draft NISTIR 7628 Rev. 1, Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber... (formerly the Cyber Security Working Group) of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel. The document has been...

  3. Posterior vitreous detachment induced by nattokinase (subtilisin NAT): a novel enzyme for pharmacologic vitreolysis.

    PubMed

    Takano, Akiomi; Hirata, Akira; Ogasawara, Kazuya; Sagara, Nina; Inomata, Yasuya; Kawaji, Takahiro; Tanihara, Hidenobu

    2006-05-01

    To investigate the effects of intravitreal injection of nattokinase (subtilisin NAT), a serine protease that is produced by Bacillus subtilis (natto), for induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Different doses of nattokinase (1, 0.1, or 0.01 fibrin-degradation units [FU]) or physiologic saline as a control were injected into the vitreous cavity of rabbit eyes. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the retinal surfaces of four rabbit eyes per concentration. Histologic alterations were assessed by light microscopy, using four eyes from each group. Electroretinography (ERG) was performed to observe retinal function, ranging from 1 hour to 1 week after the nattokinase (1 or 0.1 FU) or saline solution administration, using four eyes from each group at each time point. Also, findings in all rabbits were monitored by slit lamp examination and by indirect ophthalmoscopy with a 20-D lens. Scanning electron microscopy showed smooth retinal surfaces, indicating the occurrence of PVD at 30 minutes after intervention in all the experimental eyes injected with 0.1 or 1.0 FU nattokinase, but none of the control eyes. Light microscopy and ERG analysis showed no critical change even after the use of 0.1 FU nattokinase, an amount sufficient to induce PVD. However, toxicity in the forms of preretinal hemorrhage and ERG changes was noted with the higher dose (1 FU) of nattokinase. The results suggested that nattokinase is a useful enzyme for pharmacologic vitreolysis because of its efficacy in inducing PVD.

  4. CYP1A2 and NAT2 phenotyping and 3-aminobiphenyl and 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin adduct levels in smokers and non-smokers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sarkar, Mohamadi; Department of Pharmaceutics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298; Stabbert, Regina

    Some aromatic amines are considered to be putative bladder carcinogens. Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts of 3-aminobiphenyl (3-ABP) and 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) have been used as biomarkers of exposure to aromatic amines from cigarette smoke. One of the goals of this study was to determine intra- and inter-individual variability in 3-ABP and 4-ABP Hb adducts and to explore the predictability of ABP Hb adduct levels based on caffeine phenotyping. The study was conducted in adult smokers (S, n = 65) and non-smokers (NS, n 65). The subjects were phenotyped for CYP1A2 and NAT2 using urinary caffeine metabolites. Blood samples were collected twice withinmore » 6 weeks and adducts measured by GC/MS. The levels of 4-ABP Hb adducts were significantly (p < 0.0001) greater in S (34.5 {+-} 21.06 pg/g Hb) compared to NS (6.3 {+-} 3.02 pg/g Hb). The levels of 3-ABP Hb adducts were below the limit of quantification (BLOQ) in most (82%) of the NS and about 10-fold lower in S (3.6 {+-} 3.29 pg/g Hb) compared to 4-ABP Hb adducts. No differences were observed in the adduct levels between weeks 1 and 6 in the smokers, suggesting that a single sample would be adequate to monitor cigarette smoke exposure. The regression model developed with CYP1A2, NAT2 phenotype and number of cigarettes smoked (NCIG) accounted for 47% of the variability in 3-ABP adducts, whereas 32% variability in 4-ABP adducts was accounted by CYP1A2 and NCIG. The ratio of 4-ABP Hb adducts in adult S:NS was {approx} 5:1, whereas 3-ABP Hb adducts levels were BLOQ in some S, exhibited large interindividual variability ({approx} 91% compared to 57% for 4-ABP Hb) and poor dose response relationship. Therefore, 4-ABP Hb adduct levels may be a more useful biomarker of aminobiphenyl exposure from cigarette smoke.« less

  5. Genetic Modification in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells by Homologous Recombination and CRISPR/Cas9 System.

    PubMed

    Xue, Haipeng; Wu, Jianbo; Li, Shenglan; Rao, Mahendra S; Liu, Ying

    2016-01-01

    Genetic modification is an indispensable tool to study gene function in normal development and disease. The recent breakthrough of creating human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by defined factors (Takahashi et al., Cell 131:861-872, 2007) provides a renewable source of patient autologous cells that not only retain identical genetic information but also give rise to many cell types of the body including neurons and glia. Meanwhile, the rapid advancement of genome modification tools such as gene targeting by homologous recombination (Capecchi, Nat Rev Genet 6:507-512, 2005) and genome editing tools such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated) system, TALENs (Transcription activator-like effector nucleases), and ZFNs (Zinc finger nucleases) (Wang et al., Cell 153:910-918, 2013; Mali et al., Science 339:823-826, 2013; Hwang et al., Nat Biotechnol 31:227-229, 2013; Friedland et al., Nat Methods 10(8):741-743, 2013; DiCarlo et al., Nucleic Acids Res 41:4336-4343, 2013; Cong et al., Science 339:819-823, 2013) has greatly accelerated the development of human genome manipulation at the molecular level. This chapter describes the protocols for making neural lineage reporter lines using homologous recombination and the CRISPR/Cas system-mediated genome editing, including construction of targeting vectors, guide RNAs, transfection into hPSCs, and selection and verification of successfully targeted clones. This method can be applied to various needs of hPSC genetic engineering at high efficiency and high reliability.

  6. NES consensus redefined by structures of PKI-type and Rev-type nuclear export signals bound to CRM1.

    PubMed

    Güttler, Thomas; Madl, Tobias; Neumann, Piotr; Deichsel, Danilo; Corsini, Lorenzo; Monecke, Thomas; Ficner, Ralf; Sattler, Michael; Görlich, Dirk

    2010-11-01

    Classic nuclear export signals (NESs) confer CRM1-dependent nuclear export. Here we present crystal structures of the RanGTP-CRM1 complex alone and bound to the prototypic PKI or HIV-1 Rev NESs. These NESs differ markedly in the spacing of their key hydrophobic (Φ) residues, yet CRM1 recognizes them with the same rigid set of five Φ pockets. The different Φ spacings are compensated for by different conformations of the bound NESs: in the case of PKI, an α-helical conformation, and in the case of Rev, an extended conformation with a critical proline docking into a Φ pocket. NMR analyses of CRM1-bound and CRM1-free PKI NES suggest that CRM1 selects NES conformers that pre-exist in solution. Our data lead to a new structure-based NES consensus, and explain why NESs differ in their affinities for CRM1 and why supraphysiological NESs bind the exportin so tightly.

  7. 0.27 GW Soft X-Ray Pulse Using a Plasma-Based Amplification Chain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliva, E.; Fajardo, M.; Velarde, P.; Ros, D.; Sebban, S.; Zeitoun, P.

    Seeding plasma-based soft-x-ray lasers (PBSXRL) with high order harmonics (HOH) has been demonstrated in plasmas created from gas targets (Zeitoun et al. in Nature 431:426, 2004 and solid targets (Wang et al. in Nat. Photonics 2:94, 2008), obtaining 1 μJ, 1 ps pulses. Reaching multi-microJoule, hundreds of fs regime is the ultimate goal. Recent papers (Oliva et al. in Opt. Lett. 34(17):2640-2642, 2009; Phys. Rev. E 82(5):056408, 2010) showed that increasing the width (up to 1 mm) of the plasma increases the amplification surface and improves the gain zone properties. Up to 20 μJ could be extracted when seeding but the temporal duration and profile was not studied. Simulations show that the HOH is weakly amplified whereas most of the energy is within a long (several picoseconds) wake induced by the HOH (Al'miev et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(12):123902, 2007; Kim et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 104:053901, 2010). Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) is also present in the output beam. Using the 1D Maxwell-Bloch code DeepOne (Oliva et al. in Phys. Rev. A 84(1):013811, 2011) we will show that fully coherent, wake and ASE-suppressed, 21.6 μJ, 80 fs pulse can be obtained when optimizing at the same time both the seed and the plasma conditions.

  8. Lack of association between arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus.

    PubMed

    Zschieschang, Petra; Hiepe, Falk; Gromnica-Ihle, Erika; Roots, Ivar; Cascorbi, Ingolf

    2002-10-01

    The slow arylamine -acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) phenotype frequently has been assumed to be associated with an elevated risk to develop a lupus-like syndrome after administration of drugs such as procainamide or hydralazine. Moreover, there are conflicting data on the role of acetylator phenotype as a susceptibility factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because most investigations have previously been conducted with relatively small sample sizes, the present study was performed to clarify the possible association between genotypes and SLE among a large European cohort. In a case-control study, 209 patients with SLE (194 women, 15 men) were enrolled and matched by gender to 209 controls without clinical signs of inflammatory diseases. All SLE patients fulfilled at least four of the revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria of SLE. was genotyped for seven known mutations by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequency of slow acetylation genotypes in SLE patients (59.8%) did not differ significantly from controls (56.5%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-1.53). Further differentiation to gender, cigarette consumption, allergic disorders and specific SLE manifestations revealed an equal distribution of genotypes in all subgroups. We conclude that this large genotyping study in a Caucasian population demonstrated a lack of evidence for an association of the slow acetylator genotype with SLE.

  9. Relationship between Telomere Length, Genetic Traits and Environmental/Occupational Exposures in Bladder Cancer Risk by Structural Equation Modelling.

    PubMed

    Pavanello, Sofia; Carta, Angela; Mastrangelo, Giuseppe; Campisi, Manuela; Arici, Cecilia; Porru, Stefano

    2017-12-21

    Background : Telomere length (TL) maintenance plays an important role in bladder cancer (BC) and prognosis. However the manifold influence of everyday life exposures and genetic traits on leucocyte TL (LTL), is not fully elucidated. Methods : Within the framework of a hospital-based case ( n = 96)/control ( n = 94) study (all Caucasian males), we investigated the extent to which LTL and BC risk were modulated by genetic polymorphisms and environmental and occupational exposures. Data on lifetime smoking, alcohol and coffee drinking, dietary habits and occupational exposures, pointing to aromatic amines (AAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis appraised this complex relationships. Results : The SEM analysis indicates negative direct links ( p < 0.05) between LTL with age, DNA adducts, alcohol and NAT2, and positive ones with coffee, MPO and XRCC3; and between BC risk ( p < 0.01) with cigarettes, cumulative exposure to AAs and coffee, while are negative with LTL and age. There was evidence of indirect effects ( p < 0.05) on BC risk, probably via LTL reduction, by age and NAT2 (positive link), MPO and XRCC3 (negative link). Our study supports evidence that LTL attrition is a critical event in BC. The new finding that LTL erosion depends on some preventable everyday life exposures genetically modulated, opens new perspectives in BC prevention.

  10. Relationship between Telomere Length, Genetic Traits and Environmental/Occupational Exposures in Bladder Cancer Risk by Structural Equation Modelling

    PubMed Central

    Pavanello, Sofia; Carta, Angela; Mastrangelo, Giuseppe; Campisi, Manuela; Porru, Stefano

    2017-01-01

    Background: Telomere length (TL) maintenance plays an important role in bladder cancer (BC) and prognosis. However the manifold influence of everyday life exposures and genetic traits on leucocyte TL (LTL), is not fully elucidated. Methods: Within the framework of a hospital-based case (n = 96)/control (n = 94) study (all Caucasian males), we investigated the extent to which LTL and BC risk were modulated by genetic polymorphisms and environmental and occupational exposures. Data on lifetime smoking, alcohol and coffee drinking, dietary habits and occupational exposures, pointing to aromatic amines (AAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis appraised this complex relationships. Results: The SEM analysis indicates negative direct links (p < 0.05) between LTL with age, DNA adducts, alcohol and NAT2, and positive ones with coffee, MPO and XRCC3; and between BC risk (p < 0.01) with cigarettes, cumulative exposure to AAs and coffee, while are negative with LTL and age. There was evidence of indirect effects (p < 0.05) on BC risk, probably via LTL reduction, by age and NAT2 (positive link), MPO and XRCC3 (negative link). Conclusions: Our study supports evidence that LTL attrition is a critical event in BC. The new finding that LTL erosion depends on some preventable everyday life exposures genetically modulated, opens new perspectives in BC prevention. PMID:29267235

  11. Haloarcula marismortui (Volcani) sp. nov., nom. rev., an extremely halophilic bacterium from the Dead Sea

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oren, A.; Ginzburg, M.; Ginzburg, B. Z.; Hochstein, L. I.; Volcani, B. E.

    1990-01-01

    An extremely halophilic red archaebacterium isolated from the Dead Sea (Ginzburg et al., J. Gen. Physiol. 55: 187-207, 1970) belongs to the genus Haloarcula and differs sufficiently from the previously described species of the genus to be designated a new species; we propose the name Haloarcula marismortui (Volcani) sp. nov., nom. rev. because of the close resemblance of this organism to "Halobacterium marismortui," which was first described by Volcani in 1940. The type strain is strain ATCC 43049.

  12. Micro-Raman spectroscopy a powerful technique to identify crocidolite and erionite fibers in tissue sections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rinaudo, C.; Croce, A.; Allegrina, M.; Baris, I. Y.; Dogan, A.; Powers, A.; Rivera, Z.; Bertino, P.; Yang, H.; Gaudino, G.; Carbone, M.

    2013-05-01

    Exposure to mineral fibers such asbestos and erionite is widely associated with the development of lung cancer and pleural malignant mesothelioma (MM). Pedigree and mineralogical studies indicated that genetics may influence mineral fiber carcinogenesis. Although dimensions strongly impact on the fiber carcinogenic potential, also the chemical composition and the fiber is relevant. By using micro-Raman spectroscopy we show here persistence and identification of different mineral phases, directly on histopathological specimens of mice and humans. Fibers of crocidolite asbestos and erionite of different geographic areas (Oregon, US and Cappadocia, Turkey) were injected in mice intra peritoneum. MM developed in 10/15 asbestos-treated mice after 5 months, and in 8-10/15 erionite-treated mice after 14 months. The persistence of the injected fibers was investigated in pancreas, liver, spleen and in the peritoneal tissue. The chemical identification of the different phases occurred in the peritoneal cavity or at the organ borders, while only rarely fibers were localized in the parenchyma. Raman patterns allow easily to recognize crocidolite and erionite fibers. Microscopic analysis revealed that crocidolite fibers were frequently coated by ferruginous material ("asbestos bodies"), whereas erionite fibers were always free from coatings. We also analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy lung tissues, both from MM patients of the Cappadocia, where a MM epidemic developed because of environmental exposure to erionite, and from Italian MM patients with occupational exposure to asbestos. Our findings demonstrate that micro-Raman spectroscopy is technique able to identify mineral phases directly on histopathology specimens, as routine tissue sections prepared for diagnostic purpose. REFERENCES A.U. Dogan, M. Dogan. Environ. Geochem. Health 2008, 30(4), 355. M. Carbone, S. Emri, A.U. Dogan, I. Steele, M. Tuncer, HI. Pass, et al. Nat. Rev. Cancer. 2007, 7 (2),147. M. Carbone, Y

  13. Probing midrapidity source characteristics with charged particles and neutrons in the 35Cl+natTa reaction at 43 MeV/nucleon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larochelle, Y.; St-Pierre, C.; Beaulieu, L.; Colonna, N.; Gingras, L.; Ball, G. C.; Bowman, D. R.; Colonna, M.; D'erasmo, G.; Fiore, E.; Fox, D.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Hagberg, E.; Horn, D.; Laforest, R.; Pantaleo, A.; Roy, R.; Tagliente, G.

    1999-02-01

    The characteristics of the midrapidity and target sources (apparent temperatures, velocities, and neutron multiplicities) extracted from the neutron energy spectra, have been measured for various quasiprojectile (QP) excitation energies, reconstructed from charged particles of well defined peripheral events in the 35Cl+natTa reaction at 43 MeV/nucleon. The reconstructed excitation energy of the QP is always smaller than the excitation energy calculated from its velocity, assuming pure dissipative binary collision. The latter observation combined with the neutron multiplicity at midrapidity and the apparent temperature suggests important preequilibrium and/or dynamical effects in the entrance channel. The midrapidity source moves at a velocity lower than the nucleon-nucleon center of mass velocity showing the importance of the attractive mean-field potential from the target even at 43 MeV/nucleon. The above picture is confirmed by comparison to Boltzman-Nordheim-Vlasov (BNV) simulations.

  14. Total Reaction Cross Section Excitation Function Studies for 6He Interaction with 181Ta, 59Co, natSi, 9Be Nuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sobolev, Yu. G.; Penionzhkevich, Yu. E.; Borcea, C.; Demekhina, N. A.; Eshanov, A. G.; Ivanov, M. P.; Kabdrakhimova, G. D.; Kabyshev, A. M.; Kugler, A.; Kuterbekov, K. A.; Lukyanov, K. V.; Maj, A.; Maslov, V. A.; Negret, A.; Skobelev, N. K.; Testov, D.; Trzaska, W. H.; Voskobojnik, E. I.; Zemlyanaya, E. V.

    2015-06-01

    Total reaction cross section excitation functions σR(E) were measured for 6He secondary beam particles on 181Ta, 59Co, natSi and 9Be targets in a wide energy range by direct and model-independent method. This experimental method was based on prompt n-γ 4π-technique applied in event-by event mode. A high efficiency CsI(Tl) γ-spectrometer was used for the detection of reaction products (prompt γ-quanta and neutrons) accompanying each reaction event. Using the ACCULINNA fragment-separator 6He fragments (produced by 11B primary beam with 9Be target) are separated and transported to n-γ shielded experimental cave at FLNR JINR. The measured total reaction cross section data σR(E) for the above mentioned reactions are compared with a theoretical calculation based on the optical potential with the real part having the double-folding form.

  15. Identification and Characterization of Genomic Amplifications in Ovarian Serous Carcinoma

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    Powell B, Mills GB, Gray JW. PIK3CA is implicated as an oncogene in ovarian cancer. Nat Genet 1999; 21:99-102. 26. Ma YY, Wei SJ, Lin YC, Lung JC, Chang TC...Woffendin H, Garnett MJ, Bottomley W, Davis N, Dicks E, Ewing R, Floyd Y, Gray K, Hall S, Hawes R, Hughes J, Kosmidou V, Menzies A, Mould C, Parker A...McCormick F, Gray JW. Chromosome aberrations in solid tumors. Nat Genet 2003;34:369–76. 3. Wang TL, Diaz LA, Jr, Romans K, Bardelli A, Saha S, Galizia

  16. Binding mode prediction and MD/MMPBSA-based free energy ranking for agonists of REV-ERBα/NCoR.

    PubMed

    Westermaier, Yvonne; Ruiz-Carmona, Sergio; Theret, Isabelle; Perron-Sierra, Françoise; Poissonnet, Guillaume; Dacquet, Catherine; Boutin, Jean A; Ducrot, Pierre; Barril, Xavier

    2017-08-01

    The knowledge of the free energy of binding of small molecules to a macromolecular target is crucial in drug design as is the ability to predict the functional consequences of binding. We highlight how a molecular dynamics (MD)-based approach can be used to predict the free energy of small molecules, and to provide priorities for the synthesis and the validation via in vitro tests. Here, we study the dynamics and energetics of the nuclear receptor REV-ERBα with its co-repressor NCoR and 35 novel agonists. Our in silico approach combines molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD), solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) and molecular mechanics poisson boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) calculations. While docking yielded initial hints on the binding modes, their stability was assessed by MD. The SASA calculations revealed that the presence of the ligand led to a higher exposure of hydrophobic REV-ERB residues for NCoR recruitment. MMPBSA was very successful in ranking ligands by potency in a retrospective and prospective manner. Particularly, the prospective MMPBSA ranking-based validations for four compounds, three predicted to be active and one weakly active, were confirmed experimentally.

  17. Coke oven workers study: the effect of exposure and GSTM1 and NAT2 genotypes on DNA adduct levels in white blood cells and lymphocytes as determined by 32P-postlabelling.

    PubMed

    Binková, B; Topinka, J; Mracková, G; Gajdosová, D; Vidová, P; Stávková, Z; Peterka, V; Pilcík, T; Rimár, V; Dobiás, L; Farmer, P B; Srám, R J

    1998-08-07

    The DNA adduct levels in total white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocytes (LYM) isolated from the blood of the same individuals were evaluated using the 32P-postlabelling assay for bulky aromatic adducts. In this study, 68 male coke oven workers and 56 machines workers as a matched control were enrolled. Personal monitors were used to evaluate exposure to eight carcinogenic PAHs, including B[alpha]P, during an 8-h working shift. The exposure among coke even workers ranged widely from 0.6 to 547 micrograms/m3 and from 2 to 62,107 ng/m3, for carcinogenic PAHs and B[alpha]P, respectively. The respective values in controls were from 0.07-1.64 microgram/m3 and from 1-63 ng/m3. A significant correlation between WBC- and LYM-DNA adduct levels was found (r = 0.591, P < 0.001). DNA adduct levels in both WBC and LYM were significantly elevated in coke oven workers as compared with controls, but adduct levels were generally low (WBC: medians 2.61 vs. 1.83 LYM: 2.47 vs. 1.65 adducts/10(8) nucleotides). LYM-DNA adduct levels were significantly higher for smokers as compared with nonsmokers in both the exposed and control groups. No such differences in WBC-DNA adduct levels were observed. Positive significant correlations were found at the individual level between DNA adducts in both cell types and carcinogenic PAHs and/or B[alpha]P in the inhaled air (r = 0.38-0.45, P < 0.001). A significant correlation at the individual level between LYM-DNA adducts and urinary cotinine was also observed (r = 0.37, P < 0.001). No differences in DNA adduct levels could be attributed to GSTM1 or NAT2 genotype in either group. Nor was there any clear association of DNA adduct levels with combined GSTM1/NAT2 genotypes. The effect of personal exposure to carcinogenic PAHs on DNA adduct levels in both cell types was also investigated using a logistic regression model with adjustment for possible modulating effect of confounders (smoking, GSTM1, NAT2, age, plasma levels of vitamins A and E, body mass

  18. Regulation of ATM-Dependent DNA Damage Responses in Breast Cancer by the RhoGEF Net1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-01

    Science 279: 509-514. 5. Jaffe AB. et al., (2010) RhoGTPases: Biochemistry and Biology. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 21:247-269. 6. Rossman KL, et al...exchange factor Net1 is regulated by nuclear sequestration. J. Biol. Chem. 277:17, 14581-14588. 17. Harper JW, et al., (2007) The DNA Damage Response: Ten...Research (AACR) Annual Meeting and 2013 Annual Cancer Research Biochemistry Retreat Regulation of ATM-dependent DNA damage signaling in human breast

  19. Investigation of the chiral antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model using projected entangled pair states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poilblanc, Didier

    2017-09-01

    A simple spin-1/2 frustrated antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model (AFHM) on the square lattice—including chiral plaquette cyclic terms—was argued [A. E. B. Nielsen, G. Sierra, and J. I. Cirac, Nat. Commun. 4, 2864 (2013), 10.1038/ncomms3864] to host a bosonic Kalmeyer-Laughlin (KL) fractional quantum Hall ground state [V. Kalmeyer and R. B. Laughlin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 2095 (1987), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.2095]. Here, we construct generic families of chiral projected entangled pair states (chiral PEPS) with low bond dimension (D =3 ,4 ,5 ) which, upon optimization, provide better variational energies than the KL Ansatz. The optimal D =3 PEPS exhibits chiral edge modes described by the Wess-Zumino-Witten SU(2) 1 model, as expected for the KL spin liquid. However, we find evidence that, in contrast to the KL state, the PEPS spin liquids have power-law dimer-dimer correlations and exhibit a gossamer long-range tail in the spin-spin correlations. We conjecture that these features are genuine to local chiral AFHM on bipartite lattices.

