Growth and reproduction of asexual konjak plants (Amorphophalus konjac K. koch)

To examine the differences of the growth and reproduction of different-aged plants, 0-, 1-, and 2-year plants ofAmorphophalus konjac were investigated. RGR and daily net production per unit productive part, relative net-production rate (α′), of the 0-year plant were largest, although NAR was highest in the 2-year plant. This was due to the large LAR of the 0-year plant, owing to its large SLA. With increase in age, LAR decreased and NAR increased. Thus, it appeared that the age of plant exerts two opposite effects on dry-matter production. Since these effects cancel each other out, differences in RGR and α′ between the two older plants were not significant. We estimated that plant size appears to be primarily responsible for these effects. The 0-year plant showed the least distribution ratio of net production into reproductive (storage) organs, and the highest productivity of the reproductive part. The ratio of the production of corm to total reproductive-part production, the D-reproduction index, was independent of age, and critical size in vegetative propagation could not be detected.     

Growth of a human yolk sac tumor cell line with yolk sac-derived functions in selenium-supplemented chemically defined synthetic medium

Summary A human yolk sac tumor cell line, TG1, which was established from a testicular yolk sac tumor, was found to replicate continuously in a chemically defined medium supplemented with Na₂SeO₃ (ISRPMI). TG1 produced several plasma proteins and growth factors: albumin, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), ferritin, carcinoembryonic antigen, beta-2-microglobulin, polyamine, neuron specific enolase, tissue polypeptide antigen, transferrin (Tf), epidermal growth factor, and platelet derived growth factor. By analysis of lectin (LcHA)-affinity electrophoresis, to examine the microheterogeneity of carbohydrate chains of synthetic glycoproteins, TG1 cells cultured with ISRPMI produced only LcHA reactive Tf and AFP based on core fucose attached to asparagine-linkedN-acetylglucosamine residues instead of LcHA-nonreactive Tf and AFP produced by TG1 cells cultured with fetal bovine serum (FBS)-containing medium.α1-6 Fucosyltransferase activity was significantly greater in the TG1 cells cultured with ISRPMI (39.9±1.5 pmol · h⁻¹ · mg⁻¹ protein) than cultured with FBS-containing media (18.2±1.2 pmol · h⁻¹ · mg⁻¹ protein). These results have indicated that the selective increase ofα1-6 fucosyltransferase occurred when the cells were cultured with the FBS-free synthetic media.     

Gut microbiome in gastrointestinal cancer: a friend or foe?

The impact of the gut microbiome on host health is becoming increasingly recognized. To date, there is growing evidence that the complex characteristics of the microbial community play key roles as potential biomarkers and predictors of responses in cancer therapy. Many studies have shown that altered commensal bacteria lead to cancer susceptibility and progression in diverse pathways. In this review, we critically assess the data for gut microbiota related to gastrointestinal cancer, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Importantly, the underlying mechanisms of gut microbiota involved in cancer occurrence, prevention and treatment are elucidated. The purpose of this review is to provide novel insights for applying this understanding to the development of new therapeutic strategies in gastrointestinal cancer by targeting the microbial community.     

An anti-carbohydrate monoclonal antibody inhibits cell-substratum adhesion of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells

A monoclonal rat IgM antibody (4C9) raised against F9 embryonal carcinoma cells reacted with fucosyl residues in poly-N-acetyllactosamine-type large carbohydrates of these cells (embryoglycan). The chemical properties and distribution of the antigen resembled those of SSEA-1. The monoclonal antibody was found to inhibit cell-substratum adhesion of F9 cells: in the presence of the antibody, cells grew as spherical cell aggregates on plastic dishes. When the antibody was added to the already spread cells, they displayed the initial sign of rounding up within 3 h; the rounding process was largely completed within 6 h. After removal of the antibody, cells resumed their normal morphology. The antibody could act in the presence of 2,4-dinitrophenol. In serum-free medium, F9 cells spread on plastic dishes coated with fibronectin or with laminin, and the process was also inhibited by the antibody. Immuno-electronmicroscopy revealed that 4C9 antigen was diffusely distributed over the cell surface of F9 cells. The distribution of the antigen was not altered generally after culturing with the antibody for 6 h. Another monoclonal rat IgM antibody, which did not react with embryoglycan and resembled anti-Forssman, did not inhibit cell-substratum adhesion of F9 cells, in spite of its reactivity to the cells. Thus, a glycoprotein with fucosyl (poly)-N-acetyllactosamine structure appears to be involved in cell-substratum adhesion of F9 cells.     

Functional Analysis of Deep Intronic SNP rs13438494 in Intron 24 of PCLO Gene

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs13438494 in intron 24 of PCLO was significantly associated with bipolar disorder in a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies. In this study, we performed functional minigene analysis and bioinformatics prediction of splicing regulatory sequences to characterize the deep intronic SNP rs13438494. We constructed minigenes with A and C alleles containing exon 24, intron 24, and exon 25 of PCLO to assess the genetic effect of rs13438494 on splicing. We found that the C allele of rs13438494 reduces the splicing efficiency of the PCLO minigene. In addition, prediction analysis of enhancer/silencer motifs using the Human Splice Finder web tool indicated that rs13438494 induces the abrogation or creation of such binding sites. Our results indicate that rs13438494 alters splicing efficiency by creating or disrupting a splicing motif, which functions by binding of splicing regulatory proteins, and may ultimately result in bipolar disorder in affected people.     

Human immune responses elicited by an intranasal inactivated H5 influenza vaccine

Intranasally administered influenza vaccines could be more effective than injected vaccines, because intranasal vaccination can induce virus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the upper respiratory tract, which is the initial site of infection. In this study, immune responses elicited by an intranasal inactivated vaccine of influenza A(H5N1) virus were evaluated in healthy individuals naive for influenza A(H5N1) virus. Three doses of intranasal inactivated whole-virion H5 influenza vaccine induced strong neutralizing nasal IgA and serum IgG antibodies. In addition, a mucoadhesive excipient, carboxy vinyl polymer, had a notable impact on the induction of nasal IgA antibody responses but not on serum IgG antibody responses. The nasal hemagglutinin (HA)-specific IgA antibody responses clearly correlated with mucosal neutralizing antibody responses, indicating that measurement of nasal HA-specific IgA titers could be used as a surrogate for the mucosal antibody response. Furthermore, increased numbers of plasma cells and vaccine antigen-specific Th cells in the peripheral blood were observed after vaccination, suggesting that peripheral blood biomarkers may also be used to evaluate the intranasal vaccine-induced immune response. However, peripheral blood immune cell responses correlated with neutralizing antibody titers in serum samples but not in nasal wash samples. Thus, analysis of the peripheral blood immune response could be a surrogate for the systemic immune response to intranasal vaccination but not for the mucosal immune response. The current study suggests the clinical potential of intranasal inactivated vaccines against influenza A(H5N1) viruses and highlights the need to develop novel means to evaluate intranasal vaccine-induced mucosal immune responses.