Autoantibodies against the replication protein A complex in systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases

Replication protein A (RPA), a heterotrimer with subunits of molecular masses 70, 32, and 14 kDa, is a single-stranded-DNA-binding factor involved in DNA replication, repair, and recombination. There have been only three reported cases of anti-RPA in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren syndrome (SjS). This study sought to clarify the clinical significance of autoantibodies against RPA. Sera from 1,119 patients enrolled during the period 2000 to 2005 were screened by immunoprecipitation (IP) of ³⁵S-labeled K562 cell extract. Antigen-capture ELISA with anti-RPA32 mAb, immunofluorescent antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and western blot analysis with purified RPA were also performed. Our results show that nine sera immunoprecipitated the RPA70–RPA32–RPA14 complex and all were strongly positive by ELISA (titers 1:62,500 to 1:312,500). No additional sera were positive by ELISA and subsequently confirmed by IP or western blotting. All sera showed fine speckled/homogeneous nuclear staining. Anti-RPA was found in 1.4% (4/276) of SLE and 2.5% (1/40) of SjS sera, but not in rheumatoid arthritis (0/35), systemic sclerosis (0/47), or polymyositis/dermatomyositis (0/43). Eight of nine patients were female and there was no racial predilection. Other positive patients had interstitial lung disease, autoimmune thyroiditis/hepatitis C virus/pernicious anemia, or an unknown diagnosis. Autoantibody specificities found in up to 40% of SLE and other diseases, such as anti-nRNP, anti-Sm, anti-Ro, and anti-La, were unusual in anti-RPA-positive sera. Only one of nine had anti-Ro, and zero of nine had anti-nRNP, anti-Sm, anti-La, or anti-ribosomal P antibodies. In summary, high titers of anti-RPA antibodies were found in nine patients (1.4% of SLE and other diseases). Other autoantibodies found in SLE were rare in this subset, suggesting that patients with anti-RPA may form a unique clinical and immunological subset.     

RhoA signaling modulates cyclin D1 expression in human lung fibroblasts; implications for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background

To elucidate further the pathogenesis of sporadic, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and identify potential therapeutic avenues, differential gene expression in IPAH was examined by suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH).

Methods

Peripheral lung samples were obtained immediately after removal from patients undergoing lung transplant for IPAH without familial disease, and control tissues consisted of similarly sampled pieces of donor lungs not utilised during transplantation. Pools of lung mRNA from IPAH cases containing plexiform lesions and normal donor lungs were used to generate the tester and driver cDNA libraries, respectively. A subtracted IPAH cDNA library was made by SSH. Clones isolated from this subtracted library were examined for up regulated expression in IPAH using dot blot arrays of positive colony PCR products using both pooled cDNA libraries as probes. Clones verified as being upregulated were sequenced. For two genes the increase in expression was verified by northern blotting and data analysed using Student's unpaired two-tailed t-test.

Results

We present preliminary findings concerning candidate genes upregulated in IPAH. Twenty-seven upregulated genes were identified out of 192 clones examined. Upregulation in individual cases of IPAH was shown by northern blot for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 and decorin (P < 0.01) compared with the housekeeping gene glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Conclusion

Four of the up regulated genes, magic roundabout, hevin, thrombomodulin and sucrose non-fermenting protein-related kinase-1 are expressed specifically by endothelial cells and one, muscleblind-1, by muscle cells, suggesting that they may be associated with plexiform lesions and hypertrophic arterial wall remodelling, respectively.     

Role of environmental factors in autoantibody production - importance of a detailed analysis in a small cohort

In the previous issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy, Muro and colleagues reported a detailed epidemiologic analysis in central Japan on one of the new myositis-specific autoantibodies to MDA-5 (melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5), which is associated with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis accompanying interstitial lung disease. The increasing prevalence of anti-MDA-5, higher prevalence in small rural towns, and geographical clustering in two areas along the Kiso River suggest a role of environmental factors associated with rural communities or the river/water system or both. A detailed analysis of a small cohort may offer clues, which is ignored in multi-center studies, to the pathogenesis of systemic rheumatic diseases and autoantibody production.     