  20. The Clinicopathological Significance of MicroRNA-155 in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Hui; Fang, Cheng; Nam, Seungyoon; Cai, Qing; Long, Xinghua

    2014-01-01

    Objective. Previous studies demonstrated that the associations between expression level of microRNA-155 (miR-155) and clinicopathological significance of breast cancer remained inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis based on eligible studies to summarize the possible associations. Methods. We identified eligible studies published up to May 2014 by a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, and VIP databases. The analysis was performed with RevMan. 5.0 software. Results. A total of 15 studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that miR-155 was positively correlated with breast cancer with standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.22. Elevated miR-155 was found in Her-2 positive or lymph node metastasis positive, or p53 mutant type breast cancer. But the result showed to be insignificant in TNM comparison. With respect to estrogen receptor alpha (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status, both of them showed significant associations with SMD = −1.2 and −1.85, respectively. Conclusion. MiR-155 detection might have a diagnostic value in breast cancer patients. It might be used as an auxiliary biomarker for different clinicopathological breast cancer. PMID:25157366

  1. Fifteen-Year Radiotherapy Outcomes of the Randomized PORTEC-1 Trial for Endometrial Carcinoma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Creutzberg, Carien L., E-mail: c.l.creutzberg@lumc.nl; Nout, Remi A.; Lybeert, Marnix L.M.

    2011-11-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the very long-term results of the randomized Post Operative Radiation Therapy in Endometrial Carcinoma (PORTEC)-1 trial for patients with Stage I endometrial carcinoma (EC), focusing on the role of prognostic factors for treatment selection and the long-term risk of second cancers. Patients and Methods: The PORTEC trial (1990-1997) included 714 patients with Stage IC Grade 1-2 or Stage IB Grade 2-3 EC. After surgery, patients were randomly allocated to external-beam pelvic radiotherapy (EBRT) or no additional treatment (NAT). Analysis was by intention to treat. Results: 426 patients were alive at the date of analysis. The median follow-upmore » time was 13.3 years. The 15-year actuarial locoregional recurrence (LRR) rates were 6% for EBRT vs. 15.5% for NAT (p < 0.0001). The 15-year overall survival was 52% vs. 60% (p = 0.14), and the failure-free survival was 50% vs. 54% (p = 0.94). For patients with high-intermediate risk criteria, the 15-year overall survival was 41% vs. 48% (p = 0.51), and the 15-year EC-related death was 14% vs. 13%. Most LRR in the NAT group were vaginal recurrences (11.0% of 15.5%). The 15-year rates of distant metastases were 9% vs. 7% (p = 0.25). Second primary cancers had been diagnosed over 15 years in 19% of all patients, 22% vs. 16% for EBRT vs. NAT (p = 0.10), with observed vs. expected ratios of 1.6 (EBRT) and 1.2 (NAT) compared with a matched population (p = NS). Multivariate analysis confirmed the prognostic significance of Grade 3 for LRR (hazard ratio [HR] 3.4, p = 0.0003) and for EC death (HR 7.3, p < 0.0001), of age >60 (HR 3.9, p = 0.002 for LRR and 2.7, p = 0.01 for EC death) and myometrial invasion >50% (HR 1.9, p = 0.03 and HR 1.9, p = 0.02). Conclusions: The 15-year outcomes of PORTEC-1 confirm the relevance of HIR criteria for treatment selection, and a trend for long-term risk of second cancers. EBRT should be avoided in patients with low- and intermediate-risk EC.« less

  2. Prognostic significance of metabolic enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 in breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yiming; Wu, Ke; Liu, Yulin; Shi, Liang; Tao, Kaixiong; Wang, Guobin

    2017-11-01

    Numerous studies have reported that aberrant pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) expressed in cancer, indicating that PKM2 plays a critical role in tumor initiation and progression. Nevertheless, its prognostic value in breast cancer tumor is yet contentious. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of PKM2 in breast cancer. Eligible relevant literatures were retrieved by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase through December 2016. Articles that comparing different PKM2 expression levels in human breast cancer tissues and prognostic significance were included. Software RevMan 5.3 and STATA (Review Manager (RevMan): [Computer program]. Version 5.3. Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014. StataCorp. 2011. Stata Statistical Software: Release 12. College Station, TX: StataCorp LP) were applied to analyze the outcomes. Pooled results were presented in hazardous ratios (HRs) of 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and odds ratios (ORs) of clinicopathological features with 95% confidence intervals. Data from 6 involved studies with 895 patients were summarized. Breast cancer patients with high PKM2 had a worse OS (pooled HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.31-2.08, P < .001) and PFS (pooled HR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.84-3.36, P < .00001). High PKM2 expression is related to lymph node metastasis (N1+N2+N3 vs N0, OR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.39-2.80, P = .0001). The outcome stability was verified via sensitivity analysis. But elevated PKM2 expression was not correlated to tumor stage (T2+T3 vs T1, pooled OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.36-1.77, P = .58) and differential grade (G2+G3 vs G1, OR = 2.74, 95%CI = 0.76-9.84, P = .12). No publication bias was found in the included studies for OS (Begg test, P = .260; Egger test, P = .747). High PKM2 expression denotes worse OS and PFS in breast cancer patients, and correlate with the lymph

  3. A Comprehensive Experiment for Molecular Biology: Determination of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Human REV3 Gene Using PCR-RFLP

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Xu; Shao, Meng; Gao, Lu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Zixuan; Zhou, Liping; Yan, Yongmin; Shao, Qixiang; Xu, Wenrong; Qian, Hui

    2017-01-01

    Laboratory exercise is helpful for medical students to understand the basic principles of molecular biology and to learn about the practical applications of molecular biology. We have designed a lab course on molecular biology about the determination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in human REV3 gene, the product of which is a subunit of…

  4. Numerical modelling of powder caking at REV scale by using DEM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guessasma, Mohamed; Silva Tavares, Homayra; Afrassiabian, Zahra; Saleh, Khashayar

    2017-06-01

    This work deals with numerical simulation of powder caking process caused by capillary condensation phenomenon. Caking consists in unwanted agglomeration of powder particles. This process is often irreversible and not easy to predict. To reproduce mechanism involved by caking phenomenon we have used the Discrete Elements Method (DEM). In the present work, we mainly focus on the role of capillary condensation and subsequent liquid bridge formation within a granular medium exposed to fluctuations of ambient relative humidity. Such bridges cause an attractive force between particles, leading to the formation of a cake with intrinsic physicochemical and mechanical properties. By considering a Representative Elementary Volume (REV), the DEM is then performed by means of a MULTICOR-3D software tacking into account the properties of the cake (degree of saturation) in order to establish relationships between the microscopic parameters and the macroscopic behaviour (tensile strength).

  5. Gonorrhea Test

    MedlinePlus

    ... for Targeted Cancer Therapy Glucose Tests Gonorrhea Testing Gram Stain Growth Hormone Haptoglobin hCG Pregnancy hCG Tumor Marker ... NAT Neisseria gonorrhoeae Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, Culture, Gram Stain, DNA Probe Formal Name Neisseria gonorrhoeae This article ...

  6. Revised PROPELLER for T2-weighted imaging of the prostate at 3 Tesla: impact on lesion detection and PI-RADS classification.

    PubMed

    Meier-Schroers, Michael; Marx, Christian; Schmeel, Frederic Carsten; Wolter, Karsten; Gieseke, Jürgen; Block, Wolfgang; Sprinkart, Alois Martin; Traeber, Frank; Willinek, Winfried; Schild, Hans Heinz; Kukuk, Guido Matthias

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate revised PROPELLER (RevPROP) for T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) of the prostate as a substitute for turbo spin echo (TSE). Three-Tesla MR images of 50 patients with 55 cancer-suspicious lesions were prospectively evaluated. Findings were correlated with histopathology after MRI-guided biopsy. T2 RevPROP, T2 TSE, diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhancement, and MR-spectroscopy were acquired. RevPROP was compared to TSE concerning PI-RADS scores, lesion size, lesion signal-intensity, lesion contrast, artefacts, and image quality. There were 41 carcinomas in 55 cancer-suspicious lesions. RevPROP detected 41 of 41 carcinomas (100%) and 54 of 55 lesions (98.2%). TSE detected 39 of 41 carcinomas (95.1%) and 51 of 55 lesions (92.7%). RevPROP showed fewer artefacts and higher image quality (each p < 0.001). No differences were observed between single and overall PI-RADS scores based on RevPROP or TSE (p = 0.106 and p = 0.107). Lesion size was not different (p = 0.105). T2-signal intensity of lesions was higher and T2-contrast of lesions was lower on RevPROP (each p < 0.001). For prostate cancer detection RevPROP is superior to TSE with respect to motion robustness, image quality and detection rates of lesions. Therefore, RevPROP might be used as a substitute for T2WI. • Revised PROPELLER can be used as a substitute for T2-weighted prostate imaging. • Revised PROPELLER detected more carcinomas and more suspicious lesions than TSE. • Revised PROPELLER showed fewer artefacts and better image quality compared to TSE. • There were no significant differences in PI-RADS scores between revised PROPELLER and TSE. • The lower T2-contrast of revised PROPELLER did not impair its diagnostic quality.

  7. Polymorphisms in heterocyclic aromatic amines metabolism-related genes are associated with colorectal adenoma risk

    PubMed Central

    Eichholzer, Monika; Rohrmann, Sabine; Barbir, Aline; Hermann, Silke; Teucher, Birgit; Kaaks, Rudolf; Linseisen, Jakob

    2012-01-01

    Colorectal adenoma (CRA) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risks have been linked to the intake of red and processed meat. Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) formed herein during high temperature cooking, are metabolized by a variety of enzymes, and allelic variation in the coding genes could influence individual CRA risk. Associations of polymorphisms in NAT1, NAT2, GSTA1, SULT1A1, CYP1A2, UGT1A7, UGT1A9, GSTP1 genes with colorectal adenoma risk were investigated in a nested case-control study of the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort including 428 cases matched by age, sex and year of recruitment with one or two controls (n=828) with negative colonoscopy per case. Genoyping was preformed with the Sequenom MassArray system and the LightCycler 480. Conditional logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). For rs15561 (NAT1) and rs1057126 (NAT1), the rarer allel was significantly inversely associated with adenoma risk OR=0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.97) and (OR=0.81 (95% CI 0.65-0.99) and, respectively). For the combined NAT2 alleles encoding for enzymes with medium (versus slow) activity we also observed a significantly inverse association with adenoma risk (OR=0.75; 95% CI 0.85-0.97). In addition, homozygous carriers of the A allele of rs3957357 (GSTA1), i.e., those with a decreased enzyme activity, had a decreased risk of colorectal adenoma with an OR of 0.68 (95% CI 0.50-0.92; AA versus GG/GA). Polymorphisms in the other tested genes did not modify the risk of colorectal adenomas. In conclusion, polymorphisms in NAT1, NAT2, and GSTA1 are related to colorectal adenoma risk in this German cohort. PMID:22724046

  8. Polymorphisms in heterocyclic aromatic amines metabolism-related genes are associated with colorectal adenoma risk.

    PubMed

    Eichholzer, Monika; Rohrmann, Sabine; Barbir, Aline; Hermann, Silke; Teucher, Birgit; Kaaks, Rudolf; Linseisen, Jakob

    2012-01-01

    Colorectal adenoma (CRA) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risks have been linked to the intake of red and processed meat. Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) formed herein during high temperature cooking, are metabolized by a variety of enzymes, and allelic variation in the coding genes could influence individual CRA risk. Associations of polymorphisms in NAT1, NAT2, GSTA1, SULT1A1, CYP1A2, UGT1A7, UGT1A9, GSTP1 genes with colorectal adenoma risk were investigated in a nested case-control study of the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort including 428 cases matched by age, sex and year of recruitment with one or two controls (n=828) with negative colonoscopy per case. Genoyping was preformed with the Sequenom MassArray system and the LightCycler 480. Conditional logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). For rs15561 (NAT1) and rs1057126 (NAT1), the rarer allel was significantly inversely associated with adenoma risk OR=0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.97) and (OR=0.81 (95% CI 0.65-0.99) and, respectively). For the combined NAT2 alleles encoding for enzymes with medium (versus slow) activity we also observed a significantly inverse association with adenoma risk (OR=0.75; 95% CI 0.85-0.97). In addition, homozygous carriers of the A allele of rs3957357 (GSTA1), i.e., those with a decreased enzyme activity, had a decreased risk of colorectal adenoma with an OR of 0.68 (95% CI 0.50-0.92; AA versus GG/GA). Polymorphisms in the other tested genes did not modify the risk of colorectal adenomas. In conclusion, polymorphisms in NAT1, NAT2, and GSTA1 are related to colorectal adenoma risk in this German cohort.

  9. Probability density functions characterizing PSC particle size distribution parameters for NAT and STS derived from in situ measurements between 1989 and 2010 above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and between 1991-2004 above Kiruna, Sweden

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deshler, Terry

    2016-04-01

    Balloon-borne optical particle counters were used to make in situ size resolved particle concentration measurements within polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) over 20 years in the Antarctic and over 10 years in the Arctic. The measurements were made primarily during the late winter in the Antarctic and in the early and mid-winter in the Arctic. Measurements in early and mid-winter were also made during 5 years in the Antarctic. For the analysis bimodal lognormal size distributions are fit to 250 meter averages of the particle concentration data. The characteristics of these fits, along with temperature, water and nitric acid vapor mixing ratios, are used to classify the PSC observations as either NAT, STS, ice, or some mixture of these. The vapor mixing ratios are obtained from satellite when possible, otherwise assumptions are made. This classification of the data is used to construct probability density functions for NAT, STS, and ice number concentration, median radius and distribution width for mid and late winter clouds in the Antarctic and for early and mid-winter clouds in the Arctic. Additional analysis is focused on characterizing the temperature histories associated with the particle classes and the different time periods. The results from theses analyses will be presented, and should be useful to set bounds for retrievals of PSC properties from remote measurements, and to constrain model representations of PSCs.

  10. Conduct disorder in adolescent females: current state of research and study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium.

    PubMed

    Freitag, Christine M; Konrad, Kerstin; Stadler, Christina; De Brito, Stephane A; Popma, Arne; Herpertz, Sabine C; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Neumann, Inga; Kieser, Meinhard; Chiocchetti, Andreas G; Schwenck, Christina; Fairchild, Graeme

    2018-06-09

    Conduct disorder (CD) is a common and highly impairing psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence that frequently leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. The prevalence of CD is substantially higher in males than females, and partly due to this, most research on this condition has used all-male or predominantly male samples. Although the number of females exhibiting CD has increased in recent decades, the majority of studies on neurobiological measures, neurocognitive phenotypes, and treatments for CD have focused on male subjects only, despite strong evidence for sex differences in the aetiology and neurobiology of CD. Here, we selectively review the existing literature on CD and related phenotypes in females, focusing in particular on sex differences in CD symptoms, patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, and callous-unemotional personality traits. We also consider studies investigating the neurobiology of CD in females, with a focus on studies using genetic, structural and functional neuroimaging, psychophysiological, and neuroendocrinological methods. We end the article by providing an overview of the study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium, an interdisciplinary, multi-level and multi-site study that explicitly focuses on CD in females, but which is also investigating sex differences in the causes, developmental course, and neurobiological correlates of CD.

  11. Identification of cancer chemopreventive isothiocyanates as direct inhibitors of the arylamine N-acetyltransferase-dependent acetylation and bioactivation of aromatic amine carcinogens.

    PubMed

    Duval, Romain; Xu, Ximing; Bui, Linh-Chi; Mathieu, Cécile; Petit, Emile; Cariou, Kevin; Dodd, Robert H; Dupret, Jean-Marie; Rodrigues-Lima, Fernando

    2016-02-23

    Aromatic amines (AAs) are chemicals of industrial, pharmacological and environmental relevance. Certain AAs, such as 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP), are human carcinogens that require enzymatic metabolic activation to reactive chemicals to form genotoxic DNA adducts. Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NAT) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (XME) that play a major role in this carcinogenic bioactivation process. Isothiocyanates (ITCs), including benzyl-ITC (BITC) and phenethyl-ITC (PEITC), are phytochemicals known to have chemopreventive activity against several aromatic carcinogens. In particular, ITCs have been shown to modify the bioactivation and subsequent mutagenicity of carcinogenic AA chemicals such as 4-ABP. However, the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which these phytochemicals may modulate AA carcinogens bioactivation and AA-DNA damage remains poorly understood. This manuscript provides evidence indicating that ITCs can decrease the metabolic activation of carcinogenic AAs via the irreversible inhibition of NAT enzymes and subsequent alteration of the acetylation of AAs. We demonstrate that BITC and PEITC react with NAT1 and inhibit readily its acetyltransferase activity (k(i) = 200 M(-1).s(-1) and 66 M(-1).s(-1) for BITC and PEITC, respectively). Chemical labeling, docking approaches and substrate protection assays indicated that inhibition of the acetylation of AAs by NAT1 was due to the chemical modification of the enzyme active site cysteine. Moreover, analyses of AAs acetylation and DNA adducts in cells showed that BITC was able to modulate the endogenous acetylation and bioactivation of 4-ABP. In conclusion, we show that direct inhibition of NAT enzymes may be an important mechanism by which ITCs exert their chemopreventive activity towards AA chemicals.

  12. Selective suppression of autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by two-step transcriptional amplified human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter on ovarian carcinoma growth in vitro and in mice.

    PubMed

    Song, Yue; Xin, Xing; Xia, Zhijun; Zhai, Xingyue; Shen, Keng

    2014-07-01

    The objective of our study was to construct recombinant adenovirus (rAd) AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3, which expresses autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp) with a two-step transcription amplification (TSTA) system and investigate its antitumor effects on ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescent detection was used to detect EGFP expression in various cells. Cell viabilities were determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry. RT-PCR and immunoblotting assays were used to detect cellular apoptotic activities. Tumor growth and survival of tumor-bearing mice were studied. The hTERTp-TSTA system showed the strongest activity in hTERT-positive cancer cells when compared with hTERTp and cytomeglovirus promoter (CMVp). In contrast, it showed no activity in hTERT‑negative HUVECs. AdHTVP2G5‑rev-casp3 markedly suppressed the survival of AO cells in a dose-dependent modality with a viability rate of 17.8 ± 3.5% at an MOI of 70, which was significantly lower than that by AdHT-rev-casp3 and Ad-rev-casp3 (rAds which express rev-caspase-3 driven by hTERTp and CMVp, respectively). In contrast, AdHTVP2G5‑rev-casp3 induced little HUVEC death with a viability rate of 92.7 ± 5.2% at the same MOI. Additionally, AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 (MOI=70) caused significant apoptosis in AO cells with an apoptotic rate of 42%. The tumor growth suppression rate of AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 was 81.52%, significantly higher than that of AdHT-rev-casp3 (54.94%) or Ad-rev-casp3 (21.35%). AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 significantly improved the survival of tumor-bearing mice with little liver damage, with a mean survival of 258 ± 28 days. These results showed that AdHTVP2G5-rev-casp3 caused effective apoptosis with significant tumor selectivity, strongly suppressed tumor growth and improved mouse survival with little liver toxicity. It can be a potent therapeutic agent for tumor targeted treatment of ovarian cancer.

  13. N-Acetylaspartate Metabolism Outside the Brain: Lipogenesis, Histone Acetylation, and Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Bogner-Strauss, Juliane G.

    2017-01-01

    N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is a highly abundant brain metabolite. Aberrant NAA concentrations have been detected in many pathological conditions and although the function of NAA has been extensively investigated in the brain it is still controversial. Only recently, a role of NAA has been reported outside the brain. In brown adipocytes, which show high expression of the NAA-producing and the NAA-cleaving enzyme, the metabolism of NAA has been implicated in lipid synthesis and histone acetylation. Increased expression of N-acetyltransferase 8-like (Nat8l, the gene encoding the NAA synthesizing enzyme) induces de novo lipogenesis and the brown adipocyte phenotype. Accordingly silencing of aspartoacylase, the NAA-cleaving enzyme, reduced brown adipocyte differentiation mechanistically by decreasing histone acetylation and gene transcription. Notably, the expression of Nat8l and the amount of NAA were also shown to be increased in several tumors and inversely correlate with patients’ survival. Additionally, Nat8l silencing reduced cell proliferation in tumor and non-tumor cells, while NAA supplementation could rescue it. However, the mechanism behind has not yet been clarified. It remains to be addressed whether NAA per se and/or its catabolism to acetate and aspartate, metabolites that have both been implicated in tumor growth, are valuable targets for future therapies. PMID:28979238

  14. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in {sup nat}W and {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for nuclide production in thin {sup nat}Wand {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated by 0.04-2.6-GeV protons have been measured by direct {gamma} spectrometry using two {gamma} spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV in the {sup 60}Co 1332-keV {gamma} line. As a result, 1895 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The {sup 27}Al(p, x){sup 22}Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data have been compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.

  15. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in {sup 56}Fe and {sup nat}Cr targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for nuclide production in thin {sup 56}Fe and {sup nat}Cr targets irradiated by 0.04-2.6-GeV protons are measured by direct {gamma} spectrometry using two {gamma} spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV for the {sup 60}Co 1332-keV {gamma} line. As a result, 649 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The {sup 27}Al(p, x){sup 22}Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data are compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.

  16. Accurate measurements of the 63Cu(d,p)64Cu and natCu(d,x)65Zn cross-sections in the 2.77-5.62 MeV energy range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weissman, L.; Kreisel, A.; Hirsh, T.; Aviv, O.; Berkovits, D.; Girshevitz, O.; Eisen, Y.

    2015-01-01

    The cross sections of 63Cu(d,p)64Cu and natCu(d,x)65Zn were determined for deuteron beam energy range of 2.77-5.62 MeV at the SARAF Phase I variable energy LINAC. Thin copper foils were irradiated by a deuteron beam followed up by measurement of the produced activation at the Soreq NRC low-background γ-counting system. The results are consistent with data in the literature, but are of better accuracy. The data are important for assessment of the activation of components of Radio Frequency Quadrupole injectors and Medium Energy Beam Transport beam dumps in modern deuteron LINACs.

