Live‐cell imaging reveals sustained centromere binding of CENP‐T via CENP‐A and CENP‐B

At the centromere, a network of proteins, the kinetochore, assembles in order to grant correct chromatin segregation. In this study the dynamics and molecular interactions of the inner kinetochore protein CENP‐T were analyzed employing a variety of fluorescence microscopy techniques in living human cells. Acceptor‐bleaching FRET indicates that CENP‐T directly associates with CENP‐A and CENP‐B. CENP‐T exchange into centromeres is restricted to the S‐phase of the cell cycle as revealed by FRAP, suggesting a coreplicational loading mechanism, as we have recently also demonstrated for CENP‐I. These properties make CENP‐T one of the basic inner kinetochore proteins with most further proteins binding downstream, suggesting a fundamental role of CENP‐T in kinetochore function. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Versatile laser‐based cell manipulator

Here we describe a two‐photon microscope and laser ablation setup combined with optical tweezers. We tested the setup on the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a commonly used model organism. We show that long‐term imaging can be achieved without significant photo‐bleaching or damage of the sample. The setup can precisely ablate sub‐micrometer structures, such as microtubules and mitotic spindles, inside living cells, which remain viable after the manipulation. Longer exposure times lead to ablation, while shorter exposures lead to photo‐bleaching of the target structure. We used optical tweezers to trap intracellular particles and to displace the cell nucleus. Two‐photon fluorescence imaging of the manipulated cell can be performed simultaneously with trapping. The combination of techniques described here may help to solve a variety of problems in cell biology, such as positioning of organelles and the forces exerted by the cytoskeleton. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

X‐ray‐induced apoptosis of BEL‐7402 cell line enhanced by extremely low frequency electromagnetic field in vitro

This study was designed to test whether extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF‐EMF) could enhance the apoptosis‐induction effect of X‐ray radiotherapy on liver cancer cell line BEL‐7402 in vitro. EMF exposure was performed inside an energized solenoid coil. X‐ray irradiation was performed using a linear accelerator. Apoptosis rates of BEL‐7402 cells were analyzed using Annexin V‐Fit Apoptosis Detection kit. Apoptosis rates of EMF group and sham EMF group were compared when combined with X‐ray irradiation. Our results suggested that the apoptosis rate of BEL‐7402 cells exposed to low doses of X‐ray irradiation could be significantly increased by EMF. More EMF exposures obtain significantly higher apoptosis rates than fewer EMF exposures when combined with 2 Gy X‐ray irradiation. These findings suggested that ELF‐EMF could augment the cell apoptosis effects of low doses of X‐ray irradiation on BEL‐7402 cells in a synergistic and cumulative way. Bioelectromagnetics 30:163–165, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Feline herpesvirus‐1 down‐regulates MHC class I expression in an homologous cell system

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are an essential component of the immune defense against many virus infections. CTLs recognize viral peptides in the context of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on the surface of infected cells. Many viruses have evolved mechanisms to interfere with MHC class I expression as a means of evading the host immune response. In the present research we have studied the effect of in vitro Feline Herpesvirus 1 (FeHV‐1) infection on MHC class I expression. The results of this study demonstrate that FeHV‐1 down regulates surface expression of MHC class I molecules on infected cells, presumably to evade cytotoxic T‐cell recognition and, perhaps, attenuate induction of immunity. Sensitivity to UV irradiation and insensitivity to a viral DNA synthesis inhibitor, like phosphonacetic acid, revealed that immediate early or early viral gene(s) are responsible. Use of the protein translation inhibitor cycloheximide confirmed that an early gene is primarily responsible. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 179–185, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Retracted: Role of α7‐nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in human non‐small cell lung cancer proliferation

The above article from Cell Proliferation, published online on 18 November 2008 in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ), and in Volume 41, pp. 936‐959, has been retracted by agreement between the Editor in Chief, Dr Catherine Sarraf, and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed upon following the recent confirmation regarding an internal investigation that was conducted by the Institutional Office for Research Integrity (UIR) at the National Institute for Cancer Research, Genova, Italy, in 2009, which found evidence of fabricated/duplicated data within the article.     

