Bis-phenacetyl and phenoxyacetyl groups as substrates for penG and penV amidases

o-, m-, p-Bis-phenylacetic and -bis-phenoxyacetic acid esters with solketal are prepared and submitted to enzymatic hydrolysis with penicillin V (PVA) and G (PGA) amidases. While the para-isomers are recovered unchanged, ortho- and meta-bis-esters are completely hydrolysed. PVA shows a reversed substrate specificity, hydrolysing phenylacetates faster than its natural substrate. The use of the bis-acids as alcohol-protecting groups is proposed.     

A Regulatory Mutant of Hansenula polymorpha Exhibiting Methanol Utilization Metabolism and Peroxisome Proliferation in Glucose

Mutant LGM-128 of Hansenula polymorpha harbors the recessive mutation glr2-1 which confers a complex pleiotropic phenotype, the major feature of which is the metabolically unnecessary induction of methanol utilization metabolism (C₁ metabolism) during growth on glucose, whether or not methanol is in the medium. Therefore, in this mutant, peroxisomes are formed and proliferate upon cultivation in glucose-containing media. In these media, LGM-128 shows induction levels of C₁ metabolism that are similar to those observed in methanol-containing media. This indicates that GLR2 controls the repression-derepression process stimulated by glucose and that the induction process triggered by methanol plays only a minor role in activating C₁ metabolism. Cultivating LGM-128 in methanol and then transferring it to glucose media revealed that active degradative processes occur, leading to the disappearance of C₁ metabolism. This observation suggests that, although stimulated by glucose, the two processes are controlled by elements which are, at least in part, distinct. Finally, glr2-1 does not affect ethanol repression, suggesting that in H. polymorpha the two repressing circuits are separated.     

N,N′-bis-(2,3-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea and N,N′-bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea interact with auxin in enhancing root formation of M26 apple (Malus pumila Mill.) stem slices

Stem slices cut from micropropagated cuttings of apple rootstock M26 were cultured in the presence of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) plus N,N-bis-(2,3-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea or N,N-bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)urea, to verify if there was an interaction between them in enhancing root formation. The N,N-bis-(methylenedioxyphenyl)ureas were supplemented after, before and in the simultaneous presence of auxin. Our data demonstrate that only the simultaneous presence of auxin and N,N-bis-(methylenedioxyphenyl)ureas in the culture medium enhanced root formation on M26 stem slices. The percentage of rooted slices obtained in the presence of the mixtures was significantly different from that obtained in the presence of low auxin concentration alone (1µM). Moreover both the percentage of rooted slices and the number of roots per slice obtained in these culture conditions was not significantly different to that of the optimal auxinic treatment in which the auxin concentration was threefold higher.     

Porcine E. coli: Virulence-Associated Genes,Resistance Genes and Adhesion and Probiotic Activity Tested by a New Screening Method

We established an automated screening method to characterize adhesion of Escherichia coli to intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and their probiotic activity against infection by enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). 104 intestinal E. coli isolates from domestic pigs were tested by PCR for the occurrence of virulence-associated genes, genes coding for resistances to antimicrobial agents and metals, and for phylogenetic origin by PCR. Adhesion rates and probiotic activity were examined for correlation with the presence of these genes. Finally, data were compared with those from 93 E. coli isolates from wild boars.Isolates from domestic pigs carried a broad variety of all tested genes and showed great diversity in gene patterns. Adhesions varied with a maximum of 18.3 or 24.2 mean bacteria adherence per epithelial cell after 2 or 6 hours respectively. Most isolates from domestic pigs and wild boars showed low adherence, with no correlation between adhesion/probiotic activity and E. coli genes or gene clusters. The gene sfa/foc, encoding for a subunit of F1C fimbriae did show a positive correlative association with adherence and probiotic activity; however E. coli isolates from wild boars with the sfa/foc gene showed less adhesion and probiotic activity than E. coli with the sfa/foc gene isolated from domestic pigs after 6 hour incubation.In conclusion, screening porcine E. coli for virulence associated genes genes, adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells, and probiotic activity revealed a single important adhesion factor, several probiotic candidates, and showed important differences between E. coli of domestic pigs and wild boars.     

Loss of TRAIL-Receptors Is a Recurrent Feature in Pancreatic Cancer and Determines the Prognosis of Patients with No Nodal Metastasis after Surgery

Introduction

Agonistic antibodies targeting TRAIL-receptors 1 and 2 (TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2) are being developed as a novel therapeutic approach in cancer therapy including pancreatic cancer. However, the cellular distribution of these receptors in primary pancreatic cancer samples has not been sufficiently investigated and no study has yet addressed the issue of their prognostic significance in this tumor entity.