  17. Erratum: Measurement of σ(e+e-→ψ(3770)→hadrons) at Ec.m.=3773MeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 092002 (2006)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Besson, D.; Pedlar, T. K.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Gao, K. Y.; Gong, D. T.; Hietala, J.; Kubota, Y.; Klein, T.; Lang, B. W.; Poling, R.; Scott, A. W.; Smith, A.; Dobbs, S.; Metreveli, Z.; Seth, K. K.; Tomaradze, A.; Zweber, P.; Ernst, J.; Arms, K.; Severini, H.; Dytman, S. A.; Love, W.; Mehrabyan, S.; Mueller, J. A.; Savinov, V.; Li, Z.; Lopez, A.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez, J.; Huang, G. S.; Miller, D. H.; Pavlunin, V.; Sanghi, B.; Shipsey, I. P. J.; Adams, G. S.; Anderson, M.; Cummings, J. P.; Danko, I.; Napolitano, J.; He, Q.; Muramatsu, H.; Park, C. S.; Thorndike, E. H.; Coan, T. E.; Gao, Y. S.; Liu, F.; Artuso, M.; Boulahouache, C.; Blusk, S.; Butt, J.; Li, J.; Menaa, N.; Mountain, R.; Nisar, S.; Randrianarivony, K.; Redjimi, R.; Sia, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J. C.; Zhang, K.; Csorna, S. E.; Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Dubrovin, M.; Lincoln, A.; Briere, R. A.; Chen, G. P.; Chen, J.; Ferguson, T.; Tatishvili, G.; Vogel, H.; Watkins, M. E.; Rosner, J. L.; Adam, N. E.; Alexander, J. P.; Berkelman, K.; Cassel, D. G.; Duboscq, J. E.; Ecklund, K. M.; Ehrlich, R.; Fields, L.; Gibbons, L.; Gray, R.; Gray, S. W.; Hartill, D. L.; Heltsley, B. K.; Hertz, D.; Jones, C. D.; Kandaswamy, J.; Kreinick, D. L.; Kuznetsov, V. E.; Mahlke-Krüger, H.; Meyer, T. O.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Patterson, J. R.; Peterson, D.; Phillips, E. A.; Pivarski, J.; Riley, D.; Ryd, A.; Sadoff, A. J.; Schwarthoff, H.; Shi, X.; Stroiney, S.; Sun, W. M.; Wilksen, T.; Weinberger, M.; Athar, S. B.; Avery, P.; Breva-Newell, L.; Patel, R.; Potlia, V.; Stoeck, H.; Yelton, J.; Rubin, P.; Cawlfield, C.; Eisenstein, B. I.; Karliner, I.; Kim, D.; Lowrey, N.; Naik, P.; Sedlack, C.; Selen, M.; White, E. J.; Wiss, J.; Shepherd, M. R.; Asner, D. M.; Edwards, K. W.

    2010-04-01

    We have updated our measurement of the cross section for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons, our publication "Measurement of sigma(e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons) at E_{c.m.} = 3773 MeV", arXiv:hep-ex/0512038, Phys.Rev.Lett.96, 092002 (2006). Simultaneous with this arXiv update, we have published an erratum in Phys.Rev.Lett.104, 159901 (2010). There, and in this update, we have corrected a mistake in the computation of the error on the difference of the cross sections for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons and e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> DDbar. We have also used a more recent CLEO measurement of cross section for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> DDbar. From this, we obtain an upper limit on the branching fraction for psi(3770) -> non-DDbar of 9% at 90% confidence level.

  18. Molecular Differentiation of Risk for Disease Progression: Delineating Stage-Specific Therapeutic Targets for Disease Management in Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-07-01

    Jeffrey S. S., Botstein D ., Brown P . O. Genome-wide analysis of DNA copy-number changes using cDNA microarrays. Nat. Genet., 23: 41-46, 1999 3...Duggan D . J., Bittner M., Chen Y., Meltzer P ., Trent J. M. Expression profiling using cDNA microarrays. Nat. Genet., 21: 10-14, 1999 4. Oh J. M...1999 5. Golub T. R., Slonim D . K., Tamayo P ., Huard C., Gaasenbeek M., Mesirov J. P ., Coller H., Loh M. L., Downing J. R., Caligiuri M. A

  19. Preclinical comparison of Al18F- and 68Ga-labeled gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonists for PET imaging of prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Chatalic, Kristell L S; Franssen, Gerben M; van Weerden, Wytske M; McBride, William J; Laverman, Peter; de Blois, Erik; Hajjaj, Bouchra; Brunel, Luc; Goldenberg, David M; Fehrentz, Jean-Alain; Martinez, Jean; Boerman, Otto C; de Jong, Marion

    2014-12-01

    Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is overexpressed in human prostate cancer and is being used as a target for molecular imaging. In this study, we report on the direct comparison of 3 novel GRPR-targeted radiolabeled tracers: Al(18)F-JMV5132, (68)Ga-JMV5132, and (68)Ga-JMV4168 (JMV5132 is NODA-MPAA-βAla-βAla-[H-D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2], JMV4168 is DOTA-βAla-βAla-[H-D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2], and NODA-MPAA is 2-[4-(carboxymethyl)-7-{[4-(carboxymethyl)phenyl]methyl}-1,4,7-triazacyclononan-1-yl]acetic acid). The GRPR antagonist JMV594 (H-D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2) was conjugated to NODA-MPAA for labeling with Al(18)F. JMV5132 was radiolabeled with (68)Ga and (18)F, and JMV4168 was labeled with (68)Ga for comparison. The inhibitory concentration of 50% values for binding GRPR of JMV4168, JMV5132, (nat)Ga-JMV4168, and (nat)Ga-JMV5132 were determined in a competition-binding assay using GRPR-overexpressing PC-3 tumors. The tumor-targeting characteristics of the compounds were assessed in mice bearing subcutaneous PC-3 xenografts. Small-animal PET/CT images were acquired, and tracer biodistribution was determined by ex vivo measurements. JMV5132 was labeled with (18)F in a novel 1-pot, 1-step procedure within 20 min, without need for further purification and resulting in a specific activity of 35 MBq/nmol. Inhibitory concentration of 50% values (in nM) for GRPR binding of JMV5132, JMV4168, (nat)Ga-JMV5132, (nat)Ga-JMV4168, and Al(nat)F-JMV5132 were 6.8 (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 4.6-10.0), 13.2 (95% CIs, 5.9-29.3), 3.0 (95% CIs, 1.5-6.0), 3.2 (95% CIs, 1.8-5.9), and 10.0 (95% CIs, 6.3-16.0), respectively. In mice with subcutaneous PC-3 xenografts, all tracers cleared rapidly from the blood, exclusively via the kidneys for (68)Ga-JMV4168 and partially hepatobiliary for (68)Ga-JMV5132 and Al(18)F-JMV5132. Two hours after injection, the uptake of (68)Ga-JMV4168, (68)Ga-JMV5132, and Al(18)F-JMV5132 in PC-3

  20. Cross sections of deuteron induced reactions on (nat)Sm for production of the therapeutic radionuclide ¹⁴⁵Sm and ¹⁵³Sm.

    PubMed

    Tárkányi, F; Hermanne, A; Takács, S; Ditrói, F; Csikai, J; Ignatyuk, A V

    2014-09-01

    At present, targeted radiotherapy (TR) is acknowledged to have great potential in oncology. A large list of interesting radionuclides is identified, including several radioisotopes of lanthanides, amongst them (145)Sm and (153)Sm. In this work the possibility of their production at a cyclotron was investigated using a deuteron beam and a samarium target. The excitation functions of the (nat)Sm(d,x)(145,153)Sm reactions were determined for deuteron energies up to 50 MeV using the stacked-foil technique and high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry. The measured cross sections and the contributing reactions were analyzed by comparison with results of the ALICE, EMPIRE and TALYS nuclear reaction codes. A short overview and comparison of possible production routes is given. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Colloidal motility and patterning by physical chemotaxis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palacci, Jeremie; Abecassis, Benjamin; Cottin-Bizonne, Cecile; Ybert, Christophe; Bocquet, Lyderic

    2009-11-01

    We developped a microfluidic setup to show the motility of colloids or biomolecules under a controlled salt gradient thanks to the diffusiophoresis phenomenon [1,2]. We can therefore mimic chemotaxis on simple physical basis with thrilling analogies with the biological chemotaxis of E. Coli bacteria: salt dependance of the velocity [3] and log-sensing behavior [4]. In addition with a temporally tunable gradient we show we can generate an effective osmotic potential to trap colloids or DNA. These experimental observations are supported by numerical simulations and an asymptotic ratchet model. Finally, we use these traps to generate various patterns and because concentration gradients are ubiquitous in nature, we question for the role of such a mecanism in morphogenesis [5] or positioning perspectives in cells [6]. [4pt] [1] B. Abecassis, C. Cottin-Bizonne, C. Ybert, A. Ajdari, and L. Bocquet, Nat. Mat., 7(10):785--789, 2008. [2] Anderson, Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech, 21, 1989. [3] Y. L. Qi and J. Adler, PNAS, 86(21):8358--8362, 1989. [4] Y. V. Kalinin, L. L. Jiang, Y. H. Tu, and M. M. Wu, Biophys. J., 96(6):2439--2448, 2009. [4] J. B. Moseley, A. Mayeux, A. Paoletti, and P. Nurse, Nat., 459(7248):857--U8, 2009. [6] L. Wolpert, Dev., 107:3--12, 1989

  2. First Measurement of the Radionuclide Purity of the Therapeutic Isotope 67Cu Produced by 68Zn(n,x) Reaction Using natC(d,n) Neutrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Nozomi; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Watanabe, Satoshi; Ishioka, Noriko S.; Kawabata, Masako; Saeki, Hideya; Nagai, Yasuki; Kin, Tadahiro; Minato, Futoshi; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Iwamoto, Osamu

    2014-07-01

    We have for the first time studied the radionuclide purity of the therapeutic isotope 67Cu produced by the 68Zn(n,x)67Cu reaction. The neutrons were obtained by the natC(d,n) reaction using 40 MeV deuterons. We measured the γ-ray spectra of the reaction products produced by bombarding an enriched 68ZnO sample with the neutrons with a high-purity Ge detector. We found that the relative production yields of the impurity radionuclides 64Cu, 65Zn, and 69mZn to 67Cu are extremely low. The result indicates that the 68Zn(n,x)67Cu reaction is the most promising among those proposed routes until now for producing high-quality 67Cu, and could solve a longstanding problem of establishing an appropriate production method for 67Cu.

  3. Dose Calculations for [131I] Meta-Iodobenzylguanidine-Induced Bystander Effects

    PubMed Central

    Gow, M. D.; Seymour, C. B.; Boyd, M.; Mairs, R. J.; Prestiwch, W. V.; Mothersill, C. E.

    2014-01-01

    Targeted radiotherapy is a potentially useful treatment for some cancers and may be potentiated by bystander effects. However, without estimation of absorbed dose, it is difficult to compare the effects with conventional external radiation treatment. Methods: Using the Vynckier – Wambersie dose point kernel, a model for dose rate evaluation was created allowing for calculation of absorbed dose values to two cell lines transfected with the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) gene and treated with [131I]MIBG. Results: The mean doses required to decrease surviving fractions of UVW/NAT and EJ138/NAT cells, which received medium from [131I]MIBG-treated cells, to 25 – 30% were 1.6 and 1.7 Gy respectively. The maximum mean dose rates achieved during [131I]MIBG treatment were 0.09 – 0.75 Gy/h for UVW/NAT and 0.07 – 0.78 Gy/h for EJ138/NAT. These were significantly lower than the external beam gamma radiation dose rate of 15 Gy/h. In the case of control lines which were incapable of [131I]MIBG uptake the mean absorbed doses following radiopharmaceutical were 0.03 – 0.23 Gy for UVW and 0.03 – 0.32 Gy for EJ138. Conclusion: [131I]MIBG treatment for ICCM production elicited a bystander dose-response profile similar to that generated by external beam gamma irradiation but with significantly greater cell death. PMID:24659931

  4. Transdominant Rev and Protease Mutant Proteins of HIV-SIV as Potential Antiviral Agents in Vitro and in Vivo (AIDS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-10-30

    hammerhead ribozymes (7-9) and a hairpin ribozyme (10) directed against HIV-l RNA has been shown to confer significant resistance to HIV-I infection...antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) directed to the Rev Response Element (RRE) and ribozymes that target viral mRNAs. The ribozyme approach, in...particular, has yielded extremely encouraging positive data. We showed that a hairpin ribozyme designed to cleave HIV-1 RNA in the 5’ leader sequence

  5. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in {sup 93}Nb and {sup nat}Ni targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for nuclide production in thin {sup 93}Nb and {sup nat}Ni targets irradiated by 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons have been measured by direct {gamma} spectrometry using two {gamma} spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV in the {sup 60}Co 1332-keV {gamma} line. As a result, 1112 yields of radioactive residual nuclei have been obtained. The {sup 27}Al(p, x){sup 22}Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data have been compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.

  6. Ramsey interferometry of Rydberg ensembles inside microwave cavities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sommer, Christian; Genes, Claudiu

    2018-06-01

    We study ensembles of Rydberg atoms in a confined electromagnetic environment such as is provided by a microwave cavity. The competition between standard free space Ising type and cavity-mediated interactions leads to the emergence of different regimes where the particle‑particle couplings range from the typical van der Waals r ‑6 behavior to r ‑3 and to r-independence. We apply a Ramsey spectroscopic technique to map the two-body interactions into a characteristic signal such as intensity and contrast decay curves. As opposed to previous treatments requiring high-densities for considerable contrast and phase decay (Takei et al 2016 Nat. Comms. 7 13449; Sommer et al 2016 Phys. Rev. A 94 053607), the cavity scenario can exhibit similar behavior at much lower densities.

  7. Effective cleaning of hexagonal boron nitride for graphene devices.

    PubMed

    Garcia, Andrei G F; Neumann, Michael; Amet, François; Williams, James R; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Goldhaber-Gordon, David

    2012-09-12

    Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films have attracted considerable interest as substrates for graphene. ( Dean, C. R. et al. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2010 , 5 , 722 - 6 ; Wang, H. et al. Electron Device Lett. 2011 , 32 , 1209 - 1211 ; Sanchez-Yamagishi, J. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012 , 108 , 1 - 5 .) We study the presence of organic contaminants introduced by standard lithography and substrate transfer processing on h-BN films exfoliated on silicon oxide substrates. Exposure to photoresist processing adds a large broad luminescence peak to the Raman spectrum of the h-BN flake. This signal persists through typical furnace annealing recipes (Ar/H(2)). A recipe that successfully removes organic contaminants and results in clean h-BN flakes involves treatment in Ar/O(2) at 500 °C.

  8. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for the production of {sup 148}Gd in thin {sup nat}W and {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated with 0.4- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for the production of {sup 148}Gd in {sup nat}W and {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated by 0.4-, 0.6-, 0.8-, 1.2-, 1.6-, and 2.6-GeV protons at the ITEP accelerator complex have been measured by direct {alpha} spectrometry without chemical separation. The experimental data have been compared with the data obtained at other laboratories and with the theoretical simulations of the yields on the basis of the BERTINI, ISABEL, CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, CASCADE07, and PHITS codes.

  9. Can 3D light localization be reached in ‘white paint’?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sperling, T.; Schertel, L.; Ackermann, M.; Aubry, G. J.; Aegerter, C. M.; Maret, G.

    2016-01-01

    When waves scatter multiple times in 3D random media, a disorder driven phase transition from diffusion to localization may occur (Anderson 1958 Phys. Rev. 109 1492-505 Abrahams et al 1979 Phys. Rev. Lett. 42 673-6). In ‘The question of classical localization: a theory of white paint?’ Anderson suggested the possibility to observe light localization in TiO2 samples (Anderson 1985 Phil. Mag. B 52 505-9). We recently claimed the observation of localization effects measuring photon time of flight (ToF) distributions (Störzer et al 2006 Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 063904) and evaluating transmission profiles (TPs) (Sperling et al 2013 Nat. Photonics 7 48-52) in such TiO2 samples. Here we present a careful study of the long time tail of ToF distributions and the long time behavior of the TP width for very thin samples and different turbidities that questions the localization interpretation. We further show new data that allow an alternative consistent explanation of these previous data by a fluorescence process. An adapted diffusion model including an appropriate exponential fluorescence decay accounts for the shape of the ToF distributions and the TP width. These observations question whether the strong localization regime can be reached with visible light scattering in polydisperse TiO2 samples, since the disorder parameter can hardly be increased any further in such a ‘white paint’ material.

  10. Alcohol-attributable cancer deaths under 80 years of age in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Connor, Jennie; Kydd, Robyn; Maclennan, Brett; Shield, Kevin; Rehm, Jürgen

    2017-05-01

    Cancer deaths made up 30% of all alcohol-attributable deaths in New Zealanders aged 15-79 years in 2007, more than all other chronic diseases combined. We aimed to estimate alcohol-attributable cancer mortality and years of life lost by cancer site and identify differences between Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders. We applied the World Health Organization's comparative risk assessment methodology at the level of Māori and non-Māori subpopulations. Proportions of specific alcohol-related cancers attributable to alcohol were calculated by combining alcohol consumption estimates from representative surveys with relative risks from recent meta-analyses. These proportions were applied to both 2007 and 2012 mortality data. Alcohol consumption was responsible for 4.2% of all cancer deaths under 80 years of age in 2007. An average of 10.4 years of life was lost per person; 12.7 years for Māori and 10.1 years for non-Māori. Half of the deaths were attributable to average consumption of <4 standard drinks per day. Breast cancer comprised 61% of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in women, and more than one-third of breast cancer deaths were attributable to average consumption of <2 standard drinks per day. Mortality data from 2012 produced very similar findings. Alcohol is an important and modifiable cause of cancer. Risk of cancer increases with higher alcohol consumption, but there is no safe level of drinking. Reduction in population alcohol consumption would reduce cancer deaths. Additional strategies to reduce ethnic disparities in risk and outcome are needed in New Zealand. [Connor J, Kydd R, Maclennan B, Shield K, Rehm J. Alcohol-attributable cancer deaths under 80 years of age in New Zealand. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:415-423]. © 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  11. NO3- Coordination in Aqueous Solutions by 15N/ 14N and 18O/natO Isotopic Substitution: What Can We Learn from Molecular Simulation?

    DOE PAGES

    Chialvo, Ariel A.; Vlcek, Lukas

    2014-12-16

    We explore the deconvolution of the water-nitrate correlations by the first-order difference approach involving neutron diffraction of heavy- and null-aqueous solutions of KNO 3 under 14N 15N and natON 18ON substitutions to achieve a full characterization of the first water coordination around the nitrate ion. For that purpose we performed isobaric-isothermal simulations of 3.5m KNO 3 aqueous solutions at ambient conditions to generate the relevant radial distribution functions (RDF) required in the analysis (a) to identify the individual partial contributions to the total neutron weighted distribution function, (b) to isolate and assess the contribution of NO 3 -!K + pairmore » formation, (c) to test the accuracy of the NDIS-based coordination calculations and XRDbased assumptions, and (d) to describe the water coordination around both the nitrogen and oxygen sites of the nitrate ion.« less

  12. Meta-analysis for psychological impact of breast reconstruction in patients with breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Chen, Wanjing; Lv, Xiaoai; Xu, Xiaohong; Gao, Xiufei; Wang, Bei

    2018-07-01

    This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of breast reconstruction on the psychological aspects in patients with breast cancer. A literature search on PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect and Google scholar databases was conducted up to September 2017. The pooled risk radio (RR) or standard mean difference (SMD) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 5 studies were included in this meta-analysis. There were 551 breast cancer patients receiving mastectomy plus breast reconstruction and 574 breast cancer patients receiving mastectomy alone. The results showed that breast reconstruction can significantly decrease the incidence of anxiety (RR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.47-0.82, P = 0.0006)/depression (RR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.93, P = 0.02) and scale score for evaluating anxiety (SMD = - 0.20, 95% CI - 0.37 to - 0.03, P = 0.02)/depression (SMD = - 0.22, 95% CI - 0.39 to - 0.66, P = 0.007) compared with mastectomy alone. Breast reconstruction after mastectomy was benefit for improving the psychological damages in patients with breast cancer.

  13. Long non-coding RNA HULC as a potential prognostic biomarker in human cancers: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Fan, Yang-Hua; Wu, Miao-Jing; Jiang, Yuan; Ye, Minhua; Lu, Shi-Gang; Wu, Lei; Zhu, Xin-Gen

    2017-03-28

    Since the long non-coding RNA HULC (Highly Upregulated in Liver Cancer) is dysregulated in many cancers, we performed a meta-analysis to determine its prognostic potential in malignant tumors. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library and Web of Science from inception until August 14, 2016 and identified seven studies with 730 cancer patients for the meta-analysis. We analyzed the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the relationship between HULC expression and overall survival (OS). We also using RevMan5.3 software to calculate odds ratio (ORs) to assess the association between HULC expression and pathological parameters, including lymph node metastasis (LNM), distant metastasis (DM) and the tumor stage. Our analysis showed that higher HULC expression was associated with OS (HR= 0.50, 95% CI: 0.35-0.70, P <0.00001), LNM (OR=0.20, 95 % CI 0.06-0.64), DM (OR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.54) and the tumor stage (OR=0.39, 95 % CI 0.25-0.64). These meta-analysis data demonstrate that higher HULC expression can be a useful prognostic biomarker in human cancers.