On Estimating the Relationship between Longitudinal Measurements and Time‐to‐Event Data Using a Simple Two‐Stage Procedure

Summary Ye, Lin, and Taylor (2008, Biometrics 64 , 1238–1246) proposed a joint model for longitudinal measurements and time‐to‐event data in which the longitudinal measurements are modeled with a semiparametric mixed model to allow for the complex patterns in longitudinal biomarker data. They proposed a two‐stage regression calibration approach that is simpler to implement than a joint modeling approach. In the first stage of their approach, the mixed model is fit without regard to the time‐to‐event data. In the second stage, the posterior expectation of an individual's random effects from the mixed‐model are included as covariates in a Cox model. Although Ye et al. (2008) acknowledged that their regression calibration approach may cause a bias due to the problem of informative dropout and measurement error, they argued that the bias is small relative to alternative methods. In this article, we show that this bias may be substantial. We show how to alleviate much of this bias with an alternative regression calibration approach that can be applied for both discrete and continuous time‐to‐event data. Through simulations, the proposed approach is shown to have substantially less bias than the regression calibration approach proposed by Ye et al. (2008) . In agreement with the methodology proposed by Ye et al. (2008) , an advantage of our proposed approach over joint modeling is that it can be implemented with standard statistical software and does not require complex estimation techniques.     

Asymmetric Friedel‐Crafts alkylations of indoles with dialkyl 3‐oxoprop‐1‐enylphosphonates: Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of α‐indolyl phosphonates

Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of α‐indolyl phosphonates has been successfully carried out via asymmetric Friedel‐Crafts alkylation of substituted indoles with (E)‐dialkyl 3‐oxoprop‐1‐enylphosphonates in 48–82% yield and 73–96% ee. Chirality, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Synergistic anti‐proliferative and pro‐apoptotic activity of combined therapy with bortezomib,a proteasome inhibitor,with anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) drugs in human cancer cells

The article to which this erratum refers was published in J Cell Physiol (2008) 216: 698–707. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/jcp.21444     

Gold‐silver and silver‐silver nanoparticle constructs based on DNA hybridization of thiol‐ and amino‐functionalized oligonucleotides

Metal nanoparticle constructs of particles of different sizes and materials were prepared, using DNA as connecting element. Therefore, gold and silver nanoparticles were functionalized with complementary DNA sequences that enabled a controlled coupling. The well‐established system based on thiolated DNA was thereby complemented with amino‐functionalized DNA. The realization of specific DNA‐DNA bonds due to hybridization was controlled by the ionic strength. The results demonstrate the potential of the combination of different particle sizes, composition as well as coupling chemistry in order to realize controlled conjugates of nanoparticles. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Structural and photophysical properties of novel dual fluorescent compounds, 1‐aryl‐substituted 6‐methoxy‐4‐quinolones

Dual fluorescent compounds are useful platforms for the development of ratiometric probes and sensors. We have developed a new series of dual fluorescent compounds, 1‐aryl‐substituted 6‐methoxy‐4‐quinolones, and investigated their structural and photophysical properties. The X‐ray crystallographic analysis and ab initio quantum chemical calculations revealed that the developed compounds exhibited 60–75° twisted structures. The dual fluorescence of the compounds were observed in polar solvents, and the ratiometric fluorescence responses to alterations in the acidity and temperature were obtained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alternative Confidence Regions for Bonferroni‐Based Closed‐Testing Procedures that are not Alpha‐Exhaustive

