Quantitative Analysis of Torso FDG-PET Scans by Using Anatomical Standardization of Normal Cases from Thorough Physical Examinations

Understanding of standardized uptake value (SUV) of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) depends on the background accumulations of glucose because the SUV often varies the status of patients. The purpose of this study was to develop a new method for quantitative analysis of SUV of FDG-PET scan images. The method included an anatomical standardization and a statistical comparison with normal cases by using Z-score that are often used in SPM or 3D-SSP approach for brain function analysis. Our scheme consisted of two approaches, which included the construction of a normal model and the determination of the SUV scores as Z-score index for measuring the abnormality of an FDG-PET scan image. To construct the normal torso model, all of the normal images were registered into one shape, which indicated the normal range of SUV at all voxels. The image deformation process consisted of a whole body rigid registration of shoulder to bladder region and liver registration and a non-linear registration of body surface by using the thin-plate spline technique. In order to validate usefulness of our method, we segment suspicious regions on FDG-PET images manually, and obtained the Z-scores of the regions based on the corresponding voxels that stores the mean and the standard deviations from the normal model. We collected 243 (143 males and 100 females) normal cases to construct the normal model. We also extracted 432 abnormal spots from 63 abnormal cases (73 cancer lesions) to validate the Z-scores. The Z-scores of 417 out of 432 abnormal spots were higher than 2.0, which statistically indicated the severity of the spots. In conclusions, the Z-scores obtained by our computerized scheme with anatomical standardization of torso region would be useful for visualization and detection of subtle lesions on FDG-PET scan images even when the SUV may not clearly show an abnormality.     

Development of rat tetraploid and chimeric embryos aggregated with diploid cells

In the present study, we examined the preimplantation and postimplantation development of rat tetraploid embryos produced by electrofusion of 2-cell-stage embryos. Developmental rate of tetraploid embryos to morula or blastocyst stage was 93% (56/60) and similar to that found in diploid embryos (95%, 55/58). After embryo transfer, rat tetraploid embryos showed implantation and survived until day 8 of pregnancy, however the conceptuses were aberrant on day 9. In mouse, tetraploid embryos have the ability to support the development of blastomeres that cannot develop independently. As shown in the present study, a pair of diploid blastomeres from the rat 8-cell-stage embryo degenerated immediately after implantation. Therefore, we examined whether rat tetraploid embryos have the ability to support the development of 2/8 blastomeres. We produced chimeric rat embryos in which a pair of diploid blastomeres from an 8-cell-stage green fluorescent protein negative (GFP-) embryo was aggregated with three tetraploid blastomeres from 4-cell GFP-positive (GFP+) embryos. The developmental rate of rat 2n(GFP-) <--> 4n(GFP+) embryos to the morula or blastocyst stages was 93% (109/117) and was similar to that found for 2n(GFP-) <--> 2n(GFP+) embryos (100%, 51/51). After embryo transfer, 2n(GFP-) <--> 4n(GFP+) conceptuses were examined on day 14 of pregnancy, the developmental rate to fetus was quite low (4%, 4/109) and they were all aberrant and smaller than 2n(GFP-) <--> 2n(GFP+) conceptuses, whereas immunohistochemical analysis showed no staining for GFP in fetuses. Our results suggest that rat tetraploid embryos are able to prolong the development of diploid blastomeres that cannot develop independently, although postimplantation development was incomplete.     

Transforming growth factor-beta1-dependent activation of Smad2/3 and up-regulation of PAI-1 expression is negatively regulated by Src in SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cells

The net balance between urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) has been implicated in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. To elucidate the mechanism of the transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)-dependent up-regulation of PAI-1 expression, we investigated which signaling pathway transduced by TGF-beta1 is responsible for this effect. Here, we show (1) nontoxic concentrations of TGF-beta1 up-regulates uPA expression in HRA and SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cells, (2) TGF-beta1 activates Smads (phosphorylation of Smad2 and nuclear translocation of Smad3) and subsequently up-regulates PAI-1 expression in HRA cells, whereas TGF-beta1 neither activates Smads nor up-regulates PAI-1 in SKOV-3 cells, (3) pharmacological Src inhibitor PP2 or antisense (AS) c-Src oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) treatment significantly induces TGF-beta1-dependent activation of Smads, leading to PAI-1 synthesis, compared with controls, in SKOV-3 cells, (4) combination of TGF-beta1 and PP2, which activates PAI-1 expression and reduces uPA expression in SKOV-3, results in decreased invasiveness, (5) pharmacological inhibitors for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (PD98059) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) (LY294002 and wortmannin) or AS-PI3K ODN transfection do not affect TGF-beta1-induced Smad signaling and up-regulation of PAI-1 expression in SKOV-3 cells pretreated with PP2, and (6) the induction of PAI-1 protein was partially inhibited by an inhibitor of Sp1-DNA binding, mithramycin, implicating, at least in part, Sp1 in the regulation of this gene by TGF-beta1. In conclusion, TGF-beta1-dependent activation of Smad2/3, leading to PAI-1 synthesis, may be negatively regulated by Src, but not its downstream targets MAPK and PI3K in SKOV-3 cells. These data also reflect the complex biological effect of uPA-PAI-1 system.     