  14. Evolution of insect arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferases: Structural evidence from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

    PubMed Central

    Han, Qian; Robinson, Howard; Ding, Haizhen; Christensen, Bruce M.; Li, Jianyong

    2012-01-01

    Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT) catalyzes the transacetylation from acetyl-CoA to arylalkylamines. aaNATs are involved in sclerotization and neurotransmitter inactivation in insects. Phyletic distribution analysis confirms three clusters of aaNAT-like sequences in insects: typical insect aaNAT, polyamine NAT-like aaNAT, and mosquito unique putative aaNAT (paaNAT). Here we studied three proteins: aaNAT2, aaNAT5b, and paaNAT7, each from a different cluster. aaNAT2, a protein from the typical insect aaNAT cluster, uses histamine as a substrate as well as the previously identified arylalkylamines. aaNAT5b, a protein from polyamine NAT -like aaNAT cluster, uses hydrazine and histamine as substrates. The crystal structure of aaNAT2 was determined using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion methods, and that of native aaNAT2, aaNAT5b and paaNAT7 was detected using molecular replacement techniques. All three aaNAT structures have a common fold core of GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily proteins, along with a unique structural feature: helix/helices between β3 and β4 strands. Our data provide a start toward a more comprehensive understanding of the structure–function relationship and physiology of aaNATs from the mosquito Aedes aegypti and serve as a reference for studying the aaNAT family of proteins from other insect species. The structures of three different types of aaNATs may provide targets for designing insecticides for use in mosquito control. PMID:22753468

  15. How oocytes try to get it right: spindle checkpoint control in meiosis.

    PubMed

    Touati, Sandra A; Wassmann, Katja

    2016-06-01

    The generation of a viable, diploid organism depends on the formation of haploid gametes, oocytes, and spermatocytes, with the correct number of chromosomes. Halving the genome requires the execution of two consecutive specialized cell divisions named meiosis I and II. Unfortunately, and in contrast to male meiosis, chromosome segregation in oocytes is error prone, with human oocytes being extraordinarily "meiotically challenged". Aneuploid oocytes, that are with the wrong number of chromosomes, give rise to aneuploid embryos when fertilized. In humans, most aneuploidies are lethal and result in spontaneous abortions. However, some trisomies survive to birth or even adulthood, such as the well-known trisomy 21, which gives rise to Down syndrome (Nagaoka et al. in Nat Rev Genet 13:493-504, 2012). A staggering 20-25 % of oocytes ready to be fertilized are aneuploid in humans. If this were not bad enough, there is an additional increase in meiotic missegregations as women get closer to menopause. A woman above 40 has a risk of more than 30 % of getting pregnant with a trisomic child. Worse still, in industrialized western societies, child birth is delayed, with women getting their first child later in life than ever. This trend has led to an increase of trisomic pregnancies by 70 % in the last 30 years (Nagaoka et al. in Nat Rev Genet 13:493-504, 2012; Schmidt et al. in Hum Reprod Update 18:29-43, 2012). To understand why errors occur so frequently during the meiotic divisions in oocytes, we review here the molecular mechanisms at works to control chromosome segregation during meiosis. An important mitotic control mechanism, namely the spindle assembly checkpoint or SAC, has been adapted to the special requirements of the meiotic divisions, and this review will focus on our current knowledge of SAC control in mammalian oocytes. Knowledge on how chromosome segregation is controlled in mammalian oocytes may help to identify risk factors important for questions

  16. Mesenchymal Stem Cell as Targeted-Delivery Vehicle in Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-01

    Transplantability and therapeutic effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells in children with osteogenesis imperfecta . Nat Med. 1999;5:309-13. 3. Le...relevant because the beneficial effects of MSCs are being tested clinically in attempts to improve hematopoietic engraftment [1], to treat osteogenesis

  17. Differential cross-sections measurements for hadrontherapy: 50 MeV/A 12C reactions on H, C, O, Al and natTi targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Divay, C.; Colin, J.; Cussol, D.; Finck, Ch.; Karakaya, Y.; Labalme, M.; Rousseau, M.; Salvador, S.; Vanstalle, M.

    2017-09-01

    In order to keep the benefits of a carbon treatment, the dose and biological effects induced by secondary fragments must be taken into account when simulating the treatment plan. These Monte-Carlo simulations codes are done using nuclear models that are constrained by experimental data. It is hence necessary to have precise measurements of the production rates of these fragments all along the beam path and for its whole energy range. In this context, a series of experiments aiming to measure the double differential fragmentation cross-sections of carbon on thin targets of medical interest has been started by our collaboration. In March 2015, an experiment was performed with a 50 MeV/nucleon 12C beam at GANIL. During this experiment, energy and angular differential cross-section distributions on H, C, O, Al and natTi have been measured. In the following, the experimental set-up and analysis process are briefly described and some experimental results are presented. Comparisons between several exit channel models from Phits and Geant4 show great discrepancies with the experimental data. Finally, the homemade Sliipie model is briefly presented and preliminary results are compared to the data with a promising outcome.

  18. Domain- and nucleotide-specific Rev response element regulation of feline immunodeficiency virus production

    PubMed Central

    Na, Hong; Huisman, Willem; Ellestad, Kristofor K.; Phillips, Tom R.; Power, Christopher

    2010-01-01

    Computational analysis of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) RNA sequences indicated that common FIV strains contain a rev response element (RRE) defined by a long unbranched hairpin with 6 stem-loop sub-domains, termed stem-loop A (SLA). To examine the role of the RNA secondary structure of the RRE, mutational analyses were performed in both an infectious FIV molecular clone and a FIV CAT-RRE reporter system. These studies disclosed that the stems within SLA (SA1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) of the RRE were critical but SA6 was not essential for FIV replication and CAT expression. These studies also revealed that the secondary structure rather than an antisense protein (ASP) mediates virus expression and replication in vitro. In addition, a single synonymous mutation within the FIV-RRE, SA3/45, reduced viral reverse transcriptase activity and p24 expression after transfection but in addition also showed a marked reduction in viral expression and production following infection. PMID:20570310

  19. Erratum: “Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment” [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012)

    DOE PAGES

    Burke, Marcus G.; Fonck, Raymond J.; Bongard, Michael W.; ...

    2016-07-18

    This article corrects an error in M.G. Burke et al., 'Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment,' Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012) pertaining to ion temperature. The conclusions of this paper are not altered by the revised ion temperature measurements.

  20. Silencing NPAS2 promotes cell growth and invasion in DLD-1 cells and correlated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xue, Xiaofeng; Liu, Fei; Han, Ye

    2014-07-25

    Highlights: • NPAS2 mRNA was down-regulated in clinical colorectal cancer tissues. • Low NPAS2 level was associated with the tumor size, TNM stage and distance metastasis in CRC. • Silencing NPAS2 promoted cell proliferation, the wound healing and cell invasion abilities. - Abstract: Emerging evidences show that circadian rhythm disorder is an important factor of tumor initiation and development. Neuronal PAS domain protein2 (NPAS2), which is the largest circadian gene, has been proved to be a novel prognostic biomarker in breast cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, the potential functions of NPAS2 in colorectal cancer are still unknown. In our presentmore » study, we detected the mRNA expressions of NPAS2 in 108 CRC patients by RT-PCR, and found that NPAS2 expression was significantly down-regulated in tumor tissues than that in NATs. Clinicopathologic analysis revealed that low expression of NPAS2 was associated with the tumor size, TNM stage and tumor distance metastasis in colorectal cancer (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we effectively down-regulated NPAS2 mRNA expression by transfecting RNA interfere fragments into DLD-1 cells, and our results in vitro demonstrated that silencing NPAS2 expression could promote cell proliferation, cell invasion and increase the wound healing ability (p < 0.05). However, down-regulating NPAS2 expression did not influence the apoptotic rate in DLD-1 cells (p > 0.05). In conclusion, our study suggested that NPAS2, functioned as a potential tumor suppressor gene, could serve as a promising target and potential prognostic indicator for colorectal cancer.« less

  1. Targeting Dysregulated Epigenetic Enzymes for Prostate Cancer Treatment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    decreased protein levels of SIRT2 leads to the inability to down-regulate the hyper -acetylated form of p300. SIRT2-dependent deacetylation of p300...nature06546. 32. Thompson PR, Wang D, Wang L, Fulco M, Pediconi N, Zhang D, et al. Regulation of the p300 HAT domain via a novel activation loop . Nat Struct

  2. A novel variant of DNA polymerase ζ, Rev3ΔC, highlights differential regulation of Pol32 as a subunit of polymerase δ versus ζ in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Siebler, Hollie M.; Lada, Artem G.; Baranovskiy, Andrey G.; Tahirov, Tahir H.; Pavlov, Youri I.

    2014-01-01

    Unrepaired DNA lesions often stall replicative DNA polymerases and are bypassed by translesion synthesis (TLS) to prevent replication fork collapse. Mechanisms of TLS are lesion- and species-specific, with a prominent role of specialized DNA polymerases with relaxed active sites. After nucleotide(s) are incorporated across from the altered base(s), the aberrant primer termini are typically extended by DNA polymerase ζ (pol ζ). As a result, pol ζ is responsible for most DNA damage-induced mutations. The mechanisms of sequential DNA polymerase switches in vivo remain unclear. The major replicative DNA polymerase δ (pol δ) shares two accessory subunits, called Pol31/Pol32 in yeast, with pol ζ. Inclusion of Pol31/Pol32 in the pol δ/pol ζ holoenzymes requires a [4Fe–4S] cluster in C-termini of the catalytic subunits. Disruption of this cluster in Pol ζ or deletion of POL32 attenuates induced mutagenesis. Here we describe a novel mutation affecting the catalytic subunit of pol ζ, rev3ΔC, which provides insight into the regulation of pol switches. Strains with Rev3ΔC, lacking the entire C-terminal domain and therefore the platform for Pol31/Pol32 binding, are partially proficient in Pol32-dependent UV-induced mutagenesis. This suggests an additional role of Pol32 in TLS, beyond being a pol ζ subunit, related to pol δ. In search for members of this regulatory pathway, we examined the effects of Maintenance of Genome Stability 1 (Mgs1) protein on mutagenesis in the absence of Rev3–Pol31/Pol32 interaction. Mgs1 may compete with Pol32 for binding to PCNA. Mgs1 overproduction suppresses induced mutagenesis, but had no effect on UV-mutagenesis in the rev3ΔC strain, suggesting that Mgs1 exerts its inhibitory effect by acting specifically on Pol32 bound to pol ζ. The evidence for differential regulation of Pol32 in pol δ and pol ζ emphasizes the complexity of polymerase switches. PMID:24819597

  3. Breast-conserving therapy for early-stage breast cancer in Chinese women: a meta-analysis of case-control studies.

    PubMed

    Cai, Xiaopeng; Liu, Xu; Yu, Haitao; Li, Jiguang; Zheng, Xinyu

    2012-01-01

    Breast cancer has a high incidence worldwide, while Chinese patients have some special characteristics compared to Western patients. A meta-analysis was carried out to determine the effectiveness of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) or mastectomy therapy (MT) for early-stage breast cancers in Chinese women. A fully recursive literature search was conducted in the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Case-control trials were considered for inclusion. Analyses were carried out using the Review Manager software (RevMan, version 5.0). The meta-analysis showed that the 3-year or 5-year overall survival, the locoregional recurrence rate, and the metastasis rate were not statistically different between the BCT group and the MT group, but the complication recurrence rate increased in the MT group. Subgroup analysis indicated that no significant differences were observed in the affected limb swelling recurrence rate between the BCT group and the MT group. BCT was the better choice than MT for Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. The Fanconi anemia DNA damage repair pathway in the spotlight for germline predisposition to colorectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Esteban-Jurado, Clara; Franch-Expósito, Sebastià; Muñoz, Jenifer; Ocaña, Teresa; Carballal, Sabela; López-Cerón, Maria; Cuatrecasas, Miriam; Vila-Casadesús, Maria; Lozano, Juan José; Serra, Enric; Beltran, Sergi; Brea-Fernández, Alejandro; Ruiz-Ponte, Clara; Castells, Antoni; Bujanda, Luis; Garre, Pilar; Caldés, Trinidad; Cubiella, Joaquín; Balaguer, Francesc; Castellví-Bel, Sergi

    2016-10-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common neoplasms in the world. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a very rare genetic disease causing bone marrow failure, congenital growth abnormalities and cancer predisposition. The comprehensive FA DNA damage repair pathway requires the collaboration of 53 proteins and it is necessary to restore genome integrity by efficiently repairing damaged DNA. A link between FA genes in breast and ovarian cancer germline predisposition has been previously suggested. We selected 74 CRC patients from 40 unrelated Spanish families with strong CRC aggregation compatible with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and without mutations in known hereditary CRC genes and performed germline DNA whole-exome sequencing with the aim of finding new candidate germline predisposition variants. After sequencing and data analysis, variant prioritization selected only those very rare alterations, producing a putative loss of function and located in genes with a role compatible with cancer. We detected an enrichment for variants in FA DNA damage repair pathway genes in our familial CRC cohort as 6 families carried heterozygous, rare, potentially pathogenic variants located in BRCA2/FANCD1, BRIP1/FANCJ, FANCC, FANCE and REV3L/POLZ. In conclusion, the FA DNA damage repair pathway may play an important role in the inherited predisposition to CRC.

  5. Differential cross section measurements for hadron therapy: 50 MeV/nucleon 12C reactions on H, C, O, Al, and natTi targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Divay, C.; Colin, J.; Cussol, D.; Finck, Ch.; Karakaya, Y.; Labalme, M.; Rousseau, M.; Salvador, S.; Vanstalle, M.

    2017-04-01

    During a carbon therapy treatment, the beam undergoes inelastic nuclear reactions leading to the production of secondary fragments. These nuclear interactions tend to delocate a part of the dose into healthy tissues and create a mixed radiation field. In order to accurately estimate the dose deposited into the tissues, the production rate of these fragments all along the beam path have to be taken into account. But the double differential carbon fragmentation cross sections are not well known in the energy range needed for a treatment (up to 400 MeV/nucleon). Therefore, a series of experiments aiming to measure the double differential fragmentation cross sections of carbon on thin targets of medical interest has been started by our collaboration. In March 2015 we performed an experiment to study the fragmentation of a 50 MeV/nucleon 12C beam on thin targets at GANIL. During this experiment, energy and angular cross-section distributions on H, C, O, Al, and natTi have been measured. The experimental set-up will be detailed as well as the systematic error study and all the experimental results will be presented.

  6. Molecular Mechanisms of Breast Cancer Metastasis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-05-01

    Queva, C., Hurlin, P.J., Foley, K.P., Eisenman, R.N., 1998. Sequential Norton, T., Saveliev , A., Kioussis, D., Singh, P., 1999. Heterochromatin...and Zakian, V. A. Cell, 1990, 63,751. 9. Festenstein, R., Sharghi-Namini, S., Fox, M., Roderick, K., Tolaini, M., Norton, T., Saveliev , A., Kioussis, D...and Singh, P. Nat Genet, 1999, 23, 457. 10. Saveliev , A., Everett, C., Sharpe, T., Webster, Z. and Festenstein, R. Nature, 2003, 422, 909. 11. Park

  7. Weekly Versus Triweekly Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy Concurrent With Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Cervical Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xingxing; Zou, Haizhou; Li, Huifang; Lin, Ruifang; Su, Meng; Zhang, Wenyi; Zhou, Yongqiang; Zhang, Ping; Hou, Meng; Deng, Xia; Zou, Changlin

    2017-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate toxicity, compliance, recurrence and the survival of weekly and triweekly cisplatin-based concomitant chemoradiation in treatment of cervical cancer. The databases were searched from 1995 until 2015 to identify eligible studies on weekly versus triweekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy. The data were analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 5 randomized controlled trials were included in this review. Weekly cisplatin regimen significantly reduced the incidence of Hematologic toxicity. However, there was no significantly different between the 2 arms in compliance, recurrence and the survival rate (all P >0.05). Weekly cisplatin regimen had the similar therapeutic effect as the triweekly cisplatin regimen but with less hematologic toxicity. Therefore, we recommend the weekly cisplatin 30 to 40 mg/m chemoradiotherapy as the strong candidate for the optimal cisplatin dose and dosing schedule in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer.

  8. Amchitka Mud Pit Sites 2006 Post-Closure Monitoring and Inspection Report, Amchitka Island, Alaska, Rev. No.: 0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matthews, Patrick

    2006-09-01

    In 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA/NSO) remediated six areas associated with Amchitka mud pit release sites located on Amchitka Island, Alaska. This included the construction of seven closure caps. To ensure the integrity and effectiveness of remedial action, the mud pit sites are to be inspected every five years as part of DOE's long-term monitoring and surveillance program. In August of 2006, the closure caps were inspected in accordance with the ''Post-Closure Monitoring and Inspection Plan for Amchitka Island Mud Pit Release Sites'' (Rev. 0, November 2005). This post-closure monitoring report provides themore » 2006 cap inspection results.« less

  9. Urological Survivorship Issues Among Adolescent Boys and Young Men Who Are Cancer Survivors.

    PubMed

    Sukhu, Troy; Ross, Sherry; Coward, R Matthew

    2018-01-27

    enhanced strategies for evaluation and treatment. Sukhu T, Ross S, Coward RM. Urological Survivorship Issues Among Adolescent Boys and Young Men Who Are Cancer Survivors. Sex Med Rev 2018;XX:XXX-XXX. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. The clinical significance of snail protein expression in gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xiaoya; Li, Jinjun; Hu, Ling; Yang, William; Lu, Lili; Jin, Hongyan; Wei, Zexiong; Yang, Jack Y; Arabnia, Hamid R; Liu, Jun S; Yang, Mary Qu; Deng, Youping

    2016-07-25

    Snail is a typical transcription factor that could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer progression. There are some related reports about the clinical significance of snail protein expression in gastric cancer. However, the published results were not completely consistent. This study was aimed to investigate snail expression and clinical significance in gastric cancer. A systematic review of PubMed, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang database before March 2015 was conducted. We established an inclusion criterion according to subjects, method of detection, and results evaluation of snail protein. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan4.2 software. And merged odds ratio (OR) and 95 % CI (95 % confidence interval) were calculated. Also, forest plots and funnel plot were used to assess the potential of publication bias. A total of 10 studies were recruited. The meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the positive rate of snail protein expression. OR and 95 % CI for different groups were listed below: (1) gastric cancer and para-carcinoma tissue [OR = 6.15, 95 % CI (4.70, 8.05)]; (2) gastric cancer and normal gastric tissue [OR = 17.00, 95 % CI (10.08, 28.67)]; (3) non-lymph node metastasis and lymph node metastasis [OR = 0.40, 95 % CI (0.18, 0.93)]; (4) poor differentiated cancer, highly differentiated cancer, and moderate cancer [OR = 3.34, 95 % CI (2.22, 5.03)]; (5) clinical stage TI + TII and stage TIII + TIV [OR = 0.38, 95 % CI (0.23, 0.60)]; (6) superficial muscularis and deep muscularis [OR = 0.18, 95 % CI (0.11, 0.31)]. Our results indicated that the increase of snail protein expression may play an important role in the carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis of gastric cancer. And this result might provide instruction for the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of gastric cancer.

  11. Increasing functional avidity of TCR-redirected T cells by removing defined N-glycosylation sites in the TCR constant domain

    PubMed Central

    Hauptrock, Beate; Malina, Victoria; Antunes, Edite; Voss, Ralf-Holger; Wolfl, Matthias; Strong, Roland; Theobald, Matthias; Greenberg, Philip D.

    2009-01-01

    Adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes transduced with a T cell receptor (TCR) to impart tumor reactivity has been reported as a potential strategy to redirect immune responses to target cancer cells (Schumacher, T.N. 2002. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2:512–519). However, the affinity of most TCRs specific for shared tumor antigens that can be isolated is usually low. Thus, strategies to increase the affinity of TCRs or the functional avidity of TCR-transduced T cells might be therapeutically beneficial. Because glycosylation affects the flexibility, movement, and interactions of surface molecules, we tested if selectively removing conserved N-glycoslyation sites in the constant regions of TCR α or β chains could increase the functional avidity of T cells transduced with such modified TCRs. We observed enhanced functional avidity and improved recognition of tumor cells by T cells harboring TCR chains with reduced N-glycosylation (ΔTCR) as compared with T cells with wild-type (WT) TCR chains. T cells transduced with WT or ΔTCR chains bound tetramer equivalently at 4°C, but tetramer binding was enhanced at 37°C, predominantly as a result of reduced tetramer dissociation. This suggested a temperature-dependent mechanism such as TCR movement in the cell surface or structural changes of the TCR allowing improved multimerization. This strategy was effective with mouse and human TCRs specific for different antigens and, thus, should be readily translated to TCRs with any specificity. PMID:19171765

  12. Iron overload down-regulates the expression of the HIV-1 Rev cofactor eIF5A in infected T lymphocytes.

    PubMed

    Mancone, Carmine; Grimaldi, Alessio; Refolo, Giulia; Abbate, Isabella; Rozera, Gabriella; Benelli, Dario; Fimia, Gian Maria; Barnaba, Vincenzo; Tripodi, Marco; Piacentini, Mauro; Ciccosanti, Fabiola

    2017-01-01

    Changes in iron metabolism frequently accompany HIV-1 infection. However, while many clinical and in vitro studies report iron overload exacerbates the development of infection, many others have found no correlation. Therefore, the multi-faceted role of iron in HIV-1 infection remains enigmatic. RT-qPCR targeting the LTR region, gag , Tat and Rev were performed to measure the levels of viral RNAs in response to iron overload. Spike-in SILAC proteomics comparing i) iron-treated, ii) HIV-1-infected and iii) HIV-1-infected/iron treated T lymphocytes was performed to define modifications in the host cell proteome. Data from quantitative proteomics were integrated with the HIV-1 Human Interaction Database for assessing any viral cofactors modulated by iron overload in infected T lymphocytes. Here, we demonstrate that the iron overload down-regulates HIV-1 gene expression by decreasing the levels of viral RNAs. In addition, we found that iron overload modulates the expression of many viral cofactors. Among them, the downregulation of the REV cofactor eIF5A may correlate with the iron-induced inhibition of HIV-1 gene expression. Therefore, we demonstrated that eiF5A downregulation by shRNA resulted in a significant decrease of Nef levels, thus hampering HIV-1 replication. Our study indicates that HIV-1 cofactors influenced by iron metabolism represent potential targets for antiretroviral therapy and suggests eIF5A as a selective target for drug development.

  13. Rational Design of Regulators of Programmed Cell Death in Human Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-07-01

    1992). 2. R. E. Ellis, J . Y. Yuan, H. R. Horvitz, Annu Rev Cell Biol 7, 663-98 (1991). 3. A. Strasser, D. C. Huang, D. L. Vaux, Biochim Biophys Acta...1333, F151-78 (1997). 4. C. B. Thompson, Science 267, 1456-62 (1995). DAMD17-99-1-9362 17 5. D. T. Chao, S. J . Korsmeyer, Annu Rev Immunol 16, 395...419 (1998). 6. J . C. Reed, Adv Pharmacol 41, 501-32 (1997). 7. S. Cory, Annu Rev Immunol 13, 513-43 (1995). 8. E. Yang, S. J . Korsmeyer, Blood 88

  14. Rhythmogenic neuronal networks, emergent leaders, and k-cores.

    PubMed

    Schwab, David J; Bruinsma, Robijn F; Feldman, Jack L; Levine, Alex J

    2010-11-01

    Neuronal network behavior results from a combination of the dynamics of individual neurons and the connectivity of the network that links them together. We study a simplified model, based on the proposal of Feldman and Del Negro (FDN) [Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 7, 232 (2006)], of the preBötzinger Complex, a small neuronal network that participates in the control of the mammalian breathing rhythm through periodic firing bursts. The dynamics of this randomly connected network of identical excitatory neurons differ from those of a uniformly connected one. Specifically, network connectivity determines the identity of emergent leader neurons that trigger the firing bursts. When neuronal desensitization is controlled by the number of input signals to the neurons (as proposed by FDN), the network's collective desensitization--required for successful burst termination--is mediated by k-core clusters of neurons.