This article complements the results in Guilbaud (Biometrical Journal 2008; 50 :678–692). Simultaneous confidence regions were derived in that article that correspond to any given multiple testing procedure (MTP) in a fairly large class of consonant closed‐testing procedures based on marginal p‐values and weighted Bonferroni tests for intersection hypotheses. This class includes Holm's MTP, the fixed‐sequence MTP, gatekeeping MTPs, fallback MTPs, multi‐stage fallback MTPs, and recently proposed MTPs specified through a graphical representation and associated rejection algorithm. More general confidence regions are proposed in this article. These regions are such that for certain underlying MTPs which are not alpha‐exhaustive, they lead to confidence assertions that may be sharper than rejection assertions for some rejected null hypotheses H when not all Hs are rejected, which is not the case with the previously proposed regions. In fact, various alternative confidence regions may be available for such an underlying MTP. These results are shown through an extension of the previous direct arguments (without invoking the partitioning principle), and under the same general setup; so for instance, estimated quantities and marginal confidence regions are not restricted to be of any particular kinds/dimensions. The relation with corresponding confidence regions of Strassburger and Bretz (Statistics in Medicine 2008; 27 :4914–4927) is described. The results are illustrated with fallback and parallel‐gatekeeping MTPs.     

Reproductive parameters in captive hand‐reared black‐bellied sandgrouse

Flock breeders of black‐bellied sandgrouse originated from wild‐laid eggs collected in west central Morocco in 2003 and 2004, were hatched, and hand‐reared in captivity in the framework of a reinforcement population program. Three to five pairs of different ages were housed in an aviary. Egg‐pulling procedure was used and eggs incubated artificially. Breeding parameters, hatchability, and posthatching mortality were recorded. The black‐bellied sandgrouse showed a seasonal breeding pattern with a laying period extending from 7 to12 weeks. The clutch frequency varied from 3 to 7 clutches per female per season. The mean clutch size was 2.66±0.47 eggs, and the mean interclutch interval was 10±2.7 days. The average total egg production was 12±5.83 eggs per female varying with age from 8 to18 eggs per female. Egg hatchability of incubated eggs increased with age and varied from 37.5 to 72.2%. Chick mortality occurred only in the first week after hatching, averaging 60.5%. The obtained results showed that black‐bellied sandgrouse can be successfully bred in captivity and opened the possibility of controlling, managing, and maximizing their production for the reinforcement of the local declining wild populations. Zoo Biol 27:269–281, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Features that determine telomere homolog oligonucleotide‐induced therapeutic DNA damage‐like responses in cancer cells

The article to which this erratum refers was published in J Cell Physiol (2007) 210:582–595. J. Cell. Physiol. 215: 285, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Microfluidics and photonics for Bio‐System‐on‐a‐Chip: A review of advancements in technology towards a microfluidic flow cytometry chip

Microfluidics and photonics come together to form a field commonly referred to as ‘optofluidics’. Flow cytometry provides the field with a technology base from which both microfluidic and photonic components be developed and integrated into a useful device. This article reviews some of the more recent developments to familiarize a reader with the current state of the technologies and also highlights the requirements of the device and how researchers are working to meet these needs. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Supply‐Use Approach to Waste Input‐Output Analysis

In this article, we extend Namakura and Kondo's waste input‐output (WIO) framework by incorporating a supply‐use formalism, resulting in waste supply‐use tables (WSUTs). We present the theoretical underpinnings of the WSUT and, in particular, the transition from Nakamura and Kondo's WIO form to the new WSUT form. Further, we offer a mathematical proof of the equivalence of WIO and WSUT multipliers. We illustrate the workings of the WSUT calculus using economic and waste data for the Australian economy in 2008–2009.     

