The impact of autophagy on cell death modalities in CRL-5876 lung adenocarcinoma cells after their exposure to γ-rays and/or erlotinib

In most patients with lung cancer radiation treatment is used either as single agent or in combination with radiosensitizing drugs. However, the mechanisms underlying combined therapy and its impact on different modes of cell death have not yet been fully elucidated. We aimed to examine effects of single and combined treatments with γ-rays and erlotinib on radioresistant CRL-5876 human lung adenocarcinoma cells with particular emphasis on cell death. CRL-5876 cells were treated with γ-rays and/or erlotinib and changes in cell cycle, DNA repair dynamics, ultrastructure, nuclear morphology and protein expression were monitored at different time points. To reveal the relationship between types of cell death that arise after these treatments, autophagy was blocked with chloroquine. We found that higher dose of γ-rays causes G2/M arrest while adding of erlotinib to this treatment decreases the number of cells in S phase. Impact of erlotinib on kinetics of disappearance of irradiation-induced DNA double strand breaks is reflected in the increase of residual γ-H2AX foci after 24 h. γ-rays provoke cytoprotective autophagy which precedes development of senescence. Erlotinib predominantly induces apoptosis and enlarges the number of apoptotic cells in the irradiated CRL-5876 cells. Chloroquine improved cytotoxicity induced by radiation and erlotinib, increased apoptosis and decreased senescence in the CRL-5876 cells. The results obtained on CRL-5876 cells indicate significant radiosensitizing effect of erlotinib and suggest that chloroquine in the combination with the above treatments may have an additional antitumor effect in lung adenocarcinoma.     

Genetic differentiation of southeast Baltic populations of sea trout inferred from single nucleotide polymorphisms

Sea trout (Salmo trutta m. trutta) is a migratory form of brown trout common in the Baltic Sea. Nine populations from the southeast Baltic (Poland; Lithuania; Denmark, Bornholm; Estonia and Russia) were genotyped using iPLEX Gold technology (Sequenom) with 62 informative SNPs. A diagnostic panel of 23 SNPs was applied to estimate genetic differentiation and assess the population structure of Baltic sea trout. The highest level of pairwise F_ST differences was observed between the Russian (East Gulf of Finland) and Polish (Baltic main basin) populations. The lowest differences were between the two Polish and the Polish and Lithuanian populations. A genetic similarity was noted between the Estonian Riguldi River and Danish Bornholm populations, and this finding was supported by a Bayesian and factorial correspondence analysis. Diversity within populations was highest for populations from Estonia and lowest for the Lithuanian population. Genetic structure analysis indicated that individuals from the nine populations were clustered into four groups.     

Phänologische Mittheilungen aus der Winterflora Ragusa's

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Daily Changes in the Competence for Photo- and Gravitropic Response by Potato Plantlets

Competence for phototropic (PT) and gravitropic (GT) bending by potato plantlets grown in vitro manifests regular daily changes indicating possible involvement of circadian regulation. Unilateral stimulation of plantlets with blue light at dawn resulted in moderate PT response regarding both attained curvature and long lag phase. The PT response was the strongest between 8:00 and 12:00 h. Throughout the afternoon and in the evening, bending rate and maximal PT curvature declined significantly until 23:00 h. The GT response was fastest and strongest for plantlets stimulated early in the morning and late in the evening. During the rest of the day, GT competence did not change much apart from a minimum at 15:00. In conditions comprising either prolonged day or prolonged night, plantlets appeared to maintain rhythmicity of competence for PT and GT at least in the short-term. Introduction of a dark period prior to the tropic stimulation at 11:00 h when both PT and GT responses were strong resulted in the opposite effect: PT was depressed, and GT was enhanced. There was a time threshold of 60 min for the duration of the dark period so the plants can sense interruption in the daylight. Levels of relative expression of a PHOT2 gene indicate rhythmic daily changes. The PHOT2 gene was present at high levels during morning hours and late in the evening. As the mid-day and the afternoon hours approached, PHOT2 expression decreased and reached a daily minimum at 17:00 h. We believe that our data offer strong support for the conclusion that there is an involvement of circadian rhythms in control of both PT and GT.     

Temperature dependence of ESR spectra of spin-labelled met-hemoglobin.

The maleimide spin-label, firmly fixed to the protein, was used to study conformation changes of various met-hemoglobin derivatives. The temperature dependence of the rotational correlation time shows a distinct conformation change in aquomet-hemoglobin at about 25 degrees C. The other met-hemoglobin derivatives studied (fluoro-, cyano-, aquomet-complexed with inositol hexaphosphate) and carbonmonoxy-hemoglobin exhibit no conformation changes in the temperature range from 0-50 degrees C.