  15. Arginine-Dependent Acid Resistance in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

    PubMed Central

    Kieboom, Jasper; Abee, Tjakko

    2006-01-01

    Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium does not survive a pH 2.5 acid challenge under conditions similar to those used for Escherichia coli (J. W. Foster, Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2:898-907, 2004). Here, we provide evidence that S. enterica serovar Typhimurium can display arginine-dependent acid resistance (AR) provided the cells are grown under anoxic conditions and not under the microaerobic conditions used for assessment of AR in E. coli. The role of the arginine decarboxylase pathway in Salmonella AR was shown by the loss of AR in mutants lacking adiA, which encodes arginine decarboxylase; adiC, which encodes the arginine-agmatine antiporter; or adiY, which encodes an AraC-like regulator. Transcription of adiA and adiC was found to be dependent on AdiY, anaerobiosis, and acidic pH. PMID:16855258

  16. Effect of finite container size on granular jet formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von Kann, Stefan; Joubaud, Sylvain; Caballero-Robledo, Gabriel A.; Lohse, Detlef; van der Meer, Devaraj

    2010-04-01

    When an object is dropped into a bed of fine, loosely packed sand, a surprisingly energetic jet shoots out of the bed. In this work we study the effect that boundaries have on the granular jet formation. We did this by (i) decreasing the depth of the sand bed and (ii) reducing the container diameter to only a few ball diameters. These confinements change the behavior of the ball inside the bed, the void collapse, and the resulting jet height and shape. We map the parameter space of impact with Froude number, ambient pressure, and container dimensions as parameters. From these results we propose an explanation for the thick-thin structure of the jet reported by several groups ([J. R. Royer , Nat. Phys. 1, 164 (2005)], [G. Caballero , Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 018001 (2007)], and [J. O. Marston , Phys. Fluids 20, 023301 (2008)]).

  17. Opium and bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the odds ratios for opium use and the risk of bladder cancer

    PubMed Central

    Afshari, Mahdi; Janbabaei, Ghasem; Bahrami, Mohammad Amin

    2017-01-01

    Objective The association between opium use and bladder cancer has been investigated in many studies, with varying reporting results reported. This study aims to estimate the total odds ratio for the association between bladder cancer and opium consumption using meta-analysis. Methods The study was designed according to PRISMA guidelines. Two independent researchers searched for the relevant studies using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, OVID, Embase, and Google Scholar. After systematic screening of the studies identified during the first step, Cochrane risk of bias tool was determined for the selected studies. The case-control and the cohort studies were investigated to assess risk of bladder cancer due to opium use. In addition, the cross-sectional studies were analysed separately to assess frequency of opium consumption. These estimates were combined using the inverse variance method. Fixed or random effect models were applied to combine the point odds ratios. The heterogeneity between the primary results was assessed using the Cochran test and I-square index. The suspected factors for heterogeneity were investigated using meta-regression models. An Egger test was conducted to identify any probable publication bias. Forest plots illustrated the point and pooled estimates. All analyses were performed using Stata version 14 software and RevMan version 5.3. Results We included 17 primary studies (11 case-control, one cohort and five cross-sectional) in the final meta-analysis. The total odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for developing bladder cancer by opium use alone, and concurrent use of opium and cigarettes were estimated as 3.85 (3.05–4.87) and 5.7 (1.9–16.3) respectively. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for opium use with or without cigarette smoking was estimated as 5.3 (3.6–7.7). Conclusion This meta-analysis showed that opium use similar to cigarette smoking and maybe with similar mechanisms can be a risk factor for bladder cancer. It

  18. Association between Alcohol Consumption and Cancers in the Chinese Population—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Li, Ying; Yang, Huan; Cao, Jia

    2011-01-01

    Background Alcohol consumption is increasing worldwide and is associated with numerous cancers. This systematic review examined the role of alcohol in the incidence of cancer in the Chinese population. Methods Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI and VIP were searched to identify relevant studies. Cohort and case-control studies on the effect of alcohol use on cancers in Chinese were included. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were independently abstracted by two reviewers. Odds ratios (OR) or relative risks (RR) were pooled using RevMan 5.0. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Q test and I-squared statistic. P<.01 was considered statistically significant. Results Pooled results from cohort studies indicated that alcohol consumption was not associated with gastric cancer, esophageal cancers (EC) or lung cancer. Meta-analysis of case-control studies showed that alcohol consumption was a significant risk factor for five cancers; the pooled ORs were 1.79 (99% CI, 1.47–2.17) EC, 1.40 (99% CI, 1.19–1.64) gastric cancer, 1.56 (99% CI, 1.16–2.09) hepatocellular carcinoma, 1.21 (99% CI, 1.00–1.46) nasopharyngeal cancer and 1.71 (99% CI, 1.20–2.44) oral cancer. Pooled ORs of the case-control studies showed that alcohol consumption was protective for female breast cancer and gallbladder cancer: OR 0.76 (99% CI, 0.60–0.97) and 0.70 (99% CI, 0.49–1.00) respectively. There was no significant correlation between alcohol consumption and lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the ampulla of Vater, prostate cancer or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Combined results of case-control and cohort studies showed that alcohol consumption was associated with 1.78- and 1.40-fold higher risks of EC and gastric cancer but was not significantly associated with lung cancer. Conclusions Health programs focused on limiting alcohol intake may be important for cancer control in China. Further studies are needed to examine the

  19. Common Genetic Variation in Circadian Rhythm Genes and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC).

    PubMed

    Jim, Heather S L; Lin, Hui-Yi; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Lawrenson, Kate; Dennis, Joe; Chornokur, Ganna; Chen, Zhihua; Chen, Ann Y; Permuth-Wey, Jennifer; Aben, Katja Kh; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia; Bruinsma, Fiona; Bandera, Elisa V; Bean, Yukie T; Beckmann, Matthias W; Bisogna, Maria; Bjorge, Line; Bogdanova, Natalia; Brinton, Louise A; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Bunker, Clareann H; Butzow, Ralf; Campbell, Ian G; Carty, Karen; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Cook, Linda S; Cramer, Daniel W; Cunningham, Julie M; Cybulski, Cezary; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; du Bois, Andreas; Despierre, Evelyn; Sieh, Weiva; Doherty, Jennifer A; Dörk, Thilo; Dürst, Matthias; Easton, Douglas F; Eccles, Diana M; Edwards, Robert P; Ekici, Arif B; Fasching, Peter A; Fridley, Brooke L; Gao, Yu-Tang; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Giles, Graham G; Glasspool, Rosalind; Goodman, Marc T; Gronwald, Jacek; Harter, Philipp; Hasmad, Hanis N; Hein, Alexander; Heitz, Florian; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Hillemanns, Peter; Hogdall, Claus K; Hogdall, Estrid; Hosono, Satoyo; Iversen, Edwin S; Jakubowska, Anna; Jensen, Allan; Ji, Bu-Tian; Karlan, Beth Y; Kellar, Melissa; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Krakstad, Camilla; Kjaer, Susanne K; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Vierkant, Robert A; Lambrechts, Diether; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Le, Nhu D; Lee, Alice W; Lele, Shashi; Leminen, Arto; Lester, Jenny; Levine, Douglas A; Liang, Dong; Lim, Boon Kiong; Lissowska, Jolanta; Lu, Karen; Lubinski, Jan; Lundvall, Lene; Massuger, Leon F A G; Matsuo, Keitaro; McGuire, Valerie; McLaughlin, John R; McNeish, Ian; Menon, Usha; Milne, Roger L; Modugno, Francesmary; Thomsen, Lotte; Moysich, Kirsten B; Ness, Roberta B; Nevanlinna, Heli; Eilber, Ursula; Odunsi, Kunle; Olson, Sara H; Orlow, Irene; Orsulic, Sandra; Palmieri Weber, Rachel; Paul, James; Pearce, Celeste L; Pejovic, Tanja; Pelttari, Liisa M; Pike, Malcolm C; Poole, Elizabeth M; Schernhammer, Eva; Risch, Harvey A; Rosen, Barry; Rossing, Mary Anne; Rothstein, Joseph H; Rudolph, Anja; Runnebaum, Ingo B; Rzepecka, Iwona K; Salvesen, Helga B; Schwaab, Ira; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Shvetsov, Yurii B; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C; Spiewankiewicz, Beata; Sucheston-Campbell, Lara; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Terry, Kathryn L; Thompson, Pamela J; Tangen, Ingvild L; Tworoger, Shelley S; van Altena, Anne M; Vergote, Ignace; Walsh, Christine S; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Whittemore, Alice S; Wicklund, Kristine G; Wilkens, Lynne R; Wu, Anna H; Wu, Xifeng; Woo, Yin-Ling; Yang, Hannah; Zheng, Wei; Ziogas, Argyrios; Amankwah, Ernest; Berchuck, Andrew; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Kelemen, Linda E; Ramus, Susan J; Monteiro, Alvaro N A; Goode, Ellen L; Narod, Steven A; Gayther, Simon A; Pharoah, Paul D P; Sellers, Thomas A; Phelan, Catherine M

    Disruption in circadian gene expression, whether due to genetic variation or environmental factors (e.g., light at night, shiftwork), is associated with increased incidence of breast, prostate, gastrointestinal and hematologic cancers and gliomas. Circadian genes are highly expressed in the ovaries where they regulate ovulation; circadian disruption is associated with several ovarian cancer risk factors (e.g., endometriosis). However, no studies have examined variation in germline circadian genes as predictors of ovarian cancer risk and invasiveness. The goal of the current study was to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in circadian genes BMAL1, CRY2, CSNK1E, NPAS2, PER3, REV1 and TIMELESS and downstream transcription factors KLF10 and SENP3 as predictors of risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and histopathologic subtypes. The study included a test set of 3,761 EOC cases and 2,722 controls and a validation set of 44,308 samples including 18,174 (10,316 serous) cases and 26,134 controls from 43 studies participating in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC). Analysis of genotype data from 36 genotyped SNPs and 4600 imputed SNPs indicated that the most significant association was rs117104877 in BMAL1 (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.68-0.90, p = 5.59 × 10 -4 ]. Functional analysis revealed a significant down regulation of BMAL1 expression following cMYC overexpression and increasing transformation in ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells as well as alternative splicing of BMAL1 exons in ovarian and granulosa cells. These results suggest that variation in circadian genes, and specifically BMAL1 , may be associated with risk of ovarian cancer, likely through disruption of hormonal pathways.

  20. Oncolytic Virotherapy Targeting Lung Cancer Drug Resistance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-01

    R. M ., F. Galivo, T. Kottke, P. Wongthida, J. Qiao, J. Thompson, M . Valdes, G. Barber, and R. G. Vile. 2007. Oncolytic immunovirotherapy for...2545. 10 4. Kottke, T., F. Errington, J. Pulido, F. Galivo, J. Thompson, P. Wongthida, R. M . Diaz, H. Chong, E. Ilett, J. Chester, H. Pandha...established tumors. Nat Med 17:854-859. 5. Nguyen, T. L., M . G. Wilson, and J. Hiscott. 2010. Oncolytic viruses and histone deacetylase inhibitors--a

  1. Prostate Cancer Diagnostics and Prognostics Based on Interphase Spatial Genome Positioning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    the Drosophila melanogaster genome at the ...and van Steensel, B. (2006). 1176 Characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster genome at the nuclear lamina. Nat Genet 38, 1177 1005-1014. doi...region according to the gene distribution pattern in primary genomic sequence . J Cell Biol 174:27–38 Therizols P, Illingworth RS, Courilleau C,

  2. Chinese herbal medicine for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Su, Chun-Xiang; Wang, Li-Qiong; Grant, Suzanne J; Liu, Jian-Ping

    2014-06-01

    To assess the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. We systematically searched seven electronic databases and two trial registries for randomized clinical trials of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer-related fatigue. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were synthesized using RevMan 5.2 software. A total of 10 trials involving 751 participants with cancer-related fatigue were identified and the methodological quality of the included trials was generally poor. Chinese herbal medicine used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or supportive care showed significant relief in cancer-related fatigue compared to placebo, chemotherapy or supportive care based on single trials. Chinese herbal medicine plus chemotherapy or supportive care was superior to chemotherapy or supportive care in improving quality of life. Data from one trial demonstrated Chinese herbal medicine exerted a greater beneficial effect on relieving anxiety but no difference in alleviating depression. Seven trials reported adverse events and no severe adverse effects were found in Chinese herbal medicine groups. The findings from limited number of trials suggest that Chinese herbal medicine seems to be effective and safe in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. However, the current evidence is insufficient to draw a confirmative conclusion due to the poor methodological quality of included trials. Thus, conducting rigorously designed trials on potential Chinese herbal medicine is warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Fermi-surface reconstruction by stripe order in cuprate superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laliberté, Francis

    2012-02-01

    The origin of pairing in a superconductor resides in the underlying normal state. In the cuprate high-temperature superconductor YBCO, application of a magnetic field to suppress superconductivity reveals a ground state that appears to break the translational symmetry of the lattice, pointing to some density-wave order [1,2,3]. In another cuprate, Eu-LSCO, the onset of stripe order - a modulation of spin and charge densities - at low temperature is well established [4]. By a comparative study of thermoelectric transport in the cuprates YBCO and Eu-LSCO, we show that the two materials exhibit a very similar process of Fermi-surface reconstruction as a function of temperature and doping [5,6]. This strongly suggests that Fermi-surface reconstruction is caused by stripe order in both cases, compelling evidence that stripe order is a generic tendency of hole-doped cuprates.[4pt] Work done in collaboration with J. Chang, N. Doiron-Leyraud, E. Hassinger, R. Daou, D. LeBoeuf, M. Rondeau, B. J. Ramshaw, R. Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, S. Pyon, T. Takayama, H. Takagi, I. Sheikin, L. Malone, C. Proust, K. Behnia and L. Taillefer.[4pt] [1] N. Doiron-Leyraud et al., Nature 447, 565 (2007).[0pt] [2] D. LeBoeuf et al., Nature 450, 533 (2007).[0pt] [3] D. LeBoeuf et al., Phys. Rev. B 83, 054506 (2011).[0pt] [4] J. Fink et al., Phys. Rev. B 83, 092503 (2011).[0pt] [5] J. Chang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 057005 (2010).[0pt] [6] F. Lalibert'e et al., Nat. Commun. 2, 432 (2011).

  4. Exploring New Phenomena in Salty Water Under Planetary Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goncharov, A. F.; Bove, L. E.; Klotz, S.; Gaal, R.; Saitta, A. M.; Gillet, P.

    2015-12-01

    Compressed water is overspread on Earth at depth and in the extra-terrestrial space, both interstellar and on outer planets and moons (ice bodies) [1]. Under the conditions experienced in these celestial bodies water displays an incredibly rich phase diagram, including sixteen known crystalline phases, three amorphous ones, and predicted exotic properties like plasticity [2], ionization [3], and superionicity [4]. In this talk I will review our recent experimental results on salty (LiCl, NaCl, MgCl2) water under extreme conditions including: plasticity [5], pressure-induced polyamorphism [6], salty ice crystallization under high pressure [7], and hydrogen bond symmetrisation at Mbar pressures [8]. [1] De Pater, I., and Lissauer, J.J. Planetary Sciences. Cambridge University Press (2004). [2] Wang, Y., Liu, H., et al. Nat. Comm. 563 1566 (2011).[3] Aragones, L., and Vega, C., J. Chem. Phys. 130, 244504 (2009).[4] Cavazzoni, C., et al., Science 283, 44-46 (1999).[5] Bove, L. E., Dreyfus, C. et al., JCP 139, 044501 (2013) ; Ruiz, G. N., Bove, L. E. et al., PCCP 16 18553-18562 (2014).[6] Bove, L. E., Klotz, S. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 125701 (2011); Ludl, A. A., Bove, L. E. et al., PCCP 17, 14054 (2015). [7] Klotz, S., Bove, L. E. t al., Nat. Mat. 8, 405 (2009) ; Ludl A. A., Bove, L. E., submitted (2015).[8] Bove L. E. , Gaal, R. et al., PNAS 112, 27 (2015).

  5. Drinking water chlorination and cancer-a historical cohort study in Finland.

    PubMed

    Koivusalo, M; Pukkala, E; Vartiainen, T; Jaakkola, J J; Hakulinen, T

    1997-03-01

    Chlorination of water rich in organic material is known to produce a complex mixture of organochlorine compounds, including mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. A historical cohort study of 621,431 persons living in 56 towns in Finland was conducted in order to assess the relation between historical exposure to drinking water mutagenicity and cancer. Exposure to quantity of mutagenicity was calculated on the basis of historical information of raw water quality and water treatment practices using an empirical equation relating mutagenicity and raw water pH, KMnO4 value and chlorine dose. Cancer cases were derived from the population-based Finnish Cancer Registry and follow-up time in the study started in 1970. Age, gender, time period, social class, and urban residence were taken into account in Poisson regression analysis of the observed numbers of cases using expected numbers of cases standardized for age and gender as a basis. Excess risks were calculated using a continuous variable for mutagenicity for 3,000 net rev/l exposure representing an average exposure in a town using chlorinated surface water. After adjustment for confounding, a statistically significant excess risk was observed for women in cancers of the bladder (relative risk [RR] = 1.48, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-2.18), rectum (RR = 1.38, CI = 1.03-1.85), esophagus (RR = 1.90, CI = 1.02-3.52), and breast (RR = 1.11, CI = 1.01-1.22). These results support the magnitude of excess risks for rectal and bladder cancers found in earlier epidemiologic studies on chlorination by-products and give additional information on exposure-response concerning the mutagenic compounds. Nevertheless, due to the public health importance of water chlorination, uncertainty related to the magnitude of observed risks, and the fact that excess risks were observed only for women, the results of the study should be interpreted with caution.

  6. [Analysis of the Cochrane Review: Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of cancer in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014, 6:CD007469].

    PubMed

    Cardoso, André Torres; Nanji, Liliana; Costa, João; Vaz-Carneiro, António

    2014-01-01

    Vitamin D has been mentioned in the literature has a potentially important agent for preventing the development of tumors, namely breast, colon, prostate and ovary tumors. However, the currently available evidence on the subject is contradictory and inconclusive. In this Cochrane systematic review, patients taking supplemental vitamin D on its various forms (cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol, alfacalcidol or calcitriol), regardless the dose, duration and route of administration, were compared with placebo, healthy adults without any intervention or adults with a disease in a stable phase, non-related with vitamin D metabolism. The results showed that currently, there is no firm evidence that vitamin D supplementation increases or decreases the risk of cancer occurrence, mainly in elderly community-dwelling women. Though at risk of type I errors due to small samples and substantial dropout of participants during the trials, the administration of supplemental cholecalciferol led to a 12% (CI 95%: 2 a 22%) decreased in cancer mortality, while the administration of supplemental vitamin D decreased all-cause mortality by 7% (CI 95%: 2 a 12%). The combined administration of supplements of cholecalciferol and calcium induced an increased incidence of nephrolithiasis.

  7. Lack of evidence that avian oncogenic viruses are infectious for humans: a review.

    PubMed

    Schat, Karel A; Erb, Hollis N

    2014-09-01

    Chickens may be infected with three different oncogenic viruses: avian leukosis virus (ALV), reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), and Marek's disease herpesvirus (MDV). Several epidemiological studies have suggested a link between these viruses and different types of cancer in people working in poultry processing plants and with multiple sclerosis. In this article, we analyze the epidemiological evidence that these viruses are causative agents for human cancer, followed by description of the relevant key characteristics of ALV, REV, and MDV. Finally, we discuss the biological evidence or lack thereof that avian tumor viruses are involved in the etiology of human cancer and multiple sclerosis (MS). The recent primary epidemiologic articles that we reviewed as examples were only hypothesis-generating studies examining massive numbers of risk factors for associations with various imprecise, non-viral-specific outcomes. The studies lacked precise evidence of exposure to the relevant viruses and the statistical methods failed to adjust for the large risks of false-positive claims. ALV subgroups A-D and J have been eradicated in the United States from the pure lines down to the parent stocks by the breeder companies, which have greatly reduced the incidence of infection in layer flocks and broilers. As a consequence, potential exposure of humans to these viruses has greatly diminished. Infection of humans working in processing plants with ALV-A and ALV-B is unlikely, because broilers are generally resistant to infection with these two subgroups. Moreover, these viruses enter cells by specific receptors present on chicken, but not on mammalian, cells. Infection of mammalian cell cultures or animals with ALV-A, ALV-B, and ALV-J has not been reported. Moreover, humans vaccinated with exogenous or endogenous ALV-contaminated vaccines against yellow fever, measles, and mumps did not become antibody- or virus-positive for ALV. The risks for human infection with REV are similarly

  8. Autocatalytic caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter suppresses human ovarian carcinoma growth in vitro and in mice.

    PubMed

    Song, Yue; Xia, Zhijun; Shen, Keng; Zhai, Xingyue

    2013-05-01

    To construct recombinant adenoviruses AdHT-rev-casp3 and Ad-rev-casp3, which express autocatalysis caspase-3 driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and cytomegalovirus promoter, respectively; and to investigate their antitumor effects on ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Cell viabilities were determined using the cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometry. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting assays were used to detect cellular apoptotic activities after treatments. Tumor growth and survival of mice bearing AO cells were studied. AdHT-rev-casp3 significantly suppressed the survival of AO cells in a dose-dependent modality with a viability rate of 60.45% ± 7.8% at an multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 70 and 42.18 ± 5.3% at an MOI of 100, which was somewhat lower than that of the AO cells treated with Ad-rev-casp3 (32.28% ± 5.3% and 21.84% ± 3.4%, respectively). In contrast, AdHT-rev-casp3 induced little human umbilical vein epithelial cell (HUVEC) death with a viability rate of 98.52% ± 6.9% at an MOI of 70, whereas Ad-rev-casp3 induced significant cell death in HUVEC with a viability rate of 27.14% ± 5.4%. Additionally, AdHT-rev-casp3 (MOI = 70) caused significant apoptosis in AO cells with an apoptotic rate of 25.97%, whereas it caused undetectable apoptosis in HUVECs with the rate of only 1.75%. Ad-rev-casp3 (MOI = 70) caused strong apoptosis in both AO and HUVECs, with the rate of 35.82% and 38.12%, respectively. AdHT-rev-casp3 caused markedly higher levels of active caspase-3, causing no detectable active caspase-3 expression in HUVECs. The tumor growth suppression rate of AdHT-rev-casp3 was 54.94%, significantly higher than that of phosphate-buffered saline at the end point of the study. AdHT-rev-casp3 significantly improved the survival of mice receiving intraperitoneal inoculation of AO cells with little liver damage, with the mean survival of 177 ± 12 days. AdHT-rev-casp3 causes effective apoptosis

  9. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 gene polymorphism in an Algerian population.

    PubMed

    Chelouti, Hiba; Khelil, Malika

    2017-09-01

    The arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is a key enzyme in the biotransformation of xenobiotics. NAT2 gene polymorphisms have been associated with the risk of isoniazid hepatotoxicity and these polymorphisms change among different populations. The objective of this study is to investigate NAT2 polymorphisms in order to predict the prevalence of NAT2 phenotype in an Algerian population. Genotyping of NAT2 was done using a PCR-RFLP method. Haplotype was analysed using the software package PHASE, version 2.0. The major haplotypes were NAT2*5B (23.72%), NAT2*6 A (18.61%), NAT2*4 (14.60%) and NAT2*5 F (10%). The average of the expected slow acetylator phenotype was 53%. Our results suggest that the high frequency of slow acetylator phenotype requires investigation into its possible association with ATDH.

