Proteins reacting with anti-spectrin antibodies are present in Chlamydomonas Cells.

It was found either in Western-blot analysis or in indirect immunofluorescence microscopy that cells of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardhi contain polypeptides cross-reactng with antibodies directed against red blood cell spectrin. The protein could also be detected by immunoprecipitation with anti-spectrin antibodies. C. reinhardtii cells contain distinct polypeptide chains reacting with antibodies directed against either α- or β- spectrin subunits. This protein was extracted from the cells with low ionic strength solution but was not with nonionic detergent.     

Epidemiological assessment of the risk of canine mast cell tumours based on the Kiupel two-grade malignancy classification

Background

The degree of differentiation of mast cell tumours (MCTs) is the most important feature and reflects the morphological characteristics and metastatic potential of the tumour and its likely response to treatment and the prognosis. The aim of this study was to epidemiologically analyse the risk of MCT development in dogs according to breed, age, sex, size and anatomical location of the tumour using the Kiupel grading system. The analysis involved 492 dogs selected based on a histopathological assessment of 2763 canine skin tumours. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Mast cell tumours accounted for 17.8% of all diagnosed canine skin tumours. The highest risk of high-grade MCTs was noted in the Shar-Pei (OR 28.18, P?<?0.001) and Weimaraner (OR 6.45, P?=?0.023). The highest risk of low-grade MCTs was determined in the Boxer (OR 6.72, P?<?0.001), and Pug (OR 6.13, P?=?0.027). The scrotum (OR 31.72, P?<?0.001), inguinal area (OR 17.69, P?<?0.001) and axilla (OR 6.30, P?<?0.001) had the highest risk of high-grade MCTs. The risk of high-grade MCTs increased with age and peaked in the oldest dogs, aged 11–16 years (OR 9.55, P?<?0.001). A higher risk of low-grade tumours was noted in younger dogs (aged 4–6 years) (OR 8.54, P?<?0.001) and females (OR 1.43, P?=?0.001). Statistical analysis further revealed a higher risk of both low (OR 3.47, P?<?0.001) and high-grade MCTs (OR 1.71, P?=?0.006) in medium-sized dogs.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated relationships between Kiupel grading system and phenotypic traits, age and location of canine MCTs confirming the complex biological nature of this tumour.

     

Mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase polymorphisms are associated with breast cancer in Poland

Complex I NADH-oxidoreductase-ubiquinone transports reducing equivalents from the reduced form of NADH to ubiquinone (coenzyme Q-CoQ). The purpose of this study was to analyze mutations in MT-ND1, MT-ND2, MT-ND3 and MT-ND6 genes and their effect on the biochemical properties, structure and functioning of proteins in patients with breast tumours. In research materials, in 50 patients, 28 total polymorphisms and five mutations were detected. Most detected polymorphisms (50 %, 14/28) were observed in MT-ND2 gene. Most of them were silent mutations. Five polymorphisms (m.G3916A, m.C4888T, m.A4918G, m.C5363T, m.C10283T) do not exist in the database. A total of five mutations in 13 patients (13/50) were detected, including two not described in the literature: m.C4987G and m.T10173C. It cannot be excluded that, through the mutations and polymorphism impact on the protein structure, they may cause mitochondrial dysfunction and contribute to the appearance of other changes in mtDNA. The results of our study indicate the presence of homological changes in the sequence of mtDNA in both breast cancer and in some mitochondrial diseases. Mutations in the examined genes in breast cancer may affect the cell and cause its dysfunction, as is the case in mitochondrial diseases.