Monitoring Golden-Cheeked Warblers on Private Lands in Texas

ABSTRACT A majority of North American breeding habitat for neotropical migrants exists on private lands, requiring monitoring strategies focused on habitat in these private holdings. We outline study designs and protocols using repeated Presence-Absence surveys across a gradient of patch sizes to develop a range-wide monitoring program for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) in Texas, USA. We surveyed 200–400 point-count locations across approximately 30 private properties annually from 2005 to 2008. We used data from our surveyed patches (n = 147) and the Ψ (occupancy), p (detection), and γ = 1 - ɛ parameterization to estimate patch dynamics and associated detection probabilities for golden-cheeked warblers. Patch size had a strong association with patch occupancy, and all patches >160 ha were predicted to be occupied. We found no evidence that large golden-cheeked warbler populations located on public lands in the vicinity of our study area influenced occupancy dynamics. We conducted simulations across a range of detection probabilities to evaluate potential sample sizes for both standard- and removal-based occupancy modeling. Simulations using parameter estimates from our analysis indicated that removal-based sampling is superior to standard sampling. Based on our results, surveying golden-cheeked warbler presence in oak-juniper (Quercus-Juniperus) patches under a removal modeling framework should be considered as one alternative for range-wide monitoring programs because patch-level monitoring would be necessary to estimate proportion of range occupied. Large contiguous patches are rare across the species’ range; hence, conservation and management of the mosaic of smaller patches within a landscape context would be required for maintaining species viability. Thus, we recommend the identification of areas where smaller, contiguous patches represent a significant portion of the available habitat within the local landscape and targeting these areas for habitat maintenance and improvement.     

Speciation in sexually deceptive orchids: pollinator-driven selection maintains discrete odour phenotypes in hybridizing species

Ophrys orchids mimic the female sex pheromones of their pollinator species to attract males for pollination. Reproductive isolation in Ophrys is based on the selective attraction of only a single pollinator species. A change of floral odour can result in the attraction of a new pollinator species that acts as an isolation barrier towards other sympatrically occurring Ophrys species. Ophrys lupercalis, Ophrys bilunulata, and Ophrys fabrella grow sympatrically and bloom consecutively on Majorca and are pollinated by three species of Andrena. We investigated variation of phenotypic and genotypic flower traits, aiming to study the role of the floral odour for reproductive isolation and speciation. Using chemical and electrophysiology (gas chromatography coupled with an electroantennographic detector) methods, we show that the three Ophrys species use the same odour compounds for pollinator attraction, but in different proportions. A comparison of the floral odour bouquets in a multivariate analysis revealed a clear grouping of plants from the same species, although with an overlap between species. A comparison of the same plants using molecular markers gave a contrasting result. Although O. lupercalis and O. fabrella were genetically well separated, plants of O. bilunulata did not form a distinct group but were similar to either O. lupercalis or O. fabrella. Our data indicate gene flow and hybridization to occur between O. bilunulata and O. lupercalis as well as between O. bilunulata and O. fabrella. All plants of O. bilunulata, despite having different genotypes, showed a very similar floral odour. This reflects a strong selective pressure by the pollinating males. The overlap of genotypes of O. bilunulata and O. fabrella supports our hypothesis that O. fabrella diverged from O. bilunulata by scent variation and the attraction of a new pollinator species, Andrena fabrella. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98 , 439–451.     

Bioactive compounds produced by cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria produce a large number of compounds with varying bioactivities. Prominent among these are toxins: hepatotoxins such as microcystins and nodularins and neurotoxins such as anatoxins and saxitoxins. Cytotoxicity to tumor cells has been demonstrated for other cyanobacterial products, including 9-deazaadenosine, dolastatin 13 and analogs. A number of compounds in cyanobacteria are inhibitors of proteases — micropeptins, cyanopeptolins, oscillapeptin, microviridin, aeruginosins- and other enzymes, while still other compounds have no recognized biological activities. In general cyclic peptides and depsipeptides are the most common structural types, but a wide variety of other types are also found: linear peptides, guanidines, phosphonates, purines and macrolides. The close similarity or identity in structures between cyanobacterial products and compounds isolated from sponges, tunicates and other marine invertebrates suggests the latter compounds may be derived from dietary or symbiotic blue-green algae.