Adelphocorisella Miyamoto and Yasunaga newly recorded from Australia, with the description of a new species (Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae)

Adelphocorisella australis sp. n. is described from north Queensland. This, the first representative of the genus known from Australia, is compared with the two previously described species, both from Japan.     

First record of lily thrips, Liothrips vaneeckei Priesner, in Australia (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae)

The first Australian record of the lily thrips, Liothrips vaneeckei Priesner, is reported from a bulb farm in Warragul South, Victoria. It is an occasional pest of Lilium bulbs, both in the field and in storage, particularly in the USA and several European countries, and is also infrequently found in considerable numbers on the corms of orchids.     

Parallel reverse genetic screening in mutant human cells using transcriptomics

Reverse genetic screens have driven gene annotation and target discovery in model organisms. However, many disease‐relevant genotypes and phenotypes cannot be studied in lower organisms. It is therefore essential to overcome technical hurdles associated with large‐scale reverse genetics in human cells. Here, we establish a reverse genetic approach based on highly robust and sensitive multiplexed RNA sequencing of mutant human cells. We conduct 10 parallel screens using a collection of engineered haploid isogenic cell lines with knockouts covering tyrosine kinases and identify known and unexpected effects on signaling pathways. Our study provides proof of concept for a scalable approach to link genotype to phenotype in human cells, which has broad applications. In particular, it clears the way for systematic phenotyping of still poorly characterized human genes and for systematic study of uncharacterized genomic features associated with human disease.     

Particulate methane monooxygenase genes in methanotrophs.

A 45-kDa membrane polypeptide that is associated with activity of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) has been purified from three methanotrophic bacteria, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was found to be identical in 17 of 20 positions for all three polypeptides and identical in 14 of 20 positions for the N terminus of AmoB, the 43-kDa subunit of ammonia monooxygenase. DNA from a variety of methanotrophs was screened with two probes, an oligonucleotide designed from the N-terminal sequence of the 45-kDa polypeptide from Methylococcus capsulatus Bath and an internal fragment of amoA, which encodes the 27-kDa subunit of ammonia monooxygenase. In most cases, two hybridizing fragments were identified with each probe. Three overlapping DNA fragments containing one of the copies of the gene encoding the 45-kDa pMMO polypeptide (pmoB) were cloned from Methylococcus capsulatus Bath. A 2.1-kb region was sequenced and found to contain both pmoB and a second gene, pmoA. The predicted amino acid sequences of these genes revealed high identity with those of the gene products of amoB and amoA, respectively. Further hybridization experiments with DNA from Methylococcus capsulatus Bath and Methylobacter albus BG8 confirmed the presence of two copies of pmoB in both strains. These results suggest that the 45- and 27-kDa pMMO-associated polypeptides of methanotrophs are subunits of the pMMO and are present in duplicate gene copies in methanotrophs.     

Glucosylated N-acetyllactosamine O-antigen chain in the lipopolysaccharide from Helicobacter pylori strain UA861

The O-antigen chain from the lipopolysaccharide of Helicobacter pylori strain UA861 was determined to be composed of an elongated type 2 N - acetyllactosamine backbone, -[-->3)-beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcNAc-(1- ]n-->, with approximately half of the GlcNAc units carrying a terminal alpha-d-Glc residue at the O -6 position. The O-chain of H.pylori UA861 was terminated by a N -acetyllactosamine [beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-beta-D- GlcNAc] (LacNAc) epitope and did not express terminal Lewis X or Lewis Y blood-group determinants as previously found in other H.pylori strains. The absence of terminal Lewis X and Lewis Y blood-group epitopes and the replacement of Fuc by Glc as a side chain in the O- chain of H.pylori UA861 represents yet another type of lipopolysaccharide structure from H.pylori species. These structural differences in H.pylori lipopolysaccharide molecules carry implications with regard to possible different pathogenic events between strains and respective hosts.      

Methylation of the DFNA5 increases risk of lymph node metastasis in human breast cancer

The pathogenesis of breast cancer involves multiple genetic and epigenetic events. In this study, we report an epigenetic alteration of DFNA5 in human breast cancer. DFNA5 gene was silenced in breast cancer cell lines that were methylated in the DFNA5 promoter, and restored by treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-aza-dC, and gene knock-down of DFNA5 increased cellular invasiveness in vitro. The mRNA expression of DFNA5 in breast cancer tissues was down-regulated as compared to normal tissues. Moreover, the DFNA5 promoter was found to be methylated in primary tumor tissues with high frequency (53%, 18/34). Quantitative methylation-specific PCR of DFNA5 clearly discriminated primary breast cancer tissues from normal breast tissues (15.3%, 2/13). Moreover, methylation status of DFNA5 was correlated with lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients. Our data implicate DFNA5 promoter methylation as a novel molecular biomarker in human breast cancer.     

Protective effects of agomelatine on testicular damage caused by bortezomib

Bortezomib is a chemotherapeutic agent used to treat several cancers; however, it exhibits severe side effects in testicular tissue. We investigated the use of agomelatine to prevent testicular tissue damage caused by bortezomib. We used 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided randomly into six equal groups: group 1, no treatment control; group 2, agomelatine treatment only; group 3, bortezomib treatment only for 48 h; group 4, bortezomib + agomelatine treatment for 48 h; group 5, bortezomib treatment only for 72 h; and group 6, bortezomib + agomelatine treatment for 72 h. After treatments, the rats were sacrificed and testicular tissue was harvested. Lipid oxidation (LPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the tissues were determined using biochemical methods. Tissue samples also were examined using histopathological and immunohistochemical techniques. The LPO level was increased, while the SOD level was decreased in the bortezomib treated groups. We found that agomelatine treatment normalized LPO and SOD activities in the bortezomib treated groups. In the spermatogonia and Sertoli cells, the staining density of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) and caspase 3 were decreased in the bortezomib + agomelatine groups at both 48 and 72 h compared to bortezomib only treated groups. We observed maturation arrest, basal membrane thickening, increase in inflammatory cells and connective tissue, and edema between germ cells in the bortezomib only treated groups. By contrast, normal basal membrane, less edema and more normal maturation were observed in the bortezomib + agomelatine groups at 48 and 72 h. We found that agomelatine reduced the damaging effects of bortezomib. The use of agomelatine to prevent bortezomib induced testicular tissue damage in human patients should be investigated further.