  10. Genome-wide Analysis of Germline CNPs and SNPs in Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    colorectal adenomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Nov 9;101(45):15992-7. 12) Iliopoulos D, Guler G, Han SY, Druck T, Ottey M, McCorkell KA...SNPs and copy number variation. Nat Genet. 2008 Oct;40(10):1166-74. 17) Qin HR, Iliopoulos D, Semba S, Fabbri M, Druck T, Volinia S, Croce CM

  11. Wet-Bulb-Globe Temperature Data Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    Hour Min Pressure Dry Nat Wet Globe Dry Nat Wet Globe Dry Nat Wet Globe Wind Cld amt Cld type Obscuration Quest RH Kestrel RH VPSc RH S1 WBGT Q WBGT...Wet Globe Dry Nat Wet Globe Dry Nat Wet Globe Wind Cld amt Cld type Obscuration Quest RH Kestrel RH VPSc RH S1 WBGT Q WBGT K2 WBGT GMT millibars deg F...Dry Nat Wet Globe Dry Nat Wet Globe Wind Cld amt Cld type Obscuration Quest RH Kestrel RH VPSc RH S1 WBGT Q WBGT K2 WBGT GMT millibars deg F deg F deg

  12. Ca2+ signaling and early embryonic patterning during the blastula and gastrula periods of zebrafish and Xenopus development.

    PubMed

    Webb, Sarah E; Miller, Andrew L

    2006-11-01

    It has been proposed that Ca(2+) signaling, in the form of pulses, waves and steady gradients, may play a crucial role in key pattern forming events during early vertebrate development [L.F. Jaffe, Organization of early development by calcium patterns, BioEssays 21 (1999) 657-667; M.J. Berridge, P. Lipp, M.D. Bootman, The versatility and universality of calcium signaling, Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 1 (2000) 11-21; S.E. Webb, A.L. Miller, Calcium signalling during embryonic development, Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 4 (2003) 539-551]. With reference to the embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the frog, Xenopus laevis, we review the Ca(2+) signals reported during the Blastula and Gastrula Periods. This developmental window encompasses the major pattern forming events of epiboly, involution, and convergent extension, which result in the establishment of the basic germ layers and body axes [C.B. Kimmel, W.W. Ballard, S.R. Kimmel, B. Ullmann, T.F. Schilling, Stages of embryonic development of the zebrafish, Dev. Dyn. 203 (1995) 253-310]. Data will be presented to support the suggestion that propagating waves (both long and short range) of Ca(2+) release, followed by sequestration, may play a crucial role in: (1) Coordinating cell movements during these pattern forming events and (2) Contributing to the establishment of the basic embryonic axes, as well as (3) Helping to define the morphological boundaries of specific tissue domains and embryonic structures, including future organ anlagen [E. Gilland, A.L. Miller, E. Karplus, R. Baker, S.E. Webb, Imaging of multicellular large-scale rhythmic calcium waves during zebrafish gastrulation, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96 (1999) 157-161; J.B. Wallingford, A.J. Ewald, R.M. Harland, S.E. Fraser, Calcium signaling during convergent extension in Xenopus, Curr. Biol. 11 (2001) 652-661]. The various potential targets of these Ca(2+) transients will also be discussed, as well as how they might integrate with other known pattern forming

  13. The Function of Neuroendocrine Cells in Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-01

    high profile article describing the technology developed by our group (Goldstein et al. Nat Protoc. 2011; 6:656-67). We explored the utility of...UGSM cells and transplanted in vivo into immune-deficient mice. We utilize an activated form of AKT (myristoylated rendering it membrane-bound) which... utilized for research can vary greatly. The second possibility is that the SV40 T-antigen is toxic to naïve benign primary human prostate cells when

  14. Biological Markers of Environmental Carcinogens in Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-10-01

    stndy population has been analyzed for the GSTM ! genotype . Descriptive statistical analyses of the data are complete and we have begun analyzing the...biomarkers of oxidative damage, and 10) metabolic genotype (NAT2, GSTMI, CYPlAI). This has created a sample bank that will allow fuiture research to be... genotype has been associated with increased PAH-DNA adduct levels, appears to play a role in detoxifying cigarette smoke constituents and is thought

  15. Unconventional superconductivity and surface pairing symmetry in half-Heusler compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qing-Ze; Yu, Jiabin; Liu, Chao-Xing

    2018-06-01

    Signatures of nodal line/point superconductivity [Kim et al., Sci. Adv. 4, eaao4513 (2018), 10.1126/sciadv.aao4513; Brydon et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 177001 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.177001] have been observed in half-Heusler compounds, such as LnPtBi (Ln = Y, Lu). Topologically nontrivial band structures, as well as topological surface states, have also been confirmed by angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in these compounds [Liu et al., Nat. Commun. 7, 12924 (2016), 10.1038/ncomms12924]. In this paper, we present a systematical classification of possible gap functions of bulk states and surface states in half-Heusler compounds and the corresponding topological properties based on the representations of crystalline symmetry group. Different from all the previous studies based on the four band Luttinger model, our study starts with the six-band Kane model, which involves both four p-orbital type of Γ8 bands and two s-orbital type of Γ6 bands. Although the Γ6 bands are away from the Fermi energy, our results reveal the importance of topological surface states, which originate from the band inversion between Γ6 and Γ8 bands, in determining surface properties of these compounds in the superconducting regime by combining topological bulk state picture and nontrivial surface state picture.

  16. Breast Cancer Risk From Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors among Women in Southeast Asia: A Meta-Analysis

    PubMed

    Nindrea, Ricvan Dana; Aryandono, Teguh; Lazuardi, Lutfan

    2017-12-28

    Objective: The aim of this study was to determine breast cancer risk from modifiable and non-modifiable factors among women in Southeast Asia. Methods: This meta-analysis was performed on research articles on breast cancer risk factors in PubMed, ProQuest and EBSCO databases published between 1997 and October 2017. Pooled odds ratios (OR) are calculated using fixed and random-effect models. Data were processed using Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3). Results: From a total of 1,211 articles, 15 studies (1 cohort and 14 case control studies) met the criteria for systematic review. Meta-analysis results showed that of the known modifiable risk factors for breast cancer, parity (nulipara) had the highest odd ratio (OR = 1.85 [95% CI 1.47-2.32]) followed by body mass index (overweight) (OR = 1.61 [95% CI 1.43-1.80]) and use of oral contraceptives (OR = 1.27 [95% CI 1.07-1.51]). Of non-modifiable risk factors, family history of breast cancer had the highest odd ratio (OR = 2.53 [95% CI 1.25-5.09]), followed by age (≥ 40 years) (OR = 1.53 [95% CI 1.34-1.76]) and menopausal status (OR = 1.44 [95% CI 1.26-1.65]). Conclusion: This analysis confirmed associations between both modifiable risk factors (parity, body mass index and use of oral contraceptives) and non-modifiable risk factors (family history of breast cancer, age and menopausal status) with breast cancer. Creative Commons Attribution License

  17. Noonan syndrome and related disorders: alterations in growth and puberty.

    PubMed

    Noonan, Jacqueline A

    2006-12-01

    Noonan syndrome is a relatively common multiple malformation syndrome with characteristic facies, short stature and congenital heart disease, most commonly pulmonary stenosis (Noonan, Clin Pediatr, 33:548-555, 1994). Recently, a mutation in the PTPN11 gene (Tartaglia, Mehler, Goldberg, Zampino, Brunner, Kremer et al., Nat Genet, 29:465-468, 2001) was found to be present in about 50% of individuals with Noonan syndrome. The phenotype noted in Noonan syndrome is also found in a number of other syndromes which include LEOPARD (Gorlin, Anderson, Blaw, Am J Dis Child, 17:652-662, 1969), Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (Reynolds, Neri, Hermann, Blumberg, Coldwell, Miles et al., Am J Med Genet, 28:413-427, 1986) and Costello syndrome (Hennekam, Am J Med Genet, 117C(1):42-48, 2003). All three of these syndromes share similar cardiac defects and all have postnatal short stature. Very recently, HRAS mutations (Aoki, Niihori, Kawame, Kurosawa, Ohashi, Tanaka et al., Nat Genet, 37:1038-1040, 2005) have been found in the Costello syndrome and germline mutations in KRAS and BRAF genes (Rodriguez-Viciana, Tetsu, Tidyman, Estep, Conger, Santa Cruz et al., Nat Genet, 2006; Niihori, Aoki, Narumi, Neri, Cave, Verloes et al., Nat Genet, 38:294-296, 2006) in the Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome. Phenotypic overlap between these genetic disorders can now be explained since each is caused by germline mutations that are major components of the RAS-MAPK pathway. This pathway plays an important role in growth factor and cytokine signaling as well as cancer pathogenesis.

  18. Noonan syndrome and related disorders: Alterations in growth and puberty

    PubMed Central

    2006-01-01

    Noonan syndrome is a relatively common multiple malformation syndrome with characteristic facies, short stature and congenital heart disease, most commonly pulmonary stenosis (Noonan, Clin Pediatr, 33:548–555, 1994). Recently, a mutation in the PTPN11 gene (Tartaglia, Mehler, Goldberg, Zampino, Brunner, Kremer et al., Nat Genet, 29:465–468, 2001) was found to be present in about 50% of individuals with Noonan syndrome. The phenotype noted in Noonan syndrome is also found in a number of other syndromes which include LEOPARD (Gorlin, Anderson, Blaw, Am J Dis Child, 17:652–662, 1969), Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (Reynolds, Neri, Hermann, Blumberg, Coldwell, Miles et al., Am J Med Genet, 28:413–427, 1986) and Costello syndrome (Hennekam, Am J Med Genet, 117C(1):42–48, 2003). All three of these syndromes share similar cardiac defects and all have postnatal short stature. Very recently, HRAS mutations (Aoki, Niihori, Kawame, Kurosawa, Ohashi, Tanaka et al., Nat Genet, 37:1038–1040, 2005) have been found in the Costello syndrome and germline mutations in KRAS and BRAF genes (Rodriguez-Viciana, Tetsu, Tidyman, Estep, Conger, Santa Cruz et al., Nat Genet,2006; Niihori, Aoki, Narumi, Neri, Cave, Verloes et al., Nat Genet, 38:294–296, 2006) in the Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome. Phenotypic overlap between these genetic disorders can now be explained since each is caused by germline mutations that are major components of the RAS-MAPK pathway. This pathway plays an important role in growth factor and cytokine signaling as well as cancer pathogenesis. PMID:17177115

  19. Dimensionality and predictive validity of the HAM-Nat, a test of natural sciences for medical school admission

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Knowledge in natural sciences generally predicts study performance in the first two years of the medical curriculum. In order to reduce delay and dropout in the preclinical years, Hamburg Medical School decided to develop a natural science test (HAM-Nat) for student selection. In the present study, two different approaches to scale construction are presented: a unidimensional scale and a scale composed of three subject specific dimensions. Their psychometric properties and relations to academic success are compared. Methods 334 first year medical students of the 2006 cohort responded to 52 multiple choice items from biology, physics, and chemistry. For the construction of scales we generated two random subsamples, one for development and one for validation. In the development sample, unidimensional item sets were extracted from the item pool by means of weighted least squares (WLS) factor analysis, and subsequently fitted to the Rasch model. In the validation sample, the scales were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and, again, Rasch modelling. The outcome measure was academic success after two years. Results Although the correlational structure within the item set is weak, a unidimensional scale could be fitted to the Rasch model. However, psychometric properties of this scale deteriorated in the validation sample. A model with three highly correlated subject specific factors performed better. All summary scales predicted academic success with an odds ratio of about 2.0. Prediction was independent of high school grades and there was a slight tendency for prediction to be better in females than in males. Conclusions A model separating biology, physics, and chemistry into different Rasch scales seems to be more suitable for item bank development than a unidimensional model, even when these scales are highly correlated and enter into a global score. When such a combination scale is used to select the upper quartile of applicants, the proportion of

  20. Dimensionality and predictive validity of the HAM-Nat, a test of natural sciences for medical school admission.

    PubMed

    Hissbach, Johanna C; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

    2011-10-14

    Knowledge in natural sciences generally predicts study performance in the first two years of the medical curriculum. In order to reduce delay and dropout in the preclinical years, Hamburg Medical School decided to develop a natural science test (HAM-Nat) for student selection. In the present study, two different approaches to scale construction are presented: a unidimensional scale and a scale composed of three subject specific dimensions. Their psychometric properties and relations to academic success are compared. 334 first year medical students of the 2006 cohort responded to 52 multiple choice items from biology, physics, and chemistry. For the construction of scales we generated two random subsamples, one for development and one for validation. In the development sample, unidimensional item sets were extracted from the item pool by means of weighted least squares (WLS) factor analysis, and subsequently fitted to the Rasch model. In the validation sample, the scales were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and, again, Rasch modelling. The outcome measure was academic success after two years. Although the correlational structure within the item set is weak, a unidimensional scale could be fitted to the Rasch model. However, psychometric properties of this scale deteriorated in the validation sample. A model with three highly correlated subject specific factors performed better. All summary scales predicted academic success with an odds ratio of about 2.0. Prediction was independent of high school grades and there was a slight tendency for prediction to be better in females than in males. A model separating biology, physics, and chemistry into different Rasch scales seems to be more suitable for item bank development than a unidimensional model, even when these scales are highly correlated and enter into a global score. When such a combination scale is used to select the upper quartile of applicants, the proportion of successful completion of the curriculum

  1. Common Genetic Variation in Circadian Rhythm Genes and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC)

    PubMed Central

    Jim, Heather S.L.; Lin, Hui-Yi; Tyrer, Jonathan P.; Lawrenson, Kate; Dennis, Joe; Chornokur, Ganna; Chen, Zhihua; Chen, Ann Y.; Permuth-Wey, Jennifer; Aben, Katja KH.; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia; Bruinsma, Fiona; Bandera, Elisa V.; Bean, Yukie T.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Bisogna, Maria; Bjorge, Line; Bogdanova, Natalia; Brinton, Louise A.; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Bunker, Clareann H.; Butzow, Ralf; Campbell, Ian G.; Carty, Karen; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Cook, Linda S.; Cramer, Daniel W.; Cunningham, Julie M.; Cybulski, Cezary; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; du Bois, Andreas; Despierre, Evelyn; Sieh, Weiva; Doherty, Jennifer A.; Dörk, Thilo; Dürst, Matthias; Easton, Douglas F.; Eccles, Diana M.; Edwards, Robert P.; Ekici, Arif B.; Fasching, Peter A.; Fridley, Brooke L.; Gao, Yu-Tang; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Giles, Graham G.; Glasspool, Rosalind; Goodman, Marc T.; Gronwald, Jacek; Harter, Philipp; Hasmad, Hanis N.; Hein, Alexander; Heitz, Florian; Hildebrandt, Michelle A.T.; Hillemanns, Peter; Hogdall, Claus K.; Hogdall, Estrid; Hosono, Satoyo; Iversen, Edwin S.; Jakubowska, Anna; Jensen, Allan; Ji, Bu-Tian; Karlan, Beth Y.; Kellar, Melissa; Kiemeney, Lambertus A.; Krakstad, Camilla; Kjaer, Susanne K.; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Vierkant, Robert A.; Lambrechts, Diether; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Le, Nhu D.; Lee, Alice W.; Lele, Shashi; Leminen, Arto; Lester, Jenny; Levine, Douglas A.; Liang, Dong; Lim, Boon Kiong; Lissowska, Jolanta; Lu, Karen; Lubinski, Jan; Lundvall, Lene; Massuger, Leon F.A.G.; Matsuo, Keitaro; McGuire, Valerie; McLaughlin, John R.; McNeish, Ian; Menon, Usha; Milne, Roger L.; Modugno, Francesmary; Thomsen, Lotte; Moysich, Kirsten B.; Ness, Roberta B.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Eilber, Ursula; Odunsi, Kunle; Olson, Sara H.; Orlow, Irene; Orsulic, Sandra; Palmieri Weber, Rachel; Paul, James; Pearce, Celeste L.; Pejovic, Tanja; Pelttari, Liisa M.; Pike, Malcolm C.; Poole, Elizabeth M.; Schernhammer, Eva; Risch, Harvey A.; Rosen, Barry; Rossing, Mary Anne; Rothstein, Joseph H.; Rudolph, Anja; Runnebaum, Ingo B.; Rzepecka, Iwona K.; Salvesen, Helga B.; Schwaab, Ira; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Shvetsov, Yurii B.; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C.; Spiewankiewicz, Beata; Sucheston-Campbell, Lara; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Terry, Kathryn L.; Thompson, Pamela J.; Tangen, Ingvild L.; Tworoger, Shelley S.; van Altena, Anne M.; Vergote, Ignace; Walsh, Christine S.; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Whittemore, Alice S.; Wicklund, Kristine G.; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Wu, Anna H.; Wu, Xifeng; Woo, Yin-Ling; Yang, Hannah; Zheng, Wei; Ziogas, Argyrios; Amankwah, Ernest; Berchuck, Andrew; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Kelemen, Linda E.; Ramus, Susan J.; Monteiro, Alvaro N.A.; Goode, Ellen L.; Narod, Steven A.; Gayther, Simon A.; Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Sellers, Thomas A.; Phelan, Catherine M.

    2016-01-01

    Disruption in circadian gene expression, whether due to genetic variation or environmental factors (e.g., light at night, shiftwork), is associated with increased incidence of breast, prostate, gastrointestinal and hematologic cancers and gliomas. Circadian genes are highly expressed in the ovaries where they regulate ovulation; circadian disruption is associated with several ovarian cancer risk factors (e.g., endometriosis). However, no studies have examined variation in germline circadian genes as predictors of ovarian cancer risk and invasiveness. The goal of the current study was to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in circadian genes BMAL1, CRY2, CSNK1E, NPAS2, PER3, REV1 and TIMELESS and downstream transcription factors KLF10 and SENP3 as predictors of risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and histopathologic subtypes. The study included a test set of 3,761 EOC cases and 2,722 controls and a validation set of 44,308 samples including 18,174 (10,316 serous) cases and 26,134 controls from 43 studies participating in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC). Analysis of genotype data from 36 genotyped SNPs and 4600 imputed SNPs indicated that the most significant association was rs117104877 in BMAL1 (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.68–0.90, p = 5.59 × 10−4]. Functional analysis revealed a significant down regulation of BMAL1 expression following cMYC overexpression and increasing transformation in ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells as well as alternative splicing of BMAL1 exons in ovarian and granulosa cells. These results suggest that variation in circadian genes, and specifically BMAL1, may be associated with risk of ovarian cancer, likely through disruption of hormonal pathways. PMID:26807442

  2. Importance of the Evaluation of N-Acetyltransferase Enzyme Activity Prior to 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Medication for Ulcerative Colitis.

    PubMed

    Matthis, Andrea L; Zhang, Bin; Denson, Lee A; Yacyshyn, Bruce R; Aihara, Eitaro; Montrose, Marshall H

    2016-08-01

    5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is a classic anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. N-acetyltransferase (NAT) enzymes convert 5-ASA to its metabolite N-acetyl-5-ASA, and it is unresolved whether 5-ASA or N-acetyl-5-ASA is the effective therapeutic molecule. We previously demonstrated that colonic production of N-acetyl-5-ASA (NAT activity) is decreased in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. Our hypothesis is that 5-ASA is the therapeutic molecule to improve colitis, with the corollary that altered NAT activity affects drug efficacy. Since varying clinical effectiveness of 5-ASA has been reported, we also ask if NAT activity varies with inflammation in pediatric or adult patients. Acute colonic inflammation was induced in C57BL/6 NAT wild-type (WT) or knockout mice, using 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium (w/v) concurrent with 5-ASA treatment. Adult and pediatric rectosigmoid biopsies were collected from control or patients with ulcerative colitis. Tissue was analyzed for NAT and myeloperoxidase activity. Dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis was of similar severity in both NAT WT and knockout mice, and NAT activity was significantly decreased in NAT WT mice. In the setting of colitis, 5-ASA significantly restored colon length and decreased myeloperoxidase activity in NAT knockout but not in WT mice. Myeloperoxidase activity negatively correlated with NAT activity in pediatric patients, but correlation was not observed in adult patients. Inflammation decreases NAT activity in the colon of mice and human pediatric patients. Decreased NAT activity enhances the therapeutic effect of 5-ASA in mice. A NAT activity assay could be useful to help predict the efficacy of 5-ASA therapy.

  3. Natural antisense transcripts are significantly involved in regulation of drought stress in maize.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jie; Wang, Qi; Freeling, Micheal; Zhang, Xuecai; Xu, Yunbi; Mao, Yan; Tang, Xin; Wu, Fengkai; Lan, Hai; Cao, Moju; Rong, Tingzhao; Lisch, Damon; Lu, Yanli

    2017-05-19

    Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are a prominent and complex class of regulatory RNAs. Using strand-specific RNA sequencing, we identified 1769 sense and antisense transcript pairs (NAT pairs) in two maize inbreds with different sensitivity to drought, as well as in two derivative recombination inbred lines (RILs). A significantly higher proportion of NATs relative to non-NATs are specifically expressed under water stress (WS). Surprisingly, expression of sense and antisense transcripts produced by NAT pairs is significantly correlated, particularly under WS. We found an unexpected large proportion of NATs with protein coding potential, as estimated by ribosome release scores. Small RNAs significantly accumulate within NAT pairs, with 21 nt smRNA particularly enriched in overlapping regions of these pairs of genes. The abundance of these smRNAs is significantly altered in the leafbladeless1 mutant, suggesting that these genes may be regulated by the tasiRNA pathway. Further, NATs are significantly hypomethylated and include fewer transposable element sequences relative to non-NAT genes. NAT gene regions also exhibit higher levels of H3K36me3, H3K9ac, and H3K4me3, but lower levels of H3K27me3, indicating that NAT gene pairs generally exhibit an open chromatin configuration. Finally, NAT pairs in 368 diverse maize inbreds and 19 segregating populations were specifically enriched for polymorphisms associated with drought tolerance. Taken together, the data highlight the potential impact of that small RNAs and histone modifications have in regulation of NAT expression, and the significance of NATs in response to WS. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. Long-distance quantum key distribution with imperfect devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lo Piparo, Nicoló; Razavi, Mohsen

    2014-12-04

    Quantum key distribution over probabilistic quantum repeaters is addressed. We compare, under practical assumptions, two such schemes in terms of their secure key generation rate per memory, R{sub QKD}. The two schemes under investigation are the one proposed by Duan et al. in [Nat. 414, 413 (2001)] and that of Sangouard et al. proposed in [Phys. Rev. A 76, 050301 (2007)]. We consider various sources of imperfections in the latter protocol, such as a nonzero double-photon probability for the source, dark count per pulse, channel loss and inefficiencies in photodetectors and memories, to find the rate for different nesting levels.more » We determine the maximum value of the double-photon probability beyond which it is not possible to share a secret key anymore. We find the crossover distance for up to three nesting levels. We finally compare the two protocols.« less

  5. N-Acetyltransferase 2 Genotypes Are Associated With Diisocyanate-Induced Asthma.

    PubMed

    Yucesoy, Berran; Kissling, Grace E; Johnson, Victor J; Lummus, Zana L; Gautrin, Denyse; Cartier, André; Boulet, Louis-Philippe; Sastre, Joaquin; Quirce, Santiago; Tarlo, Susan M; Cruz, Maria-Jesus; Munoz, Xavier; Luster, Michael I; Bernstein, David I

    2015-12-01

    To investigate whether genetic variants of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) genes are associated with diisocyanate asthma (DA). The study population consisted of 354 diisocyanate-exposed workers. Genotyping was performed using a 5'-nuclease polymerase chain reaction assay. The NAT2 rs2410556 and NAT2 rs4271002 variants were significantly associated with DA in the univariate analysis. In the first logistic regression model comparing DA+ and asymptomatic worker groups, the rs2410556 (P = 0.004) and rs4271002 (P < 0.001) single nucleotide polymorphisms and the genotype combination, NAT2 rs4271002*NAT1 rs11777998, showed associations with DA risk (P = 0.014). In the second model comparing DA+ and DA- groups, NAT2 rs4271002 variant and the combined genotype, NAT1 rs8190845*NAT2 rs13277605, were significantly associated with DA risk (P = 0.022, P = 0.036, respectively). These findings suggest that variations in the NAT2 gene and their interactions contribute to DA susceptibility.