Aims and Methods

Applying tissue microarray (TMA) analysis, we performed an immunohistochemical assessment of TRAIL-receptors in surgical samples from 84 consecutive patients affected by pancreatic adenocarcinoma and in 26 additional selected specimens from patients with no lymph nodes metastasis at the time of surgery. The prognostic significance of membrane staining and staining intensity for TRAIL-receptors was evaluated.

Results

The fraction of pancreatic cancer samples with positive membrane staining for TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 was lower than that of cells from surrounding non-tumor tissues (TRAIL-R1: p<0.001, TRAIL-R2: p = 0.006). In addition, subgroup analyses showed that loss of membrane staining for TRAIL-R2 was associated with poorer prognosis in patients without nodal metastases (multivariate Cox regression analysis, Hazard Ratio: 0.44 [95% confidence interval: 0.22−0.87]; p = 0.019). In contrast, analysis of decoy receptors TRAIL-R3 and -R4 in tumor samples showed an exclusively cytoplasmatic staining pattern and no prognostic relevance.

Conclusion

This is a first report on the prognostic significance of TRAIL-receptors expression in pancreatic cancer showing that TRAIL-R2 might represent a prognostic marker for patients with early stage disease. In addition, our data suggest that loss of membrane-bound TRAIL-receptors could represent a molecular mechanism for therapeutic failure upon administration of TRAIL-receptors-targeting antibodies in pancreatic cancer. This hypothesis should be evaluated in future clinical trials.     

Measuring Actin Flow in 3D Cell Protrusions

Actin dynamics is important in determining cell shape, tension, and migration. Methods such as fluorescent speckle microscopy and spatial temporal image correlation spectroscopy have been used to capture high-resolution actin turnover dynamics within cells in two dimensions. However, these methods are not directly applicable in 3D due to lower resolution and poor contrast. Here, we propose to capture actin flow in 3D with high spatial-temporal resolution by combining nanoscale precise imaging by rapid beam oscillation and fluctuation spectroscopy techniques. To measure the actin flow along cell protrusions in cell expressing actin-eGFP cultured in a type I collagen matrix, the laser was orbited around the protrusion and its trajectory was modulated in a clover-shaped pattern perpendicularly to the protrusion. Orbits were also alternated at two positions closely spaced along the protrusion axis. The pair cross-correlation function was applied to the fluorescence fluctuation from these two positions to capture the flow of actin. Measurements done on nonmoving cellular protrusion tips showed no pair-correlation at two orbital positions indicating a lack of flow of F-actin bundles. However, in some protrusions, the pair-correlation approach revealed directional flow of F-actin bundles near the protrusion surface with flow rates in the range of ∼1 μm/min, comparable to results in two dimensions using fluorescent speckle microscopy. Furthermore, we found that the actin flow rate is related to the distance to the protrusion tip. We also observed collagen deformation by concomitantly detecting collagen fibers with reflectance detection during these actin motions. The implementation of the nanoscale precise imaging by rapid beam oscillation method with a cloverleaf-shaped trajectory in conjunction with the pair cross-correlation function method provides a quantitative way of capturing dynamic flows and organization of proteins during cell migration in 3D in conditions of poor contrast.     

PDCD10 Gene Mutations in Multiple Cerebral Cavernous Malformations

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular abnormalities that may cause seizures, intracerebral haemorrhages, and focal neurological deficits. Familial form shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with incomplete penetrance and variable clinical expression. Three genes have been identified causing familial CCM: KRIT1/CCM1, MGC4607/CCM2, and PDCD10/CCM3. Aim of this study is to report additional PDCD10/CCM3 families poorly described so far which account for 10-15% of hereditary cerebral cavernous malformations. Our group investigated 87 consecutive Italian affected individuals (i.e. positive Magnetic Resonance Imaging) with multiple/familial CCM through direct sequencing and Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analysis. We identified mutations in over 97.7% of cases, and PDCD10/CCM3 accounts for 13.1%. PDCD10/CCM3 molecular screening revealed four already known mutations and four novel ones. The mutated patients show an earlier onset of clinical manifestations as compared to CCM1/CCM2 mutated patients. The study of further families carrying mutations in PDCD10/CCM3 may help define a possible correlation between genotype and phenotype; an accurate clinical follow up of the subjects would help define more precisely whether mutations in PDCD10/CCM3 lead to a characteristic phenotype.