Antibacterial Diphenyl Ether,Benzophenone and Xanthone Derivatives from Aspergillus flavipes

The extract of the strain Aspergillus flavipes DL‐11 exerted antibacterial activities against six Gram‐positive bacteria. During the following bioassay‐guided separation, ten diphenyl ethers ( 1 – 10 ), two benzophenones ( 11 – 12 ), together with two xanthones ( 13 – 14 ) were isolated. Among them, 4′‐chloroasterric acid ( 1 ) was a new chlorinated diphenyl ether. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, including IR, HR‐ESI‐MS, NMR experiments, and by comparison with the literature data. All compounds showed moderate to strong antibacterial effects on different Gram‐positive bacteria with MIC values that ranged from 3.13 to 50 μg/mL, but none of the compounds exhibited activity against Gram‐negative bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC17802 (MIC>100 μg/mL). In particular, the MICs of some compounds are at the level of positive control.     

Increased Cortical Activity in Binge Drinkers during Working Memory Task: A Preliminary Assessment through a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background

Cerebral dysfunction is a common feature of both chronic alcohol abusers and binge drinkers. Here, we aimed to study whether, at equated behavioral performance levels, binge drinkers exhibited increased neural activity while performing simple cognitive tasks.

Methods

Thirty-two participants (16 binge drinkers and 16 matched controls) were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an n-back working memory task. In the control zero-back (N0) condition, subjects were required to press a button with the right hand when the number “2″ was displayed. In the two-back (N2) condition, subjects had to press a button when the displayed number was identical to the number shown two trials before.

Results

fMRI analyses revealed higher bilateral activity in the pre-supplementary motor area in binge drinkers than matched controls, even though behavioral performances were similar. Moreover, binge drinkers showed specific positive correlations between the number of alcohol doses consumed per occasion and higher activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, as well as between the number of drinking occasions per week and higher activity in cerebellum, thalamus and insula while performing the N2 memory task.

Conclusions

Binge alcohol consumption leads to possible compensatory cerebral changes in binge drinkers that facilitate normal behavioral performance. These changes in cerebral responses may be considered as vulnerability factors for developing adult substance use disorders.     

Downregulation of miR-200a Induces EMT Phenotypes and CSC-like Signatures through Targeting the β-catenin Pathway in Hepatic Oval Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be derived from malignant transformed adult hepatic progenitor cells. However, the regulatory factors and molecular mechanisms underlying the process are not well defined. Our previous microRNA (miRNA) microarray analysis revealed a significant decrease of miR-200a level in F344 rat HCC side population (SP) fraction cells versus their normal counterparts. In the present study, we further investigated the effect of miR-200a on hepatic oval cell (HOC) phenotypes. We first confirmed downregulated miR-200a levels in rat hepatoma cells compared with WB-F344 cells. Next, by lentivirus-mediated loss-of-function studies, we showed that stable knockdown of miR-200a confers a mesenchymal phenotype to WB-F344 cells, including an elongated cell morphology, enhanced cell migration ability and expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-representative markers. Concomitantly, several cancer stem cell (CSC)-like traits appeared in these cells, which exhibit enhanced spheroid-forming capacity, express putative hepatic CSC markers and display superior resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in vitro. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis, luciferase assays and western blot analysis identified β-catenin (CTNNB1) as a direct and functional target of miR-200a. Knockdown of miR-200a partially activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and silencing of β-catenin functionally attenuated anti-miR-200a effects in vitro in WB-F344 cells. At length, in vivo xenograft assay demonstrated the acquisition of tumorigenicity of WB-F344 cells after miR-200a siliencing. Collectively, our findings indicate that miR-200a may function as an important regulatory factor in neoplastic transition of HOCs by targeting the β-catenin pathway.     

Changes in Functional Integration with the Non-Epileptic Temporal Lobe of Patients with Unilateral Mesiotemporal Epilepsy

Purpose

To investigate epilepsy-induced changes in effective connectivity between the non-epileptic amygdalo-hippocampal complex (AHC) and the rest of the brain in patients with unilateral mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) associated with hippocampal sclerosis (HS).

Methods

Thirty-three patients with unilateral MTLE associated with HS (20 females, mean age: 36 years, 19 left HS) and 33 adult controls matched for age and gender underwent ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Right-HS patients'' FDG-PET data were flipped to obtain a left–epileptic–focus–lateralized group of patients. Voxels of interest (VOI) were selected within the cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps of the non-epileptic AHC (probability level  = 100%, SPM8 Anatomy toolbox v1.7). Patients and controls were compared using VOI metabolic activity as covariate of interest to search for epilepsy-induced changes in the contribution of the non-epileptic AHC to the level of metabolic activity in other brain areas. Age, gender, duration of epilepsy, seizure type and frequency were used as covariates of no-interest for connectivity analyses.

Key findings

Significant decrease in effective connectivity was found between the non-epileptic AHC and ventral prefrontal cortical areas bilaterally, as well as with the temporal pole and the posterior cingulate cortex contralateral to HS. Significant increase in connectivity was found between the non-epileptic AHC and midline structures, such as the anterior cingulate and dorsal medial prefrontal cortices, as well as the temporo-parietal junction bilaterally. Connectivity analyses also revealed a preserved positive connectivity between the non-epileptic and the epileptic AHC in the patients'' group.

Significance

This study evidences epilepsy-induced changes in connectivity between the non-epileptic AHC and some limbic and default mode network areas. These changes in connectivity probably account for emotional, cognitive and decision-making impairments frequently observed in MTLE patients. The preserved neurometabolic connectivity between the non-epileptic and the epileptic AHC in MTLE patients is pivotal to explain the epilepsy-induced changes found in this study.     

