The effect of clupeinon anisotropy and basophilia of polytene chromosomes

Summary When polytene chromosomes are subjected to a clupein treatment, their properties of basophilia and anisotropy are affected. The basophilia is deeply reduced, except in the nucleolar zones, puffs and sites of RNA accumulation. On the other hand, the chromosome birefringence increases. The phenomenon of anomalous dispersion of birefringence usually observed on polytene chromosomes stained with toluidine blue solutions turns into a normal negative dispersion of birefringence, when staining is preceded by clupein treatment. It is concluded that the clupein molecules attach orderly and preferentially to sequential DNA phosphates unbound to chromosome proteins, accentuating DNA anisotropic characteristics. The clupein molecules appear not attaching to RNA phosphates.     

Chromatin condensation and differential sensitivity of mammalian and insect cells to DNA strand breaks induced by bleomycin

Bleomycin (BLM) induces DNA damage in living cells. In this report we analyzed the role of chromatin compactness in the differential response of mosquito (ATC-15) and mammalian (CHO) cells to DNA strand breaks induced by BLM. We used cells unexposed and exposed to sodium butyrate (NaB), which induces chromatin decondensation. By nucleoid sedimentation assay and digestions of nuclei with DNAse I, untreated mosquito cells (no BLM; no NaB) were shown to have more chromatin condensation than untreated CHO cells. By alkaline unwinding ATC-15 cells treated with NaB showed more BLM-induced DNA strand breaks than NaB-untreated CHO cells. The time-course of BLM-induced DNA damage to nuclear DNA was similar for NaB-untreated mammalian and insect cells, but with mosquito cells showing less DNA strand breaks, both at physiological temperatures and at 4 °C. However, when DNA repair was inhibited by low temperatures and chromatin was decondensed by NaB treatments, differences in BLM-induced DNA damage between these cells lines were no longer observed. In both cell lines, NaB did not affect BLM action on cell growth and viability. On the other hand, the low sensitivity of ATC-15 cells to BLM was reflected in their better growth efficiency. These cells exhibited a satisfactory growth at BLM doses that produced a permanent arrest of growth in CHO cells. The data suggest that mosquito cells might have linker DNAs shorter than those of mammalian cells, which would result in the observed both greater chromatin condensation and greater resistance to DNA damage induced by BLM as compared to CHO cells.     

Evaluation of a High Throughput Method for the Detection of Mutations Associated with Thrombosis and Hereditary Hemochromatosis in Brazilian Blood Donors

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the OpenArray platform for genetic testing of blood donors and to assess the genotype frequencies of nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with venous thrombosis (G1691A and G20210A), hyperhomocysteinemia (C677T, A1298C), and hereditary hemochromatosis (C282Y, H63D and S65C) in blood donors from Sao Paulo, Brazil.MethodsWe examined 400 blood donor samples collected from October to November 2011. The SNPs were detected using OpenArray technology. The blood samples were also examined using a real-time PCR–FRET system to compare the results and determine the accuracy of the OpenArray method.ResultsWe observed 100% agreement in all assays tested, except HFE C282Y, which showed 99.75% agreement. The HFE C282Y assay was further confirmed through direct sequencing, and the results showed that OpenArray analysis was accurate. The calculated frequencies of each SNP were FV G1691A 98.8% (G/G), 1.2% (G/A); FII G2021A 99.5% (G/G), 0.5% (G/A); MTHFR C677T 45.5% (C/C), 44.8% (C/T), 9.8% (T/T); MTHFR A1298C 60.3% (A/A), 33.6% (A/C), 6.1% (C/C); HFE C282Y 96%(G/G), 4%(G/A), HFE H63D 78.1%(C/C), 20.3% (C/G), 1.6% (G/G); and HFE S65C 98.1% (A/A), 1.9% (A/T).ConclusionTaken together, these results describe the frequencies of SNPs associated with diseases and are important to enhance our current knowledge of the genetic profiles of Brazilian blood donors, although a larger study is needed for a more accurate determination of the frequency of the alleles. Furthermore, the OpenArray platform showed a high concordance rate with standard FRET RT-PCR.     

PERFUSION FOR MYOCARDIAL REVASCULARIZATION WITHOUT AN ARTIFICIAL OXYGENATOR (New Method to Reduce Surgical Morbidity)

Thirteen patients were submitted to direct myocardial revascularization (saphenous vein graft) without the use of an artificial oxygenator. The perfusion was done by a left ventricle-to-aorta bypass and autogenous oxygenation. Most patients had three grafts implanted plus endarterectomy of the distal right coronary artery. There was one hospital death that was apparently not related to the method used. Perfusion time ranged from 45 minutes to 4 hours. Body temperature during perfusion was kept between 25 and 30 degrees C. Perfusion flow was maintained between 25 to 50 ml per kg of body weight per minute. Ischemic, hypothermic cardiac arrest was employed. We demonstrated for the first time that perfusion for this kind of heart surgery could be done with no artificial oxygenators and, apparently, is safer for the patients. There were no bleeding problems even in perfusions as long as 4 hours. There was no respiratory dysfunction, and artificial respiration was used for only 6 to 12 hours. The patients awoke at the end of surgery with no signs or symptoms of central nervous system damage, and vasopressor drugs were rarely used after surgery. Although the experience is very small, it suggests that many postoperative problems, especially those related to bleeding and respiratory dysfunction may be reduced or eliminated by this new method.     