  6. A pilot study of the modulation of sirtuins on arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 and 2 enzymatic activity.

    PubMed

    Turiján-Espinoza, Eneida; Salazar-González, Rául Alejandro; Uresti-Rivera, Edith Elena; Hernández-Hernández, Gloria Estela; Ortega-Juárez, Montserrat; Milán, Rosa; Portales-Pérez, Diana

    2018-03-01

    Arylamine N -acetyltransferase (NAT; E.C. 2.3.1.5) enzymes are responsible for the biotransformation of several arylamine and hydrazine drugs by acetylation. In this process, the acetyl group transferred to the acceptor substrate produces NAT deacetylation and, in consequence, it is susceptible of degradation. Sirtuins are protein deacetylases, dependent on nicotine adenine dinucleotide, which perform post-translational modifications on cytosolic proteins. To explore possible sirtuin participation in the enzymatic activity of arylamine NATs, the expression levels of NAT1, NAT2, SIRT1 and SIRT6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy subjects were examined by flow cytometry and Western blot. The in situ activity of the sirtuins on NAT enzymatic activity was analyzed by HPLC, in the presence or absence of an agonist (resveratrol) and inhibitor (nicotinamide) of sirtuins. We detected a higher percentage of positive cells for NAT2 in comparison with NAT1, and higher numbers of SIRT1+ cells compared to SIRT6 in lymphocytes. In situ NAT2 activity in the presence of NAM inhibitors was higher than in the presence of its substrate, but not in the presence of resveratrol. In contrast, the activity of NAT1 was not affected by sirtuins. These results showed that NAT2 activity might be modified by sirtuins.

  7. Evaluation of shedding, tissue burdens, and humoral immune response in goats after experimental challenge with the virulent Brucella melitensis strain 16M and the reduced virulence vaccine strain Rev. 1

    PubMed Central

    Bowen, Richard A.

    2017-01-01

    Brucella melitensis is the causative agent of brucellosis in small ruminants and is of considerable economic and public health importance in many countries worldwide. The control of disease in humans depends on the control of disease in livestock; however, few counties with endemic B. melitensis infection have been able to successfully eradicate this pathogen. This underscores the need for further research on the pathogenesis of both virulent and vaccine strains of B. melitensis in the small ruminant host. The aim of the present study was to characterize clinical effects, tissue colonization, shedding, and humoral immune response following B. melitensis infection in goats. Both virulent (16M) and reduced virulence (Rev. 1) strains of B. melitensis were studied. Pregnant goats were infected at 11–14 weeks of gestation with 8 x 106 or 8 x 107 CFU of B. melitensis. Infection of goats with B. melitensis 16M resulted in an 86% abortion rate. This strain disseminated widely in pregnant does post-infection with none of the 15 sampled tissues spared from colonization. Importantly, we report the first isolation of B. melitensis from muscle tissue in ruminants. Pathogenesis of Rev. 1 infection was variable with two does showing minimal colonization and one doe exhibiting disease similar to that of animals infected with fully virulent 16M. Shedding of B. melitensis in milk occurred in all 16M- and Rev. 1- infected goats. In pregnant animals challenged with virulent B. melitensis, median time to seroconversion was 21 days; however, 2 animals did not seroconvert until after abortion. PMID:29028813

  8. The Progression of Cell Death Affects the Rejection of Allogeneic Tumors in Immune-Competent Mice – Implications for Cancer Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Chaurio, Ricardo A.; Muñoz, Luis E.; Maueröder, Christian; Janko, Christina; Harrer, Thomas; Fürnrohr, Barbara G.; Niederweis, Michael; Bilyy, Rostyslav; Schett, Georg; Herrmann, Martin; Berens, Christian

    2014-01-01

    Large amounts of dead and dying cells are produced during cancer therapy and allograft rejection. Depending on the death pathway and stimuli involved, dying cells exhibit diverse features, resulting in defined physiological consequences for the host. It is not fully understood how dying and dead cells modulate the immune response of the host. To address this problem, different death stimuli were studied in B16F10 melanoma cells by regulated inducible transgene expression of the pro-apoptotic active forms of caspase-3 (revCasp-3), Bid (tBid), and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-necrosis inducing toxin (CpnTCTD). The immune outcome elicited for each death stimulus was assessed by evaluating the allograft rejection of melanoma tumors implanted subcutaneously in BALB/c mice immunized with dying cells. Expression of all proteins efficiently killed cells in vitro (>90%) and displayed distinctive morphological and physiological features as assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry analysis. BALB/c mice immunized with allogeneic dying melanoma cells expressing revCasp-3 or CpnTCTD showed strong rejection of the allogeneic challenge. In contrast, mice immunized with cells dying either after expression of tBid or irradiation with UVB did not, suggesting an immunologically silent cell death. Surprisingly, immunogenic cell death induced by expression of revCasp-3 or CpnTCTD correlated with elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels at the time point of immunization. Conversely, early mitochondrial dysfunction induced by tBid expression or UVB irradiation accounted for the absence of intracellular ROS accumulation at the time point of immunization. Although ROS inhibition in vitro was not sufficient to abrogate the immunogenicity in our allo-immunization model, we suggest that the point of ROS generation and its intracellular accumulation may be an important factor for its role as damage associated molecular pattern in the development of allogeneic responses

  9. PITX3 DNA methylation is an independent predictor of overall survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Sailer, Verena; Holmes, Emily Eva; Gevensleben, Heidrun; Goltz, Diane; Dröge, Freya; Franzen, Alina; Dietrich, Jörn; Kristiansen, Glen; Bootz, Friedrich; Schröck, Andreas; Dietrich, Dimo

    2017-01-01

    Molecular biomarkers assisting risk-group assignment and subsequent treatment stratification are urgently needed for patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck region (HNSCC). Aberrant methylation is a frequent event in cancer and, therefore, a promising source for potential biomarkers. Here, the methylation status of the paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 3 ( PITX3 ) was evaluated in HNSCC. Using a quantitative real-time PCR, PITX3 methylation was assessed in a cohort of 326 HNSCC patients treated for localized or locally advanced disease (training cohort). The results were validated with Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip data from a 528 HNSCC patient cohort (validation cohort) generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network. PITX3 methylation was significantly higher methylated in tumor compared to normal adjacent tissue (NAT; training cohort: median methylation NAT 32.3%, tumor 71.8%, p  < 0.001; validation cohort: median methylation NAT 16.9%, tumor 35.9%, p  < 0.001). PITX3 methylation was also significantly correlated with lymph node status both in the training ( p  = 0.006) and validation ( p  < 0.001) cohort. PITX3 methylation was significantly higher in HPV-associated (p16-positive) tumors compared to p16-negative tumors (training cohort: 73.7 vs. 66.2%, p  = 0.013; validation cohort: 40.0 vs. 33.1%, p  = 0.015). Hypermethylation was significantly associated with the risk of death (training cohort: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.80, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.69], p  = 0.005; validation cohort: HR = 1.43, [95% CI 1.05-1.95], p  = 0.022). In multivariate Cox analyses, PITX3 added independent prognostic information. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression analysis revealed an inverse correlation with PITX3 methylation in the TCGA cohort. PITX3 DNA methylation is an independent prognostic biomarker for overall survival in patients with HNSCC and might aid in the process of risk stratification

  10. Diphenylureas for Treatment of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-01-01

    M. Cooper. C.A. Stein. R.V. Li Rocca, M.M. [181 D.B. Hinshaw, J.M. Burger, R.E. Delius, P.A. Hyslop , G.M. Walther. G. Weiss. P’. Clioykc. N. D~awson...Biochem. 102 ( 1980 ) 344-352. 15I A.R. Gagliardi, 1-1. l-add. D.C. Collins. Inhibition of’ angto- [20] T. Peters Jr., Serum albutmin, Adv. Protein...lipid a1ccimmul111ttioii in the rat, IProc. Nat]. Acad. Sdi. USA 77 [28] K. Rotbbcrgp, Y. Ying, B.A. Kamen, R.G.W. Anderson, Cho- ( 1980 ) 3700--3704

  11. The significance of OLGA and OLGIM staging systems in the risk assessment of gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Yue, Hu; Shan, Liu; Bin, Lv

    2018-02-19

    Despite extensive research on the criteria for the assessment of gastric cancer risk using the Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) and Operative Link on Gastritis/Intestinal-Metaplasia Assessment (OLGIM) systems, no comprehensive overview or systematic summary on their use is currently available. To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of the OLGA and OLGIM staging systems in evaluating gastric cancer risk. We searched various databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane's library, for articles published before March 2017 on the association between OLGA/OLGIM stages and risk of gastric cancer. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.30 and Stata 14.0, with the odds ratio, risk ratio, and 95% confidence interval as the effect measures. A meta-analysis of six case-control studies and two cohort studies, comprising 2700 subjects, was performed. The meta-analysis of prospective case-control studies demonstrated a significant association between the OLGA/OLGIM stages III/IV and gastric cancer. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score reflected heterogeneity in the case-control studies on OLGA. Subgroup analysis of high-quality (NOS score ≥ 5) studies showed an association between OLGA stage III/IV and increased risk of gastric cancer; the association was also high in the remaining study with low NOS score. The association between higher stages of gastritis defined by OLGA and risk of gastric cancer was significant. This correlation implies that close and frequent monitoring of such high-risk patients is necessary to facilitate timely diagnosis of gastric cancer.

  12. TNF-α-308 polymorphism and risk of digestive system cancers: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Guo, Xu-Feng; Wang, Jun; Yu, Shi-Jie; Song, Jia; Ji, Meng-Yao; Cao, Zhuo; Zhang, Ji-Xiang; Wang, Jing; Dong, Wei-Guo

    2013-12-28

    To evaluate the association between the tumour necrosis factor alpha-308 (TNF-α-308) gene polymorphism and the risk of digestive system cancers. All eligible case-control studies published up to December 2012 were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and China National Knowledge Internet without language restrictions. The risk of digestive system cancers associated with the TNF-α-308 polymorphism was estimated for each study using odds ratio (OR) together with its 95%CI, respectively. Cochrane Collaboration RevMan 5.1 was used to perform the analysis. A χ²-test-based Q statistic test and an I² test were performed to assess the between-study heterogeneity. When the Q test was significant (P < 0.05) or I² > 50%, the random effects model was used, otherwise the fixed effects model was used. Fifty-eight studies from fifty-five publications with a total of 9986 cancer patients and 15511 healthy controls were included. Overall, a significant association was found between the TNF-α-308 polymorphism and the risk of digestive system cancers [dominant model: OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.09-1.39, (G/A) vs (G/G): OR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.02-1.28, (A/A) vs (G/G): OR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.19-1.73, recessive model: OR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.15-1.66]. Furthermore, when the analysis was stratified by ethnicity, similar results were observed in both the Asian and Caucasian populations, except for the dominant model and heterozygote comparisons in the Asian population [dominant model: OR = 1.24, 95%CI: 0.99-1.56, (G/A) vs (G/G): OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.96-1.24]. When the cancer type subgroups were examined, similar results were detected in gastric and hepatocellular carcinomas; however, no significant association was observed among other digestive system cancers. The TNF-α-308 gene polymorphism may be significantly associated with the risk of gastric and hepatocellular carcinomas, but not colorectal, pancreatic, or oesophageal cancer, in the Asian population.

  13. N-acetyltransferase polymorphisms are associated with risk of lymphoma subtypes.

    PubMed

    Cocco, Pierluigi; Zucca, Mariagrazia; Sanna, Sonia; Satta, Giannina; Nonne, Tinucia; Angelucci, Emanuele; Gabbas, Attilio; Rais, Marco; Malpeli, Giorgio; Campagna, Marcello; Scarpa, Aldo; G Ennas, Maria

    2016-06-01

    Genes encoding for arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 and 2 (NAT1 and NAT2) have been investigated with alternate findings in relation to risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We tested functional haplotype-based NAT1 and NAT2 gene polymorphisms in relation to risk of lymphoma overall and its major B cell subtypes, diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We used allele specific primers and multiplex PCR to detect NAT1 and NAT2 haplotypes in 248 patients with incident lymphoma and 208 population controls. We inferred the NAT1 rapid and slow acetylator and the NAT2 rapid, intermediate or slow acetylator phenotype, based on published functional data on the respective genotypes. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for lymphoma, B-NHL, DLBCL, FL, CLL, and other B-NHL combined associated with the inferred rapid NAT1 acetylator and with the intermediate and slow NAT2 acetylator phenotypes were estimated with unconditional and polytomous logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, gender and education. NAT1 rapid acetylators showed a 2.8-fold excess risk (95% CI 1.5-5.2) for lymphoma (all subtypes combined). Risk was highest for CLL and FL, with significant heterogeneity detected across subtypes. Risk also increased with decreasing NAT2 acetylating capacity with no heterogeneity detected across B cell lymphoma subtypes. Risks did not vary by gender. Although poor statistical power was a major limitation in our study, larger studies and pooled analyses are warranted to test whether NAT1 and NAT2 gene polymorphisms might modulate risk of specific lymphoma subtypes through the varying metabolic activity of their products. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Insight into cofactor recognition in arylamine N-acetyltransferase enzymes: structure of Mesorhizobium loti arylamine N-acetyltransferase in complex with coenzyme A.

    PubMed

    Xu, Ximing; Li de la Sierra-Gallay, Inés; Kubiak, Xavier; Duval, Romain; Chaffotte, Alain F; Dupret, Jean Marie; Haouz, Ahmed; Rodrigues-Lima, Fernando

    2015-02-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes that catalyze the acetyl-CoA-dependent acetylation of arylamines. To better understand the mode of binding of the cofactor by this family of enzymes, the structure of Mesorhizobium loti NAT1 [(RHILO)NAT1] was determined in complex with CoA. The F42W mutant of (RHILO)NAT1 was used as it is well expressed in Escherichia coli and displays enzymatic properties similar to those of the wild type. The apo and holo structures of (RHILO)NAT1 F42W were solved at 1.8 and 2 Å resolution, respectively. As observed in the Mycobacterium marinum NAT1-CoA complex, in (RHILO)NAT1 CoA binding induces slight structural rearrangements that are mostly confined to certain residues of its `P-loop'. Importantly, it was found that the mode of binding of CoA is highly similar to that of M. marinum NAT1 but different from the modes reported for Bacillus anthracis NAT1 and Homo sapiens NAT2. Therefore, in contrast to previous data, this study shows that different orthologous NATs can bind their cofactors in a similar way, suggesting that the mode of binding CoA in this family of enzymes is less diverse than previously thought. Moreover, it supports the notion that the presence of the `mammalian/eukaryotic insertion loop' in certain NAT enzymes impacts the mode of binding CoA by imposing structural constraints.

  15. Early Detection of Breast Cancer Using Molecular Beacons

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-01

    This article must therefore be hereby marked “ advertisement ” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. 1 To whom...Ambrosini, G., Adida , C., and Altieri, D. C. (1997) Nat. Med. 3, 917–921 17. Tanaka, K., Iwamoto, S., Gon, G., Nohara, T., Iwamoto,M., andTanigawa, N...publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in

  16. In Vitro Metabolic Studies of REV-ERB Agonists SR9009 and SR9011.

    PubMed

    Geldof, Lore; Deventer, Koen; Roels, Kris; Tudela, Eva; Van Eeno, Peter

    2016-10-03

    SR9009 and SR9011 are attractive as performance-enhancing substances due to their REV-ERB agonist effects and thus circadian rhythm modulation activity. Although no pharmaceutical preparations are available yet, illicit use of SR9009 and SR9011 for doping purposes can be anticipated, especially since SR9009 is marketed in illicit products. Therefore, the aim was to identify potential diagnostic metabolites via in vitro metabolic studies to ensure effective (doping) control. The presence of SR9009 could be demonstrated in a black market product purchased over the Internet. Via human liver microsomal metabolic assays, eight metabolites were detected for SR9009 and fourteen metabolites for SR9011 by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Structure elucidation was performed for all metabolites by LC-HRMS product ion scans in both positive and negative ionization mode. Retrospective data analysis was applied to 1511 doping control samples previously analyzed by a full-scan LC-HRMS screening method to verify the presence of SR9009, SR9011 and their metabolites. So far, the presence of neither the parent compound nor the metabolites could be detected in routine urine samples. However, to further discourage use of these potentially harmful compounds, incorporation of SR9009 and SR9011 into screening methods is highly recommended.

  17. In Vitro Metabolic Studies of REV-ERB Agonists SR9009 and SR9011

    PubMed Central

    Geldof, Lore; Deventer, Koen; Roels, Kris; Tudela, Eva; Van Eenoo, Peter

    2016-01-01

    SR9009 and SR9011 are attractive as performance-enhancing substances due to their REV-ERB agonist effects and thus circadian rhythm modulation activity. Although no pharmaceutical preparations are available yet, illicit use of SR9009 and SR9011 for doping purposes can be anticipated, especially since SR9009 is marketed in illicit products. Therefore, the aim was to identify potential diagnostic metabolites via in vitro metabolic studies to ensure effective (doping) control. The presence of SR9009 could be demonstrated in a black market product purchased over the Internet. Via human liver microsomal metabolic assays, eight metabolites were detected for SR9009 and fourteen metabolites for SR9011 by liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS). Structure elucidation was performed for all metabolites by LC–HRMS product ion scans in both positive and negative ionization mode. Retrospective data analysis was applied to 1511 doping control samples previously analyzed by a full-scan LC–HRMS screening method to verify the presence of SR9009, SR9011 and their metabolites. So far, the presence of neither the parent compound nor the metabolites could be detected in routine urine samples. However, to further discourage use of these potentially harmful compounds, incorporation of SR9009 and SR9011 into screening methods is highly recommended. PMID:27706103

  18. Ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis for prevention of colon cancer: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Ashraf, Imran; Choudhary, Abhishek; Arif, Murtaza; Matteson, Michelle L; Hammad, Hazem T; Puli, Srinivas R; Bechtold, Matthew L

    2012-04-01

    Colon cancer risk is high in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Ursodeoxycholic acid has been shown to have some promise as a chemopreventive agent. A meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid in the prevention of colonic neoplasia in patients with UC and PSC. Multiple databases were searched (January 2011). Studies examining the use of ursodeoxycholic acid vs. no ursodeoxycholic acid or placebo in adult patients with UC and PSC were included. Data were extracted in standard forms by two independent reviewers. Meta-analysis for the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid was performed by calculating pooled estimates of adenoma or colon cancer formation by odds ratio (OR) with random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by calculating the I (2) measure of inconsistency. RevMan 5 was utilized for statistical analysis. Four studies (n = 281) met the inclusion criteria. The studies were of adequate quality. Ursodeoxycholic acid demonstrated no overall improvement in adenoma (OR 0.53; 95 % CI: 0.19-1.48, p = 0.23) or colon cancer occurrence (OR 0.50; 95 % CI: 0.18-1.43, p = 0.20) as compared to no ursodeoxycholic acid or placebo in patients with UC and PSC. Ursodeoxycholic acid use in patients with UC and PSC does not appear to decrease the risk of adenomas or colon cancer.

  19. Jianpi Bushen, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy, Combined with Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer Treatment: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yunbo; Zhang, Guijuan; Chen, Xiaoping; Jiang, Xuefeng; Yuan, Naijun; Wang, Yurong; Hao, Xiaoqian

    2018-01-01

    Objective. To investigate the effects of Jianpi Bushen (JPBS), a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to invigorate the spleen and tonify the kidney, combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of gastric cancer. Methods. Literature retrieval was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang Data Information Site, and VIP from inception to October 2017. Randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of JPBS combined with chemotherapy were identified. The primary reported outcomes were KPS (Karnofsky Performance Status), clinical curative efficiency, immune function, blood system, and nonhematologic system. Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3) was used for data analysis, and the quality of the studies was also appraised. Results. A total of 26 studies were included with 3098 individuals. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that treatment of gastric cancer with the combination of JPBS and chemotherapy resulted in better outcomes compared to chemotherapy alone. Conclusion. Evidence from the meta-analysis suggested that JPBS combined with chemotherapy has a positive effect on gastric cancer treatment. However, additional rigorously designed and large sample randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of this treatment. PMID:29675052

  20. Half a decade of mini-pool nucleic acid testing: Cost-effective way for improving blood safety in India

    PubMed Central

    Chandrashekar, Shivaram

    2014-01-01

    Background and Objectives: It is well established that Nucleic acid testing (NAT) reduces window phase of transfusion transmissible infections (TTI) and helps improve blood safety. NAT testing can be done individually or in pools. The objectives of this study were to determine the utility, feasibility and cost effectiveness of an in-house minipool-NAT(MP-NAT). Materials and Methods: Blood donors were screened by history, tested by ELISA and sero-negative samples were subjected to an in-house NAT by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Testing was done in mini-pools of size eight (8). Positive pools were repeated with individual samples. Results: During the study period of Oct 2005-Sept 2010 (5 years) all blood donors (n=53729) were screened by ELISA. Of which 469 (0.87%) were positive for HIV-1, HBV or HCV. Sero-negative samples (n=53260) were screened by in-house MP-NAT. HIV-NAT yield was 1/53260 (n=1) and HBV NAT yield (n=2) was 1/26630. Conclusion: NAT yield was lower than other India studies possibly due to the lower sero-reactivity amongst our donors. Nevertheless it intercepted 9 lives including the components prepared. The in-house assay met our objective of improving blood safety at nominal cost and showed that it is feasible to set up small molecular biology units in medium-large sized blood banks and deliver blood within 24-48 hours. The utility of NAT (NAT yield) will vary based on the donor population, the type of serological test used, the nature of kit employed and the sensitivity of NAT test used. The limitations of our in-house MP-NAT consisted of stringent sample preparation requirements, with labor and time involved. The benefits of our MP-NAT were that it acted as a second level of check for ELISA tests, was relatively inexpensive compared to ID-NAT and did not need sophisticated equipment. PMID:24678172

  1. Arylamine n-acetyltransferases in eukaryotic microorganisms

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Microorganisms can survive highly toxic environments through numerous xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, including arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs). NAT genes are present in bacteria, archaea, protists and fungi. In lower taxa of fungi, NAT genes are found in chytridiomycetes. In Dikarya, NAT gen...

