Comparison of the relative sensitivity of human lymphocytes and mouse splenocytes to two spindle poisons

Aneugenic compounds act on non-DNA targets to exert genotoxicity via an indirect mechanism. In contrast to DNA-binding agents, these compounds are expected to possess threshold levels of activity. Therefore, the risk for adverse effects following human exposure to an aneugen could be minimal, if the threshold of activity has been clearly determined in vivo and in vitro and providing the human exposure level is below this threshold. Thus, the development of a single-cell model to allow comparisons between in vitro and in vivo threshold values for aneugenic compounds is of importance.The in vivo micronucleus test is one of the main assays used in genetic toxicology, and is often performed in the mouse. Thus, an extensive database is available in the literature. However, there are only few data concerning the in vitro micronucleus assay using mouse cells, as the majority of in vitro micronucleus assays have been performed using human lymphocytes. In addition, there is a lack of data concerning thresholds for any compound using this model.First, we evaluated whether the use of mouse splenocytes would be an acceptable alternative to that of human lymphocytes to identify aneugens. To allow valid comparisons, the two protocols were first harmonized. Thus, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A were used as specific mitogens for human lymphocytes and mouse splenocytes, respectively, in order to achieve similar cell-proliferation rates. To achieve similar and sufficient numbers of binucleated cells, cytochalasin B was added 44 and 56 h after culture initiation of the human and mouse cells, respectively.Second, we compared the sensitivity of the mouse protocol with that of the human protocol by exposing the cells to the aneugens nocodazole and paclitaxel.There was good reproducibility of the cytotoxic/genotoxic responses of the two cell models following exposure to the aneugens. The sensitivity of the mouse splenocytes to paclitaxel was higher than that of the human lymphocytes. The two cell types were equally sensitive to nocodazole.     

SOS Chromotest study concerning some appreciation criteria of humic substances' genotoxic potency

The genotoxicity of 5 compounds: 2 fulvic acids, a trade humic acid, a synthetic humic material (SHM), and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, was assessed after chlorination, by means of the SOS Chromotest for tester strain E. coli PQ 37 without metabolic activation. Chlorination was carried out for humic material concentration of 0.5 mg total organic carbon per liter, and chlorine concentrations in the range of 0.1-2.0 chlorine equivalents per mole of carbon. Among all the considered criteria that can account for potent toxicity: chemical degradation determined by the UV absorption decrease, chlorine consumption, average molecular weight, only the polymerization index (O.D. 665 nm/O.D. 465 nm) can be related to the genotoxicity of humic samples. This latter criterion appears a possible predictor of genotoxic potency, revealed subsequent to the aqueous chlorination of humic materials. Looking at the various genotoxic activities of the tested compounds, SHM can be considered a better model of natural humic materials than the trade humic acid.     

Single‐nucleotide polymorphism c.474G>A in the SEPT12 gene is a predisposing factor in male infertility

SEPT12 is a testis‐specific gene involved in the terminal differentiation of male germ cells. SEPT12 protein is required for sperm head‐tail formation and acts as a fundamental constituent of sperm tail annulus. In this study, we screened genetic variations in exons 5, 6, 7 of the SEPT12 and assessed the annulus status in teratozoospermic, globozoospermic, and patients with immotile short tail sperm. DNA sequencing was performed for 90 teratozoospermic and 30 normozoospermic individuals. Immunocytochemistry, transmission electron microscopy and western blotting were conducted to evaluate annulus status and the expression level of SEPT12 in patients with a distinct exonic variation (c.474G>A), respectively. Five polymorphisms identified within the desired regions of the SEPT12, among them c.474G>A had the potential to induce aberrant splicing results in the expression of a truncated protein. The annulus was detected in most of the spermatozoa from teratozoospermic and normozoospermic men with c.474G>A. In contrast, in the patient with short tail sperm defect carrying c.474G>A, 99% of spermatozoa were devoid of the annulus. Based on our findings there would be no association between exons 5, 6, 7 polymorphisms of the SEPT12 gene and the occurrence of mentioned disease but c.474G>A would be a predisposing factor in male infertility.     

