Developmental change in the glycosaminoglycan composition of the chick embryo brain

GAGs content was examined in chick embryo brain starting from the 9th day of incubation to the 4th post-hatching day. Chondroitin 6-sulfate, hyaluronate and heparan sulfate were recovered at any developmental stage examined. C6-S was the main GAG (except on the 15th day), while HS was the least represented. The highest differences in the relative amounts of GAGs are observed on the 9th day. C6-S shows high developmental relative changes, while HA and HS exhibit a similar pattern.     

IKAROS Deletions Dictate a Unique Gene Expression Signature in Patients with Adult B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Background

Deletions of IKAROS (IKZF1) frequently occur in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) but the mechanisms by which they influence pathogenesis are unclear. To address this issue, a cohort of 144 adult B-ALL patients (106 BCR-ABL1-positive and 38 B-ALL negative for known molecular rearrangements) was screened for IKZF1 deletions by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays; a sub-cohort of these patients (44%) was then analyzed for gene expression profiling.

Principal Findings

Total or partial deletions of IKZF1 were more frequent in BCR-ABL1-positive than in BCR-ABL1-negative B-ALL cases (75% vs 58%, respectively, p = 0.04). Comparison of the gene expression signatures of patients carrying IKZF1 deletion vs those without showed a unique signature featured by down-regulation of B-cell lineage and DNA repair genes and up-regulation of genes involved in cell cycle, JAK-STAT signalling and stem cell self-renewal. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays we corroborated these findings both in vivo and in vitro, showing that Ikaros deleted isoforms lacked the ability to directly regulate a large group of the genes in the signature, such as IGLL1, BLK, EBF1, MSH2, BUB3, ETV6, YES1, CDKN1A (p21), CDKN2C (p18) and MCL1.

Conclusions

Here we identified and validated for the first time molecular pathways specifically controlled by IKZF1, shedding light into IKZF1 role in B-ALL pathogenesis.     

Quantification of Imatinib Plasma Levels in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Comparison Between HPLC–UV and LC–MS/MS

Measurement of imatinib plasma concentration can be useful to evaluate patient adherence to daily oral therapy, potential drug–drug interaction, treatment efficacy, and severe drug-related adverse events. The aim of this study was to correlate the two different blood level test methods, HPLC–UV and LC–MS/MS. We analyzed 162 plasma samples from patients treated with imatinib. We estimated the correlation between the two analytical methods on total data set and on five sets of patients grouped into different categories based on the drug-dose therapy. Finally, imatinib quantification was correlated with genetic data on the molecular response in monitoring follow-up of CML patients.     

Screening of plant-derived antifungal substances useful for the control of seedborne pathogens

The effect of plant essential oils, Solanum chilense and Aster sedifolius raw saponins, plant-derived colourants and Brassica carinata glucosinolate-containing tissues, for the control of seedborne fungi Alternaria dauci, Alternaria radicina, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and Ascochyta rabiei, was evaluated. In vitro assays indicated that oregano essential oil, bark chestnut-derived colourant and B. carinata meals, showed a large spectrum of activity against all pathogens. S. chilense raw saponins were effective against A. dauci and A. radicina, while those from A. sedifolius also inhibited significantly C. lindemuthianum. Screening showed the antifungal potential of natural compounds.     

Detection of free-living and plankton-bound vibrios in coastal waters of the Adriatic Sea (Italy) and study of their pathogenicity-associated properties

Culturable vibrios were isolated from water and plankton fractions collected during an 18-month sampling study performed along the north-central coast of the Adriatic Sea (Italy). Unculturable Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus were detected in plankton fractions by polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA sequences for cytotoxin-haemolysin and thermolabile haemolysin respectively. The presence of V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. cholerae virulence genes and the expression of pathogenicity-associated traits were analysed in all isolates. The results showed the spreading of these properties among the environmental isolates and confirm the need of both monitoring the presence of vibrios in coastal areas and studying their pathogenicity potential in order to properly protect human health.     

Chronic, sublethal nickel acclimation alters the diffusive properties of renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) prepared from the freshwater rainbow trout

Brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) were prepared from the kidneys of rainbow trout exposed acutely (72 h; 13,380 microg Ni L(-1)), chronically (11 months; 289 microg Ni L(-1)), or chronically and acutely, to waterborne nickel (Ni). Uptake of 63Ni into renal BBMVs was temperature-dependent and fitted a two component kinetic model composed of a saturable, Michaelis-Menten component prominent at lower Ni concentrations, and a moderate linear diffusive component apparent at higher Ni concentrations. Chronic Ni exposure reduced the permeability of the BBM to Ni, evidenced by a significantly reduced slope of the linear diffusive component of BBMV uptake. Efflux of Ni from 63Ni-loaded renal BBMVs was not significantly altered by acute Ni challenge. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ inhibited uptake of Ni into renal BBMVs when present at a molar ratio to Ni of 1000:1. Mg2+-induced inhibition, however, was concentration-dependent and significant in BBMVs prepared from chronically Ni-acclimated fish at far lower molar ratios of 100 and 10 to 1. The data suggest that subtle, long-term modulation of membrane structure and function in the rainbow trout may be a compensatory response to chronic waterborne Ni exposure. Additionally, the data challenge the assumptions of constancy of the physiological parameters underlying physiologically based approaches to modeling metal toxicity. Such approaches are currently employed to derive water quality criteria for some metals.     

Inorganic mercury in the rock pool environment (Ligurian Sea)

In the present study the mercury concentration has been investigated in three components of a rock pool environment of Genoa Nervi (Ligurian Sea): water, particulate matter and Tigriopus fulvus (Harpacticoid copepod). The influence of some parameters (pH, temperature, salinity, rainfall) on mercury concentration has been evaluated. These data show that the mercury concentration is greater in Tigriopus males than in females and that the concentration also depends on temperature variations.