  2. Deficiency of N-acetyltransferase increases the interactions of isoniazid with endobiotics in mouse liver.

    PubMed

    Wang, Pengcheng; Shehu, Amina I; Lu, Jie; Joshi, Rujuta H; Venkataramanan, Raman; Sugamori, Kim S; Grant, Denis M; Zhong, Xiao-Bo; Ma, Xiaochao

    2017-12-01

    Acetylation is the major metabolic pathway of isoniazid (INH) mediated by N-acetyltransferases (NATs). Previous reports suggest that slow acetylators have higher risks of INH hepatotoxicity than rapid acetylators, but the detailed mechanisms remain elusive. The current study used Nat1/2(-/-) mice to mimic NAT slow metabolizers and to investigate INH metabolism in the liver. We found that INH acetylation is abolished in the liver of Nat1/2(-/-) mice, suggesting that INH acetylation is fully dependent on NAT1/2. In addition to the acetylation pathway, INH can be hydrolyzed to form hydrazine (Hz) and isonicotinic acid (INA). We found that INA level was not altered in the liver of Nat1/2(-/-) mice, indicating that deficiency of NAT1/2 has no effect on INH hydrolysis. Because INH acetylation was abolished and INH hydrolysis was not altered in Nat1/2(-/-) mice, we expected an extremely high level of INH in the liver. However, we only observed a modest accumulation of INH in the liver of Nat1/2(-/-) mice, suggesting that there are alternative pathways in INH metabolism in NAT1/2 deficient condition. Our further studies revealed that the conjugated metabolites of INH with endobiotics, including fatty acids and vitamin B6, were significantly increased in the liver of Nat1/2(-/-) mice. In summary, this study illustrated that deficiency of NAT1/2 decreases INH acetylation, but increases the interactions of INH with endobiotics in the liver. These findings can be used to guide future studies on the mechanisms of INH hepatotoxicity in NAT slow metabolizers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Meta-analysis of studies on breast cancer risk and diet in Chinese women

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Ying-Chao; Zheng, Dong; Sun, Jin-Jie; Zou, Zhi-Kang; Ma, Zhong-Li

    2015-01-01

    Objective: A meta-analysis was carried out to summarize published data on the relationship between breast cancer and dietary factors. Methods: Databases in Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], China Biology Medicine [CBM], WanFang, VIP) and in English (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched for articles analyzing vegetable, fruit, soy food and fat consumption and breast cancer risk published through June 30, 2013. Random effects models were used to estimate summary odds ratios (OR) based on high versus low intake, and subgroup analysis was conducted according to region, study design, paper quality and adjustment for confounding factors to detect the potential source of heterogeneity. Every study was screened according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, evaluated in accordance with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RevMan 5.2 software was used for analysis. Results: Of 785 studies retrieved, 22 met inclusion criteria (13 in Chinese and 9 in English), representing 23,201 patients: 10,566 in the experimental group and 12,635 in the control group. Thirteen included studies showed vegetables consumption to be a relevant factor in breast cancer risk, OR = 0.77 (95% CI [confidence interval] 0.62-0.96). Eleven studies showed fruits consumption to be relevant, OR = 0.68 (95% CI 0.49-0.93). Significant differences were also found between those who consumed soy foods, OR = 0.68 (95% CI 0.50-0.93) and those who ate a high-fat diet, OR = 1.15 (95% CI 1.01-1.30). Conclusion: This analysis confirms the association between intake of vegetables, fruits, soy foods and fat and the risk of breast cancer from published sources. It’s suggested that high consumption of vegetables, fruits and soy foods may reduce the risk of breast cancer, while increasing fat consumption may increase the risk. PMID:25784976

  4. Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Breast Cancer: Preclinical and Clinical Trials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-09-01

    Epstein - Barr virus infection by adoptive transfer of gene-modified virus -specific T lymphocytes. Nat Med 2:551. 52. Mailliard, R. B., S. Egawa, Q. Cai, A...3 DAMID17-01-1-0318 INTRODUCTION This project is focused on the development of novel tumor vaccines directed at MUC1, a transmembrane mucin that is...immunization strategies can be developed to overcome tolerance. Our specific aims are: 1) to assess the effectiveness of vaccine formulations against

  5. Translational Advances in Pain and Anesthesia for Cancer Patients

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX. Fax: þ210 271 0830. E mail: christopher.maani@us.army.mil Received 10 August 2010; Accepted 18 November 2010 DOI...and response to anesthetics and analgesics have been identified, including COMT (catechol O methyltransferase), MCR1R (melocortin 1 receptor), and...and persistence. Nat Med 2006;12:1269 1277. 42. Zubieta JK, Heitzeg MM, Smith YR, et al.: COMT val158met genotype affects mu opioid neurotransmitter

  6. Multiphoton Coherent Manipulation in Large Spin Qubits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiorescu, Irinel

    2009-03-01

    Manipulation of quantum information allows certain algorithms to be performed at unparalleled speeds. Photons are an ideal choice to manipulate qubits as they interact with quantum systems in predictable ways. They are a versatile tool for manipulating, reading/coupling qubits and for encoding/transferring quantum information over long distances. Spin-based qubits have well known behavior under photon driving and can be potentially operated up to room temperature. When diluted enough to avoid uncontrolled spin-spin interactions, a variety of spin qubits show long coherence times, e.g. the nitrogen vacancies in pure diamonds (1,2), nitrogen atoms trapped in a C60 cage (3), Ho3+ and Cr5+ ions (4,5) and molecular magnets (6,7). We have used large spin Mn2+ ions (S=5/2) to realize a six level system that can be operated by means of single as well as multi-photon coherent Rabi oscillations (8). This spin system has a very small anisotropy whose effect can be tuned in-situ to turn the system into a multi-level harmonic system. This offer new ways of manipulating, reading and resetting a spin qubit. Decoherence effects are strongly reduced by the quasi-isotropic electron interaction with the crystal field and with the 55Mn nuclear spins. [0pt] 1. R. Hanson et al., Science 320, 352 (2008). [0pt] 2. M.V. Gurudev Dutt et al., Science 316, 1312 (2007). [0pt] 3. G.W. Morley et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 220501 (2007). [0pt] 4. S. Bertaina et al., Nat. Nanotech. 2, 39 (2007). [0pt] 5. S. Nellutla et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 137601 (2007). [0pt] 6. A. Ardavan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 057201 (2007). [0pt] 7. S. Bertaina et al., Nature 453, 203,(2008). [0pt] 8. S. Bertaina et al., submitted.

  7. Model-based investigation of the circadian clock and cell cycle coupling in mouse embryonic fibroblasts: Prediction of RevErb-α up-regulation during mitosis.

    PubMed

    Traynard, Pauline; Feillet, Céline; Soliman, Sylvain; Delaunay, Franck; Fages, François

    2016-11-01

    Experimental observations have put in evidence autonomous self-sustained circadian oscillators in most mammalian cells, and proved the existence of molecular links between the circadian clock and the cell cycle. Some mathematical models have also been built to assess conditions of control of the cell cycle by the circadian clock. However, recent studies in individual NIH3T3 fibroblasts have shown an unexpected acceleration of the circadian clock together with the cell cycle when the culture medium is enriched with growth factors, and the absence of such acceleration in confluent cells. In order to explain these observations, we study a possible entrainment of the circadian clock by the cell cycle through a regulation of clock genes around the mitosis phase. We develop a computational model and a formal specification of the observed behavior to investigate the conditions of entrainment in period and phase. We show that either the selective activation of RevErb-α or the selective inhibition of Bmal1 transcription during the mitosis phase, allow us to fit the experimental data on both period and phase, while a uniform inhibition of transcription during mitosis seems incompatible with the phase data. We conclude on the arguments favoring the RevErb-α up-regulation hypothesis and on some further predictions of the model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparative investigation of the xenobiotic metabolizing arylamine N-acetyltransferase enzyme family among fungi

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes well-characterized in several bacteria and higher eukaryotes. The role of NATs in fungal biology has only recently been investigated. The NAT1 gene of Gibberella moniliformis was the first NAT cloned and characterized from fun...

  9. Phylogenetic and biological investigation of the xenobiotic metabolizing arylamine N-acetyltransferase enzyme family among fungi

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes well-characterized in several bacteria and eukaryotic organisms. The role of NATs in fungal biology has only recently been investigated. The NAT1 (FDB2) gene of Fusarium verticillioides was the first NAT cloned and character...

  10. Environmental Adaptations Improve Everyday Action in Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Kessler, Rachel K; Rhodes, Emma; Giovannetti, Tania

    2015-05-01

    Cognitive functioning, particularly executive functioning, is a strong predictor of functional outcomes in people with schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation has been shown to improve specific cognitive processes, but adjunctive interventions are required for meaningful gains in adaptive functioning, particularly in people with chronic illness. This study examined whether (and how) environmental adaptations, used without training, may circumvent cognitive difficulties and facilitate everyday task performance in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Forty-two individuals with chronic schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were administered cognitive measures and two versions of the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT)-a standard version (ST-NAT), and a user-centered version (UC-NAT) that incorporated environmental adaptations designed to facilitate task performance. The NAT conditions were counterbalanced across participants. Analyses compared performance between the NAT versions and examined the cognitive correlates of each NAT condition. Individuals with schizophrenia made fewer errors on the UC-NAT as compared to the ST-NAT; this between-group difference was significant for all error types. Compared to the ST-NAT, the UC-NAT performance was not significantly associated with an executive function measure of planning. Environmental adaptations may be implemented without extensive training to improve everyday action in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Environmental adaptations that reduce planning demands may be most effective in this population.

  11. Synthetic nat- or ent-steroids in as few as five chemical steps from epichlorohydrin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Wan Shin; Du, Kang; Eastman, Alan; Hughes, Russell P.; Micalizio, Glenn C.

    2018-01-01

    Today, more than 100 Food and Drug Administration-approved steroidal agents are prescribed daily for indications including heart failure, inflammation, pain and cancer. While triumphs in organic chemistry have enabled the establishment and sustained growth of the steroid pharmaceutical industry, the production of highly functionalized synthetic steroids of varying substitution and stereochemistry remains challenging, despite the numerous reports of elegant strategies for their de novo synthesis. Here, we describe an advance in chemical synthesis that has established an enantiospecific means to access novel steroids with unprecedented facility and flexibility through the sequential use of two powerful ring-forming reactions: a modern metallacycle-mediated annulative cross-coupling and a new acid-catalysed vinylcyclopropane rearrangement cascade. In addition to accessing synthetic steroids of either enantiomeric series, these steroidal products have been selectively functionalized within each of the four carbocyclic rings, a synthetic ent-steroid has been prepared on a multigram scale, the enantiomer of a selective oestrogen has been synthesized, and a novel ent-steroid with growth inhibitory properties in three cancer cell lines has been discovered.

  12. Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in Bacillus anthracis: molecular and functional analysis of a truncated arylamine N-acetyltransferase isozyme.

    PubMed

    Kubiak, Xavier; Duval, Romain; Pluvinage, Benjamin; Chaffotte, Alain F; Dupret, Jean-Marie; Rodrigues-Lima, Fernando

    2017-07-01

    The arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes that play an important role in the detoxification and/or bioactivation of arylamine drugs and xenobiotics. In bacteria, NATs may contribute to the resistance against antibiotics such as isoniazid or sulfamides through their acetylation, which makes this enzyme family a possible drug target. Bacillus anthracis, a bacterial species of clinical significance, expresses three NAT isozymes with distinct structural and enzymatic properties, including an inactive isozyme ((BACAN)NAT3). (BACAN)NAT3 features both a non-canonical Glu residue in its catalytic triad and a truncated C-terminus domain. However, the role these unusual characteristics play in the lack of activity of the (BACAN)NAT3 isozyme remains unclear. Protein engineering, recombinant expression, enzymatic analyses with aromatic amine substrates and phylogenetic analysis approaches were conducted. The deletion of guanine 580 (G580) in the nat3 gene was shown to be responsible for the expression of a truncated (BACAN)NAT3 isozyme. Artificial re-introduction of G580 in the nat3 gene led to a functional enzyme able to acetylate several arylamine drugs displaying structural characteristics comparable with its functional Bacillus cereus homologue ((BACCR)NAT3). Phylogenetic analysis of the nat3 gene in the B. cereus group further indicated that nat3 may constitute a pseudogene of the B. anthracis species. The existence of NATs with distinct properties and evolution in Bacillus species may account for their adaptation to their diverse chemical environments. A better understanding of these isozymes is of importance for their possible use as drug targets. This article is part of a themed section on Drug Metabolism and Antibiotic Resistance in Micro-organisms. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.14/issuetoc. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

  13. Convergence of hepcidin deficiency, systemic iron overloading, heme accumulation, and REV-ERBα/β activation in aryl hydrocarbon receptor-elicited hepatotoxicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fader, Kelly A.; Nault, Rance

    Persistent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists elicit dose-dependent hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in mice. Iron (Fe) promotes AhR-mediated oxidative stress by catalyzing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. To further characterize the role of Fe in AhR-mediated hepatotoxicity, male C57BL/6 mice were orally gavaged with sesame oil vehicle or 0.01–30 μg/kg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) every 4 days for 28 days. Duodenal epithelial and hepatic RNA-Seq data were integrated with hepatic AhR ChIP-Seq, capillary electrophoresis protein measurements, and clinical chemistry analyses. TCDD dose-dependently repressed hepatic expression of hepcidin (Hamp and Hamp2), the master regulator of systemic Fe homeostasis, resultingmore » in a 2.6-fold increase in serum Fe with accumulating Fe spilling into urine. Total hepatic Fe levels were negligibly increased while transferrin saturation remained unchanged. Furthermore, TCDD elicited dose-dependent gene expression changes in heme biosynthesis including the induction of aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (Alas1) and repression of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (Urod), leading to a 50% increase in hepatic hemin and a 13.2-fold increase in total urinary porphyrins. Consistent with this heme accumulation, differential gene expression suggests that heme activated BACH1 and REV-ERBα/β, causing induction of heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) and repression of fatty acid biosynthesis, respectively. Collectively, these results suggest that Hamp repression, Fe accumulation, and increased heme levels converge to promote oxidative stress and the progression of TCDD-elicited hepatotoxicity. - Highlights: • TCDD represses hepatic hepcidin expression, leading to systemic iron overloading. • Dysregulation of heme biosynthesis is consistent with heme and porphyrin accumulation. • Heme-activated REV-ERBα/β repress circadian-regulated hepatic lipid metabolism. • Disruption of iron

  14. FANC Pathway Promotes UV-Induced Stalled Replication Forks Recovery by Acting Both Upstream and Downstream Polη and Rev1

    PubMed Central

    Renaud, Emilie; Rosselli, Filippo

    2013-01-01

    To cope with ultraviolet C (UVC)-stalled replication forks and restart DNA synthesis, cells either undergo DNA translesion synthesis (TLS) by specialised DNA polymerases or tolerate the lesions using homologous recombination (HR)-based mechanisms. To gain insight into how cells manage UVC-induced stalled replication forks, we analysed the molecular crosstalk between the TLS DNA polymerases Polη and Rev1, the double-strand break repair (DSB)-associated protein MDC1 and the FANC pathway. We describe three novel functional interactions that occur in response to UVC-induced DNA lesions. First, Polη and Rev1, whose optimal expression and/or relocalisation depend on the FANC core complex, act upstream of FANCD2 and are required for the proper relocalisation of monoubiquitinylated FANCD2 (Ub-FANCD2) to subnuclear foci. Second, during S-phase, Ub-FANCD2 and MDC1 relocalise to UVC-damaged nuclear areas or foci simultaneously but independently of each other. Third, Ub-FANCD2 and MDC1 are independently required for optimal BRCA1 relocalisation. While RPA32 phosphorylation (p-RPA32) and RPA foci formation were reduced in parallel with increasing levels of H2AX phosphorylation and MDC1 foci in UVC-irradiated FANC pathway-depleted cells, MDC1 depletion was associated with increased UVC-induced Ub-FANCD2 and FANCD2 foci as well as p-RPA32 levels and p-RPA32 foci. On the basis of the previous observations, we propose that the FANC pathway participates in the rescue of UVC-stalled replication forks in association with TLS by maintaining the integrity of ssDNA regions and by preserving genome stability and preventing the formation of DSBs, the resolution of which would require the intervention of MDC1. PMID:23365640

  15. Developing a Drosophila Model of Schwannomatosis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-02-01

    Drosophila melanogaster has become an important model system for cancer studies. Reduced redundancy in the Drosophila genome compared with that of...of high-resolution deletion coverage of the Drosophila melanogaster genome . Nat. Genet. 36, 288-292. Pastor-Pareja, J. C., Wu, M. and Xu. T. (2008...microarray analysis of the entire Drosophila melanogaster genome and compared gene expression profiles of wild type, dCap-D3 and rbf1 mutant

  16. Immune-related adverse events associated with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors for nonsmall cell lung cancer

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Xiaoying; Roudi, Raheleh; Chen, Shangya; Fan, Bin; Li, Hong Jin; Zhou, Min; Li, Xin; Li, Bin

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: Nonsmall cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 80% of all lung cancers, and approximately 75% of cases are diagnosed in the middle and late stages of disease. Unfortunately, limited treatment does not improve the prognosis of advanced disease. Monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) represent a new treatment paradigm for nonsmall cell lung cancer. Nevertheless, the immune-related adverse events (irAEs) associated with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors are unique, and early recognition and treatment of these events are essential. Methods and Analysis: A systematic literature search will be performed using the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases to identify relevant articles published in any language. Randomized clinical trials, case series, and case reports of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer will be included. All meta-analyses will be performed using RevMan software. The quality of the studies will be evaluated using the guidelines listed in the Cochrane Handbook. If the necessary data are available, then subgroup analyses will be performed for high-, median-, and low-dose cohorts. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statements will be followed until the findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis are reported. Conclusions: This will be the first systematic review and meta-analysis to describe previously reported irAEs related to PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer. PMID:29095271

  17. Cis-Natural Antisense Transcripts Are Mainly Co-expressed with Their Sense Transcripts and Primarily Related to Energy Metabolic Pathways during Muscle Development.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yunxia; Hou, Ye; Zhao, Changzhi; Liu, Fei; Luan, Yu; Jing, Lu; Li, Xinyun; Zhu, Mengjin; Zhao, Shuhong

    2016-01-01

    Cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) are a new class of RNAs identified in various species. However, the biological functions of cis-NATs are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional characteristics and functions of cis-NATs in the muscle tissue of lean Landrace and indigenous fatty Lantang pigs. In total, 3,306 cis-NATs of 2,469 annotated genes were identified in the muscle tissue of pigs. More than 1,300 cis-NATs correlated with their sense genes at the transcriptional level, and approximately 80% of them were co-expressed in the two breeds. Furthermore, over 1,200 differentially expressed cis-NATs were identified during muscle development. Function annotation showed that the cis-NATs participated in muscle development mainly by co-expressing with genes involved in energy metabolic pathways, including citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial activation and so on. Moreover, these cis-NATs and their sense genes abruptly increased at the transition from the late fetal stages to the early postnatal stages and then decreased along with muscle development. In conclusion, the cis-NATs in the muscle tissue of pigs were identified and determined to be mainly co-expressed with their sense genes. The co-expressed cis-NATs and their sense gene were primarily related to energy metabolic pathways during muscle development in pigs. Our results offered novel evidence on the roles of cis-NATs during the muscle development of pigs.

  18. Hyperbolic metamaterial nanostructures to tune charge-transfer dynamics (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Kwang Jin; Xiao, Yiming; Woo, Jae Heun; Kim, Eun Sun; Kreher, David; Attias, André-Jean; Mathevet, Fabrice; Ribierre, Jean-Charles; Wu, Jeong Weon; André, Pascal

    2016-09-01

    Charge transfer (CT) is an essential phenomenon relevant to numerous fields including biology, physics and chemistry.1-5 Here, we demonstrate that multi-layered hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) substrates alter organic semiconductor CT dynamics.6 With triphenylene:perylene diimide dyad supramolecular self-assemblies prepared on HMM substrates, we show that both charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) characteristic times are increased by factors of 2.5 and 1.6, respectively, resulting in longer-lived CT states. We successfully rationalize the experimental data by extending Marcus theory framework with dipole image interactions tuning the driving force. The number of metal-dielectric pairs alters the HMM interfacial effective dielectric constant and becomes a solid analogue to solvent polarizability. Based on the experimental results and extended Marcus theory framework, we find that CS and CR processes are located in normal and inverted regions on Marcus parabola diagram, respectively. The model and further PH3T:PCBM data show that the phenomenon is general and that molecular and substrate engineering offer a wide range of kinetic tailoring opportunities. This work opens the path toward novel artificial substrates designed to control CT dynamics with potential applications in fields including optoelectronics, organic solar cells and chemistry. 1. Marcus, Rev. Mod. Phys., 1993, 65, 599. 2. Marcus, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012, 14, 13729. 3. Lambert, et al., Nat. Phys., 2012, 9, 10. 4. C. Clavero, Nat. Photon., 2014, 8, 95. 5. A. Canaguier-Durand, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 10533. 6. K. J. Lee, et al., Submitted, 2015, arxiv.org/abs/1510.08574.

  19. Evaluation of Genomic Instability as an Early Event in the Progression of Breast Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-01

    theory of marginotomy. J. Theor. Biol. 41:181-90. 8. Watson, J. D. 1972. The origin of concatemeric T7 DNA. Nat. New Biol. 239:197-201. 9. Karlseder...concentrations were measured 6 using the Picogreen® dsDNA quantitation assay (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) using a λ phage DNA as the standard as

  20. LSPR chip for parallel, rapid, and sensitive detection of cancer markers in serum.

    PubMed

    Aćimović, Srdjan S; Ortega, Maria A; Sanz, Vanesa; Berthelot, Johann; Garcia-Cordero, Jose L; Renger, Jan; Maerkl, Sebastian J; Kreuzer, Mark P; Quidant, Romain

    2014-05-14

    Label-free biosensing based on metallic nanoparticles supporting localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) has recently received growing interest (Anker, J. N., et al. Nat. Mater. 2008, 7, 442-453). Besides its competitive sensitivity (Yonzon, C. R., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 12669-12676; Svendendahl, M., et al. Nano Lett. 2009, 9, 4428-4433) when compared to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) approach based on extended metal films, LSPR biosensing features a high-end miniaturization potential and a significant reduction of the interrogation device bulkiness, positioning itself as a promising candidate for point-of-care diagnostic and field applications. Here, we present the first, paralleled LSPR lab-on-a-chip realization that goes well beyond the state-of-the-art, by uniting the latest advances in plasmonics, nanofabrication, microfluidics, and surface chemistry. Our system offers parallel, real-time inspection of 32 sensing sites distributed across 8 independent microfluidic channels with very high reproducibility/repeatability. This enables us to test various sensing strategies for the detection of biomolecules. In particular we demonstrate the fast detection of relevant cancer biomarkers (human alpha-feto-protein and prostate specific antigen) down to concentrations of 500 pg/mL in a complex matrix consisting of 50% human serum.