Matefin/SUN-1 Phosphorylation Is Part of a Surveillance Mechanism to Coordinate Chromosome Synapsis and Recombination with Meiotic Progression and Chromosome Movement

Faithful chromosome segregation during meiosis I depends on the establishment of a crossover between homologous chromosomes. This requires induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), alignment of homologs, homolog association by synapsis, and repair of DSBs via homologous recombination. The success of these events requires coordination between chromosomal events and meiotic progression. The conserved SUN/KASH nuclear envelope bridge establishes transient linkages between chromosome ends and cytoskeletal forces during meiosis. In Caenorhabditis elegans, this bridge is essential for bringing homologs together and preventing nonhomologous synapsis. Chromosome movement takes place during synapsis and recombination. Concomitant with the onset of chromosome movement, SUN-1 clusters at chromosome ends associated with the nuclear envelope, and it is phosphorylated in a chk-2- and plk-2-dependent manner. Identification of all SUN-1 phosphomodifications at its nuclear N terminus allowed us to address their role in prophase I. Failures in recombination and synapsis led to persistent phosphorylations, which are required to elicit a delay in progression. Unfinished meiotic tasks elicited sustained recruitment of PLK-2 to chromosome ends in a SUN-1 phosphorylation–dependent manner that is required for continued chromosome movement and characteristic of a zygotene arrest. Furthermore, SUN-1 phosphorylation supported efficient synapsis. We propose that signals emanating from a failure to successfully finish meiotic tasks are integrated at the nuclear periphery to regulate chromosome end–led movement and meiotic progression. The single unsynapsed X chromosome in male meiosis is precluded from inducing a progression delay, and we found it was devoid of a population of phosphorylated SUN-1. This suggests that SUN-1 phosphorylation is critical to delaying meiosis in response to perturbed synapsis. SUN-1 may be an integral part of a checkpoint system to monitor establishment of the obligate crossover, inducible only in leptotene/zygotene. Unrepaired DSBs and unsynapsed chromosomes maintain this checkpoint, but a crossover intermediate is necessary to shut it down.     

Altered White Matter Architecture in BDNF Met Carriers

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates the pruning of synaptically silent axonal arbors. The Met allele of the BDNF gene is associated with a reduction in the neurotrophin''s activity-dependent release. We used diffusion-weighted imaging to construct structural brain networks for 36 healthy subjects with known BDNF genotypes. Through permutation testing we discovered clear differences in connection strength between subjects carrying the Met allele and those homozygotic for the Val allele. We trained a Gaussian process classifier capable of identifying the subjects'' allelic group with 86% accuracy and high predictive value. In Met carriers structural connectivity was greatly increased throughout the forebrain, particularly in connections corresponding to the anterior and superior corona radiata as well as corticothalamic and corticospinal projections from the sensorimotor, premotor, and prefrontal portions of the internal capsule. Interhemispheric connectivity was also increased via the corpus callosum and anterior commissure, and extremely high connectivity values were found between inferior medial frontal polar regions via the anterior forceps. We propose that the decreased availability of BDNF leads to deficits in axonal maintenance in carriers of the Met allele, and that this produces mesoscale changes in white matter architecture.     

The relative influence of catchment, riparian corridor, and reach-scale anthropogenic pressures on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages in French rivers

This study compares the relative influences of physiography and anthropogenic pressures on river biota at catchment, riparian corridor, and reach scales. Environmental data, catchment and riparian corridor land use, anthropogenic modifications and biological data were compiled for 301 French sites sampled from 2005 to 2008. First, relationships between anthropogenic pressures and fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages were analysed using redundancy analysis. Second, the influences of physiography and the three scales of human pressures on biological assemblages were measured using variance partitioning. Distributions of fish and macroinvertebrate taxa along the pressure gradients agreed with bio-ecological knowledge. At the reach scale, assemblage variability among the 301 French sites was related to the presence of an impoundment and to poor water quality, while at larger scales it was linked to a gradient from forest to agricultural covers. In addition, a large proportion of the explained variability in assemblage composition was related to complex interactions among factors (~40%) and to physiographic variables (~30%). Furthermore, our results highlight that catchment land use better reflects local water quality impairments than hydromorphological degradations. Finally, this study supports the idea that human pressure effects on river communities are linked at several spatial scales and must be considered jointly.     