A subfamily of RNA-binding DEAD-box proteins acts as an estrogen receptor alpha coactivator through the N-terminal activation domain (AF-1) with an RNA coactivator, SRA

One class of the nuclear receptor AF-2 coactivator complexes contains the SRC-1/TIF2 family, CBP/p300 and an RNA coactivator, SRA. We identified a subfamily of RNA-binding DEAD-box proteins (p72/p68) as a human estrogen receptor alpha (hER alpha) coactivator in the complex containing these factors. p72/p68 interacted with both the AD2 of any SRC-1/TIF2 family protein and the hER alpha A/B domain, but not with any other nuclear receptor tested. p72/p68, TIF2 (SRC-1) and SRA were co-immunoprecipitated with estrogen-bound hER alpha in MCF7 cells and in partially purified complexes associated with hER alpha from HeLa nuclear extracts. Estrogen induced co-localization of p72 with hER alpha and TIF2 in the nucleus. The presence of p72/p68 potentiated the estrogen-induced expression of the endogenous pS2 gene in MCF7 cells. In a transient expression assay, a combination of p72/p68 with SRA and one TIF2 brought an ultimate synergism to the estrogen-induced transactivation of hER alpha. These findings indicate that p72/p68 acts as an ER subtype-selective coactivator through ER alpha AF-1 by associating with the coactivator complex to bind its AF-2 through direct binding with SRA and the SRC-1/TIF2 family proteins.     

Mechanism underlying silent cleanup of apoptotic cells

Apoptotic cells are cleared without an inflammatory response such as neutrophil infiltration. The mechanism underlying such silent cleanup of apoptotic cells has been intensively investigated in vitro for over a decade, and the concept that active suppression via IL-10, TGF-β, and nitric oxide enables such silent cleanup to occur has been emerging. However, because this concept has not been vigorously examined under a variety of experimental conditions in vivo, the possibility remains that a null response, in which neither cytokines nor nitric oxide is produced upon an encounter with apoptotic cells, is responsible for silent cleanup.     

Mechanism of the inhibitory effect of zwitterionic drugs (levofloxacin and grepafloxacin) on carnitine transporter (OCTN2) in Caco-2 cells

L-Carnitine plays an important role in lipid metabolism by facilitating the transport of long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial inner membrane followed by fatty acid beta-oxidation. It is known that L-carnitine exists as a zwitterion and that member of the OCTN family play an important role in its transport. The aims of this study were to characterize L-carnitine transport in the intestine by using Caco-2 cells and to elucidate the effects of levofloxacin (LVFX) and grepafloxacin (GPFX), which are zwitterionic drugs, on L-carnitine uptake. Kinetic analysis showed that the half-saturation Na+ concentration, Hill coefficient and Km value of L-carnitine uptake in Caco-2 cells were 10.3 +/- 4.5 mM, 1.09 and 8.0 +/- 1.0 microM, respectively, suggesting that OCTN2 mainly transports L-carnitine. LVFX and GPFX have two pKa values and the existence ratio of their zwitterionic forms is higher under a neutral condition than under an acidic condition. Experiments on the inhibitory effect of LVFX and GPFX on L-carnitine uptake showed that LVFX and GPFX inhibited L-carnitine uptake more strongly at pH 7.4 than at pH 5.5. It was concluded that the zwitterionic form of drugs plays an important role in inhibition of OCTN2 function.     

The blasticidin S resistance gene (bsr) selectable in a single copy state in the Bacillus subtilis chromosome

The blasticidin S resistance gene (bsr), originally isolated from Bacillus cereus, was studied in Bacillus subtilis. It was found that a 617 bp fragment including the intact bsr gene and its 5' flanking region could confer BS resistance on B. subtilis when integrated in its chromosome, even in a single copy state. The construction of a bsr gene cassette and its practical application as a novel selection marker for B. subtilis are reported.     

Efficient genome editing and gene knockout in Setaria viridis with CRISPR/Cas9 directed gene editing by the non-homologous end-joining pathway

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used for genome editing in several organisms, including higher plants. This system induces site-specific mutations in the genome based on the nucleotide sequence of engineered guide RNAs. The complex genomes of C4 grasses makes genome editing a challenge in key grass crops like maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Brachiaria spp., switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). Setaria viridis is a diploid C4 grass widely used as a model for these C4 crop plants. Here, an optimized CRISPR/Cas9 binary vector that exploits the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) system was used to knockout a green fluorescent protein (gfp) transgene in S. viridis accession A10.1. Transformation of embryogenic callus by A. tumefaciens generated ten glufosinate-ammonium resistant transgenic events. In the T0 generation, 60% of the events were biallelic mutants in the gfp transgene with no detectable accumulation of GFP protein and without insertions or deletions in predicted off-target sites. The gfp mutations generated by CRISPR/Cas9 were stable and displayed Mendelian segregation in the T1 generation. Altogether, the system described here is a highly efficient genome editing system for S. viridis, an important model plant for functional genomics studies in C4 grasses. Also, this system is a potential tool for improvement of agronomic traits in C4 crop plants with complex genomes.     

A novel intracellular compartment with unusual secretory properties in human neutrophils

Human neutrophils contain a novel intracellular compartment that is distinct from the previously characterized azurophil and specific granules. This compartment is distinguished by the presence of cytochemically detectable alkaline phosphatase activity. The alkaline phosphatase-containing compartments are short rod-shaped organelles that rapidly undergo a dramatic reorganization upon cell stimulation with either a chemoattractant or an active phorbol ester. Biochemical analysis shows that in unstimulated neutrophils the majority of the alkaline phosphatase activity is intracellular, but after stimulation essentially all of this activity becomes associated with the cell surface. The exocytotic pathway is unusual in that these small organelles fuse to form elongated tubular structures before their association with the plasmalemma.