Usage of high‐performance mattresses for transport of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphin

Ground transport can be a stressful operation for dolphins if the long period of restraint causes damage to internal organs, especially to the lung, generated by their own weight. Buoyancy is deprived from dolphins under moist transport, in which dolphins are transported on mattresses. Upgrading mattresses is an effective way to modify the transportation method so as to compensate for the loss of buoyancy. In Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus), we tried to find mattresses that performed well at distributing the dolphins' weight and preserved their pulmonary function. When using EV‐17 (thickness, 50 mm) put on EE‐20 (thickness, 50 mm), a wider support area, less extreme changes in pressure, and lower maximum pressures were observed compared with other mattress systems tested. On this mattress system, lower breathing rates, lower heart rates, and higher exhaled CO₂ concentrations were shown compared with using standard mattresses. These results suggest that the performance of the combination of EV‐17 and EE‐20 is better than that of the standard mattress in terms of the cardiopulmonary function of dolphins. Zoo Biol 27:331–340, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The role of nuclear factor‐κB in rats of radiocontrast‐media‐induced nephropathy

This study was undertaken to examine the possible role of the DNA‐binding activity of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) in rat of radiocontrast‐media‐induced nephropathy (RCIN) and to explore the characteristic of RCIN in rats and the role of NF‐κB in its occurrence. Forty‐eight adult male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into Groups A–D. Rats of Groups A and B were intravenously injected with NG‐nitro‐L ‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) (10 mg/kg) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg), respectively. Rats of Groups C and D were intravenously injected with 1‐M phosphate buffer (PH = 8.4 3 mL/kg) and normal saline (NS 2 mL/kg), respectively. After 30 min, Groups A and D were injected with NS (8 mL/kg) and Groups B and C were injected with diatrizoate (DTZ 8 mL/kg). After injected contrast media (CM) for 6 h, the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen of rat in Group B increased sharply as compared with Groups A, C, and D. After 48 h, the data recovered to 49.28 ± 8.81 μmol/L and 6.72 ± 2.75 mmol/L, respectively. Vacuolization of the tubule epithelial cells of the kidney was observed in Group A. Especially, these pathological changes were most obvious in outer medulla. Contrast to group A, the DNA‐binding activity of NF‐κB in rat kidney of Group B reached a peak at the 6th h and recovered to the normal level after the 48th h. CM mainly damages renal tubular–interstitial, which appears the earliest and most serious in the outer medulla. Activation of NF‐κB of renal may be one of the mechanisms of RCIN occurrence. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 22:416–421, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20256     

Synthetic polymeric substrates as potent pro‐oxidant versus anti‐oxidant regulators of cytoskeletal remodeling and cell apoptosis

The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated cell signal transduction pathways emanating from engineered cell substrates remains unclear. To elucidate the role, polymers derived from the amino acid L ‐tyrosine were used as synthetic matrix substrates. Variations in their chemical properties were created by co‐polymerizing hydrophobic L ‐tyrosine derivatives with uncharged hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, Mw = 1,000 Da), and negatively charged desaminotyrosyl‐tyrosine (DT). These substrates were characterized for their intrinsic ability to generate ROS, as well as their ability to elicit Saos‐2 cell responses in terms of intracellular ROS production, actin remodeling, and apoptosis. PEG‐containing substrates induced both exogenous and intracellular ROS production, whereas the charged substrates reduced production of both types, indicating a coupling of exogenous ROS generation and intracellular ROS production. Furthermore, PEG‐mediated ROS induction caused nuclear translocation of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and an increase in caspase‐3 activity, confirming a link with apoptosis. PEG‐rich pro‐oxidant substrates caused cytoskeletal actin remodeling through β‐actin cleavage by caspase‐3 into fractins. The fractins co‐localized to the mitochondria and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential. The remnant cytosolic β‐actin was polymerized and condensed, events consistent with apoptotic cell shrinkage. The cytoskeletal remodeling was integral to the further augmentation of intracellular ROS production. Conversely, the anti‐oxidant DT‐containing charged substrates suppressed the entire cascade of apoptotic progression. We demonstrate that ROS activity serves an important role in “outside‐in” signaling for cells grown on substrates: the ROS activity couples exogenous stress, driven by substrate composition, to changes in intracellular signaling. This signaling causes cell apoptosis, which is mediated by actin remodeling. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 549–557, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.