Familial breast/ovarian cancer and BRCA1/2 genetic screening: the role of immunohistochemistry as an additional method in the selection of patients.

Only 20-25% of families screened for BRCA1/2 mutations are found positive. Because only a positive result is informative, we studied the role of BRCA1/2 immunohistochemistry as an additional method for patient selection. From 53 high-risk-affected probands, 18 (34%) had available paraffin blocks of their tumors and were selected for this study. Mutation screening was done by conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. For immunohistochemistry, 21 neoplastic specimens (15 breast carcinomas, 5 ovary neoplasms, and 1 rectal adenocarcinoma) were analyzed with BRCA1 (monoclonal antibody, Ab-1, oncogene) and BRCA2 (polyclonal antibody, Ab-2, oncogene) antibodies. Absence of the BRCA1 protein was confirmed in negative tumors by Western blotting. Seven patients were positive for BRCA1/2 mutations: 5 for BRCA1 and 2 for BRCA2. Four out of five positive patients had tumors negative for BRCA1 immunostaining, and the remaining 13 BRCA1-negative patients had positive BRCA1 immunostaining in all tumor samples. Sensitivity to predict for BRCA1 mutation carriers was 80%, and specificity was 100%, with a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 93%. This correlation was statistically significant (p=0.001). No correlation was observed for BRCA2. If larger studies confirm these results, high-risk patients with BRCA1-negative tumors should be screened first for this gene.     

Molecular cloning and expression of human trophoblast antigen FDO161G and its identification as 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroid dehydrogenase

The monoclonal antibody FDO161G reacts with a 43-kDa protein found in human extravillous trophoblast, syncytiotrophoblast, adrenal cortex, interstitial cells of the testis and ovarian follicle cumulus cells. cDNAs for this protein have been isolated from the lambda gt11 library, sequenced, and expressed in COS-7 cells. The protein was identified as 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroid dehydrogenase (HSD). The sequence of the HSD protein raises questions about its association with cell membrane systems. The lack of reactivity of FDO161G with other tissues suggests that HSD has a limited tissue distribution and that other enzymes may exist in peripheral tissues, which can convert delta 5 3-hydroxysteroids to delta 4 3-ketosteroids.     

A new promotor of nerve growth: naftidrofuryl

20 day-old rat thoracic dorsal root ganglia were grown for 48 hrs. in Iscove's medium supplemented with 8% fetal calf serum and 600 mg/100 ml glucose. Naftidrofuryl was added at 10(-6), 10(-7), 10(-8) and 10(-9) M concentrations to the culture medium. The 10(-7) and 10(-8) M concentrations induced a statistically significant increase of the number (30 to 40%; p = .0054 and .0016, respectively) and length (20 to 30%; p = .0012 and .001, respectively) of neurites of the outgrowth measured after Bodian's protargol impregnation. The width of the cell spread in the outgrowth was also enlarged at the 10(-7) and 10(-8) M concentrations (18 to 26%; p = .0012; p less than .0001, respectively).     

Subcellular Localization of Enzymes of Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in Nodules of Medicago sativa

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Vernal) nodules were separatedinto host plant fractions and fractions of rhizobial originby differential centrifugation and sedimentation equilibriumcentrifugation. Both NAD- and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase(70%, 90%) and glutamate dehydrogenase activities (90%, 83%)were located primarily (percent total nodule activity) in thefractions of plant origin and their specific activities werehighest in the fractions of plant origin. More than 50% of thenodules' total activity of both glutamine synthetase and NAD-glutamatesynthase and greater than 90% of the total glutamate oxaloacetatetransaminase activity was located in plant fractions. However,the fractions of rhizobial origin had the highest specific activitiesof glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase. (Received September 5, 1981; Accepted December 7, 1981)     

Nucleoid structure and partition in Methanococcus jannaschii: an archaeon with multiple copies of the chromosome.

We measured different cellular parameters in the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii. In exponential growth phase, the cells contained multiple chromosomes and displayed a broad variation in size and DNA content. In most cells, the nucleoids were organized into a thread-like network, although less complex structures also were observed. During entry into stationary phase, chromosome replication continued to termination while no new rounds were initiated: the cells ended up with one to five chromosomes per cell with no apparent preference for any given DNA content. Most cells in stationary phase contained more than one genome equivalent. Asymmetric divisions were detected in stationary phase, and the nucleoids were found to be significantly more compact than in exponential phase.     

Effects of glucose, tetrapyrroles and protein kinase C activators on cell proliferation in cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae was inoculated into a yeast nitrogen base with either glycerol or glucose as carbon source. Cell proliferation was followed by colony counts on agar medium. Cells in the glycerol-supplemented medium divided less than once in 10 days. When glucose, 6-deoxy-glucose or protoporphyrin IX was added, the cells had doubling times of about 24 h and increased in number to about 0.5 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹ Addition of either of the protein kinase C activators oleoyl-acetylglycerol or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate did not activate cell proliferation in the glycerol medium. However, when (i) glucose was combined with either protoporphyrin IX or chlorophyllin, or (ii) either protoporphyrin IX or chlorophyllin was combined with either of the protein kinase C activators, the cells had doubling times of about 12 h. Hence, (i) glucose can act as both a carbon source and a signalling molecule for proliferation, and (ii) two systems are involved in activating cell proliferation in S. cerevisiae : one operating through a protein kinase C system and another through a guanylate cyclase system.