Geldanamycin anisimycins activate Rho and stimulate Rho- and ROCK-dependent actin stress fiber formation

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a member of the heat shock family of molecular chaperones that regulate protein conformation and activity. Hsp90 regulates multiple cell signaling pathways by controlling the abundance and activity of several important protein kinases and cell cycle-related proteins. In this report, we show that inhibition of Hsp90 by geldanamycin or its derivative, 17-allylamino-17-desmethoxygeldamycin, leads to activation of the Rho GTPase and a dramatic increase in actin stress fiber formation in human tumor cell lines. Inactivation of Rho prevents geldanamycin-induced actin reorganization. Hsp90 inactivation does not alter the appearance of filopodia or lamellipodia and tubulin architecture is not visibly perturbed. Our observations suggest that Hsp90 has an important and specific role in regulating Rho activity and Rho-dependent actin cytoskeleton remodeling.     

New approaches to estimating the mutagenic potential of chemicals

New developments in mutagenic risk assessment have appeared in the past few years. New methods have been developed such asin vitro micronucleus assay for chromosomal alterations, comet assay for primary DNA damage, use of transgenic animals to detectin vivo gene mutations, and fluorescent in situ hybridization method to detect aneuploidy. Other new methods will be developed in the few next years, including the use of DNA chips and the use of molecular biological methods. Several micromethods have been developed to test a great number of chemical compounds. New concepts have appeared concerning interpretation of data, and particularly of thresholds especially in the case of aneugens; in some cases metabolic or mechanistic thresholds were demonstrated. Genotoxic studies are best integrated into toxicological testing: for example, some genotoxicity tests can be integrated into subacute toxicology; interpretation of data includes metabolism; and toxicokinetic data relate to other toxicological studies. Conversely, genotoxicity data can be used to interpret toxicology studies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intracerebroventricular leptin administration reduces food intake in pregnant and lactating mice

Leptin acts within the hypothalamus to diminish food intake. During pregnancy and lactation, both circulating leptin concentrations and food intake are elevated, suggesting an ineffectiveness of leptin to reduce food intake in these mice. Thus, this study tested the ability of intracerebroventricular (ICV) leptin administration to alter food intake during pregnancy and lactation. Mice during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, lactating mice on postpartum Day 7, and age-matched female mice were used. Plasma leptin concentrations averaged 2.9 +/- 0.3 ng/ml in control mice, increased steadily as pregnancy progressed (3.4 +/- 0.7, 29.8 +/- 4.5, and 40.5 +/- 0.7 ng/ml during the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively), and remained elevated on Day 7 postpartum (26.4 +/- 7.8 ng/ml). Mice were food deprived for 4 h, injected ICV with vehicle or leptin (1 micro g), and food intake was subsequently measured hourly for 3 hr, and after 24 hr. Vehicle-treated pregnant mice consumed marginally more food than cycling control mice, whereas nursing dams ate two to three times as much food as controls. As expected, ICV leptin administration reduced 24-hr food intake of control mice by 2 g, or approximately 50%. ICV-administered leptin was as effective in reducing food intake of pregnant and lactating mice as observed in control mice. Thus, the elevated circulating leptin concentrations observed in pregnant and nursing mice did not alter the ability of ICV-administered leptin to diminish food intake. High plasma concentrations of leptin-binding proteins observed during pregnancy, and probably during lactation, may limit the amount of endogenous leptin reaching the hypothalamus, and may consequently enable increases in food intake concomitant with elevated plasma leptin during these nutritionally demanding periods.