Phosphorylation- and ligand-induced conformational changes of rat liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

The effects of cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation on the structural properties of rat liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase were investigated by uv difference spectroscopy and circular dichroism. The incorporation of 4 mol of phosphate per mole of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase induces a significant increase in the alpha-helix content of the enzyme without affecting its spectrophotometric properties. The addition of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate or fructose 2,6-bisphosphate also affects the conformation of the enzyme. However, both the phosphorylated and the nonphosphorylated forms exhibit similar ligand-induced conformational changes. These results show that cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase induces a specific conformational change. They also suggest that this modification does not alter the interaction of the enzyme protein with fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate.     

海南省及云南西双版纳州HIV-1的分子流行病学比较研究

目的调查比较HIV-1在海南省及云南西双版纳州的流行情况及分子流行病学分析高危因素传播的情况以及传播链的鉴定。方法我们与海南省CDC及西双版纳州CDC合作在其境内开展了HIV血清学调查,筛查了海南省（1991～2006）及西双版纳州（1996～2005）高危人群志愿者血清样本。在本次两地调查中,我们通过系统进化分析方法,对已诊断的HIV感染者进行分子流行病学的追踪,来分析其中的主要流行亚群以及结合个案追踪进行传播链的鉴定。结果我们共筛查了海南省499725人,共检出HIV阳性感染者523例（0.1%）,以注射器吸毒感染为主要传播途径（经共用注射器吸毒感染占69．2％、经性接触传播占19．3％、供血和使用血液／血液制品感染占3．3％、母婴传播占0．8％、不详占7．7％）。然而,在西双版纳州筛查中发现了较海南省高20倍的检出率：在25390受检人中,共检出HIV阳性感染者501例（2％）并以异性性传播为主（经异性性接触传播占77．3％、经共用注射器吸毒感染占21．1％、经同性性接触传播占0．4％、母婴传播占1．2％）。在海南省抽样的83人中,以CRF01_-AE重组亚型（70人,84．3％）为主要病毒亚型,其他病毒亚型包括B’亚型（8人）、C亚型（2人）、CRF08_BC重组亚型（1人）、B亚型（1人）和1个未报道过的CRF01～AE／B’重组亚型。同样,在版纳抽样的44人中,也以CRF01_AE重组亚型（27人,61．3％）为主要病毒亚型,其他病毒亚型包括CRF08_BC重组亚型（15人）、G亚型（1人）、和1个未报道过的B／C重组亚型。在海南省抽样中有66人（79．5％）分布于4个大小不同的传播群,传播群1（59人）较大（奠基效应）,属于CRF01_AE重组亚型,传播群2、3、4则较小,分别为3、2、2人,分别属于CRF01_AE重组亚型、C亚型和B’亚型。相反,在版纳抽样中有18人（40．9％）分布于8个较小的传播群（每群平均含2．25感染个体）。在海南省抽样中怀疑的6对异性性接触的传播链中,经系统进化分析方法确认了其中的4对,2对被拒绝。在版纳抽样中怀疑的8对异性性接触的传播链中,经系统进化分析方法确认了其中的5对,2对被拒绝,1对无法分析,此外还新发现了3对异性性接触传播群。结论HIV-1感染者的分子流行病学的追踪和分析对于追溯艾滋病流行的源头和地区性预防策略的制定有着重大的意义。     

miR-125b Acts as a Tumor Suppressor in Breast Tumorigenesis via Its Novel Direct Targets ENPEP,CK2-α, CCNJ,and MEGF9

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in diverse biological processes and are emerging as key regulators of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. To explore the dysregulation of miRNAs in breast cancer, a genome-wide expression profiling of 939 miRNAs was performed in 50 breast cancer patients. A total of 35 miRNAs were aberrantly expressed between breast cancer tissue and adjacent normal breast tissue and several novel miRNAs were identified as potential oncogenes or tumor suppressor miRNAs in breast tumorigenesis. miR-125b exhibited the largest decrease in expression. Enforced miR-125b expression in mammary cells decreased cell proliferation by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and reduced anchorage-independent cell growth of cells of mammary origin. miR-125b was found to perform its tumor suppressor function via the direct targeting of the 3’-UTRs of ENPEP, CK2-α, CCNJ, and MEGF9 mRNAs. Silencing these miR-125b targets mimicked the biological effects of miR-125b overexpression, confirming that they are modulated by miR-125b. Analysis of ENPEP, CK2-α, CCNJ, and MEGF9 protein expression in breast cancer patients revealed that they were overexpressed in 56%, 40–56%, 20%, and 32% of the tumors, respectively. The expression of ENPEP and CK2-α was inversely correlated with miR-125b expression in breast tumors, indicating the relevance of these potential oncogenic proteins in breast cancer patients. Our results support a prognostic role for CK2-α, whose expression may help clinicians predict breast tumor aggressiveness. In particular, our results show that restoration of miR-125b expression or knockdown of ENPEP, CK2-α, CCNJ, or MEGF9 may provide novel approaches for the treatment of breast cancer.