Genetic Variants in the Folate Pathway and the Risk of Neural Tube Defects: A Meta-Analysis of the Published Literature

Background

Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are among the most prevalent and most severe congenital malformations worldwide. Polymorphisms in key genes involving the folate pathway have been reported to be associated with the risk of NTDs. However, the results from these published studies are conflicting. We surveyed the literature (1996–2011) and performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to provide empirical evidence on the association.

Methods and Findings

We investigated the effects of 5 genetic variants from 47 study populations, for a total of 85 case-control comparisons MTHFR C677T (42 studies; 4374 cases, 7232 controls), MTHFR A1298C (22 studies; 2602 cases, 4070 controls), MTR A2756G (9 studies; 843 cases, 1006 controls), MTRR A66G (8 studies; 703 cases, 1572 controls), and RFC-1 A80G (4 studies; 1107 cases, 1585 controls). We found a convincing evidence of dominant effects of MTHFR C677T (OR 1.23; 95%CI 1.07–1.42) and suggestive evidence of RFC-1 A80G (OR 1.55; 95%CI 1.24–1.92). However, we found no significant effects of MTHFR A1298C, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G in risk of NTDs in dominant, recessive or in allelic models.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis strongly suggested a significant association of the variant MTHFR C677T and a suggestive association of RFC-1 A80G with increased risk of NTDs. However, other variants involved in folate pathway do not demonstrate any evidence for a significant marginal association on susceptibility to NTDs.     

Discovery of triazine-benzimidazoles as selective inhibitors of mTOR

mTOR is part of the PI3K/AKT pathway and is a central regulator of cell growth and survival. Since many cancers display mutations linked to the mTOR signaling pathway, mTOR has emerged as an important target for oncology therapy. Herein, we report the discovery of triazine benzimidazole inhibitors that inhibit mTOR kinase activity with up to 200-fold selectivity over the structurally homologous kinase PI3Kα. When tested in a panel of cancer cell lines displaying various mutations, a selective inhibitor from this series inhibited cellular proliferation with a mean IC₅₀ of 0.41 μM. Lead compound 42 demonstrated up to 83% inhibition of mTOR substrate phosphorylation in a murine pharmacodynamic model.     

Purification of actin from fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and characterization of functional differences from muscle actin

Fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an important genetic model organism for studying the mechanisms of endocytosis and cytokinesis. However, most work on the biochemical properties of fission yeast actin-binding proteins has been done with skeletal muscle actin for matters of convenience. When simulations of mathematical models of the mechanism of endocytosis were compared with events in live cells, some of the reactions appeared to be much faster than observed in biochemical experiments with muscle actin. Here, we used gelsolin affinity chromatography to purify actin from fission yeast. S. pombe actin shares many properties with skeletal muscle actin but has higher intrinsic nucleotide exchange rate, faster trimer nucleus formation, faster phosphate dissociation rate from polymerized actin, and faster nucleation of actin filaments with Arp2/3 complex. These properties close the gap between the biochemistry and predictions made by mathematical models of endocytosis in S. pombe cells.     

山东省甲型H1N1流感病毒病原学及基因特性研究

在2009~2010年监测年度开展甲型H1N1流感病毒学监测并进行病原学分离鉴定,以及对血凝素基因(HA)和神经氨酸酶基因(NA)特性分析,研究其基因变异情况。采集了17 126份发热患者的鼻、咽拭子标本,采用逆转录实时荧光定量RT-PCR(Real-Time RT-PCR)进行核酸检测,其中甲型H1N1流感病毒核酸检测阳性4004份,总阳性率为23.38%。对阳性标本开展病毒分离,并对分离的甲型H1N1流感病毒的HA、NA基因序列进行测序。利用DNAStar软件对序列进行同源性分析发现与WHO推荐的疫苗株相比,山东省甲型H1N1流感流行株HA、NA基因同源性分别为96.9%~99.3%和99.1%~99.6%;利用Mega 4.0软件进行基因进化分析和氨基酸进化分析发现,与WHO推荐的疫苗株相比,山东省甲型H1N1流感流行株有21个血凝素基因的氨基酸发生替换,其中11个氨基酸位点位于抗原决定簇区,一个糖基化位点发生改变;有16个神经氨酸酶基因的氨基酸发生了替换,一个糖基化位点发生改变;未发生神经氨酸酶蛋白275位H→Y的替换。结果显示山东省甲型H1N1流感暴发流行株HA基因和NA基因均具有高度同源性,HA蛋白和NA蛋白均存在不同程度的氨基酸替换,部分流行株抗原决定簇和糖基化位点发生改变,所有病毒均对达菲类药物敏感。     

Hybridization and morphogenetic variation in the invasive alien Fallopia (Polygonaceae) complex in Belgium

The invasive alien knotweeds, Fallopia spp. (Polygonaceae), are some of the most troublesome invasive species in Europe and North America. Invasive success in Fallopia may be enhanced by multiple hybridization events. We examined the pattern of hybridization and its evolutionary consequences in Belgium with a concerted analysis of ploidy levels (chromosome counts and flow cytometry), morphological variation, and genetic variation (RAPDs). At least four taxa with different ploidy levels were part of the pattern of invasion in Belgium. Hybrid F. ×bohemica with various chromosome numbers restored the genotypic diversity that was lacking in the parental species. Hybrid genotypes were mainly assigned to a specific genetic pool and not to a mixture between the genetic pools of the putative parental species as would be expected for hybrids. Parental species and hexaploid hybrids differed significantly for a set of well-defined morphological characters, enabling future researchers to distinguish these taxa. On the basis of our results, the importance of hybridization has probably been underestimated in large parts of the adventive range of alien Fallopia species, pointing to the need for concerted molecular and morphological analyses in the study of the evolutionary consequences of hybridization.